Bermuda is an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean north of the Caribbean that is under ownership by Great Britain. It has a long history as a British territory, particularly during colonial times, when it served as a base for the British Armies to fight pirates. Today, it is a popular tourist destination and a hot spot for North Americans and Europeans alike. Often mistaken for a Caribbean island, it is actually not located in the Caribbean Sea and has a different climate. It is much farther north, but the warm waters of the Gulf Stream help give it a quasi-tropical atmosphere. Here is a look at some of the top luxury resorts in Bermuda, and some of their best features.
8. Newstead Belmont Hills Hotel
7. Rosewood Tucker's Point
The luxury resort Tucker’s Point offers packages to add to the cost of lodging. Dining plans at the six bars and restaurants can be purchased, and will allow unlimited dinners, breakfasts, or both for a daily rate. The reasoning behind this is that this saves money for clients who can’t eat away from the location without their money going to two breakfasts or dinners. A stay includes pool and fitness center use, and a spa is available for an additional fee. The resort caters to “rose buds”, or children, and “lilies”, or teens, and many places like the spa have separate menus and packages tailored to them for a reduced rate. There are a number of great activities that start at the resort like scuba diving and evening cruises.
6. Elbow Beach Bermuda
Elbow Beach sits on a half mile of private beach property on Bermuda’s south shore, near downtown Hamilton. It is a boutique hotel featuring luxuries like a private yacht and complimentary shoeshine, along with the standard amenities that most of these hotels boast, like pool, tennis courts, fitness center and spa. Elbow Beach works hard to cater to children and parents of children, and offer a large number of kids services. This includes a separate childrens menu for in-room dining, babysitting services, and a structured kids camp. This allows parents who are engaging in activities like scuba diving to be able to leave their children safely cared for and having their own Bermuda adventure.
5. The Fairmont Hamilton Princess
Located on Hamilton Harbour, the Fairmont is a more modern hotel-style luxury resort. It features a sixty-berth marina for liveaboard guests or those who travel by boat. Rooms are mostly one-bedroom hotel rooms or suites. There are two restaurants, a bar, and a coffee shop. A day spa and fitness center are on site, and guests of the Fairmont have playing privileges at Riddell’s Bay Golf and Country Club. They don’t offer multi-room apartments for traveling families, but they do offer discounts on a second room for parents with kids.
4. Grotto Bay Beach Resort
Grotto Bay bills itself as the only resort in Bermuda offering a true all-inclusive package. While other resorts in Bermuda offer tailored programs including some options while excluding others, there is an all-inclusive option for the stay here. Included in this package is breakfast buffet, lunch, and dinner, house alcohol (wine, beer, and liquor), tennis court time, non-motorized watersports and equipment, and bus passes for island transport. Like many places, there are also offerings at an additional fee, like tennis lessons, a full-service spa, golf, bike rentals, and more. Grotto Bay sits on an old plantation estate which gets its name from the natural limestone caves that exist on the property. Cave swimming is a free, popular activity offered by the resort.
3. Cambridge Beaches Resort
The Cambridge Beaches Resort caters to the boating crowd, because they offer a full-service marina as well. This means liveaboards have the opportunity to visit and either stay on their boats and enjoy the wonderful amenities, or to take a break from boat life knowing their vessel is safely nearby. Amenities here include a spa, fitness center, infinity, roman and lap pools, yoga classes, putting green, croquet lawn, three high-end restaurants, and event planning services (weddings are a specialty). The resort is on a 50-km (30-mile) long private peninsula with four private beaches and a private cove. The privacy and level of amenities ranges from full-service to none, and different activities like water sports and snorkeling are available depending on the beach.
2. The Reefs Hotel Bermuda
The Reefs is a popular chain in many hot destination spots, and they claim to be the number one luxury resort in Bermuda. Instead of just hotel rooms, the Reefs features condo units with multiple bedrooms. Packages allow tailored versions of all-inclusive, and when booking, guests can choose their package from a menu. Items include choices of ala carte features such as a six-course romantic meal for two, vouchers for outdoor activities like snorkeling or parasailing with local vendors and more. Spa, fitness center, conference center, and three restaurants are available on-site.
1. Pompano Beach Club
Situated on Bermuda’s eastern shore, the Pompano beach club bills themselves as a casual full service luxury resort. This means no dress codes, but lots of amenities. This includes 6 restaurants, 4 bars, and lots of indoor activities like a day spa and fitness center, a game room with air hockey, foosball, and video games, and lots of outdoor rental gear. Beach lovers can borrow sailboats, snorkel gear, paddleboards, kayaks and fishing gear. Near the resort, guests can golf, go deep sea fishing, parasail, jet ski, and much more.
