125+ web files in a constantly updated compendium on Bermuda's business, culture, cuisine, customs, districts, economy, education, food, geography, government, history, internet access, laws, parishes, politics, religions, traditions, wildlife etc. For tourists, business visitors, employers, employees, newcomers, researchers, retirees, scholars. Funded by and linked to The Royal Gazette, Bermuda's only daily newspaper.

Bermuda's Large Hotels

For those on business, conference or vacation

By Keith Archibald Forbes (see About Us) exclusively for Bermuda Online

To refer to this file use "bermuda-online.org/accomm2.htm" as your Subject.

Recommended hotels are shown in bold. Some have the facilities shown by the following symbols. Hotels shown with 5-2 Stars reflect the symbols shown on Expedia.com.

- 5 Star hotel	- 4 Star hotel	- 3 Star hotel	- 2 Star hotel
- business center	- business facilities	- Ship view	- dining
- disabled access	- fitness	- golf course	- meeting room
- pool	- public buses	- public ferries	- shopping
- walking area

Preface

Note 1. An active free courtesy link to the websites of all properties will be always be shown gladly when they do likewise with a reciprocal link to this site. Active email addresses will also be shown when properties agree to link. Another benefit of linking in this way is that potential or repeat customers can see accommodation prices posted on websites to which this site links. There is no obligation at all for any properties not linking to this site to be included on this page.  Sorry, but websites that won't reciprocate the free courtesy active reciprocal hyperlink we offer are not linked to on this page. Nor is there is no obligation at all for any properties not linking to this site to be included on this page. 

Large (resort) hotels have business and incentive meetings all year. Usually, they have their own private beach, gardens and pools, other luxury facilities, sports, shops, beauty salon, cycle livery, bars, restaurants, nightclub. When properties mentioned have their own distinctive websites (as most do), a simple hyperlink to Bermuda Online will not only be reciprocated (cross-linked) immediately, but will ensure via the cross linking system that all visitors to Bermuda, via this site, can see their current accommodation prices. In addition to what properties charge - ask them directly - visitors should expect to pay the following Bermuda Government Taxes (a) Occupancy Tax of  7.25% and (b) a Resort Levy of 10%. Ask any property at which you stay about any further extras.

They all have television. Most lower rates from November to March, the off season. Some are on or close to Bermuda's public sector bus or ferry routes.

When space is available for the disabled - accompanied if in a wheelchair - this symbol indicates this. Always confirm this with the proprietor and note that properties in Bermuda do not have to conform to ADA or any locally-equivalent standards at this time. 

Bermuda Hotel Association’s Hurricane Guarantee programme:

• If the Bermuda Weather Service predicts a hurricane-force storm to approach within 200 miles of our island and within five days, you may cancel reservations without penalty
• If our island is directly affected by a hurricane (as determined by the Bermuda Weather Service) during your stay, the participating hotel will not charge for rooms, food and beverage or other essential services for any period of time that the hotel’s normal services are unavailable
• If a participating hotel is unable to continue operations due to damage incurred by a hurricane (as determined by the Bermuda Weather Service), the hotel will invite you to return for a complimentary stay within one year from the reopening
• The replacement stay must be taken within one year from the hotel’s reopening and will be in an equivalent room category to the original booking. Other expenses, including airfare and incidentals, are not covered by this guarantee

Please contact your hotel or cottage colony or guesthouse or apartment so see if they participate and for complete Hurricane Guarantee terms and conditions.

Elbow Beach

See note 1 above. 60 South Road, Paget Parish, PG 04.Or P. O. Box HM 994, Hamilton, HM DX, Bermuda . 235 rooms. Phone (800) 223-7484 in USA or (441) 236 3535 directly. Fax (441) 236 8043. Reservations 1 (800) 223 7434 in the USA . Taxi fare from/to airport from $25 per taxi for 1-4 passengers or $35 for 5-6 passengers. The hotel first opened in 1908 as the South Shore Hotel. The resort is now part of Mandarin Oriental’s portfolio of luxurious properties. It is owned by Prince Khalid Bin Sultan, a prominent member of the Saudi Arabian royal family and multi-millionaire.  In 2006, Ayed Al Jeaid was chief executive officer of Makshaff Services, the owning company on behalf of the prince for the hotel. The General Manager is Frank Stocek and he is imported by the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. Elbow Beach is managed by the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, which is registered in Bermuda and part of the Jardine Matheson Group - but with most of its operations in China (and its administrative territory Hong Kong), Singapore and elsewhere in Asia. It also manage hotels in Miami, New York, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, London and Macau. The hotel is 5 minutes by taxi from the city of Hamilton. It is a luxury four-star/diamond resort hotel and and cottage colony (Fritholme Gardens), combined. It is on 50 lush acres of its own botanical gardens. It offers both the atmosphere of a full-service hotel and selection of garden cottages, executive villas and condominiums. All hotel units have 53-channel television. For tennis, there are 5 newly resurfaced plexi-pave courts, 3 lit for night play. There is also the Deep night club. It is near the 7 bus route. It is constantly enhancing its facilities. In May 2003, the hotel opened its new $1.4 million water treatment plant. It replaced the old waste system which piped sewage 800 yards out to sea. It processes 60,000 gallons of sewage in 24 hours, yielding only pure water for irrigating the hotel's extensive gardens.  In 2008, new CCTV cameras were installed to improve security at the hotel. The CCTV upgrades to the property have doubled coverage across the resort to 36 cameras with a state-of-the-art digital command centre and a new electronic patrol monitoring system. The hotel has also increased security officer coverage to a group of 20 and has a pre-existing entry and egress point alarm system and emergency alarms in high visibility areas. Nearest beach is the hotel's private part (the western part is public) of Elbow Beach, to the south of the hotel. For other beaches, see beaches.

Fairmont Hamilton Princess 

See note 1 above. Pitt's Bay Road, on waterfront of Pembroke Parish on the outskirts of the City of Hamilton. Phone (441) 295-3000. Fax (441) 295-1914. Mailing address is P. O Box HM 837, Hamilton HM CX, Bermuda. Reservations 1 800 223-1818 in USA, 1 800 268-7176 in Canada. Or E-mail hamilton@fairmont.com.  Taxi fare from/to airport from $30 per taxi for 1-4 passengers or $40 for 5-6 passengers. 410 rooms, licensed for 1000 guests. 

The newly renovated (2007/2008) Bay Wing of the Fairmont Hamilton Princess has been renamed Bermudiana House. The official opening was June 2008.  Bermudiana House reflects the hotel's heritage, to help create a truly local experience for guests. It has the look and feel of a luxury home with its island inspired decor featuring a classic design consistent with the rest of the hotel.

In September 2007 it was bought by private real estate company Goodman Hospitality Investments, based in Seattle, Washington, although it will still be managed by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. Until then it was owned by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Inc., the Canadian luxury-hotel operator. It has other fine hotels in Canada and elsewhere. This historic hotel is the oldest in Bermuda, a landmark. It has been the Grande Dame of Bermuda's hotels since she first opened her doors on January 1, 1885. It offers European elegance with a Bermudian atmosphere. It has received numerous awards from the Bermuda Government's Ministry of Tourism.  It got its name from Her Royal Highness the Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria. She was a frequent visitor in the 1880s, to escape the cold of Canada where her husband was the Governor General. Married in 1871 and by many accounts not a happy one, her husband was the Marquis of Lorne from Scotland who later became the 9th Duke of Argyle. Certainly to escape the often bitter Canadian climate and probably her husband too, she visited Bermuda many times. She was Bermuda's first official tourist of Royal blood and an accomplished artist in water colors and oils. Because of her appreciation of the military, the Guard of Honor it provided for her wedding and the artwork she did for it, one of Scotland's most famous British Army units to serve in Bermuda, The Argyllshire Regiment, was renamed to honor her. It carried her insignia for many years in its own - and served in Bermuda for two years under the name in the late 1920s - before it became The Argyllshire Highlanders. (Sadly, the battalion that went to Bermuda was credited in the official regimental records in Stirling Castle as having served in Jamaica instead. Even after author and his wife went personally to the regimental museum in 1998 and explained the error, the mistake has still not been corrected). A Canadian organization owns her art in Canada and lent them to Bermuda for a 1998 exhibition.

The hotel overlooks picturesque Hamilton Harbor, has extensive uninterrupted views of it, with nice gardens. It is an eight minute walk from the City of Hamilton and the ferry terminal. It is not served by buses. Most visitors do not know that this hotel was the international headquarters during World War II for a considerable number of male and female British censors who invariably paid very considerable attention to and often impounded mail going between Germany and the United States. They acted in complete accord with the FBI and other organizations on the mainland. Sadly, their quarters at this hotel have been shuttered up. (They could be made into a unique attraction for visitors and residents). 

Nearest beaches are Clarence Cove and Deep Bay, both - like this hotel - in Pembroke Parish. These beaches are on the North Shore. The nearest South Shore beach is Elbow Beach in Paget Parish. For other beaches, see beaches. Other South Shore beaches are much further away, east or west.

Fairmont Southampton Princess

See note 1 above. South and Middle Roads, Southampton Parish. Or airmail at P. O. Box HM 1379, Hamilton HM FX, Bermuda. Reservations 1 ( 800) 223 1818 in the USA or ( 800) 268 7176 in Canada or (441) 238-8000 directly. Fax (441) 238-8968. E-mail southampton@fairmont.com. 593 rooms, 1500 guests, 853 staff. Newport Room 239-6964; Rib Room 239-6966; Tennis Club 239-6950; Waterlot Inn 239-6967; Whaler Inn 239-6868; Wickets Brasserie 239-6969; Windows On The Sound 239-6963. Taxi fare from/to airport from $35 per taxi for 1-4 passengers or $45 for 5-6 passengers. Near the 7 and 8 bus routes.  

Another Bermuda hotel in the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Inc. stable. Ber4muda's largest hotel, it is on the second highest point of Bermuda. In 1972-74, when it was built, almost 100% of the construction materials came from Canada. It is a 100-acre estate facing the South Shore ocean and Great Sound on the north side. It is a luxury resort hotel, one of the Leading Hotels of the World. Major improvements have included a new spa, pool and beach area. There are lovely gardens and its own challenging, executive golf course. It has sophisticated and flexible meeting facilities, a variety of restaurants and services. Bermuda's youngest big hotel, it was built in 1972 from scratch by its first owner, the American multi-millionaire Daniel Ludwig. Sixty percent of hotel guests are in conventions. It has received numerous Bermuda Government Tourism awards. The Princess-to-Princess (linking both the Fairmont Hamilton Princess and Fairmont Southampton Princess) ferry is very popular with guests. Nearest beach is the one belonging to this hotel, reachable by the hotel's beach shuttle. For other beaches, see beaches.

The last three-and-a-half decades have seen the hotel — originally called the Southampton Princess — play host to some of the world's best-known and wealthiest celebrities and dignitaries. It introduced Bermudian breakfasts to hotel guests more than a decade ago The traditional island fare quickly became hugely popular and hundreds of plates of codfish and potatoes are now served there to locals and hotel guests every Sunday. Guests have included the Saudi royal family's stay in the late 1970s, which saw fresh lamb's milk flown onto the Island every day for more than week; Bill Cosby and his wife; US presidents, including George Bush senior; Tony and Cherie Blair; The Queen and Prince Philip (though they always stayed at Government House); James Belushi. The four-star hotel opened with 600 rooms but now has 593 — the missing seven having been transformed into a lounge on the exclusive Fairmont Gold sixth floor, a "hotel within a hotel" for the richest clients. Millions of dollars have been spent on renovations over the years and the hotel now features a state-of-the-art spa, though the footprint of the site remains the same as in 1972, when then-Governor Lord Martonmere performed the official opening. The Southampton Princess was the brainchild of American businessman and shipping magnate Daniel K. Ludwig, who also owned its sister property, the Princess Hotel in Hamilton. Canadian Pacific Hotels bought both properties in 1998 and took over Fairmont Hotels and Resorts the following year. The hotels were then renamed the Fairmont Southampton and the Fairmont Hamilton Princess. In September 2003, the Fairmont Southampton was damaged by Hurricane Fabian and closed for renovations until April 2004.

Grotto Bay Beach Resort

See Note 1 above. North Shore Road, Hamilton Parish. Phone  (441) 293-8333. Fax (441) 293 2306.Reservations 1 (800) 582 3190 in the USA or 1 (800) 463 0851 in Canada. E-mail gro@bspl.bm. The General Manager is J. P. Martens and Resident Manager is Bermudian Clyde Darrell. It has 201 rooms, for 500 guests. It is about one mile away from Bermuda International Airport and 1, 3, 10 and 11 bus routes. It is on 21 acres of landscaped ocean-front grounds. They feature hibiscus, oleander and bougainvillea gardens. There are several man-made beaches, 4 plexi-paved cork-based tennis courts and exercise room. The hotel is on Castle Harbor and the North Shore ocean. It has two historic underground caves for exploration and swimming. It is the only hotel in this category that is locally owned - by a group of investors. It recently underwent a US$8 million renovation, with many guest rooms completely refurbished and with new decor throughout. There are several restaurants.

Nearest beaches are the two North Shore beaches on this property. For other beaches, see beaches.

Southampton Beach Resort

Won't reopen until 2011. South Road, Southampton Parish. Or by airmail at P. O. Box HM 1070, Hamilton, HM EX. On its own 33-acre peninsula of picturesque landscaped grounds, with 13 acres along the South Shore bordered by three  private pink sand beaches on three natural bays, via a very steep hill from the main South Road to the hotel. It is near the # 7 bus. 

The old Sonesta Beach, later the Wyndham Bermuda Resort and Spa (as pictured), was demolished in late 2007. The new five-star hotel is being built by Scout Real Estate Capital on the 32-acre oceanfront site in Southampton and is expected to open in 2011 as a US$300 million investment. It will be the first hotel of its size and kind built in Bermuda in decades. It will have 150-rooms, a luxury spa and fitness center, several pools and restaurants and shopping venues. It will also be built with sustainable development practices and utilize energy saving measures. Developers say it will resemble a Bermuda village with small buildings across the site, around a central plaza, making the development "very residential in look and feel." Scout acquired the Bermuda site in 2006 with backing from New York-based financiers Lehman Brothers. Scout's other properties and investments include The Harbor View Hotel & Resort and The Kelley House on Martha's Vineyard and various properties totaling 6,000 acres on the Big Island in Hawaii.

Tucker's Point Hotel & Cottages - to open in late 2008

P. O. Box HS 85, Harrington Sound HS BX, Bermuda. Telephone (441) 298-6915.  Website tuckerspoint.com. The $350 million, 200-acre development includes a residence club, estate and town homes, villas, a hotel and spa, golf, and beach and tennis club. Owned by Bermuda Properties, which purchased it in 1958 when it was still Castle Harbour. Leased to Marriott Hotels in the 1980s. The hotel was closed in November, 1999 and the golf course was closed in 2000. The latter reopened in May, 2002 when the site was renamed Tucker’s Point Club. The resort plans to have a "soft opening" with guest rooms available as soon as October 2008, however the official opening will not be until April 2009. When completed the hotel will be Bermuda's first new luxury hotel in more than 35 years. Final Planning permission for this 5-star hotel was received in May 2005. Construction of the new 104 room facility, now in an advanced stage, should have started in October or November 2002 but was delayed.

It is in the most exclusive and private residential area of Bermuda known as Tucker's Town. Facilities will include a new golf course already in operation, beach and tennis club, retail and commercial center, all in Bermuda style.  Major investors in the new resort are Argus Insurance Company and an $85 million loan from the Bank of Bermuda (now part of HSBC), its largest-ever loan to date. It will also have different residential clusters which will include 44 private club type accommodations for the exceedingly affluent and 8 waterfront custom home sites. There will be a main hotel, a fractional ownership facility (better than a time share because, unlike a time share it offers a chunk of the freehold, considered better than just getting a time share, and a minimum couple of 36 days for annual vacation, more if you wish, as an option priced accordingly) called The Residence Club (there are several) - formally opened October 29 2005. At that time it offered 2 bedroom villas from $280,000; 3 bedroom from $340,000; 4 bedroom at prices to be decided. The Residence Club was stated to have 10 owners per villa, each with a minimum of 36 days annual use; and 200 Memberships. Plus, there will be a full-service condominium complex called the Harbour Court.  Homes - not part of The Residence Club - then cost from US$1.9 million to US$3.5 million, plus Bermuda Government taxes for non-locals. 

When finally opened, the whole concept will be a resurrection, reconstruction and reconstitution of the Castle Harbour Hotel, under a new name after the latter's demolition. The Castle Harbour Hotel was a landmark first planned by the British Furness Withy shipping organization in 1923 and first opened on November 1, 1932. Furness Withy  built both the original Castle Harbour Hotel and the Mid Ocean Club. After World War 2 Furness Withy of the UK lost interest. The property and extensive land were bought by Bermuda-based Bermuda Properties Ltd, headed and owned by Juan Trippe. He was the founder of the original Pan American World Airways. It was a direct result of his interest in Bermuda after Pan American flew between Bermuda and New York from 1937. Today, Bermuda Properties Limited, which owned the hotel, all the land in the area and the Mid Ocean Club and its Mid Ocean Golf Course, is headed by Ed Trippe, son of Juan Trippe, who lives in the USA but comes frequently to Bermuda where he has a home.  He is the president of the Tucker's Point Club.

The new hotel is being built using a steel frame manufactured almost 80 years ago. The hotel is being built around the original frame of the Castle Harbour Hotel, which opened in 1931 and closed in 1999. The steel was manufactured by Dorman Long, a firm from Teeside in the northeast of England, which also supplied the steel for the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia in the 1920s. The new hotel will use the frame for four of the original nine floors at Castle Harbour and there will be an extra floor added. The frame was first erected in England before being dismantled and shipped to Bermuda. It is being used again because of its exceptional quality. It has saved quite a few million dollars worth of costs in construction and in time. 

The new Georgian-style hotel forms the centerpiece of the Tucker’s Point Club resort and residential community. It will have another feature linked to the past, a restored croquet court. It will also house guest rooms ranging in size from 530 to 1,200 square feet with luxury bathrooms and terraces with views of Castle Harbour and Harrington Sound. There will also be a 10,000 square foot spa, a 12,000 square foot yoga and tai chi lawn, a 5,000 square foot conference centre, two restaurants and two swimming pools. Rooms will cost guests between $600 and $2,000 a night. They will feature luxury bathrooms and terraces with views of Castle Harbour and Harrington Sound and there will also be a 10,000 square foot spa, a 12,000 square foot yoga and tai chi lawn, a 5,000 square foot conference centre, two restaurants and two swimming pools.

Situated on 200 acres of waterfront land the high end resort will boast a spa, croquet lawn, two pools with private pool side cabanas and a variety of dining options. The 88 guestrooms range in size from 520-square-foot to 1,800-square-foot, while the Governor's Suite is 2,300-square-foot. The resort will be decorated in a classic British style. Each room has a spacious balcony with a view of Castle Harbour, a flat screen panel TV, Wi-fi, fireplace, wet bar and walk in closets. They also have a luxury five-fixture bathroom with a stand alone deep bathtub. The rooms also come with amenities such as portable phones and I-pod/Mp3 docks and 24-hour room service. Along with the amenities at the hotel guests will be able to use the facilities at the Tucker's Point Golf, Beach and Tennis Club. The Tucker's Point Club which includes the golf and tennis facilities, fractional residential units and hotel has been popular with customers. Its Ship's Hill Town Homes, Estate Homes and Waterfront Homes, which range in price from $1.98 million to $4.6 million, have already sold out. While 95 percent of its Golf Villas have also been sold. The hotel will be affiliated with the Preferred Hotel Group, an exclusive marketer of independently owned and operated hotels around the world.

Possible new hotels

• Ritz Carlton Hotel (planned, not yet built)

A planning application has been submitted to build a Ritz-Carlton Hotel on Par-La-Ville car park in the City of Hamilton, creating 330 new jobs and injecting $200 million into the economy. The proposed hotel would have street level boutique shops along Church Street and Par-La-Ville Road, 150 guest rooms and suites and a further 60 luxury residential apartments including roof top gardens and a swimming pool. With its prime position in the centre of Hamilton’s financial district and directly across the road from the Bermuda Stock Exchange, it is anticipated the hotel will attract a high proportion of business clientele. There will be landscaped grounds to the rear and a 20,000 sq ft underground conference hall – another tilt at the corporate and business market that will be key to the success of the venture, which is being pitched as a business hotel and residence. Two major restaurants are to be included – on the top floor a lounge and grill would look out from one corner, enjoying commanding views towards City Hall and the heart of the Hamilton. Backers of the ambitious idea are headed on the Island by United Resorts Inc. The idea of building a hotel on the car park at the corner of Church Street and Par-La-Ville has been in existence for years but has suffered a number of stalled efforts despite speculative interest previously shown by the prestigious Regent Hotel group. In the latest proposal the hotel would be 135ft high with seven floors above ground level and incorporating features within the roof space. It would have three levels of underground parking for 500 cars, a central outdoor courtyard and a small amphitheatre and fountain area at the rear that links to the Par-La-Ville public park. The Corporation of Hamilton has extended the developers’ exclusivity period for the site until December 29, 2006. The developers are eager to move forward and have asked for the planning process to be speeded up after lodging the proposal with the Department of Planning. The project follows guidelines prepared by former Tourism Minister and now Premier Ewart Brown and the Corporation of Hamilton’s development brief. The Par-La-Ville public park would be extended slightly northwards in “overpasses” to the hotel and connect directly to the hotel’s courtyard. There would be 15,000 square feet of shops and the 60 apartments, varying in size between one, two and three-bedrooms, would be for sale to Bermudians and non-Bermudians.

Categories of all accommodation properties for visitors