Needing information about Bermuda
Jul 23rd, 2006, 06:11 PM
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Needing information about Bermuda
My husband has assigned the task of locating a nice hotel or resort for a week or so in Bermuda, next February, to me. I certainly hope February is a good month to visit Bermuda. We are retirees. We are not interested in tennis or golf. We've traveled quite a bit in the last 10 years and want to find a nice leisurely place closer to the US for a change. We really do appreciate being well cared for and having the nicer amenities supplied. Finding a place with attentive staff, lovely views, a safe beach, good food, nice after dinner drinks and some good music in the evening would be perfect for us. I will certainly appreciate any suggestions.
LindyG
LindyG
Jul 24th, 2006, 04:24 AM
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Lindy, February is very off season for Bermuda. Bermuda is located about 600 miles off the coast of North Carolina.You may want to check the weather history on www.weather.bm
A few resorts which would fit your criteria are:
The Reefs
Cambridge Beaches
Pompano Beach
Pink Beach
Elbow Beach (cottage on the beach accomodation not main hotel)
go to http:/www.bermudatourism.com and you can view the activities planned for Rendezvous Season in Bermuda, the hotels and rates.
Have a wonderful time. Bermuda is another world.
A few resorts which would fit your criteria are:
The Reefs
Cambridge Beaches
Pompano Beach
Pink Beach
Elbow Beach (cottage on the beach accomodation not main hotel)
go to http:/www.bermudatourism.com and you can view the activities planned for Rendezvous Season in Bermuda, the hotels and rates.
Have a wonderful time. Bermuda is another world.
Jul 24th, 2006, 05:46 AM
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LindyG --
As cmcfong indicates, even though Bermuda is often listed with "The Caribbean" in travel agency promotions and travel boards, it is not part of that climate. Unless there is a very unusual warm spell, it won't be beach weather, and might be quite cool. The people I know who go off season are there for business, for one of the off-season festivals, or golfing, as well as a pleasant place to be. Like any place in the middle of Atlantic, you could have calm seas, but could also get a little rougher swells. Again, this isn't the Caribbean. If you need warmer weather but not in summer corwds, I'd vote more for May.
That said, my quick comments on a few places follow. Service was great at all of them.
Cottage colonies:
Cambridge Beaches has cottages scattered on its own small peninsula, pocket beaches, and an excelent kitchen. Downside: it is on the westernmost tip of the island, i.e. a bit removed, but CB has its own launch to Hamilton, the last I knew.
Horizons & Cottages has an excellent kitchen, small pool, cottages scattered on top of a hillside with views of the ocean. Downside: you have guest privileges at the tony Coral Beach Club, or could use the free public Elbow Beach, but both are short walks up-and-down hills to your cottage. This bothers some seniors. Also: some describe the rooms as shabby chic, i.e. this is not a shiny-new experience, but feels more like a Bermuda second home. Some things are throw-backs, i.e. the in-room safe is from a different era.
Small Hotel: The Reefs
Quite decent kitchen, but the two above probably rate higher. This hotel is right on its own private beach; very friendly (but not too familiar) staff. For a small hotel, there are a few dining options, i.e. on the beach, the terrace, and indoors in AC (but you mnight want to check if the outdoor things would be open in Feb.) There is a small combo or pianist evey night in the cocktail lounge, but again, I only know this from trips in August.
Large hotel: the Fairmont Hamilton Princess or Southampton Princess.
These are large, full-service hotels with spas, etc. The Hamilton Princess has the advantage of being in town if you want some retaurant variety, shopping, harbor activity, etc. You have access to eveything at the Southampton Princess, including a nice private beach, but it involves taking the complimentary ferry (on an okay schedule, but not optimal at mid-day) an then taking a little trolley up and down the hill. To me, the Southampton Princess feels a little too muchlike a convention hotel, although many like it. The Club Level (or whatever Fairmont calls it -- the Gold Level?) provides quite a nice lounge in Hamilton -- great when we booked a few rooms for the family. However, in the off season, these might have the most complete range of activites and services.
Also remember that Bermuda will not permit you rent a car. You can rely on the excellent public bus system; the taxis are pretty good but expensive; or you can rent a motorbike (some like them; I don't. They are quite heavy; tourists need to remember to drive on the left side of the road; and traffic can get quite congested on the small roads. Still, others like these for exploring the side streets.)
Pink Beach, POmpano Beach, and Ariel Sands also have their following.
As cmcfong indicates, even though Bermuda is often listed with "The Caribbean" in travel agency promotions and travel boards, it is not part of that climate. Unless there is a very unusual warm spell, it won't be beach weather, and might be quite cool. The people I know who go off season are there for business, for one of the off-season festivals, or golfing, as well as a pleasant place to be. Like any place in the middle of Atlantic, you could have calm seas, but could also get a little rougher swells. Again, this isn't the Caribbean. If you need warmer weather but not in summer corwds, I'd vote more for May.
That said, my quick comments on a few places follow. Service was great at all of them.
Cottage colonies:
Cambridge Beaches has cottages scattered on its own small peninsula, pocket beaches, and an excelent kitchen. Downside: it is on the westernmost tip of the island, i.e. a bit removed, but CB has its own launch to Hamilton, the last I knew.
Horizons & Cottages has an excellent kitchen, small pool, cottages scattered on top of a hillside with views of the ocean. Downside: you have guest privileges at the tony Coral Beach Club, or could use the free public Elbow Beach, but both are short walks up-and-down hills to your cottage. This bothers some seniors. Also: some describe the rooms as shabby chic, i.e. this is not a shiny-new experience, but feels more like a Bermuda second home. Some things are throw-backs, i.e. the in-room safe is from a different era.
Small Hotel: The Reefs
Quite decent kitchen, but the two above probably rate higher. This hotel is right on its own private beach; very friendly (but not too familiar) staff. For a small hotel, there are a few dining options, i.e. on the beach, the terrace, and indoors in AC (but you mnight want to check if the outdoor things would be open in Feb.) There is a small combo or pianist evey night in the cocktail lounge, but again, I only know this from trips in August.
Large hotel: the Fairmont Hamilton Princess or Southampton Princess.
These are large, full-service hotels with spas, etc. The Hamilton Princess has the advantage of being in town if you want some retaurant variety, shopping, harbor activity, etc. You have access to eveything at the Southampton Princess, including a nice private beach, but it involves taking the complimentary ferry (on an okay schedule, but not optimal at mid-day) an then taking a little trolley up and down the hill. To me, the Southampton Princess feels a little too muchlike a convention hotel, although many like it. The Club Level (or whatever Fairmont calls it -- the Gold Level?) provides quite a nice lounge in Hamilton -- great when we booked a few rooms for the family. However, in the off season, these might have the most complete range of activites and services.
Also remember that Bermuda will not permit you rent a car. You can rely on the excellent public bus system; the taxis are pretty good but expensive; or you can rent a motorbike (some like them; I don't. They are quite heavy; tourists need to remember to drive on the left side of the road; and traffic can get quite congested on the small roads. Still, others like these for exploring the side streets.)
Pink Beach, POmpano Beach, and Ariel Sands also have their following.
Jul 24th, 2006, 06:07 AM
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My last comment didn't take: after looking at the Bermuda toursim site, I'd also check the reviews on Fodors.com and www. tripadvisor.com. (I like the latter in it seems easier to search for a wider range of properties.)
Jul 24th, 2006, 03:22 PM
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The Reefs is beautiful, and would be a good match fo ryou. It is not overwhelmingly tennis or golf, but the location is great, and the service is outstanding. Also, you can trade around for dinner and see some other clubs so when you want to go back next year (and you will, bermuda is wonderful!) you can go to the Reefs or try another spot (although you probably won't want to).
Jul 24th, 2006, 05:48 PM
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Understand one thing about the Reefs' dine-around: you get to go to another property if another couple at that property wants to go to the Reefs. Also: there are certain days assigned to certain member trades, e.g. Thursday might be Cambridge Beaches, Friday someplace else.
We loved staying at the Reefs, but it is important to know the fine details. Again, the off-season rules might be somewhat more relaxed.
We loved staying at the Reefs, but it is important to know the fine details. Again, the off-season rules might be somewhat more relaxed.
Jul 24th, 2006, 05:51 PM
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Forgot to mention: when we stayed at the Reefs a few years ago, we enjoyed lovely evenings in the lounge. Live music plays (mostly a combo or a pianist,) and dancing on the terraceis often possible to the kind to tunes played.
Anyway, we chatted with a couple at a nearby table. They said that they were "refugees from the Sonesta," which was the previous owner of the hotel nextdoor, the Wyndham. They were seeking refuge from the number of kids and families, and the large, impersonal scale, of that hotel.
The other good news: since the Wyndham is a full-service hotel, there is an ATM, newstand, etc. if you need.
Anyway, we chatted with a couple at a nearby table. They said that they were "refugees from the Sonesta," which was the previous owner of the hotel nextdoor, the Wyndham. They were seeking refuge from the number of kids and families, and the large, impersonal scale, of that hotel.
The other good news: since the Wyndham is a full-service hotel, there is an ATM, newstand, etc. if you need.
Jul 24th, 2006, 06:10 PM
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I sincerely appreciate all of the great information and informed replies! What a wealth of information to get me started. We went to Captiva Island, Florida over Christmas week for years and that climate was quite to our liking as neither of us are sun bathers or care much about getting into the water very often. From the information in the replies I gather the climate and temperatures may be more or less similar. Would you say that Bermuda in February is light jacket or sweater weather most of the time?
Lindy G
Lindy G
Jul 26th, 2006, 04:52 AM
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Sorry for the delay -- busy day yesterday.
We don't know a lot of visitors who go in February, but they mostly go for golf and tennis, if that is any indication of weather. However, One year friends went and it rained 5 days straight.
A friend also went in April a few years ago -- it is warm enough for golf and tennis, and to swim in heated pools, but she felt it was too cool for ocean swimming (and this woman lives in MAINE! She's not someone who is only used to warm water.)
I know that you are not interested in some of these activities, but my description is more to give you a sense of the climate in those months. Like Florida, anything can happen at that time of year (one year it SNOWED on the Carolina coast in February!), but February is best thought of as golfing weather.
We don't know a lot of visitors who go in February, but they mostly go for golf and tennis, if that is any indication of weather. However, One year friends went and it rained 5 days straight.
A friend also went in April a few years ago -- it is warm enough for golf and tennis, and to swim in heated pools, but she felt it was too cool for ocean swimming (and this woman lives in MAINE! She's not someone who is only used to warm water.)
I know that you are not interested in some of these activities, but my description is more to give you a sense of the climate in those months. Like Florida, anything can happen at that time of year (one year it SNOWED on the Carolina coast in February!), but February is best thought of as golfing weather.
