We Need Help on Where to Stay in Bermuda

I have only been to the Fairmont Southampton before and we are headed back there in June with our kids.
It is a large scale hotel that sits high on a hill. The beach is at the bottom of the hill. They have a shuttle to bring you up and down if don't want to walk it. There are many ammenities and I would think this is the most luxurious of your choices.
The bus to town stops near by at the bottom of the hill. You can also ferry from the Southampton to town. We like the location.
The Grotto, my brother stayed here because it was cheaper with the kids. He said it was fine, but not on the same level as the Fairmont at all. The food was okay. The food at the Fairmont is very good.
I don't know very much at all about the Pink beach club. I think that is the one Michael Douglas owns?
We got a great deal at the Fairmont and that is what made us decide to do a return trip. Bermuda is lovely and the kids will have a blast.
Hope this helps. (Oh and my kids are 15 and 16 and can't wait to go!)

The Pink Beach Club is not real kid friendly. It is an upscale cottage colony which caters to couples. It is located on a beautiful beachfront area near Tucker's Town and the Mid Ocean Golf course.
I personally do not like the location of Grotto Bay. It is just opposite the airport and a short cab or bus ride to St. George's. It would be the budget option of the three resorts you mention.
Of the three I think Fairmont Southampton would be your best choice for activities on site and ease of transport to other areas. I think girlonthego has given you a pretty good idea of why. Do check the Fairmont website, there are some major deals available if you join the President's Club (free).
Michael Douglas had an ownership interest in Ariel Sands which has closed and is being rebuilt as fractional (and extraordinarily ugly) homes.

Thanks so much girlonthego and cmcfong! We really appreciate your input. Are you doing the meal plan, girlonthego? We have never been to Bermuda and this is a surprise trip for the kids (we're telling them when we get to the airport), so we're very excited. From what you say cmcfong, the Fairmont may also be good since they have activities there. Any thoughts you have on other things to do would also be apreciated. Given that we only have 3 nights and 4 days, we realize we might not get to do much more than beach, pool, shopping. Again, thanks so much!!

Forgot to ask...

cmfong -- are there other hotels that you would recommend?

Since you are traveling with kids I think you will find the Fairmont Southampton a good fit. One great thing is that even if it rains there will be things they can do at the hotel.

I took two teenagers to Bermuda with me last June and we stayed at the Royal Palms. I think they would have been happier at the beach, though they did enjoy being able to go shopping and walking around in Hamilton on their own. If the trip were an adult trip I would recommend The Reefs, Fourways, Newstead,Cambridge Beaches or Pink Beach.

As to suggestions on what to do, I topped an old thread with some favorites. You will find your days very full! Bermuda is another world, have fun.

By the way, for the kids the highlight of the trip was doing the Dolphin Experience at Dockyard.

Have to agree with cmcfong and GOTG - sounds like Fairmont Southampton really would be your best bet, esp. with kids that age.
Will post more on things to do soon!

Thanks again cmcfong. And, thanks to you txgirlinbda. (I'll look for your thoughts on things to do.) You were two of the people I hoped would respond. I need to talk to my friend, but my vote is now for the Fairmont.

Thanks for the topping cmcfong. Lots of great info. Makes me even more excited to experience Bermuda!

We are not doing the meal plan. We have decided to wing it. Our great rate did not include any meals. If you can get breakfast included, and your kids are good eaters, then I would include breakfast. I am not sure what the meal plan costs? Let me know..
My DH hates being scheduled for a dinner time every night. (We are there for a week.)
As far as activites, snorkling is tops on our list. The shopping in town can be fun, but if I only had a few days, I would not shop. I would spend all of my time hanging at the beach and snorkeling!

I've been quoted a rate of $89/person/day for breakfast and dinner (1/2 price for kids under 11). The reservation person said you can even "sign up" when you get there. There are about 6 or 7 resteraunts to choose from for dinner. Good point on a scheduled dinner time -- I will look into that. We have some picky eaters in the group, so we need to figure out if that's a plus or a minus with a meal plan. They seemed pretty accomodating about kid friendly meals. You mentioed you were going in June. What are your dates? Thanks again for adding to the forum. We were feeling so frustrated about where to stay. You have helped so much!

We are there the 14-21st. The rate sounds good, but added up is 360 per day for our family. That sounds like a lot. I am not sure we would spend that much every day on food? I will have to think about that... I like the fact that you have a choice of 7 restaurants.
Is there a breakfast only option?

Breakfast only is $26/person/day. We are wondering the same thing -- how much would it cost for food if we didn't have a meal plan. We got a little nervous when nearly everyone we talked to said how expensive everything is -- especially the food. We still haven't decided about that. But we have decided to stay at the Fairmont. Glad my friend agreed. We'll be arriving two days after you leave. Would have been funny if we were there at the same time.

Bermuda is expensive, but not any more than any other nice resort on an island. Too bad you aren't going to be there when we are. You have teenagers too!
When I think 360 per day, I think wow that is a lot, but if you start adding up each meal, it probably will cost that much in the end or close to it.
The benefit of you going after me, is I can report on dining and some activity options before you leave!

That would be great. Wouldn't it have been fun to meet on the beach!!??

I'm going to think about the meal plan some more. I'll let you know...

OK, I'm back!

My thoughts on the meal plan and costs. I think you can get a small fridge for your room - if that means keeping milk and cereal, lunch meat, etc at hand, that would seriously help with your costs- esp with picky eaters. There's a decent grocery store on the bus route to the hotel, so easily accessible. As far as meal costs, DH and I drop $50-80 on lunch or dinner at a moderate restaurant here, that's usually one starter, two sandwiches or mains and a few beers. You do the math. Nicer places are going to add up quickly. There are plenty of take-out places and delis in town that will make you a sandwich, sushi, wraps, etc to take out. If you search Bermuda and my screen name, I did lots of name-listing last summer for some people.

Activities: Snorkelling (again, hit a Sports Authority or Academy and bring your own gear, rather than pay rentals for everyone. There are tons of spots to go. Snorkel Park in Dockyard has the snack bar, bathrooms and showers, beach gear rental stuff to keep the kids happy for a few hours. Dockyard has a small shopping mall, a few restaurants, a glass-blowing factory, Rum Cake factory, art gallery and the Maritime Museum. Dolphin Quest is in Dockyard, but pricey - the kids can watch the dolphins with Musseum admission.
The glass-bottom boat tour is cool - they go over an old wreck, and usually bring bread to feed the fish. You can also get a combo glass-bottom tour with beach and snorkel stops - a good way to see places you wouldn't from shore. There are jetski tours - I think all you kids are old enough if they're on a jetski with a parent.
Fantasea rentals also does a nice sunset catamaran cruise.
Hamilton is mostly businesses, shopping, restaurants. There's a cool fort at the edge of town called Ft Hamilton with a tropical-plant filled dry moat - a cool escape from the heat if you're nearby.
Beaches: pack water, towels, etc and start early at Warwick Long Bay. Go to the WLB playground and hike down the hill to the sand. From there, you can swim, hike, and sun yourselves along the beaches and park paths, all the way to Horseshoe Bay Beach, where there are facilites to clean up, get snacks and catch the bus. Horseshoe is the only public beach along South Shore with facilites other than basic toilets. That of course means you'll have the other beaches more to yourselves.
St. George's end of the island - Ft St Catherine, Tobacco Bay for snorkelling, Tavern by the Sea for lunch (in town, the most kid friendly eating option in St. G) and a walk through Unfinished Church. St Peter's Chruch is the cool old historical church, but it's the cemetary outside that I find fascinating.
Getting around - the Fairmont runs a ferry to Hamilton - use it whenever you're headed to Hamilton or points beyond, save time, pretty way to travel, free. Hamilton is where the main bus terminal is. The bus system charges by the length of your trip. A 3-zone trip is one ticket. Anything longer than that is two tickets. Public ferry trips are two tickets each way. A book of 3-zone tickets is $20/15 tickets. There are also longer-fare tickets. Bus passes are $20/2 days adults, $10/2 days students. Some quick math might find you saving money by buying booklets of tickets and sharing them, rather than everyone having thier own pass. Pick up a bus map at the airport tourist counter and have a look at it in the taxi on the way to the hotel. Should be able to get tickets and passes at the hotel.
Well, now that I have completely overwhelmed you with info, let me know what else I can do!!
Have a great trip and if you get stuck with something while you're here, you can always try posting a message for me here and I'll see if I can help.

I did the hotel meal plan two years ago at Pompano. The food was good and dinearound was an option, but I would normally find it too expensive (I was traveling off season and got a fantastic MAP rate). The two girls who went with me last June generally ate toast and cereal for breakfast. Paying $26 a day for that would be way too costly in my book. However if they eat heartily at breakfast and would likely skip lunch it may be a good choice for you. The majority of coffee shops, quick lunch spots are in Hamilton not near the Fairmont, so do factor that in. I am guessing you don't want to have to travel much to get breakfast.

Thanks txgirlinbda and cmcfong! Wow -- you guys are great. We booked the Fairmont and will now tackle the meal plan debate. I really appreciate all your input. With all the things to do, I'm already thinking we'll be planning another trip to Bermuda.

A few years ago, we went to the Marriott in Aruba. They had a large breakfast buffet. We ate there daily at around 10:30 and ate dinner early. The kids sometimes needed something mid day to tide them over, but we found it worked well.
We could wait and eat an early lunch, but the fact that there is nothing too close to the fairmont,makes me consider at least the breakfast plan. I have one super breakfast eater and one so-so breakfast eater...
txgirlinbda: Did you tell me on another thread the two great snorkel places are church bay (near the fairmont) and tobacco bay? Where is the tobacco bay located on the island.

Tobacco Bay is over near St. George's. It can be very crowded on days when cruise ships are in port.
http://www.bermuda-attractions.com/bermuda_000010.htm
the site includes a link to a map

cmcfong, this is a great website! thanks so much!

Thanks for the website cmcfong. It is so comprehensive! Has anyone done the helmet diving?

cmcfong or txgirlbda is there a store near the Fairmont? Walking distance or motor scooter distance? I have emailed the fairmont asking about their meal plans, but we are simple eaters at breakfast.We are happy with a bowl of cereal. So, I think I will thrown in a box of cereal in the checked luggage with some plastic bowls and some granola bar snacks. We will eat out somewhere for lunch and then dine nicely at dinner. The meal plan for two doesn't sound so bad, but times that by 4 and it gets expensive. Just trying to cut some corners.

There are a couple of grocery stores within a short scooter ride on Middle Road. I believe there is a little curb market near Henry VIII's as well, but let's get txgirlinbda to handle that one. I haven't stopped in there in years and have no idea how well it is stocked. Here's a reference of supermarkets.
http://www.bermuda-online.org/costoflivingguide2.htm

I would suggest you go to Miles Market next to the Fairmont Hamilton Princess and check out their takeaway section, lots of choices and very good,too. You could easily do a lunch for the beach out of their selection. Your plan to carry some cereal with you is a good one. Do you know if there is a fridge in your room? That would certainly simplify things for you.

I am planning to request a mini fridge I may just email them ahead of time.
We are planning to carry on some clothes, and throw a large suitcase in the back with snorkel gear and some cereal and snacks. I will bring the plastic bowls and spoons. I know it sounds tacky, but 26 dollars per person for breakfast? ouch. Thanks for sending the link on the grocery stores. Wow things are pricey. Do you think the Fairmont would sell milk and soda in one of their stores? Then we could just get that there and not bother with the store until we head to town.
I don't mind spending on good dinners which I know I will get in Bermuda! thanks so much!
Thanks.

Wow cmcfong, I just reread my post and I do sound tacky. Sorry.

No way you sound tacky, girlonthego. I think you are using good judgment about how to spend your vacation dollars. I cannot imagine spending $26 for breakfast.

There is a sundries shop in the Southhampton Princess which has sodas and water. I don't know if they have milk. A possible solution is to call the Princess and find out for sure if there will be a fridge in your room and what size it is, then get the cab driver to stop and wait for you while you run in and get the milk and soda on your way to the hotel.

Not a bad idea. We did that in aruba for sodas and drinks on the way to the hotel.
I will email them today!

Good morning! I sure miss a lot with you early birds!!
Okay, there is a decent little grocery on the way to the hotel. Ask the cab driver to stop at the grocery store just before the college. You should be able to get whatever you're looking for. Expect to spend close to double what you're used to for groceries, give or take. And a word about the milk - only the whole milk in the blue cartons is fresh - the skim, 2%, etc is all reconstituted from powder. Yummy...
As far as tacky, quit worrying - you should see the suitcase I pack when I return from a visit to TX - I buy Wal-mart out!! Do remember to claim duty on that stuff when you come through customs, on the off chance you get searched, you don't want a hassle. Everyone is allowed $30 of duty-free goods brought in, so you should be okay without having to pay.
Hope that helps!!

Thanks. I have secured a fridge for the room. My prices quoted for meal plans were more than friendsinbermuda's. I was quoted 33 for breakfast only and 134 for breakfast and dinner daily. We will bring the cereal! LOL
I am trying to watch my weight too and I will tell you if I prepay, I will eat it all because I feel like I have to. No excuses!
So, the skim milk is gross? Go with the whole milk? We are used to skim here at home.

Put this under the heading of completely unsolicited advice, but I have used fat free yogurt with cereal in BDA because of the powdered milk quality (I am an all skim person,too).

Seriously, stick to the fresh milk in the blue cartons, or yogurt, as cmcfong does.

Okay will do. Maybe a granola cereal to mix with the yogurt!
I will get the whole milk for everyone else!

Have either of you ever done a tour with Fantasea? They have a snorkel cruise on a large boat (with bathrooms-necessary when planning ahead with teen daughters). Also, there is a bike tour from 9beaches that looks interesting. It is a bicycle tour and a boat ride.
I am thinking the Southampton Princess is a great location because of the usage of the ferry. I wonder if it runs back and forth to town day and night? It will save us a lot on taxi fare. We have stayed here before, but I never used the ferry service. I don't know why I didn't know about it?

I was looking at the hotel restaurants. Either of you ever eat at Bacci or Ocean Club? I know the Waterlot is really good. We ate there with our business trip. The Newport room is closed.
I also know King Henry the 8ths is close by. How is the food there these days and is the entertainment usually family friendly?
There are two big festivals. One is the tall ships and the other is the anniversary of Bermuda on Monday and every Wednesday. I thought these would be good nights to eat in town. We once went to an italian restaurant on the side street that was simple, but the food was very good. Do you know of the restaurant?
Thanks again for all the info. You are not only saving us money, but you are both really helping me map our trip!
Friendsinbermuda, it seems I have hijacked this thread to ask my questions. Hopefully, you can benefit from some of this too!

This was the ferry schedule I found. 9am, 12:30pm, 4:30pm and 6:15 from Waterlot/South P to Hamilton Princess. 10am, 1:30pm, 5:30pm and 7pm in the opposite direction, 7 days a week. The ferry is great fun and a perfect way for your daughters to meet other kids at the resort. One thing, if you want to eat dinner in Hamilton you are apparently going to have to take one of the Bermuda ferries and cab from there or cab it back from Hamilton. Of course Bermuda has very good bus service as well.
I love to bike, but Bermuda is very hilly and there is no bike lane. I would not consider biking on the roads unless it is a very low traffic area. The loop road out near 9Beaches and Cambridge Beaches is pretty low traffic, so that may be where it will run. You can bike the railway trail safely (if that's the plan, I would just rent a bike and go without a tour).
I am a diver so I haven't done any of the boat tours. I dive with Blue Water Divers and like their operation generally.
On restaurants, I am not much help. I have some favorites and keep going to those so I haven't eaten at the Fairmont Southhampton Princess in years. I went to Henry VIII's about two years ago and thought it was fun and the food was good. I love Ascots, Bleu, Fourways, HogPenny,and Lemon Tree. If I am out at Cambridge Beaches (I like their spa) I will go to their poolside restaurant. This year I plan to try Beau Rivage at Newstead and I may hit Tucker's Point. Too many choices! The Italian place about which you speak is probably La Trattoria (since you mentioned simple). Little Venice is also on a side street but it is pretty high end. When I took the girls last summer, they loved La Trattoria. It is basic, plentiful and relatively inexpensive.
The Tall Ships will be great fun and I usually enjoy the Harbor Nights. Double check to make sure that while the Tall Ships are in the date for Harbor Nights isn't changed to Thursday. I had heard some talk that it would be.

Fantasea runs a good operation, I use them when I have visitors. I would stick with their boating activiites - I agree with cmcfong's comments re: only biking on the Railway Trail ,and you can do that on your own.
I'm not sure why they don't make a bigger deal bout the free hotel ferry. You do need to catch the hotel shuttle or walk down the hill in plenty of time to catch the ferry. If you miss it, the bus runs by the hotel every 15 minutes towards town, and it won't be much more than a 20 minute ride. Haven't eaten at Henry 8th in awhile. No experience with the hotel restaurants. If Trattoria isn't the Italian place you are thinking of, it might be Portofino's, also on a side street, near the (imho) over-priced and not exactly family friendly Little Venice.
I like the beachside restaurant at The Reefs, called Coconuts. That's near your hotel. With teens, I'd also suggest (in town) Flanagan's, Pickled Onion, Trattoria, Portofino's. Skip the over-hyped Lobster Pot. If you do sushi, there's a new place called Pearl upstairs from Port O' Call that is great. If you're on the Flatt's Village side of the island, Rustico's for Italian (great pizza). If you're headed towards St. George's near lunchtime, take the route 1 bus and stop at Specialty Inn at Collector's Hill. Diner-style, good food including breakfast until 4, just avoid the 12-1 lunch rush.

I fell in love with the southampton princess (old name) when I visited the island with two girlfriends on board the cunard princess (cruise ship). We were 18 at the time and had the time of our lives! At that time, which was over 25 years ago (gasp) we went to the hotel to see Frankie Avalon perform...my god do I sound old or what. Anyway, I returned some years later on my honeymoon and continue to love that hotel. I returned for anniversary's, birthdays, brought the kids, with friends and most recently with one of my girlfriends who I originally went with on that cruise! We were there in August of last year and stayed on the gold level and were taken care of like queens!

The hotel is still gorgeous, the beach is still gloreous and the staff is still amazing.

We ate dinner at the restaurant on the water near the beach....it was fabulous. We also went to King Henry's which to my surprise has a sushi bar in the back, where we had a ball with the guitar player and the staff. We also ate at blue which was great and the swizzle inn...and yes we swizzled in and swaggered out! Everywhere we went we felt safe, had a great time and totally enjoyed one of my favorite places on earth. The newport is just amazing, as well as the restaurant on the docks (Waterlot?) In the past, I have done the dinner on the beach at coconuts many times with family and love the setting with the sun coming down, waves crashing with your feet in the sand....just wonderful!

The pub downstairs rocks at night and jasmine's is great for afternoon tea or a drink before heading out.

Be sure to visit horseshoe bay next door, there are alot of coves and nooks and crannies that your kids will enjoy exploring. We also did a sail boat for half a day...always nice to see the island from the water.

Bermuda holds a very special place in my heart and I will definately return whether it will be with my husband, my girlfriend or my kids....!

Happy travels,
albee

Tall Ships Harbour Nights Festival will be Thursday, June 11th. We will be in Bermuda from 6/12 to 6/20 so I have been checking the Tall Ships official website often.

http://www.tallshipsbermuda.com/events.asp

I'm glad you've gotten us so much information, girlonthego! Thanks to everyone for all the great info! One question I had put out that got lost in the shuffle. Has anyone done helmet diving?

Wow you guys are terrific!!!! Thanks so much!!

Friendsinbermuda, I would like the answer to that one too. I was wondering if anyone else had done the helmet diving as well.

The biking was a trip by boat to 9beaches, then they give you bikes and take you on a tour down the railroad path. It is about 7 miles on bikes. Something like that.

King Henry the 8ths has a comedian/singer/piano player on thurs, fri, and sat nights. I think we will go check that out. They said was family friendly enough for teens.

Thanks for the restaurant recommendations. I will check them out!

Oh and has anyone done horseback riding? Just checking into that too. DH and I did it years ago there, but the girls have not done anything like that.

I have not done the helmet dive nor do I know of anyone who has. Sorry, I cannot help with that.
The friend who went with me to Bermuda last year did the morning beach ride and loved it. The Spiceland stables are on Middle Road and easily accessible from the Fairmont Southhampton.
www.spicelandsriding.com/
Nearly every day I am in Bermuda I spend some time walking the Bermuda Railway Trail. It is very easily found on your own and you can enjoy it at your pace.
http://www.bermuda-online.org/railway.htm

Sorry, haven't done helmet dive nor have I heard of anyone who has. I'm thinking that the water is generally clear enough here that snorkelling ought to take care of the urge to see what's down there.
But I have done the beach horseback ride from Spicelands Stables, it was okay, your average trail ride, follow-the-leader type of ride, you do have to go up (and back down) some steep and rocky hills to get to the beach, and of course the guide gives you the spiel about how 'he's not supposed to take you to the beach but he's going to anyway' of course he's looking for the big tip at the end of the ride. Am I glad I did it? Yep. Would I do it again? Probably not, because I'd rather be IN the water than sitting on a horse who is walking the beach, but that's just me!!

Thinking of staying at Fourways in late September. Has anyone stayed there recently, and is it worth it to get a suite, or is the regular room big and nice enough. Concerned that the hotel is nice...good beds, clean etc. ...and how is the pool. Any comments on the hotel would be appreciated. I last stayed at Grotto Beach, before that the Princess in Hamilton, but that was years ago. Thanks.

I love Fourways. It is easily my favorite place to stay even though it is not on the water. It is very small, only eleven cottages, the rooms are I think fairly good sized and I have never needed a suite even when traveling with a friend. The rooms all have either a balcony or a patio. The beds are good, the rooms have recently been updated and refreshed. I think it is a great choice.

Oh about the pool, it is relatively small, certainly not a Princess sized pool, but there is never anyone else in it, so you will have it all to yourself. They have beach exchange privileges with Coco Reef and you can also use their pool.

One of the great treats about Fourways is the on site bakery which provides your breakfast pastry with fresh fruit, a good sized pot of tea or coffee and the local paper to your room every morning (delivered by the gorgeous wait staff...but I digress).

Seeing the other post on cell phones.Do the US phone services work in Bermuda? (Verizon or At&t)?

Your cell will most likely work fine here - but the roaming charges -ouch. Of all my visitors, I've never had one that didn't get cell service.

I buy a calling card at one of the liquor stores. My roaming charges were awful.

I have been to Bermuda several times. We have stayed at The Reefs which is near the Fairmont Southhampton. Our neighbors have stayed at the Fairmont Southhampton and enjoyed their stay. Food in Bermuda is expensive so on the trip to The Reefs with our teenagers we chose the meal plan because they were at an age where they appreciated dressing up for dinner and eating gourmet food. On another visit to a different hotel we decided to skip the meal plan and had fun taking the public bus system around the island. That gave us more freedom to explore the island on our own time and eat when we wanted too. Since you will be with your children, traveling by moped will probably not be an option and renting taxis are expensive. If you choose not to go with the meal plan, you will have fun taking the public bus. The residents are friendly and use that form of transportation for work and the students use it for school transportation. One of our best experiences while visiting Bermuda was riding the bus when a large group of very tired preschool children were going back to their school after a field trip to the aquarium. Since the seats were full when they got on the bus, some of the bus riders including my teenage daughters and my husband and I each held a tired child in our lap. It was a unique way to interact with the local residents. So for the short time that you will be there, you may just enjoy taking the bus to the restaurants and taking in the sights of Bermuda. Buy a bus pass when you get there.

Welcome to the game beagles! And thanks for your thoughts. The kids in our group are a friendly, fun loving bunch. Sounds like the bus would be a great experience for them. Love your memory of the schoolchildren!

Welcome back girlonthego!! I know you are getting back today, but if you have time, would love to hear a little about your trip. We leave on Tuesday. Any tips for us? What did your teens like to do? Where did you eat? Hope you had a great time!!

Hi Friends. I will try and do a trip report tomorrow for you so you can see what we did. Just a few things to write down. Favorite restaurant was Waterlot at the hotel. It is expensive, but the steaks were excellent as was the service. All of our dining was good at the hotel, no complaints. The one thing to avoid if possible is the connecting room. We never ask to be moved, but had very noisy neighbors on day one. Little kids screaming all the time and parents fighting. We asked when they were checking out and they were there for the whole time we were. So, we asked to be moved and had a room with no connector. Much quieter.
We took the kids to King Henry the VIII's restaurant on Sat night. The food was okay, not the greatest, but they have a comedian/piano player singer that came on at 10pm. Now, my teens are 15 and 16 so they are young for going to a night club, but the comedian was funny. He walked the line on dirty a couple of times, but was basically clean. It was nice to be able to take them out and let them enjoy some nightlife. He plays, I think on wed through Sat nights. You can just show up at 10 and listen. The crowd was mostly Bermudian. There were only 8 of us that were from somewhere else! The owner will call a cab for you when you want to go home. It is a short ride from the hotel.
Oh so much to tell.... Bus is easy and safe to get around. The hotel will sell you the tokens. Get them right, some of the bus drivers are sticklers for exact tokens. Also, kids 16 and under are half the price. I think one bus driver gave us a hard time because she probably thought our daughter was older, but she's not!
Great snorkel spots are Church Bay, a walk, but we did it. Horseshoe bay is right next to the Fairmont's beach. Take the trolley to ferry for a free ride to town(Hamilton). Also take the trolley down to the middle road (ferry and waterlot side) for rides on that busroute. It is bus number 8. That will stop and you can trolley up hill. The bus on the southshore road side (bus 7) will have you hiking it up!
Fantasea has tours leaving out of the Dockyard. We did the bike tour and it was fun. We were scheduled for the snorkel reef tour, but it was rained out.
You can snorkel from the beaches near the hotel and at the hotel, and don't really need a boat tour. YOu are only there for a few days? Go to the beaches and enjoy that part of Bermuda! You have the best snorkel beaches right there on the south shore. You can ferry to Hamilton at 4:30 on Wednesday night and most shops stay open during Harbour nights. Eat downtown, shop and enjoy the street fair. Taxi home.

Ask the cab driver to stop at the supermarket by the college before the hotel. (The hotel is called the Southampton Princess by the locals. That was the original name). The grocery store is expensive! But sticker shock on meal prices will make the grocery store prices look miniscule. We used the mini bar fridge for some milk (buy the whole milk only) and yogurts. We brought granola bars in our suitcases. We also bought some water bottles and some soda for the room. You can buy beer and wine as well. I brought some grapes and some cookies. We generally ate breakfast in the room, cereal and yogurt. ( a small 6 pack of yogurt was about 8 dollars).

Anyway, I will get back to you tomorrow with more details. We loved our trip and would have liked another week, month or maybe even a year there!....

Hi GOTG! Wow -- you are so great to write so much to me on your day back!! I really appreciate it! Sounds like it was a great time. You gave me so many great tips. I had read about King Henry's and was on the fence. We'll have two that are younger. I think the questionable parts would go over the youngest's head. Now it's a definite maybe. The only plan we have right now is to go to Harbour night on Wednesday. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. Haven't had time to check weather.com today. Thanks again! I look forward to reading more if you have time to write. It would have been fun to be there at the same time. We have the same age girls in our group!!

FriendsinBermuda, are you back? Let us know how you liked it! Trip report please!!

Thanks for all the great info on Bermuda! This is an island I've haven't been to yet, and don't know much about, but would love to visit in the next few years, as it's only a 2 hour flight from us. We have small kids though and usually rent villas. I did some research online for villas, but it doesn't look like this island is big on villa rentals. Do you have any hotel on recommendations that would be great for small kids (under age 6 -we're looking into this destination for proabably 3 years from now-we're headed to St. Martin again next year-I just like planning ahead)? The Fairmont Southhampton sounds nice, but it sounds like getting to the beach way below might be a hassle. Also, if we do do resorts, we try to go with the small "cottagy" kinds. Large mega resorts tend to make my blood pressure skyrocket Also, one other "possibly silly" question. So far I've seen nothing on this thread about renting a car. Can you rent a car on Bermuda? I'm not sure how we would possibly do the taxi/public transit with kiddos who need carseats. Thanks!

Hi Kelly,
No car rentals allowed on Bermuda. You can rent mopeds, but not with little ones! The public bus system is easy and cheap and of course taxis.
The Fairmont Southampton offers free ferry service 4 times per day to town which is great.

Fairmont is a big hotel and does cater to having children on property. The trolley to the beach runs often, but would be a hassle in my opinion with children under 6. The pool is up by the main hotel. I did however see lots of people with babies and toddlers.
The other hotel I have stayed at with the kids while they were young was the Reefs, but that is more of an adult hotel. My parents took us all there and we had the only family with children.
I am sure there are apartments and have read about them here.

Maybe cmcfong can chime in on this since she is our Bermuda expert. Also txgirlinbermuda has some expert advice since she lives there. It is a beautiful island.

Kelly, there are some apartment rentals here. I don't see the trolley bus to the beach at Southampton to be a problem, even with kids -it runs continuously up and down the hill right to the beach area. That's what it's for! They even have an outdoor towel drop for your dirty beach towels.
As far as transport, your best bet would be the bus. It's safe and everyone (locals) rides with little ones. I have a 4 month old and it's the only way I will travel without her carseat here. (Sometimes daddy has the car when we need to get out of the house!) You can take umbrella strollers on the bus too.

These companies all do rentals in Bermuda


http://www.bermudarentals.com/

http://www.cyberrentals.com

http://www.bermudagetaway.com

Coldwell Banker has some properties as well.

I recommend you also check http://www.bermudatourism.com for general hotel information and thumbnails of most properties. Generally speaking if you are interested in being fairly close to the beach at a child friendly place Pompano Beach is your best bet. They have a very nice set up with a strong emphasis on customer service. Two other options would be Surfside (small), Grotto Bay and Elbow Beach (almost as big as the Fairmonts). The Reefs, Cambridge Beaches, and Pink Beach are more adult properties. Another place which is very casual and one people either hate or love is 9Beaches.

For smaller hotel and guesthouse options, check out some of these--
http://www.rosedon.com/
http://www.baycity.bm/
http://www.bermuda4u.com/Hotels/bermuda_hotels_rosemont_apartments.html
http://www.clairfontapartments.bm/
http://www.bermuda-charm.com/
http://www.erithguesthouse.com/
http://www.granaway.com/
Salt Kettle b and b (I don't have an internet site)
http://www.greenbankbermuda.com/
www.thegreenesguesthouse.com/index.shtml
bermuda.com/hotels/…mazarine_by_the_sea.php
http://www.oxfordhouse.bm/
http://www.robinsnestbda.com/
http://www.sandpiperbda.com/
http://www.windsong-bermuda.com/

Most of the smaller properties are not on the beach and require a cab or bus ride. Clairfont is close to the beach but it might be a hassle trying to walk back up that hill with a little one.

Hi,
Anybody have experiences with Coco Reef Resort? How is the service and the food. I heard the Elbow Beach Hotel is very nice ..anyone know hoe the spa services are at Elbow?

I have not stayed at Coco but one of my favorite places to stay, Fourways Inn, has beach privileges there. The beach is small; but, it is right next door to Elbow which has a gorgeous long beach. The food at Coco is ordinary. Service is not bad, but not exceptional either. A lot of people stay at Coco because rooms are ocean view, it is priced cheaper than Elbow or the Reefs, it is close to town, and being next door to Elbow they can walk over to the larger beach. Check tripadvisor for reviews of the hotels. Elbow is a big full service hotel however its spa is not fabulous. I would say if you are looking for spa services go to the Reefs, the Fairmont Southhampton Princess, Tucker's Point or Cambridge Beaches. You do not need to be a guest of the hotels to visit the spas.