Babymoon advice - please help!
Feb 21st, 2008, 06:46 AM
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Babymoon advice - please help!
I've been posting a couple times to get info on a last-minute trip to Bermuda for a last hurrah before baby comes. I've gotten some great ideas, but now I need to MAKE A DECISION! I am having a really hard time doing that and hope some people can chime in with specific recommendations or comments.
Here are the top contenders:
Royal Palms
Rosedon
Fourways Inn
Pink Beach Club
We would be going in late April. I will be close to 7 months pregnant. The hubby and I like smaller, more intimate places. Although ideally we would love to be near or on the beach, I understand that public transportation is easy enough to get to and use for visiting public beaches - hence not a huge deal if you want to spend the day at a beautiful beach even though you aren't necessarily close to one. True?
I will not be able to rent a scooter in my condition so would be relying on walking and public transport.
I love the idea of lush grounds and a (possibly heated, if still chilly out) pool because I can see wanting to just relax on the premises sometimes.
Food options either on the premises or within short distance and easy to get to would be important as a preggo I get hungry often!!!
This is so hard to plan because in "normal" circumstances my hubby and I are pretty laid back in our approach to vacationing, don't mind hoofing it around, love to explore natural beauty and beaches, aim to take in local culture and sights. We're going in April because it is cooler and I wouldn't be able to take the later heat and humidity. I'm still hoping to do some sunning, swimming and maybe even snorkeling. At the very least, walking on the beach. The Railway Trail sounds wonderful, I love nature and gardens. Does location of where we're staying and reliance on public transport make a big difference in getting to these places?
Sorry for the length and detail of this message but I am really torn as to what is our best choice. I realize some of the other smaller hotels are close to town or on beaches but it sounds from reviews like many are undergoing renovations or have gone a bit down hill as of late. We want someplace clean, comfortable, nice - someplace special for our last getaway before diapers and drool! (without breaking the bank...)
Here are the top contenders:
Royal Palms
Rosedon
Fourways Inn
Pink Beach Club
We would be going in late April. I will be close to 7 months pregnant. The hubby and I like smaller, more intimate places. Although ideally we would love to be near or on the beach, I understand that public transportation is easy enough to get to and use for visiting public beaches - hence not a huge deal if you want to spend the day at a beautiful beach even though you aren't necessarily close to one. True?
I will not be able to rent a scooter in my condition so would be relying on walking and public transport.
I love the idea of lush grounds and a (possibly heated, if still chilly out) pool because I can see wanting to just relax on the premises sometimes.
Food options either on the premises or within short distance and easy to get to would be important as a preggo I get hungry often!!!
This is so hard to plan because in "normal" circumstances my hubby and I are pretty laid back in our approach to vacationing, don't mind hoofing it around, love to explore natural beauty and beaches, aim to take in local culture and sights. We're going in April because it is cooler and I wouldn't be able to take the later heat and humidity. I'm still hoping to do some sunning, swimming and maybe even snorkeling. At the very least, walking on the beach. The Railway Trail sounds wonderful, I love nature and gardens. Does location of where we're staying and reliance on public transport make a big difference in getting to these places?
Sorry for the length and detail of this message but I am really torn as to what is our best choice. I realize some of the other smaller hotels are close to town or on beaches but it sounds from reviews like many are undergoing renovations or have gone a bit down hill as of late. We want someplace clean, comfortable, nice - someplace special for our last getaway before diapers and drool! (without breaking the bank...)
Feb 21st, 2008, 07:14 AM
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Hi Pip - sorry, I must have missed your earlier post.
Congrats on the baby - now, let's get you to Bermuda!! I'm going to rate your hotel choices on location and transport, as I live here and haven't actually stayed in any of them.
Royal Palms - gorgeous grounds, a beautiful place to stay. A short walk will get you to public tranport. Restaurant on site is exquisite, but pricey - it's our favorite 'special occasion' place.
Rosedon is also well situated, we put my boyfriend's parents there when they visit from England. And they are, ummm, let's just say very selective.
The first two are closer to town, but transport is so easy, I wouldn't make that my deciding factor.
Fourways is closer to the beaches and right on a bus route. The Sunday brunch is to die for!! It's a good location for exploring and the buses run frequently, to get you back to town - where the food is!
Pink Beach is sort of isolated, and the bus route it's on only runs every 30 minutes, and not after 6 or 7pm, less on the weekends. I'd cross that one off simply because of location. Otherwise you'll be racking up quite the taxi bill.
I rely almost solely on the bus and rarely do I have a hard time getting where I want to go. And since the island isn't very big at all, you're not committing yourself to an entire day at the beach - if you change your mind, hop on the next bus going by, go take a shower and do something else!!
Just from the point of your being pregnant, I would consider John Smith's Bay beach for relaxing - it's smaller, but it doesn't have the hike back up the hill that some of the South shore beaches have. For snorkelling, Tobacco Bay in St. George's is also 'ground level, and has a rental stand there, and is very calm.
I hope this helps - please feel free to email me - I tend to check that a little more often than here.
michelle at creativeit dot co dot uk
Congrats on the baby - now, let's get you to Bermuda!! I'm going to rate your hotel choices on location and transport, as I live here and haven't actually stayed in any of them.
Royal Palms - gorgeous grounds, a beautiful place to stay. A short walk will get you to public tranport. Restaurant on site is exquisite, but pricey - it's our favorite 'special occasion' place.
Rosedon is also well situated, we put my boyfriend's parents there when they visit from England. And they are, ummm, let's just say very selective.
The first two are closer to town, but transport is so easy, I wouldn't make that my deciding factor.
Fourways is closer to the beaches and right on a bus route. The Sunday brunch is to die for!! It's a good location for exploring and the buses run frequently, to get you back to town - where the food is!
Pink Beach is sort of isolated, and the bus route it's on only runs every 30 minutes, and not after 6 or 7pm, less on the weekends. I'd cross that one off simply because of location. Otherwise you'll be racking up quite the taxi bill.
I rely almost solely on the bus and rarely do I have a hard time getting where I want to go. And since the island isn't very big at all, you're not committing yourself to an entire day at the beach - if you change your mind, hop on the next bus going by, go take a shower and do something else!!
Just from the point of your being pregnant, I would consider John Smith's Bay beach for relaxing - it's smaller, but it doesn't have the hike back up the hill that some of the South shore beaches have. For snorkelling, Tobacco Bay in St. George's is also 'ground level, and has a rental stand there, and is very calm.
I hope this helps - please feel free to email me - I tend to check that a little more often than here.
michelle at creativeit dot co dot uk
Feb 21st, 2008, 01:38 PM
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txgirlinbda - thank you for your great advice! Your insight as an actual Bermudian is very helpful! We ended up booking 6 nights at Royal Palms, got a pretty good deal, and we are thrilled with our choice! Truthfully, every place we checked out had its pluses and I think we would have been happy at almost all of them. But service, accommodations, location, and positive reviews made us choose Royal Palms. Being close to public transport, we're confident we will be able to explore the island and visit some beaches with ease.
Thanks again for your advice - we are so excited to visit your beautiful island!!!!!
Thanks again for your advice - we are so excited to visit your beautiful island!!!!!
Feb 23rd, 2008, 11:52 AM
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txgirlinbda,
I must admit, was thrilled when we booked RP for our vacation. Since then, I have had a few reservations. Mostly due to other comments - sometimes I think these boards just complicate things. Sigh. I've had some people tell me that the RP is a "long" walk into or back from town. That we shouldn't be staying there if we plan on doing a lot of beach visiting. We had been debating between RP and Fourways Inn and now I wonder if FW would have been a better choice. Yet I felt like being closer to town, medical care, transport, dining options, and under the care of a great management staff who will help us out (I hope!) made RP sound like the better choice. I guess there are trade-offs no matter where you stay.
Just a quick question - what do you recommend in terms of transport to the Somerset area, St. George's area and the S. Shore beaches? We'll be relying on public transport mostly - ferry and bus - but are willing to shell out some more $$ for a taxi if it is a more convenient way to travel to any of these places. After all, the money would have gone to a rental car if they were available on the island - at least that's my rationalization!
WannabeinaMontserrat - yes, I've been warned! I guess it's anyone's guess what the weather might be. Since I can't control it, I am just planning to go with it, whatever it ends up being. Even Bermuda in the rain has to be better than Boston in the snow right now!
Cheers!
I must admit, was thrilled when we booked RP for our vacation. Since then, I have had a few reservations. Mostly due to other comments - sometimes I think these boards just complicate things. Sigh. I've had some people tell me that the RP is a "long" walk into or back from town. That we shouldn't be staying there if we plan on doing a lot of beach visiting. We had been debating between RP and Fourways Inn and now I wonder if FW would have been a better choice. Yet I felt like being closer to town, medical care, transport, dining options, and under the care of a great management staff who will help us out (I hope!) made RP sound like the better choice. I guess there are trade-offs no matter where you stay.
Just a quick question - what do you recommend in terms of transport to the Somerset area, St. George's area and the S. Shore beaches? We'll be relying on public transport mostly - ferry and bus - but are willing to shell out some more $$ for a taxi if it is a more convenient way to travel to any of these places. After all, the money would have gone to a rental car if they were available on the island - at least that's my rationalization!
WannabeinaMontserrat - yes, I've been warned! I guess it's anyone's guess what the weather might be. Since I can't control it, I am just planning to go with it, whatever it ends up being. Even Bermuda in the rain has to be better than Boston in the snow right now!
Cheers!
Feb 23rd, 2008, 05:12 PM
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5-star hotels offering Baby Moon packages in the Caribbean:
One and Only Ocean Club in Nassau, Bahamas - Total Indulgence Treatment Package
Half Moon in Montego Bay, Jamaica - Here Comes Baby complete package
One and Only Ocean Club in Nassau, Bahamas - Total Indulgence Treatment Package
Half Moon in Montego Bay, Jamaica - Here Comes Baby complete package
Feb 23rd, 2008, 07:50 PM
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Pip, relllaaaxxxxx.....
OK, it's going to take you all of twenty minutes once you're in Bermuda to realize how small the island really is. And I really thought about your being pregnant when I considered your hotel choices. (I'm an RN.) RP is an intimate, gorgeous setting and the walk to the bus stop might be the equivalent of three or four big city blocks. Yes, you might want to take cabs "in to town" for dinners or whatever. That might run you 5 bucks a trip.
The bus system here is excellent - on time, clean, friendly, and it goes everywhere. So is the ferry. They both would work for trips to the far ends - St. G and Somerset/Dockyard. A transport pass is valid for both, and unlimited. Take the ferry ride out, and the bus back. South shore beaches- you want the #7 bus route. Remember that a lot of the south shore beaches are down a hill - all fine until you're tired and want to go home. That's why I mentioned John Smith's Bay if you aren't up to a little hike - it's level.
And if you want to take taxis for the heck of it, go ahead. BermudaRadioCab is 296-2121 - I use them all the time, and once you're in town, there are always cabs at the street stands. I'm estimating RP to the beaches should be around $15 give or take. And you can prearrange a pick-up at the bottom of the hill for a few hours later!
Either way, I think you've made a good decision - don't stress yourself over it and start thinking about scheduling a pedicure so your toes look really cute in the pink sand here!!!
OK, it's going to take you all of twenty minutes once you're in Bermuda to realize how small the island really is. And I really thought about your being pregnant when I considered your hotel choices. (I'm an RN.) RP is an intimate, gorgeous setting and the walk to the bus stop might be the equivalent of three or four big city blocks. Yes, you might want to take cabs "in to town" for dinners or whatever. That might run you 5 bucks a trip.
The bus system here is excellent - on time, clean, friendly, and it goes everywhere. So is the ferry. They both would work for trips to the far ends - St. G and Somerset/Dockyard. A transport pass is valid for both, and unlimited. Take the ferry ride out, and the bus back. South shore beaches- you want the #7 bus route. Remember that a lot of the south shore beaches are down a hill - all fine until you're tired and want to go home. That's why I mentioned John Smith's Bay if you aren't up to a little hike - it's level.
And if you want to take taxis for the heck of it, go ahead. BermudaRadioCab is 296-2121 - I use them all the time, and once you're in town, there are always cabs at the street stands. I'm estimating RP to the beaches should be around $15 give or take. And you can prearrange a pick-up at the bottom of the hill for a few hours later!
Either way, I think you've made a good decision - don't stress yourself over it and start thinking about scheduling a pedicure so your toes look really cute in the pink sand here!!!
Mar 1st, 2008, 09:51 AM
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txgirlinbda, thanks again for the great advice and for putting things into perspective. I am definitely happy with our choice of hotel and very, very excited for our trip! You've been a great help - thank you!!
