leahinsc

We're looking for an ocean front or at least very close to ocean hotel or inn. Would prefer more isolated/less developed but have no idea where to start in Bermuda. Was considering 9 Beaches until I read all the negative reviews on trip advisor. Would like it if they at least included breakfast in rate.

tmemedia

Here are the best choices for small hotels/inns on the beach:

Pink Beach Hotel
Ariel Sands
The Reefs
Cambridge Beaches (the most expensive of the lot)

I've also heard good things about Pompano, but have not been there, so I can't say. Pompano is a bit out of the way though. Of the others, Pink Beach Hotel and Ariel Sands are closest to Hamilton. (not THAT close, though) You dont' really have big mega resports on Bermuda, so you can't go wrong. The biggest hotels you'll want to stay away from are the Southampton Princess, The Wyndham, and Elbow Beach.

You'll love Bermuda!

Teresa

jasajo

We returned last week from a stay at Surf Side Beach Club, a small hotel (many of the rooms with kitchens) on the south shore close to Warwick Long Bay, Horseshoe Bay and other beautiful south shore beaches. It is also convenient to Hamilton. It may not be as luxurious as the places mentioned in the prior post but would be a bit more economical. Our family loved it -- beautiful views you wouldn't believe.

NotMe

From your description, definitely look at Pompano Beach. Ocean front with a very nice location. They also have meal plans available. Check out tripadvisor for reviews.

poss

Butting in here: Which of these places has the best off-beach snorkeling? Any as good as, say, St John? Thanks!

leahinsc

That's a good question about the snorkeling as we'll want to do that.

JerseySue

We just returned from staying at the Pompano - we couldn't have found a better place in Bermuda - the beach was breath taking !! Not too big and not too small. We are making plans to return again.

leahinsc

Thanks for all your feedback - have found some places (inns,guesthouses) listed on bermuda-getaway.net ...any comments:
Watercolours, Kingston, Granaway and Old Rectory
Also any thoughts on Royal Palms?

girlonthego

We loved the Reefs. It is a beautiful small hotel. The people are friendly and food is excellent. Breakfast and dinner are included in the rates. You can also do a dine around with some of the other hotels mentioned here. The Reefs are oceanfront with their own private beach. You can rent mopeds to go to some great beaches. I believe it was Horseshoe bay that had some great snorkeling. You can walk there from the Reefs, Fairmont Southhampton(mega resort) and Wyndam(big resort).

penny

The Royal Palms Hotel is on the out skirts of Hamilton on Pitts Bay Road.
I have never seen the rooms, it is not on the beach. They have a lovely restaurant called Ascots--it use to be one of my favorites. I loved dining on their porch--but alas they have added a new dining addition on the side of the
lovely porch, so it has lost its ambience. However the menu is very good-but the night we were there they had too many large tables, it was very noisy.

I have read some reviews about Watercolors--its owned by Bermuda artist
Carole Holdings. I think it is in St. Geroge.

BTW-we stay at The Surfside, not fancy,
fantastic view--low key.

leahinsc

penny - thanks for the comments on Royal Palms - I had looked at Surfside but saw some very mixed reviews on Trip Advisor so I have it towards the bottom of my list. Right now I am leaning towards Kingston Guest House - they are a "5 min walk outside of Hamilton" and have a pool. Trying to find someone who has stayed there!

bermudacalling

Leahinsc - Hi. I live here in Bermuda (not in the tourist biz) so I know most of the names of resorts mentioned above (but have not stayed there). Never heard of the Kingston one.

I can say there is a cute, quiet on inside the harbor called Green Bank Guest House. Right next to the water, you don't need a pool. Just dive in off the dock. I swim/snorkel in the harbor all the time, and you see as many or sometimes more tropical fish than at the beach. Green Bank is located on "Salt Kettle", which has regular ferry service, ten minutes ride to Hamilton. Since tourists can't rent a car in Bermuda (only scooters), the ferry service is very useful.

The one downside, I guess, would be if you want a sandy beach you'll need to taxi or scooter 10-15 minutes to Elbow Beach, Warwick Long Bay or Horseshoe bay, all of which have world class swimming, snorkeling.

(In the interest of full disclosure, my landlord owns Green Bank...but, if I were visiting, it's where I'd stay. I believe it will be quite a bit less expensive than most other options, although I never asked him the price.)

As for more mainstream options, I have always heard good things about Pompano in terms of value for money.

poss

Bermudacalling: We've been Caribbean lovers for 40 years, visiting just abt every year. Though I've heard that Bermuda is a handsome island, we've been avoiding it all this time because everything I've ever read said that snorkeling was "ok," there, but nothing great-- certainly not "world class." I'd love to learn that these other reports weren't correct; i.e. I'd love to visit Bermuda IF the snorkeling is genuinely terrific. Have you snorkeled in St John, Cayman, Bonaire, for instance? Would you say that Bermuda snorkeling pretty much equalled those places? In any case, for sure I know you live on a lovely island-- though you, like us here on the Chesapeake, reeally have to sweat hurricane season each year. Good luck to all of us!

bermudacalling

Poss - Good question. You are clearly an experienced and discriminating snorkeler. For someone with your experience, I'd have to say Bermuda's underwater experience is unique and not as dramatic in many ways as tropical places. (Remember, Bermuda is temperate,rather than tropical.) Reefs are not as dramatic as other places I've been--palau, bali, mexico, puerto rico, st. thomas... But, the underwater rock formations are unique and dramatic. The only place in the world I've seen them. Also, a huge variety of sea life--albeit in many cases the tropical fish are small and you need to peer closely at the rocks and coral to realize you are looking at 30 or 40 species all swarming around one boiler. Clarity varies -- on average I would say it is not as good as many other places. but, on a good day, if you take a boat out to the boilers on the south shore, you see 40-50 ft.

Also, on the North shore, if you boat out about 7 miles to North Rock or Blue Cut, the reef expands for many miles and it can be 6-10 ft deep (watch your propeller out there) and have gorgeous, multicolored reefs and shoals.

Tobacco Bay is an inshore location with dramatic igneous rocks and a large variety of fish. I've seen 50 lb grouper there from time to time.

In sum, if you look for it, Bermuda has interesting snorkeling to offer. Outside my house, I can swim and see hundreds of fish, eagle rays and lobsters, and that's all inside the harbor. But, you have to look for it. For the average tourist who just wants to put on a mask, paddle around in 80-85 degree water, see some colorful fish, and feel safe (it's the most benign ocean I've ever been to, don't know anyone who has ever seen a shark inside the reef in 5 years, and many of us swim almost daily), it's a nice option in the summer. (Too cold in the winter, though.) If you are traveling specifically for the snorkeling, however, I would probably plan to visit Bermuda at least once in my life.

bermudacalling

Poss, In looking back at my prior post, I see that it might sound like I'm trying to persuade you to give Bermuda a try. I'm not. I have no stake in tourism here; I'm just a business person here on assignment for a few years.

There are lots of pros and cons to Bermuda. It is not for everyone; in fact, they keep prices high here intentionally, trying to cater only to the "well heeled" tourist. It is a very well-manicured "civilized" island here. Too much of the shoreline is privately owned for my taste, but the public beaches can be really nice, if somewhat small.

In terms of the snorkeling experience, let me just tell you about the swim I just had a few minutes ago in "Granaway Deep" which is a section of the main harbor about 10 minute ferry ride from Hamilton (easy 20 minute scooter ride). It was about 82 degrees, 10 ft visibility, since we just had a tropical storm blow through a couple days ago. The colors were subdued and algae content fairly high (in the summer when the water warms up, algae always proliferates reducing the visibility). I did not see the pair of eagles rays that frequent my part of the bay, nor the 4 lobsters that live under a rock a few hundred yards down the shore. I usually only see them in early morning or early evening. Nor did I see the cow fish or hog fish (both of which I have only ever seen in Bermuda and Belize) today. What I did see was swarms of Bream, French Grunts (blue and yellow) and silk snapper, several red squirrel fish, sergeant majors, and a bunch of other little tropical ones I don't know the name of but which I love, the latter mostly about 1 or 2 inches long. Lots of sea cucumbers too. There is more junk on the bottom along the shore (chains, old boats, concrete slabs from former docks, spars, pullies and stuff like that) than I'd like, but this is inside the harbor, so you find that stuff that has piled up during the 500 years people have inhabited the place. As I've said, the island's main feature underwater is sharply pointed, bizarrely shaped igneous rock. But, you do find various soft and hard corals, some of which are the pretty, filagreed orange kind that fish like to dart under for safety.

My shore is facing north and the wind is out of the north east today. On the soutwest shore visibility is probably better. It changes day by day, but the island is small enough that if one side is rough and murky, you can often drive 15 or 20 minutes and find a calm, clearer shore.

Anyway, you've probably seen all that stuff before, in clearer water, with less jetsam, more colorful coral, etc.

My comment before about "world class" was primarly addressing the beaches, like Horseshoe Bay, which is about as good as a beach gets anywhere, period.

Frankly, the best diving (snorkeling or scuba) we have ever had was in Palau and Bali...but then, Bermuda is a mite cheaper and quicker to get to, as are the Caribbean islands.

So there you have it; take it or leave it, as suits you. Cheers!

poss

Bermudacalling: What terrific, specific reports! Thanks ever so much-- really very helpful.