Just Got Back from Horizons and Cottages
Aug 5th, 2006, 11:49 AM
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Just Got Back from Horizons and Cottages
My husband and I just got back from our five night stay Horizons and Cottages this week.
It was our first time to Bermuda. If anyone has questions about the resort, the distance to Coral Beach and Tennis Club, or the restaurants at Horizons or Waterloo House, please ask.
Flying Maltese
It was our first time to Bermuda. If anyone has questions about the resort, the distance to Coral Beach and Tennis Club, or the restaurants at Horizons or Waterloo House, please ask.
Flying Maltese
Aug 9th, 2006, 08:22 AM
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A Few Overall Impressions
Bermuda is very clean with charming pastel cottages and neatly manicured grounds. It is very British, and about half the tourist we encountered were indeed from Great Britain.
Bermuda is also very formal. My husband thought I was crazy when I packed his suit, several collared shirts and ties. But, many of the nicer restaurants have a dress code, and they strictly adhere to it even if it is 85 degrees and humid. By the way, many such restaurants serve only outside in this weather.
This vacation was a quick getaway for us after we completed a major project. (We had just finished decorating and stocking with supplies our Outer Banks home.) Since we live on the east coast, flying to Bermuda is easy with many airlines providing direct service and the flight lasting only two hours.
Overall, I was impressed. The beaches were wonderful with crystal clear and calm water and powder soft sand. Last year, however, we had gone to Hawaii. So, in our minds, Bermuda had a tall order to fill.
Transportation
Transportation choices are limited in Bermuda because visitors are not allowed to rent a car. Your choices are cab, bus and scooter. The obvious pitfalls for these choices are that cabs are expensive, scooters are dangerous and buses are inconvenient.
If there is one reason why I would not return to Bermuda, it would be for the inability to rent a car. On the bus rides from Dockyard and St. George, I ofter spotted charming coves and areas that I would have liked to explore. And for me, such discovery is much is easier when I am behind the wheel.
As for the ferry system, if your hotel is on the south shore, you still need to take a bus to Hamilton to catch the ferry. But the ferry is the best way to arrive at Dockyard or St. George.
Please note that you may not bring luggage onto a bus, so transportation to the airport is really limited to taxicab.
The moped option could be very dangerous. Bermudian roads are very narrow and winding and often have stone walls. The taxi driver commented that the stone walls act like scouring pads to unwary moped drivers who crashed. Also, the taxi driver stated that Bermudians are more likely to die in moped accidents because they are likely to drive too fast. By the way, the speed limit for Bermuda is 20 mph.
Buses
Upon landing at the Bermuda airport, my husband insisted on purchasing a bus pass. In retrospect, we should have purchased a few tokens and taken cabs. But, we purchased a 7 day pass for $40.00 each.
Although the buses are clean, they run every half hour at night. The bus stops are limited. For example, there is a fifteen minute walk from the bus stop to the beach at Horseshoe Bay. Also, we waited for an hour to catch a bus to Hamilton for harbour nights, and we wound up taking a cab. The bus stop includes unlimited use of the ferry system, but we only used the ferry about four times.
The average cab fare from our hotel to Hamilton was about $10. The cab fare from the airport to our hotel was $35.
By the way, this is my first trip report on Fodors. Does anyone know how to post pictures with trip reports?
Bermuda is very clean with charming pastel cottages and neatly manicured grounds. It is very British, and about half the tourist we encountered were indeed from Great Britain.
Bermuda is also very formal. My husband thought I was crazy when I packed his suit, several collared shirts and ties. But, many of the nicer restaurants have a dress code, and they strictly adhere to it even if it is 85 degrees and humid. By the way, many such restaurants serve only outside in this weather.
This vacation was a quick getaway for us after we completed a major project. (We had just finished decorating and stocking with supplies our Outer Banks home.) Since we live on the east coast, flying to Bermuda is easy with many airlines providing direct service and the flight lasting only two hours.
Overall, I was impressed. The beaches were wonderful with crystal clear and calm water and powder soft sand. Last year, however, we had gone to Hawaii. So, in our minds, Bermuda had a tall order to fill.
Transportation
Transportation choices are limited in Bermuda because visitors are not allowed to rent a car. Your choices are cab, bus and scooter. The obvious pitfalls for these choices are that cabs are expensive, scooters are dangerous and buses are inconvenient.
If there is one reason why I would not return to Bermuda, it would be for the inability to rent a car. On the bus rides from Dockyard and St. George, I ofter spotted charming coves and areas that I would have liked to explore. And for me, such discovery is much is easier when I am behind the wheel.
As for the ferry system, if your hotel is on the south shore, you still need to take a bus to Hamilton to catch the ferry. But the ferry is the best way to arrive at Dockyard or St. George.
Please note that you may not bring luggage onto a bus, so transportation to the airport is really limited to taxicab.
The moped option could be very dangerous. Bermudian roads are very narrow and winding and often have stone walls. The taxi driver commented that the stone walls act like scouring pads to unwary moped drivers who crashed. Also, the taxi driver stated that Bermudians are more likely to die in moped accidents because they are likely to drive too fast. By the way, the speed limit for Bermuda is 20 mph.
Buses
Upon landing at the Bermuda airport, my husband insisted on purchasing a bus pass. In retrospect, we should have purchased a few tokens and taken cabs. But, we purchased a 7 day pass for $40.00 each.
Although the buses are clean, they run every half hour at night. The bus stops are limited. For example, there is a fifteen minute walk from the bus stop to the beach at Horseshoe Bay. Also, we waited for an hour to catch a bus to Hamilton for harbour nights, and we wound up taking a cab. The bus stop includes unlimited use of the ferry system, but we only used the ferry about four times.
The average cab fare from our hotel to Hamilton was about $10. The cab fare from the airport to our hotel was $35.
By the way, this is my first trip report on Fodors. Does anyone know how to post pictures with trip reports?
Aug 9th, 2006, 08:48 AM
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Thanks for the added details in your trip report. Bermuda does look extremely charming, but the lack of (safe) independent transportation for tourists continues to be a drawback for me. I'm glad that you outlined that problem in your report.
Aug 9th, 2006, 11:57 AM
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Horizons and Cottages
Horizons and Cottages is a lovely, classy hotel that sits on a hilltop overlooking Elbow Beach. The hotel had ordered a cab to meet us at the airport, as I had requested. Also, the manager was gracious to let us check-in at 12:00 pm, well before the 2:00 pm check-in.
The main building is tastefully decorated with antiques, and there were plenty of parlors with lots of books so one could quietly read a book or relax. Internet access with use of the printer was also complimentary, and came in handy for my flight check-in.
We stayed in Sea Cloud Cottage #5, where the manager personally escorted us. The cottages at this property are a series of low rise buildings surrounding the main house. There are typically about five rooms per cottage.
The cottage room was large with an ample dressing room and large bathroom. The bathroom was stocked with Provencal soaps and toiletries, and Frette towels. The patio had a lovely view of the beach way down below, and seemed landscaped for privacy. I had requested a small refrigerator, and the manager promptly sent one. The rooms were also stocked with imported bottle water, with additional bottles being complimentary.
This place was fascinating because it seemed like a British seaside resort that existed in a bygone era. Afternoon tea is complimentary and is served promptly between 4 pm and 5 pm. People were dressed in shorts and t-shirts while drinking hot or iced tea with finger sandwiches, scones with jam and clotted cream, or fruitcake or chocolate chip cookies.
Breakfast is also complimentary, and can be eaten on your patio or in the main house terrace. We enjoyed eating in the main house because we could order eggs benedict, which were fabulous. The grilled banana bread was also good as were the croissants. The tea was good and strong, and my husband enjoyed the coffee.
The swimming pool at Horizons was really pretty and was lined with pretty glass tiles. There was a covered area to the side of the pool, in case you wanted to get out of the sun. Pool towels were really nice and large. Snorkelling masks and fins were available in the pool house and did not have to checked out.
We really enjoyed the beach at Coral Beach and Tennis Club. It is one of the nicest beaches on the island. The water is the calmest beach we saw, and the sand was perfect pink sand. You do have to climb down many steep stairs to get to the beach, though.
Also, ACCESS to this beach from Horizons is LIMITED. The shuttle service to the beach is by golf cart. This golf cart has to go onto a very busy road, and I overheard the driver say that it is illegal to drive a golf cart on a main road.
Also, shuttle service is available from 10 am to 4:30 pm ONLY. This is really ridiculous. My favorite time to stay at any beach is between 4:30 and 7:30, when the sun is less strong and the water is calmer. And if you think that you can walk to cottage to the beach in five minutes, think again. My walk to the beach took eighteen minutes of climbing up and down hills to the beach.
I did stay until 7:00 on two occasions. Both times, I had a hard time finding my way out of Coral Beach and Tennis Club. There are no signs posted showing the way out. Both times I tried to walk back, I encountered locked gates and I had to backtrack. It took me 30 minutes to find my way out of Coral Beach & Tennis Club. The second time when I tried to exit by foot, I encountered the locked gate. I decided to order a taxi at the front desk. I waited 15 minutes to take a five minute cab ride, which costed me $10.
If you are considering this place and really love going to the beach, I'd reconsider. There seemed to be another lovely property on Elbow Beach called Coco Reef. I talked to a guest who stayed there who really liked the calm, informal atmosphere. Rooms were really close to the water, and I believe that breakfast is included in the rate.
Dining
We ate a total of three times at Horizons, once at the Lobster Pot in Hamilton and once at the Waterloo House.
Dinner at Horizons is quite formal and requires gentlemen to wear a collared shirt, jacket and tie. The dress code is relaxed for Friday barbeque, which I highly recommend.
Dinner was served on the terrace, and men were sweltering with the humid 85 degree temperatures. The average cost for a three course meal for two was about $150, excluding wine and tip. As a hotel guest, you may purchase a dine around option for $35 per person, which allows for a three course dinner at either, Horizons, Waterloo House or Coral Beach and Tennis Club. We did not have this option because our package had already included one meal at Horizons and one at Waterloo House.
The food at Horizons was quite good. I remember the filet mignon and lamb chops were very good. These cheese plate was exceptional, with four very different British cheeses paired with grapes, walnuts, jam, and crackers. The chocolate cheesecake was also very good. The coffee was also good, and the tea was properly brewed and strong.
We did attend the barbeque, which was outstanding. Dress code is resort casual, so my husband could be comfortable in a Tommy Bahama shirt and slacks. The food was great with sushi, made to order ceasar salad, and grilled baby lamb chops, grilled shrimp, clams, mussels, fish and really great desserts like bananas or strawberry foster. They even have live entertainment. Barbeques are held on Friday night, and this was our best meal on the island.
The one weakness about Horizons was that the cocktails were mediocre. We had better drinks elsewhere on the island.
One night, we did have dinner at the Waterloo House. Waterloo did not enforce their dress code. In the table next to us, a man sported a New York Yankees t-shirt for dinner. Normally, I do not care what people wear to restaurants. But, these people were loud and obnoxious and ruined an otherwise pleasant meal. The lobster appetizer was to die for, and could have been an entree. It was paired with a nice aspic. The entrees were unremarkable to me, filet mignon or lamp chops in a red wine sauce. The dessert and cheese plate were disappointing. We ordered a chocolate souffle, that really did not taste like chocolate. The cheese plate was mediocre with the cheeses hardly distinguishable from each other. The setting is pretty because it does overlook Hamilton harbour and boats are moored in front of the restaurant. There are even steps if you wish to go from your boat to the restaurant.
The last restaurant that I will talk about is the Lobster Pot in Hamilton. The food and drinks were terrific. I do not remember the name of the cocktails, but they were the best of our stay. My husband ordered a chowder which was rich and peppery. The mixed seafood in saffron was also a good choice with lobster and lots of shellfish in a saffron white pepper broth. This seemed to be a place that many Bermudians dined at for special occasions.
Horizons and Cottages is a lovely, classy hotel that sits on a hilltop overlooking Elbow Beach. The hotel had ordered a cab to meet us at the airport, as I had requested. Also, the manager was gracious to let us check-in at 12:00 pm, well before the 2:00 pm check-in.
The main building is tastefully decorated with antiques, and there were plenty of parlors with lots of books so one could quietly read a book or relax. Internet access with use of the printer was also complimentary, and came in handy for my flight check-in.
We stayed in Sea Cloud Cottage #5, where the manager personally escorted us. The cottages at this property are a series of low rise buildings surrounding the main house. There are typically about five rooms per cottage.
The cottage room was large with an ample dressing room and large bathroom. The bathroom was stocked with Provencal soaps and toiletries, and Frette towels. The patio had a lovely view of the beach way down below, and seemed landscaped for privacy. I had requested a small refrigerator, and the manager promptly sent one. The rooms were also stocked with imported bottle water, with additional bottles being complimentary.
This place was fascinating because it seemed like a British seaside resort that existed in a bygone era. Afternoon tea is complimentary and is served promptly between 4 pm and 5 pm. People were dressed in shorts and t-shirts while drinking hot or iced tea with finger sandwiches, scones with jam and clotted cream, or fruitcake or chocolate chip cookies.
Breakfast is also complimentary, and can be eaten on your patio or in the main house terrace. We enjoyed eating in the main house because we could order eggs benedict, which were fabulous. The grilled banana bread was also good as were the croissants. The tea was good and strong, and my husband enjoyed the coffee.
The swimming pool at Horizons was really pretty and was lined with pretty glass tiles. There was a covered area to the side of the pool, in case you wanted to get out of the sun. Pool towels were really nice and large. Snorkelling masks and fins were available in the pool house and did not have to checked out.
We really enjoyed the beach at Coral Beach and Tennis Club. It is one of the nicest beaches on the island. The water is the calmest beach we saw, and the sand was perfect pink sand. You do have to climb down many steep stairs to get to the beach, though.
Also, ACCESS to this beach from Horizons is LIMITED. The shuttle service to the beach is by golf cart. This golf cart has to go onto a very busy road, and I overheard the driver say that it is illegal to drive a golf cart on a main road.
Also, shuttle service is available from 10 am to 4:30 pm ONLY. This is really ridiculous. My favorite time to stay at any beach is between 4:30 and 7:30, when the sun is less strong and the water is calmer. And if you think that you can walk to cottage to the beach in five minutes, think again. My walk to the beach took eighteen minutes of climbing up and down hills to the beach.
I did stay until 7:00 on two occasions. Both times, I had a hard time finding my way out of Coral Beach and Tennis Club. There are no signs posted showing the way out. Both times I tried to walk back, I encountered locked gates and I had to backtrack. It took me 30 minutes to find my way out of Coral Beach & Tennis Club. The second time when I tried to exit by foot, I encountered the locked gate. I decided to order a taxi at the front desk. I waited 15 minutes to take a five minute cab ride, which costed me $10.
If you are considering this place and really love going to the beach, I'd reconsider. There seemed to be another lovely property on Elbow Beach called Coco Reef. I talked to a guest who stayed there who really liked the calm, informal atmosphere. Rooms were really close to the water, and I believe that breakfast is included in the rate.
Dining
We ate a total of three times at Horizons, once at the Lobster Pot in Hamilton and once at the Waterloo House.
Dinner at Horizons is quite formal and requires gentlemen to wear a collared shirt, jacket and tie. The dress code is relaxed for Friday barbeque, which I highly recommend.
Dinner was served on the terrace, and men were sweltering with the humid 85 degree temperatures. The average cost for a three course meal for two was about $150, excluding wine and tip. As a hotel guest, you may purchase a dine around option for $35 per person, which allows for a three course dinner at either, Horizons, Waterloo House or Coral Beach and Tennis Club. We did not have this option because our package had already included one meal at Horizons and one at Waterloo House.
The food at Horizons was quite good. I remember the filet mignon and lamb chops were very good. These cheese plate was exceptional, with four very different British cheeses paired with grapes, walnuts, jam, and crackers. The chocolate cheesecake was also very good. The coffee was also good, and the tea was properly brewed and strong.
We did attend the barbeque, which was outstanding. Dress code is resort casual, so my husband could be comfortable in a Tommy Bahama shirt and slacks. The food was great with sushi, made to order ceasar salad, and grilled baby lamb chops, grilled shrimp, clams, mussels, fish and really great desserts like bananas or strawberry foster. They even have live entertainment. Barbeques are held on Friday night, and this was our best meal on the island.
The one weakness about Horizons was that the cocktails were mediocre. We had better drinks elsewhere on the island.
One night, we did have dinner at the Waterloo House. Waterloo did not enforce their dress code. In the table next to us, a man sported a New York Yankees t-shirt for dinner. Normally, I do not care what people wear to restaurants. But, these people were loud and obnoxious and ruined an otherwise pleasant meal. The lobster appetizer was to die for, and could have been an entree. It was paired with a nice aspic. The entrees were unremarkable to me, filet mignon or lamp chops in a red wine sauce. The dessert and cheese plate were disappointing. We ordered a chocolate souffle, that really did not taste like chocolate. The cheese plate was mediocre with the cheeses hardly distinguishable from each other. The setting is pretty because it does overlook Hamilton harbour and boats are moored in front of the restaurant. There are even steps if you wish to go from your boat to the restaurant.
The last restaurant that I will talk about is the Lobster Pot in Hamilton. The food and drinks were terrific. I do not remember the name of the cocktails, but they were the best of our stay. My husband ordered a chowder which was rich and peppery. The mixed seafood in saffron was also a good choice with lobster and lots of shellfish in a saffron white pepper broth. This seemed to be a place that many Bermudians dined at for special occasions.
Aug 9th, 2006, 12:10 PM
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A Word About Personal Safety
Let me just state that Bermuda seems to be one of the safest and friendliest places that I had ever been to. The people are scrupulously honest and courteous. I had left my purse in the cab on the way to Waterloo House. Two minutes later, cab driver returned to give me my purse.
That said, the guidebooks do recommend caution if walking in certain areas of Hamilton.
I would caution young women to be careful if they go clubbing, here. The drinking age in Bermuda is 18, and clubs are open until 3:00 am.
I did notice that there were some men in rastafarian dress riding the bus. And, I had read in the newspaper that there was a man found shot behind the wheel of his car near the beach in Paget.
I really wouldn't worry about safety much in Bermuda. But, I think people should use healthy dose of common sense when out late at night.
Let me just state that Bermuda seems to be one of the safest and friendliest places that I had ever been to. The people are scrupulously honest and courteous. I had left my purse in the cab on the way to Waterloo House. Two minutes later, cab driver returned to give me my purse.
That said, the guidebooks do recommend caution if walking in certain areas of Hamilton.
I would caution young women to be careful if they go clubbing, here. The drinking age in Bermuda is 18, and clubs are open until 3:00 am.
I did notice that there were some men in rastafarian dress riding the bus. And, I had read in the newspaper that there was a man found shot behind the wheel of his car near the beach in Paget.
I really wouldn't worry about safety much in Bermuda. But, I think people should use healthy dose of common sense when out late at night.
