The Best Hotel in Bermuda

Few places in the world boast the charm of Bermuda's curvaceous, colorful shoreline. It's a boon, then, that the lagoons, coves, and coasts, as well as its inland sanctuaries, are filled with equally colorful, alluring places to stay. But wherever you opt to stay, you are never far away from picture-perfect water views.

The quintessential accommodation on the island is a pink cottage amid manicured gardens and coral-stone pathways. Terraced whitewashed roofs (designed to capture rainwater) sit atop walls of pinks, peaches, and pastels, looking like cakes of ice cream in pink-wafer sand. Add a waterfront setting, and voilà—the lure of Bermuda.

If you find yourself craving a beachfront resort, and you can afford it, several places offer quality right-on-the-sand stays; another handful are a stone's throw away from the beach. The island is blessed with clean, well-maintained public beaches that are easily reached by bus and aren't far from any point on the island.

Hamilton has many sophisticated lodging choices, but vacationers looking for beachfront relaxation will be disappointed in the beachless capital city. In fact, all noteworthy beaches are on the southern side of the island. With only a couple of exceptions, beachfront lodging choices are along a 7-mile stretch of coast that runs along the central to western tail of the island, west from Paget to Warwick, Southampton, and Sandys. Lodging choices on the north coast of the island often are on glittering Hamilton Harbour or have deepwater access to the Atlantic, but not beaches.

Bermuda is a land of cottage colonies, cliff-top apartments, and beachfront resort hotels. Hidden along small parish roads, however, you can also find family-run, flower-filled guesthouses and simple, inexpensive efficiencies. In fact, with the exception of the Fairmont Southampton, and the tall but unobtrusive larger main building at Elbow Beach, there are no high-rises in Bermuda. And nowhere do neon signs sully the landscape. Indeed, many of Bermuda's lodging properties are guesthouses, identifiable only by small, inconspicuous signs or plaques. Those who prefer bed-and-breakfasts will have no problem finding quaint retreats with local attention.