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Bermuda Rebounds from a
Devastating Hurricane and 'Hipper' Competition
Cambridge Beaches Lets Itself Go & Adds
Units with Private Pools
Resort Opened in May
Led the 'Luxe Without a Tux' Trend
USA 3000 Airlines Non-Stop
from Baltimore to Bermuda
Tucker's Point Club
Surging Back from the
Storm and 'Hipper' Competition
Fairmont Southampton Horizons & Cottages Pink Beach Club The
Reefs
PINK BEACH CLUB
The Pink Beach Club is brand-new on the inside,
since Hurricane Fabian.
"It was incredible," says Tom Garlich" the assistant manager of the PINK BEACH CLUB, gesturing at a row of pink-and-white cottages that have stood along the beach since the 1950s. "The waves were crashing right over the tops of those roofs."
Hurricane Fabian, the worst hurricane to hit the island in more than half a century, collapsed whole walls into the sea and stripped much of the surrounding landscape bare. When it was all over, even the tennis courts, more than 100 feet from the ocean, lay buried under more than a foot of sand.
It was a devastating blow ," Garlich says.
But not, as some had feared, the end of the Pink Beach Club. Indeed, if anything, it marked a new beginning.
"All these buildings now are brand-new on the inside," says Garlich, proudly showing off freshly painted and refurbished cottages, which reopened in March, 2004. "The product we have now is a lot better than what we had the day before the storm."
FAIRMONT SOUTHAMPTON
The Fairmont Southampton is the largest resort in
Bermuda.
"It was almost a blessing in disguise," says Ailan Trew, manager of the 32-year-old FAIRMONT SOUTHAMPTON, the biggest resort in Bermuda, which reopened April 15. 2004, with all-new rooms.
Like the Fairmont, many of Bermuda's hotels and inns (a good many more than 50 years old) have been reinvigorated by millions of dollars in insurance money. Bermuda's famous pink-sand beaches have been raked and cleaned and even some of the golf courses and tennis courts have gotten a makeover. Sherbet-colored, white-roofed houses sparkle. Only the slow-to-recover landscaping, browned and ragged in places, still betrays the extent of Fabian's wrath. The long reconstruction period also has given tourism leaders time to rethink their approach.
A jewel of the Atlantic that blossomed as an upscale destination after World War II, the British colony has been fading from the tourism scene for decades as vacationers headed to newer, 'hipper' retreats. Over the past 15 years, annual tourist arrivals at the airport dwindled by nearly 50%. Last year, with its season cut short, the island lured just 256,600 visitors - another 10% decline and its worst showing in decades. Critics long have labeled Bermuda, steeped in British traditions and formality, as 'staid and stuffy - a beach destination lost in a Victorian past'. Even before the storm, hoteliers were trying to lighten the air; the upheaval from the hurricane only accelerated those efforts.
THE REEFS
The Reefs no longer requires men to wear jackets to dinner.
This summer at THE REEFS resort, for instance, in a break from more than 50 years of tradition, no longer required men to wear jackets to dinner.
"It's a big step for us and we didn't take it lightly," says David Dodwell, owner of the $450-a-night property on Bermuda's sandy South Shore. "People don't want to wear a tie on vacation anymore."
Dodwell, a former tourism minister, says that after years of success the island had failed to keep up with changing trends, and it didn't anticipate the rise of newer warm-weather resorts in the Caribbean and elsewhere.
"We were a bit too confident that it would last forever," he says. "We didn't realize the competition was catching fire."
To lure a new generation, Dodwell also has introduced casual dining on the beach at The Reefs and brought in activities, such as kayaking, that appeal to a younger, active crowd. And he's not the only hotelier making changes.
HORIZONS AND COTTAGES
Jacket and tie are still a 'must' for dinner at
Horizons and Cottages
Still it's a delicate balancing act. The island has an unusually loyal following of 'preppy, Old Money regulars from the East Coast - the Lilly Pulitzer crowd', as one tourism official calls them - who have been coming for decades and like Bermuda just the way it is. An example of this are the more recent arrivals, who have been coming for a decade and swear by the island's formal ways.
"It's civilized," says a tourist from Toronto staying at HORIZONS AND COTTAGES, "where a jacket and tie are still a 'must' for dinner. "It's nice that people still get dressed up here."
Perhaps of more concern to tourism leaders is the perception of Bermuda as expensive. Many lodgings cost more than $300 a night and even a simple lunch at a Hamilton pub can top $20 a head. One of the biggest tourist gripes is the cost of airfare, with even short hops from Philadelphia often going for more than $400 roundtrip. So, there have been efforts to have more airlines to boost capacity by more than 20% this summer, which should help reduce prices. Of particular note is the arrival of discount carrier USA3000, which begins flights from Baltimore in May starting at $79 one way. (See USA 3000 Airlines Non-Stop from Baltimore to Bermuda this page.)
HORSESHOE
BAY
Bermuda's beautiful crescent-shaped Horseshoe Bay
Bermuda does still have several advantages over other island escapes. For starters, it has some of the loveliest beaches in the world. Even Hurricane Fabian couldn't diminish the beauty of HARSH BAY, a perfectly curved crescent of pink sand framed by volcanic cliffs.
Just 650 miles off the coast of North Carolina, Bermuda also is by far the closest warm-weather get-away from East Coast population centers, an advantage that has grown in importance since 9/11 which prompted Americans to stay closer to home.
For Anglophiles, in particular, Bermuda offers a quick fix of Old World charm, from the British-tinged accents to the pubs serving Guinness. Settled by accident in 1609 when a ship carrying British colonists to Virginia foundered on its reefs, Bermuda has remained almost more British than Britain itself. Most hotels lay out a formal afternoon tea, complete with scones and tidy English gardens adorn the stucco cottages marching up the hillsides. Bermuda is all very prim and proper, if not exactly lively. Unlike Caribbean hot spots such as St. Barts, going topless in Bermuda could get you arrested and the nightlife is subdued, at best, though it wasn't always so.
Actor Michael Douglas lives in Bermuda
Perhaps, Bermuda has won some cachet of late: Actor Michael Douglas, whose mother, Diana, was born on the island, has decided to raise his two kids with mega-star Catherine Zeta-Jones there. But while Bermuda draws celebrates such as Oprah, John Travolta and Nicole Kidman and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Ross Perot own homes there, this isn't the place to go for Hollywood glam, locals say.
But, we think the true allure of this serene, slightly upper-crusty, 21-mile-long spit of land is what it was half a century ago when the jet set first arrived: the people - "Bermudians make you feel special," we say. "You'll find this from the taxi drivers to the shopkeepers to the hotel clerks. You'll feel like you're part of a little family here. And, that's what'll keep you coming back."
GETTING THERE: American, Continental, Delta and US Airways fly to Bermuda and, in May, they were joined by United (out of Chicago) and USA3000 (out of Baltimore).
GETTING AROUND: Some think it isn't easy - and probably, it isn't - but getting around can be part of the charm and fun of being in Bermuda. This is why: Bermuda doesn't allow tourists to rent cars and taxis are expensive (even short hops are $10); public buses and ferries serve most beaches and other attractions, but are pricey (up to $450 a ride) and slow and visitors may rent a moped (one-seaters, $35 a day) but they can be rather dangerous if you're unfamiliar with riding on the "other" side of the road (British-style) and mopeds in Bermuda traffic. So, consider where you'll stay, what you'll want to do and how you'll get around during your visit in Bermuda.
WHERE TO STAY: Bermuda's only name-brand resort is the FAIRMONT SOUTHAMPTON, a massive pink tower with 593 rooms (20% of the island's total). More than half of its visitors come from corporate groups, but its lovely beach, pool and golf course are just as suited to individual vacationers (rooms from $469).
More typical of Bermuda's 58 hotel, inns and "cottage colonies", most of which are small affairs, is HORIZONS AND COTTAGES, a cluster of 13 pink bungalows on a hilltop overlooking Coral Beach. Each of the buildings comes with a maid who cooks breakfast (from $330).
Also offering cottages, as well as hotel rooms, is THE REEFS where rates start at $454 a room, including breakfast and dinner.
Waterloo House, in Hamilton - a cozy historic inn
overlooking the harbor
Though not on a beach, 29-room WATERLOO HOUSE in Hamilton is a cozy historic inn overlooking the harbor (from $340).
WHERE TO EAT: The British influence is evident at pubs such as the HOG PENNY, the FISH & ONION and the SWIZZLE INN, which serve up shepherd's pie and British ale. More formal options include the harborfront WATERLOO HOUSE (entrees, $22-$32), serving continental cuisine and LITTLE VENICE (entree: $20-$30), for Italian fare.
USA3000 Airlines
Non-Stop from Baltimore to Bermuda
USA3000 Airlines will fly A320 aircraft non-stop
from Baltimore to Bermuda.
USA3000 Airlines, a low fare, full-service airline, announced 'New' Scheduled, NON-STOP Services' from Baltimore/ Washington International Airport to Bermuda that started May 7th, 2004.
With fares as low as $70 plus all applicable taxes one-way. onboard USA3000 A320 aircraft, this is a great way to to travel. You can relax in a spacious aircraft enjoying a "complimentary" fresh meal and in-flight entertainment - all at the price of a low-fare airline.
Greater Baltimore/Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland residents will now, affordably, get to the warm, pink, soft sands that make Bermuda remarkable.
And Bermudians will be able to enjoy new, non-stop service to the Baltimore/Washington International Airport with affordable fares and simple fare rules.
Flights depart
every Tuesday and Friday on the following schedule from
Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) and Bermuda (BDA)
Depart BWI
4:05 p.m. - Arrive BDA 7:00 p.m.
Depart BDA 7:50 p.m. - Arrive BWI 9:05 p.m.
USA3000
OFFERS:
- Low fares with simple fare rules
- No roundtrip ticket purchase or Saturday stay
- One-year same-price extensions in the event a passenger is unable to make the trip as
originally purchased
- Name changes are also possible.
DESPITE
LOW FARES, USA3000 TREATS PASSENGERS TO
FIRST-CLASS AMENITIES, INCLUDING:
- Presentation of box-office first-run movies or a video short selection onboard all
flights
- A choice of nine music channels for listening enjoyment
- 2 audio channels available for emerging artists' profiles
- Real meals on all flights with USA3000's compliments
- Reservations may be made in Spanish as well as English on the phone or online
- Flexible Traveler Calendars for online booking - for lowest fare choices
- An in-flight library of magazines.
Cambridge Beaches Lets Itself Go
As the oldest cottage colony in Bermuda, CAMBRIDGE BEACHES has its traditions. But as the island moves to update its image to attract more vacationers, the 100-year-old resort is embracing some eyebrow-raising changes of its own.
For example, jackets are off in the main dining room. Though still "encouraged", they are no longer required. And the resort's food service has been shaken up by Jason Patterson, who joined Cambridge Beaches as director of food and beverage in January, 2004 from Millennium's Abu Dhabi Hotel in the United Arab Emirates. In the past few months, Patterson has introduced romantic dinners for two on a private island ($500 per couple plus 16% service fee), a six-course chef's table under the stars at the Star Dock on Wednesdays and Saturdays (prices vary from$160 to $215 per person) and a buffet of fresh seafood on Mondays at the Tamarisk restaurant.
Cambridge Beaches' guests also are interested in romance. That's why this summer the resort gave Guest Services Manager Nadja Talevi the additional title of proposal concierge. It's Talevi's job to create a romantic setting for couples who are courting as well as those looking for new ways to recharge their relationships. (About 50% of the resort's guests return, often to celebrate anniversaries.) Talevi knows all of the best backdrops for a romantic marriage proposal, both on the property and around the island. She also can arrange a sunset yacht cruise or a more adventurous parasailing ride for two.
The dining and romance options are the latest innovations at Cambridge Beaches, located on a 30-acre peninsula at the western tip of the island near Somerset. In the past few years the resort has spent $10 million on renovations, including additions to the Ocean Spa. The resort also added 18 rooms, bringing its total to 94 cottage rooms and suites. High-season rates (April 17 to Oct. 31) range from $475 per night, double, for a gardenview room to $1,480 for a two-bedroom cottage. Breakfast, English tea and dinner are included. Guests can also choose a plan that includes only breakfast and afternoon tea.
CAMBRIDGE BEACHES MAKES SPLASH BY ADDING UNITS WITH PRIVATE POOLS
To stay ahead in Bermuda's small but competitive hotel market, something new is a must. That something for CAMBRIDGE BEACHES is a cottage with an infinity-edge plunge pool.
"The property added the island's first such suite with a private pool last June and has proved such a hot ticket that two more units are set to open this summer," said Michael Winfield, the resort's president and CEO.
"We really are very pleased with the demand," Winfield said. "It's a suite for the romantics of any age."
After staying at a resort in Bali, where Winfield saw how popular private plunge pool units were, he and his Cambridge Beaches team discussed and researched implementation and the "took the plunge", he said.
The cottage has one bedroom, a separate dressing room and a sitting area with a flat-screen TV and sound system. The bath has a whirlpool tub under a picture window offering ocean views, a shower with six showerheads and its own sound system.
Cambridge Beaches is Bermuda's original "cottage colony,", comprising 94 individually decorated cottage rooms and suites on a 30-acre peninsula.
Guests can pursue a variety of activities, from water sports to croquet and tennis. The resort has five private beaches and an extensive spa/wellness program.
As for what's next, Winfield said growth at Cambridge Beaches "never stops."
"We have reinvested more, certainly, on a per-room basis, than any hotel I know and that will continue," he said.
The resort is also renovating its outdoor pool and refurbishing some cottages.'
Resort Opening
in May Led the 'Luxe Without a Tux' Trend
SANDY'S PARISH - The philosophy behind 9 BEACHES, a resort opened in May, is to replace Bermuda's buttoned-down reputation with something considerably more casual but in a a luxury setting.
"Ours is an active
resort targeting a younger market than what has been typical of Bermuda," said Russ
Urban, co-Vineyard property.
"There's no 'jacket required' here. In fact, our guests will experience a vacation
not typical of any other resort. Our goal is to break down the normal barriers of a hotel
stay," said Urban.
The property is situated on 18 waterfront acr4es and accommodations are in 84 cabanas, all built on stilts and some perched over the water with see-through floor panels revealing the world in the Washington to Boston corridor, which includes Philadelphia, Baltimore and New York. It's less than two hours to Bermuda from those East Coast gateways and we will concentrate on them," he said.
The resort's accommodations promise to be an important selling point, Urban added.
There are 10 Top Banana cabanas, which the resort said are the premier locations, standing over the water on stilts or anchored on seaside rocks.
Other cabanas include 15 Aqua Vistas, which have the clear floor panels; 50 Sea Forever Cabanas, which offer direct access to the beach plus views of bluffs or the open ocean; and 19 Coco Coral Cabanas dotting the bluffs and the nine coves.
Cabanas are stocked with Bermuda black rum and ginger beer; all have CD players and DVD players are available. What they don't have are TVs, radios or phones.
Seclusion is a priority at 9 Beaches, Urban said.
"If you need something, simply raise the service flag and your cabana and staff will be there in short order to see to it. We have a can-do attitude here. Whatever the guest want, they get."
"For example, we have two restaurants on site, but if guests would prefer a lobster dinner on the beach at 2 a.m., it won't be a problem at all," he said, referring to a service called the Barefoot Gourmet.
Restaurants include the Hi Tide, which serves a full- and tapas-style menu, with cuisine from the Caribbean, Italy, the Mediterranean and, of course, Bermuda, as well as Dark 'n' Stormy's, a bar that overlooks the sea and dishes up light cuisine such as soups, salads, sandwiches and grilled items.
other amenities include a cell phone for each cabana. According to Urban, phones will be programmed with local numbers and guests can buy a phone card if they need to make long-distance calls.
"We know that using your personal cell phone to make local calls is expensive. For Americans, the call switches first to the States, than back to the local number in Bermuda, so they're being charged twice.
"For instance, if you were calling a restaurant nearby, you'd be double-charged. "So we are providing [cell phones] free and all local calls are free," he said.
Other amenities include a complimentary continental breakfast.
Activities on site feature spa services, yoga and other instruction.
Aquatic options abound, Urban said. Guests can use a sunfish, sailboard or sea kayak, or paddle the waves in a raft, paddleboat, catamaran, banana boat or glass-bottomed boat Snorkeling and scuba also are offered.
Although 9 Beaches may sound like the perfect place for a romantic getaway or a honeymoon, families are welcome too, Urban said.
The resort offer a half- and full=day Kids Kamp as well as private baby-sitting, with advance notice.
WYNDHAM
RESORT & SPA REOPENS WITH
WAHOO, ISLE'S FIRST WATER PARK
A water park, Bermuda's first and only, is one of the features that executive of the WYNDHAM BERMUDA RESORT & SPA hope will set it apart from competition.
The resort, formerly the Sonesta Beach, closed last fall to undergo a redo that executives there are calling a "Bermudafication".
The multimillion-dollar renovation transformed the resort's tropical ground, all of its 252 guest rooms, meetings areas, restaurants and spa facilities.
"Bermudafication was the vehicle that took us from the former Sonesta Beach to the new Wyndham Bermuda," said Donald Weber, Wyndham Bermuda's director of sales. "The term also set the tone of 'fund and casual' and 'out of the ordinary,' all at the same time."
Wyndham has joined the trend in Bermuda toward creating an image that's more like a beach resort and less like a country club.
"The timing was right because Bermuda is also redefining itself," said Weber. "It's much more relaxed and fun than ever before; the days of ties and mandatory meal plans are over."
Wyndham bought the 33-acre property on the island's southwestern coast last year while the previous owners were still cleaning up after Hurricane Fabian, which struck in September 2003. Sonesta Beach was among the resorts hit hard by the storm.
Though Wyndham reopened the resort briefly last summer, Weber said it was still a work in progress.
By closing over the winter, he said, the resort was able to complete the "extreme makeover" that Wyndham had in mind.
The results are impressive.
What was one a pool and beach area is now the Wahoo water park, with one main pool; three family-activity pools; a110-foot-long, translucent body slide; two lazy-river rides; a Jacuzzi inside an infinity pool; a swim-up bar; tubing; and geysers and cascading waterfalls.
ROOMS AND SUITES
The renovated guest rooms and suites, which all have patios or balconies overlooking the Atlantic or island landscapes, feature contemporary furnishings and spacious bathrooms.
Suites have separate living areas and wet bars; the split-level junior beachfront suites have bedrooms that open onto the beach. all guests enjoy valet and concierge services.
EATERIES
The Wyndham;s four restaurants deliver a range of cuisine options. At the Chameleon, the cuisine changes daily along with the decor; thus, the name. The Chameleon serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
There's also a sushi bar (Sazanami), an outdoor cafe (the Pearl Onion) and a starlit, beachfront eatery (Paradise Dining). The Tip Toe Lounge serves salads and sandwiches during the day, then transforms into an evening entertainment spot.
ACTIVITIES
The resort's three beaches, Sinky Bay, Boat Bay and Cross Bay, offer plenty of water sports and there's a full-service dive shop on the premises. The fitness center and the spa are new.
Packages include Family Getaways that start at $1,500 for a family of four for four nights.
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