This is the best spot in Bermuda.Visited: May 2008
Posted by canadianbetty
We have stayed in four hotels so far in Bermuda, and they were all lovely. However, if you want to be spoiled, and have five-star rooms and privacy, this is the best of them all.
2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
This was a great value for a south side ocean front hotel.Visited: July 2007
Posted by johnamp;amp;judy
We stayed eight nights, June 29 through July 7, 2007. We were celebrating our wedding anniversary.
The manager, Bryony Harvey, was very pleasant, helpful and thoughtful. Upon our arrival, there was champagne in an ice bucket in our room - along with a fresh fruit basket and flowers.
Our unit (bedroom with a desk and chairs, bath, plus full kitchen with a counter and stools) had an outstanding view of the ocean coastline. It was just beautiful from our covered patio that had a table, two chairs and two loungers.
The patio had a lovely breeze most of the time. The room furnishings were what you would expect with a standard room, and were very adequate.
Every morning we enjoyed having breakfast on our patio while we read the paper that was delivered to our door. The very pleasant housekeeping staff kept our unit clean and fresh every day.
Although a previous storm had temporarily removed the usable beach at Surf Side, we easily used our bus pass and visited Horseshoe Bay Beach several times. We found the bus pass (a seven-day pass for us) a very good value ($45 pp). It could be used as often as we wanted for the seven days, and it also included the ferry rides from Dockyard, Hamilton or St. George’s.
The grocery store, Modern Mart, was a short bus ride from Surf Side for any groceries needed for our stay. There were several restaurants we tried while out touring. We liked Swizzle Inn, Henry VIII (Barnes Corner area), Paraquet (diner-like, good food, inexpensive, by Modern Mart), and Hogg Penny in Hamilton.
Ms. Harvey recommended the Lido Restaurant at the Elbow Beach Hotel for our anniversary dinner. We truly enjoyed the oceanside meal that cost $111 and recommend it.
Reading reviews of former guests helped us to know what to expect. We were very pleased, and felt it was a good value for Bermuda.
As others have mentioned, some on the front desk staff could use some training to have a more outgoing, helpful attitude with the guests. However, it did not present any problems for us. We will definitely stay at Surf Side again.
9 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
This place should be called "Indigo: The only redeeming factor of Magens Point Resort" (they should consider starting on their own property)...anyway, this place is GREAT! The sandwiches and salads at lunch are first rate, and being able to sit by and in the pool is fantastic too. Oh and definately try the mojito's here, Kirsty insists on each one being made from scratch...no syrups or fake stuff here. The Oreo encrusted Bushwhacker....holy moley, they should be considered world famous!!! Many locals frequent this restaurant as well which is a great indicator that there is no where better to be. Just recently the owners started having sushi available, so call and find out when that happens. Dinner has been outstanding too, especially their stuffed Chile Rejano (sp), and the bacon wrapped Filet of course without saying. Getting there for sunset is well worth the effort, and if you're taking a taxi just tell them to get you to Magens Point Resort (some taxi's don't know "Indigo" by name).
1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
Waterloo House has the age, with no beauty.Visited: September 2006
Posted by cdsny99
This five-star hotel came highly recommended, but was totally disappointing to me.
My rooms had ants, and there was a can of Raid in every closet. The window and shower curtains were aged and soiled. Also, the glass panes were too dirty to see through.
In addition, the cushioned seat was too filthy to sit on, and the shower needed a thorough cleaning. There was neglect throughout property - the pool was dirty, and the grounds were neglected.
Finally, the restaurant service was lacking. The only five-star aspect was the room rate. It was totally undeserving of that category.
4 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
We just got back from a long weekend at the Royal Palms, and couldn't have been happier with our choice of hotel. The Royal Palms was a quick ten-minute walk outside of downtown Hamilton, just up the hill from the Fairmont Hamilton Princess. However, it felt more like a private hideaway.
Our room was lovely with a king sized bed, flat screen TV, kitchenette, and a large comfortable window seat overlooking the pool.
Continental breakfast, which was included with our stay, was served each morning in a lovely open-air room. It was your basic toast, yogurt, fresh fruit breakfast, but the complimentary newspapers and unfailing hospitality of the staff made it the perfect way to begin our mornings in beautiful Bermuda.
We almost didn't have dinner at Ascot's, the restaurant on the hotel property, and what a shame that would have been. Their food was, hands down, some of the best on the island! Fresco's and Little Venice, in Hamilton, were also good. However, our dinner at Ascot's was the best meal we had during our stay.
We will definitely recommend the Royal Palms to others who plan on visiting the island. It really was the perfect place to stay if you are looking for a quiet place to relax and recharge.
1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
We received terrific service here.Visited: August 2006
Posted by smurphy
Our stay was very nice. Our room was small, but well maintained and very clean.
Our only issue was at check out, when they had failed to contact the travel agent to find out when their payment would arrive. They wanted us to pay the entire bill, even though the agent had already sent their payment.
The situation was finally resolved when I insisted they make this call to check on this. This should have been done before the final bill was presented to me.
1 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful.
I thought it was below average.Visited: August 2006
Posted by tmoou
I thought the service was rude. There were also ants in the room. The elevator and treadmill were broken, there was no in-room Internet access, and they provided a broken golf cart for the ride up the hill.
In addition, one entire wing was still closed three years after the hurricane. They are not investing in this place, and it shows. I found it very disappointing.
2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
We had dinner at Indigo several times. The food was always good, sometimes excellent. Same with service. Atmosphere always great. Could easily become one of our favorite restaurants.
1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
I wrote a reveiw a couple of weeks ago about Grotto Bay, and I stated that I would bring you up to date as the issue evolved.
I am happy to report that we have come to a complete agreement, and that Grotto Bay did not mislead us in any way.
As I stated before; This is a good value.
I want to thank the Grotto Bay staff for working with us to resolve this misunderstanding.
4 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful.
We encountered questionable billing practices.Visited: June 2006
Posted by blackwood
We recently stayed at Grotto Bay. We had a good time until we checked out and were charged $1,198.00 more than we were quoted. I had to sign the bill so we could catch our flight home.
Management assured us that this would be corrected by the next afternoon. Well, it has been one week today. We have received absolutely no response from Grotto Bay.
If you choose to deal with these people, I suggest you leave nothing to doubt. Trust and verify, then verify again.
I will update as this process plays out.
Update: June 6, 2006
I am happy to report that we have come to a complete agreement, and that Grotto Bay did not mislead us in any way.
As I stated before, this is a good value.
I want to thank the Grotto Bay staff for working with us to resolve this misunderstanding.
5 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful.
The minute the taxi driver pulled into the hotel, my heart sank. It was a 1960's looking hotel with an entire wing completely shut down - from hurricane Fabian a few years ago.
The Wyndham web site and Fodor's indicated that the hotel was just newly renovated and reopened. We were paying $400 a night, and our room was a mess. The bathroom looked like it was 30 years old. The furniture was from 1970. The furniture still had water marks from the hurricane a few years ago. In addition, the comforter was torn to shreds. My husband and I could not believe it.
I complained, and they said we could have a suite but it would cost us $200 a night more. After more conversations with the management, they found us an "updated" room that would not have extra charges associated with it.
It was a little better than the first room. However, it was cheaply updated (fixtures were falling out of the wall). It was not what we would expect for $400 a night.
We tried checking into another hotel, but the island was completely booked. This wasn't the worst part. Upon checking out, I found out that someone at the hotel had stolen our credit card number and had been charging thousands of dollars a day. The manager did not speak to us at all about the situation. The woman at the front desk was helpful and took our information. Then security spoke to us. And that was it. They really didn't seem to care.
We loved the island of Bermuda, but don't ruin your vacation by staying at the Wyndham. Stay at Elbow Beach or the Fairmont Southhampton. The price is not much different, and you'll be glad you did.
3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
We found Surf Side Beach not very accommodating.Visited: May 2006
Posted by tbheil
We were very disappointed in the unfinished kitchenette; the headboards not attached to the bed; the fact that the only waitress here worked 16 hour days in the kitchen and the laundry; and most importantly, by the less-than-friendly management.
Furthermore, we paid $250 a night for a room overlooking the ocean, but were never advised at registration time that two wedding parties had planned to have receptions below the window to our room on consecutive nights.
When we inquired about an alternative (they weren't willing to move our room, or even apologize for not telling us about the music until midnight parties), we were given no help at all.
This was the only aspect of our trip to Bermuda that has us doubting whether we'd ever come back to the island again. It was very disappointing.
3 users found this review helpful. 4 found this review unhelpful.
We returned to The Reefs for our fifth visit. It was like heaven on earth. The grounds were stunning. The grounds crew made everything shine and glisten, and the floral and fauna was incredible. In addition, the views were stellar. We could see for miles and miles across the blue Atlantic. We stayed upstairs by the elevator, as the walk down to the other rooms was too taxing for my Mom.
The food was top notch in every regard. The dining room staff was superb. Some have been on staff for 30+ years! The dining rooms were well decorated. It was a club-like feel, but not stuffy. Families and old alike rubbed elbows, and it worked.
It was pricy, but worth every penny.
6 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
It was okay, but not exceptional.Visited: March 2006
Posted by winder77
This was our sixth stay in Bermuda, and our first at Grape Bay. The price was quite reasonable, and included a very simple continental breakfast - muffins, yogurt, cold cereal, coffee and juice. The scones were yummy toasted.
The staff was fairly invisible, and most were friendly and helpful. Our room was on the second floor with a balcony, and it had a spectacular view overlooking the ocean. However, it was also above the restaurant.
It was not warm enough for swimming, but a gorgeous beach was only a few minutes walk. The unheated pool was pretty, but as the restaurant tables were directly alongside I might be hesitant to swim during mealtime!
It was a great location for getting to any part of the island. The walk to the bus stop was a ten-minute hike, but was good excercise.
We may or may not stay here again. We would like to see some sprucing up done, as the hotel had terrific potential, but was a bit run down.
3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
It was peaceful, and we were pampered here!Visited: May 2005
Posted by douglas_cook
This was our second visit to Bermuda, and our first time at the Pompano Beach Club. We chose it after reading reviews on this site. We were not disappointed.
Our room, a deluxe oceanfront, was large and clean and had a fantastic view. The staff at the hotel went out of their way to be helpful.
We purchased the MAP dine around program, and went to other hotels to eat in the exchange program. It was a great way to try out other restaurants. The food was always different and good.
We will return. This was a great place for couples, but not really for kids.
9 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
This was the best hotel in Bermuda. The waterpark was great. One of the slides was dark inside and I was surprised how fast it went.
The food was also great. I liked the Sazanami Restaurant even though I only like vegetarian sushi and tempura.
There was a wedding on the point which was beautiful. We just wandered over to watch and got a free drink!
The only complaint I had was I couldn't get a taxi to the Herny VIII restaurant, but the doorman drove me. His name was Eric and he was a very nice guy.
Bermuda still has the old charm, but most of the hotels seemed incredibly stuffy and boring (lots of people in ties). I didn't go to an island to dress up for "high tea". The real back of town culture of Bermuda was fun, and I enjoyed going to town just to wander around and talk to people. We also saw a game of cricket, but I have no idea what was going on - seemed to be an excuse to get some sunshine and drinks.
The old forts in St. George were interesting, and the maritime museum was an incredible house. The Wyndham is trying to populate one of the bays with dolphins - if they get permission ask for a bay view room - that would be amazing especially for the kids.
We were here for three days, but I think five would have been better. Then we could have seen everything and had a day or two at the beach and waterpark.
2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful.
This is the best spot in Bermuda. 
This was a great value for a south side ocean front hotel. 
Waterloo House has the age, with no beauty. 
We received terrific service here. 
We found Surf Side Beach not very accommodating. 
