Covington Travel Vacation Advisor, Pat Franks, recently stayed at and inspected the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club and shares her impressions of this Grand Dame of Bermuda.

The Hamilton Princess & Beach Club is Bermuda’s oldest hotel, dating back to Queen Victoria’s reign. It was previously a sibling to the Fairmont Southampton, but is now privately owned by a Bermudian family who are investing more than $90 million renovating and rejuvenating the property. Previous owner Fairmont continues to operate the hotel.

Activities

Sitting on a bluff overlooking Hamilton Harbor, one of the property’s first enhancements was the development of the new Princess Marina. The only full-service marina in Bermuda offers 59 berths ranging in size from 30 to 75 feet and can accommodate pleasure craft, tournament fishing boats and super yachts. Berths can be rented annually or daily. The hotel provides additional services for marina guests, including custom picnic hampers for day trips, onboard catering and a marina concierge.

To visit the Princess Beach Club requires a 15-minute complimentary jitney ride. The private beach club is located on the beautiful pink sand beaches of South Shores. It has a small beach with calm water that’s comfortable for families with small children. Snorkeling gear and paddleboard rentals are available. Showers, changing rooms and beach bar food service make it convenient to spend the day.

If pools are more your speed, the hotel has a one of a kind infinity pool that is nearly an acre of heated H2O. Guests are welcome to take a dip after checkout and before departure; the adjacent showers and changing rooms make it easy to freshen up before leaving. Another slated phase of redevelopment will include a new spa, exercise facility and retail shops on property.

The public spaces are filled to the brim with fine furnishings and significant original artworks by Warhol, Mandella and many other famous artists. The art belongs to the owners’ personal collection and is rotated periodically. A complimentary Art Tour to view the exhibits throughout the property and learn about their provenances is given weekly.

Guest Rooms

About half of the 410 guest rooms have been renovated in the last year and they continue to progress through the rest. The new luxury accommodations, located in the Poinciana and Gazebo wing, have sleek décor and tile floors. The gorgeous tiled baths have marble vanities, hair dryers, heated mirrors, robes, and luxury LaLabo toiletries. Most rooms have private balconies with harbor views; some have attractive garden views. Travel Maestro tip: Internet access is for a fee, but you can get complimentary access by becoming a member of the cost-free President’s Club.

The Fairmont Gold experience provides access to the sought after private lounge with its Wedgewood touches and daily complimentary food and beverage service. Dedicated staff are at the service of Gold Floor guests, offering custom services that raise the bar on luxury expectations.

As a proud member of Virtuoso, Covington Travel is able to include additional complimentary amenities to our travelers when they stay at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club:

• Room upgrade on arrival (subject to availability)
• Daily full breakfast for two
• $100 resort credit per room
• Early check in and late check out

Dining

Crown & Anchor that serves American fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner has been joined by two new restaurants on site. Marcus, named for celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson, serves up intensely flavorful Caribbean and Portuguese cuisine and seafood for lunch and dinner, with a prime waterfront view from the hotel. You can see the magic being created in the exposed kitchen and the bar is a popular gathering place.

1609 is a casual, open-air eatery on the marina serving lunch and dinner. It’s named for the year Bermuda was discovered by the Europeans and serves up locally sourced seafood and seasonal specialties. “Marina Nights” is a Friday night happy hour event when the harbor space becomes an outdoor bar from 5 – 9 p.m.

Who Stays at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club?

The guest list at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club has run the gamut from Mark Twain to Michael Jackson. The staff is unerringly friendly and the service is exceptional, earning the hotel high marks with a variety of traveler types.

Vacation travelers love the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club because the downtown location provides easy access to restaurants and shops. Although the hotel doesn’t sit on the beach, the harbor views are stunning and the private beach club is just a short ride away.

The hotel is perfect for a destination wedding because their banquet and meeting space can cater to 500 people, but it’s just as romantic for a quiet getaway for two. It’s an exceedingly popular place for business travelers and a favorite of large groups and conferences for some of the same reasons – meeting facilities and accessibility.

For more first-person impressions of the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club or to make it your next destination, contact Covington Travel Vacation Advisor Pat Franks.