Accommodations
The Newstead on Harbour Road was one of Bermuda's most charming boutique hotels with exceptional views of the city of Hamilton and of Great Sound. Today, the site is being transformed into the Newstead and Belmont Hills Golf Resort & Spa, 27 Harbour Rd., Paget (tel. 441/236-4001; www.belmonthills.com). The final hotel will combine traditional Bermuda architecture with modern design, and a limited number of luxurious suites will be available for purchase under a shared ownership. The special feature of the full-service resort will be the entirely redesigned Belmont Hills Golf Club, a 6,100-yard, par 70, 18-hole links. The other special feature will be a state-of-the-art hotel spa, with multiple treatment rooms. A privately scheduled ferry service will run between Hamilton and the resort. Stay tuned for an announcement of the exact opening date.
Many changes have occurred at the Fairmont Southampton, 101 South Rd., Southampton (tel. 441/238-8000; www.fairmount.com), following its restoration after hurricane damage. Instead of six tennis courts, the facilities have now been increased to 11. Children are catered to in a new Explorer's Camp, and kids under five staying in their parents' room eat for free. The Waterlot Inn now serves Sunday brunches only on special occasions. Bacci is now one of the hotel's leading restaurants, and the former Wickets Brasserie & Cricket Club is still there but known simply as "Wickets." On site is the new world-class Willow Stream Spa, the largest on the island and contains an indoor pool. The shuttle bus service now operates only on the hotel grounds and doesn't take clients into the city of Hamilton. However, a ferry service operates between the two Fairmont Hotels (the other is in the center of Hamilton) and is solely for guests of either property. The Newport Room has come back with full honors, receiving the AAA Five Diamond Award, the only restaurant in Bermuda and the Caribbean so honored.
We are not overly impressed with Bermuda's newest and most casual getaway, 9 Beaches, Box MA 238 Sandys (tel. 441/232-6655; www.9beaches.com), but the emerging resort has its devotees. You can select from 84 simply decorated cabanas spread across 18 waterfront acres. Water sports are big here, everything from kayak expeditions to surfing on a jet ski. True to its name, the resort sprawls over a long peninsula with numerous coves, limestone grottos, and sandy beaches, a total of nine at high tide. The best accommodations at the resort are appropriately called, "Top Banana Cabanas." These units stand over the water on stilts or else are anchored on seaside rocks. Island cuisine is served at 9 Beaches in an ultra-casual setting.
Dining
Long famous for its lunches and afternoon teas, The Lighthouse Tea Room, Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, 68 St. Anne's Rd. (tel. 441/238-8679), is now serving dinner every night except Tuesday beginning at 6:30 pm. The landmark restaurant is keeping its old name, however. Today it's run by Heidi Cowen, the granddaughter of the lighthouse keeper before it went electronic in 1969. She claims she does everything from making the desserts to mopping up after everybody leaves. She gives you candlelight and romance as you peruse the menu. Her new dinner menu features such specialties as salmon-stuffed crepes, codfish croquettes, and roast stuffed chicken.
In another development, the Lemon Tree Cafe, 7 Queen St., right in the center of Hamilton (tel. 441/292-0235) is being discovered by more and more visitors, most of whom are in the capital city on shopping expeditions. You can drop in here for an early morning breakfast. You don't get the usual scrambled eggs and bacon (although this dish is available), but rather more unusual concoctions to greet the morning. These include, for example, a Bermuda fish cake served on a raisin bun. For lunch you might go for one of their freshly made sandwiches, or our favorite made with Parma ham and Brie cheese. Ask Lee or Jean Claude about their daily specialties--perhaps chilled fresh salmon with a garlic blue cheese dressing or one of the "wraps," such as one filled with crab meat and avocado. Their chicken salad is arguably the best in Hamilton.
Hotel dining is always a major option in Bermuda. The restored Wyndham Bermuda Resort & Spa, 6 Sonesta Dr., Southampton Parish (tel. 441/238-8122; www.wyndham.com), has massively improved its catering facilities. Today, it offers some of the finest hotel food on island, especially at Chameleon, its primary restaurant serving three meals a day both indoors and on a patio overlooking the bay. Both international and American dishes are featured. Japanese sushi is a feature at the new Sazanami, where your sushi order floats to you on a boat. Lighter fare is the feature at Pearl Ocean, opening onto the water, and the Tip Toe at lobby level serves pub-style fare at both lunch and dinner.
For change-of-pace flavors, Cafe Cairo, 95 Front St. (tel. 441/295-5155), in Hamilton has shot up in popularity. At long last it brings the cuisines of Egypt, Lebanon, and Morocco to Bermuda. You dine as you recline on plush cushions as in a Bedouin-style tent, or else at a patio table overlooking Hamilton Harbour. Belly dancers entertain you as you chow down on the savory cuisine of the Middle East.
Shopping
In the Botanical Gardens on Berry Hill Rd. in Paget, Masterworks (tel. 441/236-2950), is soon to open, providing a home for Bermuda artwork that has been collected from around the world. The first phase of the gallery will open in the autumn of 2006. At the Visitor's Center in the Botanical Gardens, you can visit the Double Fantasy Cafe and Gift Shop (tel. 441/236-5291), not only for morning coffee or afternoon tea, but also to purchase original souvenirs and gifts. A wide selection of books on local botany and Bermuda itself is also available.
Those pursuing beauty will be happy to learn that The Hair Studio is back, with a brand new look at 92 Reid St. in Hamilton (tel. 441/295-2258). Catering to both men and women, this renewed salon is bold and sassy, the décor reflecting the personality of its owner, Sharon Bartram. This is a cutting-edge hair salon. If Nicole Kidman arrives on island, surely she would select this place among all others. Sharon's daughter, Kim Scott, in fact, is called "a hair artist."
After Dark
In the newly restored Fairmont Southampton, 101 South Rd. Southampton, Jasmine (tel. 441/238-8000) has become the ideal spot for meeting and enjoying the quintessential martini. Along with your favorite drink, a selection of light main dishes, snacks, sandwiches, and even pizza are served. From 6pm to 1am, the bar skips a beat as live entertainment is featured. Afternoon tea with all the trimmings is also on the agenda at Jasmine.
The newest nightlife sensation is Splash, on Bermudiana Road (tel. 441/296-3849), right next to the Portofino Restaurant. This split-level club with two full-service bars is open daily from 5pm. Happy hour is Monday to Friday 5pm to 9pm. After 10pm the best DJs on island take over. You can dance the night away until 3am at the newest and hottest club in Bermuda, with its European lounge décor. There is a cover charge after 9:30pm.
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