$200–300
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Purchased by New York real estate firm Brickman in 2008, the former Relais & Chateau resort Horizons & Cottages (33 South Shore Rd., tel. 441/236-0048, toll-free reservations 800/468-0022, fax 441/236-1981, www.horizonscottages.com, starting at $200 d, including continental breakfast), like its nearby sister property Coral Beach & Tennis Club, is awaiting a major redevelopment under an upgrade scheme that will build high-end residences on its 25-acre property. (Coral Beach Club will get a 150-room oceanfront hotel, plus some residential units.) But that could take a couple of years, and in the meantime, Horizons has reopened as a simple bed-and-breakfast.
Thirteen cottages plus nine rooms in the main house are available for what must qualify as one of the best deals around. Guests have the run of one of Bermuda’s most beautiful properties, along with all its facilities—tennis courts, a nine-hole golf course, a swimming pool, and a fabulous new Mediterranean-style restaurant, Splendido, located in the site’s historic manor house.
A salmon-pink landmark for more than a century, Harmony Hall (109 South Shore Rd.) closed in 2007 and was purchased by the Bermuda government for redevelopment. Reported plans call for a new 100-room resort to be built at the site; condominium housing for Bermudian homeowners was also recently built here.
A reincarnation of the former Inverurie Hotel’s west wing, The Wharf (1 Harbour Rd., tel. 441/232-5700, toll-free 866/782-9232, www.wharfexecutivesuites.com, studios $295, one-bedroom suites $435) offers simple but modern suites and studios. Geared mainly to business travelers housed here by Hamilton corporations for weeks or months at a time, the hotel’s main draw is the view—the blue expanse of Hamilton Harbour from every room’s king-sized bed. The adjacent ferry dock, Darrell’s Wharf, allows easy access to Hamilton via a seven-minute ride.
The decor of both studios and suites is uninspired but functional, with desks, ergonomic chairs, two-line speakerphones, data ports, DSL lines, fax machines, printers, and copiers, plus cable TV and concierge service when necessary. Studios contain galley kitchens, while suites, which have separate sitting rooms plus office space, have fully equipped kitchens for self-catering. Wooden decks front each of the rooms over the water. A small front desk foyer, breakfast room, and laundry are the hotel’s only public areas.
© Rosemary Jones from Moon Bermuda, 2nd Edition
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Moon Travel Guides make independent travel and outdoor exploration fun and accessible. With expert and adventurous travel writers delivering a mix of honest insight, first-rate strategic travel advice, insider travel tips and an essential dose of humor, Moon Travel Guides ensure that travelers have an uncommon and entirely satisfying experience. Each travel book is filled with unique trip ideas, easy-to-use maps, and detailed information on sights, restaurants, and accommodations. Moon Travel Guides not only point you in the right direction, they inspire new ideas and adventure. Whether you are seeking a relaxing beach trip to Hawaii, or an adventure travel trip to the rainforests of Costa Rica, Moon guidebooks—and Moon.com—are with you every step of the way. Founded in 1973, the Moon Travel Guides series includes Moon Handbooks, Moon Outdoors, Moon Metro, Moon Living Abroad and Moon Spotlight travel books. Moon is based in Berkeley, California and is a proud member of the Perseus Books Group.