Travelers to Bermuda can take their pick of luxury resorts, quaint cottage colonies, guesthouses, self-catering apartments, or bed-and-breakfasts. The range of accommodations is only matched by the vast price range, from as low as $90 a night for a double room in high season to a $7,500 boutique suite. Generally, most of the resort hotels offer average rooms in the $300–400-a-night price bracket, compared to the $150–250 range of smaller, independent properties. There has been a constant demand over the years for more affordable places to stay in Bermuda, and that call is now increasingly being met by local residents who are renting out rooms, attached apartments, or separate cottages on their properties for far more reasonable rates than those charged by the hotel industry. Some of these are in beautiful homes or historic landmark properties, including several owned by the Bermuda National Trust. Visitors who seek something more private or unusual than a standard hotel, or don’t mind staying in less-than-five-star surroundings, should check the Toronto-based www.bermudarentals.com or www.bermudagetaway.com, both of which list scores of well-managed guest accommodations ranging from private villas with swimming pools to pullout-sofa studios. Most of these fall below the radar of the Tourism Department’s official listings (only properties with six or more units require government inspection and licenses).

For those who prefer resort pampering, the good news is that new hotels (Newstead, Tucker’s Point Hotel & Spa) have opened, and a slate of major resorts are planned in the next few years, the state of global economics notwithstanding. At least one of these, the $300-million Park Hyatt Resort in St. George’s, has signed the official paperwork, and construction was due to begin in 2009 for a 2012 opening. Other projects on the horizon include a St. Regis in central Hamilton; a Jumeirah Resort at Morgan’s Point, the former U.S. Naval Base in Southampton; a $300-million five-star resort developed by Scout Real Estate Capital at the former Wyndham Beach Resort in Southampton; and a Grand Atlantic Resort in Warwick.

Many of Bermuda’s existing hotels have heavily reinvested in their properties, undertaking renovations to add infinity pools, restaurants, spas, and updated rooms in recent years. The trend toward building high-end fractional ownership residences has taken off, and many resorts have carved up pieces of their property for that purpose. The surge in spas is another trend, with world-class amenities and special spa vacation packages offered by all major resorts, and even a few of the smaller ones.

The key to choosing a place to stay in Bermuda lies in recognizing the type of vacation you want, as well as the style of accommodations you prefer. Because it’s easy to cover the whole island, regional preferences are perhaps less important than, say, whether you plan to spend every day on the beach or shop-’til-you-drop. Most Bermuda properties—even the tiny ones—have websites featuring photos of rooms and amenities, rates, and full descriptions of facilities.