Pretty in pink
Bermuda’s Hamilton Princess a luxurious oasis
We took it as a challenge: Can a super-active couple — the type who like to be busy — head off to a resort and just relax? The day after Labor Day, my husband and I headed to the Hamilton Princess in Bermuda to see if it could be done.
The Hamilton Princess, aka the Pink Palace, is an iconic island destination. It first opened Jan. 1, 1885. With $300 million in recent updates (brighter rooms, a new Exhale Spa, new marina, two additional restaurants, new pool facilities and a collection of art, including works by Andy Warhol, Banksy and Damien Hurst), it remains beloved.
We hopped a direct JetBlue flight from Boston (clocking at just about two hours) and after a quick taxi ride we arrived.
There’s a reason the Pink Palace is legendary. First, the location. The resort is steps from the center of all the action in the “city” of Hamilton. Restaurants, street musicians (even a locals parade down the main street weekly in season), shopping, the ferry and more was an easy walk away. And yet, on property, the resort feels like a private oasis on the Hamilton Harbor waterfront.
Then there’s the look — a combination of regal and relaxed. The newly imagined main lobby area is bright and airy and leads to a shopping concourse. There is art everywhere. A personal favorite? “Harry’s Girl,” a piece by famed British street artist Pegasus created to celebrate Megan Markle’s engagement to Prince Harry. His grandmother, the Queen, smiles in support in portraits just down the hall.
We changed into pool wear and meandered, finding two beautiful pools; one for adults only and another — a breathtaking two-level infinity pool — for families. There’s a spa pool too — we would discover that later. Rum drinks in hand, we took what would become “our spot,” lounge chairs on a platform in the pool looking out on the active marina and harbor.
That marina was part of the upgrade. State-of-the-art docking juts out in a square; it is home to some local boats you can rent or charter as well as a few visitors. During our stay, two huge yachts, one with its own helicopter, docked for a few days, a very cool thing to look out at.
The city had an abundance of food choices, but we
found amazing settings, meals and service at the Hamilton Princess itself. Our first night, we dined at Marcus’, the Bermuda outpost of Marcus Samuelsson, the world-renowned chef behind New York’s acclaimed Red Rooster. We sipped champagne (served tableside from the bubbly cart) and noshed on amazing “fish chowder bites” (trust me!), Korean cauliflower, local lobster and incredible brown butter madeleines for dessert. Impeccable.
Day two and three were all about the beach. After a sublime aromatherapy massage at Exhale, we were ready. Another upgrade is that the resort now has its own private beach club. About a 20minute jitney ride across the island, the beach club is in a protected cove and is — as we found — the perfect way to do things while doing nothing.
The Beach Club has all kinds of fun toys — paddleboards, sea kayaks, floats for lounging — that you don’t have to sign out or pay for. While waves crashed wildly just beyond the inlet, the water in the beach area was calm, warm and clear. The hammocks in the ocean water were my immediate favorite.
There’s food service on the beach, also overseen by the same folks who run Marcus’. We savored amazing burgers and beers. We spend hours at the beach and while we did chill, we also took a walk up high on both sides to look out at the sea.
Dinner the next night was at 1609, the other new spot at the Hamilton Princess. It sits out over the water and faces the sunset. We took in that scene as we sipped cocktails and enjoyed delicious meals. There’s also the Crown and Anchor, where you can grab breakfast, lunch or dinner, and the Fairmont Gold Club, where those who have earned that status can grab great breakfast, snacks, afternoon canapés and more. Food is served poolside as well.
We did venture out to take a ferry ride across the harbor. But as we chugged along, while the sight of incredible homes, a pretty harbor and even a few sea turtles were wonderful, it was the water view of the Pink Palace that really thrilled us. We took the ferry back to return to our chill spot.
Then it was time to go home. We had not played tennis (our usual must), nor had we rented a boat and headed out for a day on the water, all things the resort offers. We’d not hiked or biked. Instead, we had just relaxed. At the Hamilton Princess, it felt delicious.
Our driver came to take us to the airport — the same man who’d brought us in. “Did you see the caves?” he asked. “Did you get to the museum I told you about?”
“Nope,” I answered. “We just soaked in all the things the Hamilton Princess had to offer.”
“Now that was a great choice,” he said, nodding his approval.
We’ll be back. After all, there’s an art tour, a beach dinner dance, tennis and more. Next time, for sure. Or maybe I’ll just grab that hammock again. Learn more at thehamiltonprincess.com.