Bermuda: A Nice, Quick Getaway (Part 1)!

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when Sunshine sprung a surprise last minute trip to Bermuda.  We usually go to a sunny place where we can relax, drink and party.  But it's pretty well known that Bermuda is not a party island.  It is, however, a perfect island to go to for relaxation and drinking (I'll get to Rum Swizzles in Part 3).

Bermuda is a semi-tropical island...only about 1.5 hours away by plane from NYC.  Unlike the Caribbean, spring/summer is the high season and autumn/winter is the off season.  The weather was beautiful: sunny but not too hot (I don't think we experienced a day over 85F).  However,  it was pretty darn humid.

We stayed at the Royal Palms Hotel, a small boutique hotel in Hamilton.  It's up a hill, in a residential area, but still within walking distant to the the restaurants and shops.

Here's a quick tour of the property:

• Check-In/Lobby:

• Sitting Room:  All hotel rooms are equipped with free ethernet connection.  But since Sunshine and I only brought our iPads (which don't have ethernet ports), we had to go to the Sitting Room so that we could use the free Wi-Fi there.  (I'm thinking I'm going to get an AirPort Express, so that when I travel, I can create my own Wi-Fi network and avoid the no-ethernet port issue.)

• Our Hotel Room with a cute patio (that isn't shown):  It wasn't the fanciest hotel room, but it was spacious and clean.  Plus, it contained a kitchenette!  Since dinner portions were rather large everywhere, we were able to reheat our (or rather my) leftovers in the microwave for quick but yummy early-evening snacks.  

Going back to our hotel room at the Royal Palms felt like going home to a studio apartment.  By the end of the 2nd day there, we felt more like residents than hotel guests.

But what made our trip truly special?  The staff.

The staff at Royal Palms was genuinely nice and extremely helpful!  They did everything and answered everything with a smile.

Additionally, you get two GREAT bonuses with your room: (Food is very expensive in Bermuda...significantly more expensive than NYC.)

• Free Continental Breakfast:  The breakfast spread was more than sufficient.  I love soft boil eggs, so I especially enjoyed the option to soft boil eggs in a crockpot!!  For the kid in you, you also had the option to make your own waffles.  Personally, I couldn't stop eating the warm croissants and banana bread.

• Happy Hour:  From 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm, Royal Palms offers its guests free red/white wine for you to sip on while sitting on the porch.  Or if you had your own patio, you could enjoy your wine on your patio.

We will most definitely be going back to Bermuda.  And when we do, we will most definitely be staying at the Royal Palms Hotel.

NOTE:  There is an abundance of Whistling Frogs in Bermuda.  This means that there is a lot of loud (dare I even suggest harmonious?) chirping at night.  Bring earplugs and you'll be fine.  Seriously...bring earplugs!!!

Stay tuned for Part 2...