In The Grotto

Bailey Bay, Bermuda

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Bermuda’s Grotto Bay resort is located in the Bailey’s Bay area, near the island’s capital, Hamilton. The resort is not so much set on to the coastline as tucked into it: the accommodation is built on thirty-two acres of lawns immediately behind the beach, but the complex also includes a number of caves and cave pools, giving the impression that the Grotto Bay has put down roots into the very soil of the island.

The accommodation is fully furnished and comes complete with en suite bath and shower. All rooms enjoy the benefit of en suite bath and shower facilities, as well as added extras like mini-bars and an ironing board for those evening when you want to look extra special! Although the Bermudan climate is famously temperate, all rooms feature air-conditioning, so you can always enjoy a perfect night of comfortable sleep – whatever the weather might be.

On the subject of weather, the Grotto Bay resort is leading the way in helping vacationers ensure that extremes of climate don’t ruin their holiday. At the moment everyone is thinking about the problems of hurricanes, which seem to be on the increase in the west Atlantic and Caribbean. The Grotto Bay offers what it calls a Hurricane Guarantee. If the resort suffers a direct hit during your stay or planned stay (and they do stress a direct hit – a stiff breeze caused by a storm passing two hundred miles away doesn’t count) then they will replace your vacation entirely, inviting you back free of charge, in identical accommodation, during more clement weather. In uncertain times, that’s the kind of guarantee vacationers love.

Thankfully, it’s not often that Bermuda gets lashed by hundred-mile-an-hour winds: aiming off a drive by a sufficient amount to compensate for that would be a challenge to even the best golfer. But even in the more usually clement weather that the island offers, there are challenges galore for those who love a day on the fairway. Bermuda has a greater percentage of its land area dedicated to golfing than any other country in the world, and the Grotto Bay resort lies just five minutes from a couple of the very best Hamilton-area courses. Clubs and other equipment can be hired on the island if you don’t feel like bringing your own – ask the hotel concierge for more details.

Enthusiasts of other sports are also well looked-after: there’s a particularly great array of watersports on offer at the Grotto Bay. Bermuda is a particularly great place to learn to dive, and there are a number of reef and wreck dives available within a short distance of the Grotto Bay. The resort even has a separate dive company, Triangle Diving, located on its premises. All gear can be hired, and training is by fully-qualified professionals. So everything you need to start exploring the deep blue is right around the corner from your room!

Traveling with kids? The Grotto Bay offers a kids’ club service which operates during the weeks of the school summer break. This offers a great selection of activities for kids and teens so that they can enjoy themselves while mom and dad chill out elsewhere and get a little peace and quiet – full details of the program are available at the resort’s concierge desk.

The Grotto Bay is one of the best Bermudan resorts for dining. The whole resort has recently reopened after an extensive renovation, and the work that has gone on is most evident in the quality of the restaurants. Considering that the Grotto Bay isn’t in the super-elite resort category, you get to enjoy some real opulence while you eat! The Grotto Bay’s two main restaurants, the Palm Court and the Hibiscus Room, both offer traditional and contemporary European and international cuisine, given a distinctive Bermudan twist by the skill of the chefs. You can enjoy a glass of wine or beer, or a cocktail, in either restaurant – though if relaxing with a drink is your main aim, you might be better off spending a little time in the Bayside Bar and Grill. This has arguably the best stocked bar in the resort, and also serves a great array of drinks and cocktails.

All in all, the Grotto Bay is a classic Bermudan resort. It has all the ingredients of a truly great place to have a vacation. As well as offering an all-inclusive pricing structure to those who want it, the Grotto Bay extends to its guests the kinds of relaxed atmosphere and flexibility that one expects from the very best resorts in the region. A visit to the Grotto Bay is the complete Bermudan vacation experience.