Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, a Fairmont Managed Hotel

The Fairmont Hamilton Princess is an excellent business hotel, and offers more amenities (and correspondingly higher prices) than other city hotels like the Rosedon and Royal Palms. The rates are high when compared with beachfront resorts geared toward leisure travelers, however; it would appear that business travelers have crowned the Princess their home base, and the hotel has raised its rates accordingly.

Expansive and well-manicured grounds certainly give The Fairmont Hamilton Princess a resort-like vibe, though -- a koi pond filled with beautiful fish, a moon gate surrounded by a lush lawn, and plenty of pastel-colored Adirondack chairs lining the harbor make for plenty of leisure space. Two pools -- one freshwater and one saltwater -- also lend a mellow ambiance, as does Harley’s outdoor bar. But the majority of guests tend to be hurrying off to a meeting or huddling around a laptop. The restaurants are clearly geared toward a corporate clientele: The Heritage Bar just off the lobby looks like the kind of place you’d stop in for a cocktail after work, and Harley’s serves unexceptional, yet expensive cuisine -- perfect for an expensed meal on the go.

The Fairmont Gold rooms grant guests access to the stately Fairmont Gold lounge, an ornate, Gilded Age-style room with triple-height ceilings and furniture swathed in rich colors and fabric. Above a decorative marble-lined fireplace, you’ll find a painted portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, and throughout, plush velvet armchairs, regal crystal chandeliers, and slender Doric columns. An elaborate breakfast is served here every morning, and wine, drinks, and snacks are at the ready throughout the day. Computers with free Internet are located here as well.

The rest of the hotel’s amenities are piecemeal. The retail wing is lackluster with low ceilings and just a few shops that include a clothing store proudly exhibiting colorful Bermuda shorts, a day spa that looks no nicer than something you’d find at home, and a small coffee shop with snacks but no place to sit. Beautiful meeting rooms and ballrooms are a plus, with massive crystal chandeliers and elaborate carpeting, and plenty of comfortable lounging enclaves lining a corridor off the lobby. Otherwise, the fitness center is surprisingly small for the hotel’s size, as is the business center, which has just three computer stations. One highlight: The hotel’s free ferry taxis guests to the Fairmont Southampton’s dock at Little Sound, giving guests access to the other resort’s beach and amenities, as well as all of the area’s beaches and attractions.

Overall, it's definitely a premier pick for business travelers, but leisure travelers will find more amenities and private beach access at its impressive sister property, the Fairmont Southhampton.

Bermuda is a unique island in that it has a well-established culture outside of the run-of-the-mill tourist spots. As a result, the city of Hamilton is a must-see attraction in itself, with plenty of restaurants, bars, historical monuments, and high-end shops to occupy an afternoon. The Fairmont Hamilton Princess is within walking distance to all of Hamilton’s greatest offerings, including the ferry terminal that takes passengers to destinations like the Royal Naval Dockyard. For an expedited trip to Southampton, the hotel’s free guest-only ferry runs throughout the day to Little Sound, from which the Fairmont Southampton’s trolley will drop guests at the hotel or private beach. Additionally, a moped rental outpost is just a few blocks from the hotel.

In an effort to permit as few vehicles as possible on the island, car rentals are strictly forbidden. Even locals are allowed only a single car per household -- something you’ll notice when you see the lush, winding roads that unobtrusively snake through the island. Taxis are reliable and metered according to state law, so there is no need to negotiate fares; however, rates are exceptionally high.

Those looking to save on cab fare might consider renting a moped, the islanders’ preferred mode of transportation. While safety may be an issue for some, a local speed limit of just 35 km (about 21 mph) will likely assuage most fears. Consider the less expensive ferries and local pink-and-blue buses to cover longer distances between “the hook” (Bermuda’s westernmost island), the main city of Hamilton, and the beaches along the southern side of Warwick and Southampton.

• 30-minute drive to Bermuda International Airport
• 1-minute walk to the guests-only ferry to Little Sound
• 3-minute walk to downtown Hamilton’s main strip filled with restaurants, bars, and shops
• 7-minute walk to Terminal Ferry for trips to the Royal Naval Dockyard and Little Sound
• 6-minute drive to Ocean View Golf Course
• 7-minute drive to Bermuda Botanical Gardens
• 10-minute drive to Elbow Beach
• 12-minute drive to Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, & Zoo
• 12-minute drive to Belmont Hills Golf Course

The rooms are the one aspect of The Fairmont Hamilton Princess that trumps its sister property, the Southampton. Fabrics are elegant and plush, furniture is ornate yet contemporary, and spotless bathrooms have marble and stone surfaces, showers with multiple showerheads, and shiny accessories. Technology is modern (no tube televisions here), furnishings are colorful and comfy, and minibars are packed to the brim with goodies.

Of course, The Fairmont Hamilton Princess is an historic hotel dating back to 1885, so the units have their quirks -- most notably the variation in room layout and size. Though square footage is pretty standardized, some units feature smaller bathrooms and larger bedrooms, while others in the same room category have larger bathrooms and smaller bedrooms. Also a drawback: Not all the rooms have balconies -- a major letdown on an island, whether at a beachfront property or not.

• iPod-enabled radio alarm clocks
• Mini-bars filled with alcoholic beverages, snacks, and water
• Keurig coffeemakers and free coffee
• 27-inch flat-screen LG TVs
• Wired Internet access (for a fee)
• Miller Harris toiletries
• Plush monogrammed robes and slippers
• Energy-saving air conditioners automatically shut off while balcony doors are open.
• Not all units have balconies.
• Deluxe Rooms are in the main historic building, which means the configurations vary slightly. These units do not have balconies and none of them face the harbor.
• An upgrade to a Deluxe Room Bermudiana will get you a small furnished balcony with a harbor view -- but everything else is roughly the same as the Deluxe Room.
• Signature Balcony Rooms are located in the Gazebo Wing and feature larger balconies (around 100 square feet).
• One-Bedroom Suites are around 577 square feet, plus a 100-square-foot harbor- or garden-view balcony. These rooms have separate living rooms and bedrooms, as well as bathrooms with separate soaking tubs and showers.
• Upgrading to Fairmont Gold rooms means slightly better furnishings (the bathrooms are quite a bit nicer) and access to the super luxurious Fairmont Gold Lounge, which serves free daily hot breakfast and afternoon cocktails and canapés.
• Fairmont Gold guests can also request private butler service (for a fee).

• Two harbor-front swimming pools: one saltwater and one freshwater, with poolside bar and grill
• A small retail wing with a handful of shops: a day spa, a coffee shop, a jeweler, an art gallery, and a few clothing and souvenir stores
• A small business center with just three computer stations, a printer, and a copier/fax machine
• A medium-sized fitness center with lots of cardio equipment and dumbbells, and a few yoga balls and stretching mats
• A free on-site ferry that goes to Little Sound, where guests can take the Fairmont Southampton trolley to the beach, or explore on their own
• A private dock for guests arriving by boat
• More than 30,000 square feet of meeting spaces, including two elegant ballrooms with ornate crystal chandeliers
• A spectacular Fairmont Gold Lounge with concierge, free breakfast and daily cocktails, and free computers (access limited to those guests staying in Fairmont Gold rooms)
• View Full List of Amenities

The two restaurants -- Harley’s with a poolside bar and grill as well as an indoor dining room, and Heritage Court, by the lobby -- lack character and cost too much for what you get. Luckily the hotel's proximity to downtown and some of the area's best restaurants means you won't be relegated to mediocre dining. Nearby, Ascot’s Restaurant at the Royal Palms is a truly exceptional experience, as is the Fairmont Southampton’s amazing steakhouse, Waterlot Inn.

• If you feel like hanging out by the pool all day, Harley’s outdoor section is a fine idea for a light lunch or cocktail.
• To grab a post-workday drink with a colleague, Heritage Court isn’t a bad spot. But if you’ve come to Bermuda to have a serious foodie vacation, you might want to head elsewhere.
• H.P.'s Coffee Shop features Seattle's Best coffee, homemade pastries and a variety of on-the-go lunch and snack items.