Hotel Review: Grotto Bay Beach Resort, Bermuda

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Bermuda is a truly tropical paradise and Grotto Bay Beach Resort is a great place to base yourself to enjoy all the island has to offer.

As soon as you step into the Great House – decorated in plantation-style furniture and island-inspired artwork – you feel as though you’ve stepped back in time.  The view when you walk through it and look down onto the turquoise ocean opening up before you is truly breathtaking.

This relaxed and family-focused resort sits on a lush 21-acre estate with steps leading down from the main house down to the 2 private beaches and swimming pool. Some of the island’s main attractions are only a few minutes walk away from the hotel.

Who For

This resort is ideal for families especially if the kids love the water. With any luck they’ll spend most of their time in the pool or in the ocean so hopefully the adults may even get some time to themselves.

Accommodation

They have over 200 rooms in total across 11 cottages. The pick of the rooms is the Ocean Front Deluxe category which is closest to the sea and offers the best views. We had 2 adjoining rooms which were spacious enough for two adults and three kids. They were also close enough to the ocean that we could not just watch our kids in the sea but shout out to them when it was time to come in!

Food and Drink

The hotel is one of the few on the island offering an all-inclusive option ( check out their latest rates and packages online).

In the Great House – the Hibiscus Restaurant serves up the giant daily breakfast buffet as well as a la carte dinners featuring Bermuda seafood dishes alongside an always changing menu of European style dishes with a Bermudian twist. 

The Palm Court has a classy plantation feel where you can enjoy a complimentary afternoon tea, and sweet snacks during the day and a tempting cocktail selection and fine dining options in the evening.

The open-air and buzzing Bayside Grill along the waters edge serving lunch -weather permitting offers up modern, international comfort food.  There are also two theme nights per week – one BBQ and one seafood buffet both with live entertainment during the Summer months

There is nightly live entertainment in different venues around the resort, mainly music but also sometimes stand-up comedy and dance acts.

Facilities

There are lots of activities to choose from at the hotel – most of them are water-based. The beachside inflatable waterpark was a real highlight for us – our kids spent hours jumping and sliding off it and it’s close to the shore so you don’t have to swim too far out to access it.

For non-motorised water sports you have the options of sunfish sailboats, kayaks and paddle boards which may be complimentary depending on your package.

You can grab an early morning fishing charter or the onsite water sports center offers scuba diving for beginners and more advanced divers. You can also hire your own catamaran or small motorised boat for snorkelling which we did. It was a real adventure zipping across the ocean and stopping off to explore wherever we chose – we even came across a shallow shipwreck which we loved exploring. The marine life was phenomenal and thankfully very friendly.

On land you can use the hotels tennis court, gym or rent out bikes to explore a bit further afoot.

The standout feature of this hotel though is the pair of ancient underground grottos each with an electric blue subterranean lake. Both caves are lit from within to illuminate the incredible rock formations. The pool in Cathedral Cave is open to swim in which was a really special experience.

Equally impressive was the Natura Spa in Prospero’s Cave offering massages and treatments beneath the dramatic stalactites – a truly unique and unforgettable setting.

What’s nearby

The resort overlooks Bailey’s Bay on the East End of the island and is a 15-minute drive from the historic town of St George’s and a 25-minute drive from the capital Hamilton.

The hotel is just a few minutes walk away from one of the Island’s top attractions – the Crystal Caves a natural wonder formed over millions of years but only discovered just over a century ago. Stretching for 500 metres, they’re 62 metres deep with the soaring stalagmites and ‘icicles’ of white limestone dripping from the ceiling, lit by a state of the art systems which reveals their majesty and mystique Crystal Caves.

You’re also just a few hundred metres from the trails of Blue Hole Park which itself is a large deep pool fringed by mangroves. You can wander through secluded caves and idyllic grottoes or if you feel brave enough you can jump into the clear waters from the surrounding cliffs.

Next door to the hotel is Bermuda’s oldest pub the ‘Swizzle Inn’ home to the national drink the Rum Swizzle. With its rustic charm and graffitied walls with dollar bills stuffed into every crevice, it is fun and loud and the drinks as delicious as you would expect.

And you’re just a 10-minute drive from the Island’s only international airport which is great for your transfer.

How Much

An Oceanfront Deluxe room at costs from around £500 per night excluding taxes

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Getting There

British Airways flies direct on most from days from London Heathrow, starting at £700 each way.

Find out more at gotobermuda.com.