Bermuda's Changing Its Tune When It Comes to Tourism

What's not to like about Bermuda? From the beautiful beaches and Easter egg-colored houses dotting the island to the quick, 90-minute hop from New York, it's a great (albeit expensive) getaway destination. Despite its obvious appeal, though, the island's only recently begun to make a concerted effort to attract tourists who aren't passing through on cruises.

As Bloomberg reports, Bermuda will soon see a handful of new resorts open in the next few years, which is bigger news than you might think, as accommodation options on the island are fairly limited. The largest properties have long been the aging Fairmont Southampton and the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club — the latter of which recently received a $100 million makeover — while others include lovely, costly gems like The Reefs and Rosewood Tucker's Point. These mainstays will now see some competition from properties like the recently opened Loren at Pink Beach, where rooms start at $695 a night in late-June.

Boutique-style hotels won't be the only additions to Bermuda's tourist landscape, however; a Ritz-Carlton Reserve and St. Regis are also under construction. For travelers who want to avoid the island's sky-high prices, this is great news — those Ultimate Rewards points, Starpoints (and Marriott/Ritz points) will finally come in handy in a destination that's historically been rather award travel-unfriendly, at least on the hotel side. Unfortunately, though, you won't be able to redeem points at the Ritz-Carlton property as it is a Reserve hotel.

In addition to breathing some new life into its accommodation scene, Bermuda has recently seen some promising restaurant openings, such as Marée at the Loren. And don't overlook the Barracuda Grill in Hamilton — not a brand new eatery but still a great one for seafood and other gourmet fare.

Overall, it's great to see that Bermuda is stepping up its game when it comes to hotels, especially since those of us who can't afford prices tailored to the yachting crowd stand to benefit from it.

H/T: Bloomberg