9 Beaches

Description:

• This is Bermuda's most casual getaway, appealing to younger, 20-something adults; it's far from luxurious and may seem a bit spartan for some visitors. The most expensive of the accommodations are perched on stilts sunk into the seabed in shallow offshore waters, with Plexiglas panels fitted into their floorboards for a view of the waves lapping beneath. Those more expensive units are interconnected via a series of bridges to the Bermudian "mainland." Less expensive units are built on rocky terrain adjacent to the sea, on decks with conventional foundations. What's not conventional about the place is the fact that walls are crafted from a durable variety of sailcloth, and stretched over aluminum trusses which fare remarkably well, we're told, during storms. These unusual building techniques, coupled with a sincere effort on the part of management to recycle re-useable substances, has earned this place a reputation for eco-sensitivity. Built on part of what functioned during the Cold War as a Canadian naval base, the resort sprawls over 7.3 waterfront hectares (18 acres). True to its name, the resort opens onto nine beaches, some of which disappear completely at high tide.

  Picnic tables, chaise longues, benches, and hammocks are spread around the property, and aquatic options include Hobie catamarans and sea kayaks. The cabanas, with ocean vistas, have ample windows and double doors opening onto verandas. Each offers a small bathroom with shower (no tub). Telephone connections to the rest of Bermuda and the world derive from a cellphone assigned to you at check-in. (There are no hard-wired phones within any of the units.) Furnishings are what you might have expected in a dormitory room from your college years in the '70s: A futon sofa that doubles as a place to sleep, a table, and two chairs. Dining options include two separate restaurants, the Hi Tide and the Dark 'n Stormy, both serving conventional platters as well as tapas. In lieu of room service, sandwiches and snacks are sold out of rolling carts which evoke coffee carriages aboard Amtrak trains.

• © Frommer's 2013