Around the World: The Reefs Resort – Southampton, Bermuda

Note: This post was originally published on my old lifestyle blog, monicadutia.com.

I'm so excited to share where we stayed in Bermuda–The Reefs resort! It was truly one of the best hotel experiences I've ever had and if you're visiting the island and looking to stay at a resort, I cannot recommend it more highly. The backstory is that J and I planned this trip as our main "vacation" for the summer (we did go to our college reunion, a wedding, and I went to a bridal shower but this was our one relaxing trip for the season) and also made it our birthday presents to each other. We're increasingly moving toward experiences over material things and Bermuda had been on both of our bucket lists for years. It was definitely pricier than most other vacations we'd have taken so it made sense to have it check a few boxes rather than just "a summer vacation."

We went from Friday-Sunday and could swing a short trip because there are seasonal direct flights from several US cities down the eastern seaboard; it was just under two hours to get to the island! We were trying to decide whether to stay for two nights or three nights and decided to do two and splurge on a resort vs. three and opt for an Airbnb. I'm so, so glad we did that and chose The Reefs; I know we'll stay there again when we visit Bermuda. It's located in Southampton, which is pretty far west down the island. The location was wonderful...we were about 30 minutes from the airport and 30 minutes from Hamilton. I'm going to do another post with logistics + recapping things outside of the resort (we didn't do that much, as our priority was to take full advantage of the beach this time around) so more to come on that front!

The Reefs is a family-owned resort with 62 rooms and a private beach (and 19 condos). I'd reached out to the PR team ahead of our visit (more on this at the end of the post, if you're curious) and either they or the front desk staff graciously upgraded us from a pool view to an oceanfront view. From what we could tell, "pool view" rooms actually still got you an ocean view in some capacity...everything seemed to face the water! I guess that's the beauty of a smaller resort in such a beautiful place. We did some poking around on third party sites like Expedia but ultimately booked directly through The Reefs website since their rates were the same. I prefer to book direct whenever possible and recommend calling the hotel if you see a better rate elsewhere...they'll frequently match it!

The rooms were simple but well done...very "island" without being over the top. The bed was really comfortable and you could literally see the ocean from bed–not something you experience on every vacation! I was also impressed at how spacious everything was–our room had a little sitting area and a wonderful covered balcony with two fully reclining beach chairs. It looked like all rooms had the balcony, too! One of my favorite little touches is the mini Dark 'n Stormy "kit" they leave upon arrival (and this is after you're greeted with a rum swizzle at check-in!) and I also loved the sense of community, likely due to the smaller property size. Guests are definitely encouraged to mingle, if you choose–we met this wonderful couple from DC–and the main bar area had low-key live or DJed music depending on the night.

Breakfast was included in our room rate and if you have the option (and if it makes sense with how the packages are priced), I highly recommend going that route! I believe the buffet is about $29 regardless and I'd definitely pay that even without a breakfast package. The waterfront views were insane and the spread was incredible. I'm definitely someone who loves and values a good hotel breakfast and would definitely say this was one of the best! We went on the early side both mornings and lingered for awhile–I think I went back for three rounds–and opted for large breakfasts and small lunches. We split the shrimp quesadilla one day and the fish sandwich the next day while at the beach!

We'd planned to do dinner at the resort one night and go into Hamilton for the other night, so Friday we had a waterfront dinner at Coconuts. We both had salads to start, followed by fish–J had the Rockfish and I had the special of the day. Both were delicious and are exactly what we'd order again. A storm came in before dessert and they moved us right under the covering. If you're able, I'd highly recommend a meal here! Dining so close to the ocean–you can even request a table in the sand!–is such a treat.Can you tell I've found a new favorite place? If you're celebrating something (so many people were there for a honeymoon, babymoon, or anniversary), they will make you feel extra special. We really couldn't have asked for a better getaway and I hope that one day, we can make it back soon!

Thank you to The Reefs for our beachside dinner! I contacted the hotel's PR team ahead of our visit (to let them know that I was planning on creating content around our stay, and to ask whether there were looking to promote anything in particular about the resort or the area), and they kindly covered our dinner in exchange for my coverage. We paid for everything else on our own and as always, all opinions are mine personally!