New Hotel and Flight Updates From Bermuda

A new look for an iconic hotel and the opening of an all-suite boutique property top the news from Bermuda’s accommodations front, while new air service is revving up for a May debut — just in time for the 35th America’s Cup yacht races. All this as a new CEO embarks on his first full year at the helm of the Bermuda Tourism Authority. Here are some details.

Hotel News

Hamilton Princess Makeover: A recently completed $100 million, three-year renovation project has added luxury, contemporary features to the historic Hamilton Princess & Beach Club. The third, and last, phase introduced a new gym, and the hotel has also announced the opening of Exhale spa, with indoor and outdoor space and a renovated pool, as well as nine treatment rooms and a new poolside pergola, next to a renovated pool, for outdoor fitness classes and activities. The spa also has a nail salon. Waxing, massages and a variety of facials are on the menu. Male and female therapists are available, as is a couple’s room for those interested in a side-by-side massage. A studio for group fitness classes hosts Exhale’s proprietary Core Fusion Barre and Yoga classes.

The hotel also has a large outdoor terrace for the Trudeau Ballroom, a new Fairmont Gold private lounge and remodeled Fairmont Gold Wing private lounge suites. Also new is the expanded retail space. Covering 7,000 square feet, it features FH Boutique and Resort Boutique, the newest additions to Luxury Gifts Bermuda, high-end men’s and women’s fashion shops that exclusively carry international brands in Bermuda as well as local products. The retail corridor also includes Astwood Dickinson selling fine jewelry and watches, the official America’s Cup store and The Sunglass Shop.

Above the retail space now sits a 2,000-square-foot terrace with views of the harbor and marina. It leads straight out of the Trudeau Ballroom (formerly Fairmont Gold Lounge) to provide outdoor event space.

In addition, a new private lounge is now available to Fairmont Gold guests in the completely renovated Fairmont Gold private wing. The lounge has a bar, serves cocktail-hour canapés, and provides some of the hotel’s best views of the harbor. The wing’s 11 suites have been decked out with new furniture, fixtures, audio / visual capabilities, modern decor and deluxe bathrooms.

This final phase of the renovations also included the installation of new furniture in the lobby, AC unit upgrades, additional guestroom enhancements and new bathroom facilities by the Trudeau Ballroom. Also, art lovers will be impressed by the property’s 60-plus-piece art collection, including works from Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol, Nelson Mandela, Tom Wassermann and Roy Lichtenstein.

The Hamilton Princess was recently named the Official Host Hotel for the America’s Cup (more on that event later).

The Loren at Pink Beach: Slated to open in mid-February, The Loren at Pink Beach is a collection of 45 suites. This five-star luxury boutique hotel merges sleek and modern design with a simple, understated aesthetic and basically screams Millennials. Rooms, suites and villas are European. Crafted to immerse clients in the beauty of this oceanfront setting, each room opens into a private balcony overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Mario and The Pink Beach Club are two dining options, which showcase Mediterranean-inspired fare with a focus on high-quality locally sourced ingredients.

Flight News

Starting May 18, JetBlue will increase service to Bermuda with two, year-round daily flights and a third summer seasonal roundtrip flight from Boston and New York. The airline will now operate all Bermuda routes using its 150-seat Airbus A320 replacing its current 100-seat Embraer 190.

For the first time ever, the airline will offer year-round daily service out of Boston’s Logan International Airport. Flights will depart mornings from Boston and afternoons from Bermuda. This flight had been seasonal (May-October).

In addition, a new daily, non-stop flight out of New York / JFK will depart early evening, returning early morning from Bermuda. A second seasonal flight will continue to arrive and depart in the early afternoon.

Hot Events

The 35th America’s Cup, presented by Louis Vuitton, takes place in Bermuda in May and June. Tickets are available now at www.AmericasCup.com, including a wide variety of options, from official spectator boats to grandstand seating. Packages are available for each round — Qualifier, Challenger and Finals (two separate weekends) from UK-based agency Travel Places. For those who want to get even closer to the action, Helm Events is offering one-week America’s Cup packages, which includes staying onboard spacious, luxury catamarans. Butterfield & Robinson has a yacht-based program for the second weekend of the finals.

The Royal Naval Dockyard will be home to the America’s Cup Village when the 35th edition of the famed multi-week racing event gets under way in May.

Bermuda will also host The World Triathlon Series (WTS) in 2018, 2019 and 2020. The WTS is an annual worldwide series of nine to 10 triathlon races, culminating in a Grand Final. The event could attract as many as 1,200 competitors in each of the two years, including 150 elite athletes, while the Grand Final could draw as many as 3,000 competitors.

Tourism Authority Reshuffles

Back in November, David Dodwell, chairman of the Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA), confirmed the appointment of Bermudian Kevin Dallas to the post of chief executive officer of the BTA. Dallas currently manages a multimillion-dollar annual budget and leads a global team of roughly 100 with 10 direct reports. The recruitment process began in June 2016 with extensive stakeholder consultation across the spectrum of the hospitality industry helping to establish key indicators of expertise and to identify the modern skill set required for the post.

Also, in early January the BTA announced the appointment of veteran travel industry professional Laura Saeger as director of sales and business development. She joined the BTA on January 3 after serving for nearly a decade as the head of North America meeting and incentive sales for South African Tourism, based in New York.

In her role as director of sales and business development, Saeger is based in BTA’s New York office and reports to Chief Sales & Marketing Officer Victoria Isley. Saeger is responsible for guiding the sales team in prospecting for new group business opportunities, identifying and leveraging emerging industry trends, and working closely with industry partners. She will also lead participation in trade shows and sales missions building relationships with meeting, incentive and event planners. Saeger was selected following a thorough interview process for the position that has been vacant since September 2016.