Hilton branded resort

Housing development seeing new life as hotel

The former Grand Atlantic low-cost housing project is being converted into an upscale Hilton brand resort

If you’re wondering what the luxurious new clifftop condo-hotel on South Shore is going to look like when it opens next June, the clue is in the name.

The Bermudiana Beach Hotel will bring together everything we know and love about our paradise island, from its pastel-coloured units with their shiny white roofs to the longtails swooping above the glorious blue waters that crash on the pink sands of the beach down below.

Lush gardens will be created in between the condos, featuring local flora and trees such as palms to deliver a truly Bermudian experience for visitors and residents alike.

Paul Martin, the general manager at Bermuda Housing Corporation who is overseeing the project, says: “One visit to the property and you will see the Bermudian architecture. It is not a typical hotel building but more like a Bermudian residential community with the pastel colours and white roofs.”

The resort – a 3.5-star Tapestry Collection by the Hilton Hotel – includes 110 hotel keys spread across eight condo buildings, a two-storey reception building and four-storey amenity building featuring a full-service restaurant, recreation area, three meeting rooms, indoor gym, spa, and support offices.

It will also boast an events lawn with support kitchen and bathroom, a pool with deck, cabanas, bar and grill, a fire-pit seating area and an outdoor fitness area.

Some of the units will offer panoramic views of the water, and others will overlook the tranquil gardens.

“The property has one of the most spectacular views of the South Shore, with breathtaking views of the sunrise,” Martin says.

“In the fall and spring, you can spot the whales as they migrate past Bermuda. There are also some wonderful beaches in front of the property and running along

the South Shore.”

Motorists who have passed the construction site in Warwick may be pleased to hear the green building near to the roadside will be repainted pink, to better complement the yellow, peach, and light blue shades of the other properties.

A Bermuda moongate will take pride of place in the gardens, and there are plans for a replica cannon to commemorate the site’s former role as a battery.

The history of the location is a source of pride for Martin, who recalls huge numbers of visitors flocking to the South Shore during the island’s tourism heyday in the 20th century. The Bermudiana Beach Hotel is being built on the site of the former beach club for the Bermudiana Hotel, which closed 30 years ago, and was located on Pitts Bay Road in Hamilton, where Chubb and AXA XL now have their offices. And in the mid 1980’s it was the site of The Golden Hind restaurant, a sister business to Henry VIII, further along the South Shore.

Efforts have been made to bring the spot back to life for many years, and construction work on a low-cost housing project and hotel started back in 2010. Plans later evolved into Bermuda’s first branded condo-hotel, in which financing is aided through the sales of units to individual owners.

All condos are fully furnished and available to buy on a 999-year leasehold.

Martin explains: “Your condo can convert into a hotel room or suite when you aren’t here and will be fully managed by the hotel.

“Rentals and upkeep will be carried out to the standards set by Hilton as part of their Tapestry Collection. Having Hilton by our side comes with many other perks, as it is a leading global hospitality company with a large portfolio of properties along with its 24/7/365 reservation system.

“This is an opportunity for both Bermudians and non-Bermudians to purchase a condo in Bermuda which you can stay at for up to 90 days per year, enjoy all the amenities of the hotel and then able to gain revenue over the remaining 275 days as a hotel room with all the work being done by the hotel management.”

The eight condo buildings comprise 94 units, including 16 three-bedroom/threebathroom units; 28 two-bedroom/twobathroom units; 25 one-bedroom/onebathroom units; 25 studio/one-bathroom units. Prices start at $375,000.

With tiled floors, white walls and large glass doors opening out to the balconies, the units have a modern and light feel and make the most of those gorgeous views. There will also be Bermudian artwork on the walls. When staying in residence, owners have access to all hotel amenities and services.

Several design updates for the development were made earlier this year, including the introduction of the reception building, which will contain a business centre, sales office, sundry stores and offices, and a move to centralise amenities in one building.

“These changes allow us to separate the condo hotel rooms from the amenities and back of house while giving us more front-line condos with greater revenue potential and the loss of only one hotel key,” Martin says.

A proposal for a funicular to the beach has been replaced by direct access through stairs and an elevator, which will be protected from the weather, designed to blend into the cliff and strategically placed near the pool.

Martin says: “These will allow faster movement of the guest to and from the beach as compared to the funicular.”

As with most construction projects over the past couple of years, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused supply chain issues, and the opening date has been pushed back from 2020 to 2023.

It was also decided to open in one phase instead of three, which would have meant construction work was still ongoing when the first guests arrived.

“The size of the property would not work well to have an operating hotel in the middle of construction,” Martin says.

“This would not have given a favourable impression to the guest and owners alike. The June 2023 opening, however, is the original completion date of all phases, so we are keeping to that final date.

“I’m proud of Bermuda and proud of this project. It’s a very positive contribution to the tourism industry in Bermuda.”