A Review of The St. Regis Bermuda Resort: Luxury or Letdown?

You know that saying, “It looks good from far, but it’s far from good”? That encapsulates The St. Regis Bermuda Resort perfectly.

While labeled as a luxurious hotel and carrying an expensive price tag, the hotel wavered between luxury and disappointment throughout my recent stay. My sister and I surprised our mom with a 70th birthday trip to Bermuda, and we found ourselves laughing at the many “Will it be good or bad?” questions we had throughout our 2-night stay in September 2024.

Overpriced meals came with gruelingly slow service, hotel staff was friendly but hard to find, and facility maintenance was not a priority. The rooms were also dull, to be blunt. The pools, beach, and food quality were top-notch, though.

Did we enjoy our trip together? Yes. Would I stay at the St. Regis Bermuda again? Not without major changes. Here’s why this was the most disappointing St. Regis stay I’ve ever experienced.

Booking The St. Regis Bermuda Resort

Stays at The St. Regis Bermuda Resort don’t come cheap. Between the St. Regis brand (known for luxury) and the destination (Bermuda’s hotels and restaurants being famously expensive), rates here were costly for a weekend stay in September.

The best available rate for our stay was $1,010 per night for a standard room with 3 adults. That was the discounted rate available for those with the Marriott Bonvoy Business^® American Express^® Card. Otherwise, the rate was $1,040 per night.

However, there were 2 better booking options available. Using Marriott Bonvoy points was a solid choice here, as the hotel required 91,000 points per night for a room. That’s a redemption rate of 1.11 cents per point — well above our average valuation of Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each.

The St. Regis Bermuda was also available through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts. Premium cardholders can book these properties with valuable benefits added on, including daily breakfast for 2, complimentary Wi-Fi, guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout, and a $100 on-property credit to use during their stay. There are 2 additional benefits they might receive, subject to availability: a room upgrade at check-in and early check-in at noon.

Moreover, if you have The Platinum Card^® from American Express, you can get up to $200 back in statement credits per year on prepaid hotel bookings. Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts bookings are eligible, meaning a 1-night stay here booked with AmexTravel.com was available for $1,066 but would cost $866 after the $200 statement credit.

Hot Tip:

If you’re booking directly with Marriott and paying for your stay, use one of the best Marriott Bonvoy credit cards to earn maximum points.

Location of the St. Regis Bermuda

The St. Regis Bermuda sits at the far end of St. George’s, a town in the northeastern corner of Bermuda. On St. George’s Island, the hotel is less than 15 minutes from the L.F. Wade International Airport (BDA) by car.

Bermuda does not allow tourists to rent or drive cars, so the best way to get around is by taxi. Plan to pay around $20 to $25 as your base fare between the airport and hotel, plus any extras for rides at nighttime, extra passengers, or suitcases packed in the trunk.

Checking In

Arriving in a taxi from the airport, the St. Regis Bermuda looked impressive as we rounded the bend, and the hotel’s property — including the hotel, residences, and golf course — stretched out before us. With its golden sign and palm trees in front, the first impression was great.

Bellhops grabbed our luggage and tagged it with our names, promising to deliver it to our room after we checked in. The front entrance was busy, as numerous guests were arriving and departing.

Although the hotel’s front door wasn’t large, the branded rug and bright entryway made up for it.

We stepped into a large lobby fed by tons of light pouring in through floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the ocean beyond the hotel.

Here, a friendly employee told us that there was a line for the check-in desk and told us to have a seat in the lobby’s waiting area.

He offered us a choice of welcome drinks: Champagne or bottled water.

While waiting, we poked around the lobby’s multiple seating areas to see what the hotel had to offer.

Doors led to a covered outdoor space overlooking the hotel’s 2 pools, beach, and ocean. There were chairs, a sofa, and several small tables here.

After waiting 15 to 20 minutes, an employee said it was our turn to check in. Reception desks were down this hallway, away from the sitting area.

Rather than at a counter with standing employees, we checked in at a pair of desks, each with 2 chairs. Given that there were only 2 desks, I understood right away why there was a line: The hotel could only help 2 people at a time. The chairs at the desks were also awkwardly low, making them uncomfortable and impractical for the conversation with the employee sitting across from me.

A friendly employee confirmed our reservation for 3 adults and said that all of the hotel’s suites were booked during our stay. She seemed confused that we had a night booked with points and another night booked through Fine Hotels + Resorts, despite the fact the hotel and I had exchanged multiple emails clarifying this.

While friendly, the employee had to confirm information at multiple points during the check-in process, telling me that it was her first week at the hotel and that she was still learning. This set us up for a slow check-in that didn’t include all of the information it should have. Luckily, my mom and sister were still in the comfortable sitting area.

The employee showed me a map of the property while explaining that our room wasn’t ready yet, even though it was 2 p.m. I received a local guidebook with tourist information about Bermuda and information about complimentary tours for hotel guests at nearby Fort St. Catherine. The back cover had practical information like hours for the spa and golf course.

The inside of the booklet told about hours and options for food and beverage outlets at the hotel.

As our room wasn’t ready, we planned to eat lunch and then check for updates. When we returned to the desk at 3:30 p.m., our room still wasn’t ready, and we were told to come back in an hour — past the hotel’s stated check-in time of 4 p.m. We were also told that we would need to check out the next day and do a new check-in because we’d booked with Marriott points for the first night and Fine Hotels + Resorts for the second night.

Moreover, during our stay, we also learned several things that the front desk staff had left out. We found out later on there was a free shuttle to the nearby town, we weren’t told about half of the property’s facilities (leaving out the spa, gym, and children’s program), and the hours I was told for breakfast didn’t match what was in the welcome booklet. In summary: The check-in experience could have been better.

Elite Benefits

We received very few benefits from my Marriott Titanium Elite status at the St. Regis Bermuda. We didn’t receive an upgraded room, guest parking isn’t a concern in Bermuda (with the prohibition on tourists renting cars), and didn’t need a late checkout. Moreover, we didn’t get any early check-in benefits, as our room wasn’t even ready until after the standard check-in time.

The sole benefit we received from my status was complimentary breakfast each morning. However, this was restricted to the buffet and didn’t include any à la carte items — even excluding drinks other than “regular coffee,” such as lattes, which we didn’t know until after I got a bill for it.

Partial Ocean View Room

We stayed on the third floor — 1 floor above the lobby and 2 floors above the pool deck. The guest hallways had patterned carpets and bare walls.

We stayed in room 1344, and the “Do Not Disturb” sign used a very thin cord that we broke without intending to.

Bedroom

I’m not sure why this room was listed as a “partial” ocean view room, as our room faced the ocean without any obstructions. Its layout, however, was odd, which I’ll get into more below.

While billed as 2 queens, the beds felt much smaller.

Between the beds, there was a glass-topped nightstand with a clock radio, phone, notepad, and lamp. In 1 of the 2 drawers, we found a note about the nightly Champagne toast, another notepad, a Bible, and a Book of Mormon.

Each bed had a foldout reading light and USB-A port, but 1 of the 2 beds’ ports didn’t work.

Across from the beds, there was a connecting door to the next room and a TV above a marble-topped wooden cabinet.

On this counter, we found a welcome guide that included a channel list and the remote control. We also found a phone, drinking glasses, and ice bucket.

The counter also held bottles of water, mugs, and a Nespresso machine.

The Nespresso machine sat on a box, and we found pods, sugar, and artificial sweetener inside the box’s single drawer.

The shelves inside the wooden cabinet were empty, save for a handful of paper cups.

We also found an empty minifridge inside the cabinet.

On the side of the cabinet, there was a metal bar whose function we couldn’t understand. We also found outlets and USB-A ports here.

Since we had 3 adults and the beds were smaller than we’d expected, I asked for a rollaway bed, which the hotel provided at no charge. We also noted that the walls in the room had no artwork; the only designs were those on the headboards. However, we had both daylight and blackout curtains that worked well, so that was a positive.

Another curiosity we found: The panel of switches in the room had 4 buttons, but only 2 of them seemed to serve any function.

Bathroom

The bathroom was the first part of the room we entered from the hallway, which we thought was a strange setup. From the hallway, we entered the bathroom, and the bedroom was beyond.

The bathroom had 2 sliding wooden doors for access but no lock.

Along a wall, there were 2 mirrors above a marble counter with dual sinks.

At one end, a bathrobe was hanging on a hook, and the area between the sinks was lower than the sinks themselves.

At the other end, a makeup mirror was on the wall, and drinking glasses and bottled water were at each sink.

Between the sinks, we had washcloths, soap, hand lotion, sanitizer, mouthwash, a box of tissues, and a box with individually wrapped items, including a toothbrush, cotton swabs, and a razor.

In the white wooden drawers below the sinks, we found spare towels and a hair styler.

On the floor, there was a digital scale that could easily be hidden under the cabinet.

Along the other wall, a full-length mirror was between 2 sets of wooden closets. Small trash and recycling bins were also between the closets.

The closets each had a pair of doors, and we found shelves and hangers inside both closets.

We also found another bathrobe, an iron, and an ironing board in one of the closets.

We also found a small safe in one of the closets, and a tray held the laundry bag and price list. Pricing was per item.

On either side of the door to the hallway, a small closet held either the shower or the toilet. Inside the shower, there was a rainfall and handheld wand. The shower cabin was an interesting sand color that didn’t really match anything else in the room.

On the wall, a tray held pump bottles of SACHAJUAN products that had no discernable smell.

There was a small step up into the shower that was perfect for stubbing our toes.

Near the shower door, there was a towel hook, and the bar on the shower door also provided space for hanging our towels.

We found a digital thermostat in the bathroom, and it frustrated us throughout our trip. When the room got too cold, we tried turning off the air conditioning — though that seemed to have no effect. Reducing the fan power didn’t have as much of an effect as we liked, and we wavered between “It’s too hot!” and “It’s too cold!” during our stay.

On the other side of the room’s entrance, a frosted glass door led to the toilet.

The centerpiece of the bathroom, awkwardly, was the bathtub. First, it was odd that you had to walk around this tub when moving from the bedroom to the door to the hallway. Second, it was impractical to have this as the centerpiece of the bathroom when it’s likely the least-used element during most people’s visits.

The frame around the bathtub had small cutouts that held the soap and washcloth.

Balcony

Our room had a balcony overlooking the pool and facing the ocean. It was accessed by sliding glass doors.

On the balcony, we had a pair of chairs and a small circular table.

This was a great place to sit and soak in the relaxing sounds and smell of the ocean.

Amenities

Pools

The hotel had 2 pools. The smaller pool had a handful of rafts that staff brought out and put away daily.

To the right, the larger pool also had a hot tub and more seating. There were 2 cabanas at this pool, but they were roped off with yellow tape (yet no explanatory signs) in a way that had crime scene vibes.

Despite us being originally told at check-in that food wasn’t available at the pools, that was untrue. Tables between chairs had laminated menus offering light bites like sandwiches and salads.

The back side had an extensive drink menu, including mocktails, and the items were served by Lina Restaurant, discussed below.

Near the pools, there were stands with infused water and pump bottles of lotion and sunblock. There were also clean towels and a bin for dirty towels.

Beach

The postcard-worthy element of the St. Regis Bermuda was the beach — or, more so, the color of the water at the beach. The expansive beach ran the length of the property, ending at the fort next door.

On windy days, the staff did a good job of putting the umbrellas down. The beach had a large number of lounge chairs, so guests were never left without.

The beach had cabanas for guests to rent, and the entrance to the beach also had shoe racks, which were a very practical feature.

The beach also had towel stands, and these were not maintained well. Clean towels ran out routinely, and the dirty towels bin wasn’t emptied as often as it should’ve been.

Five Forts Golf Club

The St. Regis Bermuda had a large golf course adjacent to the hotel. Carts and clubs were available for rent.

Spa

The Iridium Spa, located on the ground floor next to the fitness center, offered a full range of services, from massages to facials and haircuts.

Concierge

On the main floor, across from reception, was a concierge desk. We never saw anyone working at this desk during our stay.

Complimentary Shuttle to Nearby Town

The hotel offered a complimentary shuttle to the nearby town of St. George’s. The shuttle operated in 15-minute intervals from 5 to 11 p.m.

We discovered this by accident since none of the staff had told us about it.

Fitness Center

On the ground floor, next to the spa, a fair-sized fitness center was open 24 hours a day. It had a dozen aerobic machines, including treadmills, bikes, and ellipticals.

Further into the gym, there were free weights and a multifunctional weight machine.

Near the entrance to the fitness center were towels, bottled water, and headsets for guests. The trays were labeled for clean and used headsets, and staff sanitized these between uses.

Children’s Club

Also on the ground floor, the children’s club provided daycare and activities for kids during the day. There were beanbags, a TV, and games available.

The club also had a restaurant-style area for kids to enjoy snacks, and a fridge was available there.

Shop

On the ground floor, accessed from the exterior, there was a small shop selling hats, sunglasses, and beachwear. We couldn’t find anything available for less than $100 here.

Meeting Facilities

The St. Regis Bermuda had 2 event spaces: the Astor Ballroom and a 295-square-foot meeting room.

The Astor Ballroom was 2,600 square feet and could accommodate 155 people. A small foyer was also outside the multiple entrances.

There also were bathrooms available near the event spaces, and these were clean throughout our stay.

Internet

The hotel had complimentary Wi-Fi, which worked throughout the property — even out by the pool. Speeds and connectivity were reliable.

Elevators

The hotel had elevators at each end, which ran from the ground floor (pool level) to all floors. However, you had to tap your key card to access any floors with guest rooms. The elevators had a mix of aluminum, wood, and a light gray panel that clashed with each other.

As the lobby wasn’t on the ground floor, the button panel made the ground floor and lobby clear.

When the doors opened, large signs across from the elevator made it clear which floor you were on.

ATM

Past the reception desk, near the residence sales office, was an ATM.

Food and Beverage

Nightly Champagne Sabering

Every evening, the hotel had a Champagne sabering on the balcony beyond the lobby. An employee recounted the story of how this tradition came about in Napoleon’s army before using a sword to uncork the bottle.

From here, guests were served a complimentary glass of Champagne, and you could attend this ceremony every night of your stay for free drinks.

Lina Restaurant

On the ground floor in the hotel’s center, the Lina Restaurant served breakfast from 7 to 10:30 a.m. and lunch from noon to 4 p.m.

The large interior seating area had floor-to-ceiling windows facing the beach.

There were tables with chairs and booths on one side. The tables could seat 2, 4, or 8 people.

Doors led to an exterior seating area that was covered by the balcony above.

These exterior tables were popular during meals, so you needed to arrive early or late to secure one.

There also was an outside bar next to these tables, and this was where bartenders made the poolside drinks.

At the opposite end of Lina Restaurant’s patio, there was a small seating area with a coffee table. This was a great spot for drinks with friends.

During breakfast hours, complimentary coffee was served outside the entrance to Lina Restaurant. This table between the elevators and the door to the pool area had coffee, tea, and milk for guests.

We had breakfast here daily. The breakfast buffet included numerous stations, and the central area had a wide range of pastries and breads.

Along the wall, there were breads and a toaster in the corner, and there were cold cuts nearby.

The back wall was also where we found hot dishes, including bacon, eggs, sausages, potatoes, and more.

Another station had items on a griddle, including pancakes, waffles, French toast, and breakfast sandwiches.

Another station had oatmeal with numerous toppings.

Closer to the host stand and entrance to the restaurant, there were multiple types of yogurt.

Along with jars of toppings for the yogurt, there were multiple types of fresh fruit.

There were 2 types of juice available each morning: orange and mixed fruit. The orange juice tasted fresh, but the mixed fruit juice didn’t.

While items on the buffet and hot coffee or tea were included in our stay, espresso-based drinks weren’t. We figured that out after the waiter asked if anyone wanted a latte or cappuccino, I said yes and then got a bill for it.

We had lunch at Lina Restaurant on arrival day. The menu included salads, soups, sandwiches, pasta, and seafood. It indicated allergens and vegetarian and vegan items.

The menu also had numerous beverages to choose from, including cocktails, mocktails, wines, and nonalcoholic drinks.

I had the quinoa salad on the first day, and — while small — it was delicious.

BLT Steak NY

If the entrance to BLT Steak NY looked like the entrance to Lina Restaurant, that’s because they were the same place. The restaurant merely changed names at dinner time. BLT Steak NY was the hotel’s steakhouse restaurant, open from 6 p.m. daily. It closed at 9 p.m. on Monday to Thursday but remained open until 10 p.m. on Friday to Sunday.

The menu included oysters, salads, and steaks, and all items were à la carte.

The restaurant also had a vegan menu, offering desserts in addition to main dishes like pasta, quesadillas, and vegetable curry.

St. Regis Bar

Next to the lobby, the St. Regis Bar was open from 4 p.m. to midnight daily.

Seating inside the bar area was available both at the bar and at a dozen chairs.

We dined here on our last night, and there were no seats available when we arrived. However, employees offered to serve us at the chairs in the lobby waiting area beyond the bar’s actual footprint.

The bar had an impressively long list of cocktails, mocktails, beers, wines, and sparkling wines.

The St. Regis Bar offered sushi but also served a reduced version of the menus from Lina Restaurant and BLT Steak NY, including the vegan menu.

Options included a burger and fries, which my mom ordered.

I got the puttanesca, which was delicious. It came with a mediocre focaccia, but the pasta itself was solid.

My sister ordered mini tacos, which she enjoyed.

Dessert was a bit strange, as we were told we couldn’t order the desserts from downstairs. After dropping a “But it’s her birthday …” on the waiter, we convinced him to let us order desserts. My mom got a carrot cake à la mode, and they made a “Happy Birthday” sign from chocolate that she really appreciated. This was a great gesture.

I ordered the vegan carrot cake, and it was a major disappointment. First, it was surprisingly small. Second, it was more like a muffin than a cake. Third, it was among the worst carrot cakes I’ve eaten in my life — really dry and not much flavor. It definitely wasn’t worth $18 plus tax and tip.

For 3 entrees, 3 desserts (my sister also got something), and 3 drinks, we spent $210 (including a 17% mandatory service charge at on-property restaurants).

Room Service

Room service was available from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Service

Service at this hotel was incredibly inconsistent. Staff at the front desk were friendly when you could find them, but we often waited around until someone showed up. We also never saw the concierge, and staff at the bellhop stand were often missing.

During check-in, we weren’t told about the shuttle, and no one told us about the only-regular-coffee-is-included policy at breakfast, so getting a surprise bill for my latte felt awkward. Moreover, service at meals was inconsistent, with staff often disappearing. We spent more than 2 hours at dinner on the final night, which seemed excessive.

When checking in, we were told that our room wasn’t ready and that there was no food or drink service at the pool, so we dined at Lina Restaurant. We would’ve gone to the pool to get lunch if we hadn’t been misinformed. Then, when our room still wasn’t ready, I went to the bellhop station to ask for our luggage so we could change into swimsuits. That required hunting down the staff who were missing.

Thus, missing staff and slow service were recurring themes.

At the space that was Lina Restaurant and BLT Steak NY, the door to the patio was also off the hinges. It made a painful squeaking sound whenever someone went in or out. I can only assume it didn’t happen 5 minutes before we arrived, so the staff had been ignoring this nuisance for an untold amount of time.

But that wasn’t the only issue that had been ignored. There were the poolside cabanas that had been broken for an unknown amount of time, and unfinished repairs dotted the hotel’s hallways.

It gave us the impression that maintenance wasn’t important at the St. Regis Bermuda, as there was no indication anyone was actively working to complete these tasks.

However, not everything was bad. Employees were friendly throughout our stay, and though we didn’t get all of the information we should’ve during check-in, we did receive a clear indication of included benefits. As the first night was booked with points and the other was booked through Fine Hotels + Resorts, we received a letter outlining the included perks on the second day when we had to go complete a new check-in at reception. (However, I will say requiring us to come for a new check-in and get new keys was odd.)

And when we returned to our room that afternoon, we found a bottle of prosecco on ice as a welcome gift.

Bottom Line:

Overall, service had a few brief flares of excellence punctuated by numerous elements that matched neither the St. Regis’ brand standards nor what you would expect at a hotel at this price point.

Final Thoughts

Did we enjoy our stay at The St. Regis Bermuda Resort despite the setbacks? Yes. Did my mom love that we took her to the St. Regis Bermuda as a surprise for her birthday? Yes. Did the hotel have numerous failings that didn’t measure up to what you’d expect at a luxury hotel? Definitely yes.

Unless this hotel makes significant updates to maintenance and staff training, I won’t return here. We left feeling like we didn’t get what we paid for — not in terms of the luxury promised at this price point.