Celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year, Cambridge Beaches has a long history of introducing visitors to Bermuda and making them want to come back for more. The beach cottage-style resort opened in 1923 with unparalleled views of the Atlantic Ocean and Mangrove Bay and architectural details dating back to the seventeenth century. These days, it’s a sprawling campus of 86 rooms, four private beaches, two private coves, a spa, an infinity-edge swimming pool, a garden and three outstanding restaurants.
Its clientele currently skews older (couples and families have been visiting here for decades). Since Dovetail + Co (also behind Urban Cowboy Lodge in Big Indian, NY, and, an upcoming hotel in the Bowery, NYC) purchased the property in 2021, it has been refreshing the resort in sections, bringing in new interior design and programming, including a collaboration with Brooklyn’s popular Sunken Harbor Club.
With renovations complete on the rooms and main building, it’s a pleasant stay, although a little sleepy at the moment with most visitors wrapping up dinner before 10pm.
The large rooms are extremely comfortable, updated, and it felt like I had been there before—the interiors call back to vacations of yesteryear with vintage prints, wicker chairs and interior window shutters. I was told about 60 percent of rooms here have sunset views, while the other 40 percent feature the sunrise through their windows. We had the sunset view across Long Bay, and it was an incredible way to experience Bermuda for the first time.
Each room is within walking distance of the resort’s three restaurants; Pastel (breakfast and lunch), Breezes (dinner on the beach) and the speakeasy-inspired Sunken Harbor Club are much more than satisfying, offering refined menus influenced by Bermudian and Caribbean cuisine (the seafood is incredibly fresh) and cocktails that rival any NYC cocktail bar. (I can personally recommend getting a rum swizzle from the Goslings shack next to Breezes during its sunset mixer. The very tasty drink is mixed and poured out of an old washing machine.)
It cannot go without mentioning that the service at Cambridge Beaches is always on point and willing to help guests with anything they need—even setting up a bike, scooter or a two-seat Twizy (a small electric vehicle) rental for those who want to explore. Boat, kayak and jetski rentals are also available on-site for the full Bermuda experience.
Neighborhood:
Bermuda, known for its pink sandy beaches, is just 21 square miles but there’s a lot packed onto it. Cambridge Beaches, which is west of the capital of Hamilton on a 23-acre peninsula, is nearest to Somerset Village, which is famous for the world’s smallest drawbridge and the shallow and clear as crystal Somerset Long Bay in Sandys Parish. Here, you can rent hydrobikes (yes, you can now bike on the water) and go snorkeling with fish in the reef.
Nearby:
While in Bermuda, you must visit the Royal Naval Dockyard (locals call it simply Dockyard). It served as the British Royal Navy’s stronghold for more than 150 years. Nowadays, you can tour the historic buildings by getting a ticket to the National Museum located there, or you can shop at its many boutiques. It’s also the place to sign up for snorkeling cruises and deep-water dolphin encounters. Don’t leave the island without getting Woody’s famous fish sandwich—it’s just a five-minute bus ride east and one of the best things I ate in Bermuda—and visiting the world-famous Horseshoe Bay.
Time Out tip:
Swim at Turtle Beach, a private beach on site with rock formations that’ll make you feel like you’re on your own island.
