Fairmont Hamilton Princess

The Fairmont Hamilton Princess hotel is named after Princess Louise, the daughter of Queen Victoria, whose visits to Bermuda helped to promote the island as a tourist destination. It opened in 1885 and is steeped in history. Mark Twain was a regular here and Ian Fleming drew inspiration for his novel Dr No whilst sitting at the hotel’s bar. In 1939 the hotel’s basement became the secret home to British intelligence agents who intercepted and analysed mail and telegraphs en-route between the US and Europe.

Nowadays, its Hamilton location makes it popular with businessmen and those not seeking a beach-based vacation. It’s not all work though, and guests are able to use a complimentary ferry service to reach its sister hotel, the Fairmont Southampton, with its extensive resort facilities.

The Princess has 410 rooms and suites of various types and also has the Fairmont Gold Floor; a hotel within a hotel.

The hotel has a complimentary fitness centre with 9-station multi-gym, rowing machines, stair climbers and exercise bikes. Guests can choose between 2 outdoor pools; one saltwater and the other freshwater. There are also 2 saunas and a day spa. Further leisure options are available at the Fairmont Southampton. The concierge is able to arrange tee times for all of Bermuda’s golf courses (including the 3 private courses; Mid Ocean Club, Riddell’s Bay Golf and Country Club and the Tucker’s Point Club). Dive Bermuda has a concession at the hotel and offers diving for all abilities.

As mentioned previously, the hotel is a favourite amongst the travelling business community. A business centre, located in the hotel’s grand marble lobby, provides standard services such as binding, lamination and equipment rentals. In addition to internet access in all rooms, the hotel has a few ‘hotspots’ for wireless use. Providing laundry service is requested before 09:30 the hotel guarantees delivery of cleaned garments the same day.

The hotel is in easy reach of a wide choice of restaurants in Hamilton but guests can enjoy in-house dining at its Harley’s or Heritage Court restaurants. Candlelit dinners in your hotel room or private balcony are also offered.

The Hamilton Princess is also a popular venue for both wedding ceremonies and receptions. The hotel boasts numerous locations including the Flagpole Terrace, with its moongate and spectacular views of Hamilton Harbour. The recently renovated Gazebo Room offers one of the finest indoor locations for a wedding reception in Bermuda.

Both the main ferry and bus terminals are located within a few minutes’ walk. Guests wishing to explore Bermuda at their own pace can rent a scooter from Smatt’s Cycle Livery.

The hotel also has a good selection of high quality shops. Crisson Jewellers, AS Cooper & Sons and the English Sports Shop all have branches here.

Reader Reviews and Additional Information

Martin :

This is an excellent place to stay which suited me perfectly. Bermuda is so small that you can get to most places quite easily. During my stay I went to the Fairmont Southampton, the southern beaches and even got in a couple of rounds of golf which they can arrange for you. Great for shopping as well. Met plenty of friendly people here and the service was reasonable. I certainly hope to return.

Casey :

If you're not that bothered about a beach on your doorstep but want everything else this is probably the place for you.

Jonny boy :

You get the best of both world's here as you can either stay near the hotel which is more business oriented or catch the ferry to its sister hotel the Fairmont Southampton as we did one time. We had a great room, very spacious, plus marble bathroom with walk in shower. Excellent location as well for the main shopping street in Hamilton. A good place to stay overall.

GW :

Good place to stay if you're not here primarily for the beach scene. All mod cons in the room including internet access and I even had a view of the harbor. The food was ok and afternoon tea was particularly good. Good leisure facilities and a couple of pools give you enough options to relax and unwind.

Paul :

This is an ideal place to stay if you are on business as I was. They have excellent leisure facilities and you are only a few minutes walk from downtown. They can also arrange tee times for you at some golf courses. The staff were friendly and efficient and I enjoyed my stay.

Editor :

Sep 8, 2007 - Fairmont Hotels and Resorts have sold the Hamilton Princess hotel in Bermuda, to Goodman Hospitality Investments of Seattle. The deal also included two other Fairmont hotels in Acapulco, Mexico.
Fairmont will continue to manage the hotel with no changes in staff or management. The change will, however, herald the start of an extensive renovation project that will include guest room upgrades and refurbishment of the hotel’s restaurants, gym, lobby, spa, and pool.

Shan :

This place is so awesome inside and the view is suberb. Even though the architecture is kind of boring the inside is amazing.

KJH :

The views of the harbor here are very nice.

Vernon P :

This hotel is in Hamilton, so its not near any beaches and is best suited to business people. Families would be better staying at the Fairmont Southampton. The hotel does run a ferry service (it's free) to the Southampton and you can use their facilities.