Pompano Beach Club, Southampton Parish, Bermuda - Hotel Review | Condé Nast Traveler

"What makes this resort so special? Pompano Beach Club, a family-run Southampton resort, has one of the most unique beachfronts of any resort in Bermuda—one where you’ll likely spend the bulk of your time during your stay, thanks to a massive sand bar located directly off its coastline. At low tide, this is where you can walk nearly 200 yards in knee-to-chest-deep water—which, by the way, is perfectly still and as clear as gin. If you’re lucky, you’ll also spot the fish that give this hotel the other part of its name: blueish-green pompano that call these sand flats home. What's the story behind it? This is the only resort in Bermuda that’s majority-owned by an American family. As the story goes, New Englander Tom Lamb fell in love with Bermuda in the 1950s; he partnered with a Bermudian businessman in 1956 to open what was then a small fishing lodge where guests caught their own dinner. Eventually Lamb bought the hotel outright and expanded it into its current iteration: a sprawling, cliffside property where ocean views abound and intergenerational families embrace its all-inclusive ease. How are the rooms? You won’t be blown away by the room’s basic décor and simple furnishings, but you'll have one of the best ocean views in Bermuda and ample outdoor space, so head to your private balcony and smell the salt air. Since Pompano is on a cliff high above the water, you can look out for miles onto the turquoise Atlantic—make sure you have plenty of storage left in your phone for pics galore. Is there a charge for Wi-Fi? There's free Wi-Fi. Drinking and dining—what are we looking at? Since the room rate also includes breakfast and dinner, it’s likely you’ll be eating onsite for the majority of your stay. But most guests wouldn’t want it any other way, which is why so many folks return to Pompano. Like its rooms, all three restaurants face the ocean; don’t miss dinner at the Ocean Grill, where you’ll be surrounded by three walls of 30-foot-tall floor-to-ceiling windows. How do the staff treat you? Management duties have passed through the Lamb Family tree, many of whom attended the prestigious Cornell Hotel School, ever since this hotel opened in 1956. For them, this is much more than a small resort—it’s their home, and you'll be treated like family. What type of travelers will you find here? Intergenerational families who’ve been visiting Bermuda for years and golfers who’ve come for the proximity to Port Royal Golf Course, just next door. Anything fun to do in the surrounding area? You’ll be on the far west end of Southampton, a 50-minute taxi from the airport and a 35-minute ride into Hamilton. But this is one of the closest hotels to the Royal Naval Dockyard and its family-friendly collection of sites and attractions, so getting to places like the National Museum of Bermuda or the Bermuda Transport Museum will be a breeze. Is there anything you'd change? The rooms could use some TLC in the design department. What have we missed? The main focus of this resort is that gorgeous slice of powdery pink sand and the aforementioned sand bar that extends just beyond it. Explore it by heading straight to the water sports hut where you can rent snorkel gear, glass-bottom kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, and Hobie Cat sailboats. Rather just swim? Make a beeline for the two floating swim platforms, about 100 yards out, where you can relax in absolute seclusion. Bottom line: Worth it? Why? This is one of the few hotels in Bermuda where most meals are included, so if you’re looking for hotel where you won't have to continuously grab your wallet, give this one a whirl." - David LaHuta