windward

Has anyone stayed at either of these hotels recently? Which do you think would be best for our family reunion. We are 8 people (5 adults and 3 children ranging from 9 down to 5). We are looking for a good children's program. Thanks in advance for any info.

windward

I'm topping this question in the hope of getting a response before it gets so far down on the list that nobody scrolls that far. Thanks for any input

Maryella

Stayed at Elbow Beach in August of 2001 w/our 2 children and was extremely disappointed in the hotel. Very rundown! However the beach was fantastic! Had dinner at the Southampton Princess (at the beach) and was not impressed by their beach. A million lounge chairs elbow to elbow along a tiny stretch of sand. We left Elbow Beach after 5 days and went next door to the-------The name just escaped me. It is the property that serves as the Bermuda Restaurant and Hotel College---I'm sorry-can't think of it. But anyway it was great. Do a search on this site and you will find my comments about this trip and these hotels.

windward

Maryella,<BR>Thanks for your input. I believe I heard that Elbow Beach has had renovations since your visit. I need to figure that out. Sounds like you liked the beach better than Southhampton. I'm thinking we need a larger hotel because we need a structured children's program.

JackOneill

<BR><BR>The Southhampton Princess is a huge, sprawling place, and sits on top of a hill with a view of the ocean. I've stayed there twice in the last five years. It gets a lot of convention business. They offer good service, but I find the place a little too stitled. And pricey. The rooms are okay, but nothing to write home about. And you need to use their shuttle to get to their private beach, which is beautiful, although it can get real crowded, real quick.<BR>By the way, though their beach is nice, there are better beaches in Bermuda.

LizQ

I believe the hotel Maryella was referring to is the Stonington Beach Hotel.

scs

We stayed at the Southampton Princess last june and will be returning again this summer. We have never stayed at Elbow Beach, but we were very happy at the Southampton. We have 2 boys and they liked the kids program there. It is very convenient and has an evening program too. We did not however take advantage of the day trips they take the children on. You do need to take the trolley to the beach, but if you find the Southampton beach crowded, Horseshoe bend beach is just a short walk from the trolley stop. A nice feature that many Hyatts also offer is that the Southampton will give you the second room half off if you are traveling with your children. The spa was just completed last year and is beautiful (but expensive) and the indoor pool was just completed this past fall. Good luck!