The St. George's Club

Perched atop Rose Hill in the historic town of St. George’s, The St. George’s Club makes a stately first impression. Travelers pull up to a steep driveway that leads to the hotel’s main building. Inside, the small and simple lobby has two seating areas, a communal computer, and a rarely busy front desk. From the lobby, guests must walk up a few flights of stairs or take the elevator up to the main hotel level. Here, more of the property comes into view. Green lawns dotted with palm trees spread across the hill, which is solely populated by the hotel’s 71 rooms. Rooms are housed in traditional Bermudian-style buildings, with cream stucco walls and white terraced roofs. The buildings are spread out across the grounds, giving the property a private, homey feeling.  Like most Bermudian travelers, guests of the St. George’s Club tend to be wealthy older couples. Since the hotel also offers membership packages, there are many repeat guests. The hotel also sees its fair share of families throughout the summer months.    

The St. George’s Club is located in the historic town of St. George’s, in St. George’s Parish. St. George’s Parish is located on Bermuda’s northeastern tip, and has a different feel than much of the island. St. George’s downtown (which is accessible via a hotel pathway), is about a seven-minute walk, and filled with historic sites, and charming shops and restaurants. The only drawback to this location is its isolation. The hotel is about a 35-minute drive from downtown Hamilton, and about a 45-minute drive to the south shore beaches. It is, however, only a 10-minute drive from L.F. Wade International Airport. In addition, the hotel offers free (seasonal) shuttle service to its beach club on Achilles Bay, which is also walking distance of Tobacco Bay and St. Catherine's Beach and Gates Bay.Since foreigners aren’t allowed to rent cars in Bermuda, taxis, though expensive, are the most reliable form of transportation. The public bus doesn’t always run as scheduled, and renting a moped can be dangerous for travelers who aren’t accustomed to left-side driving laws or Bermuda’s insanely winding roads. Bus routes 1, 3, 10, and 11 all run from Hamilton to St. George, for those who do want to use the bus to get around. 

Rooms at the St. George’s Club — affectionately known as cottages — are spacious but dated. The hotel has studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom floor plans, with full kitchens (kitchenettes in the studios) and separate living spaces. Some neighboring units can be combined (via lockouts) to create bigger apartments for larger groups. The larger cottages with full kitchens are ideal for families, or even couples, who don’t want to eat out every night of their vacation. And, it should be noted that the St. George’s Club is one few Bermuda hotels that offers apartment-style units with full kitchens. The only drawback to the cottages is their tired decor. The couch cushions are worn, the white appliances saw their heyday in 1998, and the dark carpeting just looks old. But, the hotel is slowly upgrading rooms by replacing the old kitchen countertops with granite, updating the furniture, and ditching the carpet for new tile. Bathrooms also feel dated, but are neutral enough to not be glaringly ugly. Bathrooms are equipped with large soaking tubs, separate shower stalls, and long vanities with double sinks. All rooms also have some kind of outdoor patio or balcony, with views of St. George’s Harbor or the hotel’s grounds. 

The St. George’s Club has three pools — an impressive number for a relatively small property. The main pool is fairly large and rectangular in shape, and is located next to the restaurant. It’s surrounded by a patio and a few lounge chairs, and is probably the most used out of all three pools. The heated pool is on the opposite side of the restaurant, but is much smaller than the main pool. The heated pool is a nice amenity during the cooler winter and early spring months. Even though it was a little chilly during our visit, there were plenty of guests enjoying the sunshine and the warm water of the heated pool. The circle pool is in the center of the property, and is probably the quietest of the three. Guests who prefer the beach can take advantage of the hotel’s beach club. Open seasonally from May to October, the beach club has its own restaurant and plenty of lounge chairs and umbrellas for guests to use. The beach itself is stunning, with calm clear blue waters and rocky outcroppings on either end. Unfortunately, guests need to take the hotel shuttle or a taxi about five or 10 minutes from the hotel to reach the beach club. The St. George’s Club has two on-site restaurants. Griffin’s is the hotel’s upscale dinner option, while the Terrace Cafe is a casual lunch spot. Neither restaurant is open for breakfast. Griffin’s serves authentic Italian specialities like house-made pastas and fresh fish. The Terrace Cafe is known for its wood-fired pizzas, salads, and sandwiches. The decor in both restaurants, like most of the hotel’s interior spaces, is traditional, but could use a little sprucing up. Especially in the Terrace Cafe, furniture looks haphazardly placed without much organization. The St. George’s Club has two beautiful tennis courts, a bocce and croquet lawn, and a small fitness center. The fitness center is located off the lobby, and is quite small and cramped with equipment. Free Wi-Fi is available for all guests, but it can be slow, and the connection can be difficult to pick up.