All Set in Massachusetts

The Reefs - Bermuda's Best Hotel?

Over Labor Day weekend, we made our first trip to the island of Bermuda. The direct Delta flight from Boston was GREAT - only 1 hr. 40 mins. to paradise! Overall, the island is beautiful and very lush, even at the end of a scorching summer season. Poverty is almost non-existent, and the island's hillsides are dotted with multi-colored estates.

After much debate, we stayed at The Reefs hotel in in Southampton. The hotel is about 30 minutes from the airport and 15 minutes from the capital city of Hamilton. This lovely pink hotel is built into the cliffs and features a stunning pink-sand beach. The water is a beautiful turquoise blue, and the beach has striking coral and rock formations - making for some excellent snorkeling.

The staff at the hotel is friendly and accommodating. We enjoyed a complimentary rum swizzle upon our arrival, and received great drink service on the beach and in the hot tub. The concierge helped arrange much of our taxi transportation, as well as a day boat rental. Our only issue was when the guy manning the towel stand at the beach told us to only take one towel each due to "supply issues." With the amount we were paying per night, we should have been able to get two towels (not to mention more comfortable beach/pool chairs)!!

The infinity pool was slightly small but had beautiful sunset views of the beach and cliffs. The hot tub was right next to the pool and could be used at any hour. Our room overlooked the pool and hot tub with the ocean as a backdrop. We enjoyed the spacious patio off the room, although it didn't give us much privacy as it faced directly out to the pool. We were in room #305 (appropriately named "On the Rocks"). The bedroom was fine, but the bathroom was somewhat outdated. Also, our king-sized bed was actually two twin beds pushed together. Although certainly not ideal, it was still quite comfortable.

The hotel rate included breakfast and dinner. We had breakfast served on our patio most mornings, which was absolutely wonderful. For dinner, we dined twice at Ocean Echo, once at Coconuts, and once at the Pompano Beach Club. We were divided on whether Ocean Echo or Coconuts is better, but both of us agreed that the Pompano Beach Club was not worth the trip (although the sunset views are spectacular). Try the rockfish at Ocean Echo!

The Reefs is an interesting hotel to try to rate and review. On the one hand, it had one of the prettiest beaches and some of the most spectacular views of any hotel we've ever stayed in. The natural beauty and the friendly feeling of a boutique hotel couldn't be beat. On the other hand, it lacked some of the service and accoutrements that you would expect to find in a five-star hotel. With some basic improvements, it could be unparalleled.

We loved Bermuda for its convenience, cleanliness, and pristine beauty. However, be warned that it is very expensive! We hope to go back and check out some of the other hotels we'd considered such as Elbow Beach (a Mandarin Oriental property) or the Fairmont Princess Southampton.

 

Mykonos vs. Santorini

Planning a trip to Greece and trying to decide which islands to hit in the Cyclades? While we've only been to two islands, our advice is to do Mykonos before Santorini (the opposite of what we did). Mykonos is all about partying, while Santorini is about dramatic views and romantic little towns (especially Oia). Mykonos has some really pretty vistas, but it's hard not to see them as low-lying and barren compared to the cliffs of Santorini. Plus, you can get all-night partying and all-day beach going (Mykonos has much nicer beaches - especially Super Paradise) out of your system, and then just rest and enjoy the scenery and infinity pools in Santorini. Just our .02.

When in the Hamptons...

We recently made our first trip to the Hamptons to attend a wedding and visit our close Duke friends, Sam and Cristina. We had a fantastic weekend staying at their lovely home, playing in the waves at the beach, and exploring the town of East Hampton. On Saturday night, we dined at the renowned eating establishment, The 1770 House. The setting was quaint and the meal was outstanding - from appetizers to dessert. We tried a range of appetizers, including the Jumbo Lump Crab Summer Roll, which had a delicious thai chili spice that was softened by sweet, juicy mango and green papaya. Thadd enjoyed his usual Foie Gras, which was served with a vanilla and bing cherry sauce - a combination that even made Sam and Cristina Foie Gras converts! We both enjoyed the Pan Seared Diver Scallops for an entree, which were served with a sunchoke and truffle veloute, wild mushrooms, and spring peas. If you like scallops, you will not be disappointed with this choice. Cristina had the Roasted Wild Alaskan Salmon, which she also raved about. For dessert, we shared the Molten Dark Chocolate Cake and a Peanut Butter Chocolate Special, both of which were rich yet delicious. We complemented the meal with several bottles of the 2005 Sauvignon Blanc, Saracina from Mendocino, CA - which had a delicate balance of fruit flavors (we're picky Sauvignon Blanc drinkers - and we liked this wine)!  All in all, a fantastic meal and even better company - a night to remember!

Eagle Beach, Aruba

Greetings from Aruba, where we are spending an extremely relaxing New Year's week. We are staying at the Bucuti Golden Tulip, which is located on Eagle Beach. Eagle beach is truly one of the nicest beaches we've ever seen. The sand is white and powdery, sloping into beautiful aqua blue water with gentle waves. In the evening, you are treated to stunning, unobstructed sunsets. The beach is wide and expansive, and not crowded at all (unlike the high rise hotel district's Palm Beach, which is much narrower and infinitely more packed with American Tourists and watersport activities). For anyone who is looking for peace and relaxation in a very easy to get to location with a gorgeous beach, definitely put Eagle Beach on your list.