Guide to Meeting & Event Planning in

Bermuda

New and Coming Soon to Bermuda

• The Bermuda government has ended the travel authorization process implemented in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Visitors will no longer need to provide proof of vaccination or medical insurance or pay a fee to enter the country. 
• A new sustainably designed terminal opened in late 2020 at L.F. Wade International Airport.  It was built farther inland and at a higher elevation than the main airport to make it more resistant to hurricanes. The six-gate terminal includes improved U.S. pre-clearance facilities, departure lounge, retail shops and dining areas. It also features fun extras such as a putting green, three outdoor terraces with ocean views and a nature trail.
• The Fairmont Southampton is scheduled to reopen in 2024 following a $400 million renovation project that includes an upgrade of its 593 guest rooms. The hotel's Beach Club is being reimagined and will feature both indoor and outdoor event space. A new event lawn will open and the Ocean Club will be renovated. The property is located above Bermuda's Horseshoe Bay Beach.
• For truly exclusive gatherings, Bermuda offers two private islands with space for events. Located in the Great Sound, Hawkins Island can host gatherings for up to 200 people, and provides a dedicated concierge and water transportation. The island’s 25 acres include a woodland reserve, a private beach and two estate houses that can sleep up to 16 people. Its sister property, Island House on Long Island, can host seated dinner receptions with views of Paradise Lake and the Great Sound for up to 150 people.
• The Hamilton Princess & Beach Club has completed an extensive renovation of its Princess Ballroom. Nicknamed “The Pink Palace,” the 160-room hotel first opened in 1885 and offers more than 29,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space. As part of the renovation project, the 6,125-square-foot ballroom now opens up to the 3,600-square-foot Regency Terrace and features expansive views of Hamilton’s harbor. The space can accommodate up to 500 people and can also be divided into two or three smaller room
• The St. Regis Bermuda Resort debuted in 2021 in the town of St. George. The luxury resort provides 120 guest rooms and indoor-outdoor meeting space that can host groups of up to 155. Also included are two swimming pools, the Five Forts Golf Club and a unique spa with treatment rooms built into the former cannon wells of Fort Albert.  

• Cambridge Beaches  has reopened following an extensive renovation project featuring a fresh design in its 94 cottage-style accommodations and expanded amenities. The hotel's eight meeting rooms can accommodate groups of up to 300.

More Bermuda Meeting & Event Venues

• From private homes to forts to an unfinished church, Bermuda offers a variety of historic venues for events. Managed by the Bermuda National Trust Properties, the buildings and grounds of two historic homes − the Waterville and the Verdmont − each offer space for up to 200 people. Originally constructed in the early 1600s and Bermuda's largest fortress, Fort St. Catherine can host events in various spaces, including the ramparts overlooking Achilles Bay's turquoise waters. Built in 1870 and now a public park, Fort Hamilton features manicured upper lawns that can host up to 500 guests. And the Unfinished Church in the town of St. George was envisioned as a grand gothic church almost 150 years ago but (as its name suggests) left unfinished. Its soaring stone arches are now a popular spot for open-air gatherings.
• Originally founded in 1926 and home to hundreds of species and a variety of interactive exhibits, the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo (BAMZ) is available to rent for events from 6:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m. any day of the week. BAMZ Aquarium Hall, which features the North Rock Exhibit as a backdrop, can accommodate up to 100 people for a sit-down dinner and 130 for cocktails, while additional lecture rooms are available for 30 to 100 people. BAMZ's "Diver in the Tank" talk can be added as a special bonus.
• The city of Hamilton features two cultural institutions available for private functions. The Bermuda National Gallery, located inside Hamilton City Hall, can accommodate events for up to 200 people. The Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute offers a variety of meeting spaces − including a 148-seat theater, two boardrooms and two large lobbies − in addition to state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment and a full-service waterside restaurant and cafe.
• Two boutique-style resorts feature space for smaller groups and executive-style retreats. Located steps from the beach near the village of Somerset in Sandys Parish, the Willowbank Resort  offers 50 guest rooms and a 200-seat conference center that includes two break-out meeting rooms. The oceanfront Reefs Resort & Club in Southampton Parish provides 62 guest rooms and event facilities for up to 125 people.

• Groups seeking a curated cultural exploration of Bermuda will enjoy the private tours offered by award-winning blogger and entrepreneur Kristin White. Her company, Long Story Short, offers walking and electric bicycle tours of the Town of St. George, the City of Hamilton and St. David’s Island that highlight Bermuda’s history, social justice movements and public art. Along with the tours, Long Story Short offers a shop in St. George’s that is home to the Salt Spray Soap Company, a local artisanal skincare line with a workshop on site; the shop also carries gifts and books.
• Groups looking for competitive activities that tie into Bermuda’s unique culture might try two of the country’s favorite sports: cricket and croquet. Select Sites Group can set up “Cricket 101” offers sessions that include lessons and tips from local players in full gear. Or head to the Coral Beach & Tennis Club, which has a lawn specifically dedicated to croquet. The club also features lawn bowling, bocce, and an 18-hole putting green.
• The Bermuda National Gallery recently unveiled the 2022 Bermuda Biennial. The juried show, which runs through January 7, 2023, showcases local artists who submitted works based on the theme “A New Vocabulary: Past. Present. Future.” More than 100 submissions were received, with 32 visual artists chosen to participate alongside 11 poets. The Biennial is the 15th to be held at the Bermuda National Gallery, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year
• Named for its curving shape and renowned for its pink sand and crystal blue waters, Horseshoe Bay Beach is not only Bermuda’s most famous stretch of sand, but also a popular venue for local events such as Beachfest and the Bermuda Sand Castle Competition. The beach is located in the heart of South Shore Park, where a coastal trail connects it to other beaches on the east and west. It is easily accessed via public transportation and offers rentals of everything from towels and beach loungers to snorkeling gear and boogie boards.
• A British Royal Navy stronghold for more than 150 years, Bermuda's expansive Royal Naval Dockyard is now home to shops featuring local artisans; activities that include bike rentals, snorkeling cruises, miniature golf, and a beach club; and a number of restaurants and other food outlets. The Royal Naval Dockyard also features a variety of spaces available for events. Outdoor venues include the North Lawn, Moresby Plain and Cross Island, while indoor space is available at The Shed, the National Museum of Bermuda, the Commissioner's House and the Queen's Exhibition Hall. 
• Groups can sail the high seas on The Spirit of Bermuda, a reproduction of a 19th-century tall ship modeled on the Royal Navy's Bermuda-built Shamrock class of sloop. The ship can be chartered for corporate events and team-building exercises, with on-board facilitators available to help translate the teamwork required on the ship into learning opportunities.
• Spanning the island from end to end, Bermuda's Railway Trail offers delegates a chance to walk or pedal their way through tranquil landscapes and stunning coastlines. Created from an abandoned rail bed, 18 of the original 22 miles are open to the public. The trail is divided into nine sections that can be started at a variety of points along the way and offers terrain that varies from flat, paved stretches to steeper slopes and bridges. 
• The subterranean world of Bermuda's Crystal Caves was formed approximately 1.6 million years ago during the Pleistocene Ice Age. Discovered in the early 1900s by two teenagers playing cricket, the Crystal Caves have since become one of Bermuda's most popular attractions. Underground, visitors will find white stalactites covered with crystallized soda straws surrounding a crystal-clear lake, with lush gardens found on the surface. Guided tours can be organized.
• The destination offers a variety of fresh sea-to-table offerings at its many restaurants and hotels. Local fish include tuna, wahoo and — in the fall and winter months — spiny lobster. Quintessential Bermuda dishes include fish chowder with Black Seal rum and sherry peppers, and fried fish sandwiches served on raisin bread.
• The coral reefs that surround Bermuda provide both plentiful marine life and more than 300 sunken vessels that can be explored by visitors. Scuba divers can quickly and easily access deep, calm water to explore these sunken ships plus sea creatures such as snapper, angelfish, sea turtles and spotted eagle rays.