Fairmont Southampton can - and should - do better. Instead, our vacation at the Fairmont Southampton left us ready to return home. You arrive on picturesque Bermuda excited to see the grand hotel you've read about in reviews- a $1000/night suite we got for $650/night. The taxi pulls up and one lone staff member asks if you need help with your luggage. You have two small kids in tow but you decline, since we're a self-sufficient bunch. HA- wrong move. Two sets of double doors covered in fingerprints and not a doorman in sight. In between the glass doors are water dispensers for guests, no cups. And the floor underneath them is haphazardly covered in towels because, well, they drip. Wait in line for 15 minutes to check in to our suite. Up to the 5th floor- slow elevators that stop at. every. floor. 5th Floor hallway kind of looks like it's out of The Shining. Incandescent bulbs mixed with LEDs in other fixtures give off a weird vibe. Suite is large. Thank God. Decor is decidedly dated but it is clean. Go to open the pull out couch (we have a 3 and 5 year old) and SURPRISE! It's not pullout. Which was the reason the hotel convinced us to go with a suite. Call downstairs to ask for manager. No manager calls. One bed miraculously appears 20 minutes later but they're "still looking" for another one so we wait another 30 minutes stuck in the dated suite. Let's go to the pool. Maybe it's better. Down the slow elevator we go, again stopping at every floor. Kids are skipping- can't wait to swim and we can't wait to have a drink and hopefully reset. The hallway to the pool is gross. Keep your shoes on. Don't look down. Black dirt (mold?) everywhere, some unmarked utility doors. We ask for 6 towels (b/c kids!). Nice try. They limit us to 4 towels because there are only 4 of us. Yup, and we're staying in a $1,000/night room. Every lounger is taken. The pool deck is wet everywhere. So we settle on the concrete, each of us sitting on the one towel they gave us (which is now wet). Head to the jacuzzi- there's a dirty wipe floating around. There are cups strewn outside nearby. Not a staff member in site. I spend my vacation picking up trash around the pool - fly away newspapers, empty cups, napkins- you name it. The jacuzzi is a opaque, slightly greenish color. Decide not to go in. We have an unremarkable $150 lunch (two of which was kids meals) by the pool. To be clear- Bermuda is expensive- totally understand that since everything has to be imported. BUT, for $150, can't the Fairmont Southampton give my kids a regular size hot dog instead of a 4 inch hot dog? I mean, cmon. The next morning we visit "Windows" which is where they herd the masses for buffet breakfast. It's a factory. But it is actually where we have the best service (go figure, since all they do is bring you coffee and juice). My son is 5 years old so per hotel policy he eats free. Figure out a way to record this UPON CHECK IN so that we are not CONSTANTLY asked about his age. Kids enjoy the buffet (who doesn't love sprinkle covered waffles?). Next night- it's our Anniversary. We inquire with concierge about relaxed outdoor dining with good food. Before I even finish, she whips out a pamphlet for a restaurant that isn't the direction we were hoping. I ask if she has any other suggestions and she looks at me, dumbfounded. Has to ask someone else for another restaurant recommendation - doesn't even have a second one up her sleeve. On our own, we discover the nearby Dining Room which was AMAZING (I'm sure wasn't getting a kickback from them). Finally, the beach VIEW is beautiful. The beach club, not so much. Hold your nose in the bathroom. No drink service. You're on your own to find a lounger. And the shovel and pail kids receive on check in per website? Ha. Instead staff tells you to scrounge around in the sand for (dirty) toys. The beach is a shuttle ride away from the hotel (no AC on the shuttle). Driver scoffs at wet bathing suits on way back and tells us we need a towel under the kids bums (which we just returned). Husband runs back and asks for a towel- it's little things like this - if wet bathing suits are an issue, have a stack of towels ready to go on the bus! The hotel needs a large-scale renovation. Until then, Fairmont Southampton should strive for impeccable service to offset the aging accommodations. They have a long way to go. Read less

Fairmont Southampton is so large that the pink trolleys are a must to get around. It is wonderful under the sun and under the moonlight. Our room was comfortable but not the bed which was sagging and wobbly. The resort is well managed by its courteous helpful staff. There was a mishap with our booking at check-in which was expeditiously resolved the next morning to our satisfaction. The resort's private beach is beautiful but overcrowded. A short but nevertheless pleasant stay. Read less

As a local every now and again we like to pamper ourselves and go to the spa - Willow Stream. Today I had a 60min deep tissue massage with Fiona. She was sweet from the get-go with a smile on her face and a cheery attitude. During my massage she made sure to ask me what I needed worked on and clearly listened as I feel like it was for sure one of the best massages I've ever gotten (considering I have back problems). She paid close attention to detail in the areas I desperately needed and at the end of my session gave me good insight into the tense areas in my body and even recommended to try another treatment without coming off pushy. Willow Stream is a high-end spa and very costly and isn't something most can do on a regular basis BUT with the use of the inside spa pool and outside lounging area it really made it well worth it to me. Thanks Fiona for making a personally hard day for me a good one without even knowing! Read less

This hotel is old, smelly and over crowded. The beach facility was dirty and packed too. Do yourself a favor and go to Horseshoe Bay beach next door, keep walking along a path that leads you to beautiful, private beaches. The Fairmont Beach Club isn’t maintained. My children were snorkeling and a big hotel owned boat came within inches of running them over. They advertise snorkeling there too. The beach is far too narrow to allow scuba diving boats to park there. At night, we were turned away from two restaurants because there were too many people. Cabs are expensive and other dining options are far. Trust me, stay in Hamilton Princess. It has much nicer facilities and will take you to a nicer beach club right near Fairmont’s tired one. The staff was very nice though, they tried to be accommodating. Read less