I read the reviews and had mixed opinions about what I would find when I arrived at Surfside. It is true that the place is outdated, but so what. The location and view is beyond anything I have experienced in life. I was amazed by all its beauty. The views are heavenly. The place is secluded, very tranquil atmosphere. If you came for a party go somewhere else, if you came to relax and enjoy peace and tranquility this is the place to be. You can call a taxi and go anywhere on the Island for a reasonable fare. We went to the supermarket and loaded up on groceries. The people at the hotel are friendly and very helpful. I am still feeling the effects of how peaceful this hotel was. Its not the Ritz Carlton but its Heaven on earth.

It was our first trip to Bermuda & we weren't disappointed. On arrival at the airport, the taxi journey to Surf side was about 35 minutes, the fare was $45.00.
The grounds within the Surf Side complex are beautiful & well kept. We had a wonderful view of the Atlantic ocean & the walk to the beach was less than 10 minutes via a few flights of stairs.
I was pensive about booking this resort due to the mixed reviews & I did find the acommodation a little shabby, in need of updating but the private beach is fantastic ! In our experience the South shore is a great location for exploring Bermudas famous coastline. Within an hour of leving the airport we were paddling in the surf !
The Surf Side beach is private & small but under utilised so it's never crowded. There are 2/3 reefs within easy swimming distance with some impressive inhabitants. You can also walk to Elbow beach easily from Surf Side, it's about a mile. Elbow beach is equally stunning but much busier. The Mandarin hotel at Elbow Beach allows none residents into the hotel for breakfast, the down side of staying at Surf Side is there are no catering facilities on site at all so you do need to get your own supplies or venture out. You can also walk easily to the Swizzle Two bar from Surf Side, live music on a Saturday, interesting place to hang out.

In summary Bermuda is an expensive island but if you want a great beach location with friendly unintrusive service, great views & privacy this place will impress. Oh & the swimming pool is great too. It's just a pity that there isn't a bar/coffee place on site.

We recently stayed at Surf Side, after hearing mixed reviews concerning the place. We had read that the place was in need of some TLC. We would have to agree with that. We also read that the location of the place is beautiful. That is an understatement! The location is probably the best in Bermuda. We also had read that the hotel staff was not as cooperative as they could have been. We have to say that is definitely not the case. Bryony was extremely helpful. She was there to answer all of our questions and to take care of all of our needs. Brian was of great help also. Terry was also very helpful. After realizing that the taxi he called was not coming, he locked the office and walked us down to the main road, where he hailed a taxi for us. Is that good service, or what?

Could the place use a restaurant? Yes. Could it use some updating? Yes. Does the beach come and go? Yes.

But would we stay there again? In a New York minute!!

I stayed here recently with my husband after he did a race to Bermuda with family and friends who have done the race for several years and always stayed at Surf Side. I wasn't expecting too much based on the reviews. This hotel does have some cons: our room needed updating (though we didn't spend much time there), there are no food or drink options on-site (even for water or snacks), and there is no internet except for a fairly weak signal in the lobby and at the pool. The property, however, is beautiful, with a really lovely, quiet beach. It was easy to get a cab to Hamilton and other destinations on the island, and the Swizzle Inn up the street was an adequate option for food.