We stayed at Grotto Bay the first week of March (through Orbitz). Not too many guests at that time. They are in the process of renovating rooms, but we didn't stay in one. We stayed in Rm 534, a third level, king bed with view of the bay (and airport). Agree with previous review that the room smelled a bit musty and moldy, but not unbearable. The bathroom looked renovated. The location is <1 M from the airport, but airport noise is not an issue. The taxi ride was $10. The bus also stops at the airport, but you can't bring luggage aboard.
Make sure to book your dinner reservation with the front desk. Even though dining room may not look busy, they seat you in back if you just walk in. It was OK food, nothing too spectacular, and overpriced (as anywhere else). Not much choice nearby within walking distance aside from Swizzle Inn down the road.
We went the a grocery store (W&S) for breakfast and lunch supplies to save money (in room cube fridge came in handy).
At this time of year, the pool was open but empty and the poolside bar was closed. Staff was friendly. The bus stops in front of hotel and was easy to use (3 d pass for $28). The bus pass also allows you on the ferry.
Within walking distance of hotel, there are also nice trails in the nature preserve near the hotel.
If I were to go back, I would stay here again.

I just got back from Grotto Bay Beach Resort today and I have to say that I had mixed feelings about it. I had good expectations after reading other people's reviews. But I wasn't thrilled by my experience. So, let me start with the things that I liked about it. The staff was very friendly and the proximity to the airport was a plus. Also it’s a beautiful property. They have a small private beach (which is more on "the bay" than "the ocean"), but it’s clean and very well kept. The grounds are large and beautifully maintained and apart from the noisy roosters who live there, it's nice and quiet. Lastly, the highlight to me were the underground caves with natural pools, which are right on the premises. That is was a really cool surprise.

What I did not like were the rooms. They are doing some renovations now, so hopefully they will be addressing the big issue of smell. I'm not a super picky traveler. But the room I was in smelled so musty and moldy that it was unbearable. In fact I switched rooms TWICE, just to try to avoid the smell. The room on the higher floor that I finally “settled for” was slightly better than the ones closer to the beach. Those smelled like a musty camp ground bunk-house. It wasn't dirty, it just smelled moldy.

The staff was very nice about allowing me to change rooms a few times. They said that this was typical for Bermuda. They explained that this is a problem all over the island and people even experience this in their homes. The front desk manager said that eventually you just "get used to it".

But I was still very unhappy about staying in a place that I had to go out and buy three scented candles and four sticks of incense, just to make it bearable enough to stay for a weekend. Especially at $180/per night! If this is typical for the island, they should install de-humidifiers or something else (even Glade Plug Ins) to manage the problem. Not just expect people to get over it (not at a place that calls itself a "resort"). I caught a "cold" the first night there and I realize now that it may actually have been allergies brought on my mold spores. Because other guests I spoke to had the same experience.

The other thing I didn’t like is that the hotel is not close to any restaurants and they have no room service. So you are stuck with their on-premises restaurant which is good, but overpriced. It was 3 star food for 5 star prices. The only alternative (unless you take a taxi or bus into the neighboring towns) is a local dive about a quarter mile up the road. I do love the island. But the next time I go, I will pay the extra $20 or so per night to stay at one of the better hotels.

Stayed here from 2/13/08 to 2/20/08--through Orbitz--and just got a ridiculously good deal.

My partner and I are frequent travelers and don't mind a few "issues", especially when traveling on a budget (we like to save our money for doing things and diving into the local culture, rather than sleeping on Egyptian cotton).

Anyway, we booked an oceanfront superior room overlooking the beach--it was a modest room, but clean all the way around. The first night was just great, but we got some neighbors with the loudest children (at 5:30 AM) the next night.

We can put up with a lot, but this was a non-stop screamfest for several hours.

We called the front desk and asked to see if another room was available--one was, but was nearer to the construction zone of the hotel, so that didn't work. I walked up to the desk and spoke to the manager on duty--Donna Alvarez--who was unbelievably condescending (even being rude to her colleague with her at the front desk, who rolled her eyes at me, as if to say, "She's like this ALL the time"), but ultimately helpful (I think I finally charmed her a tiny bit). Maybe?

We got a suite on top of the hill and it was terrific. It had a Murphy bed, but it was super comfortable. No, really!

Many of the hotel's outdoor amenities--restaurant, swim-up bar, etc. were still closed for the season, but the trade-off in seclusion more than made up for that.

The location is terrific--about a $10 cab ride from the airport (with a nice tip; about a 6-minute ride) and once you rent the scooters (an absolute must if you want to explore all the island has to offer)--it's a great base from which to start.

The cruise ships start hitting the island in mid to late March so if you like having the run of the place, go now! Otherwise, it can get fairly crowded, particularly the town of Hamilton.

The Swizzle Inn up the street is a great place to eat and drink--the "minor" version of the nachos is a sweet deal at $7.95. You will be full.

A top-notch romantic meal can be had at Tom Moore's Tavern which is also close by to the hotel, and if you're from a big city, $225 for two including wine (and impeccable stealth-like service) is not so crazy.

Skip the Crystal Caves and check out the ones on the hotel's property. Essentially the same thing.

There is a nice supermarket called The Marketplace (with Publix shopping carts) a mile and a half from the hotel (toward Hamilton) that has a nice selection if you like having a few drinks, groceries, fruit, or the ol' wine and cheese at your beck and call, especially if you have a fridge in the room--our suite definitely did, can't remember 100% if the oceanfront superiors did.

The only room service the hotel provides is pizza delivery. Not that you'll need it. Did I mention the Swizzle? :)

A trip to the Dockyards is a treasure hunt of shopping, particularly on a scooter, because there is cool end-to-end island scenery.

If you're bored or it's raining, there is a small, but nice bowling alley in St. George's parish near the movie theater. Fun!

The Aquarium/Zoo is so-so, unless you have kids, who I imagine will find it vastly entertaining.

The town of Hamilton has some great shopping and dining. The High Tea at the Fairmont Princess is outstanding. $29 per person and worth it.

Horseshoe Beach is very pretty and was fairly secluded when we went--I suspect that will change as the season approaches, but it is worth looking at and a great picnic place.

All in all, the Grotto Bay is a really nice place to unwind, unless you're used to Ritz-Carlton type amenities.

Say "hi" to the roaming chickens for me!

I just returned from a romantic week long vacation at the Grotto Bay. I absolutely loved this resort! We stayed in a newly remodeled Ocean View Deluxe room. Everything about this hotel is lovely and I only have 2 complaints: as mentioned in previous reviews, the hotel walls are thin and we could hear our neighbor’s television; also, there is a $5 charge for the Internet and the Pin that they gave us didn’t work. Other than that, the hotel is fabulous!

The pros of the resort: The service is exceptional and the concierge answered all of our questions and set up dining reservations for us. Our bed was very comfortable and our room was spotless upon our arrival. Housekeeping did a great job of providing plenty of toiletries and clean towels. The refrigerator and the in room safe are 2 amenities that definitely came in handy during our stay. The resort grounds were immaculate. We especially enjoyed swimming in the temperature controlled pool and in the pool in one of the on site caves. The Jacuzzi was also lovely, but tended to get a little crowded. Also on the grounds was a little cove just beyond the Jacuzzi and fitness room that had an assortment of tropical fish. We were able to get extremely close to crabs, anemone, angel fish, squids and other magnificent creatures that live in the little cove.

The location is excellent because there is a bus stop in front of the resort that is serviced by the 1, 3, 10, and 11 bus routes. I highly recommend investing in a bus pass because the buses are always on time and easy to use, plus, the taxis in Bermuda are rather expensive. Hamilton is only a 30 minutes trip by bus. As mentioned in previous reviews, food and beverages in Bermuda are quite pricey, however the Shelly Bay Market Place is close by and accessible from the 10 and 11 bus route. We bought breakfast and snacks for the week that we kept in the room’s refrigerator to save money. Also, when coming into Bermuda, we brought a few snacks with us as well as 2 bottles of wine (1 Liter of liquor is allowed through customs per person). Most nights, we either ate at the Swizzle Inn or somewhere in Hamilton or St. George.

We are both avid scuba divers but most dive shops are closed in the winter, including the dive shop at the Grotto Bay. If you enjoy diving, Blue Water Divers and Watersports is open year round.

The day we were to return to the States, a snow storm hit New York and our flight was canceled. The Grotto Bay was extremely accommodating and we were able to stay in our room another night. We didn’t mind the flight cancellation since we were thrilled to have an extra day in paradise :)