I just wanted to say that Indygirl174 gave a thorough and truly honest review. Read hers first if you haven't.

I just came back from 4 nights/5 days at the hotel and I had a wonderful time. I had read some comments about the airport and had concerns about it being so close. It really was a non issue and came in handy when we had to rush to the airport. The roosters were somewhat of a pain at times, but they could be ignored if you tried. Entertainment at the resort was a little slow and my wife complained a bit because she likes music and dancing any time of the day!. Even when they provided some entertainment, the guests didn't really stick around very late. Now I see why they didn't provide too much of that. The guests were more laid back and didn't seem to want to stay up too late anyway.

All inclusive is the way to go at this resort. You will save money in the end. It also comes with bus and ferry passes, which is a great way to get around the island. Buses run very frequently. All the staff personnel were great and had a great attitude. I guess you can run into a bad apple or two or someone having a bad day During my stay, they were all great and we tipped them extra in the very end.

My husband and I stayed at Grotto Bay for a six-night anniversary get-away last week. I read many reviews (on tripadvisor as well as other sites) and felt like I had a pretty good idea of what to expect at this hotel. The rating on Expedia is 3.5 stars and that's pretty much what you get. So set your expectations and you won't be disappointed. We found it quite nice and comfortable but to be honest, if you're looking for a lavish 5 star hotel, this is not the place for you.

If you're still with me, here are some points, I think, worth making:

- The location is nice. Just a few minutes from the airport and as most have said on here, this is not an issue at all. I swear, you'll barely notice it. Decent beach area. Yes, it's a bit small but never seemed too crowded. Nice little shipwreck area to snorkle. Pool was adequate also. Kind of busy on the weekend but not at all through the week. If you're looking to stay closer to a lot of restaurants and shopping, I'd recommend staying somewhere in Hamilton.

- We did not take advantage of the all-inclusive plan and food/drinks at the hotel are very expensive. I'd say AI is probably worth it if you plan to spend most of your time at the resort . . . however if you want to get out and take some trips to St. George's, Hamilton, etc., as we did, you'll need to decide if it's worth the extra money. Just to give you an example, when we arrived and went to the pool bar while waiting for our room to be ready, my husband and I both had a mixed drink and shared an appetizer (four tiny spring rolls) and it was around $25 bucks (gratuity is always added in as well, keep in mind).

- Food at the resort . . . we only ate a couple breakfasts there, one snack, a pizza one night that we wanted to stay in and one dinner so I probably can't give a truly accurate review. What we had was just OK. Had a pretty bad experience with service the one night we ate at the Palm restaurant (confusion over which server had our table meant we waited for more than a half hour to even put in our order) but I will say, even without complaining, they comped our drinks so that was nice. Since we didn't have the AI plan, we went to many restaurants including Hog Penny, Bolero, The Swizzle Inn, The George & Dragon and Harbourfront, all of which had great food. Highly recommend Harbourfront, weeknights sushi happy hour from 5 - 6:30 . . . nice sushi menu and everything is $5.95, including glasses of wine! Another tip I had read on here, walk over to the Shell station to grab some cereal for breakfast or a sandwich and chips for lunch. I know, you really wouldn't list a Shell station as a hot spot to eat on vacation, but trust me, if you want a quick lunch at the pool, compare (for two people) $15 bucks to $40 and it'll do just fine.

- Get a bus pass. We wanted a two-day pass which for some reason, they didn't sell that specific one at the front desk (they sell others), but we got coins for a one-way trip to St. George's and bought the passes there. $20 bucks a person for a two-day pass and we found it well worth it. And actually, a driver didn't punch our passes until our second day so we ended up with them being valid for a third day.

- Overall, we found the staff to be friendly and helpful. Only one run in with the towel guy who seemed compelled to confront us (and was quite rude) about taking some chairs that had folded towels on them. Now I get why people try to "save" seats but if you're going to try to hold a chair for an entire day and never use it, sorry, I'm going to take your seat. The people next to the "saved" chairs encouraged us to take the seats, saying they'd been there for several hours and no one had been at those chairs. We were there for another two hours and no one ever came by to claim them. Why the towel guy felt like he had to say something to us irritated me, especially since it ended up being a non-issue.

- Rooms were fine. Going back to the 3.5 star rating, pretty much what I expected. Clean and comfortable enough. A small complaint that the volume button didn't work on the remote. Bathrooms must have been renovated as they seemed a little more modern than the rest of the room. Only strange thing is that there's only half a glass shower door and the nozzel wouldn't adjust so lots of water deflected out onto the floor. We just put an extra towel on the other side of the tub and that soaked most of it up.

- The hotel has lots of steps to and from rooms and the pool/beach. Didn't bother us but something to think about if you or someone you're traveling with might have difficulties getting around.

- Couldn't get a late check-out which was a bummer. Had to be out at 11:00 (even though Expedia said noon) and transportation didn't come for us until 1:45 so we had to sit in the lobby for a few hours and wait. I will say, they'll watch your luggage for you and it was quite safe there so if you want to run around the hotel or walk somewhere to eat, that's not an issue.

- Last note worth mentioning, not related to the hotel, I only used my debit card on the island a few times (we used mostly cash), but I was charged an international fee, ranging from $1.99 to $3.99 per transaction. I'm not sure if that's just my bank or if that's typical of all . . .

Overall, we had a very nice stay at Grotto Bay. It's not a huge resort and that's part of why we chose Bermuda and Grotto Bay. While there are certainly more ammenities (and luxeries) at large resorts in Jamaica, Mexico, etc., for this trip we wanted a place that was kind of quiet and that's what we got here. Bermuda is a beautiful and very safe place to visit. And coming from Indiana, a pretty quick trip as well. Bottom line, we'd stay there again.

Gave this hotel a very good for our needs but maybe an average if you are looking for something else. We have stayed in three parts of Bermuda. Downtown Hamilton, South Beaches and now at Grotto Bay, near airport and historic town of St. Georges.
We travel a fair bit and have been to various islands. Bermuda is safe, clean and proper.
As far as hotels this location is my favorite. It is quieter here than busy Hamilton and the cruise ship mayhem of the Dockyards and Horseshoe Bay. We loved a quick swim, tennis and then a bite in the express breakfast room before sojourning about the island. Then back with the kids to Grotto Bay so they could swim in the pool. play on the beach, (snorkling for that elusive shipwreck which we found on the last day), play shuffleboard or visit the two caves on the property where you can actually take a dip. We enjoyed some ice cold beverages poolside and the kids enjoyed the barstools in the pool to sip their frozen drinks.
If you come to Bermuda to be pampered, relax in an infinity pool, visit the spa, be all-inclusive and stay in one area mostly etc. This hotel is not for you period.
It is a beautiful view of the Bay, the boats are quite pretty on the horizon, you can snorkle, rent a kayak, take a sail cruise etc. Explore the island though as it has so much to see and do.
The rooms all have great views. Our had recent remodelling and was quite nice. We stayed at the top in the 800 block and had one of the best views ever. I like a sea view that is not on the beach because the sand which gets into the rooms inevitably drives me crazy. The maid service was excellent (tip a bit you get a lot) Food was average. We ate at Swizzle inn a few nights (upstairs for families) then the amazing ice cream parlour where we had homemade coffee chili ice cream and rum & ginger. Walking distance.
There is a Shell station at foot of drive which sells small wines, water, snacks etc for the room.
Service was always courteous and prompt. Our toilet broke twice on first day which made me nervous but they fixed very quickly.
We took buses everywhere. You can buy a pass and get a schedule at the front desk. Visitors cannot drive cars in bermuda. We LOVED the sightseeing tours the bus gave us and always a good view of local culture and people. I was so impressed at a bus driver who made a group of pushy young school boys stand at the door of the bus and allow adults, visitors and children first and then gave them heck for skipping school on the last day as they were coming home from the beach. Then he chastised for wearing wet clothes. "You should know better". There are several routes and each has a different view. Route from hamilton to Grotto Bay was long but extremely pretty.
St. Georges is 5 minute bus ride away and worth a trip or two. we ate a few times.
$$$ Gio's was nice but reserve for the patio. $Temptations for quick breakfast and then take the high speed Ferry (with your buss pass) which goes daily at 10, 11, 12 to Dockyards. No need to charter a boat to see the view from the water.
we did the helmet diving with Hartley. $$$ but kids loved it and it was neat to be underwater at a reef for 30 minutes as a family.
The aquarium is main stop in Flatt's village and it is also the zoo. We have been twice on two trips and it really rivals big city crowded caged zoos. There is a pizza restaurant in Flatt's too.
Horseshoe bay for bodt surfing is so much fun. they have change rooms and food service, lifeguards. Lots of cruise ship crowds though so that's what made staying at Grotto Bay such a pleasure.

Bermuda is beautiful, no matter where you stay! The resort is very pretty, the front desk is accomodating, the bell hops are funny, the concierge is great, but the rest of the staff moves slow. The food at the resort was ok, not terrible, but average to slightly below average. They try to be upscale, but fall flat. The rooms are spacious and clean, but a little dark in the evening. The built in blind in the hotel door does not block the outside light from coming in at night. More umbrellas are needed on the beach, and there is not a beach boy to help. The caves on the grounds are amazing. I would recommend this to someone looking for the beach and sun. It's ok, but I won't be back.