A friend, fed up with
her job, described the environment as a “Brave New World,” and we
knew just what she meant. Ever since Aldous Huxley’s novel was
published in 1925, its title has stepped out becoming an ironic
label for a future dominated by technology and peopled by spiritless
automatons.
But in their original
usage, the same three words appearing in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”
have a very different meaning.
“O, wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world
That has such people on it!”
says the young heroine Miranda, referring to the remote island where
she, her wizard father, et al have been stranded after their ship
was wrecked in a storm. It is believed the Bard based the setting
for what would be his final play on the North Atlantic island named
Bermúdez for its Spanish discoverer, but not settled until a century
later when a group of Englishmen, en-route to Jamestown, Virginia,
suffered a similar fate.
We are reminded of
this as our plane lands. We’d been to Bermuda years before, but at
this moment, it seems like we never left. The ride from the airport
along roads that wind up and down, the low stone walls containing
them, the view of the sparkling sea from every rise, the tumbling
bougainvillea along the way – bright and blooming even in January,
the sense of order and cleanliness -- all of it was so pleasing, so
familiar. And then, a bend in the road, up a drive past several
islands of palms, and there on the summit a castle of yellow and
white stone looking out over the trees to a panorama of sky and sea.
Once again, Elbow Beach.
It is the oldest hotel on the island, having
celebrated its centennial in 2008. We pass through the porte-cochere
into the entrance hall and think how its elegance and grace have
remained intact. The marble floors are shining like mirrors. The
front desk, the concierge’s desk, the bell station are just where
they used to be. So are the glass French doors, wrapping around the
façade, opening to a length of terrace looking down the hillside to
the sea.
We exit through one, walk down a bit, and enter
through another. This would be the Grand Bar and beyond would be the
equally grand dining room. A brief memory-picture of guests in
evening dress flits across our minds. Only the Grand Bar is the
Library now, paneled in rich wood with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.
There’s an antique billiards table, deep leather sofas and rattan
chairs set into conversation areas, and posters from the Grand Epoch
era advertising cigars and Gosling black seal, the classic Bermuda
rum, displayed across a wall. There’s also an Internet station.
“In 2010, we did a large repositioning,” says
Sophie Dier, the tall and attractive director of communications for
the Elbow Beach, who doubles as a dancing teacher with a specialty
in salsa. “At the same time, we began a $5.5million refurbishment
of the entire property. All the roads and pathways were re-paved.
New lounges, new beach chairs, interior renovation, the works.
Everything was fresh. At the same time, we closed the big restaurant
in the main building and decided not to sell the guestrooms there
for the time being. All our accommodations now are in cottages.
They’re more intimate, more private.”
We were walking with Sophie down the hillside to
the beach, having exited the main building onto the expansive pool
complex where, happily, the glamorous free-form pool set into a
stone-paved terrace was a perfect match to our memory. As we
descended along wide stone stairways and turning roads punctuated by
whimsical bronze statues of children (the work of sculptor Desmond
Fountain whose gallery we had passed in the main building moments
before), we could see the pretty limestone cottages painted in soft
pastel colors with roofs of four white stone triangles meeting at a
peak. They were set into recesses or amidst a grove of trees,
arranged in groups of six to eight, with names like Poinsetta,
Alamanda, Poinciana, Jasmine, Oleander -- a nod to the flamboyant
blossoms one sees throughout the beautifully landscaped property.
Bird of Paradise captured our imagination in particular. One of
three storybook-like cottages that stand on their own private plot,
Bird of Paradise has a fireplace in the living room and a steep
stairway at the rear which travels down the dunes to the hotel’s
half mile-long beach. “It’s a favorite for honeymooners,” Sophie
notes. “We’ve even had small weddings here.

Director of Communications:
Sophie Dier |
 |
“All the cottages were upgraded in 2010 with new,
contemporary-style furniture, marble floors, art work, and
accessories that reflect the sea theme” she continues. “They all
have docking stations in the rooms, espresso machines, separate
shower and tub in the renovated bathrooms, and an entertainment
system that features 200 television stations. But who wants to watch
television when they’re in Bermuda?”
Indeed. Our cottage was the last in the Sea Grape
cluster that stretched across a bluff above the beach. It had a
large living room replete with sleeping couch and an adjacent
equally-sized bedroom, both opening to a smartly furnished patio. At
night, we would leave the drapes undrawn and the blinds open, ready
and willing to be awakened the next morning by the rising sun. We
would walk out onto the patio, ascend a little grassy hill, and
there before us would be the pink sands of Paget Parish and the
Atlantic beyond. The wonders of Bermuda.
Transport around the property is swift and
comfortable. A call to the front desk results in a van’s arrival
within minutes and a ride to the pool, spa, tennis courts, putting
green, main building or beachfront area. But whenever possible, we
chose to walk, even up the steeper roads and especially to the beach
area which is the center of the resort with restaurants, bar and, of
course, the beach itself.
It was a short stroll from our cottage door along
a path that paralleled the shore, a perspective we remembered very
well. The horizon was marked by a perfect arc, so wide it seemed to
embrace the entire earth. The sky was an ever-changing canvas. At
night, it was lit by brilliant stars and a sliver of a new moon
throughout our stay. During the day, it was a dynamic scene of long
lines of white puffy clouds stretched against a background of a blue
deeper than the sea and the sudden appearance of dark clouds rolling
on stage only to be cut through by slashes of sunlight that spilled
through the trees. In all our travels, nowhere is the sky so
commanding a presence as in Bermuda. It casts a spell.
 |
 |
As does the Spa. In 2000, the
Elbow Beach became a Mandarin Oriental property, Sophie had
told us, joining the international family of 42 high-end
properties whose motto is “East meets West,” and it is in
the spa that an Asian ambience is most keenly felt. Accessed
from the pool terrace, the Zen-like space has bamboo floors,
slatted wooden screens, fragrant candles, large clay urns on
pebbled surfaces, vases with long-stemmed blossoms, and in
the background, serene music that puts one in a state of
utter relaxation. |
 |
We found it difficult to choose among the spa’s
twenty odd treatments based on Chinese, Ayurvedic, Thai and European
traditions, and so we purchased time instead -- two-hours and
fifty-minutes which, in consultation with our therapists, we filled
with rituals that seemed right for us. After the diminutive Phunpaka
Sornkaew, from Thailand, and the effervescent Leah Furbert, from the
Philippines, welcomed us with cups of aromatic tea and helped us
plan our treatments, they ushered us into a couples’ suite. There
our Elbow Beach spa-time began with a relaxing foot bath, a
traditional Eastern act of welcome and respect, followed by a
personalized full body massage with Mandarin Oriental’s essential
oils and, for one of us, a customized holistic facial.

Spa Pros: Phunpaka Sornkaew from Thailand
(left)
and Leah Furbert, from the Philippines |
 |
While there may be fewer dining
than spa-treatments options at Elbow Beach, the four outlets provide
enough variety in cuisine and ambience to keep one happy and sated
for many a day without ever leaving the resort. Blue Point, steps
away from the spa and Kids’ Club, serves fresh salads, sandwiches,
gourmet pizza, and ice cream-treats poolside which comes with a
spectacular ocean view from the heights of the property. The other
restaurants are down at the shore.
“Mickey’s Beach Bistro and Bar
is an incredible place; it’s unique,” said Executive Chef Guido
Brambilla. “The tables are right on the sand. It’s the only
restaurant so close to the sea and and brings a Mediterranean feel
to the setting.
“We serve a lot of fish,” the
Milan-born head of F&B for the resort continued. “We try to get our
fish from local licensed fishermen. The sea is often choppy, so we
have to import fish as well -- the clams, oysters, mussels and
scallops are from New England. But we have excellent local fish:
tuna, rock fish, grouper, even lobster. Also beautiful yellow fin
for sushi,” he said, an ever popular option at Sea Breeze, the
aptly-named dining terrace which features novel sushi rolls,
sashimi, and tapas.
At Lido, the resort’s
fine-dining restaurant, twice named Bermuda’s most romantic dining
spot, there is a wall of windows overlooking the sea. At the time of
our visit, the beach was narrow, and sitting at a window-front table
when the tide came in, we could believe we were on a ship miles from
land. It was a powerful image, but still not powerful enough to
detract our attention from such delicacies as roasted octopus with
sun-dried tomato pesto, escargot in manicotti, clams with garlic and
tomatoes, and fish chowder with tomatoes.
“The Italian influence,” Guido laughed.
“There is also an interesting influence of Portuguese cuisine here
which I imagine must come from the Azores. Our bacalhau (codfish) is
a popular dish. And we have a mix of Caribbean, English and
American. But even if there are no Italian words on the menu, the
style is predominantly Italian.”
He went on, “At the same time, I
am proud of our American cheese board. I was in the Gramercy Tavern
in New York and had an incredible tasting of American cheeses, all
sorts that I didn’t know were produced in the States. They’re
similar to the Italian and French. Since then, I’ve been getting
cheese from the States: excellent goat cheese from Vermont, an
incredible Coupole. Great cow cheese, one similar to Morbier,
another to Fontina.”

Executive Chef
Greg Brambillo |
 |
Guido took degrees in law and
business management before deciding what he really wanted was to be
a chef. At that point, he began what would become a virtual circling
of the globe, working in such far-away locales as Thailand and the
Maldives before landing in Bermuda and the Elbow Beach. “I’ve been
here for two years,” he said, then paused before adding with a quiet
smile: “I spend too much time in the kitchen. But it is my love.”
 |
“You look at the hotel
and it’s amazing. An amazing history, rich in culture,
iconic,” said Edward Shapard, the brand new general manager
of Elbow Beach when he joined us for dinner at Lido. “This
is not only one of the oldest hotels in Bermuda, it is the
most Bermudian, blending the charms of its history, age, and
traditions with modernity. Whatever we do must respect the
heritage.”
We were intrigued about the direction life
was taking the youthful and garrulous Tennessee-born hotel
exec who was sporting a bow-tie, something we thought might
become a trademark. |
“We had just returned to Hong Kong from our
vacation in Ireland,” Edward told us. “The phone rang. It was
Richard Baker, executive vice president of Mandarin Oriental in the
Americas and Bermuda. I stepped outside onto the terrace where it
was a bit quieter. We talked for a minute. Then he said ‘How would
you like to go to Bermuda?’ I thought for a moment and then said,
‘It’s the last place I thought I’d be going.’
“It had been such a big move to Hong Kong
two years ago. I had been working at Mandarin Oriental in
New York and loved it. My thought at the time was where do
you go from New York? But I got to love Hong Kong as well.
The cultural experience was outstanding. My children were
speaking Chinese. Could it be time to leave Asia already?
“‘Can I have the weekend to think about
it?’ I asked and then spent the weekend with my wife Michele
talking it over. We talked about it as a career opportunity
naturally. But also how it would impact on the children,
whether Michele would work -- she’s an elementary school
teacher. We checked out the school situation in Bermuda,
examined the professional perspective, the lifestyle It
seemed positive, exciting. Sunday evening I sent Richard an
e-mail saying ‘I’d be delighted.’ |

The youthful and garrulous General Manager
Edward Shapard |
“It was tricky to get everything organized,”
Edward admitted. “It took five months from the time I got the call
until we got here, and in that time we met with the owner and others
involved. On the way here, we spent two days in New York. The kids
were with us; we wanted them to know we would be getting closer to
the United States. If we’d gone to the U.K. first and then on to
Bermuda, it would seem even further away.”
He went on: “When we moved to Hong Kong, I got
there first; Michele waited with the children until school was over.
This time, we decided we would all come over together. Especially in
a resort, you do things with the family representing you.”
With such representation, Edward is in a good
position. The children Collin, 11, and Mackenzie, 7, are, in a word,
perfect. Doobie, the dog, had arrived the night before. They were
working on getting the cat over.
As for Michele, a lovely redhead, she is warm and
gracious, destined, we thought, to be a perfect Elbow Beach hostess
with an insightful turn of mind. “If Bermuda is the oyster, the
Elbow Beach is the pearl,” she had said to Edward at one point,
adding “It will be your job to cultivate the pearl.”
Clearly Edward is a family man, and his
sense of family seems to embrace the entire resort. “Family
encapsulates the style of service at our cottage complex,”
he had told us. “The staff has been incredibly welcoming.
I’m anxious to cultivate one-to-one relationships with
them.”
A good person to start with is Shirley
Hunt who began working at the resort in 1956 when he was 21
years old. “My first job was an electrician,” Shirley told
us when we met him in the Library late one afternoon. “But
when I heard there was an opening here, I came over. Back
then, there were still switchboard operators handling the
phone calls.’
Shirley started as bellman but before long
had worked up to bell captain, a position he continues to
hold. “I never had mishaps. I worked hard but it was decent
working for that era,” he said. |

Left to right: Mackenzie,Colin, and
Michele
with Doobie, who’d just arrived |
“Things are different now,” he added. “It used to
be more restricted; it’s freer now, much more opportunity there for
you if you want it. Now and then I’ve been to other hotels to see
what was going on. But this is the best. There’s something that I
like here.”
One of the people he likes is Webster Reginald
Mills. It seems everyone likes Webster. If a contest were to be held
for the most convivial man on the premises, he would undoubtedly
win. Webster was the first person we met when we arrived at Elbow
Beach. He drove us to our cottage, showed us around. He’s a bellman
of the first order, but somehow whenever we called for a van,
Webster would be there behind the wheel.
He came to the job through Shirley. “I knew
Shirley well; we played cricket together,” Webster said. “He treats
you with respect. He’ll get at you if you did something wrong, but
he is so kind.”

Shirley Hunt,
Bell Captain for many a year |

Everyone’s favorite: Webster Reginald
Mills |
Webster shows us written testimonials from guests
in a little book. “I keep these,” he says. “There aren’t enough nice
words in the Webster dictionary to describe Webster,” we say.
We add a note, saying we hope to see him again
when we return one day. For we do hope to return. Our little visit
had been a time trip in the two directions time moves. Looking back,
there were the losses: the sense of freedom and adventure we once
felt driving little scooters all over Bermuda, discouraged this time
around as traffic on the roads has substantially increased; getting
dressed for the big event dinner had been in the dining room of the
main building room that once served the entire hotel now being used
for storage space; shopping at Trimmingham’s, the store in Hamilton
where we bought Scottish-clan outfits for our then very young
children, that is no more. But looking forward, the Elbow Beach
promises an ever more glorious future.
“Unlike other islands, Bermuda is not a resort
compound,” Sophie had told us. “One can feel free to travel around.
But Elbow Beach has everything close at hand. We are right in the
middle of the island, close to Hamilton, close to the best golf
courses, and with a great private beach where every guest can always
be assured of a lounger and umbrella. You wouldn’t want to leave.”

Monica Massey, Robin Massey, and Andy
Hopkins. It was Andy
who told us about a special connection to Bermuda |
Leaving Lido after dinner our
last night at Elbow Beach, we strike up a conversation with
Monica Massey, head of human resources, her son Robin
Massey, and her husband, Andy Hopkins. Andy, who is
English, tells us his brother lives in the town of Lyme
Regis in West Dorset. We see a connection beyond a shared
love of the works of Thomas Hardy, a Dorset native -- we
too live in a town named Lyme, albeit New Hampshire. But
Lyme Regis has a connection to Bermuda, Namby says. It is
the home of Admiral Sir
George Somers, who founded the Somers Isles, better
known as
Bermuda, after being shipwrecked in the 1600’s. “There
is a lot of history,” Monica notes. |
The next morning there’s a lot of excitement at
breakfast. Whales have been sighted, a good number of them. If one
is a calf, it had to have been born in middle of the ocean, probably
in the shallow waters of Bermuda. A frequent occurrence in the past,
this hadn’t recurred for a long time. These waters, people are
saying, is the only place in the world where there is a mid-ocean
migratory route for humpbacks.
Later, we walk along the shore, a rather narrow
stretch at this time of the year. “We get a lot of erosion during
the winter months, but in the summer, the beach extends quite far,”
Sophie had told us. “You could walk out ten feet in the ocean and
be up to your neck.” Still it is a beautiful sunny day; the water is
glittering as it reflects countless drops of sunlight. The erosion
is just a temporary, seasonal thing.
We go up onto the terrace of Sea Breeze for a last
good view of the coral reef. It’s like a plateau. At the edge, the
water seems to boil up, then it falls into a cavity before rushing
to the shore. “Fish feed on the coral, spread it around,”
Sophie said. “It breaks up large waves, keeps the sharks away.
That’s why Bermuda is such a safe place for swimming. A protected
place.”
We think about it, this island, all alone, out in
the middle of the ocean, far from any other land. So neat and clean,
so orderly and beautiful. Prevailing against hurricanes, maintaining
a civilized, mannerly culture, surviving and thriving. Sophie calls
it “the little island that could.”
Truly, a brave new world – in the Shakespearean
sense.
Elbow Beach,
Bermuda
60 South Shore Road
Paget PG04
Bermuda
Phone: 441 239 9363
Photographs by Harvey Frommer |