Bermuda Vacation Rentals: Apartments, Cottages and More
If you are planning a Bermuda trip and want to skip the hotels, the island has more rental options than most travelers realize. Apartment-style accommodation, family-run guest houses, traditional cottage colonies, private cottages on private beaches, and Airbnb-style whole-home rentals all give you something hotels do not: a kitchen, more space, daily housekeeping in most cases, and the chance to live more like a resident than a guest.
I have been writing about Bermuda's accommodations since 2008. In this guide I will show you the vacation rentals worth considering across every category, organized so you can compare them. For each property, I include the parish, who runs it, and what makes it different.
The detailed reviews live on the dedicated pages I link to. Editorial context (regulations, Airbnb tips, decision framework) follows the property listings.
What you should know first
Three things shape every vacation rental decision in Bermuda.
Cost. Bermuda is expensive. Vacation rentals are often cheaper than equivalent hotel stays once you factor in cooking your own meals, but the per-night rates still surprise first-time visitors. Here is the typical range by category, in USD before taxes and fees:
Apartment-style rentals: 175 to 330 per night, with most properties in the 200 to 300 range
Guest houses, B&Bs, and inns: 200 to 300 per night for most properties
Cottage colonies and traditional cottages: 250 to 500 for standard rooms, 600 to 1,200 or more for premium suites and luxury cottages
Standalone private cottages: 300 and up per night, with minimum stays often applied
Airbnb and Vrbo whole-home rentals: 150 to 300 per night for studios and one-bedroom units, 300 to 800 for whole houses, 800 to 1,500 or more for luxury rentals
Summer rates (May to October) run 20 to 40 percent higher than winter rates (November to March). The above are typical ranges as of 2026, but rates change. Check current prices on booking platforms before committing.
Add to any rate a 4.5 percent vacation rental tax (for vacation rentals and Airbnb-style bookings) or a 7.25 percent hotel occupancy tax (for cottage colonies and registered guest houses). Service charges of 10 to 15 percent also apply at some properties.
Cooking even half your meals saves real money in Bermuda, where restaurant meals routinely run 30 to 60 USD per person before drinks. Almost every vacation rental has a kitchen or kitchenette.
Regulations. Since the Vacation Rental Act 2018 was passed, Bermuda has formalized the short-term rental sector. All vacation rental properties must be registered, hosts must meet safety standards, the 4.5 percent tax applies to all bookings, and maximum occupancy is 10 people per property. I cover the regulatory picture in more detail below.
Location. You cannot rent a car as a visitor in Bermuda. Bus, ferry, taxi, scooter, and the small electric Twizy are your options. Where the rental is located matters enormously, since you will be relying on public transport or paying for taxis to reach beaches and other parts of the island. South shore beach access, Hamilton city access, and ferry stop proximity are the three location factors I would weigh first.
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Apartment-style rentals
These are small purpose-built complexes (typically 7 to 14 units) run as guest apartments, with private apartments, full kitchens or kitchenettes, daily housekeeping, and often a pool. The most common form of vacation rental in Bermuda and the easiest to book.
Clairfont Apartments, Warwick. Eight apartments at 6 Warwickshire Road, five minutes' walk to Warwick Long Bay (one of Bermuda's prettiest south shore beaches and quieter than Horseshoe Bay). Pool, full kitchens, generator backup. The owners are known for personal service. Mid-range pricing for Bermuda. Book early, this one fills up.
Dawkins Manor, Paget. Eight apartment-style units at 29 St Michael's Road, run by Celia Dawkins. Walking distance to Elbow Beach. Full kitchens in seven of eight units. Has won multiple Bermuda Tourism Authority awards including Merit and Environmental. Rates from around 175 USD on the low end, typically 270 to 330 per night. Generator backup, electronic gate, on-site security.
Sandpiper Apartments, Warwick. Fourteen units (9 studios and 5 one-bedroom) at 1 Sandymount Lane on South Shore Road. Built 1979, last renovated 2007. Pool, full kitchens with ovens, balconies. Five minutes' walk to a south shore beach via Astwood Walk. Mid-range pricing.
Robin's Nest, Pembroke. Eight studio apartments at 10 Vale Close in Pembroke West, built in 2008 with Italian marble and porcelain tile floors. Owner Renee Robinson is known for picking up guests at the airport and driving them to grocery stores on arrival. Pool with private balconies overlooking it. About 25 minutes' walk to Hamilton. Last bus up to the property is 6 pm on weekdays.
Rosemont Guest Apartments, Pembroke. Family-owned since 1966 at 41 Rosemont Avenue on a hilltop with views of Hamilton Harbour. Less than 10 minutes' walk to downtown Hamilton, ferry terminal a few minutes away. Outdoor pool, complimentary continental breakfast, smart TVs, full kitchens. Suits business travelers and city-focused stays.
Paraquet Apartments, Paget. Nine units at 72 South Road in pastel-pink Bermudian-style buildings, with a popular on-site restaurant open 8 am to midnight. Bus stops directly outside. Walking distance to Elbow Beach (10 minutes) and Hamilton (10 minutes by bus). No pool. Family-run.
For full reviews of every operating apartment-style rental in Bermuda with detailed amenity information, see
Bermuda Apartment Rentals.
Cottage colonies and traditional cottages
These are clusters of cottages on shared properties (cottage colonies) and family-run guest houses with separate cottages. Many have been operating for decades and offer the classic Bermuda hospitality experience.
Cambridge Beaches, Sandys. Bermuda's flagship cottage colony since 1923, on a 23-acre peninsula at the western end of the island. 87 rooms across cottages and suites, four private beaches, two pools, spa, three restaurants, marina. Adults-only (children under 13 not accepted). Standard rooms typically 295 to 440 USD per night, deluxe and premium 500 to 1,200+. The most complete classic Bermuda experience still operating.
Coral Beach Club, Paget. Private members-only club at Camden, with 9 cottages, 26 rooms, and 5 suites on 26 acres above one of the prettiest stretches of pink sand on the south shore. You need either an introduction from an existing member or reciprocal membership at a club with a Coral Beach connection. The setting and beach are extraordinary; the lodging itself shows some wear in recent reports.
Fourways Inn, Paget. Eleven cottages around a freshwater pool on a property dating to 1727, with one of Bermuda's most respected fine-dining restaurants on site. Run by Andy and Alex with attention to every guest. Continental breakfast brought to your room each morning. Rates from around 278 USD per night. Excellent value for Bermuda. Particularly good for couples celebrating an occasion.
Granaway Guest House, Warwick. A 1734 pink manor house on Harbour Road overlooking the Great Sound. Four guest rooms in the main house plus one separate cottage with full kitchen, fireplace, and private garden. Continental breakfast included, served on Bermuda cedar trays. Pool, mature gardens, and a back gate that opens onto the Belmont Hills Golf Course. Belmont ferry stop is a five-minute walk. Mid-range pricing.
Greenbank Cottages, Paget. Family-run for over 65 years on the Salt Kettle peninsula, currently managed by Melanie Ashton. Cottages and apartments with kitchenettes, private patios, and water views. Salt Kettle ferry to Hamilton is a minute's walk. Quiet, traditional, repeat guests.
Grape Bay Cottages, Paget. Two private self-catering cottages on a private beach, run by Maria and Doug Frith. Beach Crest is elevated, Beach Home sits directly on the beach. Each has two bedrooms, full kitchen, fireplace, private patio. Often booked six months ahead. Five-night minimum. The best private-beach-house experience in Bermuda.
Guest houses, B&Bs, and inns
These are typically B&B-style accommodations in historic homes or family estates. Hosts on premises, often breakfast included, smaller and more personal than hotels.
Edgehill Manor, Hamilton. Colonial-style guest house at the top of Rosemont Avenue, run by Lana and Chris. Seven rooms, four upper rooms with private balconies, three ground-floor rooms with private terraces. Pool, gardens, free continental breakfast, kitchenettes available. About 15 minutes' walk to downtown Hamilton. Strong WiFi for business travelers. Rates around 240 USD per night and up.
Watercolours, Warwick. A two-room B&B on Harbour Road, run by Carole Holding (a well-known Bermuda watercolour artist whose work is sold across the island) and her husband Joe (Savoy London-trained, formerly ran a hotel group in Bermuda). The 1996 house sits right on the water with French doors opening to harbor views and a swimming pool. English breakfast included, with Carole's homemade jams and Bermudian touches.
Three minutes' walk to the ferry, with Hamilton 10 minutes away by water. Rates from around 340 USD per night. Best for couples wanting a small, refined waterfront B&B run by genuinely warm hosts.
Kingston House, Hamilton. Adults-only B&B on Turnstile Lane, in a stately 1921 Bermuda stone family home built by Harry Powell's grandfather. Four rooms with hardwood or Italian tile floors, en-suite bathrooms, central AC, smart TVs. Heated lap pool. Chef-cooked breakfasts to order. Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice winner with 4.9 rating across 330+ reviews. Best for adult couples who value refined character and walking-distance Hamilton access.
Booking through Airbnb and Vrbo
Bermuda has a real Airbnb presence now. The Bermuda Tourism Authority partnered with Airbnb in 2018 to formalize this market. Most listings concentrate in Hamilton, Paget, Warwick, and Sandys parishes. The east end (St George's, Hamilton Parish) has fewer options.
Practical points if you book through these platforms:
The 4.5 percent vacation rental tax is automatic on Airbnb. The platform collects it from you at checkout and sends it to the Bermuda government. You will see it as a separate line item.
Read recent reviews carefully. Bermudian property standards vary widely. Reviews from the last 6 to 12 months tell you more than older ones, since standards and ownership change. Some Airbnb listings are professional vacation rentals with proper amenities; others are spare rooms in private homes that may not match your expectations.
Verify the practical details before booking. WiFi quality (actual upload and download speeds), AC reliability, parking for a scooter, walking distance to the nearest bus stop, whether linens and towels are provided. These vary by listing and matter more in Bermuda than at most destinations because alternatives are limited.
Verify the location. "Near beaches" can mean a 30-minute bus ride. Open Google Maps, find the address, and measure the actual distance to whatever matters to you.
Avoid off-platform payments. Some hosts try to move communication and payment off the platform. This is against the terms and removes your protection if something goes wrong. Always book and pay through the platform itself.
Book early for summer. May through October is peak season, and the supply is small relative to demand. Listings for summer often fill up months ahead.
Whole-house rentals through Bermuda agencies
For whole-house rentals, particularly for groups or longer stays, established Bermuda rental agencies handle properties not listed on Airbnb. They specialize in Bermuda, charge 15 percent commission per rental (built into the rate), and have local relationships that platforms do not.
Trade-offs: minimum stays of 7 to 10 nights are common, the booking process is less convenient than platform booking (email exchanges, signed agreements, deposits via wire or credit card), and inventory is smaller than Airbnb. Useful when you want oversight from someone on the island, vetted properties, or a whole house Airbnb does not have.
Vacation Rental Agencies in Bermuda
Website: BermudaRentals.com
It's one of the largest vacation rental agencies for Bermuda. You will find several choices of vacation rentals in their website. You can search a vacation home or apartment by location like Western, Central or Eastern part of Bermuda.
Website: BermudaGetaway.com
This company has been promoting some excellent vacation properties in Bermuda for a long time. It is not truly a rental agency as it does not work on a commission on the booking price. Rather it promotes the properties in its website on behalf of the owners at a membership fee.
While you won’t get too many options here, but most vacation rentals listed in this website are quality ones. They visit the properties and meet with the owners regularly and see that high standards are met where the physical conditions of the properties are concerned like hospitality, communication, cleanliness and fairness.
Bermuda's vacation rental rules and taxes
Worth knowing before you book.
The Vacation Rental Act 2018 governs all short-term rentals. Properties must be registered. Hosts must meet safety standards (smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, emergency contact information).
The 4.5 percent vacation rental tax applies to every booking regardless of platform, and is collected automatically by Airbnb or by the agent or owner on direct bookings.
Hotel occupancy tax (7.25 percent) does not apply to vacation rentals; that tax applies to hotels and registered commercial accommodations like cottage colonies and guest houses. So in practice, your total tax burden depends on which category of property you book: 4.5 percent on Airbnb-style vacation rentals, 7.25 percent on cottage colonies and registered guest houses.
Maximum occupancy is 10 people per property. Larger groups need to split bookings.
How to choose between the options
Here is the practical decision framework.
For a self-catering apartment with daily housekeeping, pool, and a manager on premises: apartment-style rentals like Clairfont, Dawkins Manor, or Sandpiper. Good for 3 to 7 night stays.
For a B&B with breakfast and personal hospitality: Edgehill Manor in Hamilton or Kingston House for adults-only. Hosts on premises, smaller and more personal than hotels.
For the classic Bermuda cottage colony experience: Cambridge Beaches if budget allows, Fourways Inn for a smaller and more affordable version with great food.
For a charming family-run guest house with a separate cottage: Granaway in Warwick, hard to beat on character and value.
For a private cottage on a private beach: Grape Bay Cottages, the best private-beach experience in Bermuda. Book six months ahead.
For a whole house through Airbnb: real options exist, particularly in Hamilton, Paget, Warwick. Verify carefully and book early.
For a whole house through a vetted local agency: the rental agencies are best when you want local oversight and longer stays.
For longest stays with the lowest per-night cost: apartment-style rentals at the lower end (Dawkins Manor at its discount rates) or Airbnb listings in residential areas. Cooking your own meals saves real money in Bermuda.
A few booking tips
Confirm bookings are real. Always book through the platform's payment system, never wire money to a host directly.
Get the address before traveling, since you will need it for the cab driver from the airport.
Confirm what is included (towels, linens, kitchen supplies, parking, WiFi).
Note minimum stays before falling for a property.
Check cancellation policies, since hurricanes do happen in late summer.
Travel insurance is worth considering for Bermuda trips.
A final thought
Vacation rentals are a genuinely good option for many Bermuda travelers. The kitchen alone usually pays for the difference compared to a hotel, once you factor in food costs. The space and privacy are worth real money to families and longer-stay visitors. And the regulatory framework Bermuda has built since 2018 makes platform booking less risky than it used to be.
Whichever direction you take, book early. Bermuda's accommodation supply is small, and the best properties for summer travel are reserved months ahead.
Photo: Grape Bay Cottages
About the Author
By Raj Bhattacharya
Raj has been writing about Bermuda since 2008, when he launched bermuda-attractions.com, one of the longest-standing independent guides to the island. A Certified Bermuda Specialist (Bermuda Tourism Authority), his work draws on personal visits, local contacts in Bermuda, and questions and trip reports from thousands of readers over the years.
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Viewers' Reviews
Elin Henderson (April 2014)
First of all - thank you so much for your website! It has been great! We would like to visit Bermuda (coming from So. California) in early June. We want to keep the price down and most of the hotels that you mention on your website will not accommodate 5 people. We mostly want to enjoy the nice beaches as far as the area we'd like to visit. I did find on the internet a new place called Reefsong Heron in Southhampton 28 Coral Acres Drive. for $1900 per week (sleeps 6) including all cleaning at end and taxes. Do you know anything about this place or the area where it is located? Or can you make any other suggestions of places for 5 to try with beach acces?
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) April 2014
It's an ocean front property but there's no beach, lots of rocks. It's located at the western end (will take about $50 by cab from the airport). Accessing public transport will be a problem... you will need to walk uphill for about 500 meters to get to Middle Road for buses, otherwise need to call taxi every time. You can look for other properties in bermudarentals.com and bermudagetaway.com
Karen Ferdinand (March 2013)
I absolutely love your website! It is my number one source for Bermuda trips. I need your guidance on securing a cottage rental (I have read your website on this topic). For this trip my family is going to split the week between a hotel on the South shore and a cottage in St. George that must be within walking distance to Alexandra Battery beach. I found a house on VRBO.com but can't get a response on questions. Is it possible to contact a realtor who could help secure a rental in close proximity to Alexandra? Can you suggest anything else I could do? Thanks for your time and a fantastic website!
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com, March 2013)
Hi, I have mentioned several Real Estate Agents/Vacation Rental Companies in the link below. They should be able to help: Bermuda Real Estate Agents
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