Hello from flawless Bermuda

PHOTO: The view from Fairmont Private Beach Club this morning (c) Sery Kim

I am so lucky to be here in stunning Bermuda for the 35th running of America's Club. Not only have my hosts, the Bermuda Tourism Board, been incredibly generous and gracious, I am staying at one of the premier luxury resorts in Bermuda, the Fairmont Southampton. One of two massive Fairmont properties in this island country of 65,000 people -- the other being the inestimable Hamilton Princess -- the Fairmont Southampton is a monstrous 593 room property, with its own private beach and a slew of amenities, with the gracious charm of a more intimate property. When I checked in yesterday I got a fantastic view of the azure waters of Bermuda from my view high above the ground, and this morning I had a chance to relax on Fairmont Southampton's Private Beach Club.

PHOTO: The view of the pristine Bermuda waters from my room at the Fairmont Southampton (c) Sery Kim

Everything about Fairmont Southampton speaks to me and, as everyone knows me as being an absolutely wretched sleeper, it says a lot that I slept through the night on the super comfortable beds of the property without moving a muscle. Literally. I woke up and I was in the essentially same position as I had been when I fell asleep at 1:00 am -- um ... we went out in the bar/club area of Bermuda called Hamilton, fully confessing to that, ha! I was so thankful for the peaceful sleep and highly commend the Fairmont Southampton for not only having a comfortable bed but having a fairly new mattress as well. Yes. I check these kind of things!

Another important aspect for me at any hotel is the staff. I absolutely hate it when I get to a property and no one greets me, and then the check-in staff are not friendly and helpful. When you travel to a luxury property, you expect luxury service as a baseline and friendliness is an essential part of that. Here are the Fairmont Southampton, the staff have clearly been trained in the importance of greeting the guests with a genuine smile. I especially applaud the evening housekeeping who I ran into last night while I was running between the welcoming champagne reception and going out into Hamilton. The housekeeper (instead of looking away or sad) was so friendly and brightly chirped, "Good Evening!" I loved it. The housekeepers always have the worst job in the hospitality business and when they are able to look at life with this kind of joy it really speaks to me.

The other person I have to commend is the young man working the doors this morning when I got back to the hotel from an early morning run to the beach. He saw me getting off the very convenient hotel shuttle, running every 10 minutes from all the various activities on property like the private beach, golf course, tennis courts, and even the city, and immediately scrambled to get to the door. Now, this guy has no idea who I am (when a property knows you are media they tend to treat you better) but he went out of his way to open the door for me. As a woman, as a Southerner, as a connossieur of being spoiled, this really added to my experience on property.

PHOTO: With my good buddy Kelley on the private beach of Fairmont Southampton (c) Sery Kim

Of course having a great bed and great staff aren't the only importance items on a luxury property. The Fairmont Southampton has ten distinct dining & entertainment destinations. Since I hit the pool the moment after I checked in yesterday, I can speak with most authority about The Burger Bar at Wickets, the poolside restaurant. The burgers and fries there are excellent as, again, is the service and there are plenty of waitstaff so you never have to linger without food or beverage for long.

Other places to visit on property include The Rum Cellar, a collaboration between Fairmont Southampton & Goslings Rum just for the 35th America's Cup. Open until the end of June, The Rum Cellar hours are from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am nightly in the Fairmont Southampton, in the former Wine Cellar space next to Willow Stream Spa. I am looking forward to checking it out tonight and will report back, but for me the best thing about this property is its impeccable private beach. I can not even begin to adequately describe the nearly buttery sands which clearly have been combed each day and the aquamarine water. With a few large rocks at least fifty yards out, when you are in the Fairmont Southampton private beach it feels like you are in a cove and since only those who stay at the property can use this beach it really is quite luxurious. I have three more days here and will be sure to take full advantage of it!

For now, I am off to the races! So excited to see the course for the 35th America's Cup and many thanks to my friend Campbell Levy with Turner PR for inviting me! What a marvelous friend to have!!!!