Happy Anniversary!

Have you heard the news? Bermuda’s own Fairmont Hamilton Princess is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year—no small feat considering many island hotels hardly stick around long enough to replace the wall-to-wall carpeting (like Club Med in St. George’s or the Wyndham in Southampton, both of which have been demolished; watch Club Med get imploded here). Of course, getting rid of the old to make room for the new is a good thing, but there’s something to be said for a historic hotel and the Fairmont Hamilton Princess is indeed the Grand Dame of ‘em all. First opened in 1885, the hotel was named for Princess Louise, daughter of England’s Queen Victoria. As the story goes, she visited Bermuda two years earlier and fell in love with the island, calling it “the place of eternal spring.” When a leading Bermuda businessman decided to build a hotel to attract affluent Americans, he honored the royal visit by naming his hotel “The Princess.” Since then the landmark hotel’s storied history has only grown in stature: Not only was it a favorite of Mark Twain’s in the early 1900’s but it played a pivotal role in World War II, when the hotel became an intelligence center run by Allied servicemen. It was at The Princess where all mail, radio and telegraphic traffic bound for Europe and the Americans was intercepted and analyzed before being routed to their destinations. Pretty heady stuff. So in order to celebrate its anniversary the hotel has cooked up a special deal for anyone celebrating theirs: Couples who stay at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess during their wedding anniversary will receive one complimentary night’s stay and additional nights for only $125 per person, a pretty incredible deal considering a room can cost upwards of $400 with taxes during peak season. Best of all, the 125th Anniversary Package is good through the end of the year. Just make sure to bring your marriage certificate to seal the deal.