The Fairmont Southampton resort in Bermuda will not reopen until 2027 after a 550-million-dollar overhaul

The Fairmont Southampton, Bermuda’s largest hotel, will not reopen at the end of 2026: its owner is now aiming for 2027. Closed since 2020, the 593-room resort is in the midst of a 550-million-dollar renovation, and no precise date has yet been set.

☰Contents

1. 2027, the owner’s new target date
2. Why has the work fallen behind schedule?
3. 593 rooms rebuilt from top to bottom
4. The Palmetto Beach Club, open since August
5. What you can already enjoy in Southampton
6. Bermuda’s tourism in fine shape

2027, the owner’s new target date

On 9 October 2026, Westend Properties, the Gencom subsidiary that owns the hotel, confirmed that the Fairmont Southampton will not reopen at the end of the year as planned, but in 2027. Jan Hutton, chief executive of the Bermuda Tourism Authority, reported the same delay at the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference. The owner says an official announcement will be made once the date is settled.

The timetable has already slipped several times. In May 2026, Chris Maybury, speaking for Westend Properties, said the hotel would open a little later in the year. In August, Kiaran MacDonald, regional vice president and general manager, was still targeting a reopening before the end of 2026. The hotel’s official website, for its part, still announces a 2026 reopening.

Why has the work fallen behind schedule?

According to the owner, unforeseen issues emerged during the renovation. The scale of the work has called for more time and resources, notably skilled specialist labour across several parts of the project. Westend Properties, whose parent company Gencom also bought the Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park, says it remains fully committed to completing this investment and restoring the Fairmont Southampton to its place among the archipelago’s luxury hotels.

Ground was broken on the renovation on 13 November 2024. Fairmont describes the project as the largest renovation project in Bermuda’s history. A local recruitment drive is expected to create more than 500 jobs to run the hotel when it reopens.

593 rooms rebuilt from top to bottom

Opened some fifty years ago, the hotel is the largest on the island. The 550 million dollars of work cover a complete overhaul of the 593 rooms and suites, redesigned public spaces and renovated meeting and event venues, including a new oceanfront Ocean Club. A Fairmont Gold offering, the brand’s hotel-within-a-hotel, will give access to a private lounge and a dedicated concierge.

The visuals released by the brand, all of them renderings, show bright rooms opening onto the sea, suites with four-poster beds and a two-bedroom presidential suite with generous living areas and a panoramic balcony.

The Palmetto Beach Club, open since August

The first part of the project to be completed, the Palmetto Beach Club opened on 13 August 2026 on the south shore: an infinity pool facing the ocean, a pink-sand beach with dedicated service, private cabanas, an events lawn and The Grill restaurant. It was designed by Paris Society Consulting, Ennismore’s restaurant studio. The Bermuda government hailed it as a concrete step towards the resort’s return.

Until the hotel reopens, a temporary day pass, bookable on OpenTable, opens the pool and beach to visitors and residents alike. After the reopening, daytime access will be reserved for hotel guests and resort members; The Grill will stay open in the evening to other visitors, by reservation.

What you can already enjoy in Southampton

Several venues on the estate are already up and running: the Turtle Hill Golf Club, an 18-hole par-3 course laid out on sloping ground facing the ocean, The Waterlot Steakhouse, Boundary Sports Bar & Grille and The Grill. The hotel is also taking bookings for groups, conferences and weddings. Fairmont, an Accor brand, is also carrying out a renovation plan covering 20% of its hotels and will open the Fairmont New Orleans on 2 November.

Bermuda’s tourism in fine shape

The delay comes as the archipelago is posting strong figures. According to the Bermuda Tourism Authority, 98,043 cruise passengers came ashore in August 2026, the best month in more than a decade, and leisure air arrivals rose by around 12% from January to August. Spending by air visitors reached 204.6 million dollars in the first half, up 7.9%, and hotel revenue per available room is up 7.3% on 2025 and 30% on 2023.

The BTA expects room inventory to grow by more than a third by summer 2027, driven first by the Fairmont Southampton, with additional rooms at Grotto Bay Beach Resort & Spa and Azura. A new national plan, the Strategic Roadmap 2030, is in preparation.