Newstead Belmont Hills Golf Resort and Spa, Chelston

We have just returned from a hellish week’s holiday at the Newstead Belmont Hills in Bermuda and really wish we had saved our money and stayed at home – The Newstead is not yet finished and will not be completed until next year. This information was not given to us when we booked (with ebookers) or on the hotel’s own website. Our room (220) was directly next to a construction site and we were woken each morning at 7.45am by the delightful sound of a jackhammer/drill/digger. This work continued all day making the entire room shake like an earthquake. After 4 nights we were moved to a room at the opposite end of the hotel (652), but we were this time awoken by a pneumatic drill taking up the stairs outside our room! Clearly my wish for a peaceful week at a quality hotel in the sun was not to be - it would have been nice to have been able to make an informed choice when I booked. Services advertised on the hotel’s (and in part on ebookers) website which did NOT exist included : Pool Bar, Business Centre, Room Service (breakfast only available), General Store. In the UK this is in breach of the Trades Descriptions Act. This all just accentuated other minor problems with our second room – air-conditioning in bedroom did not work very well, the ‘do not disturb/clean room’ button was wired the wrong way round (so the maids were initially knocking when we were sleeping – another rude awakening) – Fawlty Towers started to come to mind... As a result the hotel waived our ‘extra’ charges (approx $1,100) but this goes no way to compensate for the cost of 7 night’s accommodation (£2,230 - approx $4,240) as well as the costs of the flights from London (on British Airways’ most expensive route mile for mile). Most of the staff tried their utmost to do their best in a difficult situation, but it appears that the senior management are completely out of touch (or just don’t care). At Beau Rivage, the only restaurant actually on site (Blu is a 5 minute drive away) the menu is limited (only 3 or 4 choices per course) and overfussy. In summary : The pool area and general location are stunning. The front desk and waiting staff are very good. I am sure that the hotel will be lovely when it is finished, but it is still a construction site, and until it is completed I would not go near the place.