With its pink-sand beaches, temperate climate and traditional English touches (cricket, afternoon tea, orderly streets), Bermuda has never lacked for charm. But the recent debut, in April, of Tucker's Point Hotel & Spa has offered an added attraction: the first luxury resort to open in decades in the centuries-old British territory.

The resort is designed to evoke the golden age of Bermuda tourism, roughly the 1930s and '40s, when the well-heeled arrived by steamships, Pan Am Clippers and private yachts. Most of the accommodations are in a manor house perched above Castle Harbour, a 17th-century anchorage. A formal palm court (above) leads visitors from the croquet lawn to a horizon pool. The Tucker's Point Spa is not to be outdone, featuring treatments centered on local flora, ocean minerals and honey harvested on the resort grounds. There's open-air yoga and tai chi, and a "hydrotherapy suite" in which guests submit to the invigoration of a SilverTAG shower, consisting of 18 specially placed shower heads that shoot water of varying temperatures and pressures. For golfers, the resort has its own seaside course and, even better, there's the option of going next door to play the world-renowned Mid Ocean Club, designed by Charles Blair Macdonald in 1921.

Rooms start at $590 per night, double occupancy, through Aug. 31. From Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, they begin at $460.

The owner of the Coco Reef Resort in Bermuda really wants you to buy a painting when you visit a new fine art gallery and restaurant in Paget, so much so that he'll make your vacation free if you buy some art. The new Caribbean fine arts gallery will be located in the former Triminghams store on South Road in Paget near the hotel. The Royal Gazette reports that the gallery will have an artist in residence available for visitors to watch working. The $7 million gallery, wine and tapas bar is due to open soon and will have a lavish look with marble floors, crystal chandeliers and "the most luxurious bathrooms in the region." As for the painting deal, a minimum purchase will be required. Rates at the Coco Reef start around $450 a night.

It's hard to have a bad vacation in a place like Bermuda. The island is lovely, the people are friendly, and it's unlike any other place on earth. When traveling internationally, it's always a plus to stay somewhere with a warm, accessible staff. I've never been better accommodated than when I stayed at the Pompano Beach Club in Southampton, Bermuda.

The resort itself is made up of a few dozen oceanfront cottages along the most sparkling blue water you'll ever see. The Pompano has all the standard resort amenities, including a private beach, pools, game and fitness center, spa, and water excursions, but by far the greatest amenity is its dining room. Your breakfast and dinner each day are included in the price of your stay, and the food easily competes with most of the finest restaurants in America. The dress code is "smart-casual," meaning collared shirts for men and no jeans, t-shirts, or sandals. You will have your choice of three or four different items per course each evening on the resort's rotating five-course dinner menu. There are plenty of restaurants nearby if you choose to dine out, but why would you?

The staff is the friendliest I've ever encountered on any of my travels. Merv, the bartender, makes the best rum swizzle on the island -- it's a Bermudian staple.

Even though Bermuda is due east of the Carolinas, its climate is much nicer, tempered by the gulf stream. It can get uncomfortably hot and humid in the summer months, but spring and fall are lovely. Even in winter, temperatures rarely dip below the mid-50's, and the water is usually warm enough for a swim.

It's a tiny island -- only a few miles long -- but there's so much to do. Don't let Bermuda just be a short stop on your next cruise, like so many tourists do. This island is ideal for a nice long vacation, and the Pompano is the perfect place to spend that time.

Calling all brides, the Mandarin Oriental has created a two-part destination wedding for a couple and a pair of witnesses. The package begins with a two-night stay at the Mandarin Oriental, New York which includes accommodations in the Premier Central Park View Suites, a two-hour Mandarin Oriental Signature Time Ritual at the spa and an evening of customized "guys and girls" activities. Then the foursome is flown to Elbow Beach, Bermuda by private jet. The Bermuda event begins with a sunset cruise and a celebratory dinner. The wedding day dawns with a breakfast and the services of a hair stylist and makeup artist. The bride gets a blue sapphire garter as a gift while the groom will receive vintage hand-stitched silk handkerchiefs. The wedding ceremony takes place on the Bird of Paradise Terrace, overlooking the pink sand and turquoise water, with flowers and a string quartet. As the sun sets, Elbow Beach chefs will prepare a six-course reception dinner for the couple and their guests under a marquee. A seven-tiered wedding cake, dancing and fireworks complete the perfect day. The couple stays in the private Bird of Paradise cottage which is prepared with flowers, candles, a rose petal bath, monogrammed silk pyjamas, chilled champagne and Godiva chocolates. The package also includes photographs and personalized bathrobes. The total package costs $75,000 but maybe you can get your lucky guests to pitch in for the party.

Bermuda has long been a retreat for the wealthy but the development at Tucker's Point sets a new standard for luxury on this island famed for its golf courses and genteel atmosphere. The $350 million, 200 acre resort includes a 104-room Hotel & Spa, a fractional ownership facility and Harbour Court, a condominium complex . 

The hotel, which will open in 2007, is Bermuda's first new luxury resort in 50 years. The hotel will include both rooms in the Manor House and a cluster of cottages with water views. There is also a 5,000-square foot conference center for meetings and social events.  The resort already has an 18-hole golf  course, a tennis center with Har Tru clay courts, a Beach Club with an oceanfront horizon swimming pool, and a  20,000-square-foot Golf Clubhouse.