Bar's new look is fit for a Princess

Heritage Court’s white paintwork has been replaced by an ocean blue.

Green and blue sofas, chairs and furnishings complete the theme, which reflects the waters of Bermuda.

The staff has a new uniform and the cocktail list and menu has been revamped. The $160,000 makeover is the first time the Fairmont Hamilton Princess bar has received a facelift since the late 1990s.

Jon Crellin, general manager, said: “The colours are very Bermudian and we’ve picked fabrics in blues, yellows and greens, to give an ocean look to it all. All of our artwork is also by Bermudian artists.”

Management started the refurbishment process last spring and brought in Boston-based Jinnie Kim Design as the interior designer. Work started on  January 3.

Mr. Crellin said: “We were going to try to get it done in the summer but business did not allow us to stop, so we found the best time was to do it after the holidays.”

Working to a 10-day deadline, with the bar and restaurant reopening yesterday, Mr. Crellin said it was a team effort among the staff.

He added: “Everyone has pulled together. We have been going down to the wire reopening.”

Yesterday was a “soft opening”, with more chairs and upholstery being added next week.

The official opening will be held later this month.

Mr. Crellin said: “We like to refer to Heritage Court as the living room of the Fairmont Hamilton Princess. It is a high profile spot for the community. 

“We get about 450,000 customers a year between functions, our happy hours, local customers and guests, so this is an upgrade to a very public space.

“It’s a nice mix here of movers and shakers, Government officials, businessmen and women and leisure visitors coming in to watch a game or to try their first swizzle or dark ‘n’ stormy.”

The new cocktail list features drinks from Fairmont’s signature hotels around the world.

Tipples include the White Lady from London’s Savoy and the Perfect Manhattan from New York’s Plaza.

Mr. Crellin said the menu has also changed.

He added: “We’ve changed about 40 per cent of the items. We worked with our servers and chefs to ensure we kept the most popular dishes and retired the least popular.”

Heritage Court serves from 11am to 11:30pm daily. A late-night menu is available from 11:30pm to 1am.