"The stores here are closed on Sundays, but this forces
you to rest, which is not necessarily a bad thing."
Molly Anderson is director of destination services at the
593-room Fairmont Southampton in Bermuda. She heads up Discover
Bermuda, the hotel’s destination management company, which was
launched on Jan. 1. Anderson, who has worked in La Quinta, Calif.,
and Tucson, Ariz., among other places, moved to Bermuda last
September.
Why did the Fairmont set up Discover Bermuda?
They did so in order to give to destination services on the island
the same quality that the hotel provides for its guests.
Is there a strong demand for your services?
Yes. Tourism used to be the big industry here, and the island’s
minister of tourism is under pressure to bring it back to its
heyday. As by far the biggest hotel here, we certainly can use our
strength to provide excellent service, although we made the
decision only to provide services to our hotel’s clients, not to
outside hotels. That said, guests here can choose an outside DMC if
they wish.
What are your impressions of Bermuda? It is
very clean and safe. I have worked in Hawaii, and I will say the
beaches here are better, sort of Cape Cod-meets-Hawaii. The
snorkeling is right offshore, and the people are friendly and well
traveled particularly the taxi drivers. Also, the shopping is
excellent and upscale.
Are there downsides? The stores here are closed
on Sundays, but this forces you to rest, which is not necessarily a
bad thing. Driving on the left side of the road also is a problem
for me.