Meet Your Neighbors

So who has decided to join The Reefs Club and call Bermuda their home? And what is it about The Club that led them to conclude The Club was right for them? Here are the answers. More stories about new Reefs Club owners will be added each month.

Twenty years ago newlyweds Jim and Gigi Monath selected The Reefs for their honeymoon. Jim's usual thorough research paid off and the newlyweds fell in love with both the hotel and Bermuda. So much so they agreed to return every five years to celebrate their anniversary.

On their fifth, they returned to the island, but not The Reefs. Dr. Jim was a resident at the time and money was tight. That visit did however lead the Monaths to begin seriously thinking about someday owning a Bermuda vacation home. At one point they investigated a two-bedroom villa with a price tag of $660,000. Beyond their means at the time, they decided to work hard, save and someday...

That someday appeared to turned to never a few years later upon discovering the price for a similar two-bedroom villa had ballooned to $2.2 million.

Their tenth and fifteenth anniversaries passed without visiting Bermuda as Jim's practice and a growing family took precedent. As Jim started researching their twentieth anniversary vacation the only hotel he considered was The Reefs and first learned about The Reefs Club. After considering the options they concluded fractional ownership at The Reefs Club is the perfect way to own their dream Bermuda vacation home.

The Monaths celebrated their 20th anniversary at The Reefs in August 2008 and were pleased to find the same warm hospitality they experienced twenty years ago. "Being greeted by name by Mervin at the front door and Carol Ann in the dining room simply confirmed our decision to own at The Reefs Club," said Gigi. "It's like being part of the family."

The Monaths have two daughters 11 and 12 years old who can hardly wait to visit Bermuda for the first time. Like so many new owners, The Reefs Club will serve as a family legacy with the girls names added to the title when they reach 18 - the legal age for Bermuda real estate ownership.

In 1979 Rudy and Maryanne Valli spent their honeymoon in Bermuda and immediately fell in love with the island. On that first visit, Rudy made a promise to himself - that one day, he would own Bermuda real estate. Owning a Bermuda vacation home became one of their shared dreams.

While they honeymooned at another hotel Rudy and Maryanne learned that The Reefs was really the best place to stay. They became frequent repeat guests at the hotel.

"The Reefs is perfect for us. It is intimate and exclusive but not ostentatious. It is a place where we always feel very comfortable as the long-service staff who seem like they have been there forever make us feel just like family. We can receive as much or as little attention as we want."

Several years ago Mr. Valli was about to realize his dream of owning Bermuda real estate and put a deposit down on a private residence club. Purchasing a home on a fractional ownership basis made their dream affordable. Then he heard The Reefs was thinking of developing its own private residence club and immediately called David Dodwell, president of the hotel.

"David was very open with me about his plans for The Reefs Club. He was confident that The Reefs Club would be built, but because of government planning processes couldn't give me a precise date. Knowing David and The Reefs so well I was sure the atmosphere at The Reefs Club would be an extension of the hotel."

"So I asked for my deposit back on the other property and have waited patiently for David to build our dream house. We are all pleased with the progress and are looking forward to the grand opening in May 2009."

Mr. Valli's new residence is being purchased in his name along with his wife, and adult children. "I want everyone to enjoy our beachfront vacation home and to make it easy to pass it along as a family legacy."

When it was time to choose a hotel for their honeymoon Lon and Jennifer relied on the sage advice of a well respected friend who directed them to The Reefs. That was in 1984 and since then the Engels and their family (which now includes three sons and a daughter) have enjoyed more than 20 vacations at Bermuda's most popular hotel.

"Our family just loves Bermuda and The Reefs. It is our favorite place to be. There are always so many things to keep everyone active from tennis, kayaking, snorkeling, even croquet and shuffleboard. And there is always the fabulous food and the beach for lounging. We all feel very comfortable in Bermuda and never worry about traveling around Hamilton or anywhere on the island."

The Engels are most enthusiastic when talking about the staff. "I really can't praise the people who work there enough…they will go out of their way and do just about anything to ensure we are happy. Many of the staff have been there so long and know us so well they now seem like family. Even the newer employees know our names by the second day. I'm confident the same level of attentive service we enjoy at The Reefs will be there for us at The Club."

Local laws prohibit anyone under the age of eighteen to have their name on a Bermuda real estate title. So for now their new beachfront vacation home is owned by Lon, Jennifer and their two eldest children. As soon as they turn eighteen the two younger children will be added to the title. The Engel family is planning to make The Reefs Club their permanent family vacation home.

"What owning at The Reefs' private residence club offers us is a world of flexibility. The idea of being able to book last minute vacations if space is available is nice. Jennifer can invite "the girls" to Bermuda for a week and I can do the same with the guys if I want. My oldest daughter who lives in Scotland is looking forward to introducing her friends to Bermuda. And we will still have plenty of time to enjoy our home as a family."

Tour The Reefs Club

.

About us
Fact Sheet
Services and Amenities
Floor Plans
Photo Gallery