Cayman -by Gene E.

I have not been to Cayman for 6 years and could not believe the changes. There are many new hotels and they are in the process of building two more luxury properties that will rival the Ritz Carlton. The infrastructure has improved immensely with many new roads and highways. I could not even get my bearings with all of the changes. The island has a very cosmopolitan feel to it which will attract even more upscale clients.

 

HOTEL SITE INSPECTIONS:

We looked at 10 hotels as follows:

 

Westin Hotel, www.westingrandcayman.com/, 4-star on the beach:

This property went through  major renovations recently  which it really needed. They offer regular rooms as well as 1 and 2 bedroom and 2 Presidential Suites. All of the rooms were very nice, the resort property is beautiful, they have a great buffet and it is a beautiful location for weddings.

 

Comfort Suites, www.caymancomfort.com/, 3-star:

This property is on the beach side but not considered on the beach  and is a 100 yard walk to the beach on a walkway. There is another building that blocks the view of the ocean as the Comfort Suites  property is close to West Bay Rd. It’s an all-suite hotel property that  has been recently completely renovated so it is clean and fresh. They offer Studio and 1 and 2 bedroom suites with breakfast daily. Great property for anyone on a budget , especially families with children and any.  Great snorkeling off the beach as there are reef balls in the ocean.

 

Sunshine Suites, www.sunshinesuites.com/, 3-star:

The FAM group stayed here and I would stay at this property again in a heartbeat. Great staff, it has been totally renovated, is an all-suite boutique property and is a good choice for anyone. Studio rooms have a refrigerator and microwave and deluxe and 1 bedroom suites have a full kitchen. They have a small restaurant that is so popular there was a line of about 50 people on Saturday night waiting to dine. They have the best Fish Tacos on the island and the locals and guests that are staying at the Westin and Ritz Carlton come to dine there! VERY affordable and across the street from the beach.

 

1.     Ritz Carlton, www.ritzcarlton.com/GrandCayman, 5-star on the beach:

2.     This still my favorite 7-Mile Beach property on the island. The resort is gorgeous, the rooms and suites beautiful, it’s on one of the best parts of the beach and the service is always consistently fabulous at all Ritz Carlton properties. It is the perfect property for all high end clients including families with children.

 

Marriott Beach Resort, www.marriott.com/.../gcmgc-grand-cayman-marriott-beach-resort/, 4-star on the beach:

This property is being renovated which is really needed. Renovations will be complete in 2014 and there may be a resort fee. They do not promote the AI but do offer it.. This property is very active  and a good fit for anyone. The beach is still small but has improved over the years.

 

They have a dedicated Wedding Planner who is an expert in Indian weddings.

 

Grand Cayman Meridian, www.grandcaymanmeridian.com/, 4-star luxury condos on the beach:

Villas on a beautiful part of 7-Mile Beach and works for any type of high end  client. All villas are ocean view and the units we looked at were gorgeous. This property is directly across the street from fine dining restaurants, a grocery store a spa and shopping so it in a great location.

 

Compass Pointe Dive Resort, www.compasspoint.ky/, 3-star, located on the east end of the island:

This property is very secluded and about 55 minutes from the airport so a car rental is required. They offer studio, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units that were clean and nice but nothing fancy. The beach is small but nice and they have a new outdoor restaurant and there are other dining options nearby. They do have a dive shop on site and other activities.  I would recommend this property to divers, snorkelers and clients who are on a limited budget and/or have been to Cayman before and are looking for a quiet property.

 

The Reef Resort, www.thereef.com/, 3 ½ star property on the east end of the island:

This property is located next door to Morritz Tortuga Club, is about 45 minutes from the airport and is on 1500 feet of beautiful beach. The property offers roundtrip airport transfers for $40 per person so a car is not required. Studio, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom suites are offered and they are all beach front. The resort offers EP and All-Inclusive options. This property is great for divers, families, honeymooners, spa clients and clients interested in eco-tourism.

Some of the rooms do need renovation and some looked good.

 

Cobalt Coast Dive Resort, www.cobaltcoast.com/, 3- star, All-Inclusive, is located on north side in West Bay about 15 minutes from 7-Mile Beach:

A very small, 20 room resort, all of the rooms are suites and they do offer a Honeymoon Suite. The décor is very IKEA like  as the owner is Dutch. The suites are neat and clean, there is 1 restaurant and bar and 2 pools; one dedicated for scuba lessons. They have a small beach and the sea is made of coral and rock. Very remote, quiet and nothing to do but dive and snorkel. Great for anyone looking for remote, great diving and snorkeling and especially great for families with children. Dive shop on site that offers a kids club with dive lessons for children 10+.

 

Caribbean Club, 5 www.caribclub.com/, -star, EP,  luxury located  on 7-Mile Beach:

Newest condominium hotel with only 3-& 4 bedroom, 3 bath  villas. One restaurant, pool, Nanny service, grocery service and personal assistants, chef or catering available. Perfect option for VERY high end clients not concerned with the cost; couples, groups and families.

 

 

DINING: Most every dining  experience was fabulous:

We ate at the following restaurants:

Ferdinand’s  at the Westin Hotel, breakfast.

It was fabulous; fresh, lots of choices, delicious and great service.

 

Cayman Cabana, dinner:

Ocean side restaurant, casual, fantastic menu and all meals were delicious.

 

Treats, Restaurant and Juice Bar, breakfast:

Served family style with many delicious options.

 

Kurt’s Corner, lunch:

Local restaurant, outdoor, hole in the wall but the food was good but not great; sandwiches, salads and local dishes.

 

Champion House, dinner:

This is a local restaurant that has been around for as long as I have been going to Cayman which is 27 years. They have great, local Caribbean fare and a REALLY reasonable price. Nothing fancy but the cuisine is delicious.

 

ICOA Café,  breakfast:

Another delicious meal served family style with a huge variety of fresh fruits, pastries, breads, cereals, eggs, meats and more. Fantastic!

 

Tiki Beach, dinner:

Seafood restaurant on the waterfront with delicious local fare. Great ambience with white table cloths and high back wicker chairs that envelope you. The food was fabulous and the service excellent. Prices were reasonable for a fine ding restaurant.

 

 

ACTIVITIES:

 

Dolphin Discovery Tour, www.dolphindiscovery.com/grand-cayman/:

his is a fairly new activity on the island. We received an educational tour and information on the three Dolphin Experience Packages that are offered. This is a very in demand activity on the island and the place was packed for the first morning session. I would very much recommend this activity and would suggest clients pre-book this as it may be difficult to book at the last minute.

 

Boatswain Beach Adventure Park &  Turtle Farm, www.boatswainsbeach.ky/tickets/:

The improvements and additions to this place in the last 6 years were amazing. They now have a water slide, swimming lagoon, turtle lagoon where you can swim with the turtles, an underwater predator reef, animal feeding shows and exhibits and several different educational tours. This was the first formal tour I had ever taken and it was very informative and interesting. Your clients could easily spend an entire day at this park. The kids looked like they were having a fantastic time.

 

Pedro St. James Castle,  National Historical Site and Living Heritage Museum, www.pedrostjames.ky/ ,  Once again I have been to this site but have never taken a formal tour. The tour was very educational and offered great information an history regarding the island, culture and history. It’s located on 7 beautiful acres overlooking the sea. They have a beautiful Gazebo where weddings and receptions are held; a gorgeous setting for both. Enjoyed this very much.

 

Bodden Town Mission House, National Trust for the Cayman Islands, www.nationaltrust.org.ky/,  My first time here and I also enjoyed it very much. The woman who conducted the tour is a family member of one of the three families that owned the home. It’s located in downtown Georgetown and is another great way to learn about the history and culture of the Cayman Islands and the challenges faced by early missionaries.

 

Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park www.botanic-park.ky/, :I have been to this park several times but this was my first escorted tour and our guide was fabulous. It  is gorgeous and offers flowers and plants, butterflies and the famous Blue Iguana. We took the tour of the Colour Garden which has all of the flowers separated by colors which was amazing and beautiful. This is the perfect way to spend part of a day for those clients who love nature, plants and flowers. It is also a gorgeous place to have a “Wedding In Paradise”..

 

Captain Marvin’s Stingray City Snorkel Trip, https://www.captainmarvins.com/,

 I’ve done this tour about 8 times now but this time it was different and better. I was not planning to even go in the water with the Stingrays but the captain of the boat promised me I would not be sorry. The Stingrays are so tame he had me float on my back and instructed the Stingray to float over me. He then told her to give me a kiss and she kissed me on the mouth ever so gently! It was a little pucker and felt like a real kiss. The most amazing part of this experience was the eyes of this gorgeous creature as it looked into my eyes – I swear I could see a soul in those eyes. Very fun and exciting, this tour is always a must do and see. Shore Trips uses Captain Marvin’s for their Stingray City tours.

 

Cayman Islands National Museum www.museum.ky/,:

We took self guided,  independent tour through the museum which also offers good information on the heritage and culture of the Cayman Islands with their programs, exhibits and collections.