Grand Cayman

We spent a long weekend at the Westin in Grand Cayman in November 2010. This was our 2nd trip to GC. In '06, we stayed at the Hyatt which is now called the Grand Cayman Beach Suites. During that trip, we rented a car, drove all over the island and did all the touristy things. This time, we just wanted to relax so we did just that.

We picked the Westin because they were offering a standard room for $169/night. With the resort fee and taxes, the rate really ended up being $220/night but we thought it was still a pretty good deal.

After a loooooooong day of travel (one layover - will try to avoid that in the future), we got to the hotel around 10pm. We were the only ones checking in so it was quick. We were given room #185, on the first floor with a patio and near the beach (hard to tell since it was dark). Our first impression: the room was a decent size but felt tired. While we were unpacking, our son decided to use the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later to tell us the toilet was not working. Sure enough, it was not. Ugh. My husband went back to the front desk and we were given room #110. It was the exact same room layout but on the other side building and right next to the pool. This room also felt tired but at least the toilet was working. :) Overall, we were disappointed with our room. Besides needing a remodel, every morning we'd find 2 or 3 cockroaches in the bathroom. At least they were small but still... Eww.. Also, the cold water lever handle was broken.

Room

Room patio

Pool

We thought the Westin's beachfront lived up to its reputation. The grounds and pool are very attractive. There are plenty of lounge chairs on the beach and by the pool. We saw some beach umbrellas but they were not put out due to the windy conditions. However, there are trees on the beach and in the pool area that do provide shade. The waitresses were pretty good at coming around to see if we wanted drinks or food. There are also a couple of hot tubs in the pool area. The hotel staff was nice. I wanted to have a massage at the spa but they had no availability. :( The hotel's food was okay. We had room service the night we arrived (caesar salad, cajun chicken). We also had a couple of lunches (mostly sandwiches) at the pool bar and had the Sunday brunch at Ferdinand's. The caesar salad was the only food that stood out. It was very good, everything else was just okay. Final thoughts on the hotel: if we were to vacation again in GC, we wouldn't stay at the Westin. There are too many choices on the island for us to return to a place that we were just "eh" about.

The weather was pretty good... sunny, cloudy at times but no rain. We did feel some of the effects of tropical storm Tomas. It was a bit windy and the water had big waves our first 2 days. On the 3rd day, the water was finally calm.

RESTAURANTS we ate at and would recommend: Breakfast at EATS. Lunch at Sunshine Grill. Dinner at Decker's and Agua.

Lunch at the SUNSHINE GRILL across the street.

Fish taco

Chicken quesadilla

Dinner at DECKERS. Twice. Yum and yum.

Cajun mahi mahi

Grilled pork tenderloin

Lobster tail

Pork ribs

Chocolate lava cake

Apple crumble cake with vanilla ice cream