If you are looking for…
- Gorgeous white sand beaches
- Crystal clear turquoise sea
- Fun for the whole family (OR a romantic getaway!)
- Beautiful resorts
- Great restaurants
Then look no further than Grand Cayman!! My family recently spent a week at the gorgeous Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman and found all of the above and more. Immediately upon check-in, we were greeted by a whole host of staff, especially spoiling my kids (ages 4 & 6) with little gifts and cookies. We were then escorted from the lobby to our beautiful one-bedroom ocean view residence, which is SO spacious and perfect for families!
Cutest in-room welcome for the kids- stuffed stingrays & sand pails!
Master bedroom
Living room of the one-bedroom residence with sleeper sofa
Views from our suite!
The resort is divided into two towers, and there is really no wrong place to stay! The resort tower is set back from the beach, but is where the lobby, several restaurants, one of the swimming pools + the new kids waterpark Starfish Cay, and the Ambassadors of the Environment Ritz Kids program are located. The entry level resort rooms are here, so while these don’t have an ocean view, they are great for families who want to be near kids club, Starfish Cay waterpark, and a swimming pool! The ocean tower side is a several minute walk through a covered bridge (you wouldn’t even know you were walking through a bridge!) and features the ocean view rooms, suites and residences. It overlooks the oceanfront pool, gorgeous Seven Mile Beach, and also is where BarJack and Seven (breakfast) are located.
Ocean View room views over the pool and Seven Mile Beach!
BarJack awaits you for lunch overlooking Seven Mile Beach!
Starfish Cay, the new kids’ mini waterpark is SO MUCH FUN! (For adults and kids, as you can see.. haha)
Kids club- my kids had a blast being stingray detectives one day, searching the resort on a scavenger hunt to learn more about these sea creatures- AND making fun arts & crafts!
The Ritz Grand Cayman is incredibly kid-friendly.. in addition to the kids program and the Starfish Cay waterpark, there are little touches like mini chaise lounges at Starfish Cay for kids, mini beach chairs at the ocean pool, sand toys available to borrow, and of course kids menus available! I also loved how well-appointed the ocean pool area is with a kiosk selling everything from sand toys to sunscreen to the highly Instagrammable pink flamingo floaties.
Naturally, the world-famous Seven Mile Beach is the star attraction, and the Ritz has quite a presence on it! They have a long strip of sparkling white sand, with plenty of chairs for everyone (same with the pool!) as well as service where you indicate with a little flag when you are in need. Cabanas are available for rent, and non-motorized watersports, like snorkeling gear, paddleboards, etc are complimentary! LOVE everything about this resort, and I see why my clients do, too!!
My clients enjoy extra perks at this resort such as:
- Complimentary daily breakfast buffet (it is sooo good!!)
- $100 resort credit
- Upgrade if available at check-in
- Early check-in, late check-out based on availability
Outside of the resort, there are so many things to do on Grand Cayman! My family enjoyed a visit to the Cayman Turtle Farm, Stingray City, Starfish Point, and snorkeling at Rum Point.
Stingray City! Not scared. 🙂
At Starfish Cay, you can pick up these cute little guys in the shallow water.. so fun for kids!
The snorkeling at Rum Point is spectacular!! Just look at this water!!
The dining on island is also worthy of a mention!! For such a small island, Grand Cayman is well-known for it’s quality restaurants, so foodies take note! Below are some of my personal favorites:
- Ragazzi – about a half mile from the Ritz, indoors in a strip mall, but GREAT Italian, and it was packed when we dined there!
- Calypso Grill– close to the Turtle Farm in West Bay (a few miles north of the Ritz) has an outdoor patio as well as cute indoor space. We had lunch here, but I would recommend reservations for dinner! Crabcakes are a MUST!
- Cracked Conch– also in West Bay a few miles north of the Ritz, was probably my favorite meal of the trip. Excellent seafood, large outdoor deck with incredible sunset views- also has inside tables. Just down the steps next to it is Macabuca, it’s sister restaurant, a more casual oceanside tiki bar.
- Brasserie– in Georgetown, a local favorite, has their own organic garden and vine-covered outdoor deck in addition to the cute indoor space with a very island feel. Reservations recommended!
Insider tip- taxis can get pricey, and renting a car is easy to do. Steering wheels may be on either side of the car, but driving is on the left, like in the UK! While I did travel to Grand Cayman with my family, there were so many couples enjoying romantic getaways, too! I love that this little island, and the Ritz, are equally great for both types of trips.
I would love to help you plan a trip to gorgeous Grand Cayman as well! Please feel free to fill out the form under the “set sail” link or email me at [email protected]
