Inside the beachfront Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman: The little things that make a big difference
Editor's Note
This summer, we didn't want to mess around. My family wanted an actual vacation: a perfect beach steps from our room, plenty of activities when we wanted them and a resort that felt relaxing instead of requiring constant planning.
We found exactly that at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, which is located right on iconic Seven Mile Beach.
The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman isn't the newest hotel on Seven Mile Beach or the least expensive. But if you're looking for a luxury resort where virtually every detail has been thoughtfully considered, it's one of the strongest options on the island.
There are certainly places that cost less on Grand Cayman, whether you are paying with cash or points. But after staying at a few of those more budget-friendly spots, I was curious how the granddaddy of them all — the Ritz-Carlton — would stack up.
Grand Cayman's beaches are beautiful no matter where you book. So while the beach was exquisite, it wasn't just the beach itself that made the Ritz-Carlton feel different — it was the dozens of thoughtful little touches that added up to a much more luxurious vacation.
Here's what that means.
Full-service beachfront chairs and cabanas
If you're looking for a resort with full beach service, this property is hard to beat.
Whether you want a drink, a meal, fresh towels, beach toys, or something else entirely, you can probably get it right from your beach chair at the Ritz-Carlton.
I was able to get front-row beach chairs while I was there at no extra charge, by just heading to the beach between 7 and 8 a.m.
Staff do monitor how long you're away from your chairs, so this (thankfully) isn't a place where you can toss down a paperback and disappear for half the day.
However, it was a great spot to have morning coffee and enjoy the view and then head back to wake up the kids and have them join. Just be sure you aren't gone from the beach for more than an hour if you want to keep your spot.
Of course, if you want the luxury of a space that is all yours all day, no matter how much you come and go, you can also rent a beachfront cabana at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman. If you do, you'll have dedicated service, shade, a fantastic fan and also a stocked fridge with snacks, juice, soda, beer and fruit.
This specific cabana starts at around $600 per day for up to six people, though prices vary by date.
Note when you're booking rooms that the hotel's North and South Towers are right by the beach, but the Resort Tower is a bit of a walk from the sand, although everything is connected by a long elevated hallway, so you never have to go outside thanks to a.
Multiple pools and splash pads
I've been to the Westin Grand Cayman, the Kimpton Seafire, the Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman and now the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman. While all are solid choices in their own right, if you're looking for a variety of pools and a great splash pad area for the kids, it's hard to top the Ritz-Carlton in that category.
In addition to the Starfish Cay splash area, the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman also has a Harbour Club pool and an Ocean pool that are both open until 7 p.m. daily. The ocean pool was a bit more lively during our time there than the quieter Harbor Club pool. Which pool will be more convenient to your room will depend on which tower you are in.
Included coffee, frozen cappuccinos, cold towels and more
Here's where the Ritz really won me over.
Yes, staying here is likely going to be a bit on the expensive side, whether you're paying with cash or points. But the steady stream of thoughtful little touches throughout the day made it feel like the price included a lot more than just a nice room.
For example, in the mornings, there was a nice spread of complimentary coffee and tea with a variety of creamers and such just out and available. No nickel and diming to start the day, which is not always the case, even at high-end hotels.
In fact, grabbing a cup (or two) and just finding a quiet corner to read was one of my favorite ways to spend part of the morning ... if I hadn't already headed straight for the beach.
On top of that, there were thoughtful inclusions like iced water and iced towels available by the front door for those going for a morning jog.
And on the mornings I started my day by the beach, attendants came by with complimentary mini frozen cappuccinos for the taking. These sorts of little touches made a big impression and really made us extra comfortable during our time there.
On-site ocean experts, boat trips and other water activities
Lots of nice resorts have some on-site activities for kids, some have interesting activities for the adults, too, but few have resident experts on staff who take things to a whole other level.
The Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ambassadors of the Environment program, located at the hotel's Heritage House, genuinely impressed me. Through the program you can book activities such as naturalist-led snorkel excursions, mangrove kayaking or tide-pool exploration.
When the Ritz-Carlton set me up on a snorkel excursion I was excited to see some pretty fish, but I did not expect it to be led by resident marine experts. These experts took the time to genuinely teach what you could expect to see and help you understand how the whole ocean ecosystem works together.
My particular water activity was a snorkel adventure that also taught you how to work underwater cameras and even helped you edit the photos you take. They also take some of their own pictures, so you can be in the shot, too.
The water just off the Seven Mile Beach was pretty great that day, both for snorkeling and the photography portion of the excursion.
This turtle was the undisputed star of the underwater show during our time snorkeling, and it was really awesome to have such a good photo of him to keep.
Another great activity you can do at the Ritz-Carlton is take a boat to Stingray City. The excursion leaves right from the boat dock at the hotel, making the whole process so much easier than having to get a car to a marina on the other side of town.
We didn't do that excursion on this trip, but we have in the past, and it really is worth experiencing.
Newly reimagined Spa at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman
As you might expect, there is a spa at the Ritz-Carlton. But it's not just a spa with a few treatment rooms, it's one that was recently reimagined with offerings such as vibroacoustic wellness beds, plunge pools, jacuzzis and more.
During my massage treatment, I didn't just pick the pressure, but also the music and the scent and enjoyed a warm neck pillow. And perhaps best of all, when it was over, there wasn't a sales pitch encouraging me to buy hundreds of dollars' worth of products.
Excellent onsite restaurants and Club Lounge
There are six onsite restaurants at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, not counting room service, the club lounge, etc.
- Blue by Eric Ripert: Formal, seafood-forward dining
- Saint June: Beachfront, casual lunch and dinner spot with Caribbean influences
- Silver Palm: Casual bites and afternoon tea during the day, turning into a lounge in the evening
- Seven: Prime cuts, steakhouse, seafood
- Taikun: Sushi
- Andiamo: Italian
Because we enjoyed a lot of our meals in the Club Lounge, the only restaurant we experienced on this trip was the open-air Italian restaurant, Andiamo.
It was cute, colorful and from the pizza to the bruschetta to the meatballs, no one left the table hungry. (Tip: Because it is an open-air restaurant next to the water, you may want to use the available bug spray during certain times of day or year.)
Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge
I'm a sucker for a club lounge — pop in and get whatever you need without a lot of extra hassle. And this is a top-tier club lounge. Of course, unlike with some other hotel club lounges, elite status doesn't get you in here.
Access isn't included with Marriott elite status. You'll need to book a club-level room or use one of the three annual club level upgrade certificates you get each year for having The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card. Those are only valid with certain eligible pay rates, so you couldn't stack them on top of an award stay, unfortunately.
The information for the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
But no matter how you get in, once you do, expect outstanding service and items for the taking, such as crab claws, salmon, fresh-squeezed orange juice, wine, cocktails and much more that rotate throughout the day. If your picky eaters don't like what's being served in the lounge, staff will even let you order from the hotel's kids menu at no extra charge.
The lounge is open each day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the items available are refreshed five times per day as they rotate between breakfast, lunch, light refreshments, hors d'oeuvres and cordials. You can absolutely enjoy many — or even all — of your meals here if you want to.
Inside the rooms and what it costs to stay at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman are large and comfortable, with standard rooms starting at 480 square feet.
Award prices for standard rooms using Marriott Bonvoy points at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman currently range from 112,000 to 166,000 points per night in my searches.
With Marriott Bonvoy, if you book a five-night award stay, the fifth night is free, so your effective per-night rate could be a bit lower if you wanted to book a five-night stay. Keep in mind that Marriott still charges the resort fee on award stays, currently $110 per day.
If you wanted to book a room with Club access, so you could enjoy the snacks, meals, beverages and more, then those rooms have a higher starting price of around 200,000 Marriott points per night if you use points.
You can earn Marriott Bonvoy points with cards such as the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card or Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (see rates and fees).
You can also transfer points to Marriott Bonvoy from programs such as Chase Ultimate Rewards (earned with cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card) (see rates and fees) or from American Express Membership Rewards (earned with cards such as the American Express® Gold Card).
If paying with cash, rooms start at $700 to $800 (before taxes and fees) each night and club level access often adds another $400 to $500 per night to the cost.
If you are paying cash, consider booking via a program such as American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts Collection or Chase's The Edit, so that you will enjoy a property credit, included daily breakfast for two, and other benefits that vary by program but likely will be pretty valuable at a high-end resort such as this one.
Bottom line
If you're searching for the best deal on Grand Cayman's Seven Mile Beach, it unsurprisingly probably won't be found at the Ritz-Carlton. And if you're looking for the newest hotel on the beach, it probably won't be this resort, which first opened in 2005.
However, if you are looking for a resort where virtually everything you might want is at your fingertips and it is very easy to just relax, be pampered and truly enjoy your vacation, then the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman is a spot to have on your list.
From little touches such as bocce ball lessons and outdoor movies, to the delicious food, the onsite spa, marine biologists and high-end service and beachfront chairs, the Ritz-Carlton is just in a different class than some of the other hotel options in Grand Cayman.
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