Feb 9, 2018, 7:14 pm
Last edit by: hhoope01
This thread refers to the various Marriott brands within a specific geographic area. Marriott Bonvoy hotels in XX usually have posts asking which property is better, etc. Trip reports are usually better suited in the property specific threads.
Marriott Bonvoy hotels in Grand Cayman
Jan 11, 2002, 9:21 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: KAVL/Jack of Daniel
Programs: AA 2MM LT PLT, DL DM 2MM, MC LT Titanium, IHG Spire, HY Glbist
Posts: 1,562
The rooms are ok (std rooms on the smallish side, if you get upgraded you'll be happier), the beach is meager, the staff is great, location is ok-pretty much in the middle of 7 mile beach.
There's not much "touristy" stuff in GCM. You could rent a car or scooters and get all the site seeing done in 1 day. If you dive, you'll be in nirvana. If you like not being bothered on the beach by peddlers, this is heaven. The worst days are when the cruise ships hit the dock.
It's not cheap there, but it's clean, crime is virtually non-existant and the people are friendly.
We've been going there for 16 years at least once a year.
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Not sure where I'm going, but I'm gettting there fast.
[This message has been edited by bonzaiflyer (edited 01-11-2002).]
There's not much "touristy" stuff in GCM. You could rent a car or scooters and get all the site seeing done in 1 day. If you dive, you'll be in nirvana. If you like not being bothered on the beach by peddlers, this is heaven. The worst days are when the cruise ships hit the dock.
It's not cheap there, but it's clean, crime is virtually non-existant and the people are friendly.
We've been going there for 16 years at least once a year.
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Not sure where I'm going, but I'm gettting there fast.
[This message has been edited by bonzaiflyer (edited 01-11-2002).]
Jan 11, 2002, 9:28 am
#3
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: DFW - DL MM/SM, AA 5MM/CK, MR LT Titanium
Posts: 827
Stayed there for a week in November 2000 with my wife and (then) six-month-old son on a award stay. The property is not as nice as some of the other Marriott resorts in the Caribbean that we have stayed at (Aruba, St Thomas). Room smelled funny and had very noisy A/C. Hotel layout is long and narrow, so very few rooms have ocean view. Pool was unheated and too cold for my wife to enjoy. When we were there the beach was completely eroded away, and we had to use the beach at the Holiday Inn a few miles up the road.
On the bright side, service was top-notch (although we had to pay a $20/night service fee for a "free" stay) and the food service was good.
For what it's worth, on our next visit we will be staying at the Westin.
On the bright side, service was top-notch (although we had to pay a $20/night service fee for a "free" stay) and the food service was good.
For what it's worth, on our next visit we will be staying at the Westin.
Jan 11, 2002, 12:36 pm
#5
Original Member
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: FLL
Programs: Delta
Posts: 1,755
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Sweet Willie:
do you scuba dive?</font>
do you scuba dive?</font>
?
Jan 11, 2002, 12:43 pm
#6
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: KAVL/Jack of Daniel
Programs: AA 2MM LT PLT, DL DM 2MM, MC LT Titanium, IHG Spire, HY Glbist
Posts: 1,562
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Flyaway:
No I do not scuba dive. Should I not be going then ?
</font>
No I do not scuba dive. Should I not be going then
?</font>
If you enjoy laying around on the beach undisturbed by vendors, then by all means, go there! Otherwise, as I mentioned earlier, there's not much site seeing, and not much else to do...sure you can rent jet skis, sailboats, all the usual crap. Seven mile beach is great, but the stretch that the Marriott is on is pretty skimpy on sand, it's narrow and rocky.
I typically stay at the Hyatt there, especially since they added the suites on the beach (the main hotel is across the street from the beach).
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Not sure where I'm going, but I'm gettting there fast.
Jan 11, 2002, 10:46 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 51
My wife and I stayed at the GC Marriott last November for one full week. I used points to get the free room but ended up paying $20 per day. I asked for ocean view as an upgrade and was able to get it. The beach front is rocky and there is no sand. We arrived just one week after a hurricane passed through so things were disturbed. I liked GC as a place to visit as the income level is much higher there....no people bothering you while you try to relax. It's expensive to eat, but you will be on vacation. If you like beaches, then 7 mile is the place to be. You can't really walk there from the Marriott. Choose the Hilton, Westin or even the Holiday Inn. Actually, the Holiday Inn has great access to a public beach across the street. It is a brand new hotel that looks good for a Holiday Inn.
Overall the Marriott was O.K. This property is NOT a full resort. It's on the smaller end and is much more like a Courtyard. They have a resturant, but never ate there. At $25.00 an entree, I thought it was expensive compared to other places nearby. The Turtle Farm was destroyed in the Hurricane. I'm told it is a really neat place to visit, but all the turtles washed to sea.
Overall, GC has great scuba and beaches. It's a relaxing place that is worth the visit.
Overall the Marriott was O.K. This property is NOT a full resort. It's on the smaller end and is much more like a Courtyard. They have a resturant, but never ate there. At $25.00 an entree, I thought it was expensive compared to other places nearby. The Turtle Farm was destroyed in the Hurricane. I'm told it is a really neat place to visit, but all the turtles washed to sea.
Overall, GC has great scuba and beaches. It's a relaxing place that is worth the visit.
Jan 12, 2002, 11:32 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: USA
Posts: 226
I highly reccomend the Westin.The Westin property is situated on a large beach with snorkling from the beach. Additionally Red Sail Sports operates from the Westin. A new hotel, the rooms are very modern and clean. Upgraded to oceanfront with starwood platinum card. The Hyatt requires a long walk to the beach (.5mi)if you are staying in a regular room. Only Hyatts suites are on the ocean (pricey). You need a car to get around nothing is within walking distance.
Jan 12, 2002, 11:55 am
#10
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Richmond, Va
Programs: DL FO, HH Gold
Posts: 74
Yes, at the Grand Hyatt you'll have a little hike from the regular rooms to the beach. But the property is amazing. The Red Sail Sports group also operates out of the Hyatt. Hyatt also has a couple pools on the side nearer to the reg rooms, so if you're not a beach person, this will work too. But really, the walk was NOT that bad. They have a nice covered walkway leading you to it, and lots of nice shops along the way.
Jan 14, 2002, 6:03 pm
#11
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I'll second the notion for the Westin, had many superb stays there over the past several years. The Hyatt is equally as nice, but as others have said the regualar rooms are across the street from the beach. Also, the Hyatt is a larger hotel and has less actual beach space than the Westin, so the beach area can get very congested at times.
I like going to the Caribbean to sit on the beach and take the occasional afternoon dive trip, and for that Grand Cayman is the number one place.
I like going to the Caribbean to sit on the beach and take the occasional afternoon dive trip, and for that Grand Cayman is the number one place.
Jan 23, 2002, 4:26 pm
#12
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 24
Just stayed at the Marriott Grand Cayman. What a dump! The hotel basically spoiled our trip. Used points and still it was a big disappointment. We went to the Westin for the beach and pool.
This hotel should NOT carry the Marriott name. And I can't imagine someone paying $395 a night which is what it was going for when we stayed.
This hotel should NOT carry the Marriott name. And I can't imagine someone paying $395 a night which is what it was going for when we stayed.
Jan 23, 2002, 4:30 pm
#13
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Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: FLL
Programs: Delta
Posts: 1,755
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by davidb13:
Just stayed at the Marriott Grand Cayman. What a dump! The hotel basically spoiled our trip. Used points and still it was a big disappointment. We went to the Westin for the beach and pool.
This hotel should NOT carry the Marriott name. And I can't imagine someone paying $395 a night which is what it was going for when we stayed.</font>
Just stayed at the Marriott Grand Cayman. What a dump! The hotel basically spoiled our trip. Used points and still it was a big disappointment. We went to the Westin for the beach and pool.
This hotel should NOT carry the Marriott name. And I can't imagine someone paying $395 a night which is what it was going for when we stayed.</font>
Was it the rooms, food that you didn't like? Or was it only the beach/ pool?
Jan 23, 2002, 8:34 pm
#14
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 24
All of the above.
The rooms were old and tired. Linens looked dingy and dirty. The furniture was obviously several years old. Bathroom tile was dirty - grout was filfthy. Unless you get oceanfront, there are NO views from the rooms. Of the 8 channels offered on cable, you could only view and hear about 4. They said they were having satellite problems : (
The public areas (except Pool, I'll get to that in a second) were boring and cheap looking. We ate breakfast in the restaurant. It was NOT Marriott quality. There is no concierge - there IS a person trying to sell tours, but NO concierge. We had to ask the front desk about restaurants, and they basically referred us to an album on a desk in the lobby which had local restaurant menus. They have this man made river running through the courtyard of the hotel - it appeared that they tried to do what had been done successfully at the Hyatt, but a good comparison to that would be Six Flags vs Disney, if you know what I mean.
The pool was too small for the property. Plus, there is a Comfort Inn next door that doesn't have a pool on the beach, so guess what....they all come over to the Marriott's pool/jacuzzi. Because there is no beach, everyone sits at the pool, so there is basically nowhere to sit, assuming you would want to sit out there. The beach is maybe 8 feet from the retaining wall of the pool area to the water. Barely enough to put a few beach chairs. The trash cans late in the day (on the one afternoon we tried to use the Marriott pool) were overrun with trash and nobody seemed to be concerned that trash was falling out and spreading around.
The property reminded me of a very old and rundown Holiday Inn.
I admit I prefer a nicer hotel when on vacation. Some people don't care about the rooms, just so they can say "We're on Grand Cayman! (or wherever)". To me, the hotel makes or breaks a trip. And this property broke our trip. There isn't much to do on Grand Cayman in the way of sights, so the hotel (this isn't a resort) becomes even more important.
We went to the Westin for pool and beach - an excellent property!! Also, went to brunch at the Hyatt - also a wonderful property, but it is across the street from the beach and looked to be quite a walk to get there. But both of those properties were near luxury, so you felt better being there. Returning to the Marriott each day was a downer.
I wish someone had warned me.
The rooms were old and tired. Linens looked dingy and dirty. The furniture was obviously several years old. Bathroom tile was dirty - grout was filfthy. Unless you get oceanfront, there are NO views from the rooms. Of the 8 channels offered on cable, you could only view and hear about 4. They said they were having satellite problems : (
The public areas (except Pool, I'll get to that in a second) were boring and cheap looking. We ate breakfast in the restaurant. It was NOT Marriott quality. There is no concierge - there IS a person trying to sell tours, but NO concierge. We had to ask the front desk about restaurants, and they basically referred us to an album on a desk in the lobby which had local restaurant menus. They have this man made river running through the courtyard of the hotel - it appeared that they tried to do what had been done successfully at the Hyatt, but a good comparison to that would be Six Flags vs Disney, if you know what I mean.
The pool was too small for the property. Plus, there is a Comfort Inn next door that doesn't have a pool on the beach, so guess what....they all come over to the Marriott's pool/jacuzzi. Because there is no beach, everyone sits at the pool, so there is basically nowhere to sit, assuming you would want to sit out there. The beach is maybe 8 feet from the retaining wall of the pool area to the water. Barely enough to put a few beach chairs. The trash cans late in the day (on the one afternoon we tried to use the Marriott pool) were overrun with trash and nobody seemed to be concerned that trash was falling out and spreading around.
The property reminded me of a very old and rundown Holiday Inn.
I admit I prefer a nicer hotel when on vacation. Some people don't care about the rooms, just so they can say "We're on Grand Cayman! (or wherever)". To me, the hotel makes or breaks a trip. And this property broke our trip. There isn't much to do on Grand Cayman in the way of sights, so the hotel (this isn't a resort) becomes even more important.
We went to the Westin for pool and beach - an excellent property!! Also, went to brunch at the Hyatt - also a wonderful property, but it is across the street from the beach and looked to be quite a walk to get there. But both of those properties were near luxury, so you felt better being there. Returning to the Marriott each day was a downer.
I wish someone had warned me.
Jan 24, 2002, 5:58 am
#15
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Suwanee,Ga ,usa
Posts: 3,617
davidb,welcome to FT and thanks for your post.I agree with your opinion.
Highlights of Grand Cayman is swiming with the sting rays and the water. That's it. Overall,IMHO,there are many better places to travel to.
Highlights of Grand Cayman is swiming with the sting rays and the water. That's it. Overall,IMHO,there are many better places to travel to.