Little Cayman Beach Resort

Little Cayman Beach Resort Review

This two-story hotel, the island's largest, offers the most options for fun-seekers and modern facilities yet a boutique vibe. The stylishly contemporary rooms received a complete refurbishment in 2008 (flat-screen TVs, iPod docking stations, curved shower rods, malachite-and-marble accents, carved Honduran hardwood furnishings). They overlook either the pool area or the ocean (the latter are quieter, especially the 300 block, farthest from the occasionally raucous Beach Nuts Bar, where divers congregate at 5 pm to watch the day's top high-definition videos). A full-service spa offers massages using mostly marine-based ingredients, as well as hair and nail treatments. The Mermaid Boutique is the island's most upscale shop. Meals, which have greatly improved under Executive Chef Anthony Pizzarello, are generally served buffet-style. Diving packages represent excellent value. The resort is gradually upgrading various areas and experimenting with eco-friendly practices such as using green-approved organic chemicals. But island warmth remains: it's family-run by Brackers, the children of beloved Linton "Mr. T" Tibbetts, an inspiring self-made millionaire who was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for his passionate efforts to promote tourism while preserving Caymanian heritage.