We just returned from five days at the Marriott Grand Cayman. June is not the time to go as it was very hot and humid!! The newly renovated Marriott is very nice and the staff was very friendly, as was everyone we met on the island. Their beach area is not too wide, but accommodated everyone nicely - except for a shortage of umbrellas available. The water there is a beautiful shade of blue and clear - you could see fish swimming right off shore. We only ate one breakfast (buffet) at the restaurant in the Marriott; as of now, they only have one restaurant open - I think they plan to open another one in the future. Everything in the Caymans is expensive - we paid a little over $100 for dinner each night. We absolutely loved the Wharf Restaurant - it sits right on the edge of water with tarpon patiently swimming around waiting to be fed nightly at 9:00 PM. We also ate at the Reef Grill - the food was good but the flies were terrible as soon as we got our food. We had to move inside at that point. I suggest breakfast at Coconut Joe's which is practically across the street from the Marriott - the most inexpensive place we encountered. . their hash browns are wonderful! I was amazed at the amount of damage that still remains from Hurricane Ivan - it will take years for the island to recover. There are still many ruined houses and apt. complexes waiting to be demolished. A lot of tall pine trees were completely stripped of their branches except on one side. We went to the Turtle Farm which was interesting and Rum Point is beautiful, but again, too hot!! Also, avoid Georgetown when there are cruise ships in town - it gets very crowded; we also learned when the cruise ships leave around 3:00 each day, some of the shops close up early. Perhaps they only do that in the summer months when there aren't as many visitors. It was a nice place to visit but I think we prefer St. Croix or Tortola because of the different landscape - both of those islands have mountains - Grand Cayman is flat. I would recommend the Marriott Beach Resort. The Hyatt and the Westin also looked very nice - we had lunches there, but I think the rooms will cost more than at the Marriott.

Great report Beth, thanks!

Beth48, was the Rum Point Ferry running? Also, what was the Hurricane damage like on 7Mile and downtown?

I think so, but we had a car so we drove there. The hurricane damage wasn't too evident in Georgetown. I'm sure they repaired things quickly there since they get lots of visitors from cruise ships. And 7 mile beach is in great shape - the place next to the Marriott looks like it's about to fall down. Other parts of the island are extensively damaged - we saw an apt. complex where I think every unit was damaged. Part of the road along the beach on the south side is washed away. Lots of trees/shrubs down, but just in some areas of the island. It's very evident the south side took the full force of the storm. I was amazed at all the damage. It will take them years to repair everything. Lots of restaurants have re-opened, but not the Lighthouse - I was a bit disappointed!

This question for beth-You say the place next to the Marriott is ready to fall down. Do you mean "Regal Beach"?
We stayed there a few years ago and are wondering about the condition of it. We would like to go back there. Regal Beach is the very next property to Marriott going away from town.

Regal Beach is open and taking reservations!

No, it's the property on the other side which is in front of the Comfort Inn.

Just to confirm, Regal Beach is just fine, it is Tamarind Bay condos that looks derelict.. right between Comfort Suites and the beach, on the South side of the Marriott.

Do rest assured that all resorts and condos that are open and taking guests were strictly inspected.. every single room.. I can vouch for that at my resort (!), so don't worry, standards of accommodations will be as you would expect in Cayman... high.

Thank you for the trip report! It sounds to be just about as I imagined by this point in time. Rebuilding from that kind of devastation won't be done overnight. Hope you do go back some day, because even though the island is flat, it normally is very beautiful. We have gorgeous pix from the past 2 summers. Chose not to go this year because I really did not want to witness the devastation. Although I think it would be easier for a visitor who's previously been there to understand.
Glad to hear the Marriott is nice since reopening. It looks beautiful on line! As far as being hot, I loved it!

This is a good example of the "glass that is half full or half empty". I am in Grand Cayman right now reading your trip report. First of all, I'm amazed at how hot you think it is here. There is an incredible breeze most of the time. The heat hasn't bothered me at all and I've been walking everywhere! Yes, it's expensive but the Caribbean is expensive because everything is shipped in. I don't think Grand Cayman is near as expensive as other Islands I've been to in the Caribbean. I also went to the Reef Grill but I had the most wonderful experience. The food was incredible, I loved the music they were playing and the atmosphere couldn't be beat. Not only did I not see a fly but I haven't seen a fly, mosquito or any flying bug since I've been here and it's been a week today. I am also personally amazed at how well they have cleaned things up here in 9 months since the hurricane. I keep telling everyone they have done an unbelievable job! Lastly, I am staying at the Westin. I can't speak highly enough of this place. They upgraded my room to a beautiful ocean front. The staff cannot be ANY friendlier. I've been getting two rum cakes on my pillow every night and a bottle of water every morning. I'll write a full trip report when I get back.

We were in GC June 30 - July 5. We stayed at Regal Beach and I must say it was a nice property. We were in unit 123 and it was very roomy and clean. The screened patio was nice, too. The kids loved the pool in the late afternoons but we could have used more umbrellas. When we made our reservations we were told we were getting the last two rooms. Although there were people about it wasn't crowded at all.

I would not hesitate to stay at Regal Beach again.

It is next door to the Marriott and we really planned on using their pool bars and pool restaurants but there weren't any. It did look like they were working on stuff in that area.

Cindgail~~Glad to hear you're having a wonderful time! I'm also happy to know you're at the Westin, as we were there last summer for part of our trip and loved it! You're right about the breeze, It's hot, but if you lie on the beach, you don't even sweat. Can't wait to hear your trip report when you return. Enjoy the rest of your vacation!
Summer

Correction to TomCayman's post:
Tamarind Bay condos are undergoing renovations, so there is scaffolding and lots of work going on there. They are the 2nd resort south of the Marriott though.
It is actually Turtle Beach Villas that looks like it is falling down (and is located directly adjacent to the Marriott). It is fenced off and will be torn down eventually, though I don't know when they will get around to it.

You can see quite a few recent photos (June 2005) of most Grand Cayman resorts at www.caymanvacations.com

Whoops, sorry