Our family spent quite a bit of back and forth on where we wanted to stay in Grand Cayman. We ultimately decided to spend 6 nights at the Holiday Inn Resort Grand Cayman, where we secured a friends and family rate of around $110 per night. We then used some US Bank points we earned back in 2012 that we had luck ever using for airfare, and elected to use them at the Comfort Suites for two nights, which worked out to roughly $250 per night.
Before we get into details of the Holiday Inn, we need to take a quick look at the previous reviews on TripAdvisor. Comparing the Holiday Inn to the Comfort Suites, the reviews clearly showed that the later was the preferred hotel. However, when it came down to price, our family elected to stay more nights at the Holiday Inn, and boy were we glad we did.
Upon arrival to the Holiday Inn, we were told our suite would have an ok view with a single king bed and pullout couch. We were offered a dual bed room, but were told it did not include a fridge, so we elected for the king suite.
When we inserted the key into the door, we instantly knew we made the right choice by all of the comments from everyone in our family. The suite included a full kitchen, complete with dishwasher, stove, and blender. The bar area provided the perfect “workshop” for our kids to draw and eat. The full dining room table and living room provided ample room. The bathroom was huge with double sinks, tub and shower. The balcony could be reached from both the bedroom and living room, and did provide a view of the ocean that was certainly acceptable to our family.
Oh, and what is hidden behind door number two, a washer and dryer in the room!
From a family perspective, we could not rave about the Holiday Inn Resort Grand Cayman enough, as the room was one of the nicer we had ever stayed, and certainly for a Holiday Inn property.
However, it gets better from there. Need towels for the beach, etc.? Simple give them a card telling you how many you need. When you return the towels, either get new ones or your card back.
Want to eat at the onsite Blue Iguana restaurant? It is a great idea because kids eat FREE, making it one of the cheaper dining options on the island. Not to mention all the food we were served was fantastic!
The outdoor pool was large to accommodate a large amount of people, and there was a separate kid pool.
There is a beach area, and this is where the majority of negative reviews come in from on TripAdvisor. While it may not be the picturesque, soft sand and crystal clear waters of Seven Mile Beach, it certainly could be usable. We did not use it, as our kids were always busy in the pool. However, there was a dock with lounge chairs, and jetskis for rent if you felt inclined.
The Holiday Inn is located away from the hustle and bustle of the Seven Mile Beach area, which we greatly appreciated! We enjoyed it often seeming like we were the only ones at the hotel, ensuring no one would call for some noisy kids.
We also loved that the entire suite was tile and not carpeting, making for sandy beach days a little easier to clean up, let alone the cleanliness.
While we may have been limited to only trying two of the hotels on the island, our family thinks the Holiday Inn Resort Grand Cayman is a true hidden gem, as the accommodations were fantastic, the staff was amazing, and the price point certainly doable for families. We also liked talking with some other families staying at the resort, and learning they stayed there as part of their staycation, meaning if the locals love it, it must be good!
Thanks Holiday Inn for the fantastic stay! If we ever venture back to the island, or have friends looking for recommendations, we would not hesitate to stay here again!
