Grand Cayman Marriott Resort

Incredible stay the staff is amazing and so kind. Elvis was fantastic and so kind to us, really made our stay so much better. He went above and beyond, we appreciated it.

The hotel was very clean, comfortable and the food was great! The pool area is very nice too even though we didn’t have a chance to use the pool! Everyone who works here are very friendly and can’t do enough for you as a guest! It was always a pleasure to come back to our hotel room because Osiris had it immaculate and filled with all the towels we needed! Would definitely stay here again! Thank you Marriott!!!

Decent experience for the money. Beautiful lobby, friendly front desk staff, very good spa services/ availability and fair pricing. The recently renovated rooms were adequate- appreciated in room coffee, plenty of plugs and comfy bed. Housekeeping friendly and ready to assist. Could improve with better storage for your clothes, extra hooks in bathroom, 2 bathrobes (Instead of 1) and slippers. Gym- small but had essentials- lacking good WiFi and no view/windows. Could use updating. Pool area- much was written about the pool deck and lack of beach. It’s true there is no beach area to sit on but it is accessible down a short set of stairs. If you choose a lounge chair on the edge of the pool deck it is the best of both worlds- great ocean breeze but no sand to deal with!!! There were always plenty of chairs/umbrellas available- some were located on the turf area. Plenty of poolside service for lunch and cocktails.

This hotel has gone downhill. There is no beach, but the real problem is management's lack of respect for longtime Marriott members. We usually stay using points earned from stays and almost exclusive use of our Marriott Bonvoy card. I am a lifetime Titanium level customer. I have asked to use "Suite Night" upgrade rewards nearly every year and it never happens. Just returned from a 5-night stay and there were several oceanfront rooms that were not occupied. We will not return. Sad, really, because the vast majority of the staff (Pool, towels, restaurants, spa and housekeeping) are all excellent. The GM could learn a lesson from them. We have visited nearly every year for over a decade, but the lack of upgrades have ended this habit. Oh, and two of the tiles in our bathroom had the room number written on them. ;o) While on the toilet you could read the room number on the tiles next to the floor facing you. I "kid" you not! ;o)

To save you time, maybe money (since here they add 18% gratuity) & less missed opportunities, hopefully long review w/ pertinent details helpful since we were there over 8 days & experienced a LOT! (Mentioned several extras since some business not on Tripadvisor & copy/pasted half my review from Google too). An overall rating for this location is bit tough & probably between 3.5-4 star since some services, etc were amazing & others were poor. Imo, this resort is cost-heavy for the value & gratuity rate higher than necessary. Ambience/Remodel: Beautiful, soothing, warm & comfortable decor. Front Desk Staff: Initial welcome good after long check in wait. Always polite, friendly & happy to give recommendations. Shuttle: to/from airport good, didnt use for beaches since rented car (highly recommend). Door clerks: Great, welcoming, friendly & often had smiles. Live music in lobby always had a pleasant sound! For trip planning, if little/no info on website (or for nearby spots), glad called ahead for Concierge. They have no specific service for this & it rings to front desk, which gets busy. This could use improvement as before & during trip, if they didn't know, they'd have to check w/ others & get back to me (usually promptly). Aina was terrific, knowledgeable & readily gave customized answers w/ suggestions (wanted to have as many conch fritters on vaca as possible & we did actually go to both she recommended- Heritage Kitchen - mini fritters good, fried snapper overcooked & Rackam's were great). Housekeeping: Delci was our primary room attendant & FABULOUS! Always polite, friendly, accommodating if needed more or a specific request, courteous of our time & acknowledged well wishes towardsa no-worries/enjoyable vacation. Our room was kept tidy, clean & well stocked. I appreciated her making us & our time feel valued. Cooking class: PHENOMENAL! Chef from Peru taught our group how to make Peruvian snapper ceviche. Was such a perfect blend of history, education & delicious ingredients that it was a big highlight here! We didn't know to reserve in advance but they accommodated us. Highly recommend. Wish they offered more than 1 class/wk. Mixology class: Also great. She was a patient & knowledgeable bartender that provided a fun & educational experience too. I assumed it would be featuring a rum drink but it was 2 others. My husband esp enjoyed since he's a G & T fan! Spa: had an awesome deep massage by Rene on my bday. She was fabulous! They provided tea before & after in what I called the serenity room which was quiet & peaceful. Large variety of nice but pricey products available in their shop. Giftshop also with wide variety of nice but pricey items. Do believe heard somewhere IF Marriott member can get shop discounts but pls verify this. Fitness Center: entered once & had a strong mildew odor. Could not have used. Beach: essentially a small strip during low tide due to erosion. Can only walk short distance before coming to concrete structures in front of Hampton & we never could go beyond edge of property to the longer beach in front of Regal Beach Club & others. Accessing water no problem since there's stairs & nearby public walk-in access just next to them but if strolling/combing the beach routinely is a huge priority, no-very minimal sand/beach would be a big consideration. I did not book our trip here, so this was a disappointment to me. Unfortunately, no chairs are available to use during low tide & loungers def aren't taken down the stairs. Loungers: 100% agree w/ other reviews- some are hard, uncomfortable plastic & need upgrading. There isn't much space for unobstructed, ocean-facing loungers & they're quickly reserved. Since only 2 of us, we were able to get them together several times. Hot tub: very nice & hot, not really tolerable for most kids. Once, went to get in & cool so since was rainy & windy, unable really use that day. Notified front desk & issue was fixed & able use next day. Water fun: Free use of kayaks, paddle boards & trampolines: Nice to have available & did chill on trampoline once. These weren't always usable due to wind & rough waters. GoPros: glad they offered use of them (but with windy rainy weather first several days, snorkeling was limited). Used twice & first time barely used <10' & battery died. Bummer hadn't been charged enough after last use (which they have adaptors for that & aren't provided to guests. Expected to be turned in by 600pm). Its first come first served so when get it early be sure to check it's been charged enough. Second time there was a long troubleshooting issue with the card not downloading to either of our iphones or Macbook. Really thankful they allowed us to keep the sim card since we'd gotten lots of footage while snorkeling with turtles! Room Service: (Vacationed here celebrating my 50th) & on actual bday brought a gorgeous yummy chocolate ganache cake slice personalized on the plate, wine & champagne. Lady that delivered it very friendly (forgot her name). Throughout entire stay, if saw me in hallways while delivering, she was friendly & always greeted me by name. Very thoughtful & adds a personal touch. Rooms: Decor simple & fine. Couch hard & 1 chair on balcony w/ rough pieces of broken wicker- just covered w/a towel- no biggie. Requested quiet room away from elevators & ice machine- light sleepers. They accommodated but placed us on the Hampton by Hilton side above their pool (small partial ocean view but unsure if it's considered one when booking?) Loud singing & music late into night & several mornings @ 0645 was a buzzing/drilling high-pitched type sound that often awakened me. Found out was the leaf blower. Twice was loud furniture moving sounds in night- learned was couches being moved which really EHCO. Did mention both loud noise issues to front desk but no idea if they used feedback. Think they should place notice in room not to move furniture on tile during quiet hours. Don't recommend this as a "quiet" side with it's proximity to adjacent hotel. Doors do slam shut loudly as noted in other reviews. Felt terrible didnt know initially but tried very hard to close quietly thereafter. Again, a room notice/placard should be placed so guests are aware. Nearby activities: This location is great other than no beach. Renting a car was worth it. Such fun exploring many other areas. National art gallery close by & was OK. Got couple nice items from gift shop. Cemetery & Spotts beach are terrific! Met very nice & helpful locals & enjoyed snorkeling w/ green sea turtles! Even saw a rare Cayman Agouti rabbit dash between bushes. Stingray city MAGICAL & coral gardens snorkeling really good- just short boat ride away. LOVED & really fun but packed compared to our first time. Booked through Viator & our vessel was Big Dee tours & charter. (Guides were fine & nice enough. Huge group with many kids packed in there. Be aware, they don't provide pictures/videos @ all like our trip before which sent to email, IF thats something want included). Cayman Spirits Distillery was such interesting fun (see separate review). So glad we went on the tour. 7 Fathom's Rum is delicious & amazing! Blow Holes (street parking & short walk to first big one. Wear shoes not sandals- uneven sharp rocks) & Wreck of 10 Sails on e side are absolutely worth visiting. Free parking & free self-guided if prefer. Wreck office was closed that day. Good historical placards. Safety: Very safe hotel & surrounding area. Even with heavy traffic, when pressed button @ crosswalk, cars stop almost immediately. Drivers seem courteous & safe. Everywhere we went on island, even residential areas away from tourisy spots were chill, safe, had good signage including roads & were generally not noisy- overall peaceful place (with George Town cruise ship day visitors the exception). Not even one iffy moment. Can see why families love bringing their Littles here. Walkability: Many restaurants & bars nearby w/ most charging 15% gratuity. Gas station nearby & closest across street had strange experience. While there looking in cooler for beer & hadn't even been there 5', lady abruptly approached & said rudely "closed," not closing. Asked if ok to get it now. She said "no, come back tomorrow." We did not. Food & drinks: Anchor & Den: Bar service generally slow but drinks good. First drink was a spin off from Bahama Mama & think they called it Cayman Mama- really good! Only had one visit for meal, very slow service & hardly any customers that time of eve. Had to ask someone to let Server know ready to order. Lobster pizza was amazing & when so hungry by time arrived, pleased it was large. Whitelime coffee: had 2 different types quiche (sitting out on counter uncovered & unrefrigerated- noticed this every time they were open) which made me nervous but ended up fine & tasty. Got it on 2 separate visits. First time took while to heat since no microwave so ate cold on second time. They really should get a mic. Vista Bar: 1 of 2 bartenders friendly & rum drink with cinnamon was great. **Veranda: Seafood or Fish night got cancelled due to weather but realize its all outdoors. Beautiful ambience with lovely strings lights. Excellent 5 star Lobster night. BEST lobster mac & cheese EVER had. Service bit strange. Husband ordered bottle of red wine & when Server delivered it was corked but had been opened to give someone a sample & he asked if that was ok? Awkward to have to say wanted full bottle ordered. Fairly tacky for a fine dining experience. He took it back to check if had another. He spoke to Manager & they did not but offered it discounted. Strange not to have enough inventory for an event night & for what they said was very popular product. Suggested they consider @ least 1 other comparable type on menu. Tasted lovely & was overall nice experience. Short walking distance nearby Food: Across street, bar directly next to Peppers just OK (name? Bartender gal didn't seem to be in the serving mood- didn't check on us much). Peppers: fun spot celebrating my 50th with them, very friendly servers @ & around bar. Long waits on Sat eve, get there early. Live music & dancing for chill island vibe. Food was great- foil roasted Mahi delicious! Bonfire: Very short walk, fresh & delicious food with many unique sauces like fresh mango sauce. Wish we'd tried that spot sooner, would've gone back several times. Burger Shack across street was one of only places open late when arrived & hungry- came recommended by front desk & was terrific. Second visit there was confusion to combo meals/pricing but quality still good. Fun fact, NO gratuity automatically attached since it's Take-out (even tho does have outdoor tables/umbrellas). Thai Orchid (not walking distance) Don't recommend, especially for price. Did not remove an allergen from food, took it back & fixed but to reheat they overcooked seafood. Not pleasant to wait while other persons food there & hot. They didn't comp meal in any way. Spanglish (not walking distance): First visit, margarita weak, service ok. Second visit on Taco Tu (beef only) busy but service better. Spicy Margaritas fabulous (different bartender)! If hungry, portions are small for the price but flavors good. Rackams (George Town, on waterfront next to our FAVE Grand Tiki) had delicious Rum Runner drink, conch fritters & fries (poor service but Management made it right- see review). Noteworthy details: Esp if staying for first time, you'll be glad you looked over their website & pamphlet they give when check in. Found many offerings, services, etc to be useful & glad took time to read it. They offer nice extras @ pool area like: Foosball table, sunscreen, aloe, infused water & DIY events like S'mores & salt scrub/soak making. Definitely a family-friendly resort. Recommend to read reviews on places in advance, esp Tripadvisor (Google reviews must be much shorter & I've found out impt details are often skipped but not here). Didn't make it to many of the shopping areas nearby Marriott which I wish we had. Spent more of our time beaching it! George Town: took public transit (not exactly fast but from here only $10 US dollars to Rackams restaurant) on last day after rental car returned. Many shops & fine jewelry places there. Please avoid Rocky's Diamonds or Cayman Jewels next door- poor experience. Notified owner & no attempt whatsoever to "make it right," as indicated. Sidenote: Had called Kay's Jewely to ask question on specific piece on website, & although more expensive, they kindly offered to shuttle us to them from hotel but didn't utilize since didn't want obligation to buy. IF going into George Town anyways, keep this unadvertised generous offer in mind & ask them. Because of 2 very slow experiences there, in interest of time, unable go to both jewelry stores as intended. (Unfortunately, first hopped into Rocky's & Cayman Jewels since was close to Rackams restaurant. Big mistake!). 2 FAVE SPOTS: Grand Tiki downtown & close (separate review) was so uniquely island chill vibe with terrific service, drinks & ambience. Pirate's Cove Bar on e side, on the beach, much like Grand Tiki & Bartender didn't really speak but made an excellent mudslide! Only regret was didn't see an ad for this (just passing by & stopped on way back from Wreck of 10 Sails... BUT not near enough time to sip & chill on the beach before having return rental car. 100% worth 40' drive (maybe longer if any public transit to there?). In the end, would consider staying again in a different room area, now that I know lot more about it, despite few quirky things. Hope these highlights help you enjoy more of every minute in paradise! :)

This hotel gets a lot of flack about not having a pristine beach (although they are getting more and more beachfront back), but the service and extra features they have more than make up for that. Upon checking in, the front desk agent noticed that I had two separate reservations for my stay and she immediately linked them together and assured me that I would't have to switch rooms. It was nice to not even have to ask for that hospitality. Throughout our week long stay, we were taken care of at the pool by Sheryl and Sid. They were wonderful! Sid was such a hard worker that he seemed to appear out of no where whenever he sensed we needed something. From food and drinks to an extra napkin, nothing we asked for was out of reach and he truly made it feel like a relaxing vacation. The other great thing about our stay were all of the extra activities that occurred daily around the resort grounds. In our week, we made friendship bracelets, keychains, lip scrubs, etc at the pool. We also had s'mores and snow cones as snacks. These activities were nice breaks from swimming and lounging and the trinkets were fun souvenirs to take home! Having been to the island several other times and stayed at other resorts, I will say that the Marriott is top on my list. The people made us feel like we were wanted and welcomed there and that feeling stands out about everything else!

We stayed for 1 night and had the best time!! Highlights of great service, Jaydoun at the front desk and Sheryl at the Vista beach bar. They were so kind and personable and that means a lot! We’re already planning our next visit!!!

My girlfriend and I had a wonderful experience staying here. The staff was always very friendly and helpful. I would like to give our housekeeper Carvin a lot of praise and attention for going above and beyond in the cleaning and organizing of our room for the duration of our stay. Thanks again!

I loved that the resort isn't huge. Very manageable. Almost everything is located on the lobby level, except concierge desk, found on 3rd floor. It would be great if there was better signage saying it's on the 3rd fl. Every employee that I encountered was wonderful. Shout out to Illy, from Morocco, working at Veranda restaurant which is located outside. Excellent, professional service. The room is a good size and has a small balcony to enjoy. For those who don't rent a car, there are taxis in the parking lot. There are stairs that go right to the sea and a decent size pool. If you don't feel like eating out, there are several restaurant options. I was very happy with my stay and would definitely return. My first time in Grand Cayman Jan 19th. It was raining when I arrived and it's been very windy and cloudy. I think February might be a better time. Also. It was crowded yet. I never needed reservations.