Cayman Islands: Westin Casuarina Grand Cayman (July 2011)

My spouse and I stayed at the Westin Casuarina Grand Cayman for three nights in early July 2011 for the Independence Day holiday weekend. Up until three days before our departure, we were scheduled to stay at the Ritz; then we found an offer for the Westin that ended up saving us more than $500 over what it would have cost to stay at the Ritz. We had booked the least expensive room at the Ritz (which we knew would be far from the beach), but were able to book a more preferred oceanview room at the Westin and still save some money. After seeing the two properties, we aren’t sorry about making the change. Yes, the Ritz was lovely and classy and sophisticated, and the Westin was more family-oriented and casual, but the savings allowed us to cover some of our incidental costs. We felt the beach at the Westin was preferable to the Ritz, with much space to spread out and chairs that could be easily moved for privacy. (At the Ritz, the chairs are lined up side-by-side, and the beachfront area isn’t really large enough to move the chairs away from other people.) The quality of the water and sand was the same at both resorts, because they are nearly adjacent. Both hotels have cabanas that guests can rent for a secure and more comfortable place to relax; the Westin only had one type of cabana, directly on the beach but near the entrance to the property; the Ritz had three cabana levels from which to choose, some of which came with drinks and snacks and personal butlers. The Westin rooms were fine; not the newest but certainly not in disrepair. There was a nice balcony with space for two chairs and a table, another small table and two chairs inside the room, a king-sized bed, and a spacious bathroom with a separate water closet. Maid service was very spotty, one day not getting service until late afternoon (even though we were out of our room by 8:00 am every day), and another day not getting service at all until we called down to the front desk. Often, we were missing towels of various sizes. We requested a refrigerator, both on our reservation and again at check-in, but we were informed that it wasn’t possible and that we should just use the minibar in our room to store our self-purchased drinks. For future guests, beware of booking the lowest-category rooms facing the street, and don’t expect to check in early (it seems that this never happens to anyone). Lines at check-in and at check-out were long, so be prepared to wait. (Everyone is arriving and leaving on the same few flights.) The hotel has plenty of chairs on the beach, but fewer chairs by the pool; however, we saw people bring the beach chairs (metal and plastic) to the pool (where there were teak chairs with chair pads). Towels were plentiful, and the ladies providing drink and food service around the pool and on the beach came around often to inquire whether we needed anything. We had terrible and surly service at the lobby bar, but the service in the three restaurants (Casa Havana, Tortugas, Ferdinands) was good. The hotel location was favorable, making it possible to walk to a few other hotels, restaurants, and shops. There is a souvenir shop and a liquor store just across the street, so it’s possible to buy your own supplies and save a few bucks. The hotel also has a few shops for souvenir items, as well as a counter-service cafe to buy drinks and snacks (primarily breakfast items. The fitness center is small, but has all the necessary equipment and faces the pool. The pool area is lovely and expansive and able to accommodate many guests at one time; there are also two hot tubs, although they were tepid in my opinion. Red Sail Watersports is on-site, making it easy to book excursions. This hotel was certainly worth what we paid, but if the rates were higher, I might choose the Ritz or a condo-hotel instead.