The Holiday Inn Grand Cayman Hotel Review is part of the Quest Around The Globe Trip Report which covers the following places:
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Grand Cayman
- Cartagena, Colombia
- Medellin, Colombia
- Miami, Florida
- Houston, Texas
- Moscow, Russia
- St. Petersburg, Russia
- Ayia Napa, Cyprus
- Amman, Jordan
- Abu Dhabi, UAE
- New York, New York
Here is the Picture Preview, the Excel Spreadsheet of all the points redemptions, and my CNN International Business Traveller segment which was filmed in Vegas.
Getting There: Taxis are damn expensive in the Cayman Islands. Rent a car if you want to explore the island or go to the official taxi stand and take a cab for $20.
Where is this taxi taking me? What are all these winding roads? What are all these expensive mansions? Who lives there? How am I ever going to get back to town? Oh look a great golf course.
With my Marriott balance at zero and the Westin Grand Cayman under construction, I made the silly choice to book a familiar hotel brand for my final night on the island. Old me would’ve taken the cheapest location next to the beach. Points opportunist me thought why not get some credit since I’m paying for the stay. That proved to be a ($158) mistake.
The Location
Set miles away from the famous Seven Mile Beach, the Holiday Inn Grand Cayman is the worst choice for those looking to enjoy the best part of the island. The hotel looks brand new and is in perfect condition, most likely because no one stays there.
The Room
I don’t know if I was upgraded because of my charm, my fake IHG status from Chase, or because I was the only guest at the hotel. Nevertheless, the room was great. It was a one bedroom apartment equipped with a kitchen and dining room table, something of a necessity for someone who stays here without renting a car. This assumes that the guest stopped at the grocery store on the way to this remote hotel.
The Bedroom
The Bathroom
The Golf Course
Luckily for me, the golf course was right next door and a friendly member of the staff dropped me off for a round of 18. After golf, the bartender gave me a ride to the main street and I didn’t return to the hotel till the wee hours of the morning.
The Lesson
I make it a point not to stay at hotels simply because it’s free on points. Like living in the City, I would rather pay for a better location than take the G Train from Greenpoint. In this case, I was lazy and just assumed that the Holiday Inn would be close to the beach.
My bad.
Does this hotel offer a free on-demand shuttle to and from seven mile beach?
It’s definitely not on demand. It’s every few hours and early cut off. I went to golf at 3 and they said next shuttle was at 6.
October is low season. Had an enjoyable stay in January when it was very busy. Many perhaps most rooms are like yours as it is a former timeshare. Shuttle work d well for us as we were happy to cook in the evenings – both because we enjoy it and to save money – and there are shops near the beach (need to study the map though). Tour companies also pick up at the hotel – we went with one to a dolphin and more complex, and walked through an interesting residential area and down beach to shuttle pick up point when it was over. Have a free food and drink reception one night too. Overall great value redemption for Jan when all in rate was almost $300.
I was there in September which is still the off season. I agree with your assessment. It’s perfect for what you were looking for.