My wife and I were headed to Grand Cayman in August and since we had never been I did some research and decided to stay at the Turtle Nest Inn . Unfortunately, I found that they were booked. However, we found that they had a few condos open, at their affiliate property next door (Seabreeze). I looked into them and for the price, they didn't seem to bad, plus it came with a rental car.
I spoke with the TNI staff by email, which they always answered very quickly. Since we had a late flight on a Saturday, the TNI staff informed me that they would leave our condo unlocked with the key on the table. This lead me to be a little nervous, having traveled to several places in Mexico.
Our flight arrived and we were able to obtain our rental car without a problem. It looked like a small roller skate but it was quite roomy for two people. Anyways, following the TNI staff's suggestion, we stopped by the supermarket on the way in and picked up some food and drinks. Then we headed on to the condo. We arrived without a problem and parked in our assigned parking spot (even though there were only two other cars).
We entered our condo and were amazed. We saw the pictures that were posted on the TNI page, but they didn't do the place justice. Heck, I didn't even realize that the condo was supposed to be 2 bedroom/2.5 bath until we got there. We unloaded and enjoyed our first night hearing the waves crash against the shore.
We woke up early to get a headstart on the day, but unfortunately, the weather was too bad for the dive trip that I had planned, so we settled for snorkeling, just 40 feet from our condo. The reef was nice, the beach was white, and the water was crystal! We checked in at the TNI and our greeting was very warm. We spoke to Marleine and Alain who were very helpful in suggestions for food and excursions.
The rain slowed, so my wife and I decided to hike the Mastic Trail. Getting to the street that it starts on isn't very hard, just finding it from there was a little problematic. But, we finally asked a local and he directed us there without a problem. We discovered that we really shouldn't have done the trail after the rain, as we hit mid-shin water. However, we went forward and finished it. It was nice and relaxing, and I was shocked by what a trooped my wife was, especially when she discovered that we had to walk 2 miles back to our original starting point!
Anyways, on our way back we stopped at a local restraunt (3-5 minute walk from TNI/condos) that had been suggested by Marleine. It looked like a home with a deck on the back of it. We ordred at the counter and then sat on the deck, which overlooked the sea. The food was piled onto the plate and was quite tasty.
We enjoyed the beach and then some more snorkeling. My wife got a kick out of another visitor when she asked if I was part fish, as she had seen me in the water so much. The next day, we headed to the Caybrew Brewery for a couple of shirts. We were greeted by the General Manager who offered us a tour. When we said yes, he lead us to the Brewmaster's office. From there we were introducted to Oliver. He provided us with a great tour. The factory even recycles bottles which was cool. The best part of any Brewery Tour of course, is the Tasting Station.
Oliver filled our glasses and it quickly became my wife's favorite beer. I enjoyed it too. We also met Patricia the 1st Caybrew girl who was quite friendly. Our little excursion turned into almost making a day of it. We were there over 4 hours. Locals were coming in and out, several just for a few cold ones. We spoke with all of them who were very friendly. The Caybrew staff was great and we wish we could have hung out with them even more, but we headed out to Georgetown.
We ate at the Lonestar Bar and Grill. Enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. Then we headed to Cemetary Beach and a few others around there. They were nice and there weren't many people. Hell wasn't far away and since we were close, we drove up. If you're not extremely uptight the shops were entertaining. One guy was dressed up as the devil and the keepers greeted you with Hell type of sayings. Wasn't much to see, but there was a plywood cutout that you could place your face in for posing.
The next day my diving was put off once again, so we settled for the Atlantis Submarine Night Dive. If you dive, it's not so impressive, but my wife, who is a non-diver enjoyed it. Hammerhead bar that is not to far away is a nice place to grab a cold one and some lunch.
Luckily the last two days were very nice, but I still wasn't able to dive as most of the companies had already been booked up since the weather cleared. So once again, I setteled and my wife and I made an appointment with Bob Soto's charter for Stingray City. We did some snorkeling on the way out and when we stopped in at the sandbar (stingray city), we were shocked about how many rays we saw. The guides were quite nice and explained everything to us. My wife was a little skiddish at first (see pic below) but she warned up to them and we had a great time feeding them.
All in all, the trip was great and most of this was due to the Seabreeze condo and the TNI staff. They were able to provide us with all kinds of information and were always friendly. Donna even suggested that I apply for the Grand Cayman Police Department. If you're looking for a great place to stay away from the big city (Georgetown) this is the place to be. It is located on the center southern end of the island and everything seems like it can be reached within 30 mins max! Oh, and there are books that are left on the table to read in the condos for suggestions and comments. It is apparent that they are read because 100% of what was suggested by former guest had been purchased or taken care of. I hope that you enjoy your Cayman trip and I would highly recommend the Seabreeze Condos!
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Pet owners, Families with young children, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, People with disabilities, Older travelers
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun, Museums / Cultural / Historical sites, Outdoor / Adventure, Great food / Wine, Other