Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
3
Where to Stay on
Grand Cayman
The good news: The Cayman Islands have some of the
finest and most elegant resorts in the Caribbean, opening onto one of
the grandest strips of sand in the entir e Caribbean Basin.
Now for the bad news: The cost of living here is about 20% higher
than in the U nited States. Winter vacations in the Caymans can be
pricey affairs. Because so much food has to be impoted from the U.S.
mainland, restaurant tabs ar e second only to the high-priced F rench
islands such as St. Barts and Martinique.
But y ou can make a trip her e affor dable. The key is to plan
in adv ance and to visit the islands betw een mid-A pril and mid-
December, when r oom rates ar e 20% to 40% lo wer than in winter .
In addition, y ou might consider staying in one of sev eral lo w-cost
or moderately priced lodgings that hav e opened in r ecent y ears.
Many of these accommodations include facilities for cooking simple
meals. Depending on where you come from, however, so-called mod-
erate or inexpensiv e hotels in the Cayman I slands might be judged
“super-expensive” in other par ts of the world, including the U nited
States.
Nearly all the hotels on G rand Cayman ar e lined up along S even
Mile Beach and all of its glitter. Hotels out on the island will be more
isolated, but may not fr ont a hospitable sand beach. U nlike many
Caymanian restaurants, hotels quote prices in U.S. dollars.
All prices
in this chapter are quoted in U.S. dollars.
When choosing a hotel,
keep in mind that the quoted rates do not include the 10% go vern-
ment tax and the 10% hotel ser vice tax.
Consider booking a package tour to make expensiv e resorts more
affordable. See “Packages for the Independent Traveler,” p. 49, before
you book. Before browsing through this chapter, see “Tips on Accom-
modations,” p. 54, for descriptions of v arious lodgings and tips on
saving money.
