Recommend August 2013 - (Page 44)

onsitereview caribbean J A N U A R Y 2 0 13 a non-diver’s guide to the westin grand cayman ed wetschler Your clients like scuba diving and have an income north of middle class? Easy. You book them a week on Grand Cayman, which boasts more than 200 dive sites in extraordinarily clear waters. While decompressing, your clients can snorkel in Stingray City and maybe look into the tropical delights of offshore banking. They’ll never stop thanking you. But leaving aside snarky jokes about banking, is there any compelling reason for clients who aren’t scuba divers to vacation in Grand Cayman? You bet. Grand Cayman, which is shaped like a backwards letter L that decided to lie down, is an upmarket destination with true luxury condos and resorts whose prime position on the west coast— Seven Mile Beach—only enhances their desirability. Grand Cayman, which can be reached on Delta Air Lines flights from gateways in Atlanta, Detroit, and Minneapolis, also offers activities that range from time-tripping at “the castle” (a 1780s estate) to nature walks, and from big game fishing to exploring the Turtle Farm, a popular complex that’s both huge and controversial. By contrast, there’s nothing controversial about the Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa, where we stayed a few months ago. This winter it completed a multimillion dollar renovation to its guestrooms, indoor public spaces, and recreational facilities, and the Leo A. Daly design team deserves the kudos it has won for the makeover. This photo: The not-to-bemissed Stingray City. Opposite page: Poolside at the Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa. the westin’s makeover RED SAIL SPORTS GRAND CAYMAN The good impression starts when guests first approach the resort: In place of the white walls and orange Spanish tiles that characterize so many Caribbean hotels, the Westin Grand Cayman features foamwhite exterior walls and blue-green roofing and balcony railings whose colors evoke the Caribbean Sea on a calm, peaceful day. The lobby’s blue-and-white walls, square columns, wainscoting, and polished black piano reinforce the message that this place is for people who understand the difference between casual elegance and frat parties. The guestrooms have new carpeting, photographs by a local artist, and furniture that includes rosewood beds with Westin Heavenly mattresses. 44 july 2013 44-48 CB WestinGrCase.indd 44 n’awlins dining on cayman The resort’s makeover includes menus by New Orleans’ Michael Farrell, until recently the executive chef at Le Meritage and Bistreaux. As advertised, Farrell can cook. For the Westin he has created small plates that evoke the Caribbean (e.g. braised pork belly with pumpkin puree), the Atlantic Coast (e.g. smoked salmon napoleon), and, of course, his native Gulf Coast (corn-fried P&J oysters). The small plates recommend.com 7/23/13 7:54 AM http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend August 2013

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Dan Hotels, Israel
Tour Talk: Jacada Travel
Avalon Expression
Cruising the Rivers of Southeast Asia
Girls & Guys Getaways in Las Vegas
Kimpton Takes Center Stage in San Francisco
South Africa: Bicycles, Horses & Wonderful Experiences
A French Twosome with SLH
Bogota, Colombia
Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta
Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto
Westin Grand Cayman
Grand Case Beach Club, St. Martin
Aruba Marriott Resort

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