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
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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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