Back to Reality…..

My husband, Mike, and I just returned from our annual New Year’s Eve trip. For the past few years we have gotten in habit of spending New Year’s Eve away from the crowds and in a warm destination. After much thought, we decided to visit Grand Cayman for this year’s trip. Having been to Grand Cayman before, we had a good idea of what to expect. The Cayman Islands are a beautiful place. The largest of the Islands, Grand Cayman, has a good array of accommodations, restaurants, night life and adventures. After staying at other hotels on the island, this year we decided to stay at the Marriot Resort on Seven Mile Beach (www.marriott.com). We were able to book a very competitive nightly rate that included all meals at the hotel’s three restaurants and alcoholic beverages. It almost seemed too good to be true! We arrived in Grand Cayman with out any trouble – the flight even landed early. We arrived at the Marriott around 1:30 and prior to the check-in time. They were able to accommodate our early arrival and even upgraded us to a courtyard room. We were pleasantly surprised to find the hotel and our room to be very clean and kept up. Every Marriott employee that we encountered was very cheerful and willing to help with any question or problem. The beach in front of the Marriott was just beautiful. The water is crystal clear, warm and very calm. There was also an artificial reef about twenty feet from shore that attracted many tropical fish. It was great to be able to snorkel right off of the beach. It is important to note that the Marriott pool area was a little small. They have one pool and a hot tub. The pool area was usually pretty empty as most guests preferred to sit on the beautiful beach. However, it was very easy to go back and forth from the pool and beach area, if you so desired. The Marriott beach and pool staff were fantastic. There were plenty of waiters taking food and drink orders and delivering them with a smile. Since our hotel rate included meals, we sampled all of the restaurants at the Marriott. The breakfast buffet was fantastic with a good selection and great omelets. Lunch at the Sol Beach Bar was also good. They had many great choices for lunch or a snack. The Greek salad was my personal fav while my husband enjoyed the Tilapia sandwich. The beach bar was also a great place to sit and watch the sunset while enjoying a cocktail. Marriott had two different choices for dinner. The Solana restaurant is the more formal choice. It is located with a view of the beach. It is the place that the Marriott could improve. The food was okay and the service not very good. If I would have been paying for the meal, it would have been disappointing. There are so many other great restaurants on Grand Cayman that we decided not to eat here again. I think they could make some slight changes to improve the overall feeling of the restaurant. Unfortunately, after five fun-filled days, our trip came to an end. Now, it is back to reality and I am starting to think where I want to go next to escape Chicago’s winter.