The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman

I would give this resort a 4.5 if I could, but rounded up to 5. I stayed with my husband, 2.5 yr old, and 4.5 yr old. The service throughout the stay was outstanding. For example, I asked about where I could find strawberries one day and grocery stores were closed and concierge sent some to the room for us free of charge for our daughter. Mr. Jack who did the fish feeding in the evenings was amazing. Our kids loved watching it every night. Another day I was spending time with my 4 year old in the ambassadors areas and Beatrice (? Not 100% sure that's the right name, but it started with a B) was going to make banana bread and had my daughter help her since we were the only people in there. The room was solid, but a bit small. We had a king + sofabed ocean view. The view was nice, but didn't blow me away. The sofabed worked well for our kids and I found it comfy enough when laying with them at times. The pools are great and all have shallow areas for kids to play. My kids loved the water park and also the random treats that came by every once in awhile. Restaurants were all great. Andiamo was our favorite. Try the cauliflower entree even if you aren't vegetarian (we did it as an app). It was a standout for us. The criticisms I would give of the resort are: - shower water smelled a bit, my husband didn't notice but my hair never got quite clean there. - kids club really isn't great for a 4 year old even if she was technically eligible. She wouldn't feel comfortable being gone from us for 3+ hours without her brother even being there. More short activities would be a great addition. Also, any activities that a 2 year old could participate in would be welcome. - pickleball doesn't have open play, which makes the courts pretty hard to use unless you are traveling with a group that all wants and is able to play

My wife and I recently vacationed at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman with close friends we’ve known for over 30 years, and it was truly an unforgettable experience. We stayed on the Penthouse Floor with access to the Club Lounge. While it is certainly not inexpensive, if it’s within your budget, it is absolutely worth it. We got more than what we paid for. The Club Lounge was amazing. The service from the entire staff was exceptional, and the food quality and variety were outstanding. Kudos to the chef and the entire team. Our room was beautifully appointed and impeccably maintained throughout our stay. The staff at the pool and our beach cabana were equally fantastic, always attentive and welcoming. We were also fortunate to have perfect weather all five days, which made the experience even more special. The entire stay felt like paradise. A sincere thank you to everyone at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman for making it such a memorable experience.

Mrs. Sulu and I were celebrating our 35th anniversary and her 60th birthday and did so by sneaking away to one of our favorite spots to do so, Grand Cayman. To be honest, the Ritz wasn’t in our original plan, but due to broken promises from another hotel, we made a pivot, that in hindsight, was the best decision of our trip. The rooms here were clean, spacious, well appointed, and felt like they had been recently renovated. The hotel also has several on-site restaurants that serve a variety of cuisines and offer different levels of fanciness. They had a great morning coffee bar on the lagoon side, but our favorite morning spot for coffee and yummy snacks was “The Cupboard”, just off the elevators on the beach side. I could go on and on about the beauty and grandeur of the hotel, but the true magic of this property lies in its people. The Ritz promises a premium experience and in our case, they delivered on that through their employees. As an HR professional, I can truly appreciate the effort that has been put forth to not only screen and hire the right people, but to also instill a culture of exceptional guest service through the training and experience that has been provide to them. Incredible work on the part of the hotel. We encountered several examples of this throughout our stay. On our way to the beach on our first day, Adonis, who helped us with our beach set, looked up at us, paused for a minute, and then remembered our last name. We both looked at his name tag and remembered him from our stay a few years back when he worked at another hotel down the beach. It was so great to see him again and catch up on his life and family. Adonis took good care of us all week and even sent us an incredibly sweet (no pun intended) amenity for our anniversary. His service and attention was WAY above and beyond anything that we expected. Later in the week we encountered Alex, and got to know her as well. I'd always go down early to grab our beach chairs and when Alex would start her shift, she would always swing by to make sure we had the towels and shades we needed for the day. She told us she was glad she didn't blow away on that windy day, but she's tougher than she looks as I saw her slinging those 5 gallon jugs of water over her head regularly as the week went on. On our last day as we were checking out, we found a beach bag hanging on our door with a note from Alex and some incredibly thoughtful good-bye presents in it. It was a truly thoughtful gesture. And lastly there was Destiene (pronounced Destiny - apologies if I spelled that wrong) from the Cupboard. She greeted us with a big smile and enthusiastic welcome each morning when we stopped by to get our morning coffee and Chai. She was always super friendly and made sure we got everything we needed to start the day. Oh, and there was also our housekeeper, Suriti (6th floor). She was incredible as well! Our room was always immaculate and the swans and roses decoration she put together on our bed for our arrival night was spectacular! To sum it up, these were the folks that truly went above and beyond for us, but the entire staff was top notch and was responsible for truly making this trip a lifetime memory. We can't wait to come back!

The resort was well maintained and the rooms well appointed. I did not know there are two towers. One that faces the ocean, and one that is the “resort tower.” Although the resort was not at capacity, we were placed at the resort tower. It is fine but you need to know that the restaurants and beach access are a long walk across a bridge. We paid $600 for a day bed that was wedged in among rows and rows of beach chairs. Zero privacy and service was just okay. NOT worth $600.

As a resident of Grand Cayman, I’ve been going to The Ritz-Carlton Spa since it first opened around 2005, and sadly, my most recent visit last week was one of the most disappointing experiences I’ve had there. The spa has recently been renovated, and while it certainly looks fresh and modern, it also feels like they are quietly cutting costs in ways that take away from the luxury experience the Ritz-Carlton was once known for. The biggest difference was the relaxation room. Years ago, it felt indulgent and welcoming, with thoughtful touches that made you want to linger after your treatment. There used to be fresh fruit, cookies, and a wider variety of snacks and refreshments. Now, the food selection is minimal and underwhelming — no fruit, no cookies, and very few choices overall. It may seem like a small detail, but those touches are exactly what separated this spa from others on the island and justified the premium pricing. The renovation may have updated the appearance, but the experience itself feels diminished. After more than 20 years of visiting this spa, it’s disappointing to see the focus shift from genuine luxury and hospitality to obvious cost-cutting.