Westin vs. GC Beach Suites vs. Marriott Beach Resort ?

Newbie Joined: 07 Nov 2009 Posts: 3 Location: Chicago,IL

Hi! I was looking online and came across three resorts and am looking for reviews first hand!
1. The Westin Casuarian Resort
2. Grand Cayman Beach Suites
3. Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort

What is the distance of each of these resorts to the airport, Boatswain's Beach and the ferry location to go to Stingray City?

Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 1:31 pm Post subject:

Hi mariestein and

You will find all of our resort views in our Accommodations forum.

Be sure to use our

feature for all the best rates, discounts and perks. Wink

Have a great vacation!

Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 12:12 pm Post subject:

Heather,

I have personally stayed at two of these:

1. The Westin Casuarian Resort
We stayed here on our honeymoon back in 1996 when the resort was only 6 weeks old and it was SPECTACULAR! Everything from nice accomodations (small rooms) to a great atmosphere and you can't beat having drinks, food etc. served right to you on the beach without having to even get up from your lawn chair!! I would highly recommend for a hotel! GREAT HUGE BEACH!!

3. Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort
We had friends stay here while we were right next door at a condo and they loved it. Decent rooms once again you can't beat having drinks, food etc. served right to you on the beach without having to even get up from your lawn chair!! I would recommend for a hotel! Beach isn't too big but big enough! Anything on 7 mile beach is heavenly!!

Best of Luck! ENJOY!

Newbie Joined: 07 Nov 2009 Posts: 3 Location: Chicago,IL

I have not made a decision...trying to get through the holidays...I will email you with any other questions. I appreciate your willingness to help!!

Temporary Resident Joined: 01 May 2005 Posts: 124

I've stayed at the Westin and Marriott Resort.

Westin is way more expensive, average to poor service, tiny cramped rooms. I stayed there after Ivan and they opened up without cleaning out the mold so even when I was there a couple years later, the rooms still smelled of mold. It's better on the higher floors but many species of mold contain spores that can cause a lot of problems if you breathe it in for long enough, not sure how much damage it could do for just a week or so. If you stay there, keep the window open and a/c running full time.

Marriott costs much less, larger rooms, complete rebuild after the hurricane so still a very new resort. At least as upscale or nicer than the Westin for less money. A no brainer.

You might get a better rate if you use the hotel search on this website. It's worth a try, only takes a few minutes. I did it and once got an upgrade from garden view to ocean view. Not sure if they will give much away during high season.

Never stayed at Beach Suites but went to their restaurants several times and everything around there is top notch. Might be a little more than the Marriott but worth it, from what I could see.

Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 9:42 am Post subject:

We had a totally different experience at the westin. We were there last year for 10 days over new years'. Their was NO remnants of any mildew smell or mold in our room. We were on the 1st floor right in front of the pool. Our room was fine, with 2 mini fridges, big flat-screen tv and the amazing Heavenly Bed! I felt the staff at the westin was fabulous! They were very friendly and courteous and always seemed genuinely concerned about our stay. The cocktail waitresses were very friendly on the beach as was everyone who worked there.
we had an amazing time in Cayman and at the Westin. the beach at the westin is probably the best on all of 7-mile beach.
The ONLY issue we had was that the air conditioning didn't seem to be THAT cold and the thermostat wouldn't go below 70F(i think)... as long as you have the ceiling fan on high, this wasn't a very big issue as it could have been in juy/august.
I wouldn't hesitate to go back to the westin at all. As a matter of fact We tried last week to make reservations for this new years' again, but they are totally booked:(

Newbie Joined: 08 Jun 2008 Posts: 8

We stayed at a private home on the north side for our last visit, but we went to the Marriott, Westin, Beach Suites, thinking of a resort in Seven Mile Beach for our next trip in a few months.

The Westin was the most expensive, the rooms were small, dark and musty. JMHO but it's also not included in the hotel search and I know that Joe went to great lengths to pick only top notch places.

The Marriott was spectacular, that is probably where we'll stay next time.

Beach Suites were also spectacular, but a little more expensive than our budget. Otherwise, I would have picked this one.

Hope this helps.

Newbie Joined: 25 Sep 2009 Posts: 1

We visited in October, stayed at the Westin and went to Boatswains Bay for a full day. After reading that topic too, now I'm not sure if it's one or the other, both or neither. But when we got home, the four of us (husband/me/2 teenagers, 1 with asthma) all had bad coughs. My teenage son with asthma is still suffering from severe symptoms, much worse than before.

We picked the Caymans because of all the wonderful reviews, pictures and videos we saw here, and a couple other sites. Everyone says it’s the safest and most upscale island. So I am wondering if the Caymans really have any kind of US equivalent to recurring commercial building inspections. If the Westin opened immediately after a major hurricane, as someone else mentioned, there would be no way of knowing how many people were contaminated with mold spores, many of which do cause infectious disease and severely exacerbate asthma symptoms. If the park at Boatswains has airborne spores they could infect the entire island, and not just limited to a few blocks away. Once the spores become airborne, they travel from person to person and can eventually contaminate an entire region. Leaving by plane with other people who inhaled mold spores would create another highly contagious close quarter environment that could easily spread infections airborne disease.

I would like to see the Westin and the Boatswains park inspected by an independent qualified agency before I bring my family there again.