My family and I just returned from spending a week...

My family and I just returned from spending a week at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort. I think it's safe to say we were all blown away by our experience. We've all traveled around the world and continue to spend half of the year as worldly wanderers so we've experienced and seen it all. Where to begin...

The resort. This Marriott was excellent, the location on Seven Mile Beach was great, the beach itself was clean & beautiful, the size of the hotel was perfect for us. It was spacious yet inviting, easy access to the pool, beach and all the restaurants. The renovated lobby is very open and pleasing to spend time in socializing with other guests or friends. We were very comfortable with the diverse mix of demographics. The lobby, restaurants, and bathrooms on the main floor were clean and very well kept. The resort fee included Linus bikes, paddle boards, snorkel mask and fins, GoPros, towels and beach chairs, internet, local calls and more. We used all these items and had a wonderful week in spite of the less than optimal weather. Other amenities included morning yoga, beach bonfires, activities for children, movie nights, etc.

The service. I believe when an employer treats employees well, it will be reflected in the service, attitude and actions of its employees. The staff at this Marriott were exceptional. As someone mentioned below, the staff is so superior and we hope they are being compensated appropriately. They went out of their way to accommodate requests, remember our names, and very importantly, they were all so genuine and sincere. Daniela at the front desk was amazing (Marriott is so lucky to have her) and able to address every request. And a nod to Mika, Scott, Yesenia, Paulina, Patrick, Valeria & Adalberto. And the ladies providing daily housekeeping were friendly and accommodating and kept us in a supply of clean linens and other housekeeping items for our room with two double beds. The staff is very international and it was a lot of fun speaking with them only to find out we had traveled to many of their home towns.

The food. We ate at all 3 restaurants Vista Bar, Veranda and Anchor and Den.
- Vista Bar is the most casual of the 3 (like a beach cafe), the wraps, salads and sandwiches were hearty and very good!
- The Veranda is also on the beach next to Vista Bar. It's beautiful oceanside dining which we experienced on International Night. We had prime rib, roasted pork Cuban style, fresh salads made to order, red snapper, shrimp, ceviche, a dessert bar and much more. Although pricey, the food was amazing and the setting/ambience was beautiful.
- Anchor & Den is located inside as part of the large open lobby bar and restaurant. The food was outstanding! We ate at A&D a handful of nights and really enjoyed the Tuesday night Taqueria which included 5 different tacos, 4-5 sides and dessert - generous servings & delicious! We also loved Thursday, El Mercat Nit de Tapas. Authentic Spanish tapas and live Spanish guitar w/ two beautiful Flamenco dancers. (we recently returned from 2 months in Spain and the tapas were truly authentic, the standout being the pulpo!)

One evening we met Carlos, the F&B manager for all 3 restaurants. He took the time to meet his guests, introduce himself and make sure all needs and expectations had been met. It was clear he truly cares about his guests, his job and his staff.

Outside of the resort we were able to bike up 7 mile beach and visit other beaches, dive several days despite the weather, rent 3-wheel scooters, visit the botanical gardens and visit Rum Point & Starfish beach.

Grand Cayman is a beautiful island, it's clean and safe and we had really wonderful time. While Marriott is not the least expensive of locations/resorts the quality and service received make it well worth the price. We just hope rates don't increase b/c we'd like to return ;)
Thank you, Marriott for a wonderful experience!