KCR WINTER 24:25 Magazine FINAL 1 - Flipbook - Page 68
The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman
I’m 昀椀ve kilometres from the shore, standing up to my waist in the most
perfectly crystal clear water, on a pure white sand bar, and half a dozen
dark shadows, shaped like submarine stealth bombers are heading
towards me. The natural reaction to a rapidly approaching shoal of
stingrays the size of cafe tables would be urgent 昀氀ight. However, I am at
Stingray City, Grand Cayman, and these alien-like rays are benign and
even playful. Years of feeding from local 昀椀shermen and subsequently
tourists, has made them like hungry Labradors, and about as dangerous.
There are twenty or so other visitors with me on the sand bar, and the
atmosphere is one of pure delight, with squeals and laughter ringing out
all, as the rays frolic and nudge the visitors for food. The guides gently
wrangle the creatures above our handfuls of squid-bait, their wings
昀氀apping on the surface as they snatch the treats. You don’t have to
handle the sting-rays to get full enjoyment, but this wonderful wildlife
close encounter, in such a sublime location, is unique to Grand Cayman,
and really can’t be missed.
I am a guest at the Ritz Carlton luxury resort on Seven Mile beach, the
doyenne of the island’s tourist industry, regularly rated in the top 昀椀ve
places to stay in Grand Cayman, and rated by The Times as the best on
the island for ‘old school indulgence.’
Grand Cayman is the shape of a reclining hook, and the resort’s grounds
bisect the vertical spur of the island in a strip, from the exquisite topaz
waters of Seven Mile beach on the west side, where the rooms and
residences are curved around one of the pools, to the wide open North
sound in the east. Here you’ll 昀椀nd an immaculately landscaped 9 hole
golf course, tennis and pickleball courts, a second pool and a children’s
splash park.
Whilst this is undoubtedly a luxury hotel, it is unapologetically a family
hotel too. No hotel can ask for a better endorsement than guests who
return, year after year, and like the grand family hotels of the Cote
D’Azur or Cape Cod, it’s a place where generations of families holiday
together every year. The Ritz Carlton is part of the Marriot family of
hotel brands, and that family-owned company’s ethos for hiring and
training the best sta昀昀 is ampli昀椀ed tenfold here.
There’s an almost one to one ratio of sta昀昀 to guests and the team, drawn
from all corners of the globe, are without exception, highly professional
but charmingly personal. I was touched and amazed by how many of
them remembered my name, and everyone greeted me with a smiling
sincerity. Frequently returning customers are a very good metric for any
institution, but in 2024 the hotel was also the 昀椀rst and only hotel in the
Caribbean to be awarded a rare and impressive triple 昀椀ve-star rating
from Forbes: for the property itself, for the sensational spa, and for the
Blue 昀椀ne dining restaurant.
Ubiquitous quality, fanatical attention to detail, and customer service
excellence are the hallmarks of a luxury hotel, and the Ritz Carlton does
all of these supremely, but my favourite element is the restrained but
stylish sense of performance. The hotel’s Blue restaurant by renowned
chef Eric Ripert combines all of the elements to perfection, but it’s the
almost theatrical choreography presentation of the eight course tasting
menu that makes a meal there really special.
There’s a choice of three tasting menus: Eric Ripert’s signature modern
classical French, the Blue selection of contemporary and fusion seafood,
and an outstanding vegetarian option, where fruit and vegetables are
prepared with just as much 昀氀air and creativity as the meat and 昀椀sh.
Dishes like tuna foie gras, barely cooked salmon caviar and veal tongue,
and pan-seared Dorade are de昀椀nitely enhanced by the way they are
served, garnished and explained by an outstanding head waiter and
his team of assistants. The simultaneous delivery and garnishing, the
pouring of sauces and jus - especially the amuse bounces and palette
cleansers - creates both drama and delight. Of course Blue also has a
very 昀椀ne cellar and expert sommeliers to recommend bottles for every
palette, or to recommend speci昀椀c wine pairings for each menu.
The award winning Spa has that sense of elan and subtle performance
too, albeit with a very di昀昀erent mood and pacing. Here everything is
slowed to a resting heartbeat pace, and every sense is indulged with the
softest of touches. From mood music and ambient aromas, to the deeppile ultra-luxe robes and almost whispered questions of the masseurs,
it’s immediately obvious how the spa won its 昀椀ve star rating. After my
treatment I spent the rest of the day in a blissful haze, relaxed and unwound, and joyfully unwilling to let the stresses of the world intrude.
If exertion is more your thing, the hotel has several tennis courts and
a pair of dedicated pickleball courts, with really good pros and coaches
to suit every level. It’s also worth joining the hotel’s Cousteau-founded environmental ambassadors for a kayak around the neighbouring
mangroves. The small reserve of the island’s natural state is a delightful
counterpoint to groomed grounds elsewhere, and home to a huge range
of marine and coastal creatures that you can enjoy at close quarters with
the highly knowledgeable guides.
The Cayman islands share the clean and immaculately groomed ambience that comes with small nations that specialise in 昀椀nance. If you like
the crisp, precision of Switzerland, or Singapore’s secure and orderly
surroundings, you’ll get all that here too, but with a dash of rum-tinged
bonhomie that is distinctly Caribbean. Nearly all the guests I talked to
came for the hotel and everything it o昀昀ered, and rarely ventured
beyond. Partly because, other than the marine life, there’s not a lot to
see and do on the island, but that really doesn’t matter. The Ritz Carlton
is a really special hotel that specialises in providing the kind of service
and experience you’d want to come back for, year after year.
Website: https://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/gcmrz-the-ritz-carlton-grand-cayman
Tim LeRoy
Prices:
Standard King Guest Room from USD $650 $2,000+taxes
1-Bedroom Suite from USD $3,100- $7,597++
Club Lounge Access from USD $499++
Dinner at Blue by Eric Ripert:
Prix Fixe Five-Course Tasting Menu: KYD $240 + 20% (excluding
alcohol)
Private Charter through The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman:
USD $1,600++ for 4 hours (up to 5 guests)
Destinations include Stingray City, Rum Point, Star昀椀sh Cay, and
snorkelling on a reef (towels, water, and snorkel equipment provided)
The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Grand Cayman:
60-minute Massage: starting at USD $225 + 20%
60-minute Custom Facial: starting at USD $230 + 20%
