We are back from our trip, and had SO many questions while we were there with our family on where we stay, places to eat, etc, so we are sharing some of our favorites with you all! We have been going there every summer for 12 years, so we feel like we know the spots pretty well.
Where to stay
There are a lot of places to stay here, and we have only really stayed at the same resort on Seven Mile Beach, which is STUNNING!
Resorts
You can choose to stay at a resort, which is what we recommend, just because you are truly on a vacation!
- Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman (this is where we usually stay!)
- Kimpton Seafire Resort and Spa
- Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort
- The Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach
Condos/Homes For Rent
There are also homes and condos you can rent all along Seven Mile Beach, which is gorgeous! We haven’t personally stayed at any of these, but they look gorgeous! We recommend using sites like VRBO.com .
Where to eat
We could spend hours talking about the food! You all know we like to keep it pretty healthy, and now, with us eating plant based, it can get even more limiting, but we found some great options!
Where we ate
Saltwater Grill: this spot has everything from seafood to steaks! They were super accommodating and made us this veggie plate that was so good!
LeVele Restaurant: we ate here the second night we were there. It is a really cute spot on the water with great Italian food. We suggest sitting outside, and if you are a pizza fan, their pizza is delicious. They also has some vegetarian and vegan options like a stir fry and gnocchi!
We got grilled vegetable plate that was so good!
Agua Restauant: Another night, we ate at this spot, which is at their mall in Camana Bay. We got this really good green salad with a tahini dressing.
They also had a vegetarian menu that had this vegan ceviche with plantain chips that was delicious!
We also ordered this sautéed vegetable bowl!
Seven, Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman: we ate here for breakfast every morning.
We also ate at their club lounge for lunch every day, and they had the best salads with dips like hummus, guacamole, and more!
For our birthday, the chefs made us a watermelon carved with our names on it. It was SO incredible!
We also asked for fresh celery juice, and were so happy they made it for us!
Veranda Restaurant, Marriott Grand Cayman: we LOVE going there for their Wednesday night Lobster Night. Highly recommend going!
We got this green salad with veggies and pecans on it to start.
For the lobster night, they have a pre-fixe menu with a salad with mango, papaya, and lobster.
Then, it comes with lobster bisque soup, and of course the lobster tails and vegetables.
Ristorante Pappagallo: this is one of our favorite restaurants! They have the most beautiful birds there you can look at while you are there.
This is also an Italian spot, and they have the best pastas and seafood. We ended up ordering a few of their delicious sides: cauliflower, mushrooms, brussels sprouts, and asparagus. All SO good!
Other places to eat we recommend
- Casanova
- The Brasserie
- Luca
- Catch Restaurant
- Grand Old House
- Lobster Pot
- Calypso Grill
- Morgans Seafood
- Abacus
- Blue
What to do
There are a lot of activities to do, but we honestly spend most of our time at the gorgeous beach. The water is perfect and clear, and the sand is white and soft, so there is no comparison!
If you are wanting to do some excursions, we recommend:
- Stingray City
- Snorkeling
- Scuba Diving
- Catamaran Sunset Sail
- Rum Point
- Dolphin Discovery
- Shopping in Georgetown
When is the best time to go?
Really, any time of year is great! It is warm there all year long, but summer is typically their rainy season, but it is also less expensive to go during that time. We usually go around June or mid August.
Their high season is in the winter time, so usually around Thanksgiving through the spring!
What is the weather like?
The weather is pretty much warm all year, but between November and April, it is a little cooler than it is during the summer months. It is tropical there, so it can rain in one part of the island, and not other parts. Also, if it does rain, it passes very quickly!
Getting there
We usually fly American Airlines direct from Dallas, but they don’t always offer direct flights all year long. Otherwise, you can fly a lot of other airlines like Southwest.
What we wear
We shared a bunch of our looks below we wore on our trip. Think a lot of swimsuits, cover ups, and cute summery dresses and rompers!
*click each photo to shop the looks*
The Grand Velas Riviera Maya is a AAA Five Diamond, ultra-
-Family-Friendly Ocean View : Ambassador Suites
-Zen-Like Tropical Setting : Zen Grand Suite (where we stayed)
The rooms were GORGEOUS! We had a chance to see all three room ambiances, and each one was stunning. They all have a very similar look and are super spacious (1,100 square feet!) with gorgeous bathrooms. We have never seen ceilings so high in a room before, but we loved it because it feels so much more open! They bathrooms all feature L’Occitane amenities, a spacious jacuzzi tub, and walk-in shower. They also have a separate vanity for doing your hair and makeup, which we appreciated!
They also offered refreshing cocktails and snacks at the pool. They were super accommodating with our orders, too!
The main pool in the Ambassador suites is a gorgeous infinity pool that overlooks the ocean. We loved going to that one because they had fun activities and good music, but it wasn’t overly loud!
We were in heaven! They have everything from omelettes, fresh fruit, pastries, sushi, salads, breads, incredible dishes, pizza, ceviche station, panini station, and the list goes on!
They also have a ton of spa treatments, including facials and massages.
Before we get into the review, we wanted to say how amazing the ENTIRE staff is. From the housekeeping, to the waiters and waitresses, to the lawn workers, we have nothing but amazing things to say. Every person had the biggest smile on their faces, and were so glad to help in any way!
When we arrived in Cancun, we were greeted by our driver who drove us to the short, 30-minute drive to our resort. When we arrived at El Dorado Royale, we were greeted by the head concierge who talked to us about the property.
Since the resort is pretty large (and actually has three resorts in one: El Dorado Royale, El Dorado Casitas, and El Dorado Generations), they have golf carts to take you around the property if you would like, or you can walk easily to most places, which is what we did! One of the very sweet bellmen showed us all the hot spots on the property on our way to our room!
And, one of our favorite parts: the pillow menu and aromatherapy. For this, you get to pick out a specific pillow you would like (we both chose a more firm, memory foam pillow) and some aromatherapy (they all smelled amazing)! we had never been to a hotel that had this option, so we were ALL about it!
For lunch, there are a lot of options: Jojo’s, Kampai, Spot, and La Isla. There are also some other gourmet corners: La Cabana Pizzeria, Health Bar, Loss Olas, and Bar 32.
At the pizzeria, they had some really yummy-looking pizza, but we ordered some guac and pico and then also tried their chicken fajitas, which were really good!
For dinner, the options are: La Isla (Mediterranean Cuisine), Kampai (Pacific Rim Cuisine ), Sante Fe Grill (Grill), Rincon Mexicano (Mexican Cuisine), Jojo’s (Caribbean Cuisine), D’Italia Casistas and Villas (Italian Cuisine), Cocotal (Worldwide Cuisine), and Fuentes (Culinary Theatre).
We had the chance to try Sante Fe Grill, which was also yummy! We got salmon and they were super accommodating, as always!
On our third night there, we went to their Mexican Fiesta Party, which was probably the highlight of our trip! It was SO cool, and you really got to experience the culture and food in the best way. They have this event every Tuesday, and the whole staff gets into it. They greet everyone with some margaritas, and then they have a bunch of long tables all set up and decorated. Outside, they have a little Mexican market to buy some authentic gifts, and our favorite part: the food! They had a HUGE buffet spread of every authentic Mexican food you can think of. Let’s just say we left very, very full! They had everything from tacos, to millions of salsas, roasted chicken, pork, steak, salads, shrimp, soups, and tons of desserts!
After the meal, they had a bunch of performances from dancers and Mariachis, which was so cool to see live! At the end of the performances, they introduced all of the staff and chefs, and it was so cool to see them so happy to be there. They truly seem like they love working there, which reflects on the guests!
We also had a chance to eat at Fuentes, which is their Culinary Theatre. It is set up like a live cooking show, and they have a set menu, depending on the day of the week, and for this one, you do have to make a reservation. You can also pay extra for the wine pairing, which is incredible with the food. They have a chef cooking the entire dish in front of you, while you actually eat it, which is so cool, and you get to learn a lot, too! The menu when we went was Mexican-themed, so we got to try stuff like a tomato salad (right from their own greenhouse), some tuna tostadas, a chicken breast roll, a pork belly, and a churro!
We also wanted to mention that ALL of the restaurants ask if you have any food allergies ahead of time, so if you’re sensitive to anything, they really take it seriously!
We had the pleasure of using their Bali Beds one of the days and had the sweetest Butler, Moises. These beds require a reservation and are so fun to rent for the day! They will bring you any drinks you’d like, as well as food, or anything you may need!
They also have these super cute swings on the beach that are definitely an instagrammable spot! They overlook the ocean, so they are a perfect spot to enjoy your cocktail!
Of course, we spent our mornings in here, and it had a great variety of equipment. They had some cable machines, a good amount of cardio machines, free weights, barbells, and a lot of space to move around. They also had infused water and fresh fruit!
It was so relaxing and peaceful, and the instructor was amazing. They also offer classes like aqua fit, crossfit, functional training, and a 5K run.
As you all can tell, we are basically booking a trip back there ASAP. We honestly have nothing negative to say about the resort, and would most definitely recommend it to anyone thinking of going to Cancun. We met SO many people there that have been coming to this property for years, so that in itself speaks volumes!
