Alex and I just returned from a luxury beach stay at the Kimpton Seafire resort in the Grand Cayman Islands. I’ve been to Grand Cayman twice from cruise stops. Honestly, I wasn’t that impressed. I guess that is why I like to stay a few nights at a destination rather than just a few hours from a cruise ship. We had heard rave reviews about the Kimpton Seafire, so we booked it and paid $350 ( just the cost of buying 70K in points- including a 100% bonus at the time) for a $6,000 stay. Unfortunately, there is an $80 resort for these resorts, so we actually paid $750. More on what that resort fee covers later. The Kimpton Seafire Resort was a great luxury stay in Grand Cayman – the perfect cure for those winter blues!

Sunset views from our balcony!

You just can’t beat the combo of sand and turquoise water!

Getting There

We flew United Airlines from Denver. I used a free 50K Marriott annual night certificate to book a stay at Denver International Airport’s Westin hotel since we had a very early flight to Grand Cayman. We just had to walk a few short steps to the terminal. We made sure to have a little time to use the American Express Centurion Lounge for a quick breakfast, though. The Platinum Business card gives us both access to this lounge.

Neither of us uses miles/points for cheaper seats, so we paid cash for our flights (they could have been booked with 40K United miles). Because I have United Gold status, our flights to Grand Cayman were upgraded to first – nice! You can use points/miles with many other airlines for a free flight.

Resort Redemption

You can book this resort for 70K IHG points/per night. When you have either the IHG Rewards Premier card, or IHG Rewards Premier Business card, the 4th night on award stays is free! If you have one of those cards, you will need 210K IHG points for a four-night stay at the Kimpton Seafire.

• Have Player 2 also open the card (plus you could stay more nights), but you won’t get the 4th night free because you can’t combine IHG points😩
• Purchase those 32K additional IHG points. They frequently have sales, so I would wait for one of those. When we purchased, it was a 100% bonus.

Once you have those 210K points, book your stay at the IHG site. This is one of those times when it is worth it to purchase points.

Our room had plenty of space and included a little alcove area with a fridge, sink, and hotplate (not pictured).

First Impressions

We were warmly greeted with welcome drinks on arrival, and the check-in staff was very hospitable. They even have one member tell you about the resort with a short tour. The lobby is very pretty, as are all the restaurants and the bar area. Have I told you how Kimpton is my favorite IHG brand? This resort lives up to the hype!

Holding one of the IHG card above gives a person Platinum Elite status – probably one of the easiest statuses to obtain. Own the card, own the status. We were told that they upgraded our room to a Premium Ocean View room, and the view was outstanding! Direct views of the ocean! Additionally, a charcuterie board was in the room due to status. As Platinum members, you also get a $15 credit for the minibar and a $30 spa credit. They were also kind to give us a fruit board and dessert tray!

We really appreciated the welcome amenities in our room!

The Resort Amenities

As I said above, there is an $80 resort fee per night that one has to pay. That covers the following items:

• High-speed wireless internet access
• Local telephone calls
• Morning coffee in the lobby
• Kids under 5 eat for free
• Evening social hour with free wine – mini chicken tacos one night were amazing!
• Daily fitness classes
• Fitness center access
• Use of kayaks, paddleboards, rafts, and a water tricycle
• Snorkeling gear
• GoPro underwater cameras
• Bikes
• Valet parking
• Complimentary water, sunscreen, and aloe vera lotion by the pool

This lobby was the scene for morning coffee and nightly social hours.

We went to the spa one afternoon for massages. It was really, really nice and we could have spent longer there.

The spa was absolutely gorgeous with many seating areas and amenities.

The Food

I seldom go to a resort and have great food across the board – this was the exception. The food was so good that we didn’t eat anywhere else! Cocolomba, the beachside restaurant, serves delicious Mexican food (we loved the elote, tacos, and the dulce de leche brownie was a huge hit with us). Ave is their main restaurant, where we had delicious breakfasts (Nutella French toast was so yummy) and also dinner a couple of nights. Their tenderloin was delicious.

The Pantry has bakery items, salads to go, and sandwiches. We also got room service one night after we had our massages.

Naturally, this was one of my favorite meals from Ave.

Activities at the Resort

Non-motorized water options abound, including a couple of Hobie catamarans, kayaks, paddle boards, and a water tricycle. There are two floating pads in the ocean and plenty of yellow mats to float around on. We never had a problem getting a chair, and the staff quickly set them up for you, popped up your umbrella, and chatted about where you are from. This was one of the friendliest groups of hotel workers that I’ve encountered.  Our only criticism is that it would be nice if they had padded cushions on the chair at the pool and beach area.

We saw corn hole, spike ball, a pingpong table, a foosball table, and beach volleyball available for use. Camp Seafire is the kid’s club and is completely outdoors, available for ages 5-12 (fee applies). It includes a visit to the water park at certain hours.

The main pool area had complimentary lotion, water, aloe vera, and swim diapers!

Between all the pool seating and beach seating, we never had to worry about finding a spot to lounge!

The resort fee covers the use of all these fun activities!

Can you believe how gorgeous the water is?

Activities in Grand Cayman

We stayed at the resort this trip, but there are many activities to do in Grand Cayman. These include:

• Bioluminescent Bay
• Dolphin Discovery
• Parasailing
• Private Boat Charters
• Scuba Diving
• Snorkeling
• Stingray City
• Queen Elizabeth II Botanical Gardens
• Crystal Caves
• Horse-riding
• Turtle Centre

We loved the turquoise water and white sand at the Kimpton Seafire Resort!

Bottom Line

Have you ever been somewhere, and even on the first day, you are thinking about when you return? That is how this stay at the Kimpton Seafire Resort was. It was special from beginning to end, and I plan to get more IHG points for a return visit! It has been over 24 months since my husband and I got our IHG cards, so it is time to cancel and reapply. The Kimpton Seafire Resort is worth another visit.