The Reef Beach Resort, East End, Grand Cayman

“Very Relaxing with nice area for snorkeling”

Very relaxing! Clean rooms. Close to beach. Great food! Excellent snorkeling area.

“Great relaxing week”

The Reef Beach Resort East end Grand Cayman Pros Everything was very clean including the room and common areas. The silverware didn’t even have water spots. The food was excellent and often beautiful. The themed dinners were excellent. (We didn’t care for the seafood buffet, but I think that w… more

The Reef Beach Resort East end Grand Cayman Pros Everything was very clean including the room and common areas. The silverware didn’t even have water spots. The food was excellent and often beautiful. The themed dinners were excellent. (We didn’t care for the seafood buffet, but I think that was an oddity because other reviews consistently praise it.) Even though it was expensive, breakfast was good at the buffet and also off the menu. All the staff seemed genuine, friendly, capable and attentive. I’d name names but I would forget someone. We really enjoyed the people. The views are breathtaking from almost everywhere on the property. There are plenty of lounge chairs available. There are scattered umbrellas, but we were able to get enough shade from palm trees. The pools were refreshing and we enjoyed massages in the spa. The bed was comfortable, the shower plenty large and we enjoyed our balcony. The resort is in a quiet area with a small grocery store, liquor store and gift shop across the street. We spoke with many people who come every year and some who have timeshares and really enjoy being at the Reef Beach Resort. We did borrow snorkel gear and I was able to try a quick snorkel at the resort prior to snorkeling off a boat later in the week. We also enjoyed watching Kareoke, playing a little bingo and playing our own games in the lobby. Cons The beach was not what I expected. It’s fine, soft and beautiful until you get to close to the water. It’s hard to explain, but it’s slanted or eroded and it is not walkable. There is seaweed, but that didn’t bother me much. You cannot take long walks on this beach. One day we walked about three quarters of a mile down the road and cut through to a beach where you could relax, walk a little and sit at the water's edge. Transportation is difficult from this location. Taxis are very expensive and the public transportation isn’t well established. We did not want to rent a car. We would have enjoyed a table in the room or on the balcony big / tall enough to play simple games. I think the biggest problem I had was with the all inclusive aspect of this trip. I had trouble reconciling my expectations of the all inclusive with tipping expectations and showing appreciation for those who were working for us. I would much rather pay a flat gratuity fee upfront ( similar to cruise ships). I could tip above that at the end if I wanted. Also, I would like it better if I didn’t need to constantly have a purse on me in case I wanted lunch or a glass of wine that I needed to tip for. This was stressful to me the whole week several times a day. I knew food was more expensive, but it’s very expensive. The all inclusive was costing more than I would have spent without the all inclusive, especially since there is a grocery store and liquor store across the street. I struggled with having already paid for wonderful food and yet it would be less expensive to go across the street and buy groceries ( we did not give in to that ). I think I’d rather pay more upfront and have gratuities included. At least one person we spoke to said they have groceries delivered. We spoke with multiple concierge staff and I believe some are more genuine than others. All were friendly and we did get some help with booking experiences. I think one concierge is a little overbearing and possibly out to help himself over helping patrons. A different concierge corrected a problem we had with a booking and booked it in a more appropriate and less costly way. Conclusion I really enjoyed our stay starting with the great people, clean facility and wonderful food and drink. I really was sad that our visit was over. If I came again, I would not do the all inclusive unless they change the structure. I would eat in their facilities a few times, because it is excellent, but too costly for 3 meals a day. I am not someone who wants to rent a car in a foreign country, so I would also hope there would be a reliable shuttle service at least a couple times a week to visit the other end of the island.

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“Stonewall in the water to capture sargasm at The Reef”

I would recommend you update your pictures showing the beach in front of the reef resort. It's an old picture You don't show the large stone structure that's now dividing the reef property to the property next to it which is Moritts Tortuga Club. That stone structure is caused great problems as th… more

I would recommend you update your pictures showing the beach in front of the reef resort. It's an old picture You don't show the large stone structure that's now dividing the reef property to the property next to it which is Moritts Tortuga Club. That stone structure is caused great problems as the seaweed or many people call it sargasm collapse and smells terribly. And the fact that you broke the natural wave motion, the water waves or not flowing up onto the beaches they used to and water seems like it's almost stagnated. So I would suggest you update your pictures and I just making this comment to let others know what to expect when they get there.

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“Mixed experience - great staff, but location & beach are the main drawbacks”

Mixed experience at this older but clean and well-maintained resort. Our room was on the smaller side (not sure if this applies to all rooms) but had an unobstructed ocean view. Service was excellent - the team was friendly, attentive, and responsive throughout. One restaurant plus a beach bar ser… more

Mixed experience at this older but clean and well-maintained resort. Our room was on the smaller side (not sure if this applies to all rooms) but had an unobstructed ocean view. Service was excellent - the team was friendly, attentive, and responsive throughout. One restaurant plus a beach bar serving brunch/lunch. Food is tasty but pricey - breakfast buffet ~$100 for two. Three small pools on site. The main downside: beach and location. The beach is narrow, and during our stay it was very windy with lots of seaweed - a sharp contrast to Seven Mile Beach on the West side, which has calm water, no seaweed, and a wide sandy beach. The East End is quieter and more authentic, but dining options are very limited. Most activities and restaurants are on the West side, so we drove ~1 hour each way - morning to Seven Mile Beach, evening for dinner - totaling 4 hours of driving daily. It made us question the value of staying on a less appealing beach. Bottom line: great if you want a quiet, low-key East End stay. Not ideal if you plan to spend time at Seven Mile Beach or want dining variety nearby. Know this upfront so you can make an informed decision.

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