Holiday Inn and DiveTech - Any Feedback?

[muzikbiz22]

I agree that having a condo or apartment with the ability to prepare some simple meals provides major savings in Cayman because eating out 3 times per day is very expensive; but I've noticed that the Holiday Inn offers both guest rooms and suites with full kitchens - so perhaps a suite would be a good option?
Holiday Inn Resort Grand Cayman

Having the kitchen with the 1 bedroom was great. Your logic is spot on. We made coffee, toast, pastries every morning, made lunch, and ate dinner out most nights. Having the kitchen is a great way to save some money.

 

[muzikbiz22]

In contrast to the previous responders review of the restaurant I actually think the food they turn out is pretty good. The food and beverage manager was replaced a year or so ago and the guy who moved from the Sunshine Suites has been there as long as we have been running out of there so I only know it to be the good standard that they strive to offer.

Drew is correct about this. Stayed there last year, and the gentleman that you/Drew is referring to, "brought the goods" when it comes to the food. Food was great !!!! And the guys is really nice and sincerely cares about what is coming out of the kitchen. Enjoyed chatting with him !

 

[Dogbowl]

I’m intrigued...about the Holiday Inn, Lighthouse Point Dive Resort and Divetech.

Just got back from BAIV and itching for our next trip, but realistically won’t be until Fall or just before Xmas.

Never considered this combination. Always thought Comfort Suites was the way to go.

 

[KathyV]

I’m intrigued...about the Holiday Inn, Lighthouse Point Dive Resort and Divetech.

Just got back from BAIV and itching for our next trip, but realistically won’t be until Fall or just before Xmas.

Never considered this combination. Always thought Comfort Suites was the way to go.

I am also intrigued by the option of HI, Divetech, and Lighthouse Point and when we are on the island in the fall I hope to have a chance to visit the Holiday Inn. I want to check out the location and property and also see how bad those speed bumps really are!

But what makes you think that Comfort Suites is the best option? I have stayed at CS and it was fine but probably best if you are only on the island for a few days. If you want to stay on the Seven Mile Beach then CS is an option. It is not on the beach but it is on the same side of the road and has access to a small section of narrow beach, but you might also want to look at Sunshine Suites, it is across the street from the beach but it is part of the Westin property and you would have access to the Westin's wide beach and amenities, and you have a full kitchen at SS and can prepare some meals - the same as the 1-bedroom suites at HI.

If beach is not of major interest and you want to do a lot of dives, check out Compass Point and Ocean Frontiers on the East End because they offer 4 boat dives a day and some of the best diving, but that can get pricey. There are also places that offer morning boat dives and unlimited shore dives on the house reef like Divetech and Lighthouse Point, or Sunset House, or the all-inclusive Cobalt Coast - that is now also offering an afternoon boat dive as well as shore dives - weather permitting.

And you can stay at many places on the island and arrange to do 2 morning boat dives with an op and then plan on doing some inexpensive afternoon shore dives at places like Turtle Reef/Macabuca.

Food is a major factor in planning a more reasonably-priced Cayman vacation and eating out 3 times a day can be very expensive, and it takes up a lot of vacation time IMO. Some places offer free breakfast, like Comfort Suites and Sunset House, so you only have to manage 2 meals a day and that helps. We like to rent a 1-bedroom apartment or condo with a full kitchen and prepare some simple meals and then go out to eat once a day.

I'm just saying that there are a lot of options available on Grand Cayman so don't just focus on Comfort Suites. And there are also the all-inclusive, excellent "eat, sleep, and dive" resorts on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. And now that you are a liveaboard diver, the Cayman Aggressor is another option!

 

[Alucard]

My first ever trip to GC was staying at the Comfort Suites. It suited us because the price point was a lot lower than most of the hotels, or the 1BR condos. We knew that we would be eating out for lunches and dinners, and didn't need a fancy breakfast. The easy walk to the beach (i.e. not crossing West Bay Road) was nice - we knew we weren't going to be sitting on the beach, but just walking, so we didn't care that there wasn't a ton of room on that part of the beach - it made for some nice early morning and sunset walks. And Divetech picked up from there, so that we didn't have to have a car. We rented a car for a day to tour around the island on the last day.

So I could understand how it would fit for some people's needs.

Subsequent trips were to Cobalt Coast (again with Divetech) for several visits, but by then we had a little more disposable income and could afford to rent a car.

 

[Dogbowl]

I am also intrigued by the option of HI, Divetech, and Lighthouse Point and when we are on the island in the fall I hope to have a chance to visit the Holiday Inn. I want to check out the location and property and also see how bad those speed bumps really are!

But what makes you think that Comfort Suites is the best option? I have stayed at CS and it was fine but probably best if you are only on the island for a few days. If you want to stay on the Seven Mile Beach then CS is an option. It is not on the beach but it is on the same side of the road and has access to a small section of narrow beach, but you might also want to look at Sunshine Suites, it is across the street from the beach but it is part of the Westin property and you would have access to the Westin's wide beach and amenities, and you have a full kitchen at SS and can prepare some meals - the same as the 1-bedroom suites at HI.

If beach is not of major interest and you want to do a lot of dives, check out Compass Point and Ocean Frontiers on the East End because they offer 4 boat dives a day but that can get pricey. There are places that offer morning boat dives and unlimited shore dives on the house reef like Divetech and Lighthouse Point, or Sunset House, or the all-inclusive Cobalt Coast - that is now also offering an afternoon boat dive as well as shore dives - weather permitting.

And you can stay at many places on the island and arrange to do 2 morning boat dives with an op and then plan on doing some inexpensive afternoon shore dives at places like Turtle Reef/Macabuca.

Food is a major factor in planning a more reasonably-priced l Cayman vacation and eating out 3 times a day can be very expensive, and it takes up a lot of vacation time IMO. Some places offer free breakfast, like Comfort Suites and Sunset House, so you only have to manage 2 meals a day and that helps. We like to rent a 1-bedroom apartment or condo with a full kitchen and prepare some simple meals and then go out to eat once a day.

I'm just saying that there are a lot of options available on Grand Cayman so don't just focus on Comfort Suites. And there are also the all-inclusive, excellent "eat, sleep, and dive" resorts on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. And now that you are a liveaboard diver, the Cayman Aggressor is another option!

The problem is...we keep comparing dive destinations with Cozumel! In Coz, we like to stay in a reasonably comfortable hotel in town so we can walk to restaurants for lunch or dinner after a morning dive or afternoon dive. We’ve been on GC several times off a cruise ship and thought we’d like to stay close to town. We could be totally wrong...maybe restaurants in GC are not walkable like they are in Coz.

Comfort Suites seems to be closest to town? And most reasonably priced? We’re not breakfast people so we can and often don’t eat breakfast. A banana and toast in the morning before a dive is plenty, but we also don’t like to cook and wash dishes on vacation, so prefer to eat out, even if it’s less expensive takeout food.

But then again, the HI, Lighthouse Point and Divetech seem to be offering a nice alternative, but we’d have to rent a car for that option for sure. Is parking in town easy or hard to get? The issue with driving has less have to do with the extra costs (which is a concern don’t get me wrong) but more to do with the hassles of insurance, liability and left-side driving! But then we’re in GC and not in Mexico so maybe the risks are not as high.

 

[Alucard]

The thing is, the better restaurants (imo) aren't in George Town. Most of them are up the road that runs along Seven Mile Beach (called West Bay Road), so being close to George Town doesn't really buy you much. It's a very different layout than Cozumel, for sure.

 

[KathyV]

The problem is...we keep comparing dive destinations with Cozumel! In Coz, we like to stay in a reasonably comfortable hotel in town so we can walk to restaurants for lunch or dinner after a morning dive or afternoon dive. We’ve been on GC several times off a cruise ship and thought we’d like to stay close to town. We could be totally wrong...maybe restaurants in GC are not walkable like they are in Coz.

Comfort Suites seems to be closest to town? And most reasonably priced? We’re not breakfast people so we can and often don’t eat breakfast. A banana and toast in the morning before a dive is plenty, but we also don’t like to cook and wash dishes on vacation, so prefer to eat out, even if it’s less expensive takeout food.

But then again, the HI, Lighthouse Point and Divetech seem to be offering a nice alternative, but we’d have to rent a car for that option for sure. Is parking in town easy or hard to get? The issue with driving has less have to do with the extra costs (which is a concern don’t get me wrong) but more to do with the hassles of insurance, liability and left-side driving! But then we’re in GC and not in Mexico so maybe the risks are not as high.

Preferring not to drive or do meal prep makes a big difference so thank you for clarifying - and it is your vacation so you should do what you want!

The Holiday Inn might be a good option, but you will need to rent a car or depend on the HI shuttle, or primarily eat at the HI restaurant; but if you want to do the shore dives at Lighthouse Point then renting a car would be best. Divetech will transport you to the boat for morning dives.

When you say "town" I think that you are referring to George Town, that is the main city on GC and it is where the cruise ships park.

Comfort Suites is not walkable to George Town, it is located on Seven Mile Beach, but there is a cheap and convenient bus service that runs along West Bay Road during the day that goes into George Town. But it isn't necessary to go into town to eat, you can walk to a number of restaurants in the 7MB area if you stay at Comfort Suites. It is a very developed and popular district.

You might want to take a look at Sunset House, it is close to George Town, less than a mile I think, so an easy walk to the GT shops and restaurants. It is also quite close to Grand Old House which is one of the nicest Oceanside restaurants on the island - very pricey but if you would like a special dinner then it is a good option.

Breakfast is included at Sunset House and there is a restaurant and a nice Oceanside bar onsite. You could have lunch at SS and then walk into GT for dinner, after the cruise ship crowds leave. Cathy Church's Photo Shop and Studio are also located at Sunset House if you are interested in underwater photography - or just like to look at beautiful photos.

Sunset House is not on the beach, it's on ironshore, but it is a nice location and they include unlimited shore dives on the house reef along with 2 morning dives with Sunset Divers. Special afternoon dives like the Kittiwake and Stingray City are extra. Night dives from a boat would also be extra but you can night dive on the house reef at no extra charge.

I haven't dived the house reef at SS in a long time and I have heard mixed reviews about its condition, but @Trailboss123 has stayed at Sunset House several times and he likes it a lot so he can give you a better description.

 

[KathyV]

...The issue with driving has less have to do with the extra costs (which is a concern don’t get me wrong) but more to do with the hassles of insurance, liability and left-side driving! But then we’re in GC and not in Mexico so maybe the risks are not as high.

I am not a big fan of driving on Grand Cayman, but my husband actually enjoys it so that works well for us.

If you stay in the 7MB area, then you will have to deal with traffic - there are actual rush hours on GC; but if you time your travels to avoid busiest times it is not a problem.

The George Town traffic can be bad and there are many narrow, one-way, angled streets and the parking can be challenging during the day. Again we try to avoid the busy times when we drive to GT.

We tend to stay in an apartment away from 7MB and GT but we don't do a lot of diving on GC, mostly snorkeling and shore diving and a few boat dives. We prefer doing most of our diving at the all-inclusive dive resorts on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. Cobalt Coast on GC would be another option.

Wherever you stay on GC, I suggest renting a car for a day or two, there's a lot to see and do on the island!

 

[Dogbowl]

@KathyV and @Alucard

Thanks for the clarification. Sunset house is also an option for sure.

How's the driving situation and parking situation in Grand Cayman? Is it easy to find street parking or paid parking in George Town for instance? Or at the "better" restaurants on West Bay Road? I'm going to assume we're not going to be shaken down by police officers, right?