How to Stay in Grand Cayman with Points and Miles

As someone who is obsessed with gorgeous beaches, I have been enamored with Grand Cayman since our first visit a few years ago. Flush with starpoints at the time, we opted to spend five nights at the Westin Grand Cayman on Seven Mile Beach. At just 12,000 starpoints per night during off-peak season, this is still one of the best beach hotels I have ever been to.

The hotel was overly expensive and the rooms were just okay, but the beach outside will take your breath away. After a few days at the hotel, I was more than happy to dodge the outrageous prices at the hotel by dining off-site just to stay on that gorgeous stretch of beach.

Beyond its beautiful beaches, another thing I liked about Grand Cayman was the fact it was so easy to navigate around. I lucked out with a $3 per day rental car somehow, and we drove all over the island to try different restaurants and different beaches. We even went to Hell, Grand Cayman to see, well, the scarce attractions that were there, including some weird rock formations and a gift shop.

 

Where to Stay in Grand Cayman on Points

If you’re angling for a trip to Grand Cayman next year, there are plenty of points hotels you can book other than the Westin across several of the most easily accessible hotel brands. Options in Grand Cayman include:

Bookable with the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express:

• Westin Grand Cayman – 12,000 – 16,000 starpoints per night

Bookable with the Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card:

• Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman – 70,000 points per night
• Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort – 45,000 points per night

Bookable with IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card:

• Holiday Inn Resort: Grand Cayman – 25,000 points per night
• Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa – bookable with IHG Rewards in 2018, points TBD

Obviously, these hotels aren’t your only options if you’re booking with points in Grand Cayman. You can explore point values for available hotels through Chase Ultimate Rewards, or book hotels through AmexTravel.com with Membership Rewards. Another option is racking up flexible travel credit with a card like the Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard then redeeming it for any property you want.

 

How to Get to Grand Cayman

While all the major airlines fly to Grand Cayman, it’s become an especially affordable destination to fly to ever since Southwest Airlines started traveling to Grand Cayman last year. From my home airport of IND, I can frequently find round-trip fares to Grand Cayman for less than 20,000 points, 25,000 points max.

British Airways Avios are another smart option for flights to Grand Cayman, although you’ll need to depart from a southern airport to get the most bang for your buck. To get there, you’ll fork over 7,500 avios for a MIA to GCM leg, for example. American Airlines is often a good alternative since round-trip flights can go as low as 12,500 miles per leg or 25,000 miles round-trip.

 

Have you been to Grand Cayman? Where did you stay, and why?