The Reef Resort: Reef Resort Was Great! Part 3 of 3
Satisfaction:
By brittam on December 8, 2005
After trying pretty hard to think of even one negative thing about the resort we are left with just this. I wish the staff had been more forthcoming and personable. But really, I?m not buying a best friend so I?m not even sure this is a legitimate resort comment. So, assuming they will fix it so their customers can somehow connect to the internet either over a phone line or wireless, the Reef Resort is flawless. It is everything is promises to be and I recommend it. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions about the island or resort.
The Reef Resort: Reef Resort Was Great! Part 2 of 3
Satisfaction:
By brittam on December 8, 2005
After trying pretty hard to think of even one negative thing about the resort we are left with just this. I wish the staff had been more forthcoming and personable. But really, I’m not buying a best friend so I’m not even sure this is a legitimate resort comment. So, assuming they will fix it so their customers can somehow connect to the internet either over a phone line or wireless, the Reef Resort is flawless. It is everything is promises to be and I recommend it. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions about the island or resort.
The Reef Resort: Reef Resort Was Great! Part 1 of 2
Satisfaction:
By brittam on December 8, 2005
My husband and I returned from a week long stay at Grand Cayman Reef Resort four days ago on 12/3/2005. The information we gained from the net reading others comments and reviews of the island and it’s accommodations was so helpful to us that I decided to really do my best to return the favor for others looking for information about a recent trip to Grand Cayman and the Reef Resort by leaving a really through review of our stay. (Apparently also in the form of super long sentences) So…here it goes. Note: I am posting my comments regarding the island and the resort separately in there respective forums.
Our Room: Our room was 104a. Lovely. So much nicer than we expected. Such a great view. In fact the appliances, full sized, were newer than the ones we have at home. The rooms were spotlessly clean and fresh smelling. They provided all of the amenities such as dish detergent, sponges to wipe up, utensils etc even the ice trays were full and ready when we arrived. The furnishings were new and nice if not upscale. Comfortable except for the bed which was so hard that we thought they had accidentally stacked two box springs. My guess is that the staff would have switched out the beds if we had said anything but we didn’t bother. The air conditioning worked like a dream. It really does feels like your own little apartment after a few days. In fact it was very similar in size and layout to my first apartment.
Regarding housekeeping: The housecleaning staff empty trash cans and collect towels once a day and clean the whole suite twice a week. GREAT housekeeping!
The Reef Resort: Reef Resort Was Great! Part 2 of 3
Satisfaction:
By brittam on December 8, 2005
We had a problem with our TV that was not resolved but it was no big deal. The only real negative for us was the internet access. There was no access during the week we were at the resort and the staff seemed entirely unapologetic about this. By this I mean that when I called the front desk to ask about the error message I got when I tried to access their wireless the front desk woman said something along the lines of “yes, other guests have said they couldn’t connect. It must be down.” Period. No more information. We went to the internet café on site later in the week to ask when the wireless might be up again, and too offer my husbands help, he is a network person, and we got the same answer as before only this time they added that the network guy must be off the island because he didn’t answer his phone. It was a big deal to me. My cell phone didn’t work at all not even my voice mail and I was worried about a grandmother with a cold. No reason to think she wasn’t ok but you know how it is.
In the end what we feel makes this resort stand out above the others is the housekeeping. I guess they are the people that really set the tone for the whole resort and they set a good one. Even the beach was spotlessly kept up. GO Housekeeping! (no I am not being paid by the housekeeping staff at the Reef Resort.)
The Beach: The best sand on the island, the best off beach snorkeling of the beaches we visited though I wouldn’t recommend this island if you are especially interested in off beach snorkling. After a few days looking around at 7 Mile Beach and Rum Point we decided that while the beaches were prettier there they were not so much better that it made sense to travel 40 minutes to get there. We decided we were better off at the resort. With that said I will now add the only real negative thing I have to say about the resort.
The Reef Resort: Reef Resort Was Great! Part 2 of 3
Satisfaction:
By brittam on December 8, 2005
We had a problem with our TV that was not resolved but it was no big deal. The only real negative for us was the internet access. There was no access during the week we were at the resort and the staff seemed entirely unapologetic about this. By this I mean that when I called the front desk to ask about the error message I got when I tried to access their wireless the front desk woman said something along the lines of “yes, other guests have said they couldn’t connect. It must be down.” Period. No more information. We went to the internet café on site later in the week to ask when the wireless might be up again, and too offer my husbands help, he is a network person, and we got the same answer as before only this time they added that the network guy must be off the island because he didn’t answer his phone. It was a big deal to me. My cell phone didn’t work at all not even my voice mail and I was worried about a grandmother with a cold. No reason to think she wasn’t ok but you know how it is.
In the end what we feel makes this resort stand out above the others is the housekeeping. I guess they are the people that really set the tone for the whole resort and they set a good one. Even the beach was spotlessly kept up. GO Housekeeping! (no I am not being paid by the housekeeping staff at the Reef Resort.)
The Beach: The best sand on the island, the best off beach snorkeling of the beaches we visited though I wouldn’t recommend this island if you are especially interested in off beach snorkling. After a few days looking around at 7 Mile Beach and Rum Point we decided that while the beaches were prettier there they were not so much better that it made sense to travel 40 minutes to get there. We decided we were better off at the resort. With that said I will now add the only real negative thing I have to say about the resort.
I went in April 2006 to their condo section - look at the floor plans, its the one called "2 bedroom condo".
Good stuff:
Clean and new. The condo area was just like stepping into someones house where all the personal effects had disappeared. Full kitchen. Everything was new tile and real wood.
Food - the menu is pretty limited but what they do have is really good. They also do a weekly buffet with live band and that's is always a good choice. For those that get cooking facilities, there is a new small supermarket across the street - the only one on that end of the island.
Seclusion / family friendliness - this depends on what the traveler is looking for. It's 45 minutes away from any other tourist area so there's none of that hustle and bustle around there. But that also means there are limited avenues for restaurant selection.
Again, it's our nature to define events by the bad...but this place is really a good choice on the whole.
Bad stuff:
% i Housekeeping - My place was getting cleaned at 09:00 whether I liked it or not.
I made the mistake of commenting on it once to the actual housekeepers - the lady got upset and turned it around like I had done something wrong to her on a personal level. . She left muttering her moral opinion of my nightly activities and drinking habits. I took this issue to the front desk and was rewarded the next morning with a loud slamming of fist-on-door from the house keeping crew 'to make sure i was awake' and snide comments from the staff about how I was trying to get them all fired.
Stay Extension - My stay was drawing near the end and I had asked if I could extend a week past my traveling companions stay. My only prerequisite was that I keep the same room/condo. If not, then I'd return.
I spent 1 extra day in the condo when I was told that I had to move out to a tiny studio room . Wi-Fi - nope. I couldn't cancel .. I had paid the other huge fees in airline ticket changes.
Unique Qualities: New buildings. Due to the hurricane wiping most of the East End away, these buildings are all new and crisp.
On-site liquor store/minimart and smallish tourism/snorkeling shop. NOTICE - this is a religious island so booze-n-beer aren't sold on Sundays. They carry just about every sundry you can need. Gringo skin got burned? They have you covered!
Laundry - they have DIY services with coin service machines. This is a huge plus in my book. No huge laundry fees and no waiting to get it done. Do it yourself whenever you want.
Directions: walk from airport to rent-a-car place. Exit the airport and hang a left, then right shortly down the road....sorta...... Drive for a really long time.
