Cayman Vacation - April 2011

Guest: The Beach Bums (Milwaukee, WI USA)
Date of Stay: 04/22/11 Review Submitted: 09/01/11

Very nice home that easily fit our family of seven. We loved the beach frontage and the kids really made good use of the pool. Enjoyed the quietness of the Northshore but still the accessibility of Rum Point just a moments drive down the beach. Grand Cayman Rocks!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Beach Plum

Guest: Kim (Minnesota)
Date of Stay: 04/01/11 Review Submitted: 08/23/11

Beautiful property rental. Quiet location, great snorkeling. Amazing experience. Would rent this property again.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers.

just left

Guest: vacationboy (cleveland)
Date of Stay: 05/13/11 Review Submitted: 05/21/11

current state of this renatl not quite as listed. first and most important, same rental agency owns next door villa about 30 feet away which is undergoing MAJOR recostruction. noise including electric jackhammer, saw, hammerring every day 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM. only day of quiet was first sunday there. ocean probably sounds great but cannot hear it. yes you wake up to island sounds-constrction-every morning. same gent runs both places so why werent we told? how about giving us a break. house being sold so owner in teh "sell it" frame of mind. example is blender. there was none so owner was gracious enough and said to buy one and he would reimburse. then management team calss and says no we will bring one. we get a used blender without a top. thanks! dryer didnt work but was fixed-got to give credit when due. matresses all old and need replacement. not gonna happen till you get new owners. view IS AWESOME but not enough to come back to this house. friday before we leave-only one day left-management company says we will move you to another -better- place. what, pack up and move for one day? why not offer a little sooner. have rented villas for 8 yeats all around carribean and spent more and less. this palce is at the bottom. supplies are minimal, pool furniture plastic, save for 4 new lounges, rite out of walmart. your own beach is phenomenal but not worth the downside. construction next store for 2 more months. wouldnt reccommend this villa at this time. does have great potential.

Owner response:Owner response to above review on Beach Plum: Unfortunately the owner of the home (Coco Kai) next door to Beach Plum (which I do not own or manage as the reviewer states) began interior renovation during this poor family's vacation. The home construction in Cayman is all masonry, so there was loud jackhammering and noise. The reviewer and his family were at Beach Plum for a 10 day stay. At first, the reviewer told the booking agent that it was not unbearable, but he needed a blender and the dryer fixed. he needed help finding items in the house, TV operation, etc. Owner contacted, dryer repaired and on-island manager brought him a blender from home in haste...only to find out it didn't have a top to it. owner called reviewer a few times while on island, agent emailed reviewer a number of times to make sure that he had answers and things were getting fixed or delivered to him. Anyway, after 7 days staying at the house, the reviewer called & emailed booking manager and complained that mattresses were "bad"; agent asked him to be specific--after 7 days of sleeping on them to explain what he meant...nothing specific came back. Reviewer also at that point said the noise was getting worse, that he has personally spoken with construction foreman, but couldn't get him to stop construction. Reviewer emailed agent and complained. Agent figured that this sounds bad enough to have them moved and offered reviewer and family to move to 5BR Cayman Castle in the East End (gratis, though it is twice the daily rate as beach plum) for the last TWO nights of their stay for peace and quiet, a different experience and to leave Cayman relaxed. Agent heard nothing back from the reviewer on his offer ( or questions about the mattresses) until this negative review of the house was posted a week later. Beach Plum is a great home and has a great snorkeling beach and (as reviewer states) without the construction next door, would be a fine rental otherwise. Beach Plum owner cannot know or anticipate when Coco Kai owner might begin work. Agent knew Coco Kai owner was planning to make interior renovations (so did adjacent neighbor Far Tortuga on the other side); however most owners will begin work in August after the rental season. Kind of an unwritten rule. Beach Plum owner was as surprised as reviewer was-- and has blocked his calendar until late June as a result; and alerted any pending bookings for relocation if the construction becomes a nuisance.

Recommended for:

Beach Plum Villa

Guest: Bonnie703 (Manhattan, IL, USA)
Date of Stay: 02/21/10 Review Submitted: 03/04/10

This rental was everything and more that it promised in it's description. Gene, the owner, was great. He promptly replied to my emails, offered some really great information, and checked in with us as soon as we arrived to make sure everything was in order. This was our family's first trip to Grand Cayman and I had several questions and concerns, especially since we were traveling with our young grandchildren. With Gene's prior guidance, suggestions, and easy to follow directions we arrived well prepared, and with no worries. The Beach Plum Villa was such a pleasure to have for our stay. It was very clean, bright and comfortable and so very well equipped in every way. The big deck and pool got quite a lot of use, and the chaises and palms on the beach were a favorite spot for some quiet relaxing watching the waves. The beach with it's easy slope to some really awesome snorkeling was great. We saw so many awesome fish, lobster and coral with the reef being so close and easy to reach, even for some of us novices. No one wanted to come out of the water. It was unanimously agreed, from the 7 to the 67 year old, that this was one of our family's best vacations, and the only thing we needed was more time to stay longer. We can't wait to go back.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Perfect House/Perfect Location

Guest: Christina F. (Denver, CO)
Date of Stay: 03/21/09 Review Submitted: 04/02/09

My family and I spent the week of March 21-28 at the Beachplum. The house has a generous master suite with a large bathroom on the main floor. Also on the main floor is a large, comfortable living room with vaulted ceilings and windows looking out over the pool and beach. The kitchen is well-equipped with nice appliances, dishes, cutlery, etc. Off the kitchen is a nice dining table also with views of the pool/ocean. Upstairs are 2 ocean-front rooms with queen-size beds and their own bath. Both rooms have nice balconies. The 3rd bedroom upstairs has 2 twin beds and is great for kids. The 3rd bedroom isn't ensuite, but the bath is right around the corner off the hallway. All of the furnishings are very nice and is great condition. Gene (owner) provided us with contacts to stock the house with groceries (they did a wonderful job) and to provide a full-size crib (also great service). The house does provide a pack-n-play. There is a charming little market about 50 yds away - we found it to be very well-stocked considering its size and was a good place to pick up frozen pizza, milk, etc. The freshwater pool appears to be brand-new and well maintained. A box of pool toys for the kids was also appreciated! There is an outdoor shower as well on the deck. The deck itself is nicely furnished with 2 separate dining tables (one under a palapa) and a good number of chaise lounges for relaxing. The private beach is just down the steps from the deck and has 2 palapas and 4 chaise lounges. The beach is beautiful white-sand and there are so many large shells - the number of intact conch shells is amazing! The water is calm and clear and the snorkeling is fantastic. Everyone is our group spent hours snorkeling. The house also has 2 kayaks which are in good shape (lifejackets are also provided). Nearby is a casual restaurant (about a mile away) called Over the Edge. It has a large deck over the water and the food is good. About 4 miles away is Rum Point and Kaibo with their restaurants/beach clubs/water sports. Gene is great to deal with - very professional and friendly. Really wants his guests to have a good time. Our toddler became sick on the trip and Gene helped us find medical care and called to check on him later. You will not be disappointed if you rent this house! Our family is already planning our next return. It's private, roomy, serene - a very relaxing place to be. We miss it already and look forward to our next trip!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Perfect

Guest: cayman51 (Downingtown, PA)
Date of Stay: 06/21/08 Review Submitted: 07/03/08

We had a fabulous time. (4 couples) The house is magnificent. It was better than we expected from the pictures and description. Quiet & peacful location. The weather was perfect. None of us had anything negative to say about our trip. Even the airlines did a good job.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+.