The Cayman Islands are a little slice of paradise in the Caribbean. With turquoise blue waters, sandy beaches and unique marine excursions, Grand Cayman is the ultimate family beach vacation. The island is the epitome of relaxation, even while traveling with kids. If you have prepared properly, traveling with children shouldn’t be stressful. Especially, if you have found the perfect kid-friendly accommodations. Enter the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa… We have found the most family-friendly resort in Grand Cayman and want to share our experience with you. Here is our full guide to staying at the Seafire Resort, including: what to expect, our favorite moments, and excursion tips while staying on the famous Seven Mile Beach.Â
Table of Contents
The Vibe
The overall vibe is what truly makes the Seafire the most family-friendly resort in Grand Cayman. From the moment you arrive, you feel welcome and wanted. I cannot say that I have felt this way while staying at other 5 star properties when entering a hotel with kids.
After traveling by plane and taxi (a short trip from Florida, but nevertheless, anything but relaxing with young kids), we were greeted with a glass of champagne, freshly made popcorn and juices for the girls. You can sense the welcoming of families immediately upon your arrival. The rest of the stay was just as inviting, even with two toddlers. Despite our daughter’s overall well-behaved nature, they still have their moments. No one batted an eye at any meltdown, spilling of food or drink, diaper change, or cry. Not to say you should anticipate screaming babies everywhere, but you do not need to stress and force your children to behave like adults.
Overall, I would describe the atmosphere as luxurious and family-inviting. The last thing parents need to feel is anxious about traveling with their children. Leave your worries at home and enjoy yourself at this little slice of paradise.Â
The Rooms
Something that we thoroughly enjoyed about this beachfront property is that all of the rooms have a view of the water. You have the option to upgrade to an oceanfront suite or keep the side view of the sound. We were fortunate enough to get an upgrade with our IHG status to a larger, oceanfront room. Here is a list of all the Seafire’s rooms, suites and bungalows available with 360 tours. We loved that each room has an ocean view, because it’s criminal to stay on the beach with no views IMO. Be sure to check out the special family suites! I thought this was an awesome touch, especially for families with older children. Plus, are bunk beds are not the coolest?!
The rooms itself have a very modern, clean look and the highlight of them by far is the view. The patios were designed thoughtfully with privacy walls in between each room. Our girls loved hanging out each day on the large balcony where they could play and enjoy the uninterrupted ocean scenery. Honestly, we felt like we were on a cruise with the glass balcony and endless sea views!
The Room Service
Each afternoon we came back from the beach to a clean and tidy room. Not to mention, the turn down service each night was much appreciated. We loved the extra touches, such as dimmed lights and small treats left on the nightstand. To our surprise, the resort even has a text service for communicating with housekeeping. However, we did not realize this until we got home because we used Wifi the entire time 🙂Â
Amenities
Some things we loved about the room were the blackout curtains, extra space for a crib or sofa bed, mini fridge and sink bar, large bath tub, and dimmable lights with a bathroom night light option (nice for young kids).Â
Alternatively, there were a couple things that could be updated such as the shower/bath were difficult to turn on. You physically had to step into the tub and walk to the faucet to turn the shower on because there is a glass wall blocking it. We found this a little bit frustrating, but obviously not a deal breaker. Secondly, the charging ports in the room were USB only and did not have USB-C outlets. This was fine, just something to keep in mind when packing chargers.
Overall, the room had everything we needed, including plenty of storage space. That is always a plus when traveling with toddlers/babies and all of their gear. Ultimately, the Seafire Resort provided everything we needed in the rooms. which made our stay ultra-relaxing. Anything that we needed was brought up to our room almost immediately, unlike other properties we have encountered.
Oh! Our favorite part of the room was the housekeeping buttons. You could tun on the “do not disturb” or “cleaning requested” button for housekeeping to see. That was the first time I have witnessed that technology in a hotel and I was unusually giddy about it. Making this the best family-friendly resort in Grand Cayman…purely due to the buttons (JK).
The Food
KIDS UNDER FIVE EAT FREE. I repeat. Kids under five eat free. Need we say more?! However, we have some quick thoughts on the food overall:
- The breakfast buffet is included for kids. This is where you will find the largest selections of food. At other restaurants, lunch and dinner menus will pretty much be the same (chicken fingers, pizza, burgers, etc).Â
- The only restaurant with a different kids options is the Ave dinner menu
- Everything we ate at each restaurant was delicious
- Taco Tuesdays at Cocolobo was delicious and fairly priced
- The cocktail menus are fabulous every where
- Kids food can be ordered anywhere there are chairs (think splash pad, pool, beach, turf lounging areas)
- The Pantry (a small cafe/convenience store by the lobby) has very good lattes and pastries. Single drinks, alcohol, snacks here are expensive. I would recommend stocking up at the local grocery and liquor stores prior to arriving at the hotel. These are not really within walking distance, so prepare ahead of time. Good to note, the resort concierge can arrange grocery delivery services if needed.
By far our favorite dinner spot was Coccoloba, the beachfront restaurant with the best vibe. This is the go-to place for stunning sunset views. Relax by the tiki torches and enjoy a margarita as the day comes to an end. Just one note: the sand flies (moqsuitoes) and no-see-ums after rain/sunset are CRAZY! Luckily, the restaurant will provide bug spray for you. The swarm only lasts for like 15 minutes, but if you hate bugs, maybe try to go just before or after the twilight hour. I do not remember experiencing this last March, but this year in April, they were bad. We were surprised how quickly it died down though. Luna unfortunately got really bit up one day at the splash pad after a little rain, so  I would ask for bug spray ahead of time if you’re prone to bites.
The sand flies (moqsuitoes) and no-see-ums after rain and sunset are CRAZY! The restaurant will provide bug spray for you. The swarm only lasts for like 15 minutes, but if you hate bugs, maybe try to go just before or after the twilight hour.
The Facilities
The facilities at the Seafire are part of what makes it the most family-friendly resort in Grand Cayman. Between the splash pad and free food everywhere, there’s so much to entertain the entire family with!
What’s on the property:
- Pools: one small toddler pool, a large pool, a small adults-only pool attached to the main pool
- Splash pad – free cabanas, food & drink service
- 2 large floating ocean mats –  to lounge on or let your littles jump in the mini “pool”Â
- Many turf sections for playing or relaxingÂ
- Ping Pong & Fusbol tables
- 5 restaurants & bars, 1 poolside bar
- Free paddle boards, hobie cats, kayaks, jet skis for rental
- Watersport shop on property – you can setup excursions here & get GoPro for free daily use
- Kids Club
- Gym & daily fitness classes (yoga, pilates, spin) – daily schedule online, request seats for classes ahead of time
- Spa
- Sum Bum SPF 50 sunscreen is used in all of the large sunscreen stations by the towel huts. Woohoo! No need to pack yours. They also have aloe vera gel. Pro Tip: Take some upstairs with you and put it in the fridge for application before bed!
Pro Tip: Take some upstairs with you and put it in the fridge for application before bed!
Older Children
As far as older children goes, we think the Seafire is still a wonderful option and the still most family-friendly resort in Grand Cayman as it caters to all. The kids club, daily activities on the lawn and watersports center have plenty of activities to entertain your big kids with. We would say there was a mix of families with all ages of children staying at the resort. The watersports alone could keep your teens occupied for most of the day. The property itself is extremely safe and we would feel comfortable letting our kids roam around. It is the perfect place to give your older children some independence on vacation.
Toddler & Baby Tips
- Contact housekeeping to request baby supplies: diapers, wipes, etc. The concierge can assist with ordering groceries if needed.
- You can also go to a local pharmacy or Foster’s supermarket for diapers, wipes, baby food, etc. As always, the receptionist can point you in the right direction.Â
- There are size 3 and 4 swim diapers available for free at each towel hut by the beach, pool and splash pad,Â
- You can ask for milk at The Pantry. There’s also milk provided at 6 am with the coffee and tea station each morning or the breakfast buffet at Avecita (opens at 7 am). I would just stock up in the mornings and bring an extra bottle to store in your room fridge. Also, any restaurant will gladly refill your child’s bottle if needed.
- The resort shop has toys, books and other entertainment for your child if needed
- There are tons of beach toys available for use next to the beach towel hut
- Â Be sure to pack your on swim floaties and goggles. They may sell them at the shop, but I did not see any myself.
- Check the daily schedule online for kids activities. The girls loved the keychain and bracelet bead station that was setup. Plus, it was a really nice break from the beach.
The Little Things
Something that sets one hotel or resort apart from the others is the little touches. The Kimpton Seafire resort is the most family-friendly resort in Grand Cayman for the reasons we’ve mentioned above. However, the staff are what truly make this property amazing.Â
We had the best experience with our server Joy each morning at Avecita. She was such a kind soul, always carrying a big smile and treated our daughters like princesses. On our last day, Joy even brought the girls a Frozen book as a gift. This thoughtful gesture was so sweet and unnecessary, but left a special impression on us. We can’t thank Joy enough for her kindness and hope to see her again one day.Â
Overall, the staff go above and beyond to make sure you are comfortable and feel at home. Anything you could ever possibly need on vacation is at your disposal. To our family, properties like this truly make traveling feel like a vacation, not a trip with young kids.Â
IHG One Rewards
Lastly, be sure to check out the IHG Premier credit card for sign up bonuses and using points towards booking your stay at the Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa! We appreciate any and all referrals when using our links 🙂 As a plus, being an IHG member gives you perks like room upgrades, early check-in and late check-outs, and more!Â
Our Take
In summary, we had the most amazing time at the Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa and cannot recommend this enough to parents. It is the ultimate destination to relax and unwind, together as a family. The zen atmosphere combined with friendly-staff and family-friendly vibes make the Kimpton Seafire one of the best family beach destinations in the Caribbean. Don’t let this vacation slip away, start planning today!
