After a long day of traveling we arrived to a house that was not ready for us due to the late checkout and messy conditions left by the previous occupants. The cleaning service were very nice and apologetic and promised to hurry but it was well after check-in before we were able to settle in. Driving up to the house, it really does look like a small castle with beautiful views of the water. The main house is on one side of the parking area and the guest house is on the other. There is enough parking for three cars. The location of two of the bedrooms in the main house were a little odd, one looked more like a storage room and the other you had to go outside to get to. It took a long time to get hot water to the third floor bathroom. The second floor to the main house was nice and comfortable with plenty of seating for our family of 12. The patio had a great view of the blue water. There was a black bird that tried to get in the windows of the stair well every morning at 6:30 and he was loud and very insistent The kids thought that was very funny. The guest house was nice but the living room furniture was not very comfortable. We did enjoy the private pool. There were large iguanas sitting on the garden walls every day. The private beach was dirty and the water was brown and covered in seaweed and sea grass so we were not able to use it. We were told that this was unusual and due to seaweed coming from a different country. It was all along the east coast beaches. The location of the house was in a very quiet area with a few restaurants, marinas and a small grocery store nearby. It is also right next door to a police station. The Wreck of the Ten Sails Park is within walking distance but it is not much to see. It was about an hour drive to the airport and to seven mile beach, which is beautiful. The Turtle Farm is also about an hour drive but worth the visit. It is about a twenty minute drive to The Queens Botanical Gardens, some of the family went to this and enjoyed it. It was about thirty minutes to Kaibo Marina where we went for a snorkeling/stingray adventure. Highly recommend this. It is a short drive to the blowholes, which are worth the stop. Some of the family played golf at Arnold Palmer’s golf course and said it was beautiful. Eagle Rays Restaurant is within walking distance and the food is pretty good. Despite the few negatives, we enjoyed our stay.

This was my second stay in the Cayman Castle. It's a beautiful home with all the amenities. The kayaks were a great addition since our last stay there many years ago. It's now possible to kayak out to the shipwreck site and snorkel around the coral reefs. We drove over to the Silver Thatch Guest Services building, which had just opened, and were able to work out in the gym and check out brand new snorkel equipment. The east end of the island seems to be more developed in recent years. We enjoyed eating at Italian Kitchen (3 times!), Tukka, and Eagle Rays. They were all very good and the service was great.

The property is breathtaking, outside and inside. But, no where in the brochure did it indicate that the third floor master suite could only be accessed by a winding metal stairway. Given our ages, it quickly changed our sleeping plan. Only one person was able to navigate the staircase and getting luggage up there was a real issue. We also did not realize the beds would be higher than anticipated and we had to share a small stool some nights just to get under the covers! Ice makers in both residences were broken (we were alerted with notes) and the televisions in the bedrooms in the villa did not work. We did call. No response. The pools were beautiful and well maintained. We did feel the towels, especially the face cloths were rather shabby and need to be replaced. And, for some reason we assumed that the iron gate at the road could be closed at night. Nothing electronic and impossible to move. Lighting between the two residences could be better. Or, provide flashlights at the entrances and exits. Everyone seems to know the Cayman Castle and it was easy to call for restaurant reservations. We utilized one restaurant service offering transportation for large groups - we numbered 10. It allowed us to dine out and enjoy without worrying about darkness and a winding road. Although there was little sun, the majority of the group were business owners or elected officials and having very relaxing days reading, eating and talking made for a wonderful time.

Positives: 1. spectacular views, 2. private beach, 3. great owner, 4. lots of private areas, 5. access to reef very close, 6. great fishing off the dock, iguanas large and exotic, 7. sunrise and sunset both awesome to watch from the same decks, 8. next door to largest dive operation on the east end, 9. very private. Negatives: 1. very aggressive winds, not near tennis courts (although we were able to play on a less than spectacular tennis court at a nearby hotel), 3. 40 minutes from only 18 hole golf course on the island (very expensive green fees) Overall Rating: wonderful

We had an awesome time at the Cayman Castle! Our experience was fantastic and will be remembered forever. We hope to do it again someday!