Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa Review
Grand Cayman is situated in the Cayman Islands, and is the largest of the three islands. The Cayman Islands is not hard to get to for most North American award travelers. With many direct flights just 3 hours or less – tropical sun getaways are at your fingertips. Located on Grand Cayman, one point hotel stands above the others. For whatever reason, a growing subsect of award travelers are flocking to, and raving about: the Kimpton Seafire. I am on a mission to visit 100 countries, and I had not yet been to the Cayman Islands. I decided to take the plunge and see what this beloved property was all about, making the Cayman Islands my 52nd country. In this Kimpton Seafire review, I will share my honest opinion on if this touted IHG flagship can live up to it's big name.
Location
Kimpton Seafire is perched on seven mile beach – arguably the best beach in all of Grand Cayman. In terms of location on the island, it couldn't get much better here. The resort is also just a quick breeze from the international airport, GCM, at a 15 minute drive. We rented a car during this trip through one of the many airport rental car locations ($113 for 4 days in my case at Alamo). The resort is also within a quick drive of nearby restaurants, with many options a 5-10 minute drive away. If wanting to eat off property, renting a car may be wise.
A Quick Note on GCM Airport:
While the airport is quite small, and travelers often report showing up minutes before departure – we stayed over peak holiday dates (Memorial Day) and found that security took 50 minutes to get through. Arrive a bit earlier than you anticipate if traveling on peak dates would be my suggestion! The airport also strictly enforces a requirement of all toiletries being in a clear one-quart bag. With a maximum of one bag per traveler.
Things to Do at Kimpton Seafire
As with many tropical paradises, sitting on the beach is one of the main draws of going on vacation. That said, if you are looking for something a bit more there are some options. Kimpton offers non-motorized water sports which are included in their hefty resort fee. This includes sailing, snorkeling, paddle boarding, and glass bottom kayaks. There is also the spa. One thing I found a bit frustrating was that spa facilities are not available for free use as a guest. Rather you must have a treatment booked in order to utilize these. What is that huge resort fee for, then? Finally, for off property things to do you can go scuba diving, snorkeling, visit the stingray city, and eat at local restaurants. One such restaurant I recommend checking out is Casa 43 – I highly recommend checking that spot out.
Booking
The Kimpton Seafire is bookable through IHG for 70,000 points per night. With cash rates for a standard room often exceeding $1,000 per night – this feels like pretty fair value to be extracted from this property. You can further stack this with an IHG credit card's fourth night free perk to drop the nightly rate down to 52,500 points per night on a four night booking. In total, a four night booking will currently set you back 210,000 points in a standard room. I booked about 10 months out for this trip. However, upon looking at the calendar – the property is almost completely wide open for redemption, save for a few peak periods such as the two weeks leading up to Christmas.
It is worth noting however that IHG does not waive the resort fees on award stays. As of the writing of this article, the resort fee is $85 per night and can quickly add up on your award stay – booker beware! This resort fee includes non-motorized water sports, snorkeling gear, daily fitness classes, meals for children under 5, access to the Splash waterpark for ages 4-12 and valet parking.
The Rooms
I booked into a two queen premium ocean view room. I found this room to more than exceed my expectations – it was modern, bright, spacious enough for four people to share. Perhaps the best part of the room was the balcony. The balcony had a stunning view of the picturesque pool jutting out in front of the expansive and blue ocean. Daily housekeeping and turn down service was offered and was up to par with any luxury property – as seemingly small as this may be, it really contributed to the overall luxurious feel of the property.
Kimpton Seafire Review: Property and Amenities
Beach & Pool
The beach and pool are among the ToP reasons travelers head to Grand Cayman. I am happy to report that the beach at Kimpton is fantastic, and worth raving about. It is blue and white sand for days. The beach service is perhaps one of the best parts of this resort. There are two beach service bungalows perched on the entrance to the beach where beach attendants prepare seats for you. They help you set up with sun or shade, put down towels for you, and serve drinks/food directly to the beach. At these beach bungalows complimentary water and 50 SPF sunscreen can be found. It is so delightful to have these small luxuries on your beach day. The pool, by contrast, was also beautiful but was heated and quite hot at 93 degrees during the day – we would have preferred if it was not heated.
Dining & Drink
We were able to enjoy the breakfast each day at the properties restaurant, Ave. The spread included a large buffet as well as an ala-carte menu items. Everything we had from coffees, to eggs benedict, or salmon bagels were on point. We also enjoyed tacos at the beachfront restaurant, Coccoloba. The Red Chili Pork tacos were fire – highly recommend! Finally, the Kimpton has a unique bar experience called the Library. At this story inspired cocktail house, the entire menu is designed by drinks that emulate a book. Further, the decor resembles that of an elevated library – quite the theme! Do keep in mind that food and drink at the resort is quite pricy – and prices on the Cayman Islands as a whole are high relative to some other Caribbean Islands.
Finally, the service throughout the resort was exceptional and personal. Hotel associates remembered our names, often displaying world class service. An example of this service was being greeted to the resort with a glass of sparkling Rose and some chocolate, before being given a short tour of the property. Another was leaving a bottle of champaign in the room to celebrate an occasion – way to roll out the red carpet!
Elite Status Recognition
IHG properties as a whole are not known for their generous elite status recognition. As an IHG Platinum member, we were entitled to a choice between a $15 bar credit or rewards points. No free upgrade was available to us, despite their being suites available for purchase. That said, Platinum members are only entitled to upgrades up to one category, which suites are out of the reach of anyways. Make sure you check for a Kimpton ‘secret password' prior to your stay. As a brand, Kimpton has ongoing secret passwords that you can mention at check in for a complimentary gift. The summer 2025 code nabbed us a can of Rose. Beyond this, there is not much to speak of in terms of elite status recognition.
Kimpton Seafire Review: ToP Thoughts
I hope you can from this Kimpton Seafire review that the property blew my socks off. So much so that it gave me a reason to have some love for the IHG program. I am so used to IHG being associated with Holiday Inn properties which have a bad wrap – the Kimpton Seafire stands as an example of what IHG's luxury brands are capable of. The beach is first class and rivals that of some of the best beach resorts – the service on the beach is ToP notch. Further, the property and rooms are modern, and luxurious yet understated. This property is great for both families and folks without kids. The service was nothing short of world class. If you're counting up countries like me, or simply looking for a great beach destination – the Kimpton Seafire may just be the one for you!
