Cobalt Coast Grand Cayman Resort — Hotel in West Bay

I had stayed at this resort back in 2007 and had a wonderful experience then. When opportunity came I didn’t hesitate to book again. The resort has a new owner and been completely remodeled recently. The decor is lovely, staff is kind, however I found some of changes with accommodations that need improvement.

First - the shower water takes FOREVER to get hot or even warm at all. At times it would take 15 plus minutes before hot water came out the shower head, while bathroom sink had hot water. We had rented two rooms and one room never got hot water in the shower our entire visit. Second - the water pressure is hard and fast so it is hard to keep water contained in the shower area. Bath mats get soaked (reference number 7). With a scuba center on premises you take a couple showers a day. Third - with the amazing scuba center on premise the rooms need to be able to accommodate wet gear or have a place to store wet gear with ease, the dive center tried to accommodate us, however the resort need an area. Maybe locker area for guests or a wet gear area that guests can change and store gear. Fourth - the kitchen area needs to include plates, bowls, flatware and a small microwave. (See reference number 10) Fifth - while the decor is lovely there is too much or too bulky furniture in the room, especially when you add two bodies and gear/ suitcases in the room. The side chairs could be slim design or eliminate one of them. You have to shimmy to get out the door. No need for a little desk and ottoman. The tripod light is in the way of opening the closet and not needed when another light is only 6” away. Decorative pillows and throws are just in the way and just take up space. And the safe isn't even bolted to the ground. Not exactly safe, it was light and could be easily removed . Sixth - There needs to be an designated area where you can smoke cigars and have a glass of wine by/on the beach. Seventh - cleaning room and providing services to room once a week just isn't frequently enough especially when they are suppose to show up and dont. And with the number of showers taken from diving or the beach. Every two to three days would be better. Our bath towels and mats were always wet due to number of showers and containing the water in shower area. Eighth - if the resort chooses to host a party for the locals (not that we cared) there needs to be a little more thought for guests. Such as reserved parking we had to park nearly a mile down the road, and our private balcony that we paid a premium for be off limits for guests, as party goers made them selves at home. There was nothing to stop a party goer from going to our balcony and to our room (we were there and it was locked). Ninth - if you are testing smoke alarms then please perform the test later in the day and notify guests of the test. We had a late night and were jolted awake. Tenth - there needs to be a breakfast option at restaurants even if its just fruit and yogurt. Divers need a little something in morning before dives. The on site restaurant food was top notch but not open for breakfast or open on Tuesday.

None of these things were deal breakers as in reality we were really there for Dive Tech and to scuba dive, however with these suggestions would have made our trip 10 out of 10 Instead of just ehhhh

Again - staff was kind, facility is clean, Dive Tech FANTASTIC and the Nova Restaurant food was absolutely delicious.

With so many other places in the world to visit I dont know that I will visit Grand Cayman again, however should the opportunity rise Id probably research other locations or to see if changes have been made before securing a...

Very Nice Hotel / Inn with a couple quirks. First, the room was clean and comfortable. Large bathroom and tub, nice breakfast nook and balcony facing the ocean on the third floor. I would call these rooms the hotel rooms as you enter via an interior hallway. The 1st and 2nd floor are more Inn style rooms where you enter the room via the exterior stairs. When on the third floor, and others using the water, the pressure significantly drops if showering. Almost to the point where it's dripping out of the shower head. Could have been because DiveTech or the restaurant was using significant amounts of water for cleaning and reduced the water pressure. Not a huge issue but something to be aware of. That was mainly in the morning and never occurred at night. One item I would recommend for Cobalt Coast is placing a small microwave in the rooms. It's a small addition that would make the room just a bit better. The ocean view is fantastic, but the pictures are a bit deceiving. The surf is very choppy and rough as you will not be able to get into the water. At least not safely as there are many rocks in the water. If there wasn't so much coral and rock in the water, it honestly would be a surfer's paradise. The pictures reflect calm clear water, and it was far from calm. This is likely why the deck boards for the pier were removed to allow the rough surf to crash against the posts more easily without causing additional damage to the walkable pier itself. Boats certainly will not be able to dock or snorkel close by. Again, not a big deal but is deceiving. The beach area and coral before the water was a bit trash filled and could stand to be cleaned up a bit. One odd thing when dining is the pool and or hot tub can still be used so you may be having a dinner outside while others are swimming and splashing around. Just something to be aware of. If staying, you'll definitely want to have a car to drive around to explore because of the hotel being at the north end of west bay. One of the bright stars at cobalt coast / Nova Restaurant is the staff. Everyone is a joy to be around, very helpful, and make you feel welcome the moment you arrive. Overall, I would very much recommend the hotel / Inn. Reasonably priced, great location, suburb staff. Relax and...

More good things than I can post here. Cobalt Coast far exceeded any expectations we had. The room was large and sumptuous, king sized bed was huge and comfy. Cool a/c with fans throughout. A wonderful balcony with an ocean view (this was room 11) with coconut palms and sleepy iguanas right in front. Renovations are.being done on the property, improving the already impressive dining pergola with palms cut into the ceiling for light. The dining was all outdoors on comfortable chairs that are wet bathing suit friendly, whether from the pool or from the cobalt blue water just a short hop away. No traffic noise, just the sounds of the waves hitting the shore. Where this place really shines is with the people! Every one of the staff, from the maintenance crew to the waitstaff, bartenders to bus drivers, desk staff to general managers, every one was helpful, polite, engaging and very friendly. Spend a day here, and you'll be family (and not the drag-me-to-Thanksgiving kind). The diving here is absolutely superb. A short swim out of the dock has reefs teeming with life, sponges, sea fans and gorgonians. Maybe Bernie's octopus just off the dock may be there to greet you. The boats are large, comfortable, and the Valet Diving is an experience that will spoil you forever afterwards. Kaitlyn and Rowan are superb divemasters who know their reef topography, and try their utmost to find those species you're dying to see, like Octopus and Yellow-Headed Jawfish. From wrecks to reefs, the clear blue water is jaw-dropping. Bring your macro lens. Bring extra lights for a night dive. Bring a camera for Stingray City.

Cobalt Coast is an amazing resort, a gem that rivals the large luxury resorts also on the island. Our only despair was not staying long enough, and not having enough tip money to gift the solid gold staff at the resort. The next time we visit here will be tough to choose - the resort on Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, or Cayman Brac....