4 Best Hotels in Cayman Islands

With its two- and three-bedroom condos, this enduring favorite on the peaceful northern end of Seven Mile Beach is a find for families. Snorkeling is superb right offshore, and the beach is free of rocks. The parrot-green lawn fronting the sand is so perfectly maintained you could play croquet, and tennis courts and a large pool also tempt active types. Thatched cabanas and a gazebo offer shade. Living rooms and kitchens are enormous; the decor generally favors soft seashell colors of pink, mint, and baby blue, with nautical artworks aplenty. The complex is pretty quiet overall, but the north building units are quietest. Units 8 and 10 (the latter a particularly good value for families as its "den" has two twin beds) are among the stunners opening onto the beach; only the pricier three-bedroom units offer beach views.

This two-story hotel, the island's largest, offers modern facilities in a boutique setting. The stylishly contemporary rooms include flat-screen TVs, curved shower rods, malachite-and-marble accents, and carved Honduran hardwood furnishings. They overlook either the pool area or the ocean (the latter are quieter, especially the 300 block, farthest from the occasionally raucous Beach Nuts Bar, where divers congregate). A full-service spa offers massages using mostly marine-based ingredients, as well as hair and nail treatments. Surprisingly good meals are generally served buffet-style in a handsomely renovated dining room. Diving packages represent excellent value. The resort is gradually upgrading various areas, experimenting with ecofriendly practices such as using green chemicals, and planning an expansion. But island warmth remains: the children of beloved Bracker Linton "Mr. T" Tibbetts—an inspiring self-made millionaire who was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for his passionate efforts to promote tourism while preserving Caymanian heritage—still have a hand in management.

Plantana is exceedingly lush, set on a stunning stretch of sand with smashing views of the leviathan ships lumbering into George Town and permeated with the sounds of surf and birdsong. The 49 individually decorated one-to-three-bedroom units are fully outfitted (including washer/dryers and Wi-Fi) and handsomely appointed, with designs running from contemporary to colonial or even Asian inspired.