There are more than 150 hotels, condominiums, guest houses, lodges and villas on Grand Cayman; 10 on Cayman Brac; and 10 on Little Cayman.

These accommodations appeal to many tastes and many budgets, but no matter how quaint or how luxurious they are, in the Cayman Islands, it´s comfort and safety first. Each establishment must meet high standards set by the Hotel Licensing Board and undergo annual inspections by Fire, Environmental Health and Tourism.

Hotels
On Grand Cayman there is a concentration of chain hotels on a stretch of Seven Mile Beach. Shops, restaurants and attractions line the opposite side of the road. Hyatt, Marriott, Westin (and soon Ritz-Carlton) form the hotel nucleus, bolstered by many established favorites such as Treasure Island Hotel, Beach Club Colony, Coral Caymanian, Indies Suites and Sleep Inn. Condominiums located along this part of the beach include Harbour Heights, The Avalon, Plantana, Coralstone Club, Casa Caribe, Lacovia, Regal Beach, Cayman Reef Resort, Seven Mile Beach Resort and The Grandview, which are beachfront properties.

Condominiums
Grand Cayman has twice as many condominiums as hotels, and all pay commissions. Those along Seven Mile Beach are never too far from supermarkets (many of which accept major credit cards) and other stores, and taxis and buses serve guests who don´t rent cars.

Most are two-bedroom beachfronts, have laundries en-suite, offer maid service at least six days a week, and have small gyms, tennis courts and pools with Jacuzzis or hot tubs. The buildings are open and airy. Furnishings are complete, down to pull-out sofas, ice-makers, hair dryers and VCRs. Office staffs cater to guest needs, supplying brochures on attractions and services. Welcome setups, such as a stocked fridge, fruit plate, coffee/tea/soda, cheese and crackers can be provided by managers if requested in advance.

Services and facilities may vary widely from one condominium to another. At Plantana, for instance, supermarket carts are picked up at the condo, about a half-mile walk from the store. The Avalon and the new Coral Stone Club, by the same designer, feature large master baths with double sinks, tub and separate stall shower. Both have elevators. The Avalon also has a garage for each unit. Its ground-level patios are screened, as are those of The Grandview. Two-bedroom condos are generally restricted to six persons.

Guest Houses
There are nine guest houses on Grand Cayman, and one each on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. Most are bed and breakfasts, with some in private homes and some as separate cottages.

As a rule, staying in a guest house means having no phone in the room, sharing the television in the living room, and sometimes sharing a bath. Many guests prefer the individual attention, reliving experiences and island history with owners and other travelers.

Dive Hotels
Just about every hotel in the Cayman Islands offers dive services, but certain properties cater to this trade. It does not mean that only divers stay there, but nondivers who choose them must be prepared at least for a lot of dive talk at the bar and wet suits drying on balconies.

Life at dive hotels traditionally tended to revolve around diving: it affected mealtimes, the activities that were offered and the goods that were carried by shops. Evening entertainment was limited. Facilities were most likely to be such things as classrooms, photo labs, tank storage and boat docks. But now that divers are increasingly willing to spend more on their vacations than did those of past years, all this is changing. Many dive hotels now offer the traditional facilities and much more.

On Grand Cayman, dedicated accommodations for divers include Indies Suites at Seven Mile Beach, Cayman Diving Lodge, Coconut Harbour and Sunset House just south of George Town and Seaview Hotel & Dive Center on the south coast.