My wife and I spent a week at The Reef in January 2012. We reserved the week through Interval International. It was our first trip to Grand Cayman and we loved the resort. The condo was clean, comfortable, & well-equiped. But no washer/dryer in the unit. We had a 2nd floor condo over-looking the beach & the bar. We were pleasantly surprised that the noise from the bar was minimal after 10:00 PM and we weren't disturbed at all! Be prepared for cool, breezy evenings. The staff at the hotel was very helpful & friendly, particularly the concierges (Rocky, Suzie, Lindsey, etc.). Everyone made us feel like owners. The snorkeling right off the beach was great -- walk about 500 yards down the beach to Morritt's Resort, snorkel under the Morritt's pier, and ride the current back to The Reef. White Sands Watersports, located at The Reef, offers a great 3-hour snorkel trip with Alan acting as your guide in the boat and in the water. Well worth the price! We had a great time. Thanks!!!

The Good:The first thing I recommend is that you request a 1st floor walk out you can open your balcony doors and the breeze is amazing. The bar food and drinks were really good and not a bad value. The beach is nice and clean and pretty quiet. Room was clean and spacious. Employees were friendly and helpful. Nice quiet area on the East side of the island.

The Not Great: There is no wi-fi and internet is only available at the Subway from 9-9 for hotel guests. There was a strange odor in your room...not terrible but not great. We were in room 101B the closest room to the outside bar and there is a lot of night time activity...it wan't too bad but I would ask for a room away from the main areas. There is a barefoot man dinner and music...do not do it...it is not good and not worth the money.

This place was nice and so were the people. I'm not sure what some people expect regarding service but I had no issues with the staff. I'll comment on a few things.
We had asked for a ground floor unit but got a third floor unit in the North building. I ended up being happy about this because the ground floor units have people walking by. The upper floor units give you a better view of the ocean. The unit we did get was smaller than shown on the web & then I found the door to the adjacent unit open and it was much bigger with a full kitchen, living area, dining area. More like a one bedroom apartment. I was able to upgrade for 8 nights for another $30 bucks a night. Well worth it. The staff was very accommodating and nice here - especially on this issue. Also, you get a free drink when you walk it. They also have some games to lend. Scrabble etc. The timeshare condo thing was not pushy. Not at all like Mexico. They asked if we were interested. We said no. That was it. It was windy on that side of the island that time of year - first week in January. Always is. Still you could snorkel and it was pretty good there. Shallow so be careful not to kick anything. I saw a huge turtle right there. If it is too windy you can always to to Bodden Town. or Rum Point. Ate at restaurant once. It was fine. Not four star but fine. Bar food is great. Barefoot man wasn't there that week but Karaoke night was fun. Tukka restaurant down the road was excellent. Over the Edge is great local spot. This area isn't seven mile beach. You want the crowds go there. You want an escape go to the Reef. Finally, some folks mentioned the beech - too rocky with trash and a wrack line. The rocks are part of the carribean. Get over it or again - go to seven mile. They clean the beach wrack line every day to keep it nice. There was other trash on the beach away from the resort. It comes from Jamaica and Cuba - not the Caymanians. Go for a walk like my wife & I did and clean some up one day. You'll feel like you did something good for the planet instead of just sitting on your butt in the sun doing nothing all day!!

Our first visit to Grand Cayman was 10 years ago for our wedding. We returned last week looking for a different Grand Cayman experience and that is exactly what we received. Yes its off the beaten path, yes its a drive from the airport, yes its not like the Westin. All of this is why we chose the Reef Resort. The Reef had everything we needed, all rooms face the ocean, the food was very good, the beach bar was well appointed. Make sure you utilize the fabulous concierge staff. We needed a horse back riding trip, they handled. We needed a great restaurant, not only did they recommend the fabulous Tukka down the road but they also provided a 10% coupon. Same for the Lighthouse. Some of the reviews complained about the food, I thought the food was very good however I wouldn't opt for the all inclusive. After a few days I would likely want something different. The monday night welcome buffet is a hoot, the concierge in charge of this event <I apologize for not remembering your name> does an excellent job and is very enthusiastic. She does a great job checking to make sure everyone is having a great time.

Two things for the Reef staff. 1) Bar tenders, I know your local friends are important but don't ignore the other guests in the evening. I shouldn't have to fight for your attention vs. your buddies. 2) If I were the manager I'd make sure I was consistently in the lobby and out by the bar checking with guests. You spoke with us one time and that was during checkout.

Everything else was great. If you want 50 beach chairs crammed together in a 100 square foot area please feel free to stay on 7 mile beach. Leave the East side of the island to the folks that want a relaxing uncrowded vacation experience.