Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Turtle Nest Inn is an intimate and elegant establishment located at the center of Grand Cayman but off the beaten track. Encompassing three buildings, the inn boasts a Spanish-style architecture with eight apartments in the original building, whitewashed walls, and cooling terracotta tiles. Guests can relax in the seclusion of the outdoor terrace, surrounded by graceful arches, or on the uncrowded beach.
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Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
A friend recommended the Inn as we did not want to stay in the hustle and bustle of Seven Mile Beach. The Inn checked all our boxes and then some. It's located about 10 miles from the airport and your reservation comes with a rental car. We used the eSim Airalo for Google Maps and it worked like a charm. The little compact was perfect for 2 of us and we were glad we didn't upgrade to a larger vehicle. Roads are narrower and when mastering how to drive on the left the car was great.
The Inn's owner, Marleine is just lovely - welcomed us herself and throughout our two week stay in March we enjoyed her fresh Pina Coladas on the beach and our conversations with her. Snorkel gear - yes. Beach towels - yes. Laundry - yes. Restaurant tips - yes. Anything we needed - yes. This was our first trip and we were spoiled with the serenity and personal service. Just right - not intrusive. Our apartment (5) was spacious, spotless, services every other day with fresh sheets and towels, WiFi instant, modern conveniences, and the palm-tree shaded balcony provided a great spot to settle with a cup of tea and a book.
Friendly little lizards entertained us around the pool which overlooked the beach. Several coconut palms with Adirondack chairs grace the beach for that early morning or afternoon/evening shade and relaxation listening to the waves. You can snorkel off the beach - past the sea grass a small barrier reef is fairly shallow and we saw tarpon, stingray, several fish, coral, and conch.
We snorkeled/shopped/sampled restaurants all over the island from West Bay to Kaibo and our location at the Inn in Bodden Town was perfect. if you prefer being surrounded by crowds and hordes of tourists, the Inn is not for you.
If your goal is maximum relaxation, a slower pace, friendly and personal service, then come to the Turtle Nest Inn. There are no dining facilities at the Inn itself but within minutes there are so many restaurants to choose from. That's part of the charm and we loved making our nightly decision for dinner. We found ourselves returning to favorites and they remembered us. Thank you so much Marleine and your staff for taking such great care of us. We hope to see you again.
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Date of stay: March 2024
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Enjoy the serenity.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Alain Beiner, Owner at Turtle Nest Inn
Responded 8 Apr 2024
It was a pleasure having you as guests! Thanks very much for staying with us and for submitting your review. We do hope to welcome you back! Marleine and Alain
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We stayed in a beach front condo for 11 nights and our son flew in to meet us for the duration. The rental car from Payless that is included in your booking was great and hassle free. The condo is very large, two floors with bedrooms and en-suites upstairs. It is spotlessly clean although the old style jacuzzi tubs should be replaced with something more updated and sanitary. The kitchen is large with full size fridge and stove and BBQing is a short walk. The best feature is the walk out the back patio to the pool and beach. The water is warm and good for snorkeling but it was super windy during our stay so we didn’t see much. We rarely interacted with the owner but the staff are very helpful and very pleasant.
Highly recommend and we would stay here again.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My wife and I chose this guesthouse (one of the managers has a dog named Mango) in Bodden Town on the southern coast of Grand Cayman for our first visit to the island because of its location right on the beach and away from the crowds in the Seven Mile Beach area.
We loved it despite the abundant seagrass littering the shoreline and a noisy rooster that woke us up in the pre-dawn hours every day. We were able to sit on the balcony with a great view of the ocean while we had breakfast. We had all the modern conveniences like a stove/oven, microwave, kitchen area with utensils and even an outdoor pool. The rooms were tastefully furnished and the place felt like home away from home. Our house managers, Marlene and Donna, did everything they could to make sure our stay was pleasant and we had everything we needed – even offering sightseeing suggestions and restaurants to have dinner.
Everything wasn’t perfect (there was limited in-room maid service for example) but we really enjoyed our seven days there and would recommend Turtle Nest Inn to travelers to Grand Cayman who want to avoid the resorts.
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Date of stay: July 2022
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What an excellent find. Our first visit to Turtle Nest did not disappoint. Greeted by Donna upon arrival set the tone for an excellent stay. Our apartment (8) was ideal with an excellent ocean view to the front via balcony an obstructed ocean view from our bedroom side balcony. The apartment was clean and had all the amenities needed for our stay. The staff was wonderful and provided everything needed to include places to eat and visit. The pool was always at the right temperature in between snorkeling from the beach just steps away from the door. We took advantage of the included rental by getting out to drive the island to visit other beaches and scenery. The Grape Tree Cafe, The Czech Grill and Rankin’s Jerk are must try for dining to get the island flavor. Thank you Donna and Marlene for an awesome stay. Your hospitality was loved and appreciated. See you next year. Moe and Ingrid
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Leave the worries behind!!!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I suppose this could be a review of Grand Cayman in general and the Turtle Nest Inn specifically. It has been very many years since I last visited Grand Cayman, it was very busy and noisy back then and it it naturally far worse now. That being said, there are still some lovely and secluded beaches you can find if you hunt them down.
The Turtle Nest Inn is in Boddentown which is supposedly a quieter area than the more touristy 7 mile beach area, etc. It surely is a quieter area but it’s not quiet at all. The traffic roars right passed the Inn. Boom boxes, horns blowing, engines revving,etc.
The property itself is well kept and very attractive. I can’t comment about any of the apartments except the one that I was given. You don’t want apartment #3. It is situated on the side of the Inn, and offers a partial ocean view which is nice if you can stand to spend anytime on the porch. I would have enjoyed a nice, quiet, secluded porch to spend mornings and evenings on. It is noisy, fumey(cars)???? Or maybe odors coming from a utility room right beneath it. Also, workers at the Inn are walking past the porch all day long. It’s just not private at all.
In all fairness, I did not ask for another room. I am still here and will be for another 2 days. They appear to be full at this point and I really don’t like making waves. Suffice it to say, if you’re considering staying here make sure you don’t take this apartment, and question the exact location of which ever accommodation is offered to you. It can be the difference between a nice experience and a not so nice experience.
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Date of stay: March 2023
Value
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Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We’ve just finished a very enjoyable four-week stay at the Turtle Nest Inn. Bodden Town is a bit off the beaten track, of course, but Turtle Nest provided us with a car, so getting to anywhere on the island was made very easy. The big pluses of Turtle Nest are its location on a beautiful beach, it’s own swimming pool to cool off in after an energetic walk or bicycle ride, and the hospitality you will get from Marleine and Alain - it’s owners.
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Date of stay: January 2022
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Â One room has an excellent ground floor patio that is readily accessible by bicycle.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beautiful beach setting in a quiet area. We loved hearing the sound of the waves all night from our bedroom in room #7. Staff was friendly and very helpful and loved getting the car with the rental, saved aggravation upon arrival. The room was very well equipped with everything we needed, even chairs and umbrellas for the beach we could take with us as we drove the island. But we always came back to this beach. Despite lots of sea grass washing up each night, the staff did a great job of cleaning it up each morning, best they could. Wouldn’t have minded a more comfortable couch in the living room but we managed to move the loveseat around to use it instead. Overall, would love to return. Enjoyed a number of different restaurants on the island and always had a very good meal. Just had to get over the sticker shock.
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Go for the beachfront rooms!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed three nights at the Turtle Nest Inn and enjoyed the serenity and the location away from Seven Mile Beach. With easy access to the North Side and Rum Point, as well as the East End and local eateries, we were able to explore the quieter areas of Cayman using the Turtle Nest as a base. Marleine and Donna were gracious hosts, and we often felt like we were at a private villa, able to lounge by the pool in peace and enjoy the sight and sound of the blue Caribbean Sea. When we return to Cayman (which we hope to do soon!) we will definitely come back to the Turtle Nest Inn .
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Date of stay: June 2022
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The helpful and friendly folks at the Turtle Nest think of the little things. In the apartment are two large closets with a ton of hangars. So many places have good enough closets and five hangars. We didn’t have dressy attire, but it was quite handy to hang up even t-shirts and shorts with space to spare – and of course damp clothes in the second closet. The night light in the bathroom is good enough that you don’t have to turn on a light in the middle of the night. And the vanity drawers are huge. We could spread out our stuff easily in them – so nice to not live out of toilet kits on a small vanity top. The shower has a wand so it's easy to rinse your feet. Next to the bed was a plug with multiple USB ports. The laundry is handy, as was the drying rack in our room. I don’t know if this is normal, but when I asked about a yoga mat, she even loaned me one of hers for the week. These all sound little but they really helped me relax and enjoy our room. Apartment 7 is upstairs overlooking the ocean and pool. It has a small balcony with a table and two chairs. We tried to get sand off our feet before coming upstairs, but of course that isn’t always possible. The cleaning person was able to get it all up. The place is so clean I was totally comfortable walking around barefoot. Plus, being from Buffalo I’m used to tile being cold underfoot, but of course in the tropics the tile is a nice temperature and great to have throughout. We found the location very good. The road is a bit narrow to walk anywhere, but the inn is nicely between George Town and the East End so we were able to go wherever we wanted without always dealing with the traffic at Seven Mile Beach or George Town. The string of color lights at the entrance made the driveway easy to find after dark! And that area of beach is so quiet you can walk quite a ways and just look at the waves. I’m glad my brother discovered the Turtle Nest Inn and recommended we stay.
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Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â You often get the pool to yourself. Apartment 7 is very nice with a great view. Plenty of deck...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We chose the Turtle Nest Inn for its calm relaxed palm fringed beach front location and was most certainly not disappointed. The accommodation was immaculately clean and very well equipped for our 6 night stay. The hosts and staff were very friendly and accommodating even on a bad weather day we were able to borrow games and drink the best Pina Coladas ever ! The pool was a perfect cool down and long beach walks added to the overall experience. We would most certainly recommend this place if looking for an off the beaten track location. Although saying that there were nice bars/eatery’s and easy access by car, which is a must, to all activities and touring the island. Thank you Marleine and Donna for a lovely stay. Sue and Michael from the UK
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Date of stay: March 2022
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yes there are.
We did a property tour on our YouTube channel in May. I cannot link the video here but our channel is Sand Gravity Adventures and just look for the Grand Cayman playlist. You will see the video titled Turtle Nest Inn Property Tour.
Seeing this too late! Sorry. You are there now, I believe. Turtle Nest provides everything you need. Hurleys, Kirks and Fosters are all close if you have a car. As far as the weeds, make the best of it!
New York City, New York13 contributions7 helpful votes
Yes there are two places literally next door, one is Paradise it doesn't look like much but the food is amazing, there is also a little restaurant Grape Inn next to the gas station, Czech Inn was our favorite restaurant on the whole Island and is about 1/2 mile east. Bring your own beer/wine (there is a liquor store 100 feet from the rest) amazing dishes, great fish, priced reasonable.
There are more places to choose from in the Bodden Town area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
turtle nest hotel grand cayman, turtle nest grand cayman
LOCATION
CaribbeanCayman IslandsGrand CaymanBodden Town
NUMBER OF ROOMS
8
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