Experiences Going to Beaches at Hotels

[SunStudios]

There are 4 ships docking (an estimated 16,000 people) on the day we will be in Grand Cayman so I know that beach clubs like Calico Jacks and Royal Plans are going to be filled up to the brim.

Does anyone have any experiences going to the beaches at the hotels like Marriott, Magaritaville Beach Resort, Westin? We would probably wind up eating at one of the restaurants at the hotel and then heading to the beach, bringing our own towels and beach blankets.

I know that all beaches in Grand Cayman are public so they can't deny us sitting or swimming on the beach, but if you've ever done this before was the staff rude to you, or gave you a hard time? Were you the only non-hotel guests on the beach?

[bookbabe]

Yes, you will be asked to leave. The beaches are only public up to the high water mark, so unless you are sitting on the six feet of beach right along the water you are on private property. And, from personal experience at Seafire, eating at one of the restaurants won't make you a hotel guest and thus allowed to use the facilities.

[cadien]

At least one person on our cruise is just booking a night at the hotel in order to use the beach.

[cb at sea]

You can't use the hotel's loungers, but the BEACH, up to the high water mark is for anyone. No worries. No one will give you a hard time, unless you're up among the paying guests.

[TravellingBritNY]

The beaches are public, even above the high water mark. That is Cayman law. Bringing your own towel, cooler, etc. to any beach and sitting down should be fine - no staff should be removing you. Using their facilities (washrooms, chairs, tables, etc.), though, is a different matter.

[bookbabe]

The beaches are public, even above the high water mark. That is Cayman law. Bringing your own towel, cooler, etc. to any beach and sitting down should be fine - no staff should be removing you. Using their facilities (washrooms, chairs, tables, etc.), though, is a different matter.

 

 

Technically, the law says beaches are "public to the high water mark" but of course, walking along the beach through hotel sections is fine. If you're spreading out a towel, etc. you need to stay near the high water mark. So if you're away from the waterline, up where the hotel's loungers are, you can assume that the staff may ask you to relocate. And you absolutely can't use their facilities. For example, we've been expressly told by staff we couldn't use the loungers by the beach bar at Seafire, even when we had just finished eating a pricy meal there.

 

https://caymanresident.com/live/things-to-do/attractions/beaches/

[TravellingBritNY]

Please see my other post where I provide a link to the law. You absolutely cannot use their facilities, by law, that is correct.

[Wishing on a star]

You've heard the old saying.... "Get a room..."

Or, book an excursion, etc...

Research other public areas and areas that host excursions.

 

With 3-4-5-6 even SEVEN ships in port on some days (WHAT are they (authorities) thinking???) it is not just in fairness, but very much necessary and imperative for these resorts to protect their property and the comfort and amenities that they maintain for their paying guest.... And, resort guests can pay a lot.

[Luke gs Daddy]

Please see my other post where I provide a link to the law. You absolutely cannot use their facilities, by law, that is correct.

 

He is 100% correct in his statement.

Read the links and it has the latest laws for beach access.

Do not let anyone bully you into thinking they own the beach.

Just can't use their chairs and umbrellas

[drew sailbum]

Ahem.,... I've been putting off writing this but here goes....

 

Yes, people can own the beach in the Cayman Islands. The deeds for their properties include a seaward border at the mean high water mark which is the point high tide reaches on an average day. From the mean high water mark to the edge of the water itself is crown property, and thus absolutely public. But that is a VERY narrow strip of land, probably not wide enough to put a towel down and have it stay dry.

 

Owners of property can ask that you leave. And if you refuse to do so they could call the police to have you trespassed from the premises.

 

What has been raised of late is another aspect of Cayman law that harkens back to Common Law (the era before law was written). And that is the right of the public to continue to access private property if the owner did not raise an objection to public access for a period of, IIRC, 20 years. Should such a period of time lapse then the public would forevermore have an easement and the right to access such portion of private property which had fallen into common public use. Some in Cayman say this applies to certain parts of the beaches which are on private property.

 

Cayman has recently enacted a written law to amend the prior law that governed such easements so that now a person could petition the government to file suit on behalf of an individual who is proposing to assert a right of public access. (Previously it was the individual's burden to pursue legal action, which could be quite costly). This Prescription (Amendment) Law, 2017 has not yet (AFAIK) been put to test. As such I am not aware of any parts of the beach which have been deemed in a court proceeding to be an easement with a public right of way access on private property.

 

It seems to me that it might be difficult to prove that the current and/or prior landowners let a period of 20 years lapse without ever asserting their right to control access to their property. I am aware of what appears to be a public road in George Town that is actually on private property. The owner of the land that road sits on hires a security guard once every few years to close the road for a day, thus raising an objection for unfettered public access. And so long as he does that at least once every 20 years then the public does not gain an easement to his land. Similarly an owner of a beach parcel need not police his beach every day. Just once every many years is enough.

 

For anyone really wanting to spend their cruise stop digging through the details of Cayman law to assert a right to access a particular parcel of beach I would first suggest a bit of reading. One of the local law firms in Cayman, Ogier, has a reasonable write up of the beach access issue.

 

 

 

As always, I am not a lawyer. I am not your lawyer. I am not connected in any way to Ogier or any other law firm. I do not own any beachfront properties so don't really have a dog in this fight.

[TravellingBritNY]

drew sailbum, the government is actively going after people who deny the public's right to be on beaches, either using the public rights of way to the beach, but also the use of the beach above the high water mark. Whatever legal stuff is going on right now to challenge the law is one thing, but this forum is for cruise ship visitors to the island.

 

For cruise ship visitors who are mostly interested in Seven Mile Beach, and asking if they can sit on the beach in front of hotels and condos (without using the facilities) the answer is "yes they can". In fact the government has been reminding hotel managers to respect that. The second part of this article shows this: https://www.caymancompass.com/2017/11/01/private-property-keep-out-beach-access-row-remains-unresolved/

[Peachypooh]

There are 4 ships docking (an estimated 16,000 people) on the day we will be in Grand Cayman so I know that beach clubs like Calico Jacks and Royal Plans are going to be filled up to the brim.

Does anyone have any experiences going to the beaches at the hotels like Marriott, Magaritaville Beach Resort, Westin? We would probably wind up eating at one of the restaurants at the hotel and then heading to the beach, bringing our own towels and beach blankets.

I know that all beaches in Grand Cayman are public so they can't deny us sitting or swimming on the beach, but if you've ever done this before was the staff rude to you, or gave you a hard time? Were you the only non-hotel guests on the beach?

 

We purchased a pass at the Royal Palms where we rented a pool cabana. Yes the beach area was crowded but the pool area really didn't get much use.

[Arzeena]

There are 4 ships docking (an estimated 16,000 people) on the day we will be in Grand Cayman so I know that beach clubs like Calico Jacks and Royal Plans are going to be filled up to the brim.

Does anyone have any experiences going to the beaches at the hotels like Marriott, Magaritaville Beach Resort, Westin? We would probably wind up eating at one of the restaurants at the hotel and then heading to the beach, bringing our own towels and beach blankets.

I know that all beaches in Grand Cayman are public so they can't deny us sitting or swimming on the beach, but if you've ever done this before was the staff rude to you, or gave you a hard time? Were you the only non-hotel guests on the beach?

 

Check out Resorts for a Day if you want to go to a hotel/resort.

Margaritaville Resort sells a day pass for $299 for up to 4 people(includes a room, use of lounge chairs, towels, 3 course meal, NO drinks)

Westin is $275 for day room via RFD.

[AmBear]

Please see my other post where I provide a link to the law. You absolutely cannot use their facilities, by law, that is correct.

Buy a drink, then you can use them!(chair to sit, bathroom to ?)

[TravellingBritNY]

Buy a drink, then you can use them!(chair to sit, bathroom to ?)

Well, yes, if you spend money with them, then they may well let you, but Hemingways for example, has a $25 minimum for use of their facilities. Hotels may be ok with you at the bar, but that doesn't mean you get to use their pools, cabanas, etc.

 

Just ask at the place, rather then assume and things will be fine.

[drew sailbum]

In my experience hotels still reserve use of towels, chairs, cabanas, and beach umbrellas and such to hotel guests with a room. Use of such amenities is not generally extended to day visitors unless they pay for a room.

 

Other customers are welcome to patronize their bars and restaurants or the services of an on site watersports company, spa, or retail shop. Use of public bathrooms is generally open to all such customers as well.

 

When in doubt, ask.