Waking up bright eyed and bushy tailed at 5am would not usually be welcome. But on this occasion, jet lag is my friend. I sit on my balcony, reading while I wait for the sun to get up. Slowly slowly, the sky turns the softest, palest pink and I can finally cast my eye over my surroundings. It is impossibly lush with towering palms and tropical greenery that lines three adjacent pools, including one that stretches languorously out towards the beach.
Pops of buttercup yellow spring up on parasols and there are flashes of burnt orange and cerulean blue. We trip down to the beach, made of the softest coral-blush sands, mesmerised by the gentle lapping of the sea.
We had arrived in Grand Cayman the night before and, sluggish from the long flight from London, decided to leave the big reveal until the morning. The island’s first and new boutique hotel opening, Palm Heights is worth the wait.
Nestled in one of the most coveted spots of Seven Mile Beach, the hotel harks back to the glory days of the Caribbean — with the resulting feeling of a family beachside estate that enjoys a playful, 70s mansion vibe. Every inch of its spaces, including its 50 ocean-facing suites and soulful lounge, is peppered with collectable pieces by designers such as Ettore Sottass, Mario Bellini and Ingo Maurer. They have been lovingly picked up from auctions and markets around the world by the hotel’s founder and creative director, Gabriella Khalil, alongside her interior designers.
It feels as if you’ve been invited into Slim Aarons’ world; a laid-back, sun-drenched vibe that feels part Palm Springs, part French Riviera. But it is Khalil’s spectacular attention to detail that sets the hotel apart. Silk eye masks and slides are left in your room alongside woven baskets for the beach and a curation of vintage coffee table books and magazines, tailored to each guest.
A magnetic personality, she has drawn a wonderful team of people into her orbit at Grand Cayman, including Chef Jake Tyler Brodsky, previously at the renowned 11 Madison in New York. Grand Cayman, the largest of the Cayman islands, might have been the preserve of the silver brigade until now, but Palm Heights is already luring a younger, progressive crowd of beautiful young things to the island. A one hour flight from Miami and just three from New York, you can easily see why.
Days at the hotel run at a delicious pace. Jet lagged birds catch the worm, the worm being the beachfront tables at Tillies. Fresh coffee and avocado on toast with cured salmon, toes in the sand, while we watched Seven Mile Beach’s morning promenade unfold.
Next, we made the short hop to the beach loungers, layered with Palm Heights’ signature yellow and white striped towels, settling into a morning of swimming and sunbathing, until we could respectably order a margarita — always the house special with mezcal and chilli — and a bowl of snapper ceviche to our beds.
Afternoons were spent doing much of the same — perhaps swapping the beach for the very photogenic pool and its swim-up bar — or diverted to a massage or reflexology session.
If you must leave the hotel, the best way to explore Grand Cayman is by boat. Charter the Catch Me Cat catamaran for half a day, stopping to snorkel in bays and cuddle stingrays (you’ll have to trust me on this one) on the reef. Throw in a BBQ on the back of the boat and plenty of prosecco, and you have a very fine day.
Our only deadline was to always be back for cocktail hour at The Coconut Club, nabbing front row seats for the sunset show, before heading up to our suite. All the suites have been designed to feel like seriously stylish beach houses, where sandy yellows and earthy tones mix with unique artworks and objects. After an Aesop-fuelled bath or shower and a glass of natural wine, we would descend for dinner.
One of the wonderful things about Palm Heights is the fact you can order anything, anywhere, at any time; add in the fact that all their spots are open to the public, and the result is a seemingly endless line-up of buzzing places to eat and drink.
The tongue-in-cheek Paradise Pizza is for casual suppers — and the odd karaoke night — while pretty-as-a-picture Tillies is a showcase of Antilles cuisine, with Chef Jake at the helm. Think snapper Milanese, conch fritters and yellow-fin tuna eaten alfresco under the glow of the moon and festoon lighting. They also throw regular Sunday brunch parties, and cultural supper clubs and there is plenty more in the works, including a bakery, Japanese joint and a late-night bar.
The hotel’s wellbeing concept is also set to expand this spring, with a vast indoor/outdoor spa designed by architects FOOD-New York, who have done projects for Virgil Abloh and MoMA. Inspired by the ancient world and its social approach to rituals, and designed with maze-like greenery and dotted with hot and cold plunge pools. Guests will be able to take advantage of an outdoor hammam, an infra-red sauna, a boxing area and even an athletics track, among other things.
In short, the design-conscious have found their sun-drenched food and wellbeing destination in the Caribbean.
