theReef has made the leap to Facebook and Twitter!
TheReef started chatting with friends through our humble little blog, which I have to say is still the best source for all things Cayman! Now we are spreading the word of theReef and Cayman that little bit further through Facebook and Twitter : )
Become a fan of theReef on Facebook here
Follow us on Twittter @theReefresort
theReef Spring Sale is here!!!
Spring is almost upon us (although it does not feel like it for some at the moment!), a time for starting afresh. theReef is offering the perfect Spring vacation getaway…
Stay with us between now and April 9th 2010 and receive 30% off plus US$100 F&B credit!
Click here to view full details of our our new Spring Sale, and to view our other promotions.
Here is a little reminder of relaxation at theReef…
Introducing theReef SPIRIT awards!
The Reef has developed the Spirit awards to highlight and thank our wonderful staff for providing outstanding guest service and for their excellent contribution to theReef family. The Spirit awards are given out on a monthly basis, and a special Gold Spirit Award is given to the truly outstanding employee of the month.
This month’s winners are:
The GOLD SPIRIT AWARD goes to MICHELLE HAYES, (dressed as a Pirate on the right!)
Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you from theReef!
Deltahave just announced a new direct flight from JFK, New York to GCM, Grand Cayman. To celebrate they are offering a fantastic introductory fare from just $119 each way!
The flight operates on a Saturday schedule, starting June 12, 2010.
So why not get on that plane and escape the hustle and bustle and cold weather and relax on theReef’s 1600ft white sand beach overlooking the Caribbean Sea. The perfect location for that family vacation or romantic getaway.
Imagine yourself here….
Yesterday January 19th at about 9:23am Grand Cayman felt a little rumble, a tiny earthquake centered a few miles off of Bodden Town magnitude 5.8.
I was in the Cayman Concierge shop telling guests about the Barefoot Man show and felt a slight rolling feeling; I paused and said “that feels like an earthquake” but by then it was over and we resumed looking at the menu options. That’s all it was, nothing fell off the shelves, the water in my fish bowl barley even moved, and no one even ran out the lobby. When I walked the beach that afternoon many guests didn’t even realize there was a tremor. Others said it felt like someone kicked their chair, a slight bump in the earth compared to the giant jolt felt by our neighbors to the east. Now there are stories to tell and the internet is abuzz with “did you feel it, and where were you??”
So it will be a blurb in the history books, just a note to remember this day.
The last quake to hit the island was in 2004 and that was 6.8 a slightly bigger rumble, but now, like yesterday’s quake, just a story to tell, no drama, no tragedy’s (thank goodness) just a bit of excitement, the day when the ground shook for 3 seconds or so in January 2010.
- Cathy Richardson, Concierge
Taste of Cayman now in its 22ndyear, is the Cayman Islands national food festival. Since moving home in 2009 to the recently developed Camana Bay, the festival has grown with over 60 vendors participating in 2010 and now includes an international wine tasting element.
Taste of Cayman is an opportunity for local restaurateurs to showcase local Caribbean and international cuisine, reaching an audience of over 4000 people! Each vendor has tasting booths set up to allow people to have a “taste” of local fares.
This year, theReef will be showcasing at Taste of Cayman with our very own Head Chef Robert. He will be cooking his Cajun chicken pasta, using his own blend of herbs and spices. Chef Robert thought carefully about his choice of dish and he said “I hope it reflects our international menu at theReef.” There will also be a chance to enter our prize draw for a Romantic break at theReef.
The festival is truly a family event with activities for kids including arts and crafts and even kid friendly food. For those looking to chill out and relax, head over to the “Mojito Lounge” featuring Bacardi’s top mixologists.
Further to Taste of Cayman, January has been announced as the Cayman Islands Culinary Month, with additional events held around the islands such as the Barefoot Brunch, Charity Wine Dinner and flair-bartending competition. This event joins the long list of fantastic events held in the Cayman Islands throughout the year.
Proceeds from all events across culinary month support the non-profit Cayman Islands Tourism Association and their partner charities, such as the Lighthouse School for disabled children.
There is plenty to see, taste and do at Taste of Cayman 2010! Tickets for Reef guests are available from our concierge team.
This coming Saturday will see the last wedding at theReef for 2009, and since we are coming to the end of the year it is a good time to reflect on the fabulous weddings we have hosted here in Grand Cayman. 2009 saw theReef host over 40 beautiful destination weddings on our peaceful 1600ft white sand beach and dock! Each and every wedding at theReef is unique and we offer several Wedding packages to accommodate every couples’ individual requirements.
Linda Locke, our wedding coordinator, takes the stress out of planning your Caribbean wedding. From start to finish, the planning process for weddings at The Reef is as worry free as possible, with timely answers and solutions to all the couple’s questions, customized packages and receptions to cater to all tastes. Offering expert advice and attention to detail, Linda only works with the best wedding professionals on island, so you know you are in safe hands.
Recently theReef appeared in Destination Weddings and Honeymoons, “3 ways to unwind” feature. theReef’s beach is the perfect location for a destination Caribbean wedding here in Cayman, with gorgeous turquoise backdrop and soft white sand, your beautiful wedding pictures will be the envy of every bride!
Our Wedding couples come back to us time after time and tell us how perfect their special day was, please see our testimonials for their amazing feedback and comments.
Here at theReef, we even offer a free Anniversary stay for every Reef wedding couple so that they can celebrate their wedding experience again the following year!
Every year we take a look a back on the year’s weddings and, even though we admit it ourselves, all of the weddings here at The Reef in 2009 were gorgeous as I’m sure you’ll agree!
Photo: Courtney Platt June 2009
Photo: Picture This, Rebecca Davidson, May 2009
Photo: Courtney Platt, Dec 2009
Photo: Marcos Montana
Barefoot sent us his annual xmas message this morning and it was too funny to keep to ourselves!
Merry Xmas Barefoot, and to all our blog readers!!!
Innovation: the art of introducing something new.
theReef has always been at the forefront of innovation, especially in Grand Cayman. Even when we built the resort we were one step ahead of the game and constructed ALL beachfront suites, the only resort in Grand Cayman with all beachfront suites! WOW! theReef is also the ONLY place on Grand Cayman where you can see the infamous Barefoot Man! WOW!
You have already seen our ‘Best Beach Rate Guarantee’ where you get the Lowest Published Internet Rate for The Reef Resort, ONLY at theReef.com. If you find a lower total rate on the Internet for the same room type, dates and length of stay, contact us, we’ll match the rate, AND add a $50 Resort Credit towards drinks and dining at our renowned beach bar or our restaurant during your stay!
Now theReef resort is on another mission to be the innovator when it comes to best price guarantees. Our ‘Barefoot Beachfront Guarantee’ takes our ‘Best Beach Rate Guarantee’ one step further. Should you find a beachfront room at a full service resort anywhere in Grand Cayman during Winter 2010 for a lower price, theReef will match it. We are so confidence in this offer, we will throw in free dinner for two with entertainment by the legendry Barefoot Man, who continues to play exclusively at The Reef, his Cayman home. Our ‘Barefoot Beachfront Guarantee’ definitely has the WOW factor!
Terms & Conditions:
• Must show that room rate is lower and is bookable online at the time of reservation request
• Room must be comparable in terms of being beachfront on a natural white sand beach in a full service resort in Grand Cayman
• contact reservations@thereef.com or call 888-232-0541 for more information or to book the lowest price beachfront rooms in Grand Cayman
As seen in our previous post, theReef had several staff nominated for the prestigious CITA Stingray tourism Awards. The awards dinner was held last Saturday at the Ritz-Carlton and everyone had a great time!
There were many nominees in all the categories, and the Reef is proud to announce that our very own Mr Brian Ebanks took the award for Rising Star!!!
Brian is now our Assistant General Manager at theReef, after being promoted from reservations assistant. Brian is an active member of our Green Team here at the resort and is committed to helping become that little bit greener J Brian has been instrumental in helping us establish a compost heap, switch from plastic beverage cups to compostable corn cups, and install energy saving lighting and appliances.
His passion for providing excellent customer service has led him to be the driver of theReef’s PRIDE team. Brian is dedicated to making sure that every employee of the Reef goes through the Cayman Islands PRIDE program – Personal Responsibility in Delivering Excellence.
Now Brian can add another certificate to his office wall!
Well done Brian!!!
It’s that time of year once again, the time of year where we reflect on the past, and appreciate the future; the time of year when we give thanks for the people around us. We here at The Reef Resort have had many changes in the past year, we have had staff members come and go. Some of us have become fathers and wives, while others have simply moved on to new adventures, and many more have joined the Reef Resort family. Our concierge team for example, has now grown to six, so now there is always someone available to help our guests, each member of our team brings something unique to the table. There are many new faces to stop by and meet, and for that, we at the Reef Resort are very grateful for.
Yet what we are most thankful for are you, the guests and visitors to our beautiful resort. You are the reason we are here, the reason the resort is growing and constantly improving and for that we say THANK YOU. Thank you for the positive e-mails you send us about how much you enjoyed your stay, thank you for coming back and remembering us. For the happy faces you bring to the resort and for your continued support.
On behalf of the Reef Resort, we would like to say THANK YOU and have a wonderful and happy thanksgiving.
As always theReef is putting on a fabulous Thanksgiving spread, to make reservations simply contact your concierge – concierge@thereef.com
You can also view our Holiday menus at http://www.thereef.com/en/about/dining.html
- Cathy
Concierge
You know by now that vacationing at the Reef is a relaxing experience – but many hands make light work and we have many staff on hand to make your vacation at the Reef memorable.
This year five of our wonderful staff has been nominated for the Cayman Islands Tourism Association Stingray Tourism Awards. You may recognize some familiar names below:
Linda Locke – Nominated for Accommodation Employee of the Year
Jake Morgan – Nominated for Accommodation Manager of the Year
Nick Harlan – Nominated for Restaurant Employee of the Year
Brian Ebanks – Nominated for Rising Star Tourism Award
Lawrence Haughton – Nominated for Long Service to the Industry
The awards ceremony will be held at the Ritz-Carlton on Saturday November 28th and we wish all our nominees the very best of luck!!!
It’s Pirates Week again and the Reef Resort is ready.
Grab your hat & sword and join our excursions to the East End, North Side and George Town District Days.
Cayman is full of history and guests can learn the fine art of rope making, thatching, fire pan smoking, coconut oil making and how to knit a fish net. There will be exhibits on how Cayman used to be - in the days when the only way you could get from East End to George Town was by Donkey or Mule on a dirt road!
Of course the best part of any district day in my opinion, is the food, East End heavy cake, fry fish and fritters, fish tea, mango jam and guava jelly, rice and peas, festival bread and of course jerk chicken, just to name a few. Often cooked by women older than your grandma who know how food should taste. Just writing about it makes my mouth water. After dark the music starts and the dancing begins, and boy can the locals dance, and of course there will be Pirates everywhere, because when it comes to drinking and dancing Pirates know how to have fun.
So join us, wear a pirate costume and prepare to have fun.
- Cathy , Concierge
When witches go riding,
and black cats are seen,
the moon laughs and whispers,
‘tis near Halloween.
Halloween is almost upon us and the Reef has some awesome activities ahead…
Halloween is not just for kids either! On Saturday 31st October The Rusty Pelican will be offering half price drinks – from Bloody Mary’s to the Devil’s potion and everything in between!!!
We have loads of scary activities to keep the whole family frighteningly entertained from apple bobbin to ghoulish games! Don’t miss it!!
Perhaps one of the Cayman Islands most famous export is the Barefoot Man’s music! Widely renowned for his daring lyrics, Barefoot is the biggest B to hit the island since Blackbeard and no visit to the island is complete without taking in Barefoot and his band.
Barefoot plays exclusively at theReef every Tuesday and some Thursdays. His full schedule can be found at http://www.thereef.com/en/thingsToDo/entertainmentSchedule.html
You can email Barefoot at: GoneFishing@Barefootman.com
Another great excuse to visit us here at the Reef in Grand Cayman! Last week we brought you news of AA’s beach sale, this week we are bringing you news from our very own carrier - Cayman Airways.
Cayman Airways has just announced that on selected flight to Grand Cayman, the third checked bag is free!
Great news for all those from Florida state as this offer applies to flights from Miami or Tampa to Grand Cayman.
With a third bag checked free you are limitless!! Pack your tennis racket and get out on the court, pack your snorkel gear and take to the reef or just bring a bikini for every day of the week!
Remember we have a wide range of activities on offer at the Reef ranging from snorkeling, kayaking, volleyball, basketball to simple relaxation on our 1600ft white sand beach! Idyllic! 
It has to be said your wedding day is the most important day of your life. Which is why we have a dedicated wedding coordinator to help you plan every step of the way!
Picture this…barefoot on our beautiful, white sand beach with the turquoise Caribbean ocean lapping the shore, surrounded by swaying palms with the beautiful colors of tropical flowers accenting your perfect, customized wedding ceremony.
Recently, Nate and Alicia were a part of this picture and loved their wedding so much they couldn’t wait to tell us how much they enjoyed it!
“Alicia and I are still talking about our wedding, our guests loved it so much. People that went to visit the other side of the island were so happy we selected the reef as our wedding location. Your resort was so beautiful, and peaceful. Please show this letter to everyone that worked there, even the guys that ran the water sports. We had a blast. Your staff is wonderful. People looking at the pictures were amazed!!!!”
So what are you waiting for, make like Alicia and Nate and book that unique Cayman wedding!
For more information contact weddings@thereef.com
Summer is quickly coming to end, and before we know it the holiday season will be upon us – and we know how much stress that can bring. As you know by now theReef’s mantra is SimpleRelaxation – so before the inevitable happens the girls at Le Soleil spa are offering a little extra pampering for theReef guests.
From now until Thanksgiving guests can enjoy:
So chill out and relax before the hype of the holidays!
