Mandarin Oriental to Open Grand Cayman Hotel

By Alexander Britell

Mandarin Oriental just opened its first hotel in the Caribbean — and now it’s opening another one.

The company has announced plans to open a luxury resort and residences on Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands, with a scheduled opening date in 2021.

The Mandarin Oriental, Grand Cayman will feature 100 beachfront rooms on the southern coast of Grand Cayman, including 89 branded Residences at Mandarin Oriental.

The property will be set on 67 acres on Grand Cayman’s St James Point in Bodden Town.

It’s already known as the Beach Bay project, which was first announced in 2015.

The hotel will also include a Spa at Mandarin Oriental, along with a fitness center, several pools, a tennis court and a beach club.

Dining options will include five restaurants and an on-site farm providing a true farm-to-table experience.

Melkonian Capital Management is the owner of the project, with New York-based RAL Development Services serving as the development partner.

The first renderings on the project (photo at the top) were released back in 2015.

“We are delighted to announce this exciting new project, which will be the Group’s second property in the Caribbean and a fitting extension to our growing global resort portfolio,” said James Riley, Group Chief Executive of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. “The owner has assembled a spectacular site and has the long-term vision to create a unique resort experience that, together with Mandarin Oriental’s renowned service, will ensure an exceptional offering in Grand Cayman.”

Mandarin already manages the Pink Sands Club on Canouan in the Grenadines, which will soon be officially rebranded as a Mandarin.

Cayman Islands Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said having the Mandarin Oriental brand on the island would “allow us to tap into new market sectors we’ve not had access to before.”

He said the project would be a “fitting extension to our Islands growing portfolio of flagship Hotel brands.”