A family of four on holiday from the US were given the royal red-carpet welcome by the Grand Cayman Marriot Beach Resort on Thursday
On their first visit to Cayman, Ross Kirkpatrick, his wife Nancy and two sons Michael and Scott were welcomed as the first tourist family to check in to the hotel since Hurricane Ivan damaged the facility in September.
The Kirkpatrick family was picked up at the Owen Roberts Airport in a Chrysler 300M car provided free of cost by Avis Rent-A-Car.
Accompanying them to the hotel, which re-opened on Wednesday, was Marriott’s new managing director Chris Sariego.
Arriving at the hotel, the four were showered with congratulations, fancy fruit-punch drinks and gifts from the Department of Tourism and the Marriot.
‘I was not expecting the royal treatment; it is certainly a surprise,’ Mr. Kirkpatrick said.
‘It is great. We looked forward to many years for the opportunity to come to the Cayman Islands and we are finally here.
‘It was nice to be able to come right after something as serious as last year’s hurricane and to be able to participate in the renovation and to be one of the first families back at the hotel.
‘We choose Cayman as a vacation destination because we wanted to come here for many years and it worked out with the timing, and the Marriott was open and the airline reservation all just came together perfectly,’ said Mr. Kirkpatrick.
‘It surely is exciting,’ said young Michael. ‘I was really surprised when we got the call, but when we got to Cayman I really was not expecting this much.’
The Marriott Hotel is undergoing an extensive $15 million renovation, which includes a complete remodel of all guest rooms and suites, redesigned lobby with new furniture and décor, improved restaurants and meeting facilities.
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