Grand Cayman has made a name internationally as a secluded high-end hideaway that A-listers will visit again and again, seeking peace away from the public eye.
US rock music legend Iggy Pop and UK actor John Boyega are among the high-profile visitors who have walked the award-winning beaches without fear of media attention.
Some – like Iggy – own private homes away from the bustling crowd while others enjoy the serenity and opulence of the island’s five-star hotels.
Recently, however, the largest of the Cayman Islands has seen a surge in a much more media-friendly breed of celebrity – reality stars and social media influencers.
Television programmes like FBoy Island, an HBO Max modern dating show, with its inaugural series filmed in 2021 on Grand Cayman and hosted by US comedian Nikki Glaser, have been a recent hit.
Meanwhile, personalities who have found fame on Instagram are arriving in droves, eager to post photos and videos of themselves online enjoying their luxury vacation.
The publicity has exposed this corner of the Caribbean to many millions of people. But is this the attention that the island’s tourism industry and high-end resorts are seeking?
‘A double-edged sword’
Troy Leacock, president of the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, explained that promotion and exposure can come in different forms.
CITA and the Department of Tourism regularly welcome high-profile guests such as chefs, and music and sports stars, to feature at organised events, he said.
“This is crafted, orchestrated, it’s promotional and positive. That sort of thing we’ve been doing for many years. It’s an important part of promoting and marketing a destination.
“They’re coming with a view of helping us and that’s absolutely welcomed.”
On the other hand, reality shows that choose to film in Cayman are often designed around controversy, which can be a concern for businesses that get caught up in it.
“Exposure can be positive or negative – it’s a double-edged sword,” he said.
“We can present the things we wish to highlight, whereas a third party may not care about the reputation of Cayman or the industry and may simply want an exotic backdrop.”
Leacock, who is also the owner of Crazy Crab private boat charters, said he enjoys seeing celebrities enthuse about their vacations on social media, “as long as it’s being done in the spirit of positivity and something that’s going to build relationships as opposed to something that will create crisis and drama”.
He stressed that Grand Cayman is a “premium destination with premium experiences and services for discerning guests” and is not looking at mass tourism.
The tourism industry looks forward to welcoming well-known individuals who visit regularly or who have second homes, as “that works hand in hand with what we’re trying to do”, Leacock said.
Favourite hotel
One hotel that is attracting its fair share of photo-posting celebs is the five-star Palm Heights, an all-suite boutique hotel on Seven Mile Beach.
A Vogue article featuring the hotel in January said: “The holiday is the hotel, and its roster of guests (which they prefer to think of as an extended family) becomes your community.”
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US supermodel Bella Hadid, a recent visitor, posted a series of photos of her January holiday to her Instagram account, which has 58 million followers.
Each set of photos surpassed 1.5 million likes, with the latest receiving an impressive 2.5 million likes.
The attention did not stop there as several magazines, including Vogue, W, Harper’s Bazaar and Glamour, picked up the story.
US actress and model Emily Ratajkowski, who has an Instagram following of 30 million, also vacationed at the hotel in January, posting photos that amassed more than 3 million likes.
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Chloe Sevigny, another US actress and model, who has 1 million Instagram followers, was also a guest of Palm Heights. Her January photos received 20,000 likes.
Other past high-profile guests include Madonna’s daughter Lourdes Leon, model Paloma Elsesser, and Barbadian dancers Nandi Yard and Spinny.
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But while the celebrities are quite open about their visits, Palm Heights, founded by Gabriella Khalil in 2019, is much more discreet. Attempts to reach representatives for comment were unsuccessful.
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