Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman Review: How We Got 4 Free Nights With IHG Points

Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman Review: Our Room and the Hotel

We stayed at Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman for four nights of our five-day trip. It sits at 32 Seafire Way on the quiet north end of Seven Mile Beach, right next door to its sister hotel, the Kimpton Seafire.

It was one of our first IHG stays, and I loved it right away.

The first thing I noticed was how kind everyone was. The concierge team was warm, helpful, and fun, and they made us feel right at home.

Because our credit card came with IHG Platinum Elite status, we also got a free room upgrade.

We were on the 8th floor, and our room looked like it came straight off my Pinterest board of dream home aesthetics.

The shower had gold accents, there was a separate water closet and a cute coffee station with mugs (which were for sale, too), and I loved the tiles, the color palette, and the boho vibes.

It’s exactly how I’d like to decorate my own home.

The floor-to-ceiling glass door opened to a sunset balcony facing Seven Mile Beach, with a view over the pool and hot tub.

I could see the beach clearly from where I stood.

There was even a CayBrew lager waiting in the room, so of course we tried it. We’re not beer drinkers and didn’t love it, but you should try it anyway. When in Grand Cayman, right?

Downstairs, I ordered a cold brew at the hotel’s cafe, Cafe Alula that cost $13 USD, which I’m still laughing about. It was delicious, but my husband’s wallet was burning.

Full disclosure: aside from drinks at Pom Pom and that cold brew at the cafe, we didn’t try the hotel’s restaurants, and we didn’t use the fitness center, so I’m only reviewing what I experienced firsthand.

I’ve listed everything else the hotel offers in the next section, so you’ll know exactly what’s there. We also had a rental car and an itinerary packed with things to do all over the island, so we weren’t hotel-bound.

Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman Restaurants, Bars, and Amenities

Hotel Indigo packs a lot into one property, so here’s the full lineup.

We only tried two of these places (Pom Pom and Café Alula), and I’ll note which, so you know what comes from our own stay.

Restaurants and Bars at Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman

• Catalina is the lobby restaurant, serving American and California-coastal food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with indoor and outdoor seating.
• Pom Pom is the Latin-inspired rooftop restaurant and lounge, with views over the Caribbean. It’s for guests 18 and older. We went for sunset drinks, and it was our favorite spot in the hotel.
• Rasa is an intimate, chef-driven restaurant built around an open exhibition kitchen, with rotating tasting menus from around the world.
• Milkberry is a lobby spot for sushi and other international dishes.
• Café Alula is the lobby café, with specialty coffee drinks, pastries, and grab-and-go snacks and souvenirs. This is where my $13 cold brew came from.
• Bata Bar is the casual poolside bar for drinks and light bites.
• In-room dining is available if you’d rather eat in your room.

Amenities at Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman

• Pool and hot tub: The pool deck sits below the guest rooms, and the beach club is a short complimentary golf cart ride away. We cover both below.
• Fitness center: There’s a fitness center on site. We didn’t use it, so I can’t speak to the equipment, but they’re open 24 hours a day if you’re ’bout that life on vacation.
• Parking: Valet or self-parking is complimentary for hotel guests, since it’s included in the resort fee. We had a rental car, so this was a handy perk.
• Pets: The hotel says pets are welcome at no extra charge, with no weight limit.
• Wi-Fi: Free throughout the hotel.
• Check-in and check-out: Check-in is at 4pm and check-out is at noon.

The Pool and Pom Pom, Hotel Indigo’s Rooftop Bar

We spent one afternoon by the pool after a day of exploring, and it’s a cool one.

There’s a comfy beach bed with an umbrella to keep the sun off, a shallow kiddie pool with a mini waterfall, and a deeper side that’s about 4 feet.

There’s also a restaurant and bar right by the pool, and you flip up the flag on your umbrella to let the staff know you want to order something. It can be charged right to your room.

While we were hanging out, we looked up and noticed how cool the hotel’s rooftop looked from down there, so we decided to go see what was happening up there.

Pom Pom is on the 10th floor. My husband had the chicha morada virgin drink (we tried it in Peru), and I had a piña y coco that was delicious.

It’s a great place to watch the sunset, and I recommend making a reservation in advance, because everyone has the same idea.

We just walked up and ended up sitting inside by the bar, but the floor-to-ceiling windows still let us catch the sunset.

Drinks for two came to about $30 USD. And thanks to our Platinum status, we got a welcome amenity at check-in that was a $20 USD bar credit, which came in handy here.

Is Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman on the Beach?

No. Hotel Indigo is not beachfront.

But Seven Mile Beach is only about a 2 to 3 minute walk across the street, and it was close enough that it still felt like a beach vacation.

When we walked over, we found super soft white sand and really clear water.

People were playing volleyball and using the outdoor gym, and there’s a Mobi-Mat, which lets wheelchair users roll from the parking lot all the way to the water.

Hotel Indigo guests also get access to Bonny Moon Beach Club, an independent beach club on Seven Mile Beach. We didn’t use it, but wish we did. The one thing I’d change about our stay is making time for it.

A few things worth knowing:

• Loungers and towels at the beach club are covered by the resort fee, but food and drinks can’t be charged to your room there, so bring a card. You can charge to your room at the pool.
• The Kimpton Seafire is the beachfront hotel next door, and a free golf cart runs guests over. We didn’t use it, since we had a rental car and spent our days exploring the island.
• If you want to step out of your room onto the sand, book the Kimpton instead.

What Hotel Indigo Really Cost Us (Points and the Resort Fee)

We paid for our four nights with the free nights from one credit card’s sign-up bonus, plus a daily resort fee, and nothing else.

Here’s the full picture:

• The free nights: The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card gave us five free nights, each worth up to 60,000 points and usually priced at around $600 USD a night. We used four at Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman and the fifth later at voco Surfside in Aruba.
• At cash rates: Our four nights in December would have cost about $2,600 USD, or roughly $650 USD a night.
• The resort fee: Yes, we paid it, even though the room was covered. This cost $65 USD per night.
• Anything else on top: Nothing. Valet or self-parking is included in the resort fee, so it was complimentary for us.
• What it took to earn it: We had to spend $5,000 USD in the first three months after opening the card. This card has a $150 USD annual fee.
• The perks: The card came with Platinum Elite status, which got us a room upgrade and a $20 USD bar credit at check-in.

Even with the resort fee, the stay cost a fraction of the cash price.

How to Book Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman With IHG Points

Here’s exactly how we did it. (Heads up: credit card offers change often, and we’re not financial advisors. Read the issuer’s terms before you apply, and only open a card if you’ll pay it off in full.)

1. Check Hotel Indigo’s points price for your dates first. IHG prices award nights dynamically, so the same room can cost very different points on different nights. Switch to points in the IHG app or site and look at the calendar view before you commit. Expect around 50,000 points a night, though it can be more in peak season.
2. Open one card. We opened the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card. Our sign-up bonus was five free nights, each worth up to 60,000 points, after spending $5,000 USD in the first three months. Offers change, so check the current one before you apply.
3. Check you’re eligible. You generally can’t get the bonus if you currently hold an IHG personal credit card or earned a welcome bonus on one in the last 24 months.
4. Hit the minimum spend naturally. Don’t invent spending. Put real bills on the card and pay it off in full. It’s prime time to open a card when you have a larger upcoming expense already planned.
5. Book four consecutive nights. We redeemed our free nights for four nights in a row at Hotel Indigo. If you’re booking with points instead, IHG cardholders also get a fourth award night free on stays of four nights or more, so check the current terms.
6. Mention your status at check-in. The card’s Platinum Elite status got us a room upgrade and a $20 USD bar credit.
7. Budget for the resort fee. The room was covered, but the daily resort fee was not. This cost $65 USD/night at the time of our trip, but check what the current resort fee is.
8. Use your leftover night. Our bonus covered a fifth night, which we used at voco Surfside in Aruba.

Not an IHG person? If you’d rather pay cash, we compare Grand Cayman hotels at every price in our where to stay in Grand Cayman guide.

Hotel Indigo vs. Kimpton Seafire: Which Should You Book?

The Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa sits right across from Hotel Indigo. It opened in 2016 and was Kimpton’s first hotel in the Caribbean.

It’s beachfront and Indigo is not, and both are IHG hotels, so the same points strategy works for either.

Book Hotel Indigo if you want the Seven Mile Beach location and a lower price, you don’t mind a short walk to the sand, and you’ll have a rental car for exploring. In the listings we compared, Indigo was cheaper than the Seafire, though rates swing by date, so check yours.

Book the Kimpton Seafire if the beach at your door is the whole point. Hotel Indigo doesn’t have an on-site spa, and the Seafire’s is next door.

FAQ: Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman

Is Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman on the beach? No. It’s a short walk from Seven Mile Beach, and guests get access to Bonny Moon Beach Club, rather than sitting directly on the sand. The Kimpton Seafire next door is the beachfront hotel.

Is Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman worth it? For us, yes. We covered four nights with points, paid only the resort fee, and loved the north end of Seven Mile Beach as a base. If you need to wake up on the sand, book a beachfront hotel instead.

Does Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman charge a resort fee? Yes, even on points stays. We paid it and nothing else on top of our free nights. The resort fee at the time of our stay was $65 USD per night.

Does IHG Platinum status get you an upgrade at Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman? It did for us. The card’s Platinum Elite status got us a room upgrade and a $20 USD bar credit at check-in.