What an extroardinary, romantic, hidden, quiet vacation with at least a weeks worth of recreation right on the property. The rooms were outstanding. The Air Conditioner cooled the room with ease. The tile floor made it very easy to come in off the beach and not worry about my dripping bathing suit or sand on my feet. The bed was super soft and enormous. We recieved a fresh flower every day. This was my first stay in the Cayman Islands, but my 4th Carribbean vacation. The tap water was fresh and I had no problem drinking it. Compared to other resorts in the Carribbean, this was the best vacation my wife and I have had. The pool was magnificent and great for tanning with a HOT hot tub in the shade below the palm trees just a few yards up the path. Hammocs were abundant for a nap in the shade throughout the property. The snorkeling was beautiful, the beach was clean white sand. Bring lots of sun tan lotion. I had such a wonderful time snorkeling the first afternoon when we arrived that my back was fried. No worries though - the staff was excellent and got some Aloe for me. The buffet style food was very nice. No waiting for a waiter/waitress to serve you, just walk in, get what you want, sit down in the very elegant dining room indoors in the Air Conditioning or out on the screened in dining area and chow down. Don't forget to paint a rock and leave your legacy behind! We're coming back the next chance we get! Maybe we'll see you there! I promise to sing BareNakedLadies "If I had a million dollars" again on Kareoke night! What a blast!

This is the kind of place you want to go for low key relaxation and loads of fantastic diving. The beach is well-tended and offers you the chance to read and sip wonderful island drinks while having a relaxing view of the Caribbean. The food is top-notch and seems to be more varied than at other places in the Cayman Islands. My wife and I have stayed at a few places on Little Cayman as well and Brac Reef really blows the rest of the resorts away. If you're looking for the style of accomodation found on Grand Cayman before the hurricane you might not like the resorts of the Sister Islands. You might have less of the 5-Star hotel amenities but you get a lot closer to the island people. Brac Reef offers everything one could want within reason. If you want the Ritz go to New York. If you want to experience a deeply mellow atmosphere and love diving, go to Brac Reef. You won't find a better staff on either of the Sister Islands.

After staying at several resorts in the Cayman Islands I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at the Brac Reef. Everyone associated with the resort goes out of their way to make sure you are having an enjoyable stay. Starting with a shuttle from the airport to the friendliness of the front desk clerk to the service staff and management everyone did their best to make you feel welcome and at home. I was there for Superbowl weekend and they went out of their way to have a fun party by building a huge screen out by the bar area with food and drinks. It was a great time.

The manager, Trudy, goes out of her way to meet the guests and goes the extra mile to make sure their vacation is everything they hoped for.

The rooms are very comfortable - not luxurious but very clean, modern and well maintained. The food is very good with a variety every meal. You have a choice of at least three entrees and they are well-prepared with great presetation.

If you are looking for a relaxing atmosphere with a staff that is dedicated to making your stay enjoyable you need look no further.

First of all, this was our first stay at the resort, if you can call it that! And our family will never stay there again. We have travelled all over the world and this is by far the worst place ever. From the reservation process to the rude Manager and Assistant Manager to the lack of upkeep of the rooms to the food.

We arrived at the airport only to ifnd out that we had to wait 20 minutes for the so-called shuttle to take other people to Brac Reef in a rickity old van. Then when we arrived, there was no one standing at the Front Desk so we had to go to the bar just to get someone's attention. Turns out that the Front Desk person was int he dining room getting food. (not to mention it took about 6 minutes for the "bartender" to stop tending to their friends and turn and speak to us.

After being checked in (and might I add that this place doesn't confirm anything, they just ask for a credit card (which they don't even swipe but take an imprint and ask you to sign a blank slip (not very secure if you ask me) and when I refused to do this (who wants to give someone your signature on a black credit card slip now adays), they hummed and hayed and had no idea waht to do (lack of training and experience I think).

We finally were given the key to our room, which we had to carry our luggage and gear up the stairs (no elevator). the room to say the least was atroshious! there were cockroaches under the bed, it smelled like someone had spilt dirty water on the carpet and left it for weeks, and the decor itself was very outdated! The only good thing was that the AC worked. But the view (please don't ever believe these people when they tell you that all their rooms have an ocean view (because they don't). Note: if you go and tour around Divi you will see that their rooms are right on the water and all have an unobstructed view).

At this point all we wanted to do was eat. Well needless to say, we should have taken the advise of some people on the plane and gone elsewhere for dinner. The food was, well lets just say that if you want bland, unappealing looking and *the same every night almost* you are fine but if you want what you pay for with the Meal Plan, you are gonna lose your money.

We decided to order off the bar menu (little better but not much) and while we were sitting at the bar we met Sarah and Marc who were two of the dive staff. They are a fabulious pair and gave us so much information about the island, things to do, where to go and diving. Thumbs up!!

The next day we went diving, which was wonderful, but our understanding is that Reef Divers is not owned byt he "resort" so that would make a lot of sense. All of the dive masters are great but Mark out does himself.

After we returned to the hotel we were tired and wanted to relax. So much for swimming at this resort, unless you want to swim in a pool that is open to the public and all their kids. there is no shore swimming at this place which was disappointed. so we laid on the hammocks and enjoyed some cocktails.

I wanted to really realx and I had read other reviews online about their Canadian massage thereapist but when i inquired at the front desk, I was told by the girl that he was no longer there but she could fit me in as she worked both the spa and the desk. There was something about her that I didn't like, after I asked if the other man was still on the island and did he have his own spa, she got a little snippy with me so I just walked away. It turns out this rude younge lady is the Assistant Managers wife!

I called oevr to Divi Resort to see if they had a therapist and their front desk informed me that they did not because they too had used this Canadian Man. So I was out of luck (turns out unless you want to use the rude little lady, you are out of luck in the spa treatments)

Dinner that night did not look appealing either so we decided to walk up to the Captains Table where we were told had the best food on the island. And they do. A bunch of people we had met that day had told us it was because they had a younge creative chef from Canada, whos last week was that week because he was going over to Divi Resort. We ate ever dinner meal at the Captains Table because it was amazing.

We learned our lesson on this trip about what you get for what you pay for and we will never pre-order the Meal Plan until we arrive at a new resort and see the meals first hand.

We were going to bring all of our disappointments up to the Manager Trudie but we had over heard her complaining about some of her own staff members to the bartender and decided that she would not care and that she herself was unprofessional so we decided to take it to the masses instead so that other people like us will not be so disappointed in Brac Reef Beach Resort.

We were going to cancel the rest of our trip and move over to Divi after having spent a few hours over there at their great bar and walking their grounds but the guy at the front desk told us we would not get our money back so we toughed it out but as soon as we returned home, we called Divi and booked out next trip with them.

My review takes on two perspectives, the diver and non-diver.

First, if you have a non-diver with you, read this - Us three divers brought our wifes and kids and for them it was a tough week. We caught some rough weather, which eroded what was a dive biased week. Thank goodness the staff is spectacular and the food was even better or I may never get to dive again. My wife (and tghe 2 other non-diving wifes) were ok with a dive vacation because we were basically trapped by our airline after our GC house was flooded (not their fault, so no changes without penalty.) As long as they could siton the beach and swim in the pool, they were fine. Unfortunately, the wind was so strong on some days that a walk on the beach was painful and the pool was frigid. Neither of these things are controllable by the resort, so I can't penalize them at all. What helped make up for it was a staff that was always trying to help, i.e. getting ice cream when there wasn't any on the menu. Big kudos to Mary, the owner (decendent of Keith Tibbets) who came with here 4 year old grand daughter, for packing up our wifes and kids and taking them on a small tour and to the playground near the airport. There were a number of nice touches, like kareoke (sp?), movie night, and a fun New Year's Eve party.

First off food - I came prepared for decent food being that this was a "dive" resort. Well, it was spectacular. Starting with the lobster we had the night we arrived. Which, by the way, they held for us, since we would up on a later flight (this was Xmas day.) And ending with a NYE's feast of sushi, steak and caviar. And desserts that made you get seconds and thirds. I asked Mary about it, because there were some "iffy" reports on their food. She told me that they let go of their chef back in October and the two cooks below him blossomed.

Rooms - better than decent, but not four star. We had two full sized beds, color tv, full bath and a balcony (we didn't have one the first two nights but they moved us once one was available.) Out of the fourty rooms, there are about 10 with balconies. All are in a cresent around the pool. There are no bad rooms because the resort is pretty small. However, there are no elevators, so keepit in mind if stairs are a problem. Also, there is coin-op laundry there, which came in really handy. The one negative was ants (which seems to be a problem they are aware of because every room has bug spray) and hot water. There weren'tenough ants to bother me but enough for my wife. As far as hot water, if you showered at 5:30, like everyone else, you had a warm shower at best, other than that is was hot. I mentioned to them, they could decrease water consumption with better hot water equipment, just because guests wouldn't run the shower as long to get it hot.

Non-dive activities - mopeds, tennis, basketball, board games, bar (bar menu available after 12 but not included in meal plan), rock painting (to leave a marker that you were there, really fun), lots of hammocks, sea kayaks, snorkling (don't think there is much to see), pool and hottub (which was broken.) There was dock with a gazebo for massages but it has to be rebuilt after Ivan. They also have a spa on premises for massages, etc. There is also an internet center for .25 Ci per minute. If you want to rent a car, there is a rental place down the road. Make sure you plan ahead if it is a busy week, this was xmas and there no cars available.

Resort Staff - I am bad on names but everyone was great. Trudy at the front desk really goesout of here way to help, with anything, including Cayman Air, who has a habit of screwing up reservations, it seems. Facilities were over attentive at times. Almost every day I came back to towels in a bag on our door, not sure why.

Ok, now diving: Great. I have been to a place that treats you like this. When you arrive there is a mesh bag in the room and form. You fill the bag with everything but your mask and computer and leave it outside your door at 7. The first day you bring the form, cert card and credit card to the dive shop. After that, worry free diving. If you shop, they kinow you by name and note it on your record. When you arrive on the boat, your gear is set up. If you move things around, they realize it and keep it that way for the week. The dive staff are really there to take care of you. You get a full safety and routine speech on your first dive and then great breifings for each dive. The dive briefings were great. I have never seen a DM go into the detail on their map before. Multicolor, near topographical, maps with sites to see. Even movable objects (fish) were were they said they would be. They give a profile for computer and tables (when there was only one person diving tables they gave her a computer.) There are two staff members on the boat, one leading a tour and one on the boat. The only problem with this (but I don't know if I would ask them to change it) was that they help everyone on with their gear, then get in the water, which can be a long wait if you are taking the tour. Then they head back to the boat first to be ready to receive the returning divers. If you are unsure on your navigation, which got me on the second day, you can find yourself a little uncomfortable. I have to say my skills went way up after the long swim back to the boat. If you are inclined, buddy up and explore on your own. It took me to the end of the week to get comfortable enough with this but since the walls run east west, navigation wasn't too tough, even for the navigationally challenged. Back to the diving: when you are ready to get in the water you just sit on the bench and they bring your gear to you, when you come out they take it off and put it on the next tank. I had a hard time getting used to this. I really felt like I kept forgetting something because I had so little to do except dive. Very luxorious though. The boats are beautiful, by the way and fully stocked with snacks, oranges, fresh water and dive supplies (vinegar, defog, etc) The reefs are what you expect for one of the best places to dive in the world, full of life and color. There was so much to see that I spent most of my time looking for Flamingo Tongues and Nudibranchs. It was like sensory overload. i shot 300+pics of everything from nurse sharks, rays, giant eels, giant lobsters, crabs, huge sponges, a melting sand castle coral (have to find out the right name) I can tell you more than go and see for yourself.

I can't rommend this place enough. I met people that have been there 15 times. That says alot. I will definately return and I generally don't go back anywhere because the world is a big place and I want to see it all. I will put up pics soon. Hope you found this helpful.

After reading most of these reviews I have to wonder where you all stayed? The food in the restaurant was "bad". Everyday i had a complaint about it. My room was terrible. Fixtures in the bathroom were rusting out, mold on the carpets AND the curtains. On MY patio the furniture was old and broken. I was constaintly chasing BUGS out of my dungeon. After three miserable days (of seven planned) I took the loss and went to the "Divi Tiara Beach Resort", where, if I may add - I was completely happy with accomodations that were WAY nicer and a "professional" staff that actually NEW what I wanted and assisted me in doing what I had came to the island to do. (scuba, snorkle and relax). I WILL NEVER return to the brac reef resort, but I will revisit the "DIVI". (and the cost WAS much less, amazingly TRUE). -- A VERY dissatisfied customer.

My son, nephew, and I made our 2nd annual dive trip to the Brac Reef Resort the first week of August. Well, actually it was the first big dive trip for my 13 year old nephew since his certification so I wanted to go somewhere familiar and where I could be highly confident of the dive operation.

We did 17 dives with Craig & Vicki (Mark was with us one day) and only 4 were "repeats". Even those were great because we saw things we didn't see last year (for one thing our skills are much improved). For example, we did lots of penetration on the Keith Tibbets this year and none last year. I can't speak highly enough of Reef Divers -- they are incredible to dive with. We did some brand new sites this year including Elkhorn Forest that hadn't been dived in 3 years (I hope Ivan didn't do a number on the Elkhorn).

We love the Brac Reef Resort -- the smallness and nearness of everything, the pool, the amazing friendliness and helpfulness of the staff (!!!!!), the pier at night (tarpon always and one night squid), the hammocks, and the food. The food isn't "gourmet" but is quite good and varied. Meals are included and it's so nice just to come in and sit down at lunch or after a day of diving.

Over the course of a week, you'll get to know most of the guests -- at least those on your boat.

Basically, you eat, dive, dive, eat, dive, hit the pool, get a shower, eat, sit around talking, hid down to the pier, sleep and then Repeat each day for 6 days.

We have also enjoyed getting around the island to see the sites (especially the bluff and caves), meet the locals, and visit Stake Bay Baptist church (one of 10 Baptist churches on the island). The bluff and caves are great. Daily car rentals are cheap and just down the street from the Brac Reef (they'll come get you and take you to get your car).

If you love no-hassle beautiful diving and a quiet friendly resort, look no further!

My family had a great time at the Brac Reef Beach Resort. Most people who stay at the resort are divers, but we wanted to take a vacation on a non-commercialized Island where we could snorkel, enjoy a beautiful beach and relax. We found just the place at the Brac Reef Beach Resort. Trudy (manager) and Paul made us feel like we were family. Trudy especially went out of her way to make this a great family vacation. We were there from July 1-8. 2004. I am not sure about the previous reviewers comments, the resort was in good condition and well maintained. The grounds, pool and Jacuzzi were kept very clean. We had two rooms next to each other, which had plenty of room with patios that were across from the pool. The food was great, which was served buffet style with 3 choices of a main course and three deserts, there was even a stake and lobster night. We selected the breakfast and dinner package, which was plenty of food for us non-divers. The hotel staff and other gust were very friendly (no unexpected visitors). Since we were not divers, we had the resort to ourselves during most of the day which included plenty of pool and hammock time. We did do a lot of snorkeling at the resort beach (saw our biggest stingray) and on the north side of the Island. The beach was great and the water was crystal clear. After dinner we always walked out to the dock (which is lighted at night) to see all the fish. We would always see 3 or 4 large tarpon and one night we saw a nurse shark. We rented a car 4 or the 8 days (C.B rental car company was the best car rental experience I had every had) explored the caves, snorkeled on the north side of the Island (Buccaneer Bay and Radar Reef were very good) and just hiked around the cliffs. There is no commercialism on the Island and not many people it was like having your own private Island in the middle of the Caribbean. All the people we meet on the Island were very friendly. One day we went snorkeling on a boat dive. It was fun watching the divers below us and we meet a very curious large barracuda. If you want a Caribbean vacation away from it all on an undeveloped tropical island paradise, I highly recommend Brac Reef Beach Resort. You can’t find a more relaxing atmosphere, great beach and well managed property. I look forward to retuning very soon.

We were pretty disappointed with the overall condition of the "resort". The buildings were worn and the rooms were in bad condition, with unexpected visitors entering all the time. It did have a good beach and the water was wonderful. The onsite restaurant was fair with the food just OK. The store was VERY expensive without a lot of things we needed. All in all not a real good value.

i've got to say that all the previous positive anecdotal experiences on trip advisor re: the brac reef resort that i read pretty much summed up our trip. our stay at brac reef was from april 17 thru april 29th. my initial impression upon arrival, the resort appearance is excellent. mangement staff was extremely accomodating and helpful. the room was clean and decorated nicely. the overall grounds were well maintained and the pool and jacuzzi were always clean. the dive operation was on par with the best we've dove with. special kudos to dive masters jason, robert, mark and mick. their professionalism, safety consciousness and humor enhanced the diving. dive photography at the dive shop was done by ed beaty who put together a magnificent dvd of our russian destroyer dive as well as a nice collection of still photos. i even rented a nice nikon digital underwater camera from ed who professionally put everything on cd for me. most dive resorts don't have digitals available for rental so i was pleased. as far as carribean diving goes, the brac ranks right up there. great wall diving, swim throughs, canyons, wrecks and sand bottoms replete with all kinds of usually elusive fish species. in 9 days of diving, we saw several species of sharks, spotted eagle rays, southern rays, barracuda, large grouper, tarpon
and healthy shoals of reef fish. food at the resort was above average and breakfast, lunch and dinner was served buffet style. laurie the bartender was always smiling and ready to serve you a cold beer although my wife preferred the foo-foo drinks which by her estimation were good. overall, i would highly recommend brac reef resort. it's very well managed and coupled with a relaxing atmosphere will supply you with fond memories...............