It could not have been a more perfect February morning on Plantana’s stretch of Seven Mile Beach: refreshing cyan blue waters, the soft lapping of waves on coral sand and a warm gathering of Plantana’s guests that visit at this time every year.
Affectionately called ‘The Beach Club’, a crew of about 10 were relaxing in the sea breeze during one of their usual coffee klatches, except this morning they also had a little rum cake to celebrate Debbie’s birthday. It was a lovely start to the morning.
The Club ‘members’ – whose numbers rise and fall over the course of about 8 weeks in winter – all met at Plantana Condos for the most part and now, after many years together, they’ve become extended family essentially. Get-togethers are the norm each morning but they also host a fun cocktail party each year, celebrate birthdays and congregate for gorgeous sunsets.
‘Beach home away from home’ takes on a whole new meaning when you’ve been staying here anywhere from 8 to 28 years, and that is certainly the case with our faithful Beach Club guests. Of course, Plantana is known for its strong repeat guest base, with some coming three or more times annually for the sun, sand, sea, staff and comforts of our fully stocked condos.
As the morning gently progressed, everyone reminisced about Cayman of yesteryear: “…remember Almond Tree Restaurant?” “Yes! I loved it there!” “We were here just after Hurricane Ivan…” Light debate ensued about ‘quaintness’ versus ‘commercialization’, guests laughed aloud about ‘dumpster diving’ and ‘burlesque theater’ (inside joke!) and a few shared thoughts on Plantana’s lovely landscaping and the possible beach replenishment of weather affected areas on Cayman’s beaches. It couldn’t be clearer that our annual guests were deeply connected to Plantana and to Cayman. And with that came one request: “Keep Plantana the same.” Enough said.
