Perched on the rocky shoreline just south of George Town, Sunset House is a favorite of divers and swimmers willing to enter the ocean from a ladder attached to the limestone wall. It’s well worth the descent to experience the reef and the 9-foot bronze mermaid that make for excellent snorkeling and diving right in front of the hotel. The six custom dive boats can also take you to any of the spectacular dive sites around the island, and most guests choose one of the dive packages.  

The rooms are basic, clean, and, well, sturdy. The thick concrete walls withstood the devastation of Ivan and the hotel provided shelter for many residents displaced by the hurricane. Rooms with views of the courtyard are a great value. The more spacious rooms are truly seafront, not just ocean view, with the sight, sound, and smell of surf breaking on the rocky edge just outside your door.
 
Though only a short walk to George Town, there is a feeling of seclusion here that brings people together under the thatched roof of the open-air restaurant and bar called My Bar. The indoor Sea Harvest restaurant serves all meals including breakfast. An intriguing assemblage of international guests are well looked after by live-in husband and wife team, Keith and Karin Sahm, who may offer you the hotel’s signature cocktail, a mudslide.
 
Downstairs, the walls of Cathy Church’s Underwater Photo Center are covered in photos of the rich sea life and stunning underwater landscapes of the Cayman Islands. The staff will teach you how to use an underwater camera to best effect. If you checked luggage on your flight to the Cayman Islands, you may have noticed the world's largest mural of underwater photography in the baggage claim area. That is the work of Cathy Church.     
 
You don’t have to be a diver to take advantage of the value offered by Sunset House. They recently built a swimming pool so guests don’t have to brave the stairs to get wet. If honey-colored sand is what you desire, there’s a public beach at the south end of Seven Mile Beach, a short drive or cab ride from the hotel.