Sunshine Grill adding brunch and music nights to menu

Making something fresh and innovative while not disappointing regular customers can be risky, especially when renovating a much-loved island institution.

Thankfully for The Sunshine Hotel & Suites, which reopened after an extensive $32 million refurbishment of its hotel rooms and its popular onsite restaurant, Sunshine Grill, the reaction has been extremely positive.

Many of the fears of regulars around the renovation centred around the Sunshine Grill itself; would its new-look menu still have the fish tacos, hearty burgers and complimentary ice-cream that had built up such a loyal following?  And while the answer is yes, those well-loved menu items are all still present, General Manager Jessica Kozaily is keen to highlight improvements to not only the food and beverage offering but to the whole experience of the Sunshine Grill. 

“Our outdoor dining area used to be right by the pool, so during the renovation we’ve put the pool loungers all around the pool so there is more space for people to relax by the swimming pool itself, and create a separate area with outside table dining,” she said. “People can come here to grab some lunch on their breaks and we have live music at nights with lots of themed evenings planned.”

In addition to the live music Fridays already established, there are plans for salsa nights and Sunday brunches to come.

Beach chic

The Sunshine Grill itself has been redesigned with a maritime vibe, with driftwood turtles swimming across the aquamarine walls adorned with oars and fishing ropes. Wicker basket light fittings over the bar complete the relaxed beach-chic look and there are more modern additions too, such as handy bag hooks and power points.

The new menu is vast, with a large selection of dishes of varying size to choose from, such as shareables – anything from mahi bites and truffle fries, to jerk chicken rolls and blue cheese and burrata balls – while the salad selection is equally plentiful (and the salads enormous).

There are five different varieties of tacos – including the ‘famous island fish tacos’ – and a sizable burger selection and a separate kids’ menu makes this a family-friendly restaurant. And yes, there’s still a complimentary post-meal ice-cream.

For stayover guests, the connection with sister hotel The Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa is the biggest draw, with guests given wristbands so they can use the beach loungers and swimming pool, and even charge items back to their rooms, allowing them to enjoy staying adjacent to Seven Mile Beach without the price tag.

The bedrooms at Sunshine Suites have been given a new look during the refurbishment. The hotel now has 132 rooms instead of 131 (the former boardroom has been converted into an additional room) with the new designs increasing in-room lighting as well as making the most of available natural light. The rooms range in size from a one-bed studio suite through a two-bed deluxe suite and executive suite.

All rooms have kitchens with microwaves and fridge-freezers (some also have a cooktop) and the bathtubs have been removed in favour of walk-in showers to increase space.

“We wanted to create a home-away-from-home experience for people who are staying more than just a few days,” said Kozaily, adding that the hotel gets a lot of guests from the financial services industry, either here on short-term projects or making the move to the island.

All the renovations are finished for now at Sunshine Suites, but there is space available for future plans yet to be decided upon, such as pickleball courts, a children’s playground and more parking as needed.

While stayover guests are crucial to the hotel, the hope is that Sunshine Grill will regain its spot as a local favorite and Kozaily is keen to do that, with live music every Fridays, monthly food and drink promotions and, from the end of November onwards, a regular Sunday brunch with live DJ.

A grand opening is scheduled for 5 Nov. with Premier André Ebanks and other notable guests expected to attend.