Photo by Monique Hepburn
The distinctive exterior of Margaritaville in Grand Cayman.

Teino Evans, Staff Reporter

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands:

It has lifted the entertainment and tourism offerings of Jamaica and other destinations and now Margaritaville has made its way to the shores of Grand Cayman, dropping anchor in the capital, George Town.

The Cayman Islands are usually known for their quiet atmosphere. Typically there are few nightspots, hardly anything for youngsters to look forward to for a party, but according to André Dixon, the chief operating manager for Margaritaville, "We are about to change the culture of Cayman."

"Night-time entertainment is a problem in Cayman. You have to have a special licence to open until 3 a.m.," he said.

Last Wednesday, a small contingent of journalists from Jamaica took a trip to Grand Cayman to visit and share in the experience of the newest hot spot in town.

The new and spacious Margaritaville, said to be the biggest of all the locations, is strategically located on Harbour Drive in the heart of the town, just across from where the cruise ships dock.

Trade Centre

To access inside, persons have to make their way through the Margaritaville Trade Centre (where clothing and souvenir items are sold) and head upstairs, where they are faced with a pool and slide.

Equipped with multiple dining areas, two bars, flat-screen televisions for luxury and comfort, a small stage towards the centre and a balcony overlooking the town centre and beachfront, Margaritaville invariably draws thousands of patrons each week. One any given Wednesday, up to seven cruise ships call on the island and more than 7,000 guests pour in.

Jamming to vibes created by selector Anthony Chen, a.k.a. D.J. Tony Mental, who was transferred from Montego Bay, guests can truly soak up the Caribbean lifestyle of simple, laid-back, uninhibited fun. As such, it is not unusual to witness five-second beer-drinking competitions and booty-shaking contests.

Ian Dear, co-owner and director of Margaritaville, says, "The reception has been great. Cayman has 2.4 million cruise passengers per year and they are all concentrated here in George Town."

Dear says the idea of establishing a Margaritaville in Cayman and other parts of the Caribbean had always been in the pipeline.

"We always envisioned a collision expansion and for years we've been scouting in different islands that have the traffic and appeal to our concept. One of our guides is the cruise shipping and land-based tourism, along with a decent local based population to work with. So after three to four years of searching, we visited Cayman and came up on the location, right by the waterfront by the cruise-shipping terminal. So we took an office building and turned it into this entertainment complex," Dear explained.

Brain Jardim, co-owner and chief executive officer, added that they have made history by establishing three Margaritavilles in one year.

"We've done so much this last year. We opened a new one at the airport in MoBay (Jamaica), one in Grand Turks and this one in Cayman. That's the most we've ever done in one year. The opportunity just presented itself," he said.

In addition, Jardim says they are also looking at setting up the brand in other islands like St. Martin, St. Thomas and Nassau.

In the meantime, Caymanians continue to enjoy 'Ville'. And although the opening hours are restricted to midnight on Saturdays because of church on Sunday, they are allowed to take full advantage of Fridays. "That's the biggest party night and we go until 3 a.m.," Jardim said.