Bachelor and Bachelorette parties used to be synonymous with drinking and debauchery. While wild nights out still exist, more couples are embracing a different kind of pre-wedding celebration—one focused on wellness, connection, and rejuvenation.
Enter the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa in Grand Cayman. The resort hosts the Kimpton Seafire Wellness Festival each year, an event set against the breathtaking backdrop of Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach. This luxury, holistic, well-being festival offers a unique opportunity to recharge before (or after) saying “I do.” Whether you’re looking to soothe pre-wedding stress, bond with your wedding party, or indulge in much-needed self-care, the Kimpton Seafire provides the perfect setting.
I spent a week at the Kimpton Seafire, soaking up everything this resort offers. Although I arrived with sore muscles and a stressed-out soul, I left feeling inspired, rejuvenated, and grateful. Here are a few reasons to consider attending the Kimpton Seafire wellness festival as part of your pre- or post-nuptial celebrations.
Boutique fitness classes and unique wellness offerings.
At the Kimpton Seafire, wellness extends beyond the gym and spa. Designed to be a transformative journey, the Kimpton Seafire Wellness Festival offers everything from invigorating beach workouts and yoga sessions to rejuvenating seaweed baths, Caribbean cooking classes, and cuddly puppy therapy — all taught by world-renowned health, wellness, and fitness experts, hand-picked and flown in from around the globe alongside local talent to enrich the experience.
Overlooking the surreal turquoise water of Seven Mile, I felt reborn after experiencing a breathwork and ice bath workshop with Donato Helbling, a level two certified Wim Hof Method Instructor and Director of the Miami Ice Club. Later, I drifted away, enveloped by the calming sounds of crystal bowls and gongs during an evening sound bath.
These activities were paired with a soothing massage at the Forbes Five-Star award-winning spa and a celebrity chef-led farm-to-table dining experience, where I learned from local Caymanian farmers and tasted the fruits of their endeavors.
Cocktails inspired by great works of literature.
By day, Library by the Sea is a sunlit lobby bar where you can grab a drink and something to read—it has a fully stocked library. Named one of the Top 50 Bars in North America, Library by the Sea specializes in curated cocktails, each inspired by a famous work of literature. Drinking one of their creations feels like getting lost in a story. There are memorable images, unforgettable notes, and yes, sometimes even a surprise ending.
Some standout cocktails include the B612, for Consuelo, a Petit Prince-inspired cocktail made with Tanqueray 10 gin, cacao distillate, rose water, hibiscus, Italicus, oloroso, goat kefir, and Cocchi di Torino, served in a whimsical handmade vessel, and the E. Hemingway Special, a cocktail inspired by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author who became so famous for drinking his “special” Daiquiri twist in Havana in the early 1930s that La Floridita even named a cocktail after him. At Library by the Sea, you can turn back time and try the original version, with 1932 Bacardí and 1932 Maraschino shaken with fresh lime and grapefruit, served in a 1930s Dorothy Thorpe glass.
A stunning sister property.
Next door is the Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman, a brand-new hotel that feels like Kimpton Seafire’s younger millennial sister. Bathed in tropical pastels and boho chic decor, it is the perfect destination for dining and soaking up vibrant energy. I recommend enjoying a cocktail at Catalina under the stunning portraits of Cayman Airways’ first female pilots, Crystal Godet and First Officer Giselah Ebanks, before heading to the roof to sample Pom Pom, where you can enjoy Peruvian-inspired eats and expertly mixed cocktails while watching the sunset over Seven Mile Beach.
Remember to stop at the hotel shop, Kassette, where you’ll find an incredible selection of chic items—from irreverent housewares to stunning pieces by Latin American and Caribbean designers. It’s nearly impossible to leave empty-handed.
Ample ways to relish in the soft life.
While I’ll never turn down a cocktail crafted with vintage rum or a day at the spa, the simple things struck me most about my week at the Kimpton Seafire. The sparkling ocean outside my hotel room, the hours I spent swimming in its crystalline water, and the moments of laughter and friendship I experienced with the women I traveled with. Like any good story, the Kimpton Seafire Wellness Festival had an unexpected ending. It gave me something I didn’t even realize I was missing: a sense of peace and connection within myself and the world around me.
