The invites dispatched some two weeks ahead of the official opening of The White House Grand Cayman from the chairman and board of directors created quite a buzz, and so commenced the jostling for an invite. There was, truth be told, not much revealed (on the invite) in terms of language, but the best events in life are invariably those that under-promise and over-deliver. This one did on several levels.

Chairman of the board Ernest ‘Ernie’ Smatt threw open the doors Friday, November 6, to what was once the playground of Ralph Englestad, former owner of Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, who would fly his friends to Cayman aboard his matching 727s, reconfigured to seat a mere 16 guests. Smatt, himself no stranger to the Hollywood elite — Martin Luther King, Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fisher were friends — is all smiles as he shows SO around his multimillion-dollar estate-cum-restaurant, bar, beach and venue. “It’s not overpriced, but it’s not cheap,” he says with that ubiquitous Smatt twinkle in his eyes. “What is available,” he continues, “is an exclsuive waterfront venue for dining, leisure, exclusive weddings, corporate events and parties.” Exclusive it is: three live bands, a DJ, non-stop butler service and at least six bars. The 6,000-square foot deck with two private ‘island’ cabanas on either side that are connected to the main deck is, in a word, impressive. That, as well as the self-contained Gatsby-themed club wing which is made up of three inter-connecting rooms and a bar that are joined by a series of striking hand-crafted wooden arches. Each of the four rooms opens out to the private pool terrace overlooking the deck.

What Smatt has created, in his own words, is ” something that is meaningful both to Cayman and the Caribbean”. It’s no idle boast. SO gives you an exclusive peek.