Fun

meks Nov 13, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

We had a wonderful time. We all loved the pools and poolside activities. The beach was wonderful. Transportation was ... sufficient from place to place--but you see more stuff when walking and get a better feel for where and how to get to where you really want to go. It can be overwhelming the first day or two when trying to figure it all out. Bring small bills for tipping. Showing up with 20's isn't helpful when you can't find change. Make a point to read about the air conditioner--you need to have the patio doors completely closed in order for a sensor to signal a turn-on. There must be something else too it as well OR our air wasn't working; we never had a comfortable sleep temp.

_Paradise

Judy Nov 12, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

This is a very beautiful resort with lots to do and even though it rained almost every day we had a very relaxing time. ...

Resort wonderful, food okay

First time in Mexico Oct 26, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

There is not a convenience store on site, so bring your sunscreen, pepto, ibuprofen, anything you might need with you. The ... restaurants had great service staff but the staff in the buffets didn't speak much english so it was tough to get good service. I suggest skipping lunch at the buffet and eating at the grills on the beach.

Best Value I've found - VERY elaborate!

Playa Dan Aug 31, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

This was my 2nd trip to the Grand Palladium - the most elaborate hotel I've been to recently... they literally thought of ... EVERYTHING, and I'm still impressed by the size and scope of the resort. The photos you see on here and on the Palladium hotel site only show you maybe 15% of what the resort has to offer - it's a nice complex of 4 different hotels, which all have access to the same restaurants, beaches, pools, and services. First off, the beach is great; the whole resort beach is probably 1/3 mile long, and it's nice and wide (not eroded like most of the Cancun-area beaches) with tons of beach chairs and palm trees & palapas for shade. There's a nice 100-yard stretch of soft, white-sand beach that's great for swimming and relaxing, and also a good 50-yard area that's more rocky with coral reef formations - great for snorkeling. Second, THE POOLS! The resort complex has 2 huge, elaborate main pools each with a row of in-water "chairs" you can sit on, as well as fountain areas, kid-sized pools, and full-service swim-up bars. In addition, there are 3 smaller "hidden" pools that are secluded in the jungle and very quiet and private, each with a bar on-site as well. There is a saltwater "ocean" pool and an amazing spa area pool as well. Restaurants - there are 2 buffet restaurants open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and 2 more open just for lunch. The food is EXCELLENT, and they rotate "themes" every night so you don't get bored of the food: The buffets feature Mexica, Italian, Spanish, French, Asian, Seafood, and "Gala" themed food nights, all of which are far better than I would expect at an all-inclusive. In addition to the buffets, there are multiple snack bars on the beach, and 7-8 a-la-carte restaurants that feature traditional sit-down service: Mediterranean, Italian, Mexican, Brazilian, Steakhouse, Japanese, and an open-air Seafood restaurant right on the beach. The resort also has 2 theaters that feature nightly entertainment for free - I suggest going to the lobby and watching these dancing/music shows while the bar staff waits on you with free drinks. Havana club rum included! The only possible downfall I could mention would be the distance from Cancun airport - it's 1.5 - 2 hours drive, but as a result it is more quiet and secluded, with much nicer beaches. All in all, this place is the best resort value I have ever found!!! In general, the Riviera Maya / Yucatan seems to be the best-priced Caribbean beach destination, and The Grand Palladium is the best bang-for-your-buck resort in the area. My girlfriend and I both figured that the same vacation, if done anywhere in the USA, would have cost more than double.

Week of Relaxing

Jen Aug 21, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

This was our second time visiting the hotel and it was just as good as the first time. The staff is all very friendly and ... helpful. It was busy at first when we arrived but still had plenty of beach/pool chairs to choose from and never felt crowded. Entertainment was great we enjoyed a couple parties they hosted on the beach and in the Disco. We took advantage of the water sports on the beach but never left the resort they always had plenty to offer. We took advantage of the Spa and had great services. Overall had a very relaxing week. We look forward to returning again.

Grand Palladium Colonial

ekuphi492 Aug 11, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

To be fair, this was our first all inclusive experience. We were travelling with our two teenage children and four other ... couples. The physical facilities are great, the resort is absolutely huge, no shortage of things to do on the property. The staff is great, extremely helpful. Our daughter blew the breaker in her room at about 10 pm and maintenance was there in less than 5 minutes. Make sure you have your Orbitz confirmation, not itenerary, printed for check in, this caused problems for some in our party. Spend the extra few bucks and take out the jet ski at the Colonial beach. My kids loved this, out in the Carribean off the beach, the water is absolutely beautiful, a deep navy blue. Bad news now...Buffets were mediocre, breakfast was the best. Of the a la carte restaurants, we tried the traditional steakhouse, the El Dorado, and it was decent. Sumptori japanese restaurant was great, avoid the tempura entree, get extra sushi. Brazilian steakhouse was also very good(Rodizio?). In room, we had requested one king size or two queen beds, we got two full size beds, couldn't change as we had adjacent room with our kids. Pillows are about the size of travel pillows, stuffed with knotty filling. Room is fairly basic, nice shower.

Great getaway for all ages

AJ Parents Jul 28, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

We went for a week with our 19 and 21 year old daughters. Had a great time. Great beach and pool. Housekeeping starts out ... great, then they slack off towards the end of your stay. The restuarants are a nice change to the buffets. Transportation to the hotel was a disappointment!!! We booked with an Orbitz represenitive and was booked wrong zone. The transportation company would not take us to the resort without paying another $170.00. Orbitz was of little help. It was an awful way to start our vacation and limited our budget for the rest of the trip.

The Royal Treatment!

KennyG Jul 14, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

The resort is huge - they have golf carts to get you around if you are not inclined to walk. Otherwise, the pools, rooms and ... food were spectacular. The beach was lovely and the spa offered many FREE things, so time was spent there as well. What a joy!

Terrific Resort

Big Trucker Jul 4, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

This place is great. Lots of areas at the beach to just relax or go snorkeling. The entertainment team always had fun things ... to do at the beach or pool. The food was really good at the restaurants and at the beach side grill.

We loved it!!

Uber Texter Jul 1, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

Great hotel. Very clean. Our second time here, and we loved it both times. Great snorkeling right off the beach. Lots to ... do. Shows we saw were good.

Overall Godd but Some Disappointments

aristocat2 Jun 22, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

The resort is large and the beach is wonderful. The rooms were okay. The bathroom seemed small for a Jr. Suite and the pull ... out sofa that my son had to sleep on was awful even with the extra pad. We never got a bad meal, but the food wasn't exceptional either. When we tried to get a drink at one of the bars that had top shelf liquor, the bartenders made you feel that you were putting them out (they had to come from the main bar area to serve you). They cut back on activities (Beach BBQ, White Party, etc.) and there were only 6 or the 8 restaurants that were open due to low occupancy. I wouldn't have minded if I got a deal but I booked back in February and paid full price. It lacked the little touches that I have been accustomed to at the Iberostar (turn down service with chocolates and fresh towels for the am, popcorn or nuts served with cocktails).

cancun all inclusive stay

kevin May 6, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

the hotel is somewhere between a 3 and 4 star. it is very far from the cancun airport and we took grey line shuttle. by the ... time they dropped everyone off it was 2 and 1/2 hours to the hotel. some days we thought the resort was great, other times it seemed crowded and the food only fair. so certainly not four star but as we sat on the beach which was beautiful or in the lobby, i thought this is better than a 3 star. we stayed at the paridisus and that was definitely a four star. this is notch below.

very nice

jaz May 5, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

my hotel experience was great.the only thing that wasn"t was the ride from the airport.it was very long and also when i ... booked my trip i payed for the transfer but i was only charged to go to zone 1 and i was staying in zone 6 so i had to pay an extra $65 to get to the hotel

Disappointed

tee May 4, 2009

We didn't start off very well. The shuttle took almost 2 hours to get us there. It seems we stopped at every hotel along the ... way. We arrived at 2p and didn't get a room until almost 5. We paid for White Sands room near our friends and were placed in Riviera a good 15 minute walk away. Our room (and bed) was full of ants. It seemed all we did was walk back and forth to our friends room and home. Front desk man was extremely rude when we asked to be moved near our friends. (We weren't the only customer who got the "bait & switch"). The place is huge and we weren't given a "welcome" telling us how to get around. WE found out things to do on our own and from other guests. They could do things a lot better at a resort this size. The beach was beautiful and food was good. We felt like we wasted our first 3 days just trying to figure the place out. This hotel needs to be more forthcoming about what there is to do and how to get around. I would say 80% didn't speak fluent english. We are very disappointed in the way this hotel treated us. I would never recommend it because everyone we talked to who was there on their first visit was very frustrated with the size. Now that we've been there, we could enjoy it from day 1 (if they got our room right and gave us what we paid for). Another problem we had is restaurants don't take reservations. Even if you get there at 6 when they open, you are still looking at a wait. When we arrived at 7, we had an almost 2 hour wait. We don't like to eat early so that was a problem. The rooms are too far away to go back to.

Beautiful location

vacationer May 4, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

Beautiful beach resort with very nice facilities and landscaping, and a friendly, accommodating staff. The large size of the ... campus may be a problem for those with difficulty walking, but they run shuttle carts around.

Excellent Location

Ken Apr 23, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

Recommend using the ground transportation that Hotel provides to and from airport. The Gray lines Transportation that Orbitz ... recommended was very expensive and was not used. Orbitz refunded the money for ground transportation with Gray line.

Best and the worst

Flyamer Apr 22, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

The complex was great. For the price, I think the linens could have been white satin sheets instead of the grungy covers ... they put on the beds. The grounds are just beautiful. The beach was wonderful as well as the LONG walkway they have along the coastline. Was disappointed at the food they serve at the a-la-carte restaurants. This I felt was the real downside!!! The service could be better as well. They were not staffed well, which made out for long waits between courses.

Very family friendly

Julie Dec 28, 2008

Would recommend to a friend!

The Grand Palladium Colonial was very comfortanble. We were upgraded to a junior suite, but had to wait until about 4:15 ... before we got into our room. If you got down to the pool by 11:00 you could usually find a chair. There were numerous chairs on the beach also. Originally, we were under the impression that we could only go to 3 speciality restaurants but they told us we could go to as many as we wanted and as many times as we wanted. We ended up eating at the steak house a few times. Food was of good variety and always had someone bringing out more if it was running low. There are activities all day long at the pool and beach if you want to stay busy.

GREAT resort...

Sebastien Dec 23, 2008

Would recommend to a friend!

I went to the Grand Palladium Riviera Maya (Kanthena) from december 13th to december 23th. This hotel is AMAZING! Pools are ... incredible, you will love the spa center too! There is tons of a-la-carte restaurant and foods is really good. I do a couple of trips each year, and this was the most beautiful hotel ever!!! If you are really picky, there is some but: For those who want to party, this may not be the best hotel to be: it is far too big and you may have trouble meeting other people. Also, there is so much bar in this hotel that you may never know where is the party tonight as everyone is divided in like 10 bars. Also, from december 13th to december 21th, everything was perfect. But with the christmas vacation, hotel start to fill up really fast on december 21th and from that time till the moment we left on december 23th, there was WAY more waiting line for drinks/food, a-la-carte restaurants was really crowdy, etc. The insonorisation in the room was so-so: you can hear babies crying in other rooms and people walking in the hall... so if you want to be in a quiet area, let's hope you wont have a crying baby or some party animals near your room. Overall, this is a REALLY REALLY GREAT RESORT. It is quite easy to go cheaply to Tulum or Playa Del Carmen via the collectivo (which will cost you about 2.50$ for a ride).

Great All-Inclusive Resort

Kevin Dec 20, 2008

Would recommend to a friend!

We have been to alot of all-inclusive resorts in Mexico, and this was by far the best. The quality of the food was great, and ... the staff could not have been better. Exchange privelages with the adjacent resorts is great and really gives you alot of choices. We would highly recommend this resort.