Grand Palladium Colonial Resort & Spa - All Inclusive

This was our 7th great trip to the Mayan Riviera. As this was a much needed R&R vacation, we stayed at the resort for the entire time. There was always something to do whether you wanted to party at the main pool or quietly read a book on the beach. All in all, it was a good holiday. As an aside, we've never experienced Montezuma's Revenge and we're always careful about what we eat and drink but unfortunately, we both still picked up an intestinal parasite on this trip, common to that area. Please be careful when eating fresh foods with skins or peels like grapes and apples. We weren't.:(

The goal of our trip was rest and relaxation and the goal was accomplished. Our room was clean, and the food was great, the gym was excellent!!!! We totally enjoyed our stay.

Stayed in Royal section. Service and amenities can't be beat. Place is huge - but we loved it.

Our stay was quite relaxing. Each day pretty much consisted of going to the breakfast buffet, laying on the beach (which is beautiful) & swimming in the ocean, watching the afternoon activities by the pool, going to the lunch buffet, back to the beach, off to the room to get ready, dinner, then 2 shows before bed. There are tennis courts & soccer fields but they always semmed to be empty probably because it was too hot for those activities. There is miniature golf & it was not playable. Not sure when the last time was maintenance visited it. The plants & weeds we so overgrown they were draping over the "greens" that were all ripped up. And don't forget your bug spray when you visit this resort! Overall though the resort was very affordable & you get what you pay for. We must admit that although a bit more expensive, we were much more satisfied with our trip to Cabo San Lucas & our Royal Caribbean Cruise (Independance of the Seas).

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.