- Mexico Holidays
- Riviera Maya
- Grand Palladium Colonial Resort and Spa
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Grand Palladium Colonial Resort and Spa
Mexico, North America
Riviera Maya
The Grand Palladium Colonial Resort & Spa is a fantastic hotel surrounded by sugar-white sands and crystal-clear waters which enjoys fabulous views out over the sea and the surrounding area.
This is a perfect place that offers everything that family with children and others guests, such as couples or groups of friends, may need for an extraordinary beach holiday providing a warm and professional services that set the standard for excellence at this hotel.
Facilities
- Darts
- Badminton
- Paddle tennis
- Tennis
- Billiards
- Volleyball
- Beauty salon*
- Spa treatments*
- Massage*
- Solarium *
- Please note some facilities may incur an additional fee
Due to the surrounding area and the number of steps around the hotel, it may not be suitable for those with mobility difficulties.
The Local Area
Tripadvisor Reviews
4.5 Excellent12,601 reviews
Excellent
60%
Very Good
21%
Average
9%
Poor
5%
Terrible
5%
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Not 5 star......
There are good and bad points for this hotel. We had an ok stay but overall this is not a 5 star hotel - it is 4 star. Whilst there are amenities which can make it a 5 star, these are all at an additional (and not insignificant cost). The 'all inclusive' offered by UK tour operators is in reality the 4 star level only. We had the opportunity to upgrade at check in but for an extra $120 US per night (£90). For a 14 night holiday this is an additional £1250, which given the price already paid (£2000 pp) felt excessive.
Whilst there are 4 hotels forming part of the resort, and historically residents could use facilities and pools at all hotels, this is no longer the case unless you stay at the White Sands which gives access to all.
Location - Our transfer was approximately 1.5 hours from Cancun airport. The hotel (as with many in Mexico) is on a isolated plot, therefore there is no local town or shops to visit. The nearest town is Playa del Carman which is approximately 30-40 minutes taxi ride away.
Staff - The staff are extremely polite and helpful and cannot be faulted. They are a real asset to the hotel.
Beach - This was inaccessible due to the sargassum seaweed. The hotel does not clear or remove from beach (unlike the neighbouring hotel), so it continually builds up creating a rotten egg stench is very very strong. The sargassum affects all of the resorts, so is not the fault of the hotel. Sadly the images of the turquoise sea and white sand are not accurate and appears to be the case from March to October each year.
Pool - There is one pool (unless you upgrade) and an adults only pool which sadly we were unable to use as we travelled with children. The pool is VERY deep, there is one small shallow area so something to be aware of especially with children.
Food - There is one main buffet restaurant and 4 a la carte restaurants (Argentinian, Steak Grill, Mexican and Japanese). The buffet has a very wide choice and generally is good quality, however unlike other all inclusive hotels we have stayed at there is no rotation of menu or choice. The same food is offered every day which after 14 days becomes very repetitive.
Shop - There are several shops in both the Kantenah and Colonial hotel, the prices are expensive, as are the market stall holders who visit twice a week. However they do appear to be consistent with prices in play del carman
Overall we were disappointed with our stay.
La Adelita
La Adelita restaurant was great! Beautiful traditional Mexican food. Would definitely recommend. Gerardo was our waiter. He was excellent. He gave great recommendations and even handmade delicious guacamole made in front of us. Top class service!
Enjoyable holiday, some things Beautiful Resort, Wonderful Wildlife, But a Few Things to Be Aware Of
We have just returned from a 10-night stay at the Grand Palladium White Sand, travelling as a family of three.
The resort itself is beautiful. It is huge, immaculately maintained and feels more like a tropical nature reserve than a hotel. We loved walking through the mangroves, spotting iguanas, coatis, birds and other wildlife. The pools are enormous, never felt overcrowded and there were always plenty of places to relax.
The staff were excellent in most areas of the resort. Everyone worked incredibly hard, and we found the vast majority to be friendly, welcoming and helpful.
The à la carte restaurants were very good, with the teppanyaki being one of the highlights of our stay.
The biggest issue for us was the sargassum. We had originally booked a beachfront suite, but the smell from the seaweed on our balcony was extremely unpleasant. We appreciate that this is a natural issue and not something the hotel can control, and the staff worked tirelessly to clear the beaches. However, for anyone sensitive to smells, I would strongly recommend booking a room away from the beachfront. We moved to an inland suite, and it completely transformed our holiday. The food was good quality, but after several days we felt there wasn't enough variation in the lunch buffet menus, with many of the same dishes appearing each day. Unfortunately, all three of us suffered upset stomachs at different points during the holiday. Whether this was simply a change in diet or something else, we can't say, but it's worth packing medication with you. We were surprised to find that Imodium in the hotel shop was around $38, so it's much cheaper to bring some from home just in case.
Every evening we managed to book a restaurant on the complex. The Argentinian, Japanese and we did the weekly Bravo Show were the best nights. There is no evening buffet at white sands, you have to go to Colonial or book a restaurant.
One disappointment that wasn't the hotel's fault was our transfer home. TUI failed to organise our airport transfer, leaving us having to arrange and pay for a taxi ourselves at the last minute when they failed to collect us. This was frustrating at the end of an otherwise enjoyable holiday. The concierge in the White Sands was absolutely great, helping us with setting bills during checkout and the last minute Taxi that we needed.
Despite these issues, we made some wonderful memories here. The wildlife, beautiful grounds, fantastic pools and relaxing atmosphere made it a holiday we'll remember fondly.
Review by Kathy D Wrexham, United Kingdom
Beach Experience
We had a great server, Carlos Maciel at the beach. I will miss him!! Such a great, polite, hard worker. He our vacation experience such much more! Great time my feiend
Review by Gus P El Paso, Texas
Great “Breakfast with Raggs” experience
The “Breakfast with Raggs” was super cute and my 2 kiddos loved it. The staff are amazing! Thank you to Emma, Iza, Karen, Angel, DJ Andres, and Dona. Looking forward to returning.
Review by Shanicelynette1 El Campo, Texas
