Awesome Family Resort – Kantenah

Gracias Diana S for sharing!

We booked this resort after reading lots of reviews and doing a lot of research. The resort is family friendly, very clean and there is a ton to do if you so choose. I went with my teen son, just the two of us. We both had an amazing time but honestly don’t feel like we even saw close to everything the resort has to offer… It’s just that big! We stayed near the Kantenah side for the most part, it had everything we needed or wanted, but there is so much this resort offers that my review may be lacking on the overall offerings!
We arrived early (11am) and were given wristbands, towel cards and everything else needed to enjoy the resort with the exception of our room keys. They will gladly hold your luggage. We were given a room around 3:30. They accommodated our floor request and no smoking request. There were no bellboys around so we grabbed our luggage and off we went. Big mistake! We got lost and confused and were a frustrated sweaty mess by the time we found our room and lugged our bags up the flights of stairs. Open the door to the room, and found a king bed! Ya.. NO. We called down and within ten minutes they had sent a bellboy and cart to take us to a new room. 4236. Perfect spot close to everything (if there is such a thing :)!), third floor, no smoking. Well worth the few dollars to tip the staff to cart around our bags!
That was the first of only three glitches all vacation, all rectified by the staff quickly and without issue. The second came when we checked out the teen club two days in and were informed that my son had a purple wrist band which signaled he is old enough to drink. he’s 13. We thought it funny when staff offered him drinks the first two days and thought they were making jokes. Had no idea they were serious! Went to the front desk and they fixed it quickly and were very apologetic.
The rest of the week was beyond awesome. I’ve broken down my feedback below. (In case you’re wondering… Third glitch was in a restaurant -see the food section.) Checkout was a breeze even with a late flight. These folks do it right!
A HUGE thanks to the Palladium team for an amazing vacation. It was so enjoyable and their staff is so awesome. it made me realize how much I loved and miss it as soon as we landed in NYC and had bad service… LOL We will definitely book Palladium again!! Thank you for an awesome week!!!!

Walking- the reviews could not possibly prepare you for all the walking! NBD for us, it’s great to burn off all those calories from eating 🙂 could be tricky for anyone with health issues. Easily you make your 10,000 steps a day! Never go without sandals! The pavers can be hot and once you burn your feet, you’re toast! (Haha!)

Trams/carts – the carts are everywhere. Pickups are at lobbies but even just walking on the paths we were picked up a few times by very thoughtful staff! We never had any problems with carts, if one was full another was pulling up right behind it. We only used carts going from one lobby to the next around dinner/evening times. A must if traveling from Kantenah to white sands for dinner.

Animals- are everywhere! They reminded me of our beggar dog who we love dearly but steals the food off our plate if given the chance… But they are so darn cute and who can blame them really! Iguanas coati and birds are everywhere. They love to be fed. Small salamanders are around, hermit crabs too. Kittens as well. They have flamingo and crocodile enclosures. We didn’t have any issues with bugs with the exception of one night in a lobby.. I got bit like crazy until we finally left. Odd but true.

Food – breakfast was the best buffet.. Yum! We used Tikal. Loved it! Lunch buffets were good. Pizza was delicious. Not a fan of the burgers. We dined at a la cartes for dinner. Don’t forget khaki type shorts for men, saw folks turned away. Restaurants were all pretty good with the exception of one. If you don’t like a dish, there’s another course coming. In our opinion- best was Mexican, food was good and the staff couldn’t be beat! Then Japanese (not hibachi) – best beef sushi roll! Then the Steakhouse Brazilian and Spanish restaurants. The third glitch was the Italian restaurant. The food was not great, any of it, and I was poured not one glass of wine but two with flies in it. Yep. True story. I’d just pass on that one in the future.
One tip for food is the snack bar behind the Kantenah pool. They make coffee, cappuccino in the early morning. You can be served or eat off their hot foods line starting mid morning. Nachos and cheese fries always available. A soft serve ice cream machine. Soda fountains too. We had cheese fries daily… Again, why we liked all the walking! It was the best go to while hanging at the pool daily. And it had a bar!

Drinks- the Kantenah pool bars are the best. Mario at the snack bar bar is always busy but fast! And he has a good memory! Alfredo at the pool bar by the buffet is so funny and makes drinks “strong like me”. They were my faves. Highly recommend the mango margarita…. and bring your own drink mugs!!!

Kantenah Pool – plenty of palapas and loungers to go around. I am an early riser so I started my days at the pool early. It doesn’t start hopping until around 10am. Palapas are harder to find at that point. With the heat and sun you want a palapa. Loungers are nicer at the other pools but are still fine. There’s music and games but nothing crazy or too loud. We lived at the pool all week. A few sales calls for the spa or water sports but a simple no thank you goes a long way. Near the activities center is an outdoor play area with ping pong tables and lifesize chess board.

Beach – beautiful but definitely not enough loungers. I love the beach but prefer a pool any day. If you didn’t get a lounger early, don’t plan on it. Hammocks were mostly open for those lovely beach naps 🙂 Snorkel kayak paddle board or boat for free. You need to present your photo ID and room key! We snorkeled. Totally worth it though kind of choppy water on our time out making it difficult. Definitely rocky at first entry, wear swim shoes.

Saltwater pool- AMAZING. Easy walk from Kantenah beach. Great snorkeling in there. Definitely a must visit.

Room- clean and well kept! Never noisy. Great balcony with rack for drying clothes. No dampness or smells like some reviews I read. Plenty of water and sodas in room. Unplug a lamp for another outlet to charge your electronics. We set room to 19 degrees with fan on high. Of course it shuts off when you’re not in your room. Villa 42… Found it was perfectly close to lobby and pool with just a short walk…. But remember that here “close” is relative and I’m a fast walker!

Teen club/activities- activities were all day everyday… You choose if you want to participate or more. We never used the sports center although a draw to booking the hotel it was just too hot and definitely too far from the pool! Teen club was ok… Just not used by a lot of teens!! Unlike a cruise where those clubs are high in demand this was not. But a nice “break” for my son when he wanted to shoot pool or play games… Without me 😛 !! the staff was pretty awesome there too! Thanks Daniella!

Staff- awesome, awesome awesome!!! Cannot say enough good things. They are hustlers, always moving and pleased to help you in any way shape or form. We had the best service the entire stay- from the lobby to the waiters to the drivers to the cleaning crew! So friendly and so wonderful. Truly can’t say enough. I miss all of the warm smiles and “Holas” already! Palladium hires the absolute best!!

Money/Tips- bring plenty of cash! They have on site artisans who sell their creations, I wish I brought more money for souvenirs. The ATM offers a surcharge of $32. I had only cash for tips and a travel card. I tipped bar staff regularly a dollar not for every drink but throughout the day. and always at dinner a few dollars. Room cleaning team and sometimes drivers. The staff is so amazing , they deserve it! One thing to note… Tipping does NOT earn you quicker or better service. These folks hustle, but a customer is a customer tip or no tip. I for one think that says a lot of the integrity of the hotel and its staff. That being said… Everyone should tip when service is this good!

Suggestions- a coffee bar! There is a sad little machine that doesn’t work well for early risers. I asked reception and that was the direction they gave me. After the first day or two I was dying for a good cup of coffee first thing in the morning. After that I often went to the breakfast buffet when it opened at 7am – where they accommodated my request but I know they were busy trying to seat tables and feed the masses. I found the snack pool bar opened early and made coffee not until the end of my stay. A designated coffee bar would be a lovely addition for us coffee addicts!!