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[Anne]

Kantenah Family Select by Katya Dubnikov

This group has been a huge help for us when we planned our trip and I would like to share my honest review.
Amazing Resort!
Starting with the Incredible Staff
I want to begin this review with the amazing staff because they truly made our stay exceptional. If anyone from the hotel is reading this, please appreciate and reward your hardworking team for their dedication!
Butler Service
If you’re traveling with kids, Family Select is a must. The butler service was outstanding, and we can’t thank Abraham enough. He was our main butler, and he went above and beyond to take care of all our needs. Paris and Aaron were also fantastic, the butlers helped us with:
• Restaurant bookings
• Entertainment recommendations
• Fixing any issues—for example, at one point, we didn’t have water in our room, and they took care of it immediately.
• Making sure we had everything we needed—Abraham even arranged for us to have lunch packed for our trip to the airport, which was incredibly thoughtful and helpful, considering how expensive food is at Cancun Airport.
Family selection area also had the best beach area. We didn’t tried the dedicated restaurant “the Nest” for dinner and it was ok and tried the FS pool restaurant and the pear salad there was amazing!
Our experience would not have been the same without Abraham—he is a truly wonderful person!
Restaurant Staff – Exceptional Service
The service at the restaurants was top-notch. We want to give special thanks to:
• Rosalia at La Grand Azul breakfast buffet – So kind and welcoming.
• Aczansion at La Hacienda buffet – His name was a little hard to remember, but he was fantastic!
• Marcelino at the crepe station – The best dessert at La Hacienda! He works so hard and always has a smile. Please tip him—he deserves it!
• Filamena at La Hacienda – Amazing service.
Beach
The beach is amazing with clear water and there is a little reef after the farthest buoy. It was a bit wavy some days but the water was still quite warm.
Best beach location is in front of the Kantenah family selection area. No problem finding beach chairs.
Grounds
The resort itself is absolutely breathtaking! The grounds are incredibly well kept, and the entire place feels like you’re in a jungle paradise.
• We loved walking across the bridges and exploring the pathways—everything is so lush and tropical.
• Even though we enjoyed walking, there is transportation to White Sand, and carts run every 10 minutes. There was no problem getting a cart, and if you signal them, they will stop for you.
Wildlife was everywhere! We saw:
• Monkeys near our building
• Lots of iguanas
• Coatis and agoutis
• Important note: While the animals are beautiful to watch, they are wildlife, and there is a strict rule not to feed them. However, you can feed the fish once a day in the ponds around the resort, which was a lovely experience.
The natural beauty of the resort truly adds to the experience—absolutely stunning.
Food & Drinks – The Best Buffet We’ve Had
The food at La Hacienda buffet was by far the best.
• For breakfast, the White Sand buffet is a great option because it’s smaller and less crowded, but still has everything you need.
• For dinner, La Hacienda is the biggest buffet, offering more variety, and we always found something delicious.
Buffet Highlights
• Grilled meats – Absolutely delicious, everything from the grill was cooked perfectly.
• Fried rice – Surprisingly, we loved the fried rice at La Hacienda more than at the Japanese restaurant!
• Risotto – One night, the risotto at La Hacienda was better than at the Italian restaurant.
• Desserts – The crepes at La Hacienda (thanks to Marcelino!) were the best.
À La Carte Restaurants
We tried the Italian, Japanese, and Thai restaurants, but honestly, La Hacienda buffet was our favorite.
• Thai restaurant – The food was not great, but the Mai Thai drink was good.
• Japanese restaurant – We enjoyed the teppanyaki show (fire and cooking in front of us), but the food itself was just okay.
• Italian restaurant – Average food.
The buffet is truly five-star, with plenty of fresh fruit, variety, and high-quality food.
Coffee
• Breakfast coffee was better than dinner coffee for some reason.
• There is no dedicated coffee shop at the resort.
• The in-room coffee machine was a great addition. We requested extra coffee capsules from our butler, and they brought them to us.
• The buffet café machine was good when working, but sometimes it ran out of milk.
Drinks
• Non-alcoholic cocktails for kids were great! My daughter loved the Shirley Temple.
• We don’t drink much alcohol, but I did try a mojito at the Italian restaurant and didn’t like it.
Entertainment & Activities – So Much Fun!
The night entertainment was a huge highlight of our trip! We enjoyed:
• Silent Party – A unique experience! We just wish it started a bit earlier, as it ended late.
• White Party & Mexican Fiesta – Both were well-organized and fun for the whole family.
• Beach Party (Mardi Gras theme) – Amazing Brazilian dancers and live music, truly unforgettable.
Live Rock Band show:
• The male singer was incredible!
• The guitarist was incredibly talented—he played “Welcome to the Jungle” and was amazing.
• The female singer wasn’t as great, but overall, the band was fantastic.
The entertainment team worked so hard to keep guests engaged and having fun.
Kids Club & Pool Activities
• There were kids’ activities during the day, but my kids (9 and 14) were probably too old for them
• The kids’ pool had inflatables, but my kids couldn’t use the boats, as they were for younger children.
• We did the inflatable course at the white sand pool—it was $15 per kid for an hour, and they had so much fun!
• The Colonial pool had a fun atmosphere with music and plenty of chairs available.
Transportation – Easy & Affordable
We booked our airport transfer through VIP Transfer, which was handled by Lummus Travel.
• The price was great.
• Easy to find at the airport.
• They arrived on time for our return trip, which made our departure stress-free.
A special mention to Abraham, our butler—before we left, he offered to pack us lunch for the airport, which was incredibly thoughtful. Cancun airport is VERY expensive (a bottle of water is $9!), so bringing snacks from the resort saved us a lot of money.
Airport Experience
• When we arrived in Cancun, it was very crowded—we had to wait two hours to get through.
• Honestly, they need a bigger airport because it was overwhelming.
• That being said, the resort was worth the wait.
Final Thoughts – We Will Be Back!
This was by far the best resort we’ve ever been to! We have tried two other resorts, but this one beats them all.
• The staff, food, entertainment, beach, and service were all exceptional.
• The resort itself is stunning, and the wildlife and nature make it a magical experience.
• We were truly sad to leave, and we will definitely be back!
Feel free to ask qu

[Anne]

Thank you Gina C for sharing

Just back from a two weeks glorious stay at this resort Kantenah (not FS) .. staying in villa 46 room 4610

Overall rating 4/5 – would we return Yes!

This resort has all sorts from a great gym to a huge amount of sun loungers available if you just want to chill at the beach or pool.

The weather was glorious 13/14 days glorious sunshine! One day mostly rain … but that was our last day …

The buffets were lovely – loads of choice… we worried about this as some said the food was cold – but we didn’t find this.. such fresh salads, sushi, Chinese, English, Mexican … desserts plentiful chocolate fountain and crepes were outer go to! Ltd the ice cream was lovely too!
We went to colonial buffets pool, beach and Hacienda and also white sands buffet .. all great .. busy times you may have to wait so be patient but queues move quickly … so you never wait more than 29 mins in our view ..

A la carte restaurants.. . If there are 2 people easy to book .. although a wait at 8am for the concierge can be 20 mins .. we were a party of 9 adults with 1 child and we did get some reservations together …
We enjoy El Dorado steak house food and the Japanese… the fish restaurant was a lovely setting on the beach … but it was a cold night and started to rain so the food was warm but not piping hot (as they served it to you on the tables at the beach) ..
The Brazilian was our worse … think and hope it was a one off…. But we hardly got any meat at all .. then the server said that’s it now you are on pineapple- to which we said no we have hardly had any meat- but he came back with the pineapple!?! So we all left and went the buffet … that was disappointing … but we met people there who had a great experience so hope this was an isolated incident ….

The hotel is stunning, so clean and designed so beautifully … loads of places to walk or run… the beach is lovely – can be rocky at first in parts but with water shoes it’s totally fine and once in no rocks at all ..

The wild life we loved.. saw so much including the

monkeys! Nothing bothers you / it’s stunning to see including the birds and butterfly’s and flamingos!

Tue staff are wonderful ! Thank you all it was hugs all round when we left…. They work very hard and always with a smile …

If you get chance book LeChic and bravo … we enjoyed both shows and the food was great too! …. We think the staff at the hotel need to promote it more (maybe around the pool) as both venues were only half full when we went … which is a shame as they are such great fun!
We want to Xcscrat – my hubbie and I – we are in our 50s and we loved it! Such a fab day out of resort .., we booked with the trip guy at reception.

Some our party had a massage on the beach (just up from the hotel) 70 dollars each but they said it was amazing!

We booked the turtle snorkel trip with the lovely guy at the pool – this was amazing! We saw so many turtles and stingrays! Our favourite trip of the holiday! Highly recommend…,thanks guys!
We also went to coco bongos and it was such a great laugh ! great show! Loads of fun!

On resort …We went to the silent disco, bingo and saw many good groups …. If there is one thing I think needs to improve its more entertainment later into the evening … for adults … as there was little on after 11pm at nights …. But thank you to all the entertainers as we enjoyed them all …
We are now back in the uk to the freezing weather! Missing Mexico already! Enjoy guys!!
Hope this helps .. thanks for posting everyone your tips were so helpful !

• This topic was modified 6 months, 3 weeks ago by Anne.

[Anne]

Thank you Jan Bates       Home today to the UK after 10 beautiful days at Grand Palladium Colonial. So our honest review…
Firstly, after your long journey be prepared for the airport..took 2 hours to get through. Seems little organisation, bottle nosed two flights with only a handful of passport checks open. And they are strict…dogs, suitcase checks and x-rays even after bag checks. On the way home was quick and easy. If its your first time like us the upstairs duty free area is more swanky and spacious.

So to the hotel…our first time abroad for about 10years. We flew with Tui, transfere included which was seamless once through the airport. Check in, tried to sell us room upgrade, tiring after such a long day. Now,we use our room to sleep and change, the deluxe rooms where more than adequate, complimentary shower shampoo and conditioner, clean towels, clean comfy bed. We were cold on our first night, just one cotton sheet but I asked room service for a blanket and hairdryer ( google translate note for our room service lady ) and these were there the next day. If we needed anything I just left her a note with daily tip $3. Esther was our only regular tipee, she was our only regular member of staff we saw, and we left her our remainder dollars and pasos when we left.

So we were in block 7, took us a couple of days to get orientated but we walked everywhere, lovely pathways with lots to look at, buggies where plentiful but we chose the walkways. The gardens are tended always, and the wildlife is spectacular. The views from most rooms I imagine is of trees, the birds sing early and are spectacular, we had native wild birds which included parrots and toucans. Breathtaking. Iguanas, ringtail coati”s and agouti, are all around, the coati’s will rummage your bags if they are left unattended and definitely try to join you at the buffets.

So food and drink…all plentiful. We used two resteraunts, the Thai and the show Japanese, both really good. We used room service twice, again food was good. Booking resteraunts was simple in the lobby with the consiage. We chose to eat at the buffets, simply because we wanted to totally relax with no time frames for getting ready and out. The buffets both had a wide selection of food for breakfast lunch and dinner, they didn’t really change but I never ate the same meal twice. The fruits were fresh and tasty, service good for drinks and refills. We left $2 after most meals if we’d remembered to take some cash out weather we tipped or not didn’t effect the quality of service, all the staff were friendly and happy, and please and thank you was always rewarded with a genuine smile from them. Its hot, they never stop working or ever looked fed up with you. Did I get a iffy tummy? Yes! But not due to how food was cooked or prepared, simply because at home I don’t use oils and fats in my cooking or drink sugary drinks…on holiday the food is cooked differently and the cocktails have high fruit juice concentrates.

The pools were super clean, plenty of loungers, towels provided. Lots of people put out their towels early…and spend little time on them, as everywhere, but we never struggled around the pools or on the beach to find loungers. The sea is beautiful, a little shingly and rocky in places…use common sense. We took shoes after reading reviews, but never wore them. We holiday in the UK and our beaches are hardly stone/shell free!

We had a fabulous holiday, did not want to come home. We are grateful for our time away in such a beautiful climate with outstanding natural beauty.

We have had a perfect holiday, very much needed, some reviews we had read before we left made us a little anxious. The weather is tropical, yep we had rain, we had cloud but the temperatures were idyllic, we are relaxed and refreshed, and will be back.

[Anne]

Posted with permission from John Lynch

Returned home last Sunday, landed Monday after a two week stay.
We had an amazing time at GP Kantenah.
To break down our stay:

ROOM
We had a non FS room, spent most of our stay in 4726, first couple of nights in 4732, moved because we wanted a king bed, not two doubles.

Room was clean and well appointed. Great bath tub. We found the bed comfortable.
We had a frog in the room for the first night, discovered in the early hours , it was fine and didn’t bother us, I just placed the little guy/gal outside.

A gecko/lizard managed to sneak in by dropping off the door another night, went straight under the bed, we never found them.

My wife’s phone wouldn’t charge due to the humidity in the room.
Concierge delivered a dehumidifier which solved the issue and definitely made the room drier and there was no issue with the phone after that.

FOOD
I’m a mystery diner at home and so am used to being objective in judging what I’m given to eat and the service I receive.

I had low expectations based on some previous reviews, but know that food is a divisive subject.
We enjoyed the food in general. Yes, sometimes it could be hotter, but there’s plenty of opportunities at the buffets for things to be cooked fresh and hot.

Ate at the a la cartes most nights. The tepanyaki (3 times) and a la carte Japanese (twice) were our favourites.

Service was great wherever we ate. A smile and a few words of Spanish go a long way, these guys work really hard.

We never went hungry and enjoyed the buffets too, which normally we don’t. La Dalia was our favourite for breakfast.

Hacienda at Colonial was great for freshly made to order breakfast smoothies and perfect lunchtime crepes for dessert, so good.

ENTERTAINMENT
We had some great experiences in the lobbies, the theatre at Colonial, the beach party, Chic (amazing), Bingo at Chic twice (amazing) and many a night spent in Churchills – an amazing bar with 5 Star service from Freddie, who is a credit to the resort.

DRINKS
No complaints from us here. Plenty of Tanqueray to keep us libated all day and a good choice of cocktails. Loved the margaritas at the bar in the beach which were freshly made with muddled lime and not pre-mixed.Found service quick and friendly whenever we needed hydration.

BEACH & POOLS
The first few days were easy to get in and out of the ocean near to Colonial. Got more difficult with a rocky entry as time went on, but still lovely once you were in. I did injure my toe quite badly getting out of the ocean one day near the FS beach area, so take care. I understand from other posts there may be less rocks up at the TRS beach area.

Saw some great fish while snorkling and a couple of sting ray too which I thought was amazing to see.

We loved the main pool at Colonial, it’s huge and easy to find a place to chill in.
The Colonial secret pool was great too. Amazing bar service and such a tranquil place to relax in.
We also used the spa facilities at Zentropia and really enjoyed them too.
Bring beach shoes and a pool hammock to sit and float on. You can buy them at the resort, but it’ll cost a lot.

THE PEOPLE
Probably the most important aspect of our holiday.
We encountered great staff who took care of our every need, really great people and reception told us that over 3,000 of them work there! They make the resort.

As for the fellow travellers we met, we got to meet many many amazing people from all over the world and it was great to spend good times with you, from bingo night winnings to birthday celebrations – we had amazing days and nights and loved meeting everyone we spoke with and finding out about your lives.

We all work hard for these experiences and it was so good to be able to share our time with you.

OVERALL
Would we return? – Yes, definitely. It’s a lovely resort with a lot to offer. The wildlife you see is also WOW!

An amazing trip and I would highly recommend.

+76

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[Anne]

Trip report posted with permission from Karen Friesen & Vern Friesen.

TRS Yucatan.…Finally getting around to writing out our trip report. This is going to be long, so I’ll break it up in a couple of posts. We stayed at the resort July 15-August 5, 2023, in the ambassador suite villa 66 for the first week, and villa 68 for our 2nd and 3rd weeks. We had an amazing time! Yes we are travel club members, specifically ambassador/ presidential members, and do enjoy the added perks that gives us, with recognizing that we have paid dearly over the years for upgrades etc.
Firstly the cons…we were not impressed with BD experiences, our private transfer. When we arrived at the Cancun airport we searched and searched for them, wasting precious time. We finally found them out where the parked shuttles are, not the customary mingling area when you first exit the airport. We then had to wait for our shuttle a bit longer, even though they had our arrival information in hand. Also when we left the resort on the 5th we were told to be in the lobby for our private pickup at 12:00. We were there by 11:30 just to be sure we didn’t miss them. We waited until close to 12:30 when finally a driver came looking for us. He took us to the van, which was white instead of the red one we were waiting for, and lo and behold there were 5 other people already in the van. We explained to him that we have a private transfer, but he showed us our names on his manifest. The other people in the van were coming from another hotel and said they had paid extra for a private transfer and had argued with the driver to no avail. So reluctantly we got in the van. Thankfully the others were so pleasant to be with and even didn’t mind when I asked to stop somewhere to use the washroom. They were not happy with their situation but made the best of it. No explanation was given to us as to why we did not receive our private transfer as promised.
The other problem we had at the resort was the freedom people had to smoke around the pool and lounging area even though there is a law in Mexico against it; but with no consequences, people took advantage of it. There are also vendors selling all sorts of tobacco products right by the pool, and directly behind our Bali bed. This confused us since it is known as a non smoking area. Pool butlers told us the guests are not allowed to smoke there but unless someone complained and they saw it happening, they weren’t able to stop it. We suggested no smoking signs be posted, and designated smoking areas info given to guests when they check in, but we’re not sure that will happen anytime soon.
The pros….there are so many and they far outweigh the cons! We absolutely love this resort, and have been coming here for many years, and will continue to come year after year. We only come in the summer due to my husband’s job so a perfect time for us to come is in July so we can celebrate our anniversary. It is super hot, but with the AC relief indoors, and the nice temp in the pool, we find plenty of ways to be comfortable. This year my husband had purchased a UV sunshade that he would tie over our Bali bed everyday. Because of my fair skin this was the best thing! We spent our days by the infinity pool. Luciana was our server who kept us supplied with peanuts and drinks. She was such a sweetheart. Our pool butlers were always rotating but Luigi and Carlos stood out! We enjoyed the bbq hut by the pool and ate a few things there over the weeks.
Our favourite place to eat brunch was Capricchios. We always received a warm welcome from hostesses Patricia and Muriel. They missed us if we were late in arriving. Such beautiful smiles they have! We had many wonderful servers in the restaurant but Martha and Sara were our favourites.
We loved having crepes made in front of us at the buffet with our requested ingredients, and the white chocolate donuts and crispy bacon were an added must have! Fresh grapefruit juice and plates of fruit were a plenty!
Martha often brought my husband his coffee with baileys even before he asked for it. One day we arrived and our bacon was already made and set before us as soon as we sat down. On our last day we sat down to a decorated table. We felt the love

We were in Villa 66 for our first week starting July 15, 2023. Our amazing butlers were Alexis, Eric and Luis. These guys went above and beyond to help us get settled in. So friendly and personable, we can understand why they are probably some of the most sought after butlers on sight. This villa was a quick walk to Helios where we enjoyed many great lunches. The mojito salmon was always our favourite lunch entree, along with the buffet for our sides. We also enjoyed Helios for many of our evening A la carte meals. It was probably our favourite restaurant overall.
For our 2nd and 3rd weeeks we moved to villa 68. For no other reason than it had been recommended, so we wanted to give it a try. It is very private and a quick walk to the infinity pool and Goia bar. Out butlers there were Moses and Susanna, and they treated us so very well. They were so welcoming and again we could understand why they were some of the top butlers in the resort. On our anniversary we came back to a lovely surprise in our room….chilling champagne, rose petals in the tub and scattered on the floor and bed. We were so touched by this gesture! If we needed them to call a cart they were prompt in arranging that, otherwise we chose to walk when we felt like it.
We had two spa treatments. Both times we paid the extra palladium dollars to extend our treatment from the 50 minute travel club Lomi Lomi massage to an 80 minute relaxing massage. Bernardo was my masseuse both times. The first one I couldn’t breathe with my face in the cutout area. So I didn’t enjoy it as much as I would have liked to, no fault of his. The second time I asked him if I could leave my face to the side so I could breathe and he said sure. I believe that is the best massage I have ever had! He listened well to me, since I had had back surgery a few months ago and was concerned about the incision area. He stayed away from my lower back and so I was at ease! Wow! I came away totally relaxed!
We ate at all the TRS restaurants at least 3 times each, and a few of the GP restaurants once each. Our favourite host and hostesses were Michelle and Jose. We could tell they were really good at their jobs by how friendly and outgoing they were! They always made us feel welcome whenever we would see them. El Gaucho, La Bohemme and Helios were our favourite a la cartes.
We saw Chic and really enjoyed it. The food is not for everyone, and some of it I didn’t eat, but my husband likes to try new things, so he tried everything. We were surprised and elated that Chef Humberto had arranged a special table for us along with a special dessert and sparkler. Such a treat!
We also went to bingo night. Lots of fun!
I’m sure I’ve missed so many highlights of our trip, but if you want to hear more feel free to ask for more details. Thanks for following along on our amazing holiday!
55All reactions:

[Anne]

Good news. I heard from Ricardo that Smile Services is returning. This is a service that arranges surprises for special occasions, ie birthdays, anniversaries. As Ricardo says, “we will add the “WOW” factor. I will supply details as I get them

Special dinner on the beach

 

Amber’s birthday

[Anne]

Travel Report: Grand Palladium Palace February 2023

My wife and I visited Grand Palladium Palace in Punta Cana from February 4 to February 18. We arrived and were quickly whisked on our way to the resort. We were greeted warmly and checked in. Checkin was leisurely. As Wanda checked us in, we chatted and caught up with each other. I think it is very important to start off by saying what an amazing job Wanda and her team do. Despite working short-handed, the PTC staff did an amazing job. This team provided personalized attention for members and were professional and enthusiastic.

Our room (8106) was a junior suite panoramic ocean view room. The room was clean and very comfortable with a king bed. The location of the room was perfect, close to TRS (where we have access through our membership) and a 10 minute walk to the Members’ Beach Lounge. I have to mention that we had an amazing housekeeper, Martina. As we got to know Martina, she would greet us every morning with a hug and a warm smile. She was so attentive, she even cleaned my sneakers when they got muddy. Martina may not be a PTC employee, but she certainly embodies the PTC attitude of FROM GUEST TO FAMILY.

Most days, we ate only breakfast and dinner…eating breakfast in Capricho. Every morning we were seated at one of Ramonita’s tables. We have known Ramonita since 2014, and every day Ramonita greeted us with great enthusiasm and affection. Ramonita is an extremely hard worker and is on top of everything. Ramonita kept the coffee flowing and the mimosas coming. Without a doubt, she set the tone for us every day. And if that was not enough, Juan Eduardo checked on us daily to see if we needed anything.

PTC members get to enjoy the beautiful Members’ Lounge on Bavaro beach. I remember when it opened and it was perfect. If there is one critique I have, it is time to expand the size of the members beach. PTC has outgrown it. Hopefully, with the projects planned for 2024, the beach area can be at least doubled if not tripled to meet the needs of PTC for years to come. Our family at the PTC lounge took amazing care of us. Again, we were warmly and affectionately greeted every day. Kimbel, Rosa, Katherine, and Diridania took amazing care of us every day.
We went on a few excursions during our stay. The first excursion we booked through Dan Palka and VIP Punta Cana. It was the Salto El Limon & whale watching excursion. The excursion was excellent. We saw several whales surfacing, rolling and breaching. Then we saw the beautiful El Limon waterfall. The second tour was our free excursion from the Travel Club. We went on the FUN PARK tour which included zip lines, a cenote, lunch, horseback riding, and boogies. It was certainly a solid tour. We also visited the spa for massages twice, once for the free 50 minute massage from the Travel Club and a paid 80 minute couples massage. Zentropia Spa was fantastic. Additionally, we did parasailing through the on site dive center.

Our dinners were mostly spent in TRS restaurants, although we had delicious steaks in El Dorado as well as lobster in Bhogali. We ate three times in Kusko, three times in Capricho (with Benito, a true gentleman), three times in La Boheme (with Ramonita), and Chic Cabaret for Valentines Day. We also attended the Super Bowl party in Chic which was amazing. All these restaurants provided excellent food and attentive service.

We have been blessed to have many special vacations. This vacation was doubtless one of the best we have ever experienced. Special thanks should go to Antonio Parrado and Wanda Torres for such lovely hospitality and their entire teams.

[Anne]

Lisa N has given me permission to copy her report on TRS Yucatan

I wanted to leave our review which specifically compare TRS from 2019 pre pandemic to late 2022.
We had a WONDERFUL time

! I would recommend this resort, and go again. I read a couple of negative comments and was a little nervous it wouldn’t be as good as I remembered…but I think it was even better this past trip in most aspects.
One change was we had to pay $35 USD per person for the Chic show, in 2019 it was included for TRS guests, but you know what… it was worth it. The staff is interactive, it’s lively and a fun night.
When we arrived we were greeted with a welcome drink, check in was fast, smooth and friendly. We got the room we requested and it was ready at check in time.
Our room was clean, in a great location and the air conditioning worked well. Our butlers were attentive, and this trip gave us their “whatsApp” text information and sent us a text daily with information. We had a nice filled minibar. We had a couple of extra requests like an extra blanket and they were quick to get that to us.
The waits may have been a little longer at restaurants BUT I saw those hardworking waiters and waitresses moving quickly and I reminded myself I am on vacation.. I am not in a rush, and I just relaxed and enjoyed myself.
My tips for the perfect TRS vacation:
1.Water shoes (it’s slippery and sometimes hot around the pools)
2. Tumblers (for water and ice or to keep.your drinks cold)
3. 1 dress up outfit for ladies and 1 pair of light khakis or linen pants for gentlemen and closed toe shoes for gents.. they are required at Chic.
4. Small bills for tipping. The staff works so hard, and are paid little. They never requested or hinted at tips, but they appreciated those who did. We tipped the golf cart drivers, the people at the towel areas, housekeepers, bartenders, waiters and the bell captain.
5. If you have any sensitivities to noise or smells.. I suggest pack ear plugs and a cheap plug in air freshner for the room. We did NOT have any issues with noise or smells , but after a storm the tropics can smell musty and some other guests can be loud, and I have read people sometimes complain about that.
6. Any over the counter medications you MIGHT need, bring them, it’s expensive to purchase them at the resort. I carry on a small ziploc with medication “just in case” like ibuprofen and immodium, benadryl, bandaid, neosporin, We didn’t need it either trip, but it’s good to have. We also pack 2 pairs of sunglasses and 2 sandals/flip flops in case one breaks, again expensive to buy on the resort.
7. ASK your butler or a manger if there is something you need, or want, or you have any issues. Don’t wait until you get home or when You are leaving to complain…its too late for them to fix it at that point. We found all the staff very gracious and they do their best to help guests, and they do it with a smile.
8. Make your dinner reservations the fay you arrive with your butler so you can get the restaurants you want to visit.
9. If your budget allows, book a spa treatment like a couples massage.. and a tip everyone will share.. don’t purchase it at the spa.. they sell pspa services cheaper near the pool or beach. Workers in blue shirts offer spa services at a significant discount.. they walk around the pool area or ask the bartender, he will flag them down.
Have a safe, and great trip everyone!

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[Anne]

My daughter & I spent Christmas & NY at the TRS Yucatan. This was the first time she brought her partner & he was extremely impressed.  TRS is the upscale adult only area and it just celebrated its 5 year anniversary. Prior to its opening we stayed in the Royal suites or other areas of the Palladium.

The Grand Palladium property is carved out of a jungle. Much attention was given to maintaining the integrity of the property and preserving the indigenous flora and fauna. I love seeing the critters roaming around and walking through the jungle.

One thing that sets the TRS apart is the amazing staff, food & service. Immediately upon my arrival I heard, “Welcome home Miss Annie” from Luis Alberto, Concierge. I was whisked to reception where I was served a welcome cocktail & warm, refreshing cloth.  I was given a suite in the same building where my daughter’s room was located.

Upon arrival at my building butler (Are)Lis greeted me warmly and gave me her Whats App number. This comes in very handy for reservations & other requests. The butlers also use it to send a daily schedule of events. Lis then came to my room and said, “you probably don’t need an orientation”. We both laughed. I asked her to show me how the Nespresso machine worked and asked about my daughter’s room. It was 2 doors down and had been decorated for her birthday with balloons, banners, a cake & champagne. (E butler requests can be sent to ebutler found on Palladium Hotel Group.) I confirmed that we had reservations in the Special Christmas Eve dinner in Capricho.  She said she would reserve my dinners for the rest of the week once I settled in. I gave her a list of where we wanted to eat and the time frame. I made a  request for the special Mexican dinner held in Capricho once a week for TRS guests.

Throughout the week I returned to my room to find special treats like champagne, truffles, chocolate covered strawberries & macaroons. I felt like royalty.

ROOMS:  We were in building 69 steps to La Terrazza pool. The rooms there have jacuzzis on the deck. I had a lovely 2 room suite which was immaculate & well appointed. Amenities include L’Occitane products, robes, slippers, smart, flat screen TVs, Nespresso, a red/green light to alert housekeeping.  Red light is do not disturb. Green light is  make up room.

The beginning part of the week was cool and rainy but that didn’t deter us. We spent our time between the TRS beach where I was always able to get a Bali bed with a thatched roof, the Infiniti pool, salt water pool. My daughter & her BF went to the gym a couple of times which they said is well equipped and the spa. The spa now has a fee for the hydrotherapy circuit which is waived if you purchase a service.  My daughter negotiated 2 massages for about 1/2 of what they were quoting. They greatly enjoyed their spa day & the smoothies served there.

FOOD This was a highlight for us as we all enjoy good food. The TRS has returned to its pre-Covid glory days. Lobster is complimentary in Helios. They served it for breakfast, lunch & Dinner on NY Day! We ate two nights at Tentazione, the Italian restaurant,  two at Helios Beach club, El Gaucho steakhouse, Capricho Mediterranean restaurant & Two at the French La Boheme. All of our meals were excellent. Our favorite dinner of the week was the Mexican meal served at Capricho (once a week).

 

DRINKS: They have a full cocktail menu with branded liquor. We mostly drank wine. House wine includes Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, red, rose & Cava. They have very good coffees  & I was able to find ice coffee at Helios. Staff often asked if i wanted a Bailey’s in my cappuccino. One day they came around with special iced cappuccino drinks

ENTERTAINMENT: You can be as busy or as lazy as you like. There is live music at breakfast & lunch, water robic, water bikes, special classes like guacamole making, macrame. There is Chic Cabaret ($45), before & after parties, a Silent disco & a 20s party. There is also added entertainment on the GP side for those who want more like beach volleyball, live music in the evenings

During NY Eve, NY day, Christmas Eve & Christmas Day the resort celebrations were outstanding & beautifully done. Santa arrived for the little ones on the Colonial beach.

We saw a beautiful wedding near Helios with amazing attention to detail.

On my last morning I saw a sunrise which made my day.

Overall an amazing time. Although I hesitate to mention names as I always miss someone, Staff are outstanding from our butlers (Are)Lis, Moises & Susanna to Manuel in Helios who had my coffee & juice ready as I sat down to Daniel who remembered my eggs, Martha who is going to be a Mommy & is always smiling. Hector was very attentive at dinner as was Celeste (sp?) Alex & Ivan in Tentazione. Alfred at the Terrazza bar always remembered my preference. Daniel at El Jarra was always smiling and attentive.  It was wonderful catching up with Mayra in the Full Moon bar & Lucy at TRS pool. Manager Roxanne gave me a warm welcome. All of the cart drivers were friendly & accommodating.

Tips: I used AGI Tours for all transfers. They were professional & on time.  Listen to their suggestions as to transfer time as there is construction. Tip the staff. Bring ones & fives in US or 20s & 50s in pesos. Download the Palladium Hotel Group App.

Most importantly, Smile and don’t sweat the small stuff. Any day in Paradise is better than a day in the office.

 

[Anne]

Karen reports:

“This evening we ventured over to the other side of the resort, to Kantenah’s Chang Tai restaurant. We love to walk so we chose to not take a cart, even though many drivers offered to give us a ride. It took us just under 20 minutes to walk there at a leisurely pace. We enjoyed the food and because we’re TC ambassador level guests we ordered the grilled lobster. It was delicious and the veggies on the plate were tasty and plentiful. We had chicken wings and spring rolls as our appetizer, which came out hot to our table, delivered by our very busy waiter, who not only takes your order, but also clears the table and prepares it for the next guests, all with a smile. We finished off our meal with coconut creme brûlée, which was actually more like a pudding, but so enjoyable just the same. The manager came out at some point to check on us and to make sure our time there was enjoyable.

After our meal we walked over to the Colonial theatre to watch the International show. My goodness those dancers work hard to entertain us. Well done! We walked on from there back to our suite to find another sweet treat in our room, courtesy of the Travel Club. We’re being thoroughly spoiled as I’ve mentioned before! Thank you!”

Note from Anne:  If you are not a TC member lobster is complimentary at Helios restaurant.

[Anne]

Laura Blakely

We just arrived home from one of the most relaxing and beautiful weeks of vacation ever at TRS Cap Cana! We had a swim up room which was perfect for what we wanted to do – lay in the sun and chill for a week! The resort was beautiful and clean, the food was amazing (we especially loved Dominican night), and the atmosphere was exactly what we were looking for. There was enough going on to keep us entertained, but it was not overwhelming nightlife for those of us just looking to be laidback. We also really loved going to see Chic Cabaret and highly recommend it for a night off the resort.

Most of all we cannot say enough wonderful things about the outstanding STAFF!! Our butler Willy went above and beyond to make our stay memorable and perfect, including secretly planning to help my *fiance* set up a proposal To celebrate, we were invited to have dinner in the wine cellar where our server Wascar really helped to make our evening special. During our entire stay, the wait staff, room service, bartenders, entertainment crew, lobby staff, hostesses, housekeepers… everyone was friendly and helpful. Every single person smiled and said hello, and did all they could to make sure we were happy. We could not have asked for anything more!! We can’t wait to visit again!

 

[Anne]

Thank you to Kelly & Congratulations. Lady Hamilton, Jamaica

Wedding Trip Nov 16th-23rd 2021 review
*long one*
Stayed as a Travel Club member AND a Bride, along with our 6th stay, so my experience may differ ton some.
We had private transport to the resort from the Travel Club. Super easy to find in the airport, car was beautiful, air conditioned and driver was very nice. He made us feel safe.
We check in with the Travel Club, not the wedding department. It was super quick, and very welcoming. They immediately made us feel like family.
Our room wasn’t ready upon arrival, so we went to the smoking patio by the lobby and chatted with staff we’ve loved over the years. We weren’t out there for more than 15 mins when we were told our room was ready.
Ofcourse the golf cart guys are amazing and carry all the luggage and make sure you know where everything is in the room. Always tip them! They work hard.
We were upgraded to a Romance Villa and wow! It’s a stunning room! Outdoor shower, jacuzzi big enough for 2 no matter what size you are, walk in closet, and the view was heavenly! We had 3093 and honestly I don’t think there could be a better room/location on the entire property, but we like privacy and walking. (Its at the very tip of the point so it can be a far walk for some) We had chocolates, fruits and champagne waiting for us too.
We went to the buffet to grab a quick bite to eat and had a walk around the resort before deciding room service and an early night was needed. (We left home at 3am to start travelling) Room service was quick, hot and delicious! They didn’t question my mixture of items and came to the room with a smile. We thought the $10 delivery fee was well worth it to not have to dress up and deal with “the public” when we were tired.
The first morning we slept in a bit and met with the Travel Club for our benefits, to book dinner reservations, and spa. That was great and very quick. We did have problems getting into the hibachi cooking show, but in the end we got in.
We had time for breakfast still so we went to the buffet again. The omelet stations are lovely, along with the cooks and staff. Buffets can take a little longer due to having to be served, but I think its worth it for safety and comfort. Bring extra tips!
Then we met with the wedding department. Thorna-Ann had everything organized and even got my dress picked up to be steamed and returned by the wedding the next day. She eased my stressed about the wedding.
We had lunch at the Jerk Hut at Sunset Cove. I missed the original chef but the new “my chicken lady”, who had big shoes to fill, did amazing! Food was absolutely perfect and just as I remembered.
Since the wedding was the next day I took advantage of the Top Optional part of the Adult Coral Beach and got some sun with no tan lines.
After the beach we went to Miss Lous for iced coffee before going to get ready for dinner. It was perfect and the staff sure know how to make drinks. The coffee, best in the world!
For dinner, the night before our wedding, we had reservations for Poseidon. Again we were blown away with the service, the beautiful location and atmosphere and the food. We do miss the salad bars, but you can order any of it off the menu, just felt different.
We took advantage of our beautiful room, tub, outdoor shower and balcony that night and spent time alone before our wedding.
Wedding Day. We got up early out of excitement and watched the sun come up from our room. It was beautiful. We spent the morning at the Travel Club beach and Lounge relaxing until our 1pm spa apts.
Spa was right on time. They did a great job shaving my hubby and my hair and makeup were perfect. I looked like a goddess.
Thorna-Ann brought me my flowers and helped me get in my dress. (It was just the bride and groom so that was a nice touch)
However our room still had not been cleaned since arrival. (We arrived Tues, and Thursday the room service plates were still in there and we had no clean towels to get ready with)
They came to clean the room as I was leaving for the ceremony. They were 15 mins late picking me up, but it all worked out in the end.
We had paid for an upgraded dinner on the beach with a photo shoot. This was not communicated well by the wedding department and it was very basic compared to advertising. Again, this didn’t ruin my day, but it was addressed the next day. We stopped at the Travel Club lounge for a fancy drink to bring back to our room. When we got back to our room after dinner, they had decorated the room with rose petals, towel art and filled the bathtub with water and bubbles. Such a nice romantic touch! However we didn’t have our wedding cake. They subbed it with 2 cookies and 2 chocolate covered bar cherries! Needless to say, we didn’t leave the room that night.
We woke up the next morning expecting breakfast in bed at 830am. We called the room service at 730 am to let them know we needed coffee as it was not filled when the room was cleaned. We expected it to come with breakfast. Breakfast finally arrived at 945am and NO coffee. We were quite upset as we felt trapped in our room waiting for breakfast we paid for *upgrade with the wedding* and when it finally arrived, no coffee nor was it the menu advertised.
At this point we left the food and went to the Travel Club to express our difficulties.
They were very apologetic and told us to enjoy our vacation while they advocated for us. THAT is why we’re members!
We got coffee at Miss Lous finally, but was too late for breakfast now and had to wait for lunch to open.
We made the best of it by going down to sunset cove, after stopping for drinks at the Travel Club to bring with us. We briefly relaxed and then visited my chicken lady which always makes us happy.
We had dinner at the Xamaican Restaurant that night with reservations through the Travel Club. Because I was craving oxtail or stew beef, and neither are on the menu, I tried the steak, however I was not a fan. The sauce and sides were delicious. Hubby’s fish was perfect. We saw the head chef aka Chef Ching Ching, who we’ve known over the years and he welcomed us with a personal invite to his cooking show the next night. He also promised stewed beef at ths lunch buffet the next day. It was so sweet of him. Then our desserts were decorated when they arrived which was a nice touch.
That night was the steel drum band in the infinity bar. They were fabulous! I found the bar a little uncomfortable as most guests weren’t wearing masks, but it is technically open air so I understand. It was just my personal fears with my health conditions. We ended up watching the end of the show from beach chairs by the pool which was a gorgeous view and sounded great!
We are Canadian, so we got up Saturday morning to do our PCR Tests. We were scheduled for 9am, and no denying it, we were about 20 minutes late. There was a line up at that point and we waited about 45 minutes in total. Our fault for being late I’m sure as I’ve heard the wait isn’t bad. The travel club had booked our tests for us upon check in, and that’s when we paid for it too.
We finally got to relax and enjoy the vacation for a whole day. It was beautiful as always.
There was one Vendor set up in the lower level of the Lady Hamilton Lobby, we sure missed the hand painted coconut man. Getting his souvenirs were a tradition for us that was greatly missed this trip. We really wanted one that said Wedding 2021 Jamaica. Hopefully he comes back once covid calms down.
Hibachi night! We checked with the hostess at 530pm for our 7pm booking. We wanted to double check Chef Ching Ching got us a booking and didn’t want to take someone else’s spot. The hostess confirmed our booking with him for 7pm. We then went to get ready for dinner. Unfortunately it seems there was miscommunication as we didn’t get Ching Ching, disappointed at first, but honestly the cook we got did a great job. He was very entertaining, interactive and the food was delicious!
When we got back to our room after dinner our room was decorated again! We had a banner from the Travel Club with balloons saying “Congratulations on your union” They ran the tub with bubbles and rose petals that trailed from the bed. The bed had hearts with towel art and more rose petals. Along with a bottle of champagne. Our wedding cake was in the room and a gift bag from the Wedding Department containing 2 Hats with Mr & Mrs on them. Adorable! And we were completely surprised.
We brought the cake down to the Travel Club Lounge where we shared it with our Jamaican family and some other members. The staff sure make us feel like family in there and I will never forget this. Even though the cake was a few days late, i ended up enjoying it as we got to eat it on the Travel Club beach at night. It was magical.
This was also the White Party & Fire Show Night. It was different than previous years for us. It’s now on the volleyball “beach” by the main pool, and the fire show dancers are on the roof of the bar behind the large DJ stage. They all did a great job, it was a fun night! But we miss the bon fire, and the lack of show with the fire.
Sunday we got surprised with Breakfast In Bed! It arrived at 745am and had what we were expecting Friday morning, and there was entire pot of coffee! It was so good and a nice surprise, great way to start the day.
We went on the River Rafting excursion. It was so amazing! Absolutely stunning! We’ve been to Jamaica 5 other times yet we learned so much from our raft captain. We Highly recommend this excursion, especially for romance. I was shocked that they charged $6USD at Chukka for a beef patty, but I still bought it.
Monday morning we started the day with a 50 minute couples massage at Zentropia Spa. We get this every trip the day before we leave. 6 trips in, and I’ve got nothing but perfection with the entire experience. One thing i will say that’s missed, covid related I know, but the little cucumber water and snack stand in the lobby is not there at the moment. However the juice bar inside the spa is still amazing and available. Having the massage just before going home really helps us stay relaxed.
We did some souvenir shopping at the shops on site. We used Palladium money and cash but the prices on the resort are better than the airport we’ve learned over over years.
We lounged at the Travel Club lounge and met with Lorraine, the wedding department manager, before lunch.
She was apologetic and understanding. Without going into details, I just want to say they went above and beyond to make everything right with professionalism and smiles.
We went to see our chicken lady one last time for lunch, as we were leaving the next morning. We spent time at all beaches throughout the afternoon. Each have their own sparkle that I love.
We had booked a final romantic dinner on the beach, with the wedding department, for our final night. We got dressed up to make it special, and so thankful we did!
The wedding department made it absolutely beautiful with the table setting under the pergola wrapped in twinkle lights. There was a sparkly pink table cloth with lighting, beautiful setting with flowers and decor, and Tiki lights. We had the same server as our wedding night, who was the absolute best! And then they surprised us with a photoshoot, with pictures included! We were absolutely floored with surprise. Then our meal was perfection. Best lobster I’ve ever had in Jamaica. Every detail was perfect.
We spent the evening at The Travel Club Lounge, feeling like family, packed and used the giant tub one more time.
Our morning of our travel went smoothly, and ended with one more surprise ! We were about to head out for breakfast when we were surprised with Breakfast Room Service Again! We were delighted and enjoyed every moment of our last breakfast looking out to sea.
We picked up our photos from the photo booth, and had no problems checking out, other than sadness ofcourse. Our private transportation was a beautiful car again, right on time. Our driver was very professional and she made us feel very safe.
Montego Bay airport is under construction, but it was still very quick, especially with Club Mobay! We just love their lounge and utilize all the convenience they offer.
Things we missed due to covid
1. Chocolate night
2. Members night
3. Actual fire show
4. Breakfast at Blue Lagoon
5. Lunch at Poseidon
I should mention we didn’t catch any shows this trip and only made it out 2 nights so I can’t comment on entertainment in that aspect. This was more a romantic trip for us.
Since I don’t have all the names, I’m bad for names, I will shout out my Travel Club Family. Everyone in the Office to the Lounge. Kamesha Lindsay, Marlon, Terron, Hakoy, Jeffrey, Sophia, and like I said, bad with names, but the new lovely bartender in the Lounge as well.

[Anne]

Grand Palladium Costas Mujeres. 8/6 thru 8/13

As I always am used to, it was time to do my review .. I will be fair and clear when it comes to mentioning the good the bad and the ugly

* Check-in was quite fast despite the fact that there were certain incidents with another guest who was having a lot of drinks .. but the inside was very well managed and they quickly attended to that guest and took her out of the lobby, leaving the lobby quieter.
I have to highlight the work of Daniel Sanchez, we were received by him all the time and every day he called us to the room to confirm everything was in condition and if he needed something special.

I must mention that we are repeat clients of the Palladiums this was our visit number 10, having mentioned this they gave us the gray and black VIP bracelet with all the rights to the restaurants, bars and pool of TRS Coral.

Our room was 11318 with a spectacular view and very accessible to everything in the surroundings. Golf cars service 10+ all day moving around with guest and also the boats in the canals all day too.

I will start by mentioning the a la carte restaurants in the same order.I visited.
The first day we were lucky that they let us have dinner without reservation at the Tentazione Italian restaurant in the TRS Coral area, after dinner we went to Chic Cabaret great show it is a most to visit and watch the show. excellent ! Romina made the reservations for me before I arrived that Friday, seats were great.

At the Tentazione the food and the service a 10, all very well prepared and delicious. Service extraordinary.

On the second day we reserved La Adelita, with the illusion of eating Mexican food, this Adelita has nothing to do with the one located in RM, definitively, we like food more the way it is made in RM, I will highlight the service and the attention was very good, only that it lacked a little more Mexican touch to that dinner.

Third day – my nightmare El Gaucho in the TRS area, the food was not acceptable at all, I asked for the lamb and it seemed that it was boiled, my husband requested Outside Skirt and the meat came with out the grill marks , the roast style meat did not have the marks everything seemed like boiled or baked, the concept of a Argentina Restaurant was really far away of the actual Parrilla Restaurant. Service great but Kitchen not that great.

Fourth night we ate at the Isla Blanca Buffet in the GP area because from the dinner from the night before my stomach was very upset and I wasn’t able to eat nothing, only drink water and sprite. At the buffet a waitres name Nancy brought me some remedies and tea for my stomach, and she recommend a vegetables cream ( delicious) and from that point that night I was able to rest all night day after I was feeling much better and enjoyed the rest of my days.

Fifth night I was already much better on my stomach and we ate at CHANG THAI, the food was OK .. my husband ordered some ribs but the meat of the ribs were absent .
Sixth night we ate at Dorado the food OK, nothing out of the ordinary.
Last dinner a la carte we made reservation for Temtazione again, and again service and food 10.
Every day at lunch we grab something at Portofino, food very nice and service good too. Many options from sushi to pasta to Mexican dishes.

One morning we had breakfast at Capricho very good service and a lot of selections.
We only missed the salad bars at the Ala Carte restaurants. That is when you realized , we are COVID ‘s times.
Drinks some of the bars not that good others very good, mini bar at the room very well stocked.

Room service excellent, my housekeeper Rosa a sweet , every day she took care of the room, I always gave her a tip, and out of the 7 nights I requested change of the sheets because I sweat overnight due to the stomach issues from The Gaucho ‘s dinner, and she did it with an smile.
We have a great friend that works behind the scene, and was very good to see him again. We meet at the lobby and spend time with him.

*** I want to highlight the important work of each of the employees in the detail for cleaning and compliance with hygiene standards to avoid contagions. Upon arrival we made the reservation for the PCR test two days before our departure from the hotel and everything was very well organized.
In summary, we spent very pleasant days, we came renewed and ready to return this time we had a to visite PC, I owe it to Diego Diaz Cabrera.

[Anne]

Chantil wrote

We are here right now. I can not say enough how we truly appreciate Nicauris (butler manager). She has gone above and beyond. She truly made my birthday wonderful, being able to special order my dinner, to the most delicious birthday cake. I love my vanilla vodka (which the resort does not have), she contacted Benjamin (beverage dept)who was able to custom order for me. The activity “pop” team (Enrique and John)who are wonderful, getting everyone involved in activities. The water aerobics are a blast. Samara (lobby bartender), love her. She always has a smile on her face, and has mastered my favorite drink, and she makes a killer chocolate martini. Maniel (our butler) is amazing as well, willing to go above and beyond. Oscar “Meyers the wiener” and Byron always smiling and joking and eager to help. The staff is wonderful. Thank you for everything, it is appreciated.

[Anne]

Engagement last night on the beach. Thank to Memo of Smile Services for helping.

[Anne]

Katie wrote

Well our final night and what can I say GPRM you didnt disappoint you exceeded all our expectations. Weve had an amazing time met some lovely people from all over the world   (thanks to my cheeky yet very friendly daughter) weve loved the shows especially pirate show and my children loved the raggs. Food has been amazing especially El Dorado definitely our fav. All the staff are incredibly friendly and always have a smile and time to give us. Even with the little blip in middle of holiday its not stopped us enjoying every second. Cant wait to return 

[Anne]

Katie reports

Well our final night and what can I say GPRM you didnt disappoint you exceeded all our expectations. Weve had an amazing time met some lovely people from all over the world  (thanks to my cheeky yet very friendly daughter) weve loved the shows especially pirate show and my children loved the raggs. Food has been amazing especially El Dorado definitely our fav. All the staff are incredibly friendly and always have a smile and time to give us. Even with the little blip in middle of holiday its not stopped us enjoying every second. Cant wait to return 

[Anne]

By Ken Z

Mission Accomplished —the Trip of a Lifetime

Well, if it is not perfectly clear after the numerous outstanding reviews written, I will simply state that the TRS Yucatan is pure bliss. What is at the core, that raises the TRS Yucatan to a level of perfection beyond that of other five star resorts, are the staff. It is clearly evident that each and every employee wants your vacation to be the trip of a lifetime.

Our “resort experience” began well in advance of arriving at the resort. My partner and I have been loyal TRS Turquesa fans, travelling exclusively to the TRS Turquesa for over 14 vacations. We were a little apprehensive leaving our favourite vacation location but decided to try a new TRS location for a milestone birthday. We had many questions about our new location. We contacted Cynthia Yadira through e-butler and she quickly put all of our fears to rest. We can not commend her professionalism high enough. Cynthia responded to any emails within hours—outstanding customer service. She spent time getting to understand who we were and what would help to make this vacation experience a trip of a lifetime. It was because of her skilled ability that she anticipated all of our needs and desires before we even knew what we needed. When we arrived we also got to meet Cynthia’s assistant Martha, it is evident that working collaboratively together they will make a dynamic duo! We were so touched that these two ladies even took time away from the demands of their job to both personally welcome us when we arrived and to wish us well when it was sadly time for us to depart. In addition we would be amiss if we did not commend Carlos Froilam the front desk Assistant Manager. He too quickly responded to any of the questions that we had, making notes of our preferred room location. As a professional he made no promises but assured my partner and I he would do all that he could to meet our wishes. He also took note of our commitment and dedication we have made to the TRS brand after over 14 visits and surprised us with TRS Black Bands.

Our Experience
We arrived at TRS Yucatan eager with anticipation and a wee bit apprehensive leaving our favourite TRS location in Punta Cana to try a new location. However we felt confident in our choices after numerous emails, hours spent on Fans/Addict TRS Yucatan by Palladium, Unofficial Palladium & TRS Resorts & Spa, Palladium Addicts TRS Resorts & Spa Facebook groups and many visits to the Tripadvisors review pages. Unfortunately we were not prepared for what we encountered; we were not prepared to spend a week being pampered and indulged in absolute bliss. From the moment we stepped out of our private transfer to receive our glass of champagne and refreshing towel to the moment it was time to say good bye to the ocean with a glass of Kir Royale we had an unparalleled experience.

As travellers, we are creatures of habit. Our mornings began with breakfast on the terrace at Helios indulging in great options selected from the alacarte menu, drinking mimosas all the while overlooking the turquoise waters of the ocean. After a relaxing leisurely breakfast and several mimosas, we were off to spend the rest of the morning lounging in our private plunge pool. As requested, room 6511 offered perfect full morning sun and just the right amount of privacy.

Lunches for us were an event. After a morning of soaking in our plunge pool and lying in the sun on the nap worthy round sun bed, we headed into our suite to shower under the rain-head shower and dress for lunch. Lunches were once again spent on the terrace of Helios enjoying ocean breezes and turquoise views. The alacarte menus offered varied options to appeal to anyone’s tastes. We were delighted with all of the options that we ordered. It was easy for us to spend a couple of hours enjoying our lunch and drinks while watching the ocean and listening to the crash of the waves along with enjoying the live entertainment.

But what made both morning and afternoon dining experiences memorable were the extremely attentive services of the staff. Alain (Angel) Cavich Poc went out of his way to ensure each visit was memorable. He anticipated all of our needs and often made great suggestions or offered suggestions on additions to selected items. Alain always ensured that red wine was in our glass served at our preferred temperature level and a bottle of champagne was chilling. It was clearly evident that he was dedicated to ensuring we had a memorable experience each time we visited Helios. We left a piece of our heart with him.

Afternoons found us once again in the full sun enjoying the day. We spent our afternoons at the infinity pool enjoying the sound of the ocean as the afternoon lingered. We spent most afternoons at the infinity pool, toasting the end of the afternoon with a cocktail overlooking the ocean. The infinity pool is heated unlike your plunge pool. There were always sun beds available and plenty of fresh towels. While we choose to laze our days away in the sun and pools there are many other options for those who desire to be active including archery, mini golf, spa treatments, and fitness options.

Evenings at the TRS Yucatan can be spent enjoying a relaxing dinner, listening to live bands, watching a Moulin Rouge/Vegas style show or enjoying drinks with new found friends. For us, we started with cocktails in the well air conditioned lobby bar or at the Moon Bar in the entertainment courtyard. Once again the secret of the TRS Yucatan is in large part due to their staff, who watch closely and get to know the needs and desires of their clientele. After our first pre-dinner drinks the talented bartenders Christian and Wilbert had our Kir Royale waiting on the bar as they watched us walk across the lobby. They always asked about our day and if there was anything they could do for us. With them we felt both honoured, respected and well taken care of nightly.

After cocktails it was off to one of our dinner reservations. This is something that your butlers can arrange for you. My partner is an executive chef and dining is extremely important to us. We studied the menus in detail prior to arriving at the TRS Yucatan and pre-arranged our dining experiences with Cynthia Yadira through e-butler. Our only request from Cynthia was that we only want to attend TRS adults only locations, we wanted to dine between 8:00pm and 8:30pm, for my partner’s 60th birthday to attend Chic and that our 25th Anniversary was celebrated in a romantic dinner location. All of these requests were met by Cynthia with ease. Since we only wanted to eat at TRS restaurants we understood that some restaurants would repeat, but we felt that the menus were varied enough that we would still be please —and we were thrilled. Over our 7 night stay we ate once at La Boheme, once at Tentazione, once at Chic and four times at Goucho (intentionally).

La Boheme was lovely. We indulged in the baked Brie for two, followed by the French Onion Soup and then the lamb. For dessert we requested the Crepes Suzette. For us this was a misstep for our waiter. Earlier in the evening a couple had requested the crepes and a full dramatic production was given by the waiter upon their demand as they loudly exclaimed they were Palladium Addicts. The production is not why we requested the dessert, it was requested due to it being our favourite when we both stayed at the TRS Turquesa and when dining at several restaurants in Paris. Our waitstaff was hesitant to allow us to have the dessert. After a moment she informed us we could have the dessert but there would be no show because that previous table of guests were very important members of the Palladium Addict Page. Ouch. We smiled and said nothing. Our waiter prepared the dessert with little flair as we smiled on. It was evident that she realized that her choice of words was a misstep but unfortunately it resulted in the dining event ending on a low note. I am going to stress that this was the one and only offsetting experience in what was exceptional TRS service.

Our Chic experience was nothing short of extraordinary. The evening begins in the courtyard with performers tempting you with snippets of what is to come. At 8:00pm you are ushered down the red carpet and enter the dinner club. The seating is multi-levelled to afford everyone incredible views. For the next several hours you are served well prepared gourmet courses, as you watch highly talented performers sing and dance. This is a high energy experience that leaves all of your sense tingling. After the show you are ushered back into the courtyard where the music and dancing continues. It was an extremely dynamic way to celebrate my partner’s 60th birthday.

The highlight of our dining experience however was Gaucho. On our first visit to Gaucho we enter the restaurant signed in with our reservation, only to hear Mr. Anderson your drinks are ready. Wilbert Nahvat had been moved to Gaucho’s bar and sitting on the bar were two Kir Royale. That attentive level of service continued under the exceptional management of Diego Gonzalez. Each evening he organized an incredible table location, continuously checked in with us to ensure we were pleased. Each night he also arranged for us to have our favourite waiter Arturo Castro. Arturo is an exceptionally professional waiter who takes great pride in his profession. After the first evening we allowed Arturo to select what we would be eating and his selections were superb. His level of service and food knowledge is comparable to that which we have experience in fine dining restaurants in Paris and Toronto. Diego and Arturo discovered on our third visit that we would be celebrating our 25th anniversary and requested the honour of organizing a special evening for us. The two gentlemen created an experience that we will never forget and are honoured that they spent that level of energy to create a magical evening.

Evenings ended for us with nightcaps at the main lobby bar. Here we gathered with new found friends laughing and enjoying each other’s company. It was sad to say good bye to so many new found friends. At the end of the evening we would return to the luxury of our suite where we often would find treats organized by our butlers Paola, Oscar, and Mauricio. Whether it be special messages written in rose petals, balloons to celebrate a birthday, chocolate covered strawberries or a bottle of champagne to toast the end of an amazing vacation, the team of three did an exceptional job of making us feel like valued guests.

Blissful, magical, pampered, superb are adjectives that only begin to express our experience at the TRS Yucatan. As a gay couple who travel 2 to 4 times a year our holiday experiences are very important to us. At the TRS Yucatan we always felt accepted, valued and honoured. We are creatures of habit and we will return the TRS Yucatan but next time for more than seven days. If we were not already booked for multiple weeks this summer at the TRS Coral we would have returned without hesitation to the TRS Yucatan where we left a piece of our heart.

 

[Anne]

Third fabulous trip TRS Yucatan

I recently visited the TRS Yucatan for a third wonderful trip since it was rebranded in December 2017. I truly felt like royalty. The staff, who are without a doubt one of the greatest assets this resort has to offer, have an innate sense of making one feel special and as though we are
“home”. Their frequent response when being asked for something is, “My pleasure”, and I get the sense that it is their sincere pleasure to insure the guests are happy.

I arrived to be greeted by Israel. He has been at the Palladium for many years and has been promoted to bellboy Captain at TRS . I congratulated him and asked about his granddaughter. He beamed and in turn asked me about “your beautiful daughter”.  I came upon many staff during my stay that remembered me, and anticipated my needs, welcoming me “home” , asking if I wanted my “regular” drink or just bringing me my drink of choice without being asked.

At check in I was given a cool cloth and offered a champagne or a cocktail of my choice. I  was pleased to be met by Corina, the new Manager of TRS who was joined by Alba & Celia, both of whom I have had contact with over the years.  When I mentioned how fabulous Cynthia the ebutler is they called her out to say hello. What a welcome!

I booked this trip to meet some Canadian friends who were celebrating their 50th anniversary. We all met at the Palladium 12 years prior and have remained close friends ever since, often meeting at the GP when they are there. I was  also thrilled to attend their sons’ wedding at the GP and was happy to be meeting him and his bride again. Corina asked me about my friends’ wedding anniversary and said the resort planned to do something special. Attention to detail is everywhere.

Rooms:   

Check in is at 3 but fortunately my room was ready early. As my friends had requested a room with an outdoor jacuzzi, without being asked, the resort was kind enough to locate us in the same building. We were  in 70 which is part of the original Royal Suites. The rooms have been tastefully updated and are stunning. I was thrilled to learn that I was given a gorgeous suite with 2 rooms. It was a corner room so had 2 balconies where I would sit and listen to the birds in the morning while I had coffee.  The rooms are “smart”, ie your bracelet opens your room, you can order 24 hr. room service from an extensive menu through the TV, a movie & popcorn, make reservations and more. Lights are on sensors. There is a ”green light” to turn on when when you want your room made up. 70 is steps to the Terraza pool (Alberto is awesome) which is opened until midnight and halfway between the Infiniti pool & the lobby. My friends’ adults kids requested ocean views and the son/bride were upgraded for their 9th wedding anniversary. Another nice touch. In my previous visits I had a room in 67 & 68, both with ocean views and very close to the Infinity pool.

I walked around the swim ups. Foliage has really grown in since last year. I would suggest any swim up in the rear buildings except 67 which is not private. 68 is very private in the rear.

Butlers:  

My butlers during this visit were Erasmo & David, both of whom were wonderful and met every request promptly and with “It is my pleasure”.

Wandering  to the salt water pool, I plopped myself down for most of the afternoon in a Bali bed or lounger. This was common for me as it is very peaceful there and one can listen to the sounds of the surf.  Returning to my room, I found a bottle of champagne, a unique plant, fish shaped cookies, fruit and house wine in the room fridge which I had requested as I declined the bottles of alcohol offered.

That evening my friends and  I met at the Full Moon bar. It was like old times. They are such lovely people! The Full Moon bar is a great place for before & after dinner drinks as it is outside Chic and they often have pre and post show parties.  It was nice seeing Mayra there who gave us a warm welcome and remembered our drinks from last year. She has been a favorite server for years. Erik is a new bartender there and was very personable.

When we travel together my friends and I remain flexible during the day, meeting for breakfast by chance and always having lunch together. The staff at Capricho always found us whenever we arrived and seated us together. We then went our separate ways most days until lunch.

My first morning I decided to stroll around and to walk to Kantenah and see Fernanda, the lovely lady who works at La Jarra and services the TRS area.  She greeted me with her huge smile and “Welcome home Annie”. I missed her on my previous visit as she was on maternity leave. It was on this day on this trip that she confirmed she is going to have her 2nd little girl!

The TRS beach area was very quiet. I lounged awhile in a Bali bed then strolled to the Colonial beach bar to see the Mad Dog band at the Rock n Burger lunch event (Thursday). Imelda saw me and walked over with my day drink of choice. Amazing memory!!

From there I walked to the Secret pool on the Colonial side and saw my old friend Irvin who used to be at La Jarra. He is very happy working at the Secret pool with Angel. Lovely people.

Food:

When I first arrived I ordered room service which has an extensive menu via the TV. It took about 30 minutes to arrive.  Shrimp Ceviche & salmon with salad were perfectly prepared. That night my friends messaged me that their flight was late so I went to Tentazion for a salad and some lobster stew. It was delicious and the service was excellent.

We usually ate breakfast at Capricho which has both a menu and a lovely buffet area. I often got an omelette made to order or eggs Ranchero with a variety of small dishes from the buffet. They also serve champagne and have blood mary/Ceasar ingredients (including Clamato). Louise raved about the eggs Benedict.

There is food served at the Infinity pool. My friends and I always met at Helios for lunch. Staff there are lovely. Some of them work at Capricho for breakfast so they always remembered us. Some favorite dishes at Helios included the grilled salmon, grouper, a chicken and noodle dish, the burger with guacamole and shrimp, and pasta dishes.  We all found the food and service at Helios to be excellent at lunch. We always met for dinner and also ate one night in Helios. We enjoyed surf & turf (lobster & filet) and catch of the day. Louise enjoyed the ice cream and sorbet there.

We tried El Gaucho which is an Argentinian steak house and serves excellent lobster & steak, awesome garlic shrimp & grilled chicken.  El Gaucho was to everyone’s liking and I believe my friends ate there more than once. Boheme is another favorite where Francesco gave excellent service. We had the onion soup en croute, lobster & beef filet, lamb chops, chateubriand, and excellent deserts including Creme Brulee.

Food allergy program:  

The resort is very attentive to those with food allergies. They will give you a card at check in to show your servers indicating your allergy(ies). In more than one case the chef came out to talk to us. We were asked about food allergies at every restaurant we went to.

Water:  

The water at the resort is filtered and safe to drink. They treat the water at their own on-site plant via reverse osmosis and bottle it there. Never a problem getting as  much water as you wish. If you need more leave a note in the fridge with a small tip. “Mas agua por favor”

Cleanliness:

Resort is immaculate & very eco-friendly.

Snorkeling:

I don’t snorkel but my friends do. There was some seaweed which the resort cleans up daily. It is arduous work. My friends did snorkel off the Kantenah beach and saw lots of fish including an angel fish for the first time. They felt the snorkeling has improved.

Tipping:  

While this is an all-inclusive, I feel the staff deserve tips and it gives me pleasure to tip them. I never felt as though a tip was expected and bring either a bunch of US ones & fives or pesos in 20 & 50 notes for tipping.  (Staff cannot use coins other than pesos so no foreign coins please.)

Transportation:

On the resort the cart & train system is very good. At TRS I never had to wait for a cart. Alberto always remembers me and has gone out of his way to assist. Alejando was especially pleasant and available when he saw me walking.

As always, I used AGI Tours for airport transfers. They have been there for me and my daughter for 16 years. This time they met me in a new 17 passenger Mercedes. I felt very spoiled. On the way back Mario picked me up in a brand new sedan. Highly recommend.

WiFi & phone:

Very good everywhere. I have Verizon and was not charged for data when I used text

Medical equipment:

One of the adult kids sprained her ankle and they found crutches available for a small deposit. The resort keeps an assortment of medical equipment as well as having a doctor on-site.

Conclusion:

I stayed in TRS Yucatan in December, 2017 shortly after it had opened. It truly has evolved into a five star resort. Once one has stayed on the TRS side it is hard to stay elsewhere. I do love the Romance Suites on Kantenah but it would be hard to give up the pampering on TRS. My friends mostly stay on the Kantenah beach during the day but they too felt it would be hard to not stay at TRS. We love the restaurants, staff, views, Infinity, Terraza and salt water pools. I also greatly enjoyed Chic the last 2 visits. It is a plus to be able to use all the amenities that three other resorts offer including the beautiful walks through the jungle,  Kantenah beach, the restaurants (one of which is AO per night), Hemingways & of course seeing the wonderful staff whom I have come to know over the years.

If this is your first visit to this resort you are in for a treat. My motto is “don’t sweat the small stuff”.

I can’t wait to return either to TRS Yucatan or TRS Coral which my daughter and I visited over Christmas.  Thank you Palladium for another perfect trip to Paradise.

[Anne]

17th anniversary. Smile Services made it specials

[Anne]

Copied with permission from Stephanie

I’ll share more (including pictures) later but first wanted to post about visiting this resort while pregnant, as I couldn’t find much information on it ahead of time! We stayed in #TRS but used many #GP facilities as well.

In my room requests when we booked I mentioned I’d be pregnant and requested a room that was centrally located. On check in we got exactly that – the view from our loft suite was not great but it was very close to the elevator, TRS pool, the beach, and path to the beach pool/Posiedon.

Our room was adorably decorated by our butler with rubber ducks, crayons, baby bibs, and balloons which was so nice after a long day of travel and a great start to our stay.

Getting around the resort was no issue at all. I stuck to walking for the most part but for anyone with mobility issues, the golf carts and boats were everywhere and always happy to give you a ride. We did try the boats and the staff were so kind helping me get on and off safely.

All of the staff at this resort are incredible. Everywhere I went I was met with warm smiles and congratulations, and questions about when I’m due and if it’s a boy or girl. Wait staff were all very careful to make sure I was comfortable with what I’d ordered, and generally shared stories about their family or how wonderful it is having kids. Such a nice change from the “you’ll never sleep again” sort of comments I get at home! 

There were no issues ordering all sorts of fancy drinks without alcohol. During the day we typically sat on the building 1 side of the TRS pool as it had more shade, and Wendy was our server. She was so wonderful at suggesting new fun drinks (“for the baby!”) And re-confirming each time that there was no alcohol in it. Tons of variety and everything was delicious.

We still wanted to do an excursion so I contacted Dan Palka to see if the catamaran tour would be safe, as most of the public ones said no. Dan assured me I’d be safe and well taken care of and he was so right! I’m often still nauseous in the mornings and the day of the excursion was no exception, but Dan was quick to get me a bottle of water and regularly check to make sure I was doing ok. The staff of Cancun Sailing were so great at making sure me (and everyone else) got on and off the boat safely and had a great time, and the smaller numbers on the tour meant the boat did not feel even a little cramped. There were plenty of non-alcoholic drink options, and lunch was delicious. The day was wonderful and I’m so glad I booked it.

Finally the mosquitos. I was mildly worried about zika but my midwife gave me some more recent data about confirmed cases and told me she is no longer recommending against travel to Mexico at all. She suggested I be smart about what activities I do and pack bug spray but otherwise enjoy. I honestly did not even see a mosquito let alone get bit by one (largely thanks to the steady breeze I’m sure) so this ended up being a non-issue. Everyone’s comfort level will be different here so make your own decisions with your healthcare team but I’m glad I didn’t cancel.

Overall we had an absolutely amazing, relaxing week, and felt so safe and well taken care of. I wouldn’t hesitate returning, or recommending this resort to anyone else looking for a getaway while pregnant. We’re sad to have to leave!

[Anne]

A bit cloudy & breezy today. Tractor is out cleaning the beach although I haven’t seen any seaweed.

Yesterday was spent mainly at the pool and a wander around.  Things are fairly easy to get to here. There are some restaurants and bars at TRS but everything else is at the “Village”, except the Nest which is near building 12 (Family Select). Still some work going on, ie church, building 13, Ambassador suites in 2. It’s not really noisy work.

We had breakfast at Capricho. Julio was very prompt bringing us juice/mimosa/coffee but the cappuccinos took awhile and the omelette took a long while. They were hot. It would be nice if they had an egg grilling station here.

Lunch was at Helios.  They weren’t sure how to make Abby’s requested drink so they sent a manager out to clarify.  Food took awhile. Order appetizers if you’re really hungry. Food was good. There are BBQs at the TRS pool and the GP pool from about 1 pm – 4 pm.

Dinner was at Gaucho. Very popular place. We had a reservation. Garlic shrimp were super. Steak out of this world. Lamb not as good as at Boheme. Stick to steaks here. Service was excellent. (Sorry I forgot server’s name but he was very good.)

After dinner we wandered to the Village. Michael Jackson show was not on so we went to the sports bar. Very busy place. They really should move the live bands from here to a place that doesn’t have a sports theme and TVs on.  Left there for Gravity.  Abby met some new friends from Canada which is a good thing.

Other things

• There is music at the TRS pool all day. Sometimes it is a DJ, sometimes not. The Beach pool is quieter.
• Robes in building 2 are long and comfy
• Wi fi is excellent and can have more than one device
• Weather has been cool. Bring a sweater
• People dress up here more so than in RM. Casual elegance
• Butlers work very hard but I still don’t know where we’re eating tonight. Capricho Christmas Eve dinner is fully booked. All a la cartes are open
• I downloaded the Portal but it doesn’t have Christmas Eve
• TRS lobby bar open 24/7. Very good coffee.
• No smoking policy at the pool but people still smoke

Smile came through for Abby’s birthday, including a cake with “28th” birthday on it!

Abby was out most of the night with her new friends so the Loft is very appreciated for private space.  This morning I’ll wander to the Isla Blanca buffet for grilled eggs made to order.

[Anne]

By CR Forever

After a one year break we returned to the newly named TRS Yucatan Resort …but still to us the Royal Suites, Oct 17-28, 2018. We were excited to see the changes to this area of the resort and to enjoy all the new additions during our vacation. Having vacationed at the Grand Palladium 8 times, 7 at the Mayan Riviera complex and once at the Palladium Vallarta we were very familiar with what to expect, but even for those of us who return year after year there are new things to experience and comment on. Hopefully my detailed review will help those new to the resort.
First travel, we did our package through Expedia and traveled with Interjet. A great airline, no issues at all and the seats were roomy and comfortable. We were able to pay to choose our seats in advance but as the flight was not full we did find that we could spread out in a three seat with just the two of us on both flights. Interjet did not allow for checked baggage for free so we did have this cost to pay but they do include a free sandwich and drinks on the flight which is helpful. Expedia also gave us a free transfer to the resort which we had to arrange through TRS Transfers through Mexico Travel Solutions. We arranged this with them with no problem and it worked out very nicely. The drivers were excellent, professional and got us to and from the resort.
Before arrival to the TRS Yucatan resort we contacted the e-butler service and had a few emails with Cynthia who handles this service. She is amazing! I was thrilled to meet her during our stay and chat for a while. You can find out about this through their website but it is definitely worth it to email in advance. Another tip in pre- planning is to visit the unofficial palladium site for all things palladium and you can find the link for the ebutler there as well plus many helpful things and people. Through the ebutler service, we were able to send her our room requests and she sent us a short questionnaire so they would know our preferences in setting up our room. She also suggested that if we wanted to go to the new Chic cabaret that we might like to reserve that through her in advance as it is very popular. She answered questions and was just a lovely welcome to start the vacation. We did have one glitch with our requests which was minor and was taken care of but it was great to share this with Cynthia and to speak to her in person during our vacation. I so appreciate her desire to ensure that each guest has what the need to have a great vacation! I always tell people the success of the Grand Palladium is the people who serve the guests so well and the commitment of management to listen to the guests whether a complaint, suggestion or praise, they listen and respond always to improve.

On arrival we were ushered to the desk area to complete our registration and given a cool cloth and welcome drink and cookies as we waited. We were welcomed by the staff at the desk with smiles and were quickly ready to go to our Villa to unpack. The new bands you are given at check in will open the lock on your room now so no need for room cards which is a brilliant new addition. Hope they add this to the entire resort in the future! We had asked for a Villa close to the new infinity pool area and third floor and all our requests were granted and we were thrilled with our room in Villa 66 ( 6626) a junior suite. Our view was of the ocean, Helios and the infinity pool. Perfect.

Changes to the décor and some of the upgrades are really lovely. First we met our Butler (three in our Villa Anna, Erik and Oscar) they were wonderful! Anna was there to greet us and show us our room upon arrival. She went through the room with us to be sure we knew how things worked which was very helpful. No more do not disturb signs on the door needed, you just flip a switch in your room as you come in to either green for ( I can be disturbed or the room can be cleaned ) to red ( I can’t be disturbed and no one will enter my room or knock ) really a great idea! Lights are all on a system so easy to turn off and on and while some feel it is a bit dark in the rooms we found it fine; cozy really and bright during the day of course. Air Conditioner is set to your taste and keeps the room at the temperature you like. Rooms come stocked with four bottles of alcohol and you can choice from a list if you want or take the ones they put in at the start. You are able to order house wine and champagne through the Butler for your room if you like and there are wines available for purchase in the room as well. There is coffee maker and coffee and tea and if you need that at some point during your stay and each day this is checked and supplies added. Your frig is also stocked and re-stocked daily according to your desires which is really nice. Water, soda, juice etc. plus snacks…chocolate bars, nuts and pringle chips. The e- butler can set this up or your butler can assist you. Pillow options and aromas for the rooms also available. The Butlers are there to assist with anything you need and they are wonderful, they were so helpful in helping with reservations we wanted, getting a cart to take us places, general conversation …we even had some singing at one point. Thank you to Anna, Erik and Oscar for making our stay so lovely. You greeted us with care and kindness each time we passed your way.

The room itself is well planned, lots of storage and comfortable. The bed is firm and the sheets are so soft …really helps after a day in the sun! The amazing products they provide are also great for all skin types and replenished for you when you need them. Our room cleaner was Vioncy and she was amazing! Our room was always spotless and ready when we would return from a day out and in the evening there is a turn down service as well and lovely treats each night to enjoy. Really special how they take care of you. Gracias to Vioney, she was wonderful! Please be sure to leave a tip for your cleaner each day and also for the person who will stock your frig, they work hard and will appreciate your kindness.

The adults section has taken over the previous Riviera section and the Royal section and so is much larger now. Of course the new Chic Cabaret is really being enjoyed by guests with a real Vegas show experience. We enjoyed it very much from the pre-show in the lobby to the welcome and then the entire show packed with great food and artists of all types entertaining us for about 2 hours. The entertainment team for this show really do a great job, they really try to draw you into the performance and I loved the end of the show as you left the team was lining the way out to the lobby clapping and thanking you for coming, I found myself clapping for them as well and thanking them for a lovely evening. This really is a must if you visit. Our overall impression with this show and with the bars and restaurants is that each location is unique and is trying to provide the guest with an experience. Many will say that they have seen better entertainment or had better food, but I honestly feel as if it is the overall experience that the resort is trying to provide. I thought the entertainment was awesome and the food as well. I suggest that people really relax and just soak in the environment and enjoy everything from the service, the food and drinks and the entertainment.

The new lobby is really spectacular, it is now air conditioned in some portions which is great and the bar area is really nice and comfortable to sit in. We were thrilled to encounter Lucy (Luciana), a longtime employee who we have known for many years at the old Royal section. What a joy to see her again. She always is so welcoming and does such a wonderful job taking care of the guests. Her smile lights up the room! Thank you Lucy for the amazing service you have given over the years, we can’t wait to see you again. She is definitely one of the resort’s jewels!
Restaurants- TRS Yucatan has a few restaurants exclusive to the guests there and we tried them all during our stay. As a TRS guest you can visit any restaurant in the complex which I think now totals 14 and through your Butler you can make reservations if you like or take your chances and simply walk in. Chang Thai in the Kantaneh section, was on our must return to list. We went to the opening night of this restaurant two years ago so we were eager to return. The food was great once again and we enjoyed and recommend this one! The Pad Thai was delicious as is the amazing coconut cream brulee for desert.

We decided on El Gaucho for our first dinner and as we entered what was the old Royal lobby we could not get over the transformation and the beautiful décor. We were greeted and taken to our table where we met our server for the evening, Arturo. He served us all evening with care and we enjoyed every course. We commented to him that we enjoyed the soup of the night (cream of zucchini) so much and could he please give our compliments to the chef. We then enjoyed a delicious steak and sides which were cooked to perfection. We were just thrilled with our first meal …the food and service. We took the time to speak with the chef, Chef David and Diego the manager of this restaurant and our server Arturo and thanked them for the amazing meal and service. It just started our vacation off right and we wanted them to know what a great evening we had there. They encouraged us to come again and Chef David told us he would prepare a special soup made with blue cheese. We went back to our Villa and booked dinner El Gaucho again and we returned to another amazing meal and the most delicious soup (we had two bowls) during our stay we had four dinners at El Gaucho and on every occasion the service was outstanding and the food to die for. The soups that Chef David and his team serve are simply heavenly and the entire staffs at this restaurant are just simply the best! We highly recommend this restaurant to everyone. I am sure the other servers are great but for us, Arturo is just the best there is…thank you for making each meal so very special. Diego, what a great team you have and we thank you for what you do to make sure the guests have a great dining experience. Well done El Gaucho, there will be many names of staff we will miss but we feel that the team at this restaurant needs special recognition on our list. Please reserve this one as soon as you arrive, you will not be sorry and get the soup!

We went to La Boheme the French restaurant, lovely setting as well and very nice menu. We enjoyed our meal and service was great, we had salmon and being from the west coast of Canada we know our salmon. The fish was cooked very well. Another great meal!
Two meals we had at Tentazione, which is their Italian experience. Lovely setting, great staff from the bartenders as you enter to the servers…the food was wonderful and we enjoyed both meals here. I asked if I could have Shrimp with Risotto although it was not offered as a meal and of course the response was No problem and I loved it.
We visited Helios for breakfast everyday special thanks to Alan, Santiago and Milanina…your warmth and great service impressed us and your kindness each time we came made us smile! We also went to Helios sometimes for lunch…the food and service was outstanding. My only suggestion is that 8 am is too late for the start of breakfast service, at least when the sun is up by 6:30 and you want to be out and enjoy your day. We noticed many people like us, up early and many waiting for 8 am to get some breakfast. In our walks in the morning along the beach we also noted that there is no coffee served anywhere. In the past we have always been able to get an early morning cup of coffee and a pastry but we could not find anywhere close to the beach this was available. I think having one of the bars at the infinity pool open at 7 with coffee available would be welcomed by the guests and maybe breakfast at this time as well. There are lots of people who just like to get that early start and be able to enjoy the beautify of the morning. I know I could order room service however, we really enjoy being out and eating in the room for us is not what we enjoy. There is 24 hour room service in this section and a nice menu for those who do enjoy this.

The food at Helios is great, you can choose from the al la carte menu or the buffet. They are one of two spots in the TRS section offering this. Helios is at the infinity pool and Capriccio is in the lobby area. We only visited Helios as we were so close to this location. We liked the options and beautiful presentation in the buffet and mainly used this, but we also ordered from the menu a couple of times and while you have to wait a bit longer the food was delicious. At lunch there is entertainment often at the outdoor eating area and that was really lovely. No one could possibly go hungry with the options they had. The presentation is amazing and we enjoyed every meal we had there. The service was very good and always with care and a smile.

Our suggestion for the entertainment group with regards to the artists we enjoyed at the resort is that they have some kind of cards with their names on them, we never did find out some of their names and would very much have liked to see if they have music out we could listen to and enjoy after the vacation. Many people made videos or took pictures and it would be nice to be able to say who they were. We heard singers, saw jugglers, DJ’s at various locations and wow always impressed with the entertainers. The variety was amazing. The team does a great job in providing many types of entertainment to please lots of different people.

The infinity pool….this is the jewel of the TRS Yucatan. Absolutely stunning location and we spend our entire time at this area just visiting the spa and the other pool once and finding we just wanted to be the infinity pools the most. This is a new addition and just amazing. There is a lot of seating here with options of Bali bed units and different types of loungers with umbrellas available, so shade or sun you can find it. There is a lovely older gentleman helping with the umbrella’s there and also giving out towels and he has the most wonderful smile and was so very helpful and kind…his name has escaped me….he was always on the watch to be sure you had the umbrella up or down or moved if you wanted. Two bars here, one at each end and service to your seat if you want it. There are two outdoor shower areas available close to each bar but if you want to be close to a washroom you need to the far end as that bar area is the only washroom for this area. The infinity pool has three different sections you can swim in making it very roomy for everyone and can accommodate water activities which happen during the day while still allowing lots of space for those who just want to be the water or swim. The water is not too deep, up to the chest I would say so you can stand up. A lifeguard is often watching so safety is taken care of. The pool faces the ocean, what a perfect view!

While at the pool you may encounter someone from the Zentropia Spa, they always have deals and if you want a great Massage, ask for Anna. We encountered Dynoe on our first day and what a character he is! Numerous times during the day as he made his rounds through the resort he would stop to chat and we looked forward to the conversation, laughs each day. Thank you for steering us to the Spa, it truly is a must go to place as well and as a guest in the TRS section it is free to you except the spa treatments.

Any place you want to go you can walk or you can get a ride, there is always a cart travelling along the pathways and the drivers are happy to stop and pick you up or drop you off…if you encounter Frank you are for a great ride. He is funny, sweet and well I think he is single ladies. Ask for Frank and he will be there quick to get you where you want to go.

We spent our time at the infinity pool each day, we came to relax and recharge and are so thankful that we accomplished this during our stay. We chose to reside near the Gaia Bar and so we got to know the outstanding staff which serves at this location. I am probably going to miss someone and I am sorry about that but Eric, Sergio, Alfredo and Ivan…wow you guys, you are just over the top when it comes to serving the people. We enjoyed every beverage, snack, conversation and just watching the show while visiting the Gaia Bar. Eric….he is something special. His bartendending abilities and people skills really bring fun and energy to the guests as he always has a smile and conversation for you and wowed us with his bottle throwing and catching and desire to be sure you got something great to drink. Sergio you also have such skill and care and remember what people like …you just made the day guys! Eduardo was in training and a young 18 ….you did a great job and thank you for all your hard work!! So appreciated the staff and those who served right at our loungers as well…amazing service. One thing they have is someone coming around with a cart which has books, magazines and sun screen which you can help yourself to…this is great because if you have stuff you don’t want to pack you can contribute it to the cart instead of throw it out. You can also offer it to the staff they are happy to get this as well. A cart also goes around with a drink of the day being made and served to you right where you are sitting, such a nice touch.

The infinity pool hosts some activities during the day as well and we encountered a beautiful young woman named Alexia who may be small but she has a HUGE personality. She runs the Yoga plus, plus, plus…she did water aerobics etc. as well. I was tired watching her for sure. Thank you Alexia for your care, daily conversation and kindness to us, you are an asset to the Palladium team. Rodrigo was also a member of the POP team in this area we met and watched his hard work as well….you are also a real asset to the team and you do your best to help people find things to do and let them know what is coming us, truly appreciated.

Our overall impressions of all the changes were that everything was just better than ever and again about improving the guest experience. We will return again as soon as we can, we just can’t imagine a better place to go for a vacation. There is so much to do and see in a large resort but you also can just enjoy one small area and relax, it is up to you. The staff will simply do their best to be sure that you enjoy every minute, if something is not right they will try to make it better. The location is amazing but it is the staff, the people, especially the ones we have highlighted that make us want to return. They add something so special to our vacation and we cannot thank them enough. We highly recommend this resort to you.

[Anne]

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Nicole Kelly for sharing

Hi everyone!!! We are home and settled   I just wanted to thank everyone again for all your help and also share my longer review from trip adviser that I am trying to submit but its not working lol! Thanks again!!! I hope everyone has as much as an AMAZING time as we did at this wonderful resort!!! Sorry review is very long!!!!!

We traveled to the Grand Palladium in Lucea Jamaica from October 16th thru October 22nd, 6 nights and 7 days. My family consists of myself,husband and twin children age 12. The ride from MBJ was approx. 45 minutes so it wasn’t bad at all. We arrived at the resort about 1:30pm and when we pulled up to the Jamaica side which is where I had my reservation we were told we were being upgraded to the Lady Hamilton side, of course I was ecstatic! We arrived on a Tuesday afternoon left our bags with the bellman, received our welcome drink and were taken to check in which had no wait as there was no one else in line. We spoke to Vanessa at the front desk who already knew my kids name and wished them a Happy Birthday she told them to call her Auntie Vanessa and let her know if they needed anything, she was delightful! Our room was not quite ready but she said they could give us another room that was ready but she thought I would like to wait a little bit because we would want this room!

We were given Villa 26 on the 3rd floor with a Ocean View so yes we waited!   The room was in in perfect location! Close to the pool,beach,theatre,lobby,sports bar,buffet, jerk hut ect. absolutely perfect!!! While we waited for our room which was only about 45 mins we just had a couple drinks and walked around the property to check everything out. The resort is big and beautiful but we did not find it difficult at all to navigate around the property and it did not that very long to get where you had to go   Once we were able to go to our room which was beautiful we were given a fruit tray, chocolates and champagne with personalized Anniversary and Birthday as well as Welcome letters. We unpacked got changed and headed to the pool 

A little later in the day we headed up from dinner and on the bed was 2 bunches of balloons with Happy Birthday wishes from the smile services team ( I will talk more about them later) After that we headed off for an early dinner so we could get to bed early as we were exhausted from the travel. The next 3 days we enjoyed everything the resort had to offer pool, kids water park, activities, las brias beach and the sunset cove beach, foam party ect. We didn’t catch much of the shows because we were so exhausted from being in the sun all day and having fun but we did watch the pirate show and some of the Michael Jackson show which was really good!!! 2 things we were HIGHLY impressed with the pool and kids waterpark I thought before we got there that my kids would have been to big for the water park but it was AMAZING! Also Sunset Cove Beach was our favorite and every time we were there we played games with the sweet and wonderful Kemar from the POP department   He was amazing and wanted to get everyone involved and always made sure we were having fun! We miss you already Kemar!!! A few other things I want to mention-

Housekeeping was outstanding! We had Veronica all week and she was the sweetest!!! We left for breakfast every morning between 7 and 8 am and she was already on our floor working so our room was completely cleaned by noon everyday and she always had a smile on her face 

Food was good we ate at the buffet for breakfast, lunch was normally the jerk hut and for dinner we ate at the a la carte restaurants. When we were there it was not crowded until the weekend came but there was never a wait to be seated except the night we went to the steak house they told us 45 minutes for inside or we could sit on the patio and be seated right away so we chose to do that. Drinks were very good and we found them to be strong especially at the Poseidon restaurant bar and if we wanted an extra shot in our drinks we just asked and everything was NO PROBLEM MON 

The staff that we had encounters with were all very friendly nice and helpful! On Saturday which was our kids birthday we left the resort for the day and visited Dolphin Cove which is 5 minutes up the road, Island Luxe Beach Park in Negril and Ricks Cafe so the kids had a great birthday! When we came back we had Hibachi for dinner and we had Chef Carleton who was so much fun! On a side note the Hibachi show is the only place you need a reservation for so make sure you set that up at check in 

Back to the Smile Services department, before we traveled I had reached out to them to let them know about my twins birthday throughout the trip I was corresponding via email with Janine who was OUTSTANDING! She emailed me friday and wanted to set something else up for the kids birthdays and wanted us to meet her at the Cabanas on Sunday at noon I was actually surprised that there was still more to come haha! Sunday came, we went over to the Cabanas and we were completely blown away by what Janine and her team did! They set up a birthday party for the kids at the Cabana balloons, banners, a cake delivered from a pirate that was personalized to my children, champagne, fruit, use of the Cabana for the rest of the day and butler service from the wonderful Oshane!!! Everything was absolutely perfect this day and we couldn’t be more grateful and thankful for everything that Janine and her team had done for us!!! Thanks again you are the best!!! My kids had a birthday they will never forget and we will probably never be able too top!!! xoxo

All in all we had the best vacation and a beautiful week! The Grand Palladium is a wonderful place to stay and I honestly don’t have anything bad to say about it! Our week was great, fun and unforgettable so thank you to everyone at the resort we helped make our stay one of THE BEST!!!! xoxoxo

[Anne]

Totally blown away at Smile Services yesterday evening. Personalised invite for a romantic meal for our 10th Wedding Anniversary. This turned out to be on the beach all trimmed up beautifully & very romantic! 4 course meal, photographs, Mexican singers the lot. Cannot believe how much effort they put into this special occasion. A memory that will last a life time this place is amazing and we are only on our 3rd day!

[Anne]

Jennifer posted “We are here! Brian got to sit in the cockpit and drive the pontoon boat. It was a big day! We are watching the mini show but don’t think we can stay up for the Mexican show. We will be able to see it next Saturday night. Plus he got a special note and decorations in the room from Smile Sevices!! (I’d sent an email last week and they were so sweet)”

[Stig]

Hi!

This site gave me great info about my vacation, added to my excitement and I was asked to report back, so here we go…

 

The short version: it was great, I would be happy to call it a 5/5 stars week and I want to go back! Pretty much everything was as I expected or better, and the “not-so-great” either requires some serious nitpicking, or was out of their influence. So, kudos to GP RM!

 

If you have more time and interest, here are some points that come to my mind. Regarding where I’m coming from, I have been on several vacations in Caribbean AI resorts (including GP Punta Cana, in 2014 I think – it was great), never in Mexico though. This was also my first trip with a bigger group (from 12yo to guys in their 50s) and thanks to our friend as PTC guests.

Now, lets start with this … staff was awesome. I never thought someone behaved unprofessionally or “unsmiley” or something less than I could ever expect… they were great and I hope to meet them again.

The grounds are probably the most “jungly” I have seen. Some resorts have manicured grass and a few palms between the buildings (which is not bad, airy and clear), but here it seems like the buildings were dropped into the jungle, while destroying as little as possible, which we found very nice. The grounds at the spa are immaculate. We didn’t see any coati, but some agoutis, some cats and lots of iguanas. We also had very lucky timing and seen turtles hatch

The disappointment that you can’t blame at the resort was the situation with the seaweed, that is bothering the Caribbean. It was washed up in a thick line (and smelly), but also often like a carpet covering a lot of water, so… not great. That said, we have been in the ocean a few times, when it was better and as a silver lining: almost all loungers at the beach were free

Also, they are making great effort to clean it up, all day, every day, but it seemed like a Sisyphean battle with nature.

Surprisingly, I ran into a little issue, when I ran out of my tipping bills (again, everybody was so nice, even without a tip, that we tipped more). I went to the reception and asked if they could break at least a $10 but they said they don’t have small bills, maybe tomorrow. So I went to the lobby bar (I was thinking they get tips in small bills, so maybe…), the bartender smiled a bit, turned to his colleague and she just said no. I think it isn’t a mystery what for I would want smaller bills and in the end, it is not really for me, so maybe coincidence, maybe bad timing, maybe they are not allowed… don’t know. I tried the next day in Zentropia, they said they don’t have any cash. So for a while I tipped more, but less frequently, or I didn’t, and then my friends came from a tour and helped me out. But I’m left with a feeling, that this should have been very easy (and in their interest to make it easy)… maybe one of the unused “phone booths” around the corner from reception could be re-purposed for a “break a bill machine” (what ever they are called).

Food & drinks… overall great, buffet nice (had dinner buffet just once, but breakfast great), snack options great (buffet & to order at the beach, ice cream at the bar…), restaurants generally nice, though there have been highs and lows (steak house meat perfect, Mexican octopus & Sinaloa beef delicious, Thai green curry great… and then the “sticky rice” dessert… well, either just take it off the menu, or look into it – it is not supposed to be just regular, little bit dry rice, with a bit of condensed milk (?) splashed over it as an afterthought… but “avocado smoothie” dessert great again – if you go for a dinner, have a chat with the waiter of chef, they know whats good ).

The specials were also great, paella on the beach tasty, chocolate Thursday at Hemingway’s delicious… New for me was the constant question “any food allergies?”… and if so, the chef would come out and talk to you.

Drinks also very nice, bartenders knew more cocktails than those on the menu and were forthcoming with special wishes, including branded alcohols… not to everyone though… I witnessed a short conversation at the swim up bar:

3guys “can we have a cerveza and two tequilas?”

bartender “could I please see your armband?”

3guys “never mind then…”

and walked away with their green (minors) armbands

:)))

Few other notes: the resort was pleasantly “under-crowded”. There were always some free chairs somewhere around the pool, line at the bar was never too bad (when it was getting there and there was just one bartender instead of two, he switched into turbo mode, moved really fast and still did same great drinks ). Same for the breakfast buffet line, never too bad, unless you are an irritable grumpy German guy (in front of us one morning, waiting maybe 3-5min seemed to ruin his vacation… but there seem to be one like that everywhere ).

The music at the pools was not what I expected after the Latino/Caribbean sounds in other resorts, but for the lack of a better word “normal western” music (I let it up to you to file it under pros or cons). Some day there was a DJ at the pool bar, then a great guitar guy, in the evening live band…

I’m not a SPA enthusiast, but enjoyed the Zentropia zone and how quiet, empty, beautiful it is there (also the healthy habits bar)… while on the other, more splashy hand, we had some nice games of pool volleyball (at white sands pool, the other has just a kiddie version)… OK, some more nitpicking: archery with one bow for many people wasn’t great, I did 4 shots in a full hour, my friends went for rifle shooting the next day, but it was full, because those who came for archery signed up also for rifle shooting an hour earlier… and sand at the beach volleyball court could be deeper/softer, but it was still nice to play (just don’t dive for the ball) and they went through it with a cultivator after the foam party (the foam pool/dancing floor was there).

And finally, something that luckily wasn’t relevant for our group, but was nice to notice, is that the resort seems quite ready for handicapped guests. Not just rooms and ramps, but there is a “floating wheelchair” ready at the pool and a sand/ocean ready version at the beach, designated loungers and so on.

OK, this is waaay longer than I planned and still so much not mentioned, but lets just say that all that I didn’t mention was great (e.g. PTC services, PTC responsible employees, airport transport, check in/out, carts, maids, minibar refill guy who seen me walk out of the room with an ice bucked and offered to fill it through his access door so I don’t have to walk a tiny bit to the ice machine without me asking him for it…).

As I mentioned in the beginning, it was a fantastic week, thank you GP RM!

[Anne]

By Ken Z

Our return to paradise, my partner and I returned to the TRS Turquesa for our 12th visit to celebrate our 24th anniversary and my 50th birthday.

First Impressions
It was with eager anticipation that we arrived at the resort. For this trip we opted to book a private transfer with Dominicanplus Transfers and were so pleased with the prompt and efficient service. Upon arrival we were greeted by the bellmen who quickly took our bags and escorted us to main desk to check-in. Our first impressions from the gentleman checking in was unwelcoming but efficient. He provided us with paperwork to be completed and bands. Seemed a little off putting from our experiences in the past. A Bellman quickly took us to our swimout junior suite in building 55. Unfortunately when we arrived at the door neither of our room key wristbands worked. The Bellman was able to let us into our room however and we were happy to find it decorated with an anniversary banner, fruit platter and a gift bottle of rum. We breathed a sigh of relief. This was the welcome that we were use to at the Turquesa. I will note that it took three return visits to the front desk that evening to get our keys to work. Both the front desk and guests were left frustrated. However with that being said we do like that your wristbands are now your room key —-you never have to worry about remembering your key.

The Swimout Suite
For us the swimout suite is the ideal room. We love being able to walk off your suite deck and into the pool. You have ready access to your own washroom and your sunscreen etc. We found the pool very quiet and relaxing. Drink service to the pool was quick and accommodating. We also love the location of Building 55 it provides full sun both morning and afternoon. Plus building 55 is close to all of the amenities. The only drawback for some might be how close it is located to the Secret Pool. On foam party afternoons the thud of the music can invade the peace and tranquility.

Dining Options
When we travel to the TRS Turquesa we choose to dine only in the TRS restaurants. We find that they provide the level of service and the quality of food that we desire. When we first travelled to the Turquesa the only dining option was the Royal Gourmet. We then saw the addition of the French Restaurant and now the addition of Helios and Kuskos. With all of these options we now truly feel there is no need to travel into the other sections. My husband is a chef and dining for us is an experience. We enjoy getting dressed for both lunch and dinner and having a relaxing 2 or 3 hour experience. There were many highlights for us at all of the restaurants. There was one noticeable change in the French with the Chateaubriand, no longer is it served on the stone with two accompanying sauces. The quality of the beef is still excellent but the show is gone. Plus I personally really miss the bernaise sauce. A highlight for us was also the addition of Helios. We love the beach club vibe. The cerviche scallops were wonderful and the surf and turf excellent. We also really enjoyed the crab cakes and duck at lunch. Carprichio and Helios and both open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We loved having two options for dining at lunch with two different menu options, unfortunately this changed 5 days into our holiday. Both restaurants are still open for lunch but with identical menus. This cut your choices in half and eliminated a number of favourite options. Both guests and staff at Helios were taken by surprise. Our experience at Kuskos was excellent but rushed. We were served 4 courses in 45 minutes. One item was arriving before we had even begun to enjoy the last dish. I am hoping that this could be addressed. It should also be noted that the air conditioning in this restaurant does not work at efficiently as the other TRS restaurants.

Smile Service
Wow! That is the best way to describe the experience that Octavio and his team provide. For our 25th anniversary Octavio arranged an intimate dinner for us at La Bohieme including champagne, candlelight, rose petals, speciality cake and a saxophone soloist. It was magical. He really made us feel important members of the Turquesa family.

The Reason We Return
We are drawn to the Turquesa time and time again because of the staff who are family to us. The are members of the Turquesa team who truly have left an imprint on our heart. Remanita at La Bohieme spotted us from across a crowded dining room and immediately came to welcome us on our first evening. Throughout our stay she went above and beyond ensuring our experience was exceptional, on our last day their were shared tears between the three of us. Another member who is a dear member of our heart from previous trips was Claribel in Carprichio. She two spotted us on our first morning and instantly reconnected with us. Both of these young ladies provide excellent service that should be consider the exemplary standard the TRS brand. We were also were really impressed with Estefani in la Bohieme and Helios, she is a rising star. One two different occasions she turned bumbling service provided by here colleagues in to memorable occasions when she spotted that things were quickly going down hill for us. She is an exception addition as is Jesus and Solanyi at Helios. Finally other standout members for us were Mabel at the main bar, Octavio at Smile Service and Melky as a butler—- who was not our butler but checked in regularly to ensure we were having a good experience.

The Butlers
We keep reading on trip advisor the amazing work of the butlers and all of the little extras they do for their guests, well this was not our experience. Over the course of 10 days we had an ever changing cast of butlers —none of whom went out of their way to make our experience outstanding. Our first evening Yan Marc introduced himself and the next morning he told us he was relocated. If it had not been for Melky who we have had in the past no one would have checked on us. On one occasion I asked three different butlers for assistance on the same issue over a 2 hour time span. The butler service for us was disappointing.

Overall
Our return experience to the TRS Turquesa was a great experience. It was the perfect place to celebrate two milestones. There have been changes since our previous trip but for the most part they are positive.

[Anne]

Mariposa posted

Finally on Wednesday evening we arrived at TRS Yucatan. We were so tired after a almost two days’ trip from Italy, but immediately noticed how gorgeous it is after its renovation. Our room is in Villa 66, top floor with stunning view over the sea, the Helios beach club and the infinity pool. Amazing! Our years’ butlers, Marcos, Anna Cristina and Erick are new to us, but very helpful and friendly as usual. We already visited some of our old staff friends and it’s so beautiful joining again our “family” here. This is why we keep on returning, they always treat us so kindly and make us feel so special! This morning we met Carlos Froilam, a very special guy who took care of our reservation and did his very best for out stay. Till now we only ate at Helios and we liked it very much. The beach is not as beautiful as last summer because of the seaweed but Fernanda Marifer compensates it with her constant smile and care as usual. Tonight we’ll attend the Chic Cabaret and are so exciting! Now are going to Capricho. To be continued… Sorry for my English!

[Anne]

LaMar Hailey Hudson

We returned yesterday from a week at TRS-RM. Here is our review:
This was our first time at a TRS resort and once we learned the lay of the land (big resort) we settled in and had a wonderful, relaxing vacation.

Room: we stayed in junior suite in building 70 (“old” section). However, the rooms have been completely remodeled and we loved the location of our building. It was right by the smaller pool and an easy walk to both the infinity pool and the main lobby (in fact, I would suggest buildings 69,70,or 71). Our butler, Raquel, was so awesome! We discovered on our first night that our patio Jacuzzi was not working, but Raquel had it working by the next day while we were out exploring. When we returned, he had made us a HUGE bubble bath! Also, I have arthritis in my back and the mattress was a little too firm for me. I learned from a review on Trip Advisor that I could request a memory foam topper for our mattress and Raquel made sure that it was on our bed by lunchtime. He made reservations for us, changed reservations for us… just went above and beyond and ALWAYS with a smile and with an “it’s a pleasure.” One morning, while waiting outside our building for a shuttle, I asked him how his day was going and his response was, “Excellent. Everyday is excellent!” Our other butler, Sahadi, was equally awesome and professional, but we didn’t get to see as much of her….but just as equally sweet and accommodating.

Customer Service: the employees at this resort (at least the TRS portion) went above and beyond to accommodate us and to make us feel welcome. For example, I love their (re-fried) black beans and white rice (my comfort food), but they did not have them at Capricho – which is where we ate lunch nearly every day. The waiter, Luis from Texas, went next door to the buffet and brought me back a big bowl of their rice and beans. The next day, the manager, Hector, had the Capricho chef make me THREE different types of rice and beans and from then on, they were always prepared for my request. So sweet!

Food: We ate breakfast every morning at Capricho – both off the menu and from the buffet. They made french toast especially for my husband every morning. I loved their “green juice” and their peach yogurt. Couldn’t get enough of the pear-spinach-celery green juice! For lunch at Capricho, we loved the gazpacho, the cream of vegetable soup, the ribs, the chicken Thai noodle dish, guacamole, coconut and cappuccino ice creams, and of course, the black beans and rice!

For Dinners: We pretty much stuck to TRS restaurants for dinner. We loved Tentazione (Italian) and ate there 3 times during our stay. Marin was a fantastic waiter, Diego is the awesome manager (I can see why anyone would want to work for him), and Wilbert, the bartender, became our friend. My husband does not drink alcohol and Wilbert was always creating new beverages for him to try. In fact, we would stop by the bar at Tentazione on our way to another restaurant just to visit with the staff! Hey Diego, “Let’s Go Cowboys!”

We also loved El Gaucho. Everything from the empanadas, to the salad, to the tray of meat for two (don’t remember the name, but that’s what it was!) was delicious. The ambiance was stellar and our waiter, Luis, was the consummate professional. My suggestion is to ask for Luis when your butler makes your reservation. I could write a separate review just on Luis’ impeccable professionalism and service.

La Boheme – not so great. We were not impressed with the food or the atmosphere. But hey, food is subjective.

Helios – I know many love it, but we were not impressed. Excepted with their strawberry ice cream. It was delicious.

We did try two restaurants outside of TRS: El Dorado, which was okay but very overrun and Portofino, which was much better.

THE SPA: We loved visiting the spa. The sauna, steam room, cold bath, hot tub, rock walk, lazy river, delicious smoothies. All of it. Getting massages the day before our departure was just the icing on the cake!

Beaches/Pool: Like everyone says, the infinity pool is awesome and the view is spectacular. Yes, I was disappointed that I couldn’t swim/snorkel in the ocean because of the enormous amount of sargassum, but there is always next yeaLove

[Anne]

Thank you Smile Services! We couldn’t attend our scheduled anniversary dinner so you decorated our suite!! It was amazing!!

[Anne]

Andrea reported that Smile Services surprised her family with a pirate boat trip for their anniversary!

[Anne]

Smile Services surprised her!

[Anne]

Are we one of your many reasons to smile today?
¿Somos nosotros una de tus razones para soreir hoy?

[Anne]

TRS Yucatan March 2018

This was my 2nd trip to the new, attractive TRS Yucatan. I have stayed at the original Royal Suites and the family side of the resort many times previously.

Amenities: The new TRS Yucatán is an exclusive adult only hotel as part of the Palladium complex on the Riviera Maya and consists of 454 newly renovated suites, 108 of which are swim up rooms.The original Royal rooms have a double jacuzzi on the deck while many of the other rooms have sweeping ocean views. There is a completely new beach experience featuring an adults-only Beach Club, 4 exclusive a la carte themed restaurants, a “Cabaret and Dinner Show”, a terrace that hosts different types of live music, and a new Infinity Pool.  The original (heated) Royal pool remains and the salt water pool is now part of TRS. The resort is a stunning contemporary style.

My daughter and I went to TRS shorty after it opened in December 2017.While it had some minor expected opening blips we felt like royalty and knew that this was only going to get better and evolve from above average to outstanding.

I planned this trip at the last minute mainly to meet my friends, the Lokes, from Canada whom I met at the Palladium in 2007. We had an immediate bonding, share many interests, world views and cocktails! Over the years I met the Lokes several times at the GP, even attending their son’s wedding there. When they told me they were going to GP in March I couldn’t wait to share the TRS experience with them.

Upon arrival I was met by the Lokes and received a warm welcome from the TRS staff and management. It truly felt like I was coming home. As it was early the Lokes and I went over to Helios for lunch while my room was being prepared. There was some pleasant live music playing on the deck overlooking the ocean. Helios reminds me of a beach club one might find in Ibiza. Two of us had the very good surf & turf burger which is a lean burger with guac and shrimp. Scrumptuous. The bun was “embossed” with the TRS logo. One of us had the salmon which Helios prepares perfectly to order.

After lunch I checked into my stunning room in 66 with sweeping ocean views. Love the “smart” bracelet and other smart features. My daughter and I had a lovely Jr Suite in 67 in December but this was even nicer. It was very well appointed with a beautiful, comfy king bed (I never wanted to get up), tub, double sinks, shower and water closet behind heavy mirrored doors, a glass closet and ample storage drawers. There was a coffee maker, a Nespresso, hairdryer , robe & slippers, and clothes steamer. Four bottles of liquor were supplied (which can be swapped out), fridge with soda, water, beer, snacks and four bottles of wine for purchase.

I received many nice touches while there including roses, champagne, chocolate treats, a fancy box with macaroons & chocolate covered strawberries that looked like works of art. There were even some fish shaped cookies in a box that looked like a sardine tin, special nightly plates and chocolates on my pillow.

WI FI: Excellent all over the resort

FOOD: The food at the TRS is the best I have had at an AI. From wonderful a la carte breakfasts at Capricho, attractive offerings at tasting stations, delicious shrimp, lobster, salmon, grouper,excellent steaks, chateaubriand, lamb chops, duck and more to satisfy even the most discerning diner. Things have improved from my December trip to March. Two of my suggestions from December were already implemented in March.(Gracias Palladium!) In addition, during busy times like Easter week, Helios also serves breakfast. Food is offered daily for lunch at Helios and the infinity pool, i.e. BBQ, Mexican tacos, paella, pastas, risottos, lobster and so much more (They rotate them so it is not repetitive.) There is attention to detail everywhere such as the embossed sandwich buns, TRS logos on the special goodies delivered to the rooms, the robe & slippers, laundry bag that reads “laundry today or naked tomorrow”, L’occitane products, and many other personal touches. There is also now a “book cart” which travels around the TRS pool area with recycled books, magazines, cards, suntan lotion, lens and facial wipes, clean towels.

FOOD ALLERGIES: Virtually everywhere I went, I was asked about food allergies. VERY on top of things. Chefs sometimes came out to chat with me also.

STAFF: Outstanding everywhere.The staff truly make guests feel like they are “home”. It was so nice seeing familiar faces like Alberto and Israel, many familiar waitstaff and bartenders. Staff cannot do enough and always with a smile. They frequently responded, “My pleasure”.I hesitate to name names as I will surely miss someone and my report will be a long list of great staff. I am baffled by a previous report about the butlers as the butlers were extremely helpful and knowledgeable on both of my trips. My philosophy is to treat people the way I want to be treated. One day I asked Alejandria where I might find a personal item and she assured me it would be delivered to my room that day, which it was. I would also like to thank Beatriz & Memo for coordinating my daughter’s birthday in December. The breakfast staff at Caprichoo were more than friendly and often helped me in locating my friends and seating us together. From waitstaff to butlers to entertainment to cleaning staff (immaculate resort), all stand out and are an asset to the TRS. I know some may be moving to the new TRS in Costa Mujeres so I’l just have to visit them there!

ENTERTAINMENT: The new Chic Cabaret is out of this world. This is a professional Broadway caliber show. It actually improved from December when I thought it was outstanding. It is a must see.The menu was eclectic and small food plates arrive throughout the nearly 3 hour show. Beef filet is melt-in your-mouth. There is a pre and post show party on the terrace.

Mario’s excellent Conclasse band sometimes plays at TRS and sometimes at Colonial. Other nice touches are live music such as harps and violins at breakfast and lunch, bands at the pool, Martine on piano some nights in the lobby(also in Hemingway’s). The POP staff now offer work out classes, yoga, pilates and more for TRS guests either on a schedule or a la carte upon request.

DRINKS: I only drink wine and found the house wine to be very good, imported from Spain and some American wine. The alcohol offered is all premium. There are four bottles included in your room which can be swapped. Coffees were excellent as was service and are often delivered as “coffee art”.

OVERALL EXPERIENCE is one of being pampered, made to feel special and valued. I wasn’t sure how my friends would enjoy the TRS experience as they are beach people. They always stay in a Kantenah Mayan Suite but were thrilled to be able to enjoy their meals and Chic at TRS. (Gold bands) They are very friendly with the staff and saw many of their old friends like Mayra who is now at TRS.They were so happy that they plan to return next year with their adult children. A bonus experience on this trip was meeting Blueskies Brenda and her family the night before I left. Blueskies & I have collaborated on UP and  other social media for some time now and it was truly a pleasure to meet this lovely lady in person.

I think that once one has experienced the TRS brand it would be quite difficult to stay on the family side. We grew to love the GP over the years from staying on the family side but the extra amenities at TRS would be hard to beat, although I do love the Kantenah Mayan Suites! My daughter often went to Colonial in the evenings in December for extra entertainment but felt very pampered at TRS and thus we will return, either to Yucatan or the new TRS Coral in Costa Mujeres.

TRANSFERS: Once again was professionally served by AGI Tours who also treated me like royalty! Highly recommend.

[Hmarquiscarr]

Hi everyone,

First of all just want to say what a fantastic resource this website/forum is!! Absolutely brilliant!

We are coming to the TRS Yucatan in June – first time to a GP or TRS hotel and to Mexico!

My partner and I are celebrating our anniversary (not a wedding one I’m afraid, just when we got together…you never know he might contact Smile Services and pop the question while we’re there…hmmm doubtful… anyway back in the room hehe!) so we want it to be super special.

This is also the first AI holiday I have got him to agree to, I can tell he won’t be disappointed but just want to make sure we are armed with all the ‘inside knowledge’ that you guys  have.

If anyone has any hints, tips and recommendations for a week in paradise please let me know. Looking for restaurant, activities, catamaran, – anything really to make it a real GP week!

Thank you all in advance,

Hannah & Matt xx

[Hmarquiscarr]

Hi everyone,

First of all just want to say what a fantastic resource this website/forum is!! Absolutely brilliant!

We are coming to the TRS Yucatan in June – first time to a GP or TRS hotel and to Mexico!

My partner and I are celebrating our anniversary (not a wedding one I’m afraid, just when we got together…you never know he might contact Smile Services and pop the question while we’re there…hmmm doubtful… anyway back in the room hehe!) so we want it to be super special.

This is also the first AI holiday I have got him to agree to, I can tell he won’t be disappointed but just want to make sure we are armed with all the ‘inside knowledge’ that you guys  have.

If anyone has any hints, tips and recommendations for a week in paradise please let me know. Looking for restaurant, activities, catamaran, – anything really to make it a real GP week!

Thank you all in advance,

Hannah & Matt xx

[Blueskies]

TRS Yucatan -Terrific -Relaxing- Suave :We traveled from March 10-17, leaving behind the cold and snow for our favorite tropical paradise. The Grand Palladium Riviera Maya and The Royal Suites Yucatan, now known as TRS Yucatan have been our home away from home for many years. We are often asked why we return time and again ? There are a few reasons, 1) The staff, many of whom have become friends and others friendly acquaintances who always greet us with a warm smile. 2) We never get bored, the resort chain does a wonderful job of changing things up while holding true to what we fell in love with all those years ago. 3) The food, we always enjoy the offerings around the complex. Now, you might be thinking we have nothing to compare to and we return because of that but that isn’t so. We have been to more than a few other resorts in this locale as well as other destinations. We find ourselves drawn back here because of all it has to offer. We arrived at the Cancun airport after a long day of travel, the older I get the longer those flights seem. We were through the airport in about 30 minutes. I find the time it takes to get trough since the addition of terminal 4 has greatly improved. Our pre- arranged transfer was waiting with our name on a sign, which made it easy to spot. Soon were on our way to the resort. When we arrived to the resort the couple we traveled with was awe struck with the luxurious entrance of the TRS lobby. This was their first time to the resort but it won’t be their last. Check in was smooth and fast. We were whisked off to our rooms in Villa 70. What can I say, we opened the door to the most modern room we have stayed in yet. At first, it is a lot to take in but you soon settle in just as in any room. The butler walked us through the room showing us how everything worked. I love the new light system to alert housekeeping and others, whether you would like your room cleaned or not to be disturbed. Great idea ! We were on the 2nd floor with a totally private balcony complete with a large jetted tub. The beauty of the green leafy jungle view is a welcome sight after months of white snow. The room itself is a bit dark, I think the smoked mirrors everywhere absorb some of the light. The only time it is a real issue is when a lady tries to apply her make up without leaving the room looking overdone. I found that if you take the magnifying mirror (light on) over to the area above the safe, you can make do with the lighting from above. We spent most mornings on the beautiful Kantenah beach, my favorite place on the whole resort. There was a fair amount of sea grass, which the resort did a great job of keeping clean. It never stopped us from swimming., so much fun ! We loved the new infinity pool but wished it had more shaded areas for those of us who tend to burn easily. Everyone enjoyed lunches at Helios, the food is amazing and the service was great. Try the surf and turf hamburger, yumm ! A lean burger with guacamole and shrimp. I could go on and on. All meals we had been really good, no complaints ! We tried to attend all of our favorite events: Country music and burgers each Thursday is one of them. The band Mad Horse is fantastic ! The Rock Forever show featuring Radio Zero is another must see show, if 80s rock is your thing. Chocolate Night at Hemingway is such a great way to end the evening. Luis makes a tasty chocolate martini. Chic Cabaret : What an AMAZING show ! There have been a few changes since our visit in December. You are no longer required to pre select your meal. Now you will be served a tiny portion of each offering. I loved this idea of tasting something you may not normally choose. Be sure to arrive at the TRS lobby around 7 pm and enjoy the pre show entertainment. Irving and Radio Zero perform on Monday’s and Friday’s before the cabaret. The theme song is no longer a part of the show. It would be nice if a replacement could be found. The crowd responded well to it previously and it added an energy that wasn’t quite there this time. If you have an opportunity to attend the CHIC CABARET, do. It is a MUST and is sure to be the highlight of your next visit. Zentropia Spa: We enjoyed the water circuit and 2 different massages. A 50 minute lomi massage and a 80 minute Mayan cleansing -hot stone massage. Both were fantastic ! I highly recommend purchasing from the spa staff on the beach or around the pool, often times you can negotiate a better price than listed. I would like to give a big hug and thank you to Lizzy, Roxanna, Beatrice and the butler’s of villa 70 and the TC concierge for making this stay extra special for our travel companions, who were on their belated honeymoon and celebrated a Birthday while we visited. I’m sorry, I can’t recall all of your names. The room was decorated with rose petals upon arrival. Later that night they returned to a filled Jacuzzi with bubbles, rose petals and floating candles. (no pics, sorry) On Chantelle’s Birthday they were surprised to with two t-shirts awaiting them upon return to their room. The cake and a bottle of campaign at dinner were a very nice touch. Thank you to the wonderful staff at Tentazione for making it a fabulous evening. It was nice to have a quick visit with Anne from Unofficial Palladium, Rosy, Pedro and Felipe. I hope to see you all again soon. We loved showing the resort to new guests. We have become accustomed to the level of service and amenities of the resort complex. It was an incredible feeling to see their reactions throughout the week, we looked at the resort with a heightened level of gratitude. It is a privilege and a pleasure to visit. Until next time …

[Anne]

By Marilyn Murray

 

Our 1st trip back as the new TRS! Not our last!
We arrived at the newly renovated TRS lobby on Friday, Feb 2/2018. Wow!
It is nothing like the Royal lobby, the TRS lobby is the Riviera lobby renovated with class and style! Upon arrival we were greeted by some of our favorite staff that are like family, Roxanne/Vania/Frank/Edgar/Alberto/ Joshua/Israel & Beatrice so many to mention and better not forget Christina and more……The lobby is a lot to take in, it reminds me a bit of the Riviera from the outside but inside is it sleek, modern and bold. I will be the first one to say that “I hate contemporary styles at a Mexican Resort, when in Mexico I like authentic”. But keep reading, this old bird has changed.

We had booked a junior suite because Expedia didn’t offer the choice to book a Mayan suite. We had a pleasant surprise waiting, we had our first upgrade ever to a Mayan suite (our favorite #7211). We were taken to our room and our butler (Alexandra) came along as well. She showed us how to open the door with the wristband, how to order room service on the TV, the new safe, the red light/ green light (do not disturb), balcony door lock, air conditioning etc. The butler also provides you with a number to call should you require anything, and they mean anything! The butler lets you choose an aromatherapy for the room, however, they are very strong so decided on scent free. Our butlers were Alexandra & Christin (I believe). Very attentive and always around. The room was completely updated, new shower head outside (2 heads) new decor, lighting, phone system, safe (with a plug-in so you can charge your device inside the safe) Cool! Excellent choices of alcohol, liquor, Havana, Julio, Johnny Walker and the fridge has chocolate, peanuts, beer (Heineken, Coors Light, Dos Ex), soda, water and also pringles  A new espresso machine & coffee maker is in the closet next to the fridge. And I was happy to see the fridge has ventilation behind it. I am sure that helps it stay cooler. You have 24 hour room service as well if you like delivered by Yenner I have to say the lighting in the room is poor for make-up. We didn’t have an ironing board & iron in our room we had a steamer. I much prefer to iron but we survived. We unpacked and wanted to shower but quickly realized we had no hot water! Yikes! After many hours of travel the one thing you want is a shower, and the outside shower is awesome! The butler’s number came in handier and quicker than I anticipated. I called the number, Alexandra came right over. She tried to run the water to make it hot but that it didn’t seem to be working. She reported it to maintenance and they arrived within 10 minutes. Unable to shower we decided to go eat and explore, this wasn’t going to dampen the fun (no pun intended).

There are many changes from the Royal Suites Yucatan to the TRS Yucatan. The old lobby is now a steak house El Gaucho (Argentine Cuisine) – and delicious! The new TRS buffet is in the lobby, called Capricho. We walked around the resort taking in the new décor and stopping to see many familiar faces Mayra (now at TRS lobby) Jesus, Nancy is at the Kentenah lobby, we ran into Joshua, Israel, Frank (Pancho) and Pasqual at the desk. Paola was on shift as well and came out smiling!

After a quick bite we decided to visit Lois at Hemingway’s (Kentanah lobby). Hemingway’s was so busy and poor Luis was run off his feet and had no waitress helping him. He was serving and bartending but he managed a quick Hola, smile and made my favourite drink. We wandered to the Colonial to see Con Classe (Mario & Carlos) this band is a must see when you visit.
The next morning our hot water issue was still an issue and we were offered another room and sincere apologies. We knew maintenance was working on it so we stuck it out and it was fixed (well, never 100% HOT but it was ok), we could live with that. Many reviews mention the hot water issue, we have stayed 15 times in the Mayan suites and never had an issue so I assume it’s from the renovations and expansion? Last I heard they are building a hot system just for the TRS area.

Saturday was beach day, the new beach of course! But first a stop at the TRS buffet! When you visit any restaurant, they ask your room#/name and if you have any allergies. With the new NFC access control technology, it would be so cool to have a reader at each restaurant entry, we would tap our arm band and our name/room # and allergies would pop up on the laptop
We ran into Idod who used to work at ElJardin. It was a pleasure to see him still working there. They now take your order with an iphone instead of pen and paper. Faster for sure! We had fresh juice from the juice bar, eggs benny and delicious to say the least!

Off to the new 3 level infinity pool, completely new and looks amazing! The new pool area is just over the bridge towards the Riviera section (now TRS). Wow, as you can see by the pics you are now on the beach and seeing the water and breeze. Complete with water fountains and give it a nice ambiance. Lots of very comfortable lounge chairs and Bali beds. Washrooms are close, 3 stalls and wheelchair friendly! 2 beach bars on the pool deck and Helios which is a lunch and dinner restaurant. Ideally, once they are at a full capacity Helios should be a breakfast buffet as well (it makes sense, thanks Stacey for that idea).

Staff are amazing at this resort, from a simple greeting to a great conversation. They are eager to hear more about you and to assist in any way. At Helios Beach Bar get Toby to make you a Horrita Mezcal, it delicious made of passionate fruit! Helios has a variety of food from buffet types, to a menu of hamburgers, chicken/noodle bowl/seafood etc. Arcadio from the pool deck bar used to live in New York; he has some great stories to share. The waiters and waitresses who wear a cute hat are Karinci, Fredy, Alejandro, Rolando & Diego. Don’t forget Saturday at 4pm is Tequila tasting, many to taste and Toby knows his stock!

You will see the same staff from the breakfast buffet serve you at Helios for a lunch. Manuel (both Manuels) went from the breakfast buffet to Helios. We also saw Marlene from the (old Kabah) now at the TRS breakfast buffet and also at Helios, a lovely lady that never lets your water glass go dry! Andres from the buffet can be seen around Helios at lunch making sure everything is in order and people are served quickly. We also ran into Cosme Damien (from El Jardin) he is always around the resort and so nice to see he is doing well! He can be seen at the wine tasting night outside of the Italian/French restaurant. The TRS has some amazing wine!

We went to the new entertaining CHIC cabaret, TWICE! And, wow! It is sleek like a mini Mexican Vegas! The talent is outstanding, from singing to dancing, a solo or in groups there was never a dull moment on stage or off! The show starts outside in the lobby with a live band, people in costumes and drinks & dancers. Once you go inside and you are seated the show starts and dinner starts to be served. I believe its about 7 courses, and shooters in between! They really get the audience engaged and it’s very exciting. Seating is good, the stage can be seen from any seat. On our second night we had the bench seating which we didn’t find as comfortable as the chairs, we don’t have skinny butts . Men must wear long pants, you also must reserve this show ahead if time. A shout out goes to Isaac our waiter at the CHIC and also at Helios. He is very sweet, and great service! I wasn’t fond of the food however, my husband enjoyed it. The next time we went I used Room Service beforehand and had a fast and wonderful meal delivered to my door. I am impressed to see they want your feedback after the show. Each night the how was a bit different so you can go a couple times and not get bored of it!

We ate at the Italian Restaurant and we were so happy to see Venturo (beonoventuro) he also is a waiter at CHIC. Great to see him back, he is a great waiter and a lovely person! The Italian is delicious and offers a traditional Tiramisu served in an Espresso container, the bottom is a custard and the top is a sauce you pour over. Excellent and served so nicely. The Gaucho has a variety of foods, a lot of steaks and tender! A nice touch is you get to choose your steak knife. They bring an assortment of knives to the table for you to choose the one you would like to use. Nice touch! Chang Thai is my favorite, the salad bar has fresh rice wraps and the Pad Thai was amazing. A small serving but you can ask for 2! La Lola was delicious offering many tapas hot and cold.

We went to the adult pool twice, it was nice to be back on the familiar turf. I think the palapa hits need a hair cut We were disappointed to find some travellers playing a speaker of country music while in the pool. I never understand how someone thinks their taste of music is the same as the other 30 guests on deck. The waiter said they are not allowed to play it, shouldn’t he have reported it and not left it up to me?

Overall, a great resort and wonderful people! Can’t believe I LUVED the contemporary feel to it, the service is outstanding! You really are pampered. WiFi around the resort was fantastic and not patchy, even on the beach! Entertainment was wonderful, every night something to do or see. Paella on the beach and live music (ConClasse). Chocolate night at Hemmingway’s, Tequila and wine tasting so much more! We have stayed at other resorts in the Mayan area. By far, the Grand Palladium & TRS are the best and we will continue to go back!
Room Tip: Mayan Suite was lovely!
See more room tips
Stayed: February 2018, traveled as a couple

 

[Anne]

Response from Rosa

Rosa R, Director de Relaciones con Clientes at TRS Yucatan Hotel, responded to this review
Responded yesterday
Dear Anne,

All the team in TRS Yucatán was very excited to welcome you in our renovated facilities, pamper you and your daughter during this Christmas holidays and celebrate a fabulous birthday together!

Thank you for giving us this pleasure, your comments will be gladly shared with Memo and the Smiles services team that made this day for your daughter so special.

We are also very proud of all the new staff of our team, who have managed to earn your recognition, be sure that we will share your motivating words with them and with Bety, Alberto, Ricardo, Alex and all staff that always considers you part of our family.

Your great feedback has already been communicated to our Managers; we know that our repeat clients are our best judges and we are delighted to know that everything you have experienced has been wonderful, nevertheless, we will also work on all the details that you have mentioned and that we know we can improve.

Again, thank you for your undoubted trust; we look forward to your next visit to again exceed your expectations We look forward to your next visit to again exceed your expectations and to further enliven your love for our people and our Hotel.

Our best wishes for this year!

Rosa Rivero
Hospitality Manager

 

[Anne]

Response from Rosa

Rosa R, Director de Relaciones con Clientes at TRS Yucatan Hotel, responded to this review
Responded yesterday
Dear Anne,

All the team in TRS Yucatán was very excited to welcome you in our renovated facilities, pamper you and your daughter during this Christmas holidays and celebrate a fabulous birthday together!

Thank you for giving us this pleasure, your comments will be gladly shared with Memo and the Smiles services team that made this day for your daughter so special.

We are also very proud of all the new staff of our team, who have managed to earn your recognition, be sure that we will share your motivating words with them and with Bety, Alberto, Ricardo, Alex and all staff that always considers you part of our family.

Your great feedback has already been communicated to our Managers; we know that our repeat clients are our best judges and we are delighted to know that everything you have experienced has been wonderful, nevertheless, we will also work on all the details that you have mentioned and that we know we can improve.

Again, thank you for your undoubted trust; we look forward to your next visit to again exceed your expectations We look forward to your next visit to again exceed your expectations and to further enliven your love for our people and our Hotel.

Our best wishes for this year!

Rosa Rivero
Hospitality Manager

 

[Anne]

My daughter and I arrived in Cancun from two different cities shortly before Christmas. It is a very busy time to travel. AGI had traced our flights and was waiting for us. Despite my flight being late they were able to coordinate our arrivals and show us to a roomy 17 passenger van for a non stop trip to the new TRS at the Palladium.

First impressions: Stunning resort. Beautiful and immaculate. While this is a renovation of an existing hotel one feels as though everything is shiny and new.

We received an extremely warm welcome by several people in reception. Beatriz came out to welcome us. Happy birthday greetings to my daughter. Welcome drinks and a cool cloth if desired.

Smart bracelets which open the room!!

Alberto, whom I have come to know over the years, drove us to our lovely room in building 67. He was beaming as he talked about his pending fatherhood for his 2nd child. A baby boy is due in February. We arrived at our building and were introduced to our butlers. Be sure and use their services as they are very accessible and helpful for general information, reservations, calling carts.

Accommodations

Our room in 67 was lovely and well appointed. Two extremely comfy beds, sofa, smart TV, 4 bottles of liquor, Nespresso and regular coffee machines, umbrella, hair dryer, clothing “steamer” (no iron), stocked fridge. The bathroom was semi-open. Both the shower & toilet were in separate closets with full length mirrored doors. The tub was open in the room. Some rooms have a glass enclosed closet. We had a small private closet. There were several electrical outlets which is an improvement. A few shelves for clothes. Ample supply of L’Occitrane products.

We had views of the ocean and the new Infiniti pool. We also were above some swim out rooms. Landscaping is on-going there. During our stay some palm trees’ ropes were clipped and thus the trees became more lush during the week.

Thank you to Beatriz for coordinating with Memo of Smile Services to decorate our room and supply my daughter with a cake, flowers, balloons, champagne for her special day.

Food

The resort had a “soft opening” in December while everything got up & running smoothly. While we were there restaurants were staggered . By the end of our stay everything was opened and we were able to try all of the new restaurants and some of our old favorites.

When we arrived at 4 pm nothing was opened for food on the TRS side so we ordered room service. Food was very good. (shrimp ceviche & some tacos, guac & Pica)

I was hoping to get into the Chic dinner restaurant for my daughter’s birthday but it was not opened that night so we booked for Christmas night. On my daughter’s birthday the butlers got us a reservation in Tetazione. This is an Italian themed restaurant. As it was new we didn’t really understand that we were meant to order three courses, i.e. an appetizer or salad, pasta and an entree. As we had had room service late we weren’t terribly hungry. I tried the lobster stew (yum) and my daughter had lamb chops. Everything was delicious and beautifully presented. Bonadventure remembered us and staff surprised us with another birthday cake and sang Feliz Cumpleanos!

On most evenings we ate at TRS. The butlers made reservations, One night we ventured over to Chang Thai which we had never tried and which was very good though “spicy” (#2 spice ranking). Alfredo was an excellent waiter. Another night we went to Poseidon (Punta Emilia) where we both had garlic shrimp & lobster. My daughter also ordered veggie paella which was excellent. (TRS guests may get lobster anywhere.)

On Christmas Eve we had the Gala dinner at the Capricho restaurant. Outstanding. We both had lobster off the menu as well as many excellent side dishes from the buffet stations.

On Christmas night we went to Chic. Prior to the show there is food and entertainment on the terrace. Definitely try to see the show. Very entertaining. The food is average but I learned they are working on a new menu. We were able to say hello to Ricardo and his wife Erika. Ricardo was very proud of this show which he should be.

We also enjoyed La Boheme which is a French themed a la carte. The chef came out to say hello and double check on my food allergy (which often happened). Food was excellent. Victor was our waiter. Very professional. Onion soup in pastry was to die for. We enjoyed the brie though I wish it had been warmed. We had chateaubriand then called a cart to attend chocolate night at Hemingways. Gracias Luis for our special coffees.

El Gaucho was a favorite. Garlic shrimp are to die for. We had excellent salads, mashed potatoes and rib eyes with veggies. Daniel was very professional.

On our last night the butlers informed us that Helios would be opened for dinner. We were not disappointed. Our waiter was excellent. Sorry only recall his name began with F. He kindly brought us each a plate with samples of all appetizers. We then debated on garlic shrimp & coconut shrimp. As we couldn’t decide he brought us both!! Excellent.

For breakfast we usually ate at Capricho off the lobby. We ordered omelets off the menu and enjoyed offerings from the tasting stations. Breakfast here is leisurely. We had lunch at Helios which was usually very good. Opening blips improved by the end of the week, A favorite meal of ours was the burger with guac and shrimp. This was delicious but we sometimes got a slight variation. All good and usually made us smile. We greatly enjoyed our Mexican food at the Punta Emilia beach bar and hope that TRS adds some Mexican food to the menu or to the Heiios beach bar area. One day they had paella set up so maybe the same could be done with tacos, guacamole.

There is food & beverage service around the pool & salt water pool. Menu consists of bagels, wraps, sandwiches, empanadas, pastry, ice cream.

Staff/service:

Outstanding. Both old friends and new staff. (Some wear pins indicating they’re in training.) Be kind. Everything is new and all work hard. Can’t do enough. More than ample staff. Those working on TRS expressed that they are proud to be there. (Alejandro comes to mind. Gracias!)

Wine/alcohol

MUCH improved. Excellent house wine on TRS and top shelf liquor.

Food allergies

I was asked about food allergies at every restaurant I went to and I think it may have been entered into a computer because everyone seemed to know about my one unique allergy. My daughter’s friends who had multiple allergies were turned away from Sumptuori as their safety could not be guaranteed. I applaud the resort for this.

Entertainment

Very nice touches like violins at breakfast, music at the pool, con class at Royal & in Colonial lobby. My daughter went out “at night” and met many young people at Colonial. On her last night she met so many fun people we considered staying on.

Santa arrived by parachute on Colonial beach on Christmas. Kids were delighted.

Transportation

Many new carts all over the resort. More than ample Royal carts.

Spa

I negotiated a massage for my daughter with the rep who walks around. She thought is was excellent and very relaxing.

WiFi

Excellent at TRS and worked all over resort.

Currency:

I got pesos at home and recommend this. I got a rate of 18 to 1 US. Airports were offering 14 or 15 to 1 US. It was very easy having pesos.

Overall:

We were so happy & relaxed at the resort that we didn’t leave. We felt like we were in a different world. It is a beautiful property and once fully up and running will be exceptional. Based on it being a new property, they are doing a remarkable job. Can’t wait to get back.

[Anne]

Smile services & local children

Smile Services & local children

[Anne]

Fun video

60th anniversary

[Anne]

Thanks so much to Patricia Roed for sharing the video of the 60th anniversary dinner organized for their family via Vallarta Smile Services. Wonderful!

60th anniversary dinner

Gracias to Vincente Martinez for organizing this.

[anjeecole]

Hi Anne,

Yes, I will.  I do recall you giving me that email earlier.

I will follow up with Memo at Smile Services.

 

Thank you,

Anjee

 

[Anne]

Anjee,

 

You can also contact Memo in Smile Services regarding your honeymoon.

smileservices.riviera@palladiumhotelgroup.com

[Blueskies]

SMILE SERVICES by PALLADIUM

March 2023

This is a servcie that provides a surprise “wow” factor to special events. It was discontinued during Covid but will soon be returning. Check back for more details.

 

 

[Holliemollie]

We enjoyed our 13th trip to Grand Palladium 3/7-3/15/2017.  We got to stay an extra bonus day due to a blizzard in upstate NY, which was handled wonderfully by the White Sands front desk staff.  We had no idea if we would be able to stay on, but, after a short wait, we were advised ‘No problem, and you can even stay in your current room – no need to move”  We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome!

To recap our trip, we were granted VIP status for our 13 year loyalty, which we GREATLY appreciate.  We have made friends over the years with several employees, and always look forward to seeing them – it is part of the excitement of the trip.  Most importantly are Marlene and Lourdes in the White Sands morning buffet, and this year we met Monica who was working with Marlene.  Despite the language barrier, there is never a request that is not met, and always big smiles and cheerful attitudes.   Also,  at La Jarra, Irving,  Rodrigo, and Fernanda, who sadly was still at the Colonial bar during our stay.  We visited her there a couple of times and were always greeted with hugs and smiles.  So glad to hear she is back at La Jarra now!

In the evening, Ivette in the White Sands Lobby bar, and Alfredo at the Riviera bar always took such good care of us.  We will definitely look for them on our return next year.

Last but not least, Frederick at La Jarra was very helpful to us every morning to set up our spot on the beach.  Joaquin, who we originally met at White Sands, was with the Travel Club in March, went WAY above and beyond to search out a band aid for me one evening in the White Sands lobby, which made the walking I did the rest of the night much easier and bearable.  Mucho Gracias to Frederick, Joaquin, Rodrigo, Irving, Ivette, Frederick, Marlene, Lourdes and Monica!

For the first time we had to utilize the services of the on staff Dr. because my husband got pink eye.  Dr. Omar was wonderful to us, and quickly diagnosed the problem and wrote a prescription for eye drops.  Within 45 minutes of giving the prescription to our concierge, the drops were delivered.  Cost of prescription was about $33 USD, and it turns out that about $30 of this was the delivery charge.  However, it saved us from going off the property, finding the pharmacy, etc.  Once again Palladium does everything they can to make your stay comfortable!

One last example of the  willingness of staff to accommodate their guests expectations occurred in the White Sand buffet at dinner time.   Several years ago, burrito’s were available where the traditional Mexican food is offered.  I asked for them this year, and, despite (a very large) language barrier, the young man working there indicated that they did not have them, but he would see if they could be available.  Two nights later, burritos were served!  It seems there is no end to the effort made to keep guests happy.

I can’t imagine any place better than the Grand Palladium – the grounds, the beach, the wonderful staff – all keep us coming back year after year.  We look forward to our 14th trip in 2018!

[Anne]

Smile Services Puerto Vallarta – congratulations Vicente Martinez who is the new manager of Smile Services in PV. Don’t hesitate to contact him if you have a special event (birthday, anniversary). smileservice.vallarta@palladiumhotelgroup.com

This is a special dinner set up for Peter & Carolyn

[Anne]

Submitted by Kern

Actually stayed there last in April, 2016 and am finally writing a review.

Love Palladium resorts, and keep returning. The location of the resort is perfect! Great beach onsite, close to Tulum, Akumal, and Playa del Carmen for touring.

The staff makes the Grand Palladium the amazing hotel that we love and continue to go back to. Everyone always greets us with a friendly smile.

The beach is long and wide with areas for snorkeling and swimming. Sea kayaks are available and a lot of fun. The spa at the resort is gorgeous! Definitely stop by – it’s so beautiful and peaceful. The entertainment is varied and fun – something for everyone. The food is quite good and there are tons of options available.
Planning to return one day soon! Thank you Palladium!

Room Tip: Kantenah top floor in building 50 or 51 if you prefer to be close to the beach

 

[Pat]

We have arrived in Paradise! The Grand Palladium Vallarta welcomed us in ( all 19 of us) with smile and efficient service. Of course, we were not surprised really we were proud! We hoped that our family would see why we make our way to a Palladium resort each year and I think they see it today. Check in was amazing and our wish list was exceeded. Our parents celebrating 60 years were upgraded to a lovely room with a beautiful ocean view. They are thrilled. We received gold bands as this is our 8th trip to a Palladium resort and we feel privileged. We are looking forward to exploring this lovely place and sharing that with all of you. Our first impressions…. the staff is filled with amazing, kind and caring people who made our first few hours wonderful. We arrived later so went to the buffet( I am not a huge buffet for dinner person) it was outstanding and relaxing and everyone enjoyed it!!

A dip in the beautiful infinity pool tonight with the waves crashing in behind us we also enjoyed a beverage from the secret pool and the welcoming and attentive staff there… time for a good night sleep after a long but incredibly smooth day of travel.

Tomorrow heading to to the Royal section for breakfast and some pool time.  Can’t wait to share with you what we encounter.

 

[Anne]

Water volleyball in Jamaica

We are having fun everyday from 10am in the main area: volleyball, aquatic aerobic, water polo, pool bikes… come to have fun with us this Saturday morning! #AlliNeed #SmileOn

 

Pic by Darwin

[Anne]

Juan Carlos the chef!!! Professional and good person!!! and his team in the resturate portofino of #granpalladiumimbassai #smileon #allineed

[Anne]

Posted with permission from Easton PA

Royal Suites Yucatan

Resort is all 5’s, If I could rate it higher than Excellent I would.
Stayed in Bldg.69, top floor last year, great location(room6925),got sun all day on balconyand did not have privacy curtains,did not have an over hang(roof). This year switched to Bldg.71, second floor. Very private. Unfortunately, we had very inconsiderate neighbors in this bldg. Came in very late, and very noisy. Whether them or someone else on bldg., got up very early(6:00a.m.), put T.V. on loud and dragged furniture around. When they left room they talked and whistled loudly in hall. Totally not thinking that other people might want to sleep a little late on their vacay. This is NOT the resorts fault at all, and they were very apologetic when we told them of noise at front desk, again, not their fault.
This resort could not be any more beautiful than it is. It is kept immaculate at all times.

Food in IlJardin is wonderful. Tip, ask for coconut shrimp, and your lobster tail out of shell. MAGNIFICENT!!! I love breakfast buffet there, all food is great, and the champagne flows freely. If you enjoy a bloody Mary, get one, but only ask for hot if you really like extra hot.
The buffet at LaHacienda is totally off the top, something for everyone, Italian,Oriental,B.B.Q. Everything was great.
What sets this resort heads above all others in A.I. Mexico, is the staff. They are friendly,helpful and you are always greeted with a genuine smile. If I needed room service with any problem, they were there in minutes to correct. We have spent countless hours at other resorts waiting for room service, not at RSY. I Emailed the hotel 1 week prior to arrival, and got the exact room I asked for(Again, thank you Roxana Alvarez) Special kudos to Antonio at Royal lobby bar. He is very friendly, and loves his job, as you can tell after watching him for awhile. We had some great conversations with him, and got to know him better. Hope he will still be at Royal lobby, bar after renovations, he is a joy. Also Lucy, server at Royal lobby bar, she could not do enough for you, I miss them both.
Royal pool, Outstanding, water perfect temperature to plunge right in, drinks don’t stop, and the food off the menu is great. I had pasta Bolognese that was almost as good as mine. The grill (1p.m.-3p.m.)has burgers, hot dogs, kabobs, potatoes and veggies, plus I loved the fresh made guacamole and chips. Everything you could want and you don’t have to leave poolside or the beautiful sun and water. If you go to the other resorts(don’t forget your private cart) they have venders set up for some leisurely shopping. Sports bar is ice cold inside, ask for what ever sports event you want and they will put it on for you. Can’t wait to return next year, hopefully resort will not lose it’s quaintness.
This resort has it all. But above all else are the entire staff, please do not forget to tip them generously, they work very hard, always with a smile and a HOLA. Some people we saw must think all inclusive means you don’t have to tip, you don’t, but it always appreciated. The staff goes over and above being helpful and gracious, so please reward their hard work.
If you have any questions, I will be glad to answer. If this is your first trip to RSY you will be so glad you chose this resort, and you will see why so many people return year after year after year. We will definitely be back next year. Have a wonderful vacation!

Room Tip: Bldg.69, faces Royal pool, if you ask to face resort side. Bldg.71 is turned, so both sides face tr…

Green Features: Resort does just about all it can to preserve environment.
Stayed May 2017, traveled as a couple

 

[Anne]

Fresh coconuts are waiting for you every morning at the Beer Hut. Let’s go to get one! #AlliNeed #SmileOn

Located between building 11 & 12 on Jamaica side

Our fantastic bartenders Chavel and Coloney will be making you to move your body every morning at their secret spot: BEER HUT!!

Beer Hut

[Anne]

Memo is a great asset to the POP team and  now manages Smile Services. If you need a special surprise for someone contact him.

smileservices

 

[Anne]

Shelley posted:

This was our 4th visit to the Grand Palladium Royal Suites Yucatan. We have gone annually since our first stay because we love it so much. Staying in the Royal suites area is worth the extra money for the Adults only areas, shuttle service, spa, El Jardin and the premium bar service. We have stayed on our friends travel club membership the past three times which is a great experience as well. There is a very nice Travel Club lounge on the beach. The staff at this hotel are amazing, especially in the Royal Lobby where Lucy the waitress always has a smile waiting for us. Alberto is also always ready to make our next drink with a smile. We just love them!
We wanted to make a trip before the renovations start in June. We are going to miss our nice cozy Royal Lobby with air conditioning but hopefully the new lobby is just as good, or better. We really enjoyed the quaintness of the Royal Suites but hopefully with the addition of the Riviera being Royal Suites it will be just as good, or better. They are always improving. Improvements noticed- There are now snacks in your fridge in the Royal section: Ritz, peanuts and Snickers bars. They now serve Captain Morgans in ALL bars. That was a big plus for me. Check in they gave a 5-10 minute presentation to go over the resort layout, restaurants, etc. This was my 4th time here and we never got that info before. The Choclate night at Hemingway’s is also new and was AMAZING. That chocolate mousse is to die for and the chocolate martinis are 2nd to none!
The last time we came the sports bar was open 24 hours with food and we prefered that over the outdoor 24 hour snacks on the beach because it is easier to get to from the other entertainment. We would love the 24 hour food to go back to the sports bar.
We attended the White Party/Fire Show at Las Rocas and that was a great party, on the ocean, under the stars. The past 3 years we had missed it at the beach due to weather.
The People of Palladuim staff are amazing and they always try their hardest to get everyone involved and keep people entertained. They are amazing.
We only stayed 5 nights but if you wanted to do everything you would need at least 2 weeks. There is always so much going on.  The Palladium had a concert on the beach, with games, a beach party and dinner. It was over the top! The coconut drinks were amazing and the entertainment was so fun! This resort really enjoys making peoples vacations happy, it is second to none!
I got my 4th flower at check out which I have now added to my collection of flowers to remember all of my trips to the Royal Yucatan.
We are excited for the addition of swim up suites and we will be back when they open up!
Thank you to all staff of Palladium, you ALL are truly amazing!
Until next time! GRACIAS!

Room Tip: Anywhere is good

 

[Anne]

Darlene says, “Thank you again Carlos Froilam Tuz Luna @ the White Sands lobby desk for such wonderful customer service you provided for us upon arrival and right up to our departure ! You have gone above and beyond in your assistance to help us with our needs ! You certainly are a big asset to the Palladium Group !! Keep that beautiful contagious smile of yours Carlos Frollam Tuz Luna”

[Anne]

Enjoy the wide variety of flavors that our ice cream station offers you inside the buffets. #AlliNeed #SmileOn

[Anne]

Karen H

My heart belongs to the Riviera Maya?”

5 * Reviewed October 1, 2016 via mobile
As I’ve been to the Grand Palladium Riviera Maya (Kantenah, Riviera and Royal Suites sections) nine times in total and have already made a few detailed TA reviews, this one is solely for the management to read and pass along to their absolutely astounding staff.

There is a great staff recognition program that from what I understand, the more times staff members are named in TA reviews, the higher level award they receive, so here goes!

First off, I’d like to say that Cristina N. from the Royal reception totally took us by surprise on our way home. While checking in for our flight home at the airport, I felt a tap on my shoulder. When I turned to see who it was, there stood Cristina with her baby in her arms. She joked that she had followed us to the airport because she hadn’t been able to see us off from the resort. She gave us big hugs and a great smile. She was on her vacation catching a flight to see her family. Never have I been anywhere that the staff has hunted me down on their own vacation simply to say goodbye and thanks for visiting!

As for the rest of the folks there, you are all amazing and if I knew all of your names they too would be on my list. The following people have made my vacations over the last nine visits the reason we keep returning:

Fernanda (Colonial beach bar waitress)
Jacinto Cauich (El Rinconcito pool)
Israel Montoya (Royal shuttle driver)
Ivon Rojas (Punta Emilia)
Maria (Kantenah lobby waitress)
Cristina N. (Royal reception)
Paola (Royal reception)
Lucy (Royal lobby waitress)
Antonio-Abuelo (Royal lobby bartender)
Yadim (student serving Royal lobby&pool)
Memo (POP)
Martha (Gran Azul lunch waitress)
Filiberto (White Sand lobby bartender)
Roman (White Sand lobby bartender)
Marcos (La Terazza bartender)
Jesus (La Terazza waiter)
Valentin (Kantenah lobby bartender)
Diego (Kantenah lobby bartender)
Rodrigo (La Jarra bartender)
Irvin (La Jarra bartender)
Celso (Kabah buffet waiter)
Rosa E. (Colonial lobby bar waitress)

Management, you should be so proud of your staff, they are truly amazing! As I always say, “there are palm trees, beaches and pools all over, it’s the people that keep me coming back to Palladium!”

Thank you, gracias and merci to all of you, I hope I will be lucky enough to return to my Mayan home next year, I miss each and every one of you already… and I’ve only been home for a week!!!
Stayed September 2016, traveled as a couple

 

[Anne]

Congratulations Kayla & Ryan.

Kayla says:

“WOW!! Elsa has once again gone above and beyond, our wedding here last year was amazing and she has made our 1st anniversary very special. (She saved our sign from our wedding last year and pulled it out last night at OPaveo to surprise us!) Just thought we would share how awesome she is! Memo, from Smile Services added his special touch as well!! Thank you so much!”

[Anne]

Jamaica

[Anne]

Casey Hope wrote:

White Sands vacation 1/20-1/27, 2017
Having made family January vacations a priority since 1998, we have come to have certain expectations of our trips.
Quality family fun, a great beach, welcoming atmosphere, friendly staff, good food, and coming from Michigan, WARM WEATHER!!!! All expectations were met & even exceeded on this trip

We have had many wonderful vacations in the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Mexico. We have stayed in RIU & Barcelo hotels as well as others, which were very nice, yet we find ourselves returning again and again to the Palladium complex in the Mayan Riviera.
The number one reason for our numerous stays in the Kantenah & now the White Sands resort is definitely the wonderfully welcoming atmosphere of the entire staff, from reception to service in rooms (room 5936, great job, Obaldo!) at bars, restaurants and guest services, transportation (gracious, Avi) and grounds keeping. Always friendly, helpful, and that lovely “Hola!” just makes us all smile. The grandkids love learning new words and phrases and are so pleased to be taught by the patient, hardworking staff!

The food is plentiful, fresh, and can please even the pickiest of eaters. Really. Drinks are poured with friendly abandon, even the “virgin” drinks for the youngsters. Many thanks for the swim up bar toasts to our little guy on his third birthday!!

We had great sand castle and wave smashing beach time, loads of fun with all the special kid activities at the Colonial pool & the water park, lazy quieter swims at the White Sands pool, fun chasing fish in the salt water pool, boat and train rides, family meals at the wonderful buffets, and a few grownup meals at Portefino, El Dorado, Sumptori & the Brazilian restaurant.

This was everything a family vacation should be.

Many thanks to all for being treated “royally” on my 8th trip to this resort, and special thanks to Annoncapecod for her always helpful tips.

We should have our entire group of 26 next year, so look for us Palladium! We will return

Stayed January 2017, traveled with family

 

[Anne]

Responses on FB:

Robyn: would also like to say, there are some TC members that feel they are allowed to do that. I’ve seen some treat staff so badly, and they literally pushed me out of line in RM…and I had a TC bracelet too, same as them. Some people are just plain rude.

Peter Gittinger Absolutely there are rude guests that are TC and I find it so distasteful. Put the perception that TC members have that ability or somehow get preference to be seated without reservations is certainly not true.
Louise Claire Evans We experienced this all the time in RM and we are not members. Members who pushed in front were dealt with so really it’s up to the resort to tell them to wait in line or they won’t!

Cape Cod Anne I have also seen this rude behavior with gold bracelet VIP guests. Got me upset at Christmas as I waited for the Christmas Eve gala dinner. I am also a gold bracelet guest and try to be polite. NO ONE is entitled to treat staff or other guests rudely.

Carolina Rdrgz Unfortunately, instances like these is why we are choosing not to return to GP for now. It’s the rudeness of guests and the lack of action by the staff that has ruined it for me. The worst part was waiting in line for the trams, only to be cut off by rude guests. We had children with us and after being cut off many times, we almost always gave up and ended up walking back to our rooms late at night.

Rodney Freeman I also have experienced this. I just excuse by telling myself that these people were raised with no manners or respect.

Cape Cod Anne : Carolina, I am sorry you feel this way as you will find rude people at most resorts. Many resorts now have some sort of club so people sometimes feel “entitled”. I have been going to the Palladium for almost 14 years and it feels like home despite the “rude” people. Staff are wonderful and we are always made to feel special

Peter Gittinger It really bothers me to hear when rude guests mistreat staff or put staff in a situation that they shouldn’t be put in. It makes for an unfair situation for the staff. Unfortunately, as Rodney alluded to, some people lack social skills and general manners. They feel entitled to treat people poorly.

Cape Cod Anne Even before the travel cub I saw people treat staff poorly. Staff are not servants people. My daughter worked at the P in Spain so I have heard many stories of staff mistreatment by guests. Treat others as you wish to be treated. Just think of working with demanding guests 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, living in a dorm away from your family and traveling most of you one day off to see your kids. Think about doing this for very little money. NO ONE is entitled to treat staff poorly.

Lynn Shallenberger
Lynn Shallenberger The staff put up with a lot of BS and always with a smile on their faces… The rudeness and “entitlement” of some guests is awful…I guess the “Golden Rule” does not apply to them…

Amber Kiss I am no more important than any other person. I cant imagine being rude to other guests or even someone that works there. For me they work harder for less pay. This year I even had one of the drivers remwmbwr me from last year. He had to ask my name but remember it all week. And I ever needed a ride he would take me. When I left I gave him a big tip. He almost didnt want to take it. He earned every cent of it. And now we are facebook friends and I cant wait to see him next year.

Peter Gittinger Amber Kiss, very well said.

Peter Gittinger
Peter Gittinger I was talking with the resort manager at the bonfire tonight. I told him, “Every guest gets the same level of service. Travel Club members receive more services.” Just as Royal guests receive more services.

Dan Peshkin We had yellow apple bracelets In Punta Cana. Supposedly it gave us some type of Vip status. On one occasion my wife and sister were in line for Brazilian and a man and his companion pushed right past them and the hostess just watched it and dos nothin…See More

Kelly Freadrich Let me ask the TC members, when you have a reservation, do you wait in line? Or do you give your reservation to the hostess?

[Anne]

Smile on!

[Anne]

Harriet says,

“I just want to say …. The Kids club team are AMAZING!!!! They all work so hard. We have just got in from another great show that they have put on with the kids! They always have a smile on their faces and welcome you and the children into their hearts whilst in the resort. The children really do love them ????

Lee Russell
Lee Russell They are amazing ??

Peter Gittinger Although I have never traveled with children, I have always noted how well the animation team works with children.

Donna Wassing It’s almost embarrassing how my granddaughter is arguing with us to go to mini club every day rather than spend time with us – she will even bargain with us very loudly to get her way about it!!

Donna Wassing (PV) Yup you got it – but I’m not letting her know she’s winnin
Robyn Geist I never travelled with a child that stayed in the kids club, my daughter was afraid to let him with strangers. But they always look very well taken care of and happy.

Lee Russell They are amazing that’s all I can say

Donna Wassing
Donna Wassing It truly has been incredible this trip (PV) – we never thought she would love them this much – as long as she doesn’t realize we love it too!

Philip Rourke Kids club rocks. Is Karla still there. Please say yes as our daughter loves her.

[Anne]

Gracias Panzita,

 

SM in addition to th 2 restaurants at the Royal Suites, you have access to all other restaurants on the resort. Royal guests may also make reservations at the other a la carts if you wish. The reception staff will do this for you. I suggest making them as there can otherwise be a wait.

Royal guests also have 24 hour room service. Though I don’t often use room service I did use it upon arrival and before departure Very good and prompt.

Bring some small bills as you will want to tip.  You can use US ones or pesos.

Bring a smile and prepare to be pampered.

[Anne]

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!!

 

[Anne]

 

pictures

A wonderful mother/daughter vacation

My daughter & I don’t see each other often and chose the Grand Palladium Royal Suites Yucatan once again for our Christmas reunion as we are always made to feel as though we are”coming home”. We have stayed many times in other locations on the resort complex but after the experiencing the extra pampering, peaceful environment and amazing attention to detail in the adults only Royal Suites last year it was an easy decision to make.

We booked fights from our 2 locations and were happy that AGI was at the airport to greet us with a spacious 17 passenger van. We were whisked away and were at the P before we knew it!

The resort remembered my daughter’s birthday and greeted us with an amazing birthday display in addition to a number of amenities to make us feel welcome ,ie champagne, flowers, rose petals and more. Wow!

As I was starving when I arrived I took advantage of the very extensive room service
menu and had cerviche, salmon and a bottle of house wine by the time I had changed to go to the pool. Yummy.

Daily routine

We developed a routine.I usually got up early and went down to the Royal lobby for cappuccino. We’d meet for breakfast in El Jardin on the RSY property then split our days between the beach and the Royal pool. We usually had lunch at one of the buffets (see below).

My daughter enjoyed the jacuzzi on the deck before dinner. We ate dinner around 8, listened to music in Riviera, Hemingway’s or Colonial then my daughter went her own way to meet friends and Mom went to visit Filiburto & Valencia in the Royal lobby . I felt very comfortable letting her roam as staff looked out for her. She attended the White Party at the salt water pool on Monday and the Royal cart picked her up when the party ended. One night she and a friend went to the beach bar after the disco closed and a cart picked her up there when she called
Food

The subject of food is subjective. As the resort is preparing food for various cultures and thousands of meals a day, nobody will like everything but there is certainly plenty to choose from for even the most discerning diner.

We usually ate breakfast at El Jardin which we liked as it wasn’t crowded. They have a buffet there, an egg grille, and a menu. We usually had freshly made omelets and a selection from the buffet.There is inside and outside seating. They have a nice selection of fresh juice and all the mixings for Bloody Marys.

For lunch we tried El Gran Azul over the main pool on the first day. They still offer freshly grilled items which is what I have for lunch every day. They didn’t have any signage indicating that thus the confusion. Abby had a chicken burger (they have a selection of burgers,ie beef, chicken,turkey,veggie) and I had grilled chicken with a selection of salads. After that day we ate in either La Hacienda on Colonial or Kabah on Riviera. These are much larger and IMHO food quality has greatly improved. They had three kinds of paella, large paella type pans with shrimp and mussels as well as the standard pasta station, variety of pizza, salads, cold cuts, hamburgers, hot dogs for the kids, freshly made bread & rolls There were two grilling stations offering a total of 6 items to choose to have grilled including chicken,steak, pork ,salmon and more.

One day Abby ate at Punta Emilia beach bar as she enjoys the Mexican food there. They also now offer fried fish filet and whole fried fish which I enjoyed.

For dinner we mostly ate at El Jardin choosing lobster with steak or lamb chops. We also went to LaAdelita where the food was very good and Punta Emilia. I enjoyed the seafood platter (and they kindly substituted for a fish I can’t eat). Abby had the pepper veal steak (which is beef) and it was extremely tender.

On Christmas Eve we attended the Gala dinner which was wonderful.Nothing was spared. When entering we were given a Kir Royale (champagne with cherry liquor). The ladies were given roses. Decorations were tastefully done including ice sculptures, Christmas trees, and a live Santa. Food included unlimited lobsters, shrimp, fish, roast beef (prime rib), beef filets,turkey, roast pork, chicken, many veggies, salads, fruits and deserts. Beautifully done.

We did not eat dinner in the buffet but we visited and I thought it looked to be a good variety and a high standard for a buffet. In addition they have the grilling stations for those who can’t find anything to their liking.

Overall I found the quality and variety of food very good to excellent. I rarely found something I didn’t like but considering the vast number of guests and the various cultures they are serving I wouldn’t expect to like everything. I honestly can’t understand people who complain that they can’t find anything to eat. I can’t imagine what their expectations are.

Wi Fi

Being in the Royal, we had the premium wi fi which worked extremely well both in the room and all over the Royal area. I used a lap top and my daughter used her I Phone. My daughter had an App that enabled her to text her friends when on the wi fi so she was happy. The Premium wi fi didn’t work on the other areas of the resort without a password which Jessica and Roxanna kindly supplied. Once I had the password I could access wi fi all over the resort. Only used it in the lobbies outside of the Royal.

Currency

I used both US dollars and pesos. Both are widely accepted. I brought a bunch of US ones with me for tipping then got pesos from the ATM on the resort (There is more than one bank affiliated ATM on the resort that dispense both pesos and US.) It is best to use an ATM card with a chip in it. I have an older card and had a bit of trouble but eventually got it to work. I sometimes was challenged getting smaller denominations. The front desk sometimes had smaller bills, sometimes not so I would go to the bell buys or bartenders. They were happy to help if they had small bills. Note if you want to change foreign currency at the front desk you must have your passport. Exchange for US was 15 pesos to the dollar at the front desk. It was closer to 17 in town.

Entertainment,

There is a variety of entertainment at the resort complex. Check both the bulletin boards and the schedule you are given at check-in.

Schedules are posted in theaters. There are 2 evening shows. One earlier for families in the
Colonial Theater; one late in the Riviera Theater.

Band schedule (changes) but usually there is live music in Riviera lobby and/or Colonial, sometimes in Kantenah.There is a piano player in Hemingways.

Special parties such as Paella party (Sunday at noon) with live music,Foam party (Thursday at noon with live music), White Party & Fire Show (Mondays at 10:45 pm at salt water pool), Disco – early events for younger kids, later events for those over 18.

On saturday night they have a “Fiesta”on the Riviera side before the show. That was quite fun.

Argentinian /international performe

Circus party

Teen dinner Wednesdays through Teen Club.

Breakfast with Raggs: Wednesday mornings. Sign up at Guest Services.

During the day you can be as busy or as lazy as you like. During the evenings we usually ate dinner around 7:30 or 8 and then went to look for music. We often found it in the Riviera lobby. One night we ate at La Adelita and found music in the Colonial lobby. We also went by Hemingways to look for books and there was a nice piano player that evening. On Saturday evening there was a fun Fiesta party on the Riviera Terrace followed by the Argentinian show.

My daughter usually left me around 10:30 isn to wander around and meet friends her own age. She met a group of Canadians and American at the White Party and met an Argentinian gentleman at the disco They enjoyed conversation at the beach bar after the disco closed. Two beach bars are open 24/7.

Something for everyone IMHO.

New stuff

There is never a day when the staff are not primping, trimming, painting, sweeping, scrubbing. The resort is immaculate. I love the rest rooms there!!

Two years ago I requested the styrofoam coffee cups at the beach bars be replaced with cardboard. It took two years but they did it! Also added cardboard holders like Starbucks!!

They replaced the styrofoam plates at the beach bars with heavy duty plastic. No more flying plates (fish)!!

New loungers at White Sand.

Great ice cream everywhere. (carts)

Waitservice at 2 main pools

Nespresso machines in Royal.

Daily snack platters in Royal rooms.

Improved quality of food in buffets.

L’Occitane products in Royal

New Royal carts.

Floats at Royal pool

New lobby furniture.

Colonial, Kantenah & Royal have been updated and have new beds, linens and more.

Colonial reception and bar renovated

Sports bar renovated

Some new bridges

Some a la cartes have been renovated; new LoLa Tapas restaurant, O’Pavao (replaced Rodizio)

Per guests’ request men’s dress code relaxed to allow nice shorts in a la cartes.

Room service for all for no charge.

More American beers and Gluten free for room fridge upon request

And more. The resort is always looking to improve and does listen to guests’ requests!
Off site trip to PDC

We decided to go to PDC one morning. My daughter was hesitant about using a colectivo as the last time she used one it was very old and she had to literally hold the door shut! I assured her they are all newish and very safe. We walked out the front gate from the Colonial lobby and there was a colectivo parked waiting for passengers. We sat there for a little while until it was almost full then whisked away to PDC. As we were all hotel guests the majority got off at the last stop at the corner of 2nd & 15th streets. This is also where they park to return to the P. Cost was $3 pp per trip.

We both had specific items we wanted. I stopped first at Playa Mart on 5th Ave where I do most of my shopping.Prices are clearly marked, employees are helpful and there is no haggling. I priced the tequila and vanilla there and then we went comparison shopping. Abby likes the international shops at the south end of 5th Ave where she found a reasonably priced dress. We then made the mistake of going into a locally owned shop where the shopkeeper was extremely aggressive. She had items wrapped and was grabbing for my credit card before we had agreed to anything. Eventually she made us uncomfortable enough that we left and went back to Playa Mart. On the way back to the colectivo my daughter saw a shop that was of interest. The shopkeeper was very polite and low key and we eventually bought an item from him without feeing stressed as we did with the aggressive lady. We left PDC feeling happy. There was a line for the colectivos which moved quickly. When coming back be sure and use the employee tunnel to cross the highway or vice versa if you are traveling south to Akumal or Tulum.

After that we had a nice lunch at Kabah and got too lazy to leave the resort again!

Conclusion

My daughter and I chose the Palladium for our mother/daughter Christmas trip as we feel like we are “going home”. We discussed going to P Punta Cana or Jamaica but we always end up back at the P in Riviera Maya as there are so many great staff that make us feel like family. While I love the Kantenah Mayan Suites when I travel solo, I love the Royal Suites Yucatan when with my daughter. We both enjoy the extra pampering. My daughter took advantage of the new pool floats, the yummy ice cream selection at the bar and the double jacuzzi on our deck. I used the excellent room service both upon my arrival and departure. A very extensive menu is offered as is service with a smile! I was also able to order a bottle of house wine for no charge (not on menu).

The staff both at the Royal Suites Yucatan and throughout the resort are wonderful and go beyond the call of duty to make one’s stay perfect. I have come to know many staff over the years and hesitate to name those who stand out as I would fear leaving someone out. I had the pleasure of a visit with LuLu who has been at the P since the beginning and has assisted me and others with reservations over the years. She also introduced me to Andrea whom I have come to know over the years and who is always there to address guests’ issues. I also went by to visit with Paula in Guest Services and to thank her for the outstanding attention to detail in helping me to celebrate my daughter’s birthday 2 years in a row. The resort lavished my daughter with balloons, a cake, more. Wow!!

I would be remiss if I did not mention Pedro who has also been at the resort since the beginning. He is now at the Royal and I felt like he was always quietly looking out for me and my daughter. On my last morning he tapped on my door saying, “Miss Annie are you awake?” Oh how I appreciated that rather than a shrill wakeup call. He then drove me to the lobby, led me to coffee which was appreciated at 6:30am and tracked down my transfer. It is staff like this who make the Palladium feel like our “home away from home”.

The resort is meticulous. The beach has been impacted by the widespread sargassum problems and the staff work non-stop to keep the beach clean. The entire resort is immaculate. My daughter and I always compare public restrooms to those at the P. I love the restrooms at the P! The resort has added many improvements since we were last there including replacing the styrofoam coffee cups at the beach bars with cardboard. Hooray! The resort management does listen to guest’s suggestions.

The food has been upgraded, especially at the buffets which I went to daily for lunch. I felt that the buffet offerings had been streamlined and quality was improved. The food at the Punta Emilia beach bar is improved and they now offer grilled fish. Dinner was always excellent wherever we ate. The staff are also very attentive to any food allergies one might have so mention this at check-in and to your server.

Despite being two generations, we always found entertainment we enjoyed after dinner before my daunter went of to meet friends her own age. I felt very comfortable letting her wander around the resort. The night she went to the White Party at the salt water pool she called a cart after the party and the Royal chariot was there to carry her safely home.

The weather was a mix of sun/rain/wind We spent our days between the beach and the Royal pool. There is so much to do on resort that we only left for a 1/2 day to PDC and yet we still didn’t find the time to visit the spa, take a pontoon boat ride or check out the new Spanish restaurant.

This trip was truly a perfect week of relaxing, making memories, being pampered and sharing quality time together. We have talked about returning next Christmas either at the Royal Suites Yucatan or to Punta Cana or Jamaica and can’t wait to visit the new Palladium being planned in Puerto Mujeres. Sentimental me …missing the P……I hesitated to take off my bracelet hoping it would transport me back to Paradise……..back to real life & living vicariously.

Room Tip: Don’t sweat the small stuff.Sit back and enjoy.
See more room tips

 

[Anne]

Michael has been looking for a way to charge his Mac for days. Felipe came through!!!

Felipe Martínez “Hi Michael. There are several members of our team using Mac. If you don’t mind, please come tomorrow to the Riviera lobby, ask for me and I will show you where you can charge it any time you might need.”

Cape Cod Anne replied · My hero
Felipe Martínez: smile
Felipe Martínez

Like · Reply ·

[Anne]

Adios Kern, Stacy, Jenny, Kaitlynn, Joyce, Lori, Darlene  and ………….

How many sleeps until Paradise?
Becky Maddix House, Belen Brito and 5 others
Comments
Gil Lowe
Gil Lowe nine maybe 10 if you count a long layover in LAX

Brenda Gordon
Brenda Gordon Royal Suites Yucatan! Can’t wait!
Brenda Gordon’s photo.

Marge Clark-Garrison
Marge Clark-Garrison 13 and a wake up.

André Filipe Barreto
André Filipe Barreto 29 sleeps until Paradise

Cisco Ordaz
Cisco Ordaz 72…

Jessica Krambeck
Jessica Krambeck 44

Marianne Powers Stroup
Marianne Powers Stroup 18!

Jenny Plouff
Jenny Plouff 2

Joanna-louise Blackwell
Joanna-louise Blackwell Too many..

Darlene Saindon
Darlene Saindon Seven more until GPJ. ..??

Philip Rourke
Philip Rourke Too many

Stacey Dawn Wyber
Stacey Dawn Wyber 1 and a nap
Unlike · Reply · 3 · 17 hrs
Brenda Wegert
Brenda Wegert Safe travels and Enjoy !.

Enty Ganian
Enty Ganian 13!

Brenda Wegert
Brenda Wegert Too many for me as well..

Doug Purnell
Doug Purnell   29ish
Bryan Buzzy Rice
Bryan Buzzy Rice Probably about 9 months. Lindsay Rice

Susan Mannino
Susan Mannino 16

Amanda Glaab Bergman
Amanda Glaab Bergman 18

Artie Larson
Artie Larson 10

Lori Ann
Lori Ann 3

Michelle Allen Burton
Michelle Allen Burton 17!!!

Connie Davis
Connie Davis 16 sleeps ?

Kaitlynn Demarell
Kaitlynn Demarell Two!!!

Penny Demarell
Penny Demarell Enjoy wedding party take 2 smile emoticon

[Anne]

I read some TA comments in reports that make me shake my head. There is a recent report claiming that there is poor customer servce because she requested her room 8 months in advance and didn’t get her request If you request a specific room more than a week out you may not be in their computer so they can’t make a note on your account and thus won’t acknowledge your request..
The gentleman who complains about non-existant customer service because the housekeeper woud not sew his wife’s broken zipper was way off track. I am sure that the housekeepers have a quota and a time frame in which to eet their quotas. They are not slaves.
Then there is the person who complaned that it is not truly AI because wine is not includeed (false) and lobster is an extra chrage (true unless you stay in Royal). If you want unlimited lobster then upgrade to Royal.

And of course there are many people who complain the resort is too large and they had no idea going in. Yes, the complex is very large (300 acres or 1.220,000 sq meters). You can stay in your own section or utilize the entire complex (except Royal) If you’re in Royal you can stay in Royal or use the other areas.

Then there are those who find the food inedible. The P prepares food for thousands of people per day from all over the world. No one will like everything. There are grills in the buffets so choose to have something freshly grilled, or go to a fresh pasta station There must be something to your liking.

I suggest you do as much homework as possible so there are no surprises. Many of us have been there many times so please ask and don’t depend on one site for up to date, factual info. I know another Palladium fan site was reporting incorrectly on room service as well as other housekeeping items (fridge). If we don’t know something we ask managemet and get a resposne the same day.

Go with a great attitude, don’t sweat the small stuff and you’ll have a great time. Things move slower in MX. Cherish this. Don’t forget to say gracias. Staff have lives and families too so although they may smile 99% of the time, they have the same worries we all have. Be kind.

43Geoffrey Sanders, Holger Rosenfeld and 41 others

Comments
Brenda Wegert
Brenda Wegert Well said.. just put yourself in any one of “their shoes”. Would you be able to work 6 days a week and keep on smiling and truly trying to please everyone ?? I know I could not do it. The staff at any of the Palladium we have visited have been wonderful.

Cape Cod Anne
Cape Cod Anne Many of them must leave their families to live across the street in a dorm They only see their kids once a week if they can make the trip in one day. If your towel is not rolled correctly put yoursef in their shoes
Mark Foster
Mark Foster I am sure these are the same people that complain about a Motel Six having lumpy beds. Use diving rules with any comments throw out the high and low and pay attention to the middle. I like reading reviews just to see how “dumb” people really are.
Amanda Glaab Bergman
Amanda Glaab Bergman Very well said. I researched like crazy before we went in November and found this group to be so incredibly helpful!! I read TA with a huge grain of salt, and have on occasion clarified things from there that seem odd with you wonderful people.
Our st…See More
Christan Marie Martin
Christan Marie Martin Agree 100%

Ann Thompson Martel
Ann Thompson Martel I especially like the “the resort is too large”… Maybe? – when you combine all 5 resorts (Kantenah, Colonial, White Sands, Riviera, and Royal)- it is a good size resort- but, towards the ocean, the resort seems not as large to me- but big enough for …See More

Bryan Buzzy Rice
Bryan Buzzy Rice Spot on. It’s all about the homework, the first time we stayed GP RM we made sure to bring sneakers bc we heard the resort was big. And out of the 5 times we have been there now the food has never disappointed. Some people just can’t go on vacation …See More

Cindi Rossato Schwitters
Cindi Rossato Schwitters True Words … we have been to many other resorts in Cancun, Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Maya … Palladium RM is SO WONDERFUL … food, accommodations and especially the people !!!

Lynn Shallenberger
Lynn Shallenberger Well Stated…Yes a little homework and leave the condescending attitude at home…and if you find Utopia at any resort…shout from the highest mountain… Been going to the GP since 2004 the year after it opened with only the Colonial and Kantenah…My list is too long why we keep returning…

Diana Alderete
Diana Alderete I love the fact that there are so many experiences to enjoy at this resort. Been there 3 times and hoping for a 4th this year. You can enjoy the whole resort or just stay in your own section. As far as food we have never been disappointed, some we like, some we love and some not for us. There are so many choices.

Kim Croft
Kim Croft We are guests in their beautiful country whichever P you go to. It is a privilege that many do not have Embrace it and embrace the differences. If you want it to be like home. Well stay home ! That is the adventure.

Diana Alderete
Diana Alderete Yes adventure is right!

Heather Baker Montgomery
Heather Baker Montgomery Where on earth are these people staying that housekeeping sews things for them?!?! Seems like a really ridiculous expectation.

Cape Cod Anne
Cape Cod Anne Ha ha Heather The guy goes on and on.

Juan J Mullin
Juan J Mullin Loved the “things move slower in MX”. That’s true, after being there so many times you learn. They always have a smile, they say “ahorita” and they move slower than us. We usually arrive with a hurry, we are not aware that we are on holiday! On our f…See More

Diana Alderete
Diana Alderete We have been going to the Riviera Maya since 1996 and enjoy the phrase we learned ” In A Mexican Minute.” Just relax and don’t be in such a hurry!!
Donna Simmonds
Donna Simmonds everything was awesome when we were there 4times in a row love love this resort <3and we are going back in nov everyone is so nice there and helpful

Duane Gordon
Duane Gordon Thanks Ann, people need to hear the truth about their unreasonable behaviour. Brenda Gordon and I are returning to the Royal Suites Yucatan in September and we can’t wait to return to our Mexican paradise! The staff is so friendly and we have always found something good to eat at every restaurant.
Brenda Gordon
Brenda Gordon Just to add, this September will be our 3rd visit to this amazing resort! The rooms, the staff, the food and the grounds are all wonderful!!

Edna Miller-volsky
Edna Miller-volsky Well said it is a holiday not a time to look for problems!!!!!!

Dane Schadel
Dane Schadel What I learned in GP/RM… Good or bad, it’s all part of the adventure of life!

Steve Edwards
Steve Edwards Hi Anne we arrived safely and have been put in villa 6. We were a little disappointed in that we received none of the room requests that we had sent over. However new check in is very informative and as soon as we released we only had 2 small doubles f…See More

[Anne]

Smile and enjoy your day!

[Anne]

Audra reports

Here at the Royal Suites (PV) now and loving it.
Only thing I don’t like is the zoo on the family side. It seems just as cruel as a dolphin enclosure to me. Admittedly I haven’t done any research about it but hope there is a story behind it. (one that is good and involves rescue or something)

Like · Reply · 19 mins

Lisa Thorne Thompson They are rescue animals. That is what I have been told. Are they still doing the BBQ at the RS pool at lunch? I hope you are having fun. I can’t wait to get there.

Like · Reply · 9 mins · Edited

Write a reply…

 

Cape Cod Anne Yes, the government people send animals that have been abandoned/abused to the P as far as I know

Like · Reply · 3 mins

Audra Forbes Well I’m glad to hear that. smile emoticon

[joan]

y husband Cliff and I just returned from our eighth visit to the GPRM. We travelled from the February 11-21, joined on the 13th by our daughter and a friend, and on the 14th by the friend’s parents. It was the second visit for the friend and her parents to our favourite place.

Not related to our stay, but we had a personal best navigating through Cancun airport! As luck would have it, there was only one other flight at arrivals, and every line we came to opened up! We estimated the time from arriving in the airport to walking out as 10 minutes.

We are Travel Club members, so have transportation to and from the resort via a contract the Club has with Hotel Beds. We arrived early, but our transportation was delayed (not sure why), but finally arrived, and off we went in a clean and comfortable van with a lovely driver. Within 50 minutes we were pulling into our home away from home.

We checked in at the Club lounge in Colonial. (As the gals wanted to stay in Colonial again, the parents decided to stay in the area as well). I do miss the Mayan Suites in Kantenah, maybe next time we can get back there.

The weather was iffy on the first couple of days. The sun was very hot, but it was quite windy and cool on the beach. They have had a very cool winter, as low as 10 degrees celsius at night! Due to the wind we spent the first few days at the Secret pool for the most part. Carlos the bartender makes a mean Caipirhnia. Once the temps improved, we headed to our favourite part of Kantenah beach and settled in there for the next several days. The mornings and evenings remained cooler than normal, but but end of last week, I did run in the early morning without my jacket.

On our sixth day, it poured most of the day. While the parents spent time in the Kantenah lobby, the gals ordered room service which they quite enjoyed. Due to the weather, the beach and pool bartenders were re-deployed to the lobbies. We had a wonderful conversation with Fernanda, as she was working the Kantenah lobby. Lots of her lovely giggles! She is a gem. They opened Heminways early, so we found a deck of cards and played all afternoon. Lo and behold, who do we meet in Hemingways, but Jacinto! We haven’t ventured to Rinconcito (sp?) in recent years, so have lost touch with Jacinto. He is such a kind and gentle man. We were able to catch up with all that has been going on with him and his family. He talked some about the new build in Isla Mujeres and what staff may go and work there. Despite the weather, it was a great day.

We ate a the al-a-cartes most nights. One exception, when Cliff and I tried the buffet for dinner. I love the buffets for breakfast and lunch, but I am just not there for dinner. Cliff enjoyed his meal for the most part. The grilled options were good at the buffets, Cliff enjoyed the roast beef a couple of times at lunch, and all loved the ham!

We tried LoLa the first night. Beautiful restaurant, the renovation is lovely. The food was ok. El Dorado for filets were a hit, Ribs n More was good, Mare Nostrum twice was everyone’s favourite meals. Previously, Portofino has always been our favourite, we ate there twice (once on our own, and again with the larger group). Very disappointed both times. The arrabiata sauce which we have loved for it’s spice (as it should be) was very bland. We beseech you to bring back the original heat! That was the feeling for the six of us, the food was bland and we were all disappointed. Punta Emila was good, most had seafood, but two had beef and were satisfied. The girls enjoyed one meal at Sumptori. It was nice to have dinner with gals pretty much every evening. Both our daughters have moved more than 5.5 hours away from us for school, so we don’t see them often. Nice to give a hug in person.

I truly cannot say enough about the staff. Always the BEST part of our vacation. Without exception, we have always been treated so well. From Tatiana at the entrance to the buffet morning and lunch, our favourite server Deymi, AnnaMeli, in food services, always so good to see her and catch up. She never changes! We did not see Landy, so wondering if she took mat leave early, or we just kept missing her.
One afternoon as we walked to the spa, we must have met 20 staff members, each and every one said “hola”! We were laughing, as repeated it so many times. It was an indication of how the resort wants guests to be treated; with respect and courtesy. The grounds keepers – those unsung labourers are outstanding! Friendly, and hard working, keeping the resort grounds spotless. Our housekeeper Luis, sweet, did a great job, and always cute towel sculptures every day. On day, I was in our room with Cieara (daughter), there was a knock on our door. Cieara responded and a security guard told us that our door was not closed properly, and please close tightly. Thank-you!

I have to make special mention of the staff in the Travel Club in Colonial. Idea, Esmeralda were wonderful. There was not one thing that we requested that they did not do their best to accommodate. From room issue, to charges to the computer, always with a smile and such grace, despite being treated unfairly by some guests in my opinion. Our concierges Joaquin and Joao, were eager to make our stay comfortable and memorable. Esmeralda even promised better weather, and it happened! We did spend a bit of time at the Club beach lounge. Ernesto, the bartender is always so welcoming, and makes the best Tom Collins. Veronica is the server on days, she is lovely. We have been members since 2011, and have enjoyed the perks for sure, but the service by these staff is phenomenal.

We went off site once. Our guests had booked an excursion to Chichen Itza through Canada Transfers. We did the ruins, lunch and a cenote swim, plus a visit to Vallalodid. The van was comfortable and very clean. Our tour guide was Fransciso, who at 73 years old , had been doing that job for 40 years. He was so knowledgeable and informative. Very considerate of all in our group. Orlando drove us, and he was a doll. It was a wonderful day.

The beach at Kantenah was not much more rocky than before. Not sure why? There was one spot that you could walk in easily, but could not believe all the rock and coral. The saltwater pool is always nice. I had a good look at the building beside Kantenah beach. Work continues. The noise was not intrusive for the most part, just a shame it is so close. Lots of ocean view rooms in that hotel.

I keep saying to Cliff we must try the other Palladium resorts, but he keeps wanting to go back to the RM. I know why, I love it as well.

[Anne]

Llet me start by saying I am so sorry that it has taken this long for me to write my review. We stayed at the Royal Suites from November 26 – Dec 3. My husband and I travel quite a bit and in all honesty I am often disappointed. I tend to get my hopes and expectations too high and almost make it impossible for a resort to live up to what I’ve built in my mind. This however was NOT one of those vacations.

Every step of the way, every moment of our vacation I was surprised and blown away that staff could be so very kind and could anticipate our needs before we even knew we needed things.

Check in was a breeze and my metropolitan martini was fabulous!! We were very pleased with our room, a Royal Suite. And thank you for the offer of the upgrade to a Mayan Suite, I felt badly declining, but our room as perfect for our needs.

The pools and staff in the Royal sectional are fabulous!!! Yvonne took such amazing care of us! I actually cried when we said “see you again soon” on our last day . This sweet sweet woman ensured we wanted for nothing our whole week. Her professionalism and kindness are above and beyond expectation.
Meals in ElJardin were outstanding. Adolfo was the server we had at most dinners and I cannot say enough wonderful things about this man!!! His kindness and desire to take such good care of us was beyond imagination. He truly made our week. I felt so special every meal. It truly broke both my husbands and my hearts to say good bye on our last day. Gaspar was the gentleman that took care of us at breakfast, and I have to say “what a sweetie”! Each and every morning he greeted us with a smile, made sure my husband had hot churro’s and my orange juice glass was never empty!!
Our week was relaxing, stunningly beautiful and over way to fast!!
I had read “not to sweat the small stuff” before we left, and yes we encountered a few bumps in the road (we had broken a glass in our room and it took three phone calls and 6 hours to get the glass cleaned up, our butler in our villa was NEVER to be found, and the POP staff at the sports complex were definitely not the nicest at all), but they were minor bumps and easy to see past when absolutely EVERYTHING else was 150%.

I cannot express enough the sense of family, true appreciation for our business, and care we felt while staying here. We only have one regret, and that’s that we did not join the Travel Club while on this vacation. We have already booked a return trip for May, however with Grand Palladium Riviera, due to bringing our daughters who are 20 and sadly only 17. ( One more year before we can take our youngest to the Royal section. ) The count down is on and we can’t wait!!! We will miss all of our new “family” in the Royal section, however we are excited to meet new family on our next adventure.

Stayed November 2015, traveled as a couple

[Anne]

Posted by Chris & Sue. Gracias for sharing.

“Let me preempt this by saying, I am not one to write reviews but this resort deserves it.

My wife and I travel about 4 times a year and how this resort has not popped up on our radar is beyond me but I am so glad it did this time. I am sort of a stickler about resorts. I don’t ever expect too much so I don’t feel bad if it isn’t perfect – This one – perfect in every way. First and foremost, every inch of it is spotless. Staff is always cleaning 24/7. Not that you would want to, but you could literally lick the floors just about anywhere. Even the public bathrooms were spotless 24/7.

The food was outstanding. Not your every day buffets and the restaurants for dinner were amazing. No reservations needed for most which is the first time I have ever seen that. So nice to just show up when you want and not have to go through the hassle of making reservations for 7 days in advance the minute you get there.

The pools were also spotless.

And yes…..this resort has top shelf liquor in EVERY BAR. Something you would expect to have in a resort twice the price. Just don’t forget to ask for it when you place your order for your drinks of course.

The resort is laid out in a north to west fashion with what seemed to be at least 1/2 mile of beach front. The salt water pool that opens to the sea is beyond amazing. Snorkeling in a pool? Yes.

All I can say is if you want the experience of a lifetime at half the price of other fine resorts – look no further. We will be making the Grand Palladium Colonial our yearly visit. I am not even going to look at other resorts unless this one gets boring.

Koodos to the entire staff who smiles all day. They must be happy with their jobs because it definitely translates at the resort.

Room Tip: Best to check the resort map and put in your request for where you want to be.”

[Anne]

Great report Lindsay! I feel like you as soon as it’s getting close to leaving “home”. SO Sad.

I agree the food has been “streamlined” but quality seems better. My daughter loves the food at Punta Emilia for lunch.

ValenTin is great. Always remembers people and what their preferences are. Always smiling. I once saw a person “yelling” at Valentin for more alcohol and he handled it professionally never losing his smile. I wanted to yell back at that guest.

THANKS FOR SHARING! Any plans to return?

[Anne]

Conclusion

Pics

My daughter and I chose the Palladium for our mother/daughter Christmas trip as we feel like we are “going home”. We discussed going to P Punta Cana or Jamaica but we always end up back at the P in Riviera Maya as there are so many great staff that make us feel like family. While I love the Kantenah Mayan Suites when I travel solo, I love the Royal Suites Yucatan when with my daughter. We both enjoy the extra pampering. My daughter took advantage of the new pool floats,

the yummy ice cream selection at the bar and the double jacuzzi on our deck. I used the excellent room service both upon my arrival and departure. A very extensive menu is offered as is service with a smile! I was also able to order a bottle of house wine for no charge (not on menu).

The staff both at the Royal Suites Yucatan and throughout the resort are wonderful and go beyond the call of duty to make one’s stay perfect. I have come to know many staff over the years and hesitate to name those who stand out as I would fear leaving someone out. I had the pleasure of a visit with LuLu who has been at the P since the beginning and has assisted me and others with reservations over the years. She also introduced me to Andrea whom I have come to know over the years and who is always there to address guests’ concerns. I also went by to visit with Paula in Guest Services and to thank her for the outstanding attention to detail in helping me to celebrate my daughter’s birthday 2 years in a row. The resort lavished my daughter with balloons, a cake, flowers, champagne, streamers,a fruit basket and more. Wow!!

I would be remiss if I did not mention Pedro who has also been at the resort since the beginning. He is now at the Royal and I felt like he was always quietly looking out for me and my daughter. On my last morning he tapped on my door saying, “Miss Annie are you awake?” Oh how I appreciated that rather than a shrill wakeup call. He then drove me to the lobby, led me to coffee which was appreciated at 6:30 am and tracked down my transfer. It is staff like this who make the Palladium feel like our “home away from home”.

The resort is meticulous. The beach has been impacted by the widespread sargassum problems and the staff work non-stop to keep the beach clean.

The entire resort is immaculate. My daughter and I always compare public restrooms to those at the P. I love the restrooms at the P! The resort has added many improvements since we were last there including replacing the styrofoam coffee cups at the beach bars with cardboard. Hooray!

This has been on my wish list for years and they do listen to guest’s suggestions.

The food has been upgraded, especially at the buffets which I went to daily for lunch. There are grilling stations that offer six daily selections to have freshly grilled, i.e. fish, steak, pork, chicken,etc. I noticed large pans of fresh seafood and paella at each lunch

My daughter also commented that they have a variety of burgers, i.e. beef, chicken, turkey, veggie. I felt that the buffet offerings had been streamlined and quality was improved. The food at the Punta Emilia beach bar is improved and they now offer grilled fish and many Mexican choices. Dinner was always excellent wherever we ate. The staff are also very attentive to any food allergies one might have so mention this at check-in and to your server.

Despite being two generations, we always found entertainment we enjoyed after dinner before my daughter went of to meet friends her own age. I felt very comfortable letting her wander around the resort. The night she went to the White Party at the salt water pool she called a cart after the party and the Royal chariot was there to carry her safely home.

The weather was a mix of sun/rain/wind We spent our days between the beach and the Royal pool. There is so much to do on resort that we only left for a 1/2 day to PDC and yet we still didn’t find the time to visit the spa, take a pontoon boat ride or check out the new Spanish restaurant.

This trip was truly a perfect week of relaxing, making memories, being pampered and sharing quality time together. We have talked about returning next Christmas either at the Royal Suites Yucatan or to Punta Cana or Jamaica and can’t wait to visit the new Palladium being planned in Puerto Mujeres. Sentimental me …missing the P……I hesitated to take off my gold bracelet hoping it would transport me back to Paradise……..back to real life & living vicariously.

[Anne]

Ater arriving we went to the pool for a while and decided to have dinner at El Jardin where we both ordered lobster. Service was excellent. After dinner we went by to say hi to Filiburto and Valencia.

As we had both been traveling since 3 am we decided to make t an early night.

Daily routine

We developed a routine.I usually got up early and went down to the Royal lobby for coffee.(Must say the beds are very comfy and it was tempting to “sleep in”.) The Jr. suites are lovely but one drawback is that if you are on different sleep schedules it is difficult to move around the room, put lights on, etc without disturbing the other person. The open concept bath also raises some noise issues. For those traveling with young adults you may want to consider a suite which would give you two rooms and a private bath.One of the rooms has a sleep sofa though. I would add to my wish list that the resort consider a two bedroom suite for those traveling with young adults. Usually I waited in the lobby for Abby and we had breakfast together at El Jardin We really enjoyed breakfast there. Sometimes, if Abby had gotten in late and she missed El Jardin, we walked to Punta Emilia where she had some Mexican food.

After breakfast we usually spent an hour or two on the beach, went to Kabah or Hacienda for lunch, and then spent the remainder of the time at the Royal pool. We did attend the Foam party on Thursday at noon and tasted the coconut drinks served. Both the foam party and the kids’ pool party were very well attended.

As the week wore on it got windier so we spent more time at the pool and less at the beach.

The Kantenah end of the beach is still lovely. There is some erosion at the White Sand end, probably due to wind and seaweed being cleaned up. All is all still very lovely.

We also had some quick but major downpours so we could usually hide under a palapa for those. The resort must have gone through a huge amount of towels during those rainy days.

The Royal pool is very relaxing, quiet and peaceful. They now have some floats there. Food, fruit kabobs, ice cream is available. Yvonne serves guests with a smile as do Jose Luis, Antonio & Freddy,

We usually went up to the room around 6 where Abby enjoyed a jacuzzi bath on the deck.
”
There was always a new treat waiting for us, i.e. a cheese platter,cookies, chocolate covered strawberries and more. So much food!

We ate dinner around 8, listened to music in Riviera, Hemingway’s or Colonial then Abby went her own way to meet friends and Mom went to visit with Filiburto. Abby did attend the White Party on Monday night were she met some young adults from the US and Canada. She said it was “fun”. On another night she met an interesting gentleman from Texas and they sat at the beach bar until 5 am talking! Mom looked at the clock often on that night.

On Saturday night they have a “Fiesta”on the Riviera side before the show. That was quite fun.

Next: Food

[Anne]

Aw I’m getting “nostalgic”. Had a nice conversation with Pedro at 6:30 this morning. He’s been at the P since the beginning.He and many staff call me “Annie”ad follow our sites. Thanks to Pedro who actually knocked on my door to wake me up this morning! then got me some coffee and got to my transfer and to all of the wonderful staff at the P. Too many to mention, all so kind & helpful with beautiful smiles.

[Anne]

Sweet Landi has a baby bump. Congratulations! Landi always has a smile and has never neglected to offer me a cappuccino over the years.

[Anne]

Unplug small appliances if no one will be there.

Set lights on timers for extra security.

Meg Simoni I have a good one. If you have a security system, wipe your key pads with an alcohol swab to remove your finger prints. Thieves can dust your pad to figure out your code.

Meg Simoni Turn off the water to your home, never know when something will break.

Cape Cod Anne Meg I don’t miss living up north.It’s still in the 70s here (SC). However, even in SC I once had a toilet burst so turn off water to toilets and washing machine.
n
Lisa Thorne Thompson DONT Post your dates of travel on FB….lots of break-ins occur Cancel any paper delivery, and empty the fridge of “smelly foods”

Cape Cod Anne Agree.Also hackers are out there

Lynn Shallenberger Also make a copy of your passports and keep them separate…Just in case you loose the originals…also leave a copy home with a trusted person…

Lisa Thorne Thompson Keep your medications with you in your hand luggaage….leave your travel info and emergency info with a trusted friend or family member.

Jason Rodgers Leave your guns at home. We see it all the time at the Canadian boarder where people show up with their hand gun. If declared you get to claim it back at the US boarder upon re-entry, if it isn’t say goodbye to it as it will be kept and destroyed.

Cape Cod Anne Jason something I did not think about.

Jason Rodgers People forget the laws are different in other countries.

Cape Cod Anne Jsson I on’twant this to turn into a gun isssue

Lisa Thorne Thompson When we pack my husband and I “split” our luggage, some of my stuff in his, some of his stuff in mine….just in case on gets lost smile emoticon Which hopefully doesn’t happen but at least one of you don’t have to run around naked!!!

Meg Simoni Same here Lisa Thorne Thompson

Ann Thompson Martel Pack Ann in your suitcase!
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Cape Cod Anne

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[Anne]

By Rebekka M-Best holiday ever!”
5 of 5 stars

Myself and my partner stayed in the kantenah suites of the hotel for two weeks in November. We have both visited many hotels in different worldwide resorts, but this one was the best we have ever been to. It was faultless. Fantastic accommodation, superb drinks, and the food was out of this world!

The staff were amazing, we made friends with Antonio Chi and Mirian May at La Rocas, Luis at bar Hemingway, and Carlos in the Sports bar – what truly lovely, friendly, genuine people! They made us smile everyday…banter in Spanish, lots of new drinks, and always a friendly face. Thank you for making our holiday so special! All bar staff were amazing to be fair, and…They also made whatever drink you asked for, even if it wasn’t on the menu.

As I said, the food was absolutely brilliant, and probably the main reason why we want to return! There are 14 a la crate restaurants, our favourites were the Spanish, the Mediterranean and ribs and more. However, the buffet was also amazing! It was in the buffet that I had the best sirloin steak I have ever eaten. Breakfast was probably my most fun mealtime too – pancakes, waffles, smoked salmon, freshly made omelette, smoothies, fruit and champagne. Perfect.

The hotel grounds are beautiful. Lovely wildlife too, the baby coati are so cute and love to be fed by hand. We also saw three monkeys! The beach is gorgeous, and ignore what you read about the seaweed – of course there is seaweed, it’s a beach! The pools are huge! And the salt water pool is brilliant for swimming a few laps in a morning begins you start eating and drinking!

For people with children there is a fantastic kids club and water park on site! And lots of child friendly activities and good food.

To conclude, we will definitely return. We love this resort. It’s like heaven on earth! Thank you grand palladium!!

Stayed November 2015, traveled as a couple

[Anne]

Always a beautiful smile!! See you soon.

[Anne]

Gets better every time!”
5 of 5 starsReviewed 3 weeks ago
This is my 4th stay at the Palladium and each time it gets better and better. This comes down to a number of factors that I’ll cover in my review. From the moment we arrived until I reluctantly left, I felt we were always taken care of, and I am just a regular traveller to the resort, no upgrades or special treatment at all.

I’ll cover all the main bits (and you are welcome to click my profile to see my other reviews on this place as well)

**Arrival/Check in**
Quick, friendly and easy. Drink and cold cloth on arrival. We were taken to our room quickly by the golf cart and were let in.

**The Room**
Big King sized bed and on the top floor, exactly what I asked for when I emailed the resort. The resort cannot always fulfil your request, but unless you can’t walk upstairs, this should not be an issue as you’re not always in your room. The bed was hard and the pillows too, but I like it like that!

Bathroom was big and full of what washing/hair/soap products that one needs on holiday. The shower, excellent.

They now also offer Room Service for ALL rooms which is incredible considering the work required to do this. I’ll be honest, this does seem pretty over the top, as we have good food on the resort available. I never used this but was impressed that they have bought it in.

**Food/Drink/Bars/Restaurants**

I always like the food here and am baffled to why anybody would be fussy or have an issue in this regard. I have an iron stomach while my partner has a very weak stomach. Not once did we have any issues with the food or drinks (aside from drinking too much!) There are many a la carte restaurants – Mexican, Steak, Ribs, Japanese, Mediterranean, Brazilian, Italian and the old Chinese one will be a Spanish tapas one very soon. My favourites are the steak and Japanese, whilst the girlfriend raved about the salad bar in the Italian. We did the Japanese show table which was very entertaining. You can book this with the very helpful customer relations team in the lobby. Every other of the a la carte restaurants you can just walk into, it’s just that show table and I believe a fish restaurant on the other side of the resort (never went)
The buffets have been improved since I was here last year – which I didn’t think was possible – and there was even more choice for those who wanted a slower, more relaxed dinner time.

Alcohol… oooh yeaaah. I love a few drinks on my holidays and the bar staff work bloody hard to look after you. They do not have a preference to nationality, wrist band, tips or not or any such nonsense. If you want a drink you ask. It will be made as quickly as possible. A smile and a joke with the barman goes a very long way. Honestly – if you are a positive type, like I am, you will not have an issue with anything. I saw more than a few people expecting the staff to be at their instant disposal all the time, but you’re on holiday. Relax.
You can have bubbles and Bloody Mary’s for breakfast if you like as well! Boom!

**Pools/beach**

There has been a seaweed problem throughout the entire Mexico and the surrounding areas for a while but they are getting on top of the situation. Every day they run tractors along the beach in the morning, and they have staff cleaning the beach all the time. Enough with the moaning that there is a little seaweed, it will not kill you and it’s not their fault. Nature is unrelenting at times!
I found the beach to be in an almost perfect condition for the whole 2 weeks I was there. No drama at all. It was easy to find a beach chair and the beach is nice and long. I would recommend that to avoid the rocks to swim in the Colonial/Kantenah side – or bring swim shoes. It’s a stunning bit of beach and you will be swimming with a lot of fish!
Pools were excellent. I do not swim on the White Sands/Riviera side but I’ll be found around the main activity pool and the adult secret pool. The main pool is deep, so make sure you can float or are tall enough to tip toe. I am short but I find it no issue. The pool bar is a place where people meet, make friends, drink a fair bit and joke around with the bar staff. BIG cheers to Pedro and Ronald for running a fast smooth and entertaining bar for my 2 weeks!

There is also a saltwater pool at the very far end. Very nice! Plenty of little fish in there as well and you can also lie on a beach bed and enjoy the view.

**The Grounds***

Stunning! You are in the jungle so do not forget this and pack mosquito spray if you tend to be delicious to the mozzies. I never got bit but my partner had around 20-30 bites and she had 2 products on daily. You will see some beautiful animals around the resort and a lot of iguana too!
Look out for flamingos, crocodiles and raccoons as well. But the main ones you’ll see, and they are everywhere are the coatis. I remember these cute animals from all my visits but this time their population has exploded. This is thanks to the hotel guests feeding them, even while standing in front of the no feeding signs. Please do not feed ANY of the animals on the resort, no matter how cute they are and boy are they cute. Just don’t do it. The coatis are now getting out of control around the main pool areas and soon it will become a major issue. If you have given them even 1 bite of food, you are the problem! Stop it and tell others to as well. I wish staff members were more strict on guests when they see them do this.

**Entertainment**

I usually never pay attention to the animation and entertainment on the resort, but this time I saw some shows and I have to say, I have never seen such hard working performers in a very long time. The shows are very impressive and the costumes amazing – and as a hot blooded man I really enjoyed them! Each night has a theme, some for the kids, others for the whole family. You can see the schedules up around the resort or ask at reception for where to find them. The disco at the far end in Riviera is also a cool place to end up at the night time.

**The Staff**

These guys work hard and they appreciate being respected as much as you do. If you come on holiday with a smile and relax, you will get on famously with the staff. They will always greet you with a smile and have your drink in front of you without asking. If you come here and are up for a battle or have unrealistic expectations then do not expect to be treated like a member of the family when you arrive. Settle down, smile and enjoy your holiday!

**Tips**
I come from cultures that do not tip but now and then I did to show my gratitude for excellent service. I was never treated any differently for doing so. Staff work hard and do not spend their time deciding who is a better customer.

**Check out**

Easy. Sat at the bar afterwards and the bags all looked after.

Let me quickly dispute some of the bad reviews that you may read. I know a lot of people use Trip Advisor to choose their holidays so it’s important to give you some perspective before you book.

* The food/drinks*
If you see cold food, or your drink is not strong enough, tell somebody immediately. Drinks can be topped up with good quality booze. Do not believe anybody who tells you it is cheap. If you ask, you shall get. Cold food or undercooked food, keep calm and talk to the chef, waiter or if they are unable to understand you then talk to customer relations (they have desks in the lobby)

* Pool *
The main pool is where all the activities are so of course there will be loud noises and activities. If you’re over 18 and you don’t want to hear activity, go to one of the adult pools. Simple.

* Size of resort *
Yes it’s big but you can easily walk around from lobby to lobby – restaurant to restaurant no problem. Golf carts are used by staff and most are reserved for those who paid to be in the Travel Club or those in the Royal Suites. But there are others that drive around, incl the train, to get you around the resort. I went to this resort last year on crutches and I still was able to get around without constantly needing a buggy. Considering you will eat and drink more than you will at home, a brisk 5 min walk will not kill you.

Tips – bring insulated cups with you and also if you have a phone, camera etc, bring a multi-plug as well.

I love this place, it’s the result of a lot of people working very hard to give you the holiday that you deserve. We all work hard to be able to take holidays and this is a place that you simply must come and try!

Any questions, please message away! Cheers!

Room Tip: Email the resort a week before you go to ask if they can help you. Do not get upset if they cannot f…
See more room tips
Stayed September 2015, traveled as a couple

[Anne]

Another wonderful vacation!

Grand Palladium White Sands

Created By: nsstampqueen on Friday, October 2nd, 2015

We’ve just returned after spending an incredible week as Palladium Travel Club guests at the GPRM White Sands – September 22-29. This is the first time I’ve stayed on this side of the resort. I’ve stayed in the Royal Suites and in the Riviera side prior to this trip. Our flight was great, arrival and customs was a breeze. The Cancun airport has been upgraded – it went really well.

I did not make a room request prior to arrival as the person whose membership we were traveling under had made it when we booked. We were put in building 59 – rooms 5919 and 5920 to be exact. 5919 is a suite – with a king size bed, flat screen tv and large balcony with very nice patio furniture off it, as well as a living room with sofa (can convert to a bed), another flat screen tv, a full size coffee maker (very nice touch), and another balcony with standard patio furniture. I believe it was my husband that made a comment about it being a problem to decide which balcony to have his morning coffee on – oh first world problems!! 5920 had two double beds, a sofa, a flat screen tv, full size coffee maker, loads of supplies, a private bathroom with Jacuzzi tub – which my granddaughter love (at 5 it’s a small swimming pool to her), and a balcony with standard patio furniture.

The fridge was fully stocked with 4 1-litre bottles of water, pepsi, pepsi-lite (diet), orange fanta, 7-Up, a couple of cans of beer, it was fully loaded!

As travel club guests we received our beach towels and two bathrobes and slippers in each room. We received a bottle of chilled champagne in each room – our room had two stainless steel travel mugs, two shot glasses, and a travel bag as gifts (oh and a bottle of tequila). The girls had a coffee mug, a travel bag and a ping pong set as gifts. Very nice touches – thanks Palladium Travel Club!

We had various towel art done in each room each day – housekeeping did an outstanding job – we were very impressed by their talent and we also received turn down service most nights. The fridge was always topped up – with loads of water, we never had to request anything – very nice!

We had breakfast at the Kabah buffet on the Riviera side every morning but two – where we went to the Tikal buffet on the Colonial side. We prefer the atmosphere, layout and staff at Kabah – we spend so much time around there that they have become friends! We were sad to learn that a few of the staff we were looking forward to seeing have left – Eduarto who drove carts and worked as a bell boy has left, likely to Spain we hear – we missed him. Daniel was a waiter in Kabah, Lucy was so looking forward to seeing him and he has left the Palladium – she was sad L. We did get to see a lot of Pedro, bell-boy at Riviera – Lucy and he are almost inseparable – and I’m sure lots of people were wondering who this little girl was that occupied much of his attention and time! He always had a hug and smile for her, and for us! Marlen at Kabah, is another who has become a friend – we will look forward to seeing her again when we return!

The food at the buffets has only improved by leaps and bounds – if you can’t find something to eat at the new Palladium menus then I don’t know what you eat at home – you literally cannot starve here!

From made to order eggs and omelets, to the most amazing health drinks for breakfast – I’m not able to eat like I used to (extensive dental work done earlier this year) – bacon, sausage, etc. are off limits to me and I don’t miss them at all – do you know they have whole baked ham at breakfast? Sliced to order? It was soo delicious!! They even have the usual Mexican breakfast station with made to order items, as well as freshly prepared items that are staples of the Mexican diet. Always lovely. More on the food later.

Lunch was random – sometimes we skipped lunch, sometimes at Kabah. Once or twice at Tikal. We never made it to the beach bars. Oh my the burgers at lunch (more on those later too). Everything was so fresh and well prepared.

Dinner we managed to get to the following a la carte’s – Rodizio (Brazilian – 2 times – once with adding lobster to our meal –mmmm), Mare Nostrum (Mediterranean), Sumptuori (show table – this was an interesting experience – the Travel Club oopsed on our reservation and ended up making it for 10 instead of 4 – but we ended up with a grumpy family of Spanish speakers – there were a ton of people from Spain, Portugal and South America the week we were there, they kind of put a damper on the experience – one of them video taped the show and their cellphone light was shining in my hubby’s face blinding him part of the time, one was talking on her cell phone repeatedly during the show, they had deplorable table habits, and more) but we persevered and showed my granddaughter a wonderful time! The food was good, the show a bit lacking this time around – this is the 4th or 5th time I’ve been and the show lacked a bit of pizazz from past experience. It was still good but not the level it was in the past. We also managed a trip to El Dorado for excellent steaks – we come from Alberta and beef country and I would have been happy with those steaks at home – yes they were thin – but they were fine.

We went to a number of the shows in the evenings, a few on the Colonial side for my granddaughter and many of the shows on the Riviera side. We tried to go to the White Party and the Fire show but it starts way too later (10:45) and we just couldn’t keep little Lucy up that late on the night before we went home. I wanted her to see the flyboarding and I was still glad to see they have kept that – I think it’s a great show for people – it’s all over the lakes here and a real show! The addition of acrobatics to the shows has really stepped things up – you sit spellbound and the modern music makes a really great show too!

Service at the resort was great – was it perfect all the time, no. But after several trips to Mexico I have learned that you have to not sweat the small stuff and realize that whether you are in a buffet restaurant or an a la carte, these people are busy and busting their a##e# to serve as many people in the shortest amount of time, and keep everyone happy. They often have to deal with people who lack understanding and proper manners, and they do an amazing job! There were times when we received everything we needed and then didn’t see service staff again – which was fine, we didn’t need anything else. Other times they were tripping over themselves to wait on us – you just never knew!

The beach was wonderful, the new loungers that are all over the place are so comfortable. The salt water pool, which is our favourite place was nice and we also swam at the main beach. If you go outside the roped off area there is seaweed in the water, but the beach was so nice and clean – I was very impressed.

We went into Playa del Carmen once, Cancun twice, Akumal twice, and Tulum once. We went on one organized tour – thanks to the Travel Club – Aventuras Mayas – oh my did we love that! We swam in a cenote, an open one; we swam in a cave – it was incredible; and then we went to Akumal to Yal Ku. The current was extremely strong that day, likely due to wind conditions, but we still got some great snorkeling in – the pictures they took, they provide a photographer, were beautiful – and not expensive either. Some places really charge a lot for that, I didn’t think they were charging a lot for them – and they were really nice!

For the first time we rented a car and I drove us around – it is so much fun to drive in Mexico! Nothing like seeing a sign that says 60km and driving 120km – makes you feel like you are getting away with something very risqué! I found it very easy to get around, even Cancun – and gassing up at the Pemex station in Puerto Aventuras was easy – no worry about being taken advantage of – they treated us very well – making sure to show us that the pump had been returned to 0 and everything. We drove to Tulum and paid 50 pesos for parking, then entered the ruins ourselves – we chose not to pay for a guide and toured around ourselves. It was a rainy day and the red flag was up on the beach. I am not sure if there has been swimming there recently or not – there is a ton of seaweed around there – they also have an area designated for turtles but I would be seriously concerned that they haven’t been able to nest – no idea how they would get through the water filled with seaweed to the point that the water was red, and then the piles and piles on the beach. The government of Mexico definitely has the right idea in putting that boom in place and removing the stuff before it does any more damage as I am sure we’ve already lost a ton of the turtle population and it will only get worse – hopefully there are scientist studying why this is happening to begin with – but that’s for another day.

We also drove all around Akumal (ok so not a big drive but a lovely one all the same). Then after our adventure day we took the Collectivo in to Akumal and delivered a donation of supplies to Hekab Be for the kids – met a nice English speaking lady who was there enjoying time with the kids making paper crowns – her’s said Queen – I missed her name but she knew Anne – and she was having a wonderful time! It felt good to know that these items would be used by kids that really needed them!

Ok so now, I have to add the following in – I know we all read the reviews on Trip Advisor and other places and we all say things like – I’m not sure where they were staying but it sure wasn’t the Palladium I’ve been at – or something that effect. So for all those reviews here’s what I have to say:

We went for lunch at the buffet on the Riviera side – it’s called Kabah, and had the beef burgers, we had to wait because they had run out, I mean seriously people, it’s lunch time, 3:00 on a rainy day, and you’ve run out of burgers? Anyway, so I find the buns under this warmer thing – they put their hamburger buns with their hot dog buns, no wonder I had trouble finding them! I put the burger on the bun and it’s too big – the burger that is – you can’t find a bigger bun? What am I supposed to do with all that burger??? Ok, so now I have this gourmet burger and where are the gourmet toppings? All you have is lettuce, sliced tomato, pickles, sliced onions, and of course, little packets of ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise – what if I want to put loads of them on my burger? I have to open a bunch of little packets? And why do you have to have so many choices for fries – regular fries, wedge fries – how many more kinds are you going to have??

And what’s up with the Mexican taco section – why did you let the person in front of me order 4 tacos, and cook them fresh to order for him? Why can’t you limit it to 2 tacos per person? Why do I have to wait for you to make them 4 tacos and the person ahead of them to have a quesadilla made for them, and you are making fresh chips, and frying empanadas at the same time – can’t you just make tacos and do that stuff some other time?

Oh and why oh why did you bring my hubby a beer and my kids sodas from the inside the restaurant but you are telling me that if I want a cocktail I have to go to the bar in the lobby? Can’t you serve everything from the little stand inside the restaurant?

Oh and you might want to turn that station down that serves the crepes at breakfast – I noticed that they were bubbling around the edges – pretty sure you don’t need food to stay that hot – I mean it’s okay for food to be a little cold around the edges right? I wouldn’t complain about something like that you know.

Oh and I was hanging out at the salt water pool with the kids yesterday – I hope that security at the Canadian airport doesn’t get mad at me for having sand in my shoes when I get home – couldn’t you clean up the sand around the loungers? Does it have to be there? There’s all that concrete around there so I’m sure you could do something to clean it all up!

There!! Now don’t we all feel just a little bit better? I know I do J

Oh I do have to say one thing in all seriousness – we went to one of the lobby bars, renowned for it’s coffee service, and asked for a hot chocolate for my granddaughter and they don’t have it – what??? No hot chocolate, in Mexico? How is that possible? We didn’t bother to go looking all over, but I figured for sure that a place that serves coffee, cappuccino, and other related drinks would for sure have hot chocolate, and nothing, I was sad for little Lucy. But she was ok without it!

If you are a frequent traveler to the Grand Palladium and are considering becoming a Travel Club member it definitely has it’s value – things like free phone calls home to Canada and the US, the free tour – we had a choice of 3 different ones – Aventuras Mayas, Rio Secreto and one more that I can’t remember now; we could have made dinner reservations for each night we were there – if it’s high season I would have done this but because it was not busy we didn’t bother except for the Japanese show table. The transportation service is also a huge plus – when we needed to get somewhere, and our personal concierge (Pedro) wasn’t available, then we just called for a travel club cart and away we went. That is a very important perk on a hot day or hot night – oh and to the travel club guests whose cart we busted in on when I was suffering from heatstroke I apologize – I got too much heat and needed to get cooled off quickly, I appreciate your sharing the cart with us!

While the activities that took place during the week that we were there were exclusive to Travel Club Members I don’t believe that anyone who was not a member was excluded or treated differently. Other than the beach bbq things happened as normal. There were a large number of weddings that took place – sometimes 2 or 3 a day. This would have affected the beach bbq as well if it were a normal week. I have travelled to this resort twice as a travel club member and twice as a regular traveler. I have never felt like I was treated differently, except the first trip when we were Royal guests and that you cannot compare – being a Travel Club member and staying on the Royal Suites side would be the absolute ultimate in luxury if you ask me – you couldn’t get any more top of the line than that!

While we had the luxury of being able to call for travel club cars to take us wherever we needed to go, we only utilized it from our room when we had a schedule to keep – dinner reservations and morning appointments. Otherwise we either walked or used the trains and transportation carts. What a change for our first visit in 2012 – back then they used golf carts to pull the cars around, now they have trucks and it works! We did find a few times that timing was way off and we just couldn’t wait anymore so we walked. Once we were waiting after the Colonial show and we must have waited more than 20 minutes and no carts showed up. That was way too long for no transportation to show up at all. You’d think that their timing would be better in that situation. We also had an instance where the cart driver knew where we wanted to go and twice drove by our room, not usually a big deal, but our granddaughter was asleep in my hubby’s arms and it being our first night we hadn’t figured out the lay of the land in the dark yet – we were a little frustrated with that driver!

If you haven’t tried Travel Club travel but you’d like to, and you don’t want to sit through that 90 minute presentation, try to find an existing member and maybe make arrangements with them for one of their weeks. It gives you the best of both worlds – you get the experience just like you own it without the hassle of the sales pitch. We could have done the tour, we’ve done it before and to be honest it was tempting, but I’m so in love with Mexico I’m at the point of looking for real estate not a vacation once or twice a year! The only thing with the travel club is – you can go to all 7 locations on that membership and that sure is a plus!

Even leaving it was smooth and wow what changes on that end – no more elevator at TGI Friday’s, and the menu and food have been upgraded there too! The duty free area has had changes, and shopping was easy! I bought liquor and vanilla and they now package it so you can take it straight through to home, we had a layover and I wouldn’t have had to put it in my suitcase because she did some fancy bagging of it for me. That’s new and handy! Unfortunately I packed it in my suitcase and the vanilla bottle broke, luckily it was in the fancy bag and it barely leaked on my stuff! Our flight home was smooth and uneventful. We even arrived in Toronto 30 minutes early – think our pilot was in a hurry – he flew fast!! Customs in Toronto was electronic – you insert your declaration card into the machine and it spits out a copy and off you go. I put that I had food – the vanilla, and so I had to see an officer, quick and painless, he asked a question, scanned my passport, and sent me on my way. We picked up our suitcases and off we went – easy breezy!

Anyway, if you have any questions or want to know more about the resort or our trip don’t hesitate to ask!

[Anne]

It is what it is. It becomes what you make it.”
4 of 5 starsReviewed 4 days ago NEW
We first went to the Palladium in 2005. It was our first all inclusive, first time in Mexico. We had a nice time, but we both got sick. The husband very sick, me only mildly. When I wrote my review people said, it was probably food off the resort. We hadn’t gone anywhere else. They said, you probably drank too much. Well, we didn’t drink. Every excuse that the loyal customers could think of,.. we had to defend ourselves. No, unfortunately, it was true. We did get sick at the resort. I am almost positive that it was due to an under cooked hamburger. His was less done, mine slightly more done, but under cooked never the less. Stuff happens and it could have happened anywhere. It’s also possibly that it was Norovirus that we picked up from another traveler. However, we have not been sick, ever since.

It wasn’t until 2009, that we returned to the Palladium. That trip was one of the best we have ever experienced. However, we are not walking, talking billboards for Palladium. If I have something bad to say, I’ll say it. I don’t over glorify and I don’t bash. When I am reading reviews, I always throw out the ones that are over the top, along with those who say it’s horrible.

I have intended to write unbiased reviews for our past couple visits, but I regret that I have not gotten around to it. So, now, I will attempt to recreate, to the best of my knowledge, a few things that might be of help.

For the most part, I have experienced nothing, except wonderful, helpful, friendly, hardworking staff. Of course, there are those employees who are having a bad day, who are training, missing their families, or some who might be on the lazy side. I believe, it is my attitude that attracts the service I expect, no matter where I travel. I treat them with respect and kindness, they reciprocate. My only real complaint is, the staff in the buffets, especially at breakfast. It can be difficult to get their attention for coffee, or water. Another are for improvement would be in the al a cart restaurants. I feel that when I tell the waiters that I have been there before, I would prefer that they do not give their whole speech about everything and how it works, simply ask me, “do you have any questions?”

As many times as I have been to Palladium (I think 8?) I am continually amazed by the grounds and how beautiful they are. I see workers grooming, trimming, pruning, etc. all day long. I realize that some of the rooms can be slightly run down, but I do not go looking for cracked tiles, mold in the mirrors, tired and worn curtains or bed linens. Hard beds, concrete pillows are not my favorite, so I come prepared. I realize that this is Mexico. I’ve seen way worse. I’ve stayed in way worse and it didn’t kill me. The little geckos that sneak inside the room fascinate me. The little black ants are everywhere, it is a jungle after all.

I read a review saying it felt like Groundhog Day. I laughed because we have said the same thing. Get up, go to the beach bar and grab a cappuccino, watch the sunrise. Go back to the room, get ready. Go to breakfast, similar food options every day. Head to the beach, lay in the sun, get in the water for a few hours. Grab some lunch and then go back to the beach. Walk to the outdoor buffets and get an ice cream cone. Go to the adult pool for some quiet time. Head back to the room for a nap and shower. Decide where to eat and go to dinner. Catch a show, people watch, connect to the internet and share photos on Facebook. Call it a night and go to bed. Wake up, repeat. Yep, it does become slightly redundant and after a week, I’m all done, ready to go home and see my puppies.

What is unfortunate about that review is, the person didn’t know about how many wonderful, nearby things there were to do. You have La Playa Xpu Ha, about 10 minutes North. A beautiful, secluded beach where we always spend a day and get a massage. Akumal, which is 10 minutes south. Walk the beach, swim with the turtles, check out any number of beach bars and restaurants with views, good food and great service. A full day can easily be spent, in Tulum at the ruins, the beaches and pueblo. It is about 25 minutes away, but well worth the experience. Go for the ruins, stay for the day while you stroll the beach and sample things like a basil margarita. Head further south for more Tulum beaches that have a totally different vibe. We simply walk out to the road, catch a collective for a few pesos and go wherever we want. I can totally understand how you might feel stuck, if you don’t know what is nearby and how to get around.

That nasty beach! Well, bummer! It is unfortunate that nature has decided to dump copious amounts of sargassum on that beautiful beach and beaches all across the Caribbean. It is not algae, it’s a seaweed and it comes in, in such tremendous waves that it cannot be controlled. Last visit, we watched workers clean up piles and piles of the stuff. I cannot even imagine the cost and the man hours that the resort is having to put in for the cleanup, to keep the guests happy. This is the worst I have ever seen it, in all the years we have been traveling to the area. It smells terrible and it looks bad. Walking on it hurts your feet when it’s dried out and the sand fleas are busy in the rotting, wet sargassm. It absolutely ruins the view of the beach, but it’s nature at work and who can control that?

The beach at Palladium is one of our favorite beaches in the area and that is one of the reasons we keep going back. It has a little something to offer everyone. Rocky ironshore for snorkelers and soft white sand for swimmers and soakers. Depending on the rains and tides, you can have a rocky, treacherous entrance to the water or, a soft sand entrance. Again, nature controls that, so I come prepared with waters shoes, just in case.

The water at the resort, again, is another reason we choose to go back. It’s nice to not have to worry about brushing your teeth, or getting it in your mouth when you shower. I do drink water straight out of the tap and I have never had a problem with that.

The resort is huge, that’s a fact. Plan on walking or waiting. Personally, I would rather spend 10 minutes walking, than 5 minutes waiting. I am too impatient for that nonsense. So, by the time we leave the resort, our legs are exhausted. It is 18-21 steps up to the top of those bridges, nothing is close, really. We always request a 3rd floor room and that is another 36 steps to the top. Yes, I have counted. I mean, when you are trekking everywhere, what else do you have to do, except count the steps. Some days, I just can’t face climbing those steps ONE MORE TIME. But, I do it and it hasn’t killed me yet. When it is all said and done, I am happy that I have walked so far, otherwise my clothes might not fit me at the end of the trip. The other wonderful thing about that is, no matter what time of year we have visited, the resort never feels crowded. No matter what the occupancy level, there are always quiet, romantic, relaxing places, away from the crowds. Your’e gonna get lost, there’s no two ways about it. We still get lost. So… get lost, wander and make it a fun adventure.

The food… well, it is resort food. We have had wonderful meals, we have had good meals and we have had a few disappointing meals. The one thing I have found is, if you don’t find something you like, ask. The staff is more than willing to accommodate your requests. For instance, I am a weird food person, allergic to many things and very picky. After walking the full length of the buffet at least twice, not finding anything I can, or feel inclined to eat… I was asked if I needed help. I told them I am allergic to eggs and wheat. May I please have a corn tortilla quesadilla, pico de gallo and some crema? The guy got on his radio and five minutes later, it was delivered to my table, beautiful presentation. All freshly made, just for me, when hundreds of other guests filled the buffet. Strange requests for “a no egg omelet please” have been met with a smile. That particular chef, to this day sees me coming and says, “no huevo?” with a smile.

Drinks are not watered down, if you feel that way, ask for a shot of whatever is in our drinnk or tell them, “more…” They will give you MORE, I promise

So, to wrap this up… Is this resort perfect? No. Some of the rooms, beds, pillows linens, etc. are tired and need to be replaced. There are bugs, critters, mosquitoes and nuisances. Not all of the staff works as hard as the majority of the staff. Food can become repetitive after a week. The wifi is terrible! That would have to be my biggest complaint. Plan on walking long distances to reach your destination, or waiting for a train, cart, or other transportation.

But here is my take. Go with a positive attitude. Treat people the way you want to be treated. Be kind, be polite. If something is wrong, politely let them know about it. Some things can be fixed, some things can’t. If your vacation is ruined, it is because you chose to let something ruin it. If you don’t like what you are eating, put it down and go get something else. We have never gone hungry at this resort. While I am picky, I am also open to trying new things. If you walk around happy and having fun, you will attract happiness and fun. It’s Mexico, people get sick, unfortunately. Be prepared. Ask your Doctor for a prescription of Cipro. Bring diarrhea meds and anti nausea meds if you can get your hands on them. Don’t expect it, but it can happen. Bring your own pillow! Do some research about surrounding areas, you don’t have to take an expensive tour to get out and enjoy the local food and culture. Personally, I avoid Playa Del Carmen at all costs. Enjoy and interact with the staff. Many of them are Mayan and nothing pleases them more than teaching you a few words in Mayan. Then watch them light up when you see them next time and say, “Mas Ha!” More water. It’s the simple things that make all the difference in your trip and their day.

Personally, I love the staff. Ten years later, I still recognize people who I met during my first visit there. And when I encounter an employee who is having a bad day, I ask them, why aren’t you happy, what’s going on? Most of the time, they have a legitimate complaint. They have lives outside work, just like we do. They have family drama. They work very long hours, six days in a row or more. Sometimes, it is a complaint about a rude guest. I’ve witnessed them being mistreated by guests and I do whatever I can to turn that around for them, encourage them and get them back on track. Don’t be that guest… The one who ruins the day for an employee and other guests. Take a long hard look at the people who are picking up trash all day long and imagine what their life is like. Go hand them a $1 or more and know that you just made their whole week!

We have stayed in the Kantenah section, the Royal Suites and the Riviera section. All have their own unique charms, advantages and disadvantages. We enjoy them all.

We have booked other resorts, just for a change of scenery. Everytime… after reading reviews of the other resorts, we always come back to the Palladium and have never been disappointed. We know what we are getting. We know what to expect.

I’ve never been on a perfect vacation. It is, what it is. It becomes what you make it. I choose to make it good! Go, relax and enjoy. Throw out any illusion you might have that this vacation is going to be perfect. Then when something isn’t perfect, go looking for something that makes you happy. Don’t go looking for problems, you’ll find them, I promise. Go with the expectation that the power is within you to have and create joy. You’ll find it, I promise. Happy travels everyone. See ya on the beach!

[Anne]

Created By: Panzita on Sunday, July 12th, 2015

My wife and I just completed a two week vacation at Grand Palladium Vallarta. We traveled as Travel Club members, so some of the services we received are exclusive services to Travel Club members, however, the majority of this review should apply to all guests.

We arrived to the resort on Saturday afternoon and were greeted very warmly by Angelly, Roger, Alba, and Daniel. After checking in…and some extensive chatting, we were taken to our room in building 3, which had a spectacular view of the ocean. We stayed in a Grandmaster Ocean View Suite which is a two room suite with a King bed, separate living room, and a terrace with an outdoor Jacuzzi. This particular suite had two large closets and a bathroom with a huge shower with a window. Needless to say, the vacation was off to a great start.

Our next stop was the Travel Club lounge, which is set atop the Cliffside with a spectacular panoramic view of the Pacific. We spent a good deal of time there every day and need to mention Cindy and Michelle (and Marlen who did some reliefs) who work there. Not only did they provide excellent service, but were genuinely warm and loving. They truly live the Travel Club motto of “From Guest to Family”. The specially decorated coffees and juices, which I named “Cindy Sunshine”, were so very appreciated and my friends admired them very much.

The resort is small, rugged, and intimate. It is very distinct from other Palladium resorts which are large and expansive. This difference, however, is a strength. The quality of service we received met or surpassed the service we received at the other Palladium resorts we have visited…as did the food and beverages. The staff was unbelievably friendly and attentive, and while I certainly can’t remember every single person by name, some people stood out. Rosa, Hector, Alfredo, and Nazly were not only efficient, but showed a warmth and friendliness that made us want to keep coming back just to see them.

We ate in every restaurant at least once. We ate at Vive Mexico twice and it was very nice and the setting on the outdoor terrace was amazing. The food was very good, and the freshly made guacamole at tableside was fantastic. We also ate at Bamboo twice and were spoiled by Chef Joaquin, who came to our table and made us special sushi. Our steak at Ribs and More was awesome as were our dinners at Portofino. We also went to the beach bbq one night. It was by far the best beach bbq we have attended and will definitely do it again next year. I found the food to be very good, the best I have had in the a la carte restaurants in a Palladium.

Because we had gold bracelets, we had access to the Royal restaurant, where we dined 5 times, including a special romantic dinner which was a surprise to me. The food was absolutely amazing. While the romantic dinners are not included, if you are celebrating a special occasion, they are definitely worth doing…they are truly unforgettable moments. Again, the service and food in the Royal Restaurant were amazing.

We went to the spa 6 times over our two week stay for a variety of massages and other treatments. Perla and Yolanda were excellent and Alejandra at the front desk was sweet. The services were so relaxing and really needed.

The grounds were always well kept and there are so many men and women who work hard to keep them looking clean and beautiful…but I must mention Martha, our maid, who did an awesome job despite my messiness. Every day, I would find all my things put into a little caddy with the remote control to keep me organized, only to leave everything out the next day. And she always wore a smile!

While I really didn’t participate in any of the activities, my wife did yoga most days at 10:00 and zumba classes. Juan Carlos was very helpful and went out of his way with my wife to show her things and to lend her a yoga mat for the duration of her stay so that she could do her back exercises in our room. His infectious smile and enthusiasm were abundant…he’s a great guy.

And I cannot forget Roger, our concierge. How could we. If we entered the lobby, he would be out of his chair, in the heat, to meet us…despite me telling him it wasn’t necessary. Whenever we needed something, he was there. His attentiveness and friendliness must be noted.

Which leaves just one more note, the management of this hotel. From the top down, the management of this hotel works as a team…they are professionals. Twice I went into the lobby to see Daniel, the assistant director of operations, doing check ins because there was a need. Leadership by example! Albina is so lively and enthusiastic about food, no wonder everything was so good. Alba from guest services, Karin from the spa…they are just amazing, with huge smiles and hugs and always there to assist. But most importantly, Angelly…if you are a Travel Club member, you need to know that Angelly is an amazing Travel Club manager. And she truly cares for her members. I was so impressed with not only her competence and attentiveness, but also her zeal for the Travel Club.

For any Travel Club members, or anyone in general, I highly encourage you to visit this resort, but to not go with the expectation that it is like the larger properties…because it isn’t. But if you get past that, I can’t see how you could be disappointed.

[Anne]

We visited the Grand Palladium Colonial in mid-April 2015, and had a wonderful vacation! This was our 10th Palladium stay, having vacationed at Palladium resorts in Punta Cana, Jamaica, and our favorite, the Riviera Maya many times. Upon arrival we were greeted warmly and given a kind welcome home greeting! Check-in was easy, and we were brought to our junior suite in Villa 20, which was the perfect location. The room was beautifully adorned with rose petals and a lovely floral arrangement. Wow! A fantastic welcome home!

We vacationed with our daughter, who is in her mid-twenties and she was delighted to return to the resort that had become her favorite over the years – the Grand Palladium Colonial!

Since we travel during peak travel periods the resort is typically quite full, but it never seemed crowded. We had a fantastic week.

Being repeat guests (10), we received Gold bracelets which allowed us to enjoy a few perks. Thank you!!!

It is nice returning to the same resort, as one can immediately relax and get into vacation mode. We arrived at the resort before our room was ready, so changed into our bathing suits and went to our favorite spot – the Kantenah end of the beach! Fernanda was working at the beach bar and greeted us with her gorgeous smile! She is amazing – a real gem.

Unfortunately, my husband was stung by jellyfish during his first swim! He was stung a couple of times on his hand, and ended up having to receive medical attention later in the week with the resort physician, but he didn’t let the pain get in the way of his fun!!!!!! (tequila helped!) The water was rather rough that first day, and you couldn’t see bottom, so he didn’t know what hit him. It was all pretty ugly, but he recovered nicely.That first night we enjoyed dinner at La Adelita – always nice to kick the vacation off at the Mexican restaurant! We received wonderful service.

In the early morning it was beautiful walking to the beach, getting a cup of coffee at the Beach Bar (Colonial), and watching the resort come to life each day.

The weather was perfect as it typically is mid-April. Each day we set up camp on the Kantenah end of the beach. Enjoyed watching several weddings from afar, too!

It was fun having breakfast at El Jardin, and we went there 4 out of the 7 mornings. On the other mornings we opted to simply go to the large buffet due to its proximity to our villa. We dined at Portofino twice, Mare Nostrum, the steak house on the Colonial/ Kantenah side, Japanese, and El Jardin on our last night. Everything was perfect.

At lunchtime my husband had fried snapper at the beach bar one day, which he enjoyed. It was beautiful sitting outside looking out at the beautiful ocean! We typically had lunch at El Gran Azul. As always, there was a great selection of food.

The resort is as beautiful as ever, and very well maintained. We enjoyed walking through the wooden walkways throughout the resort, and got lots of exercise. One of our favorite things to do is hike over to the salt water pool late afternoon to relax, enjoy the views, and have a cocktail. It is absolutely beautiful there!

As far as excursions go, we took the colectivo to Akumal once to snorkel and see the sea turtles (always fun!), and on another morning went to Tulum. Since we have been to the resort so many times, we have done lots of sightseeing in the area, and didn’t feel the need to venture out any further on this trip.

We were treated very nicely by all staff members, and that’s one of the reasons we return – everyone always has a smile and a friendly hola!

Each day when we’d return to our room there would be some sort of treat waiting for us – chocolate covered strawberries, cheese,pears…all quite delicious!

Our tenth trip was relaxing and fun – just as we had hoped. Looking forward to our next visit to the Grand Palladium!