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Search Results
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In reply to: Tuesday Margarita lessons
Topic: Mardi Gras Parties
Mardi Gras Parties – Tuesday March 4 – Riviera Maya
- Kantenah beach 9 pm
- Full Moon Bar @ TRS 9 pm
- Bravo dinner 7:30 pm
In reply to: Poseidon restaurant RM
Lucky You! This week the App shows it open Tuesday & Friday for dinner. You may want to download the App before you go. Go to Start my Stay then Grand Palladium Riviera Maya. PHG App
Topic: Food & Cocktail lessons
Many Palladium resorts offer daily cooking &/or cocktail lessons. The Riviera Maya resorts offers this at 4 pm daily as follow:
- Sunday – Sushi
- Monday – Guacamole
- Tuesday – Margaritas
- Wednesday – Bartending lessons
- Thursday – Mexican Tortilla
- Friday – Ceviche lessons
- Saturday – Tequila lessons @ 4 with a taco & tortilla party at 7 pm
In reply to: Tuesday Margarita lessons
Shared with permission – Bonnie Greenberg-Cohen
Here is a review I wrote from a trip we just returned from on Saturday and I thought I’d post it in case any of the info. could help someone. Our 11th visit
To provide some context, we have been fortunate enough to visit various luxury hotels and all-inclusive resorts, including Le Blanc, Excellence (ERC), Xpu-Ha Palace (which unfortunately closed after a hurricane), Grand Palladium White Sands, Paradisus Palma Real, Punta Cana Princess( awful place) , Live Aqua (5 times), and TRS (10 times)and one other whose name escapes me. Over the years, we’ve had the best butlers, and although most names escape me, Christian stands out as absolutely amazing. When our morning butler was unwell, I went to the building next door and excitedly found Susanna, our butler from previous visits. She eagerly helped me, and it felt like a warm reunion.
Now, onto the highlights of this particular trip:
Our trip was full of wonderful experiences, and one of the highlights was our dining at La Paisana, the Brazilian steakhouse. Although we never ate their on our previous trips, we visited there three times, and it became our favorite. My husband absolutely loved the steak, and despite my food restrictions, they were able to make my salmon and veggies delicious every time. Federico, our waiter, really stood out. He went out of his way for us—he’s amazing! (probably the best waiter in the entire resort) which is why we went there 3 times.We went to Chic again this trip and really enjoyed the band that played beforehand, including the impressive fire show. The wait staff was very careful about the food they brought us, ensuring everything was to our diets as well as our liking.
On Wednesday night, a Latin band played at Colonial, and the energy was incredible. Many people were dancing, and they were amazing. The music was lively and created a wonderful atmosphere.
On Friday night, we also enjoyed live music at Colonial, where a Beatles band played. It was a great way to wind down the evening. I also took a stroll through Ketenah, where by chance, we came across a violinist and guitarist playing a beautiful mix of Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. This impromptu performance was not listed in the app, and it felt like a hidden gem. We noticed that there are still many such spontaneous opportunities to enjoy music, but soon, they will be offering less entertainment.
As always, we loved the French restaurant, which continues to be a favorite. My husband and son also enjoyed the Japanese restaurant while I was unwell with a virus. They ate at the sushi bar, where my son had sushi and my husband opted for sashimi. The Italian restaurant was another regular for us, with both great food and service. Unfortunately, on this visit, there was a significant wait—over 90 minutes between our appetizer and main course. Additionally, my husband’s steak had so much fat that he couldn’t eat it, which was a bit disappointing.
In addition to the food, we enjoyed the incredible pianist at the TRS lobby in the early evening. We always look forward to hearing her each time we visit.Every morning, I’d Walk over to the bar while my husband slept, where Samuel would make me a perfect cup of cappuccino with almond milk. In the evenings, Renee at the RS lobby was absolutely incredible—her friendly service made each night special. And of course, I can’t forget Angi( spelling??), the sweetest cocktail waitress at the TRS lobby, who continues to be a memorable part of our visits.
We were also excited to see the warm and friendly Adele, who gave us great service at the Travel Club Beach, and Rosario, who treated us incredibly well at the infinity pool. Remembering on my 9th day the one drink she brought me on my first day there on this trip. At the little pool by the lobby, the servers would make signature drinks and bring them around for people, along with pretzels and ice pops, adding a fun touch to our time there.
For activities, the three of us had a blast taking out sailboats. My son also played soccer many evenings, and he and my husband had a fantastic time on a snorkeling excursion in Puerto Aventuras, which they thoroughly enjoyed.
On Tuesday, we went on a night sunset cruise, which was an unforgettable experience. It was the first time I had ever done a sunset cruise, and I’m so glad we chose it as our included excursion. We got magnificent pictures, enjoyed the expertise of a wonderful captain and host, and were treated to a gourmet food platter and unlimited drinks.
Overall, it was another unforgettable trip filled with great service, fantastic entertainment, and special moments. We’re already looking forward to our next visit scheduled for November 2025 if not before!
Topic: Tuesday Margarita lessons
In reply to: Back to the 80s Party
In reply to: Tuesday 20’s party @ Las Rocas
Jessica wrote:
We’ve been here since Tuesday and are loving it! I’ll do a much more detailed review after our stay but wanted to ease some minds after all the recent reviews.
Family Selection has been amazing for us- the poolside playground and activities are a huge hit with the kids and have allowed mom/dad to relax some, the play area inside The Nest has made our breakfasts so awesome, our Butlers have provided anything we asked for within minutes, we had no trouble making dinner reservations for all nights but our first.
In reply to: Chic Cabaret in Yucatan, Coral, Turquesa
Wednesday, Friday Saturday TRS Yucatan,
Monday, Saturday TRS Turquesa,
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday TRS Coral.
$135 pp reservation fee. $35 reservation fee for TRS guests.
Topic: Mexico bans vapes
From Joan on Trip Advisor
Vapes banned as of May 31, 2022 in Mexico: From Trip Advisor:
“Mexico has banned the use of vapers and electronic cigarettes since Tuesday due to the damage they cause to health, through a decree signed by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
“It is a lie that the new products, the vapers, are an alternative to cigarettes. (…) There is a propaganda that indicates that what is harmful is burning tobacco, smoke, but that is false. The fumes are also harmful to health,” the leftist president said in his morning press conference.
Vapers work by heating a liquid cartridge containing aerosolized nicotine and other toxins. Users inhale the resulting vapor mimicking the consumption of conventional cigarettes.
“Mexico had already prohibited the import and export of vapers, electronic cigarettes and their cartridges last October, but the companies have continued to market the products they had in reserve, said the Undersecretary of Health, Hugo López-Gatell, during the presentation of the decree. .
Mexico bans the use of vapers and electronic cigarettes
“This new measure, presented this Tuesday when World No Tobacco Day is commemorated, also prohibits” the circulation and marketing of these new products, “explained the official.
In Congress, the discussion of an initiative to expand the places where smoking is prohibited, to include beaches, stadiums and open-air entertainment centers, is also anticipated.
Mexico has launched two alerts, in 2021 and this year, about the risks of these new forms of tobacco consumption.
The authorities have carried out 158 verification operations and have seized 9,582 units and vending machines for these products, according to figures presented at the conference.
Last April, in the United States, the vaping company Juul agreed to pay 22.5 million dollars for a lawsuit that accused it of targeting its advertising at teenagers and lying about how addictive its products are.
The World Health Organization warned in a report released Monday that the tobacco industry is one of the world’s biggest polluters and responsible for the loss of some 600 million trees each year, as it uses 200,000 hectares of land and 22,000 million tons of water annually.”Joan S
“And, the federal government is planning to ban smoking in a range of public places including beaches, parks and stadiums. President López Obrador has already signed a draft version of the decree, which the Health Ministry sent to the National Commission for Regulatory Improvement for review.”In reply to: Chic video
Punta Cana: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
Riviera Maya: Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
Costa Mujeres: Thursday, Friday, Saturday
In reply to: Tips for GP Riviera Maya
In reply to: Healthy juice lesson
In reply to: Tips for Riviera Maya
In reply to: Tuesday Activities
Topic: Tuesday Activities
10 am Archery (Sport Ctr)
Beach volleyball (Colonial beach)
Gravity Abs (Palapa Fitness Ctr – Colonial)
11 am Rifle shooting (Sport Ctr)
Steps (Palapa Fitness Ctr – Colonial)
Water volleyball (Colonial pool)
Noon Aquagym (Colonial pool)
Pool bikes (White Sand pool)
3 pm Special activity (Colonial pool)
4 pm Pilates (Colonial pool)
Healthy Juice lesson
5 pm Futbol (Sport Ctr.)
Topic: Congratulations Beth & Tommy
Beth Yager & Tommy DeHart
Review from our wedding trip May 27 – June 5. A bit lengthy but I could write so much more! Lol
I know this isn’t the Palladium Wedding Group, which I also plan to post in, so I’ll keep the wedding stuff to a minimum. Tommy DeHart and I arrived on May 27th for our May 31st wedding. Prior to arriving, we had set up a family dinner for 17 people on Friday the 28th for my niece’s birthday who was turning 8. Betty from guest services arranged a pre-fix menu at Portofino and it couldn’t have gone better. Let me just tell you she was my savior the entire trip. I had her on WhatsApp and I know I bothered her more times than she would have preferred but I don’t know how I would have gone thru the week without her. Not that Nidia, my wedding coordinator was a bump on a log. She was fabulous and did everything I requested and even exceeded my expectations on our special day. She also put me in touch with Betty again, prior to arriving, so we could arrange the Chef’s Table dinner for 20 of us, on Tuesday, the day after the wedding. Let me just tell you, if you have never done it, DO IT!! So worth the extra $100pp. They told us we were the first to do this for 20 people and let me tell you it went so smoothly you would have thought they always do this table for that many people. They made sure folks with allergies were accommodated for as always. And our whole group ended up getting perks at the other restaurants because they recognized us from the Chef’s table. Although we did tip generously! Did I mention Betty??? Not only did she set up the family dinner, the Chef’s Table dinner… BUT she also got 40 of us into CHIC for opening night!!! Our group had the best time and said it was one of the best shows they have ever been to. That’s saying something coming from some of our friends who travel extensively. We basically had the whole lower right side of the theatre reserved for all of us. There were some hiccups, which we expected for opening night, but were quickly resolved and it didn’t affect our time at the show. Even paid to have my brother and sister in law come over from White Sand and they had no issues and were able to enjoy the pre and post shows as well.Anything I needed Nidia, Betty and Roxanna (also from guest services) were on top of it. We couldn’t have been more appreciative for everything they did, not just for myself and Tommy, but for almost all our guests (I say almost all because we had some at White Sand).
We had booked the Ambassador Suite and were in building 63 and I do have to say we had the VERY BEST butlers, EVER! In all our trips (which is about a decade’s worth), these folks were truly amazing. We had Serene, Jessica and last but not least Rafael. They greeted us every morning and every evening. We didn’t need much but when we asked they were on their game! We even had a little rooftop party and they stocked the upstairs fridge full of beer! I couldn’t have asked for better butlers and I know at least Rafael is on this page because he sais he saw our wedding photos that Tommy posted. If any of our butlers can see this, please say Hola!! You are all so lovely and accommodating.
I can’t not mention Sarahí Gutierrez from the full moon bar! She remembered us from our October 2020 visit and was so kind and attentive to our entire group, who sometimes can be a bit rowdy. She made sure we were well “hydrated” and wanted for nothing. We even saw her on our big day and she was so happy for us! Also worthy of mentioning is Lucy, from the Infinity Pool. We remember her from when El Gaucho used to be the TRS Lobby and she and Philiberto worked in the lobby bar in the evenings. We would always go see them after dinner for a relaxing cocktail. She looks like she hasn’t aged a day and took great care of us while we were in the pool.
Also of mentioning was we got to meet the famous Pat Lippy and his lovely wife. We enjoy your daily reports and it was so nice that you let Tommy and I disrupt your dinner at your happy place so we could introduce ourselves.
So to say the least our 10days there for our wedding exceeded our expectations and beyond. Our guests have already said they would go back to this resort in a heartbeat. Which is what we loved to hear because we love this resort so much. The resort is beautiful and the food is great… but the staff… that’s why we continue to come back time and time again. They become family!!
8
Topic: Review from a bride
Congratulations Beth Yager & Tommy DeHart.
.Review from our wedding trip May 27 – June 5. A bit lengthy but I could write so much more! Lol
I know this isn’t the Palladium Wedding Group, which I also plan to post in, so I’ll keep the wedding stuff to a minimum. Tommy DeHart and I arrived on May 27th for our May 31st wedding. Prior to arriving, we had set up a family dinner for 17 people on Friday the 28th for my niece’s birthday who was turning 8. Betty from guest services arranged a pre-fix menu at Portofino and it couldn’t have gone better. Let me just tell you she was my savior the entire trip. I had her on WhatsApp and I know I bothered her more times than she would have preferred but I don’t know how I would have gone thru the week without her. Not that Nidia, my wedding coordinator was a bump on a log. She was fabulous and did everything I requested and even exceeded my expectations on our special day. She also put me in touch with Betty again, prior to arriving, so we could arrange the Chef’s Table dinner for 20 of us, on Tuesday, the day after the wedding. Let me just tell you, if you have never done it, DO IT!! So worth the extra $100pp. They told us we were the first to do this for 20 people and let me tell you it went so smoothly you would have thought they always do this table for that many people. They made sure folks with allergies were accommodated for as always. And our whole group ended up getting perks at the other restaurants because they recognized us from the Chef’s table. Although we did tip generously! Did I mention Betty??? Not only did she set up the family dinner, the Chef’s Table dinner… BUT she also got 40 of us into CHIC for opening night!!! Our group had the best time and said it was one of the best shows they have ever been to. That’s saying something coming from some of our friends who travel extensively. We basically had the whole lower right side of the theatre reserved for all of us. There were some hiccups, which we expected for opening night, but were quickly resolved and it didn’t affect our time at the show. Even paid to have my brother and sister in law come over from White Sand and they had no issues and were able to enjoy the pre and post shows as well.
Anything I needed Nidia, Betty and Roxanna (also from guest services) were on top of it. We couldn’t have been more appreciative for everything they did, not just for myself and Tommy, but for almost all our guests (I say almost all because we had some at White Sand).We had booked the Ambassador Suite and were in building 63 and I do have to say we had the VERY BEST butlers, EVER! In all our trips (which is about a decade’s worth), these folks were truly amazing. We had Serene, Jessica and last but not least Rafael. They greeted us every morning and every evening. We didn’t need much but when we asked they were on their game! We even had a little rooftop party and they stocked the upstairs fridge full of beer! I couldn’t have asked for better butlers and I know at least Rafael is on this page because he sais he saw our wedding photos that Tommy posted. If any of our butlers can see this, please say Hola!! You are all so lovely and accommodating.
I can’t not mention Sarahí Gutierrez from the full moon bar! She remembered us from our October 2020 visit and was so kind and attentive to our entire group, who sometimes can be a bit rowdy. She made sure we were well “hydrated” and wanted for nothing. We even saw her on our big day and she was so happy for us! Also worthy of mentioning is Lucy, from the Infinity Pool. We remember her from when El Gaucho used to be the TRS Lobby and she and Philiberto worked in the lobby bar in the evenings. We would always go see them after dinner for a relaxing cocktail. She looks like she hasn’t aged a day and took great care of us while we were in the pool.
Also of mentioning was we got to meet the famous Pat Lippy and his lovely wife. We enjoy your daily reports and it was so nice that you let Tommy and I disrupt your dinner at your happy place so we could introduce ourselves.
So to say the least our 10days there for our wedding exceeded our expectations and beyond. Our guests have already said they would go back to this resort in a heartbeat. Which is what we loved to hear because we love this resort so much. The resort is beautiful and the food is great… but the staff… that’s why we continue to come back time and time again. They become family!!
Topic: Healthy juice lesson
In reply to: Tuesday coffee tasting, RM, CM, CC
In reply to: Tuesday coffee tasting, RM, CM, CC
In reply to: Tuesday Activities – RM
Topic: Tuesday Activities – RM
POP Activities
- 10 am – Sun Salutation
- 11 am – Pilates
- noon – Aqua robics
- 3 pm – Ping pong torunament
- 4 pm – Healthy juice lesson
____________________________________________
Evening events – White Sand Lobby
- 8:15 pm – Live music
- 9:00 pm – Live performance – Cabaret night
- 9:30 pm – Live DJ
In reply to: Tuesday in Paradise
In reply to: Tuesday in Paradise
In reply to: Tuesday in Paradise
In reply to: Peace & Love Party- Puerto Vallarta, Costa Mujeres
In reply to: Tuesday entertainment from POP
In reply to: Tuesday entertainment from POP
Topic: Tuesday Fitness & Music
In reply to: Coconut drinks & ice cream
In reply to: Kokus in PV & RM
In reply to: Peace & Love Party- Puerto Vallarta, Costa Mujeres
In reply to: Peace & Love Party- Puerto Vallarta, Costa Mujeres
In reply to: Kokus in PV & RM
In reply to: Live music in Riviera Maya
Monday
12:00 Live music Las Olas
13:30 Live music El Gran Azul
18:30 Live music Colonial lobby
21:00 Del Caribe Soy Show Colonial Theater
22:00 White Party Colonial beach
22:00 Live music Colonial lobby
Tuesday
12:00 Live music Las Olas
13:30 Live music El Gran Azul
18:30 Live music Colonial lobby
21:00 The Movie Show Colonial Theater
22:00 Peace & Love Party Colonial Plaza
22:00 Live music Colonial lobby
Wednesday
12:00 Live music Las Olas
13:30 Live music El Gran Azul
18:30 Live music Colonial lobby
21:00 A Pirate Adventure Show Colonial Theater
22:00 Back to the 80’s Party Colonial Plaza
22:00 Live music Colonial lobby
Thursday
12:00 Live music Las Olas
13:30 Live music El Gran Azul
18:30 Live music Colonial lobby
18:30 Live piano White Sand lobby
21:00 Rock Forever Show Colonial Theater
22:00 Karaoke with live music Colonial lobby
Friday
12:00 Live music Las Olas
13:30 Live music El Gran Azul
18:30 Live music Colonial lobby
21:00 Colors of The World Show Colonial Theater
22:00 Live music Colonial lobby
Saturday
12:00 Live music Las Olas
13:30 Live music El Gran Azul
18:30 Live music Colonial lobby
18:30 Live piano White Sand lobby
21:00 Mexican Show Colonial Theater
22:00 Live music Colonial lobby
Sunday
12:00 Live music Las Olas
13:30 Live music El Gran Azul
18:30 Live music Colonial lobby
21:00 Jersey Boys Tribute Band Colonial lobby
21:00 Casino night Colonial lobbyIn reply to: Coconut drinks & ice cream
In reply to: Kokus in PV & RM
In reply to: Coconut drinks & ice cream
we do have Catholic Mass in the following days
Monday December 24th at 8pm
Tuesday December 25th at 11am
Tuesday January 1st at 11am
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
Topic: Wine tasting – TRS
In reply to: Upgraded alcohol in Riviera Maya (plus theme nights)
In reply to: Hints, tips & recommendations for TRS Yucatan xx
Welcome Hannah & Matt!
You will love TRS. As you probably know it is an adult only section of a much larger complex. It has its own activities scheduled, mostly around adults but you and your partner may also partake of other events on the sister resorts if you want more activity.
Suggest you download the App
You can see daily activities for the Colonial & White Sand side under activities. Once you are there and have a room number you can also use the App to contact your butler, call a cart and more.
Here are some additional activities planned for TRS.
Suggest you take the Segway tour from the Kantenah Beach.It will give you a great tour of the entire complex
Be sure you ask your butter to reserve Chic Cabaret for you . (Men must wear long pants here.) Also, suggest you try the a la cartes on the TRS side before you wander to the other sections of the resort for dinner. Here are the menus (Scroll down) (You can reserve if you wish through your butler) Menus
In the evening there is sometimes music at TRS. There is a party before and after the Chic shows on Monday, Wednesday, Friday on the terrace outside of Chic.
On other nights there are live bands on Colonial and White Sand sides.
In addition, there is a White Party & Fire show on the Colonial beach on Mondays, Peace & Love Party in Colonial on Tuesdays and a Back to the 80s Party on Wednesdays. There is also a chocolate night in Hemingways off the Kantenah lobby on Thursdays, a Rock n burger party at the Colonial beach bar on Thursdays, a Kukos party at Colonial at noon on Tuesdays and a paella party with live band at Colonial on Sundays at noon. If foam parties are of interest there is one with live music on Colonial beach on Thursdays at 4pm.
Don’t hesitate to ask your butler for anything you may need. There is also 24 hour room service. You cannot order cocktails via room service but you will have 4 bottles of alcohol in your room. You can request juice to mix. There is also a 24 hour bar open in the lobby with premium drinks. The wine in your room has a charge so if you don’t wish to pay stick to house wine (Bring a bubba mug)
Be sure and make a sunrise. I was able to see the sunrise from my balcony in building 66. You can also walk to the beach bar on White Sand ad grab a good coffee or mimosa for the sunrise.
Sunrise at TRS by Connie..This should get you started. Feel free to ask away.
In reply to: Awesome trip report
Great report Marilyn? Did you fly Air Transat from YVR? We are not impressed with the change in flights times on a Tuesday departure. Is Caprichio the other side of the old White Sands buffet? Can folks still walk from the WS lobby to the TRS lobby? How do they monitor TRS vs non TRS guests from wondering over to the Royal side?
In reply to: AGI Transfer TR posted
Very odd, AGI web site is still down. Since Tuesday or Wednesday? I don’t think they are receiving my emails either. Will try again next week.
Topic: Tuesday in Paradise
It is a bit cool this morning but supposed to be hot & sunny today. Resort is waking up. I can see the staff busily preparing for the day while soft music plays.
I love being in TRS. One feels like you are in a different world. Of course you are with butlers catering to your every need. I gave them a list of which restaurants we want this week so they know my schedule. I believe tonight is Poseidon(formerly Punta Emilia)
Last night we went to the Chic cabaret. Before the show there was a live band on the terrace, a sushi table and a table with homemade potato chips in cones. The show itself was awesome. Ricardo MC d. Lots of hugs to Ricardo and Erika who look amazing. The show was excellent. I encourage you to reserve it when you are in TRS. Food is a fixed menu and is eclectic. Quite nice. The wine & champagne kept flowing. Allison commented that they have brought Ibiza to Mexico!
Allie actually made some new friends from NewYork while there and they were going to meet at the White Party. I myself wandered home after another special day in Paradise. Now I must go find some coffee. Missed the sunrise (again).
Found some.
In reply to: Mojito Tuesdays in RST
In reply to: Tips for GP Riviera Maya
I thought we could have a little fun sharing our favorite travel tips.
One of mine is to pack those dry facial cleansing clothes vs a liquid. They are light weight and work well.
Have a fantastic Travel Tip Tuesday !
For the full post see our FB Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/109354655764349/permalink/1447598818606586/
Manuel Ferrer :
A) I scan my passport, my credit cards, ID, job ID’s, driving license and I send them to my mail. So if I lost anything and I need issue o cancel anything I have all the information in one place.
B) I look for information about writers of the country I’m going to visit and try to read novels whose action takes places in the country or city I’m about to visit .
C) I do a little research about the country. I like to know facts about their history , traditions , food and language.
E) I make a “clothing schedule” of the whole trip so I can plan more efficiently the amount of clothing I have to pack.Karen Horwood:
My favourite thing is to bring Ziploc bags for anything you want kept dry or free of sand!
Lori Prendergast :
If you bring your own insulated mug I have a cleaning tip. Before I travel I wet a sponge and put dishwashing liquid on it. Let it dry, cut into pieces. When you want to wash your mug, wet a sponge piece to wash easily!
Anne Adams:
Always bring a power strip with extra outlets. Also bring some non-perishable containers of half n half for my coffee.
Donna Wassing:
We always used to take a small container of Coffeemate.
I know a lady who packs all her outfits in giant ziploc bags – jewelry and shoes included. That’s more for business but it works!
I always take documents related to the trip in one ziploc bag that way you have everything easy to find and it saves problems if something isn’t correct.
Sharyn Muirhead :
I always take a few wire hangers from dry cleaners. I don’t particularly like the hangers in the closets at the GPRM, because they are awkward to use and I like to hang most of my clothes. I leave the ones I brought behind, because maybe the staff could use them or the next guests in our room.
Minnie McDonald:
I take hangers and leave them too, also a power strip for all the extra plugs you use as there are not many sockets, I also take a cool bag to use as a beach bag keeps all my suntan lotions ect cool and our soda x
Deb Friman Masters:
cut up sponges with a little dish soap on them to wash bubbas out at the end of the day
Lynn Shallenberger:
I take small citronella candles to put on Porch/balcony of the Mayan Suites while we sit there in the morning and evenings to ward off the mosquitos….
Claire Ross :
I like taking soft face cloths from home, then pouring cold water on them & using as a compress to keep cool whilst sun bathing
Foaming hand sanitiser for in the pool bag for before pool side snacks
Pack of baby wipes for my hands after sun cream application so I don’t get a streaky kindle!
Robert Underwood :
Zip lock bags, and duct tape….
Anne AdamsGroup Admin” What do you do with duct tape?
Lynn Shallenberger “You sound like my,husband never travel without duct tape…lol for emergencies,from broken suit case zippers, and broken straps on luggage… He fixed a broken latch on a window when we skied Breckenridge. The latch broke during a blizzard one night and dumped a large amount of snow on our bed below the window… Duct tape sealed that window in a few minutes…
Robert Underwood “Exactly, it’s come in handy on many occasions…as a matter of fact I need to replace the roll in my suitcase.
Annette Corkum MacKay:
Someone had suggested to me before I went last time to bring a bright colour t-shirt to put over the top of the lounger to make it easy to spot you chairs (as they all kind of look alike). Worked awesome!
Keri Fitzpatrick:
I always bring a few hangers along too, the plastic department store kind with the clips on each side. They’re great to hang things like swim suits, water shoes, undies etc. up in the shower or on the balcony, and you can always use the clips to close snack bags or curtains.
Also, since we always leave home at 1 or 2 AM to get to the airport, I freeze a couple of sandwiches, pieces of cake, brownies etc. and put them in a little lunch bag cooler along with grapes, cheese or whatever. Things stay cold until we eat them on the plane or at the airport and no ice or liquids to cause problems going through security, lol. At the resort the lunch bag cooler goes into our beach bag to keep a couple of beverages cold while we’re out and about.
As a really bad over-packer, this year with hopes of not going over the luggage weight limit on the trip home (there’s nothing like trying to redo suitcases on the floor of the airport while a line of impatient people are waiting to check their bags, lol) I brought some clothes that I could leave behind or throw away, like faded tee shirts and too big shorts to sleep in, a sweater, skirt and a couple of blouses that I never wear any other time…….it worked!
Lynn Shallenberger :
I forgot to add supplements to my list… Just in case of” tummy trouble” and you get dehydrated…. These are easy to pack and have electrolytes to get you back on track….lucky to say I haven’t had the need for them , ready just in case….
Anne Adams:
When we were n PC many people had towel clips.Keep towels in place and also helps to find your spot.https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/…/boca-clips…/224592…
I use probiotics before I go for sensitive tummy. I also take some Pepto Bismal in case I feel queazy from combo of hot sun and new foods.
Geoffrey Sanders:
to stop getting tummy problems always try to have a little “spirit” i.e. Gin, Rum, Whiskey etc, in the stomach to help calm it, this can be administered at various bars throughout the resorts, so no excuse for a queasy tummy!!! as an after thought will be in PC next Tuesday!!!!!
Holger Rosenfeld:
What about the most important travel tip: travel to Palladium only ?
Brenda Wegert:
Pack less .. you can always send your laundry out if you need to.
Anne Adams:
Don’t forget to pack a turtle safe light http://www.turtlesafeonline.com
Robyn Geist:
Take comfortable shoes. I don’t take any heels, marble floors and boardwalks…not good. Take fancy glittery sandals instead.
Shelley Lacroix-Goulet:
Bring lots of ones!
Topic: Kokus in PV & RM
Are you ready to try our prettiest dessert? You can taste our delicious Kokus while enjoying the beautiful view from our infinity pool, every Tuesday from noon. Don’t forget to share it on your social networks!
Topic: RAGGS EVENTS RIVIERA MAYA
RAGGS EVENTSMONDAY
12:30 – 12:45pm Pop up show with Pido at the Colonial Pool
4 – 4:30pm Story telling with Pido at the kids club
8 -9pm Pido’s Surf Party at the kids clubTUESDAY
8 -9 pm Mini pop up show wth Razzles at the Colonial Theater
9 -10 pm Pet tour with Pido and Trillby at the lobbiesWEDNESDAY
9 -10am Breakfast wit Raggs at the Gran Azul Buffet ( must book with guest services 1 day advance)
11:30 am Storytelling with Pido at the kids clubTHURSDAY
11:30 am Storytelling with Pido at the kids club
12:30 – 12:45pm Pop up show with Pido at the Colonial Pool
8 -9 pm Mini Grase Show with Raggs at the Colonial TheaterFRIDAY
12:30 -12:45 Pop up show with Pido and Trillby at the Colonial Pool
3 -3:30 Pop up show with Pido at the Colonial Pool
9 pm Pirate Show with Raggs at the Colonial LobbySATURDAY
11:30 – 12:30 pm Pop up show with Pido at the Colonial Pool
12:30 – 12:45 pm Pop up Show Colonial Pool
8-9 pm Pinata Party With B- Max at the Colonial TheaterSUNDAY
11:30 -12:00 pm Storytelling with Raggs at the kids club
12:30 – 12:45 Limbo with Raggs at the Colonial Beach
8-9 pm High School Musical with Raggs at the Colonial LobbyNOTE: All schedules are subject to change
Don’t forget to visit the Palladium Kids page for more …
Due to approaching Maria
Customers scheduled to depart on the four Sunwing flights from Puerto Plata or Punta Cana on Tuesday, September 19th, will return to Canada as planned.
– Customers scheduled to depart Punta Cana and return to Toronto on Wednesday, September 20th, will also return to Canada as planned.
– We will be operating nine additional flights on Tuesday and Wednesday to repatriate all other customers ahead of the storm. Sunwing destination representatives will be in touch with all guests to confirm their flight details.
We do not have any passengers in other destinations currently forecasted to be impacted, but continue to monitor the situation closely. The most up to date information regarding our flight schedules is available here: sunwing.ca/pages/en/flight-status-alerts.
Topic: Back to the 80s Party
Topic: Pool Biking Tuesday at noon
Cocktail TastingEvery night at the Grand Palladium White Sand Lobby from 8pm to 11 pm you can enjoy tasting a new cocktail.
Monday – gin & tonics
Tuesday – Tequila & mezcal
Wednesday- Margaritas
Thursday – Rum night
Friday – Gin & Tonics
Saturday – Tequila & Mezcal
Sunday – SangriasColonial & Kantenah Lobby
Monday – Mojito – Colonial
Tuesday – Gin & Tonic – Kantenah
Wednesday – Tequilla/ Mezcal – Colonial
Thursday – Sangria -Kantenah
Friday – Martini – Colonial
Saturday – Capiriña – Kantenah
Sunday – Whiskey – COlonialAlso every night try the special Mojito & Caiprinha Bar in the terrace of Brazilian Restaurant; from 5:30pm to 10:30pm.
In reply to: Saturday Caipirinha night
Themes:
Monday – Mojitos (Colonial)
Tuesday – Gin & tonic (Hemingways)
Wednesday – Tequila (Colonial)
Thursday – Sangria (Kantenah)
Friday – Martinis (Colonial)
Saturday – Caiprinha (Hemingways)
Sunday – Whiskey- (Colonial)
Various “tastings” around the hotel such as Gin & Tonic night on Tuesdays, mojitos, martinis, sangria and more.
Topic: Outdoor movies
Mabel updated this info for us. Look back for pictures.
Thematic drink night in Royal Suites Turquesa. Every night in lobby. 7 pm
Monday – Gin & tonic
Tuesday – Mojito
Wed – Martini
Thursday – Sangria
Friday – Romo Dominicans
Saturday – Dominican Rum
Sunday – Dominican Daisies
In reply to: Mojito Tuesdays in RST
Thematic drink night in Royal Suites Turquesa. Every night in lobby. 7 pm
Monday – Gin & tonic
Tuesday – Mojito
Wed – Martini
Thursday – Sangria
Friday – Romo Dominicans
Saturday – Dominican Rum
Sunday – Dominican Daisies
In reply to: Kind of disappointing – Royal Mayan
@Anne, I usually dont even comment on small things, but there had been LOTS of small things. (and bunch more since my post)
The smoke smell went away… I think someone a few doors down was smoking like a chimney the one morning.
Anyways, here’s an update…
The paper you fill out to speficy the time for housekeeping, turndown service and what youd like in the mini bar means absolutely nothing. They filled the mini bar twice this week (so much for daily) and messed up both times. The turndown service seems to come when we are here… Even if we are away all do and come back at 9pm (and that after their suggested time frame of 12-8)… And for a couple just about to get married… A visit at 9:30pm for turndown means an interruption of some adult times (yes, his knocking interrupted sex).
We have critters living in our roof since tuesday night. That night it sounded like they where trying to go through the roof right above our heads, The.lobby said they would but a trap up to catch them and move them to somewhere else… That never happened and they are still living above us.
Two rooms in the top floor of the.villa can see right into our washroom and if you stand up to get out of the bathtub… Well, they get a good view of the waiste-up. The lobby said they would get maintenance to put up a screen like they did to other rooms…. That never happened. (instead, the fiance has to be bending over to get out of the tub and she feels really uncomfortable with the thought of someone seeing her).
The lobby told me they are going to talk to the man
Topic: reservation question
Last year my husband and I came for our 4th stay while he was on chemo break. We stayed at the Royal suites for the first time and had a memorable visit with top of the line service. He died 7 weeks after that. May 2-7 I am coming back with his best friend and wife to honor his memory. They have never been to Mexico and I have thrilled them with the wonders of the Grand Palladium Riviera Maya. Now I want to make the building request for all three of us.I have a room reservation and so do they. We have booked deluxe rooms in Kantenah which was my husband’s favorite section because of the jungle atmosphere. I will be making the request next Tuesday and wondered exactly how to do it for all of us. I always made the preference request in the past but now it is a different scenario. Also a slight confusion as to where I send the request. Is it Anne or the hotel?
Thanks, Diana Alderete (summerlove)
In reply to: Live from Grand Palladium RM
Jackie says, “Last night at Hemmingways there was the Gin and tonic bar all set up, so every Tuesday night, it was great. Daniel and Ernesto were were doing a good job. Lots of people coming in for a look.”
Topic: Mojito Tuesdays in RST
Topic: Tuesday Music Schedule – RM
In reply to: Tuesday Foam Party & more – Punta Cana
Topic: Travel Tip Tuesday
We have a great post started on our Facebook page.
If you have any tips we would love to hear them, please feel free to post them here.
Happy Tuesday !
In reply to: Con classe schedule
Thanks to Irvine the “Vibe Manager” (Will post full schedule soon)
Monday
Mario Conclasse Solista in Colonial 6-8
Conclasse- Riviera 8:30-10, 11:30-12:30
Tuesday
Colonial 10- 1
Wednesday
White Sand – Mario Conclasse Solista 7 – 10
Thursday
Colonial 10 – 1
Friday
Mario Conclass Solista in Colonial 6-8
Riviera 8:30 – 10 & 11:30 – 12:30
Latin Band
Saturday
Riviera 8:30-10 & 11:30-12:30
Conclave
Sunday
Riviera 8:30-10 & 11:30-12:30
Beatle vs Stones
Eco kids day
Noon
Foam Party
Pilates
Pool bike
3 PM
Merengue lessons
4 PM
Beach soccer
7 pm
Teen get together dinner
8 pm
Mini POP show
10PM
Karaoke
11:30 pm
Peace & Love party
Topic: Tuesday in Paradise
Sitting on my balcony sipping coffee. Hot & sunny as I watch the resort wake up. Don’t listen to weather reports. All say it is a rainy day!
Had a lovely meal in Chanterelle last night. It took awhile to get our food but it was delicious. We both had the salad bar, onion soup. I had scallops and Abby had rack of lamb followed by a flaming crepe. There was very nice live background music playing.
In reply to: Merengue, Peace & Love Party & more
In reply to: Saturday: Teen "get together" dinner _ RM & PC
In reply to: Merengue, Peace & Love Party & more
Topic: Tuesday – Peace & Love Party
In reply to: Live from WS RM
I can’t remember where my last update ended. I think mid afternoon on Monday. Hubby and I went to the spa to get away from the tweens for s bit. The hot tub then plunge into the cold pool is amazing! Walking in the spiral on river rocks was quite painful and not meditative for me. Dinner at the Brazilian place was fine. No specialty drink and no Brazilian cheesy bread. I’ve been to Brazilian steakhouses at home and in Brazil. You need the cheesy bread! The guys with guitars were there and I requested “Guadalajara” and they played it. It made my day. I requested it from them last year as well. We went to the show and the dancers did a great job at 9 o’clock but it was very very hot and I don’t know how they danced for 45 minutes straight. On Tuesday we took a cab 2 Puerto adventurous and went on H2Oh Sun Cruise which is a 72 foot yacht.Swells were high and half the people 11 out of 22 got sea sick. But the staff was amazing and ran around the yacht helping everybody. I highly suggest them if you would like to go snorkeling and have a great meal on a yacht. Prices are very very good. They had a birthday cake for our daughter. Last night we went to the Mexican restaurant. Again no specialty drink. Our waiter didn’t speak a lot of English and messed up our drink orders a few times. But it was all good. The Disney show was fun for the girls I skipped it. Today we did our excursions to the Mayan Adventures where we snorkeled and 3 different areas of water. It was absolutely amazing. It is so hot here we were thrilled to be in that water. I’m currently sitting next to the Colonial pool and it’s like bathwater none of the pools are really cool anymore. It’s actually better to jump in the water and then go sit on a lounge chair with the breeze cooling water on your body. Tonight is the Japanese show meal.
Topic: TRAVEL CLUB ROOM REQUESTS
Travel Club members use a different procedure for making room requests than other guests of the resorts. ANNEX 5 of the standard Travel Club contract lists services that Travel Club members are contractually entitled to. Service #3 is “Priority access to locations of the suites.” Since the location of the suites being requested is to receive priority, Palladium Travel Club has instituted a procedure and method to track and attempt to meet room requests for Travel Club members.
The Travel Club uses a computer program, Prestige, to enter and fulfill room requests. Since room assignation takes place roughly a week before arrival, the requests entered on behalf of Travel Club members are considered and met if possible before other room assignations. Therefore, room requests for Travel Club members should not be sent to the hotel one week before arrival. Instead, room requests can be made at any time beginning with the time of booking (when I generally make my requests) and will be entered into the Prestige program.
Room requests for Travel Club members are given priority, but cannot be guaranteed. They are based on availability. The more specific the request is, the less likely the probability is that the room request will be available at the time of assignation.
Examples of reasons a room request might not be able to be met generally involve hotel occupancy. Hotels and airlines use sophisticated methods of overbooking which take into consideration last minute cancellations to try and keep their hotels and flights full. Palladium is no different. Additionally, Palladium uses so many commercial outlets that at times an overbooking occurs. These overbookings can be either hotel overbooking or room category overbooking.
If there is an overbooking and the hotel needs an extra room on Monday, the rooms division manager needs to assign a room to a client who is standing in front of him/her. That manager may need to assign the room of a Travel Club member arriving on Tuesday in order to meet the hotel’s obligation to the guest needing a room. In that case, the room request made would not be met.
Another example of how requests might not be met is if there is a very popular room. Room 5301 in Royal Suites Turquesa is a very popular room. It is one of 4 swim up Romance Suites and is cherished for its unique (some say perfect) morning sun. Well, if 2 Travel Club members are requesting that location for the same period of time, one Travel Club member will obviously not receive the room…the room request is too specific.
The bottom line is that your requests should identify what is most important to you and not be so specific that you have a greater likelihood of not receiving your request than receiving it. While the contract guarantees priority, it does not guarantee that your requests will be granted.
Topic: Advice needed
RM or Jamaica:
Advise needed: we are leaving next Tuesday for RM but after reading some posts I’m concerned it’s too chilly. Daytime highs in mid 70s f. Should we go to Jamaica instead where daytime highs are in mid 80s f? We’ve never been to GP in Jamaica and not sure what to do.In reply to: Renew your passport!
We are doing ours now by mail (expired in September), and have an appointment to get Brian’s submitted on Tuesday! Squee!!
In reply to: Quintana Roo Zika Virus Free
Travel Weekly- The Travel Industry’s Trusted Voice
THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY’S TRUSTED VOICEMexico: Zika not a threat to tourists
By Jamie Biesiada / February 04, 2016
59
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Mexico’s tourism agency said that the mosquito-borne Zika virus does not pose a threat to tourists, citing the low number of cases in the country and the location of those cases — in rural areas, not near the more popular tourist destinations.
An uphill battle
The proclamation by Mexico’s tourism agency that Zika isn’t a threat to tourists seeks to reassure apprehensive travelers, but Classic Vacations President David Hu said it likely won’t help much.
“We have seen a few cancellations, but as with all these situations, travelers have a hard time delineating facts from their emotions,” said Hu. “In particular, this disease impacts pregnant travelers, who already have heightened sensitivities regarding their health; as such, as much as I would love for the announcement to instill confidence, I am not hopeful.”
He said that as the media coverage of Zika continues, it is only likely to only increase concerns about the virus.
Classic has a notification on its agent-facing website informing agents about Zika-related advisories by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.
— Michelle Baran
On Tuesday, officials from Mexico’s Ministry of Health met with tour operators from the United States and Canada in Cancun. Mexico’s tourism agency said the meeting “focused on a report of the latest Zika virus facts, the prevention and containment efforts by the Mexican government and tourism industry, and a continued practice of close coordination with the international tourism industry.”
Dr. Alberto Diaz Quiñonez, deputy general director of the Mexican Institute for Diagnostics and Epidemiology, said there have been 34 confirmed cases of the virus in Mexico. Those cases have been found in Mexican nationals in rural areas, he said during the meeting, according to Mexico tourism.
“While the Zika virus is inevitable in Mexico given its vast size, climate and trade in the region, the number of cases remains very low. Strong prevention efforts have already been in practice for years to prevent similar diseases,” he said. “Given these facts, there is no threat to tourists visiting Mexico.”
Mexico tourism said that major tourist destinations and businesses have mosquito-eradication practices in place, and that the country is prepared to contain the virus.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised pregnant women to consider postponing travel to countries and territories where there has been transmission of Zika virus, and the CDC lists Mexico as one of those countries..
In reply to: Unofficial Palladium Celebration Giveaway
Topic: Tuesday in Paradise
After a day of lots of sun, some clouds and about 3 quick rain showers, we retired to our room where we found another cheese platter and some Pepsi lites which I had requested.The resort must have been out of the Pepsi as it took a couple of days to get it. No biggie. The rain showers were quick but with the wind they got everything soaking wet so the resort must have gone through a lot of towels yesterday.
Abby relaxed in the oversized jacuzzi on the deck and then we dressed for dinner at El Jardin. We both had steaks and lobster. Huge steaks which we couldn’t finish. It was Asian night and they also had some good sushi out.Juan was our waiter and very good.
After dinner we went to the Riviera lobby where there was a good band.They mentioned they were also playing at the White Party.
Then we went separate ways. I stopped by the Royal lobby to show Fillie and V their pics on Facebook. They enjoyed that. Then off to bed for this Mom. Abby did go to the White Party and based on a brief report, “it was fun”!
Today is our last full day. Abby leaves late this afternoon and I leave early in the morning. A fabulous relaxing trip that just flew by too soon.
Colonial
Created By: Panzita on Saturday, October 3rd, 2015
My wife and I traveled to the Grand Palladium Colonial Hotel from September 20 to September 27 to attend the first annual get together for the Palladium Travel Club. The Travel Club offered incredible discounts and over 400 members attended for the activities.
We stayed in an Ambassador Suite, which is a beautiful two room suite with a large bathroom. The room, 2130, is appointed with much the same room upgrades as the Royal Suites while having a location which is much more central. The only criticism, which management is aware of, is the whirlpool tubs on the balcony are unusable because they have no drains. Hopefully, they will be replaced soon.
The week was filled with activities on virtually every day. There was a meet and greet on Tuesday, a sunset margarita and martini social on Wednesday, a Mexican Panchanga on Thursday, and the Peace and Love Party Friday evening. The Travel Club manager at the resort, Laura Lopez and the supervisor, Ramiro, worked tirelessly and coordinated with all other departments to see that everything was a success. At the Peace and Love Party, three free weeks were given away to members through a raffle. As a matter of fact, my son was one of the lucky winners. I am looking very forward to next year’s party in Jamaica.
The resort is huge and beautiful. Every day we could see that the resort was making repairs to the extensive bridge and walkway system in addition to the daily maintenance and cleaning of the resort. The maintenance workers, who are often overlooked, as well as the housekeeping department, did a fantastic job.
We received amazing service at the Travel Club lounge from Ernesto and Veronica…despite being overwhelmed by the number of members being quadrupled over normal. They are awesome employees, and their contributions to every members’ vacations should not be overlooked.
We had several very nice meals. We ate at the Royal restaurant twice, Rodizio, Ribs and More, Sumptori, Punta Emelia, as well as the group dinner at the party. Every meal was good…some were outstanding. A special thank you to the staff from El Jardin…especially Joel…for their outstanding service.
While I know that no resort is perfect, and there is no such thing as a perfect vacation…I try not to be critical of small things in my reviews. However, I have to be critical of our concierge, Jordan, who appeared totally disinterested in assisting us after we declined to attend a sales presentation. He had already made our dinner reservations, or so we thought, but as there was not availability for our selected restaurants, he took it upon himself to change our reservations around without telling us. So we showed up for dinner at a restaurant where our reservation had been changed to another night…a night we had committed to a different dinner party. This is never acceptable.
Overall, the hotel in general, and the Travel Club in particular, did an outstanding job. I look forward to returning next year.
Topic: Amazing Resort by Donna
Kantenah
Created By: Donna on Tuesday, July 21st, 2015
I went to this hotel in April with my parents and my partner, and we all had the most amazing time. It was my 3rd time to Mexico but my 1st time to this hotel and it was by far my favourite. I think I would find it extremely hard, if not impossible to beat this hotel on my budget.
We stayed in Colonial, building 3, room 1333 and I have no complaints. Room was spacious with an enormous, comfortable bed.
The air conditioning was good and there was a ceiling fan above the bed. The mini bar worked well and kept drinks cool enough if you left the cupboard door open. A good variety of drinks were included, 2 different beers, diet pepsi and regular pepsi, Miranda, sprite and plenty of water. There was also an ice bucket in the room and at the bottom of each building there is an ice machine, so we used to fill our ice bucket with ice, pop our drinks outside and then sit out on our balcony. The balcony was a really good size too, with comfy chairs, a small table, and a clothese hanger. The view was nothing special but we only sat there in the evenings when It was dark anyway.
Our bathroom had a tub and overhead shower which worked really well. The hairdryer in there was also very good.
The whole resort is kept very well. Every where is lovely and clean. The staff are fantastic and all take the time to say hola!
The place is huge. Apparently whilst we were there it was at full capacity, but you would never have known. Its so big and spacious so it never feels crowded at all. Even meal times were not too busy, and there was always sun loungers around the pools and at the beach. We never had a long wait at any bars either.We loved all the walkways through the mangroves where we often spotted large groups of coatis playing together. Its great to watch them in their natural habitat from the comfort of your hotel! There is plenty of wild life and bird life around the resort. We saw racoons too. They were quite playful around the adults only pool in the colonial section. One took my sarong of the lounger whilst I was having a night time swim and was playing with it for about 15 minutes! We also spotted some type of tree porcupine which we had never seen before so that was really cool. Lots of agoutis, and a few squirrels were spotted too. Lots of birds around and pelicans by the beach. We also saw some sting rays in the ocean which was cool. Loads of iguanas and a few other types of lizards.
We went snorkelling in the sea a few times and saw quite a few fish. Some were pretty big too. We spotted some lovely coloured fish in the salt water pool and some cool crabs. There are some massive, pretty butterflies around too.
We found something to do all the time there. We enjoyed just walking around exploring a lot of the time. Loved the pools. The 2 main pools are enormous with swim up bars in them, built in Jacuzzis and sun loungers. Plenty of sunbeds around pools too and plenty of shade if you like it. Pool and beach towels are free so you don’t need to pack yours and you can change them as often as you like. They are a good size too. The beach is lovely and sandy. Yes there was a lot of seaweed but this cant be helped. It certainly didn’t affect our holiday. We always wore our sea shoes and it was quite rocky in a few places and the rocks can be really sharp. On windy days when it was too rough for snorkelling we had great fun jumping into the waves.
We loved the mini golf course. It was never busy and its built into the jungle so its really beautiful and plenty of shade from the trees. We often went there around 11am and was amazed how quiet it was. Sometimes there was only us there and the odd iguana! They also have tennis courts, basketball, soccer, volleyball, archery. All included too. There is also a sports bar in the colonial section, next to the bar. It has pool tables, table tennis, card playing tables, big screen for sports and a nice bar. The air con in there is super cold too so a great place to cool down. In the evening you can also get snack in there like pop corn, nachos, quesadillas, wings, fried chilli peppers, fries, burgers etc. Again, whilst we were there it was never busy. A few times we were the only ones there. We used to sit outside the back of the sports bar a lot. There are 4 tables and a fountain and we used to sit there and play cards. There is a back entrance too which takes you straight to the sports bar and they do all the drinks you could think of. It was never busy there either and also right next to some toilets so whilst it was too hot for us to be walking around, that was our spot. 3 out of 4 of us are smokers too and we were able to smoke there. Beautiful setting too, overlooking the on site church/chapel which is just stunning.
Food is great. Never seen so much selection in my whole life. We used to have breakfast in the buffet at colonial/kantennah. There is everything you could think of. Sausages, bacon, scrambled eggs, or freshly fried eggs, hash browns, beans, Mexican dishes, pancakes, French toast, freshly baked pastries, cakes, biscuits and breads, cereal, fresh fruits, tinned fruits, oats, rice pudding, waffles, toasties, the list goes one! Also soya milk, chocolate milk, hot chocolate, fresh juices, smoothies etc.
Service usually pretty good but at times we were kind of forgotten about but it was never a problem. Were pretty laid back so things like that don’t bother us especially on holiday.
Lunches were brilliant. We often had them in the buffet at colonial/kantenah too. Everything you could think of again. The burgers are amazing and the freshly cooked pizzas are great. The salad bar is delicious too with loads of fresh dressings. Always a pasta bar, grilled meats, fishes. Casseroles, stews, veg dishes, fries, rices. Everything really! Occasionally we would have lunch at the small buffet by the pool bar which went on later than the main buffet. You can also get scoops of ice cream at the pool bar and packaged ice lollies. Loads of flavours and they are yummy and of course included.
After the first week we discovered the other buffet over the white sands/Riviera and we much preferred it. The food seemed to be of slightly better quality and the actual restaurant was lighter and nicer in our opinion. From then on we had lunches and dinners there every time but still had breakfast at colonial buffet. Every night there is a different theme at the buffets too and they decorate the restaurant nicely and have a themed drink on arrival.
We only ate in 2 of the ala cartes. The steak restaurant and the brazillian. Both were good, but steak was my favourite out of the 2. There was a lovely salad bar for starters, then for main you chose your steak and a couple of sides and a sauce and then there was a dessert trolley to choose from. Service was good and food was good.Brazilian was also good but we got there quite late and felt a bit rushed and I don’t think we got to try all of the meats. When I return to this hotel I will try it again and go earlier. The salad bar there for starters was brilliant.
Every night in the buffet restaurant there are freshly made crepes for dessert. They are so good! I used to have banana with caramel in mine, with chocolate drizzle! There are also ice cream machines at lunch and dinner in the buffets where you can help yourself to soft ice cream. They have sprinkles and chocolate sauce too.
The drinks were generally pretty good. Some barmen made better cocktails than others though.The adult only pool at colonial is open till midnight and has a bar which is also open till midnight. We had a couple of late night swims and drinks and it was wonderful. Never been able to do that at other hotels. The adult pool was literally a 2 minute walk from building 3 too.
The land trains that take you from lobby to lobby are brilliant. They are quick and easy and save your legs if you don’t fancy walking. The white sand and Riviera lobbies are stunning with beautiful views over the onsite lake. There is even a boat that takes you around the lake and I believe you can take out canoes too.
There are a couple of onsite gift shops which are nice and not too badly priced but obviously playa del Carmen is cheaper.
There is a board at the lobbies with taxi prices and there are men there which will call one up for you. We took taxis to playa del Carmen, peurto aventuras to see the dolphins and yal ku to go snorkelling. All very easy and safe.
So much more I could go on about but I have already written far too much really!This is a brilliant hotel. I cant understand how anyone could not like this hotel. It is truly amazing and I would recommend it to anyone.
Stayed April 2015, traveled with family
Created By: lovehotbeaches on Tuesday, July 14th, 2015
We just returned from a 2 weeks (June 27 to July 11) stay at GPKantenah. We had a wonderful vacation. We received excellent service from most staff members. It is a huge, beautiful resort built within a jungle. Lots of animals: Iguanas (our son loved seeing them), crocodiles, flamingoes, coaties (too many imo), agoutis and we were lucky to see spider monkeys too! Wooden bridges and thatch covered paths connect different sections of the resort. Wider roads for trains and buggies to go to other lobbies, spa and sports center. We were celebrating my husband’s b’day and management sent a bottle of sparkling wine to our room, which was a nice gesture.
Weather: Hot and sunny everyday. Lovely constant breeze on the beach kept us cool. The first week we were bitten by mosquitoes despite the repellent but second week was much better. We had heavy rain for couple of hours one day and 15 mins showers on 2 other days over a two week period.
Flight: We flew with Air Transat. Our flight was delayed 30mins so we arrived at Cancun airport 3:30 pm on a Saturday and it was really busy. Immigration and baggage took 1 hr 15 mins. We used private transfer, Canada Transfers, the driver was waiting for us. Very friendly and safe. On return too, the driver was on time and courteous. Drive was just over an hour.
Check in: Smooth and quick, perhaps coz we took a private transfer and didn’t arrive with a bus load of people. A colourful cocktail and a warm welcome from Andrea Diaz.
Room: We had booked a junior suite. We were in building 50 on 2nd floor as per our request. Lovely spacious room, nice decor, air conditioning was fantastic. Beds are comfy but pillows are hard, however we got used to them. Our 11 yr old slept on the sofa bed which was reasonably comfortable for a child.
Restaurants and bars: We tried all the buffets and a la cartes. Food was very good overall. Steak was ok but we don’t expect Canadian beef quality at an all inclusive. Our favourite a la cartes were La Adelita (Mexican), Teppanyaki table at Sumptuori (Japanese) and Portofino (Italian). Good air conditioning at all restaurants. 19 bars so you don’t have to go far to get a drink. Hemingways has the top shelf liquor but it’s adults only. However, we found good alcohol at all bars including beach bars. Ask for a brand or you’ll get house liquor. To eat on the beach, Punta Emilia is the best place for lunch. Made to order menu is yummy. We ate fresh guacamole every day. Loved the scooped coconut ice cream available at Gran Azul bar and La Jarra bar.
Beach: Beach is long and wider in Kantenah area. Lots of palapas, trees and hammocks. Lovely for relaxing. Unfortunately there was seaweed everyday. Some days more than others. The resort cleaned it but couldn’t get rid. Mother nature, can’t blame the resort. More than half the beach has rocky Sea entry coz there’s a reef for snorkeling. The sandy section (no rocks) is in front of GP Colonial and the sand is very soft underfoot. Big enough waves to play in and on less windy days, we saw fish.
Pools: Lake-style two huge pools and some smaller ones in the Palladium complex for quiet time. Beautiful and clean. Colonial pool was too deep for me and for kids. Can’t stand/walk around with a drink from swim-up bar. Shallow wade-in areas at both ends are small. White sand pool is shallower and better for short people and kids. People of Palladium do a great job of organizing activities and games. Foam party and walk in big hamster ball etc Some suitable for all ages and some for adults only. My favourite pool was Las Rocas! Gorgeous pool, beautiful view and lots of fish! Bring watershoes, snorkel and mask.
We had a wonderful vacation and we will return. We love the Palladium resorts. A few names of staff who made our vacation better…Irma and Gabriela (Colonial poolside service), Fernanda (La Jarra), Daniel (made cappuccinos at the beach bar in the mornings). We’ll recommend GPRM to our friends.
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