Grand Palladium Colonial Resort & Spa, a Registry Collectin Hotel

We had an amazing stay at this resort in Mexico. Everything was well organized, clean, and relaxing, but what truly made our experience unforgettable was the outstanding service from the staff. All the staff members ( Angel and Geremias) were incredibly kind, respectful, and always willing to help with a smile. From housekeeping to the restaurant team and front desk, everyone went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and comfortable. Their positive attitude and attention to detail made a big difference in our stay. The resort atmosphere was peaceful and enjoyable, and thanks to the hardworking and friendly staff, we felt truly cared for throughout our visit. We highly recommend this resort to anyone looking for a relaxing vacation with excellent service. We would definitely love to come back!

Hard to write a review for this hotel. There is a lot to like, the pool area, some of the restaurants, the food generally, staff and sports facilities are very good indeed. But the room we had was very tired and had things falling apart (the toilet seat broke completely, but was replaced quickly). Having said that the bed was comfortable and the room large. We were in block Villa 6 which has no view to speak of and is quite a walk from the main restaurnts, lobby etc. (Not a probloem for us, but might be for others). The staff are overall very good, drinks service was a little slow in Gran Azul, and a big difference in the quality of the cocktails in different bars, moreso than I would have expected. The a la carte restaurants varied a lot. The Brasilian and the Steak House were excellent, the Italian and Mexican, very disappointing. The interior designer needs a stiff talking to. The restaurants are full of hard surfaces, which means the sound bounces around making them very noisy and difficult to have a conversation in.||||The gym and sports courts are very good, however, there was some kind of Pickle thing going on for much of our stay which meant we only got to play pickle once, which was a shame.||||Our big moan is the whole 'us and them' thing going on. We didn't really understand where we could go and where we couldn't and to be honest, it really doesn't feel good to be in that situation. Having said that, we went pretty much everywhere we wanted to go, without a problem, so not sure we really understand the whole set up. Perhaps we didn't try to go anywhere we weren't allowed, but were conscious of it all the time. We seem to get served branded spirits in some bars and not in others, which we didn't really understand. ||||Overall, a really nice holiday, if you are looking for a top notch 5* experience, you will be disappointed, but if you want a reasonably priced, good 4* experience, like us, you will be very happy.||||But get rid of this 2 tier system Grand Palliadium, it's not a good look.||||

The resort is immense, impressive and will keep anyone happy for likely the entirety of their stay. We had some troubles with the room that were not address in a timely or satisfactory manner. Ended up wasting 3/7 days of our stay unable to settle into our room. Then we were offered spa services at a discount for compensation, which meant spending more to take advantage of their "compensation". Spa is really overpriced but you do get access to many facilities.||||The 4 resorts in this area look like they are one big area to explore but they are separate. We were pressured on multiple occasions to spend more money. Either on the spa, to become a "family" member or paid add ons. However the free things we werent made aware of such as al-a-carte restaurants to book for or what shows would be playing on which nights.||||App is horrible but it's all you have for looking up times of restaurants and locations of times. Google maps helps sometimes. Wifi is pretty spotty so download maps when you can. When we came on Jan 9th there was still christmas things in the app so we couldn't tell what was going on and felt like we missed out planning some night life activities.||||Staff weren't the greatest at letting us know everything that was going on. This could've been due to a language barrier. Would of been nice to have a pamplet or something.||||We were woken up to a phone call in our room multiple times. To tell us to check in with our tour guide. I feel like this could've been done in a different way, considering we were at the lobby multiple times to sort out room issues. Also we booked Xel-HA through our nexus tour guide only to find it possibly cheaper to book directly through the Xcaret website itself. ||||The food was amazing. Great variety. We ended up trying the breakfast in the white sands resort and it was even better. It was a bit confusing to find out what food was where and when but that was part of the adventure. If we were coming again, we would definitely have a better time.||||Won't be coming back to this resort because of how things are unclearly separated but would love to stay with collonial at another location.

Went here with my mom for 1 week. Everything was perfect. We had a blast at the Asian restaurant the Bambu! Thanks to Gerardo at the restaurant la Adelita for his amazing service as well. Wanna say a huge thanks to Miguel at the lobby bar, for his warm welcome everytime. This hotel is a huge 5/5. We’ll be back!!!!! Gracias por todos

We’ve enjoyed a couple days of our honeymoon already however in the past days the service at the buffet in El Gran Azul has been spectacular. Angel our server has made our morning and lunches there full of laughter , smiles and amazing service. Angel, Ivan & Armando take great care of their people. Thank you so much!

We have really enjoyed our vacation so far. The service in Sumptori and Adelita (with Jamie in the latter) have been our restaurant highlights so far. The PTC beach area and in particular Adel’s wonderful and friendly service should also be highlighted. I’m sure that there will be more people to add to the list by the time we are done. The only issue we have had was that the Bechemal sauce at Portofino the lasagne was cold. It seemed like they just poured cold cream on the dish. The buffets have all been fantastic so far. The room is fine but we have had issues with very noisy neighbours. It’s not the hotels fault but maybe some rugs under the furniture that can be moved might help. You can’t stop people from being inconsiderate, unfortunately but a few more reminders when they check in might help. There are notices at every villa though, and I for sure do not blame the hotel for this.

We stayed at Grand Palladium Kantenah, which is connected to Coloniale and we used the amenities of both. One of the most beautiful resorts we’ve stayed at! Lots of greenery and wildlife. Well-maintained grounds, nice clean rooms. The family selection upgrade is worth it if you have young children. The designated beach area is much nicer than the rest of the beach, almost no underwater rocks, plenty of towels any time of the day, sand toys, relaxing music, no lines at the bar. The designated buffet (the Nest) with supervised kids activities during breakfast and dinner is a genius concept! Kids club has lots of activities, but our 3 seven year olds were not too crazy about it. They did really enjoy being part of the mini circus with Andrea and Maritza and learning magic tricks with Karen, Ema and Jazi though. Adult animation team is impressive! The latin show and the Rock experience were fun! We really enjoyed the silent party - one of the DJs was phenomenal! No night club in any of the 4 resorts though, just a sports bar and some live music in the lobby until 12:30. Buffet food was good, but repetitive. None of us (a group of 11) got sick, even after eating sushi and ceviche. Restaurants were hit and miss. We don’t go to the same hotel twice, but if we did, i would definitely consider returning here.

DO NOT BOOK! Especially with young children!! First, we booked a suite in the colonial part of the resort near the kids club, They ended up putting us in the white sands, part of the resort and could not accommodate moving us for at least four days into our one week vacation. Forcing us to have to take our two-year-old son across a huge unstable bridge that is constantly moist, has gaps and uneven surfaces. I had absolute fear every time we had to go to the buffet Or access any restaurants. If we wanted to go to the Colonial side, it is either a very long walk, which is impossible with a toddler, or anywhere between 10 to 30 minute wait for a train. And if you are not an elite member many trains pass you by without offering to pick you up. This place is an absolute maze and utterly exhausting to get around, not to mention the customer Support is satisfactory at best. Some people are OK, but they were only nice to me when I complained To a supervisor.. when trying to order room service, we either got hung up on, no answer or when we finally Were able to make an , It takes an hour to get Or a few times they didn’t even show up at all. On top of all of this, the food was absolutely disgusting. Most of which were un edible. I firsthand witnessed unsanitary processes. Even the chicken fingers for my son were disgusting. After all of this, I made a few formal complaints. I was assured that we will have priority and access to special trains, directly after this the manager sat with me at the train stations in the lobby to take me back to my room, and I still had to wait 30 minutes. My family and I decided not only because of poor accommodations to leave, but our main concern was the risk factor of that uneven bridge. The forecast for the following days were torrential downpour, and With all of the concerns above, we were at fear of not eating since there were no trains to take us to restaurants or buffets, room service is not reliable whatsoever, even after complaining, and that bridge in extreme weather conditions was a high risk with a young child. I even tried to take food from the buffet to bring back to my room, so I didn’t have to drag my two-year-old across this unsafe maze, and they wouldn’t let me. I even complained again to a manager at the Buffet, and nothing was resolved. I had to hide french fries in a coffee to go cup so that I could bring something for my child to eat. I have since been in contact with customer support via email and they have been Extremely unhelpful, And blaming us for our early departure, instead of taking responsibility for their unsafe accommodations.

This is the larger hotel of the four where we stayed. The Grand Palladium is one of the family-friendly sides, but if you're staying in the adults-only TRS section, as I did, you have access to all the other locations and restaurants. The property is expansive, with plenty to see and do.

The good: the grounds are beautiful. Well kept grounds, expansive (yes you have to walk quite a ways from your room to food or pools or beach). They do have shuttles that will take you around the property. Rooms are ok, not great but clean. Sheets are a bit thin for my standards, so we turned the AC way down. The food is substandard. Most people will end up at the trough, which is their buffet. Cold food is lukewarm, hot food is cold. Luckily we did not get sick. Water and fruits/salads appear to be safe. The reserve restaurants aren't great. Drinks are WAY watered down, but the beer is good and cold. Considering the price paid, we will not return.

DON'T GO !!!! Let's start with the staff who are the most unpleasant people careless about everything you ask The cleaning is something that it's not even stand near to acceptable People committing on the pool they don't even care or clean The food is disgusting ! The AC make sounds at night Ppl are screaming in the middle of the night because they are drunk and no answer with the security The list goes on and on just do yourself a favor and don't go ! I'm so beyond upset !!!!!!!and yes they'll hear from my attorney very soon ! This place should be closed yesterday!!!!

Most of the entertainment happens here at the resort for all four connected Palladium properties. We were staying at TRS but walked over here almost every day on our way to the gift shop or just to get some steps in. We saw many shows here - a pirate show, a karaoke-type show, a cowboy show, etc. There is a large theater and something is always happening here. The lobby is open-spaced and nice with a nice bar for the guests where everything is included. We did not stay here - so my three stars is simply for the fact that the lobby is expansive and clean and spacious and that we were able to come to this resort and eat and shop and hang out whenever we wanted.

Worst resort I have ever stayed at in Mexico. First of all, beware of the food. We are all sick with stomach bugs. Cheap booze, cheap food, nothing that you paid for and staff was completely overwhelmed. Second of all, the service was not what you would expect from a place like this. No one had a clue what they were doing. Seemed to me like a free for all. I will be contacting the company we used to book this trip in hopes of finding some sort of resolution for compensation as I am not going to miss work. This was a vacation from hell. If I could give them 0 stars I would.

It has been THREE years since I have been able to go on vacation OUTSIDE the USA. In addition, it has been THIRTY-SEVEN years for my boyfriend. Therefore, our expectations were high. I booked the trip via Southwest Airlines a month before our travel date. Easiest booking experience and was able to include roundtrip airport transportation through Amstar. Southwest Airlines and Amstar were incredibly easy to work with and I would use them over and over again and again. Grand Palladium Colonial Resort and Spa is apart of a FOUR resort connection. This includes Colonial Resort and Spa (no rooms with children in the building), White Sand Resort and Spa, TRS Yucatan Hotel and Kantenah Resort and Spa. You can view the resorts here at this link: https://www.palladiumhotelgroup.com/en/offers/all-inclusive-beach-vacations?gclid=Cj0KCQjw3JanBhCPARIsAJpXTx5hT5OnZoOeb665tHZTZCpy-6_obXvQkYT6-cgysMXCfM-FZZDBj_gaAiB8EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds I selected Colonial due to wanting an adult-only building. We were not displeased with our room (Villa 6). However, they could use some updated furniture and some fresh paint to freshen the decor up. The linens were a bit rough, but they have extra pillows and blankets for you to pick from in the closet. The beach was roped off three ways: 1) roped off from the open sea via a small knit net that limited sea creatures other than small fish to enter; 2) the righthand side was for paddleboarding, kayaking, rowing and foot pedaling boats; and 3) was for swimming. The water was clear and did not have seaweed at this time (August 17--22) nor did it smell. The beach is open 24 hours a day, however, there are limited times for lifeguards and usage of the boat/activities, but you are free to sit, walk, run, workout and/or swim whenever you want. The beach also has a "outdoor" gym where one can lift wooden weights--SO cool! I was very pleased with the beach area--cleared out, leveled and tons of seating options and areas. It was never fully filled with people due to how much space they had available (they are also updating their beachfront). There are so many pools! Two "secret" pools with personal bartenders in a secluded area that does not allow anyone under 18 to enter. There are two massive pools with a swim-up bar feature and seated in-pool chairs to lounge in. These two pools also have great depth--the one close to the beach and main lobby is for swimming/jumping since it is SO deep one has to really swim to the bar, walking isn't an option, hahaa. There is a nicely sized kids pool area too with waterslides and various activities. The restaurants are buffet styled heavy which is something that normally doesn't bother me, however, the pescatarian options were slim since most were mixed with meat. Once we found out how to work the reservation system, we made all our reservations and were able to try out: 1) El Dorado which is a Mexican steakhouse (there was only one seafood option on the menu so I was forced to go with the BBQ salmon); 2) La Adelita which is traditional Mexican food and had much more options for pescatarians; 3) Sumptuori is a Japanese showhouse similar to Benihana but high scale--this was the most updated restaurant we tried. It was beautiful inside and out, the service was impeccable, and the food was the tastiest out of all the restaurants we tried; 4) Portofino is an Italian restaurant which was quite boring inside, and the food are dishes that one can make at home--not very special; 5) La Dalia is a buffet breakfast and lunch spot which was also updated incredibly well. The aesthetic is on-point and the food selection was the best; 6) La Hacienda is the second-best buffet option; 7) El Gran Azul is another buffet style for breakfast and lunch. This restaurant was a bit off-putting due to the unorganized behavior or staff and patrons--dips were mixed, food was contaminated and I even saw people walk away with the tongs to self-serve elsewhere, so if someone has an allergy, I would NOT recommend going to the buffets; and the last one we tried was 8) Xtra Time Sports Bar which had good bar food and a great coffee machine that we stopped at numerous times. The spa was well worth the day pass, however, before booking, please call the spa directly and ask which spa features are NOT working. In our opinion, they should not charge the full amount if they have a few features closed (neck swan swim and the hot coal tent was closed but they did not have signs or made you aware beforehand). The spa has a sauna, steam room, multiple showers, hot tub, and cold dip tub. There was also a massage area which one has to make appointments for, a health cafe which serves wraps and premade juices, female and male locker rooms which had epic outside showers (LOVED IT), a hammock namaste yard, giant "quiet/no kids pool" and a tubeless "lazy river" which we adored. The lazy river actually attached to the steam room and sauna area--great idea, made the entire spa easily accessible!

I'll be upfront and admit that I've never stayed at a resort before. I clearly had different expectations because this group of hotels is crap. Do not be fooled by the fancy lobby or shops nearby. I kid you not! It's a full front of them putting lipstick on a pig. I've stayed in some very ultra high end hotels so I know the broad difference of what to expect and this resort fails in nearly everything. Let's go from the start here. Once you made it to the correct shuttle to take you from the lobby to your room er' "villa" as they call it, you're taken to what appears to look like a Spanish style apartment building. No elevators just stairs. Our room was in villa 8. Right from the start you smell mildew and dampness and airing out the room doesn't do any good either because you're letting in more humid heat. Right from the start we saw literal pools of water under both our beds. That went on for a few hours and then finally dried up. Gross to think what it may look like underneath. The bathroom is a complete joke. Old. Dated fixture with the worst lighting I've ever seen. The tub/shower had not been scrubbed. The beds are cheap and bounce quite a bit. The worst is the thin blankets. They offer no spare blankets. It's basically two thin sheets. Mercifully the only pro here was that it was quiet. I would recommend skipping the buffets if you can. Wasn't impressed but wasn't the worst I've seen either. I really felt that the quality of the food was subpar. Here's the real kicker. We had several other friend stay here at the same time (wedding) only to find out they had the same experience of a dirty, aged, room. All of them upgraded to the White sands or got a better room in the Colonial. It pays to complain and also haggle! There are better room here but I still would never come here again just due to the overall quality. Spend your hard earned money elsewhere! Strongly encouraged!!!

We are currently staying at this resort, it is our third time here this year and it progressively gets worse. This will be our last time staying here. Every previous visit we have upgraded our wristbands to include family selection amenities, before departing 3 weeks ago I asked to book a family selection room for this vacation and was told I need to do it online or over the phone and they will upgrade the wristbands when we stay like we have done the past two times. So we booked, and not they are saying we cannot upgrade our wristbands. If we had just booked the family selection side to begin with it was over $2000 cheaper and we would have had access to the family selection amenities (which is basically the only place the kids club staff visits for kids activities), instead we paid more and have no access to any of it. On previous visits they have downgraded our room as well because they overbooked the hotel. Staff is extremely rude and unhelpful, being out fake "supervisors" who ignore you. Overall will not be coming back here again.

Disclaimer: The vacation itself was much needed and very enjoyable with beloved friends and family. This is a review based on overall cost versus benefit. But, Prepare yourself for a tale of woe and missed opportunities at the Grand Palladium Colonial Resort in the Mayan Riviera. Our vacation, or should I say, a crash course in Murphy's Law, left us pondering the mysteries of life and contemplating the irony of it all. Housekeeping seemed to be on their own leisurely vacation, making snails look like Usain Bolt in comparison. The carriages, well, they had a mind of their own, playing hide-and-seek with us just when we needed them most. And the ice machines? Oh, how they decided to join the rebellion and remain dormant in a five-building radius. We were left iceless, sipping lukewarm drinks like brave warriors facing the ultimate challenge. On one memorable evening, the air conditioning decided to partake in a little game called "Guess the Temperature." Spoiler alert: we didn't win. But fear not, bugs of all shapes and sizes flocked to our sides, serenading us with their annoying buzz and leaving behind bite-sized souvenirs. Our private beach, well, let's just say it became the hottest spot for coatimundi enthusiasts. Move aside, sunbathers, these furry daredevils stole the show and our snacks, turning beach time into a real-life circus. Nonmembers saw the "exclusive" beach as their personal playground, bringing along their wares and transforming it into a vibrant marketplace. We felt like spectators in a delightful game of bargaining and haggling with locals, panhandlers, and vendors breaching the beach barricades. The cherry on top? The overwhelming scent of methane gas from the mangrove swamp run-off. It was nature's way of saying, "Welcome to the tropics, where even the air has character!" Unfortunately, our dreams of a beachfront paradise were washed away like sandcastles at high tide. The private member beach fell short of delivering the idyllic experience we had envisioned. Murky sea water and an abundance of seaweed added an unexpected touch of rustic charm. Safety concerns arose as panhandlers and street vendors weaved their way through the beach crowd, as if playing an impromptu game of "Let's Make a Deal." Just when we thought we could unwind, hotel staff emerged like eager salespeople, eager to upsell massage packages. Our muscles may have been tense, but our patience was tested to the limits. Construction added to our discontent, as we realized that the promised amenities were still a work in progress. The kids' activities left our little ones feeling like they had stumbled upon a sad clown convention. And let's not forget the mystical phenomenon of watered-down drinks, where a Tequila Sunrise (or 13) had the strength of KoolAid-sans-sugar. Amidst this whirlwind of misadventures, the 3rd party excursions (Chichen Itza & Underground Rivers) provided glimpses of joy with their humorous and congenial hosts. Yet, these fleeting moments couldn't fully compensate for the overall disappointment of being thrown into a tourist trap and left for dead by your guide in the name of "supporting local economy" (Over $300 USD that was supposed to be charged MX for well-tequila). So, dear travelers, pack your sense of resilience and be prepared to embrace the unpredictable at the Grand Palladium Colonial Resort. It's a place where expectations take a vacation and the unexpected becomes the norm. Consider it an unconventional comedy of errors, with a punchline that may leave you longing for greener pastures. Luckily, there are many options for Travel Clubs. Hopefully they will up their game and start taking competing in this market seriously.

I honestly would not give this hotel a one star rating, they have A nice hotel but I have had better service at Waffle House. There rooms have poor ac units that break the staff is rude and could care less for the guests, book at another hotel and save your bad experience here. And most importantly do not use there free shuttle service BD Experience they are the absolute worst ever left us at airport sittings for hours, and we had to take our family in a taxi, that was unsafe.

If there was a negative start I would give this "resort" that rating. The service or lack their was is horrible. If asked a question by staff including Ameristar staff I was met with hostility and anger. No one ever had a definitive answer on general questions such as what time will the shuttle arrive!? The staff rarely provided accurate information unless it involved obtaining a TIP. When I took my covid test a TIP was suggested. Which was one of the reasons I opted to stay there for on-site testing. In addition to that the bathrooms are filthy including in the rooms and public. They reek of urine. The bathrooms in the lobby have bugs and are not clean either! Additionally to that there is a charge for cleaning which is ridiculous. Now let's get to the lodging! It is dated old and moldy my headboard was unattached to my mattress. The marble floors are crumbling actually all tile work at the resort including at the pool are falling apart. My roof leaked near my balcony causing rain inside the room. I did try to complain about all of these items and was told by the staff Sorry that's it! The ameristar representative had the gall to tell me to shut up! I was shocked and appalled. The food was subpar at best but the very worst this is at the pool side buffet animals are allowed to crawl around which is disgusting and quite scary. I wasn't sure if I'd be bitten or what diseases the critters carry. Also I was charged for room service that I did not request. Unfortunately the airport shuttle arrived so I didn't have time to explain those weren't my c Needless to say I will not be back and demand a full refund! Going on a vacation is an elective choice that should be treated as such! Treating guests like inmates is unacceptable!!!!

I was at Grand Palladium TRS Hotel and totally love it!! Hands down perfect ..check in was super easy and quick ..very friendly staff ..within 15 mins we were in our suite !! Our suite was beautiful and comfortable....the pool area near my room was divine ...we ate a bay fret breakfast everyday and it was delish....had many options ....we also dined at HELIOs and it was fantastic !! Yes totally recommend this resort and all inclusive abs all adults also !!! Great value beautiful views .....

Angel at Gran Azul is the best. He does a very good job. Wonderful resort and would come back soon.

I'll make it short, cause I don't want to spend much energy on this place. The worst service, food, attitude I ever experienced and I'm 67 years old, avoid the place!!!!!!!

Very bad service what we booked online it's nothing like the room we saw it I don't recommend to come here

My niece and I had the misfortune of residing at the Grand Palladium/ The Colonial (Maya Riviera, Mexico) from July 9th to July 14th starting at suite 2025. During our stay, we encountered a number of undesirable customer service and housekeeping issues that I quite frankly think everyone should be aware !!!!!!!! - Air conditioning fan not working - Fan not working - Unpleasant Smell - Bathroom dirty- hair & dirt residue in the tub as well as the floor - Pubic hair & stains on the linen - Phones not working We were moved 3 times in less than 24 hours. The hotel wanted us to sign a form since they transferred us to TRS so they could balance her books because of the difference in price. The form states that as goodwill for inconveniences during our stay that they upgraded us to TRS for free. However the document also states that we could not complain against the hotel, travel agency as well there will not be any negative comments against the hotel directly or through websites, social media, or forums. Shame on you Grand Palladium Maya Riviera to think that this would satisfy our ruined vacation! I see why they have five stars because they are strong holding people and folks are signing their ridiculous contract. The rooms smell of mold and they most certainly lack in housekeeping. Although they call themselves upgrading me to TSR that experience was ok but not stellar either. I walked in my room and security was going through my things and taking pictures. Their explanation is that the were protecting the maid service. My question protecting from what?????? THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY THE WORST VACATION EVER. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS PROPERTY TO ANYONE. !!!!!

After many, many years, we were finally able to return to this resort in the Riviera Maya, in Mexico. While the place has expanded, adding another 2 resorts to the property, it still feels much like the same place from all those years. What makes this resort so successful for me, is the way they combine grandeur and rustic all in one. The lobbies and rooms are done up in lots of beautiful, shiny marble, with elegant ponds and water features, and yet the lobby is topped with a thatched roof and paths, through the jungle to the villas are wooden, and also topped with the same thatched roofs. The resort, sits on about 3/4 of a mile of beautiful beach. Beware though as this whole area has grown up on top of ancient coral reefs so while there is plenty of beautiful, white sand there is are also lots of rocky places both in the water and on the beach. If the beach isn't your thing then there are 2 gigantic pools on property, both with swim up bars, and when I say gigantic, there isn't much that can prepare you for how big these pools are. On top of that there are numerous other, smaller pools throughout the property. Drinks are decent for an all inclusive, but who really cares what tequila and rum they are pouring when you spend most of the day drinking frozen drinks and flavored mojitos. The one thing that keeps this place from being "5 stars" for me is the food quality, which can be very hit or miss. My favorite meal is are the breakfast buffets which are great and offer up tons of options, ranging from standard breakfast fare to Mexican specialties, to lots of fresh fruits and freshly squeezed juices. Lunch buffets are also quite good, but can start to feel the same as only small portions of each buffet change on a daily basis. Where the biggest swing is, are in the nightly a la carte restaurants which range from pretty good to down right awful. Two standouts are the Japanese Teppanyaki tables and the Brazilian steakhouse. While I do wish the food was a bit better, it doesn't stop me from loving this resort. In fact, not days after returning from our most recent trip we already booked another week here.

Definitely not a 4+ star resort experience "Here now and trying desperately to make the best of this trip. Checked into our rooms two days ago to find that one had not been cleaned from prior occupant. Both rooms were warm out and in need of updates. The sofa beds were frightening. Looked like animals had torn into them. Keep in mind, Covid is still a thing so very disappointing for a 4+ rated resort. Dirty shower, bathroom, sofa bed and furniture in disarray. Also old mattresses on floor outside of both rooms as well. Reported upon arrival and were told someone would be up to clean. This was about 5pm. We left the room for dinner at 7:45p and housekeeper arrived as we were leaving. At that point, went to the desk to ask to be moved. They had me complete a written complaint which appears to be useless. Told due to occupancy, they could not move us but would send someone to clean the room and send us something in apology for the experience. They also said they would check the next morning to see if we could be moved. 48 hour later and still waiting on the apology item and for anyone to follow up on the room change. Also fully aware now try at the resort is not at full occupancy. They just didn't want to move us because we booked thru a travel agent. Went to room about 10:30p to go to bed to find bugs and shoe print stains in one of the beds and the sofa bed/furniture still in disarray in the room they just cleaned. Guest services again sent housekeeping to the room. Got up the next day hoping to start anew. Checked out the resort and pool and returned to change for dinner to find that one of the two rooms had again not been cleaned. We gave them until after dinner and still no one. They wanted to send someone at 10:15p but after a day in the sun, we just asked for towels. Wake up this morning to no AC in our teeneage kids rooms.requested it be repaired. It's cooler now, but not normal. My guess, we'll be having the same conversation again in 2 days. When we checked in, the resort rep met with us to review the resort and then offered us day spa passes to take a short tour of the property. So today, we took them up on the tour AKA sales pitch (which we knew was coming), but 2 hours in, we pulled the plug. Especially after we explained our room issues and the solution for a new room was to upgrade us IF we wrote a $50,000 check for membership in their club. Again, complete expected the pitch, have the means to join such a club, but don't think I have any desire to be part of a group that say they can provide a clean and well maintained room for club members but not for others who have paid for rooms/vacations in their same resort. Literally the room they toured with us was directly above the terrible one we are in and guess what, it's empty!! As someone that is a Director level management team member at a 4 diamond resort, keep looking. Pick another resort chain if you what a 4 diamond experience or buy into the club before you go. Maybe $50,000 will get you a clean and maintained room."

I cannot remember ever writing a review, just never made the time for it, but had such an awful experience, not sharing it would be doing an injustice to anyone considering a stay here. To put things into perspective, I don't complain or whine. If I get the wrong food order, but it looks good, I'll eat it. I stayed at another property just before this one, lost power 3 times over a 2-day stay, took a long time to get hot water in the shower, bugs throughout the room, again, didn't complain, didn't call reception once! As for the experience, my wife and I booked a 2-day "all inclusive" stay at one of 4 properties at this resort: from family property to adults only, each with their own checkin lobby. Our 1st and last time here. We booked closer to adults only side, arrived at 2pm and didn't get our room key until 4:30, during which time they tried talking us into sitting through their Time Share presentation the following day. Bell hops loaded our luggage on a trolly towing a trailer and began making our way to the family side of the resort with numerous other guests. My wife and I confusingly studied the map given to us to see if the family side was "along the way" and would eventually get us to the location we booked and "paid" for. This was not the case and had the bell hops take us back to the lobby where we checked in, the lobby that belonged to the property we booked and paid for, where we waited another 2 hours just to speak with someone about the mistake. When we finally got help, it was as if they were ignoring our every objection, telling us we have access to all 4 properties, so it doesn't matter where our room is, telling us "it's all the same thing" "it's the same properties" even though the family side has its own lobby, a property less expensive and one we were not interested in. Our "booked" side was in close walking distance to many restaurants, the adult pool area, and the beach, while the family side was quite a distance from the aforementioned. Their response to that point was "there are trollies running 24/7", just catch a ride. They wouldn't change our rooms, said our reserved area was all booked up, but that the adults only side, the most expensive side, did have some availability for an upcharge, which we were willing to pay, but then said we have to stay an extra day on top of the upcharge of the 2 nights we were booked for. We had return flights booked so we ended up with the same lame room. Finally got settled in and went looking for dinner, many restaurants to choose from, of only 2 that required reservations, at least that was what we were told at checkin. Every single restaurant we went to rejected us, said we needed to make reservations, and could only do so for the following day, and could only do so by going to the lobby and going through Guest Services. We find a buffet, mediocre, have dinner, then make way to Guest Services, where no one was in sight. We asked the front desk and were told "just wait, the agent will return shortly". We waited 30 minutes and asked again, and then told you are at the wrong lobby, you need to go to the other one....WTF. We go to the other lobby, find someone at Guest Services, but he is adamant we don't need reservations, even after telling him we literally just came from 6 restaurants all telling that we do. What's funny is that nearly everyone in line at each of these restaurants were experiencing the very same thing....that they were told they didn't need reservations. The following day, they call our room at 8 in the morning to see how our accommodations are.....1stoff, 8am? Waking people up. We also found ourselves walking way more than getting trolly rides, and as mentioned earlier, from the family side that was furthest from every place we wanted to be. Many of the trollies only went to the lobby of a given property to the rooms of that same property, so we were told "No" on several occasions when asking for a ride to a certain venue/bar. The day of checkout, they knocked on our door at 8:30 am, again waking us up, just to make sure we knew we had to checkout at noon. It's a matter of principle, you book and pay for a certain product/service, you expect an even exchange, not a bait-n-switch. They make it to where you get yourself exhausted to the point where you give up and just try and find a drink to make the best of it, which is exactly what we ended up doing. There's no 1/2 star option, so had to give at least 1, along with two thumbs down!

Came to this all inclusive, solo, as a quick 4 day get away. The entire trip was enjoyable. I have very little complaints, but rather just things that can be improved. Pros: staff all pleasant and willing to help. Resort is very clean, animals everywhere--made the experience cool. For someone who eats relatively clean and healthy, I had plenty choices, especially with the buffets (fresh fruit, juices, rice, fish, etc.), pools and beachfront large enough that finding a lounge chair was never an issue. WiFi FABULOUS throughout the resort. Cons: Rooms could be updated in regards to decor and aesthetics. Housekeeping and room service: I asked for the room fridge to just be stocked with diet sodas and water-- via a note left in English and in Spanish and it was as if it was never read. There was one Diet Pepsi the entire time, all that was refilled was water AND if you're a wine drinker, wine is not all inclusive, at least with room service. I didn't touch the beer provided in the room's fridge, simply because I don't drink beer... but to be charged BY THE BOTTLE for wine is a little absurd, especially if someone routinely has a 1 glass of wine in bed at night.

This place is the biggest shit hole I have ever been in. I am currently still here and I have been dealing with nothing but issues for the past two days. My mattress was stayed with piss. The refrigerator didn't work and I didn't realize it was leaking all over the floor and I slipped. I can't even get room service at this all-inclusive place because they charge to deliver it. The transport service company that they supply ripped my luggage wide open and I was told that they cannot help me since it's a outside company even though I booked it through them. I have spent more time at the front desk dealing with issues then I have been able to enjoy myself at all. I have been dealing with the manager for the last four hours and was told that he will give me one night in the adult only place which is a $70 value. But I cannot go because I am here with my son so how am I supposed to leave my son alone and go there? I paid almost $400 a night and you were trying to give me a $70 compensation for two days of helll??? The alcohol taste like water. And the food taste like garbage. I am so sorry I ever came here. This place is an absolute shit hole and I would never recommend it to anyone!

Been here multiple times. Havent been able to get away because of Covid restrictions,,(I have massive anxiety over masks). Now that Covid is over I finally booked a trip. Took 3 Xanax and passed out on the plane with my face diaper. Only to arrive at Grand Palladium Colonial and be FORCED to wear a fake mask. Cant even eat outside with out someone telling me to wear a fake mask. The masks they provide wouldn't even block a droplet from a cough but it's required. unless you have mass psychosis and want to obey.. DONT COME

first time i am giving such a bad review on a resort. the worst most terrible service! we arrive there, the room was not ready so we had to wait. the guy on the front desk tried to say that, since it's my birthday, they will upgrade us to the bungalow for free. then he said it will be +70 dollars per night. what a joke, i hate people who are wishy washy and bull***t you. so i told him "no, i want our booked romance villa". which wasn't ready. it was ready at 4 instead of 3pm. i was so excited for that romance villa, but it sucked the most. the room is old, the curtains have black stains, we had maintenance at night, like 11-12 pm, doing work and talking loudly and hammering something in the bathroom downstairs. i could not get normal sleep. we had our ac off the entire time, because it was blowing some smelly air, like plumbing air. i almost felt like i got sick from that dirty air, when we had it on the first night. i called the front desk millions of times, complaining, no one ever did anything. all they say is they will resolve the issue, and then guess what, the issue is still there. we had to beg them for water bottles everyday and they still did not supply them. all we wanted was freaking water in our room. i mean we payed for food and water in our all inclusive, right?? service in the restaurants, buffets,etc: terrible. no one seems to want to help or bring you something, event utensils. the personnel seemed annoyed when you ask them for anything. wow i am astonished at the service i witnessed there. our last day, we had scheduled someone to come pick us up from our room with our luggage. and yess guess what no one showed! my boyfriend had to carry all the heavy luggage throughout the property, stairs, uneven paths through the jungle. fun, right?? food-one of the biggest disappointments. please if you are a health conscious person, vegetarian, vegan, do not go here. they have no healthy options and any variety of food.   fries,eggs,rice and meat. that's it. no abundance of different fruits, vegetarian or vegan options. like i was stressed every time i had to go eat because i had no idea what to eat. good that i had taken some almond butter and spelt bread from home, so i was making some snacks in my room. yes, it's pathetic. what did i like? the weather, the beach, the jungle, the nature. it was beautiful, but i can get that at another tropical resort. the boat ride at white sands was so beautiful and the only member who actually seemed genuinely happy, enjoying his work, was the boat driver. it is such a shame , such a freaking shame, that the place is so beautiful but the personnel, management and the owner need to be removed. all of them! they ruined my experience there. they have no idea what they are doing and what even basic customer service implies! and please, do not give me feedback on my review, i don't want to hear from your manager, you are all a joke. all you do is talk and promise and apologize and never get anything done right! i hope this place closes. and gets an entirely new team and start with the owner.

I came here as a wedding guest in a relatively large wedding party. A small number of guests, including myself, arrived a couple days before the rest. The shuttle took at least an hour and a half to transport us from the Cancún airport to the resort. When we arrived, the check in process was atrocious. It took at least 45 minutes for the three sets of people to check in; they couldn't even locate our reservation so I'd definitely recommend bringing a paper copy with the information as that likely saved us. The bride and groom were told that there were no more room upgrades (despite being promised one as part of the wedding package). When we finally were able to shuttle to our room, we were disappointed to find that you had to carry all your luggage upstairs as there are no elevators. The rooms are very dated and dingy. There were multiple spots on the bedding and the overall room and bathroom just appeared dirty. One room had a TV that didn't work, another had a safe that didn't work. The bride and groom got to their room to find dirty towels on the beds. Despite multiple calls to the front desk, it took at least an hour for anyone to come and clean the room. The room layouts and components also seem to vary. Everyone had different size TVs and different bathroom layouts (some had tubs, some had walk in). We tried to make the best of the next day by relaxing by the pool. The pool overall was very nice, but if you're on the shorter side, you will have some difficulties. The pool depth is 5' 3" so if you're shorter than that, you will not be able to walk across the pool. This definitely made things a little less enjoyable because I couldn't reach the jacuzzis or pool bars without having to swim fully. The remaining guests arrived the next day with several unable to get into their rooms because the wristbands didn't work. My wristband also quit working halfway through the trip which was a great inconvenience as it happened on the wedding day. During the rehearsal dinner, the bride, groom, and guests were disappointed to find that the habachi restaurant experience they were promised before arriving was no longer being offered to them. On the day of the wedding, we got our hair and make up done at the spa. The bride (luckily) looked very nice. My experience was the complete opposite. My hair and make up was nothing like we talked about before starting. I asked for a loose updo with light and natural make up (we discussed the wedding colors beforehand). I got a very high and tight updo, along with very orange eye shadow and a dark liquid cat eye. On the walk home, several Bobby pins fell out and the hair was worse than before. I had to have two wedding guests help with hair and make up to try and salvage anything I could. The wedding went well. It's right on the beach so there were constantly people walking behind and in front which made pictures more difficult. Room service is very hit or miss. We were told 45 minutes but it took nearly an hour and a half. When it arrived, everything was cold. The breakfast buffet was definitely the most enjoyable option. The lunch and dinner buffets were hit or miss. It was very repetitive food so if you're a picky eater, it may be difficult. We made reservations at El Dorado which is the steakhouse on the resort. It was very mediocre. I got a filet mignon and my husband had the New York strip. His was this awful gray color and basically all fat. I will say Bahia Brassa was wonderful. The staff was very attentive and the food was excellent there-I'd definitely recommend there if you decide on this resort. Overall, this was an experience that I wish we hadn't paid so much for. We've been to several other all inclusive resorts in Mexico and we have never been left so underwhelmed, unhappy, and disappointed.

Grand palladium colonial maya riviera, Mexico There were 13 of us and and could only get reservations for all of us at the steak house the other restaurant does 6 at a time so either eat in shifts or eat someplace else... the pillows stunk like they had been wet then dried in a pile... the trolly drivers will not stop for you unless they feel like it... uncaring staff no emotions just straight faces like they didn't wanna be at work and straight answers are not in their vocabulary the service at the sports bar sucked we were told they only have tacos but other customers were eating a variety of food.. we got ignored repeatedly... seems like they don't like Americans... I lost my wallet and helping me finding it wasn't as Important to them as it was to me I knew where I lost it and still had to wait for til the next day it was found exactly where I said it was but only after I left good thing my family member was leaving later than us... checking out was asked for the room charge for the spa treatment I received I LOST MY WALLET SIR WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO PAY YOU WITH? Unsympathetic and lacked emotion.. never going back there!!! Oh wait the staff lies a lot we were told our room was upgraded to a beach view we got grass and weeds...We asked about upgrading to the vip and was told it was $100 a night but the guy talking to my sister immediately next to us told her it was $80 and someone else was told $50 RIGHT IN OUR FACES AS IF WE WERE DEAF... Big mistake choosing this resort..

Zentropia seems like a great idea, but they are very poor. I would recommend, either being able to speak Spanish clearly. Or find another venue. The cart drivers are probably the best, and if you're trying to get somewhere they typically are helpful. We scheduled one trip, but the sales guy didn't take into account small children. Which we asked about. And when we arrived, my daughter couldn't partake in 1/2 the activities.

Don't get fooled don't join the palladium travel club (PTC) you will say it's a pretty cool hotel due to the wow factor which overshadows a lot of flaws. I'm currently part of the travel club and if you guys are wanting to join, think again. The service from the palladium travel club at the Riviera Maya Colonial really sucks!!!!!!! Jamaica: Rooms are ok.....some with poor ventilation and lots of mold. The sports center really needs a face lift. Riviera Maya: Again the PTC services suck. We get to Mexico and waited over 45minutes to get a ride from the airport. We get to the Colonial and the concierge Damian never met us. We never got a tour, never got our travel dollars, never got the signature residence because they use it for demos. Again warn you that the travel club is not what is cracked up to be. Reservations to the restaurants couldn't be made due to laziness. Aim try to meet with Damian for the 3rd time and no luck. I had to go back and fix the reservations because they reserved the wrong days and dropped one of our requested restaurants. We requested a tour and nothing. I hope you guys are seeing a trend......once they get your money you are forgotten. The rest of the people here are great. The have a customer service attitude unlike the folks in the travel club. Again, avoid the membership in the travel club and you will have a great time. Thanks Jimmy

Booked directly through website, which promised a free shuttle. Upon arriving shuttle did not pick us up, had to take a taxi. Upon arriving tried to book a return shuttle, and was told that they had switched companies and could not provide a free shuttle. Also aggressive in trying to get one to sign up for a time share.

We had a fantastic time! We stayed at the Grand Palladium "Colonial" resort. Upon arrival, our room was not ready as we arrived at approximately 10:30 am (check in is at 3). We ended up upgrading our rooms to the Mayan Suites. The rooms were large and comfortable and the mini fridge was always well stocked. My wife and I aren't bath people so the lack of a jacuzzi tub is no big deal to us, but we loved the outdoor Mayan shower that we had. The service was always spectacular. We had an issue with the air conditioner but we called the front desk and they fixed it right away. As for the food, it was nothing stellar. Having been to other all-inclusives, it's about what you would expect. My main complaint about the buffets is that they were all the same no real variety. We ate dinner at Portofino which is the Italian restaurant. It was not very good and I would not recommend it. We had the BBQ on the beach which had nice ambience but again the food was lackluster. We ate at Sumptuori which was fantastic! Better than most hibachis I've been to in the US! It's a must. (You need to make reservations and they only make them one day in advance.) We also ate at Ribs 'n More. Very good, not the best steak I've ever had by any stretch of the imagination but I still cleaned my plate! This also had the best deserts of all the places we went. We had a spa afternoon at Zentropia. Now I've never had a massage before but this was one of the best things I've ever experienced. I've never been more relaxed. We did the hydrotherapy after our massage and then relaxed in the pool enjoying some delicious shakes. All in all this was a great vacation and well worth every penny we spent. We will definitely be coming back!

I've been to a couple of all inclusive resorts, but the Grand Palladium Colonial blew the others out of the water. The staff was amazing! They all treated you like family. While at the Colonial pool we met Lucia! She took the best care of us. She made sure we always had drinks. We always looked for her first thing. She would always meet us with a smile and ask us how our day was going. Two large pools to choose from and there were adult only pools too. All very clean and very well kept. The beach was very nice. Definitely recommend getting up early and catching a sunrise at least once! The beach did have quite a bit of seaweed, but they were continuously raking with a tractor to try to keep it cleaned up. The food at the alá cart restaurants was very good. Plus with there being three resorts in one, you always had choices on where to go. We struggled to hit them all why we were there. Roberto at the bar in El Dorado was an amazing bartender. While waiting for a table one night he took care of us. Go see him and definitely ask for the Margarita Shot. We were a little disappointed with the Japanese restaurant. The show portion was great! The food though was meeeh. The steak was frozen, shrimp looked frozen and small. Just a little disappointed. Would have liked to have tried just getting a regular table there because it looked like they had a good sushi selection if you were not at the hibachi grill. The room was great. Everything was very clean and just the right size. Only downfall, the air shuts off when you leave, so somedays you'd come back to a fairly warm room. However, it would cool down pretty quickly. If you like to run or jog, there are three different trails that you can run around the resort or they have a nice paved road that was nice to run on as well. Will definitely return to the Grand Palladium Colonial. If you are going make sure to look for Lucia at the Colonial pool and Roberto at the El Dorado Bar. Can not say enough good things about Lucia. Everyone in our group loved her.

Avoid this all inclusive resort. They are horrible at guest services and the rooms are old and dirty. The food is disgusting and really bad quality. Save your money for somewhere else. I wish I would have read all the reviews before we booked our trip to this place.

If you're ever thinking about going here think again ! The rooms are dirty as we waited 4 hours to get into our room that was supposed to be clean just to find dirty diapers in our trash cans. The curtains falling off the rods, the air conditioning and refrigerator didn't work. We were there with a group of 14 people and we booked this trip back in November of 2021. They couldn't accommodate the grandmothers with us and they needed a room on the first floor but when we got there the room was on the third floor no elevators of course. And again dirty rooms! This is all inclusive they have what is called a travel club program almost like time share. You pay tons of money for what is supposed to be extra perks. We used someone else's but they couldn't pay me enough money to ever want to go there again! The pools look nice however when you go to the swim bar the concrete is falling off so you have to be careful you don't cut yourself on the rebar sticking out.. the property in general needs a ton of maintenance done. They specialty restaurants that are included in the price but good luck getting reservations if you ate more than 2 people. Anything over 2 is impossible to book , so be prepared to eat at a lot of buffets. The buffets are not very kid friendly, so make sure you have adventurous eaters. On the second day we were there our lights started sparking light the Fourth of July! I was afraid to sleep at night. This by far was the worst all inclusive resort I have ever been to. I don't recommend this place to anyone. Oh and by the way they came to fix our room at 10:30p.m the night before we left so seven days passed before they came to fix anything and my husband and I were in our room in our pjs . I told them come back the next day we wouldn't be there. If I could give this less than a star I would!!!!

We just got back from our trip this past Saturday. We stayed from 7/22 to 7/28 at the Grand Palladium Colonial Resort and Spa. Our friend was getting married at the resort so we booked our stay there instead of trying to stay off-site. The resort is about 70 minutes south of Cancun Airport. The good: -The resort is beautiful and well maintained. The staff was all nice and very accommodating although many spoke little to no English. Anytime we walked past a worker whether they were housekeeping, maintenance, bellhop, etc., they ALL smiled and said hello. -We spent a lot of time at the pools. They were clean, spacious and always had someone walking around to bring you drinks if you didn't want to go to the swim-up bar. -We felt like the front desk staff was very helpful and more importantly honest with us when we asked for advice about going to Playa Del Carmen and Cozumel. -There is a LOT of wildlife. I'm not even sure what kind of animals some of them were but there were iguanas, birds, cats and others throughout the whole resort. Cool to look at. None of them ever bother you. -The wedding was AMAZING. My friend had an on-site wedding planner who made sure everything was perfect. She was married on the beach and had her reception at White Sands. Absolutely nothing bad to say about the whole wedding experience there! The bad: -When my husband and I got checked in, we were told we were being given two full beds rather than one king bed we had booked. This happened to another married couple as well. After inquiring about it and honestly a little upset, they basically just said, "oh well, we're full." We were told we could wait a day or two and see if a king room opened up but we just dealt with it as we were unpacked and didn't wanna move rooms. -While I think housekeeping does a good job, we had to call the front desk a couple times to ask for someone to come restock our fridge in our room. We also noticed tiny little ants all over our room but mostly in the bathroom. We were in a group of 23 people and multiple others had ant issues as well. -This resort is quite big. Be ready to do A LOT of walking. Everything is fairly spaced out. We have stayed at other all inclusive resorts bigger than this one and they had golf carts around the clock to take you from place to place. At this resort, they offer rides but not at all times and if you sit and wait for one, it could take a long time. The ugly: -The food. We ate at multiple places throughout the resort and honestly, none of them were very good. The breakfast buffets were mediocre at best. The lunch and dinner buffets were honestly horrible. Between the 23 of us in the group, the best restaurants we visited was El Dorado and Ribs & More. Food from room service wasn't great either. -Mosquitoes!!! Every one of us was scratching like crazy due to all of the mosquitoes. The resort is spread out among a thick "jungle" and therefore means bugs. None of us thought to bring bug repellent. They did sell it in their little convenience store there but EVERYTHING in that store was WAY overpriced. (Side note: if you plan to go into Playa Del Carmen at all, they have everything you could ever need at their convenience stores- toiletries, souvenirs, etc., and all for a fraction of the price!) I've been home for 3 days now and I've still got huge bites up and down my legs that itch like crazy and I'm not the only one. Do I truly think this place is worth the money we paid to stay there? No. I've stayed at better places and paid less money. It's not a horrible place and we did have a good time but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to anyone.

My family and friends booked a five day vacation at this resort. We relied on our travel agent to book us a 5 star resort in or near playa Del Carmen. This hotel is at best a 3 star resort solely for its potential to be a great hotel and it's awesome pool. This hotel offers a colonial themed, full service hotel with a ton of amenity options like a spa, sports courts and recreation. However, don't let the all inclusive resort feature fool you. If you're looking for modern, contemporary upscale and luxury, this is NOT the hotel. This hotel has a great pool and amazing potential with the jungle paths and beach furniture but the quality of food and drinks is just awful. Don't let the beautiful presentation of the food fool you. Their service is inconsistent. Many of the male bartenders and servers are very well trained and deliver excellent service, but unfortunately, their food and drinks are below average in quality. I also had great service from their concierge when I ordered flowers. On the other hand, The restaurant hosts insist on making "all inclusive" paying customers wait to be seated when 70% of the tables are empty. God forbid you want to sit with a large group because they can't figure out how to connect tables together. Additionally, the front desk people were rude each time I visited. The rooms are spacious and the beds are very comfortable. The beds are a bit wobbly and they feel like they might break but the mattresses in our rooms were all comfortable. Housekeepers were excellent. I loved seeing the iguanas, turtles and lemurs roam the property throughout the day. The animals add to the colonial jungle theme. Lastly, considering the size of this resort, it takes a while to get around. The train system which transports from area to area is an inefficient system that will keep you waiting in the heat and humidity as you're on your way to enjoy a nice elegant evening.

We went with 2 other couples in mid-June 2017, stayed in building 8/9. First, the Pros: -Excellent staff- attentive and friendly -The Room- spacious, easy to access. the view of the jungle was great. loved waking up each morning to the sounds of 82 million creatures. -The Food- great! a myriad of choices on the buffet and ala carte. - Breakfast- La Hacienda, Tikal, Kabah buffets. The Kabah had the least amount of people and was a little larger. - Lunch- El Gran Azul and La Laguna buffet, also a buffet by Las Olas beach bar. The beach buffet had burgers, hot dogs, etc, the other two had more choices. - Dinner- we visited several: - La Adelita- Mexican, we went here on our first night, great choices! - Portofino- Italian, was so-so. service was a little slow and the room was really loud. - O Pavao- Brazillian, WOW. Fantastic. Excellent. Loved all of the different meats- goat, turkey, steak, chicken, beef brisket, pork. So good! - El Dorado- a steak restaurant. overall, the food was good, just a little slow. - Ribs & More- it took three tries to get in, the first was because of a 90-minute wait, the second and third was due to no air-conditioning (we went the third time). This was our last night, the food was tasty and our waiter, helpful. - We also did a buffet one night, the same day as an excursion to Tulum & Coba, for a little change of pace. -The Pool/Beach- clean and inviting. the salt pool (las rocas) was really neat. -Swim Up Bars- everyone was friendly and helpful. -The Facility- large. it took about a day or so to acclimate to where everything is, but after that was done, it was very easy to get around. -FunJet/Lomas Travel- great work! they got us to/from the hotel and arranged for a private tour with "Mayan Special Tours" to Tulum and Coba. We even ate "out" at an off-site restaurant near Coba. -End of the Day- we loved hanging out in the White Sand or Riviera lobby at the end of the day drinking Mojito Pinas. -People of Palladium Activities- games were fun, and I also did the pool biking. "Cons" (and I use that term VERY loosely)- -Towel Service for Swimming- sometimes they'd be out of towels. get there early! -Room Air Conditioning- there are other comments about this but...it's the tropics. it's hot and humid. -The Shower- the door did not close properly, so water ran out onto the floor. our friends also reported this, so surely this creates a ton of extra work (and laundry) for the staff. We loved our trip and would recommend this to anyone looking for a relaxing week. Thanks to the team at Grand Palladium Colonial for an excellent trip!

A couple of years ago, I stayed at Dreams Tulum and had a terrific experience, but thought it would be nice to try somewhere else. The Grand Palladium had good reviews so I planned a trip for my family. There have been problems since the get-go, but the biggest issue is that management only seems to respond to bad reviews posted online, not complaints from actual hotel guests. First the good. Much of the property -- though not necessarily the rooms -- appears well-maintained with a clear exception being the mini-golf course, which is a mosquito-ridden, waterlogged, uninteresting mess. Food is plentiful and available 24/7. It's an all-inclusive so you can't expect amazing food, but it is serviceable, and the breakfast and lunch buffets offer lots of options, many of which are good. They do sometimes run out of fresh fruit and papaya, which you'd expect to be on hand, is frequently missing. Perhaps there are not enough servers, but it can be difficult to order coffee or get a water refill. The pool is huge and nice, though it only has one lifeguard who cannot possibly see what is going on at the far other end. The beach is also pretty. There are lots of lounge chairs by the pool and beach, though those at the beach go quickly. The kids' clubs seem well-staffed, though geared more for the 6 and under crowd -- my 9 year-old who loves kids' clubs has been less than wowed by many of the activities and has used her "free will" (what they call it when kids can sign themselves out) to absent herself frequently. The nightly entertainment is diverting with talented singers and dancers. Now the bad: the front desk and guest services are completely unhelpful. The property is huge, but . . . they are out of maps, figure it out on your own. At other hotels, when you check in, they run through all of the hotel's services and activities, not here, or at least not for us. It was a surprise to discover that they offer archery and riflery at 10:00 am daily (you can only sign up day of and they only take 15 so arrive early if you're interested). Similarly, the hotel does not tell you that you have the free use of kayaks and pedal boats, or that there is a dive shop with a concession at the beach. Instead, in the lobby they have tour operators who book trips and who may tell you -- as they did my family -- that it's too rough to dive that day or they are all booked. We then planned a trip into Akumal ourselves for diving until we discovered this could easily be had at our own beach door. The lovely men who run the shop at the beach were frustrated and said this was a common occurrence. I complained to the front desk manager who seemed fairly unconcerned. Then there is the internet. In our room it doesn't work at all. We've complained numerous times and have been told to bring our computers to the front desk as if the issue is our computer savvy, rather than the poor connection. Despite our protestations -and my 18 year-old tech savvy son's trip to the front desk -- the folks at guest services continue to insist the fault is ours. I asked to speak to a manager and was told no one was available. I'm now sitting in the lobby - where the internet does work -- writing this. We're in a junior suite in the Colonial section. The furnishings and decor are fine, but not particularly attractive. The balcony is ugly and trees closely abut the building so there isn't much light and absolutely no view. I think few of the rooms -- unless you are in their travel club, offer any sort of view. Other issues in the room -- the bathrooms are quite small (water pressure is fine and there is hot water) and in ours at least, neither the remote nor the clock radio were in working order. The trashcan is rusted out. There are not tons of outlets, unless you unplug lamps. They don't have the system, common in many hotels, that allows you to order pay-per-view movies. Maybe this wouldn't be an issue if you could access the internet, but . . . see above. When coming to a place like this, I want things to be easy and problems quickly rectified. Seems like a stronger management team would agree. If you're deciding between the Grand Palladium and somewhere else, I'd pick somewhere else. Show less