Grand Palladium Palace Resort Spa And Casino

Overall, I enjoyed my stay at Grand Palladium (Palace). Here's some highlights:

Resort: Grand Palladium is an expansive mega resort with 4 different tiers, lowest to highest: Bavaro, Punta Cana, Palace, Trs (Trs is part of Grand Palladium not named as such). The only difference between the tiers is room type and proximity to amenities and beach. Although Bávaro is lowest tier, they have the nicest lobby, entertainment and most restaurant concentration (including the only 24 hr restaurant). Also, wifi coverage is excellent across the entire resort, even at the beach

Food: good overall, there's around 10 a La cart restaurants and each tier has their own buffet.

Beach: nice white sand, but it's very wavy and becomes over 6 ft deep just a few meters into the water. If you like swimming and snorkelling in the water, the beach isn't for you. Beach faces East while sun sets in West, so it gets darker a bit earlier than you'd expect

Rooms: this all depends on what tier you stay in, but ours were nice and well maintained. The shower design is terrible, allowing for a lot of water to escape the shower, so beware of puddling. The shower also has translucent glass facing the bed, which means you can see a silhouette of the person taking a shower. No problem if it's your partner, but weird if you're going with family or a friend. [Details]

Over all resort was very nice. Palladium Resort consists of 4 section - Palace, Punta Cana, Bavaro and the adult section of TRS Turquesa. Needless to say a very large resort. First room we were given had an issue with sewer gas odours when you flushed the toilet. This was unacceptable as the smell lingered, so off to the front desk with our Transat rep. Found dealing with manager, Williams, difficult as he was very arrogant,not readily available and did not really want to give us the time of day. After over 1/2 the day trying to resolve this we were finally relocated to another building finally settling in at app. 4 pm (basically a wasted day). This room was more to our satisfaction. The rest of stay was fine. The ala carts were good with the Spanish being our favorite. The 2 buffets at the Palace were good with a good selection and hot. The buffet at the Punta Cana had the same good variety but the food was cold as the hot plate stations were not turned up enough to keep the food hot (we quickly learned not to eat there). The beaches are beautiful. Most staff struggles with english (This is OK it is not there first language) All in all I would go back at the right price [Details]

Grand Palladium Palace is a beautiful hotel! Haven't been on a tropical vacation in a long time but I would go back here in a heart beat! Beautiful scenery, beautiful grounds and very clean! Plenty of activities and outings! [Details]

Everything about our stay was outstanding, food, entertainment, staff [Details]

This was our first time trip of an all inclusive holiday so was quite the experience. The room was supposed to be renovated and yet there was a huge split in the wood in the closet door. More hangers should be provided. You could see the join in the ceiling in the bathroom and the paint was peeling. The toilet was running 24/7 even though I had mentioned this to the front desk and the maintenance person did not come back to fix it. The safe instructions reads "enter 4 digits" yet security said you need 6. It also took 3 days to get a new blow dryer as the one in my room stopped working and then was burning hot for 3 days even though it wasn't working. Reception should make all guests aware of the hotel meeting for new guests and the savings coupons that are provided, as well as bartering with sales people on and off the resort. Some things that we were not aware of. [Details]

This was by far my family's most favourite vacation destination! The people were wonderful, the resort was clean and well maintained. Food was excellent! The beach was absolutely amazing, well kept and clean. Can't wait to return!!!! [Details]

The buffets at all resorts were like 3 star hotels, same thing every day, very little choice,most meals were not hot. beach s were good, pools were good . asked for wake up call@ 7am. got a soft knock on door @ 7,30 if we were not up already we would not have heard it. we will not go back,keeping in mind this was our third time there. [Details]

Great place for family , couples, old and young. Staff is amazing...rooms are clean ...grounds are well kept...food is great [Details]

We just got back yesterday and are already planning our return to this resort. Ignore the petty reviews as the Palace is gorgeous, the beach nearby is miles long and beautiful, the food is delicious, the staff are very friendly and accommodating, the grounds are kept meticulously clean and you will have a fantastic stay here. Our room was amazing and we were able to get moved closer to the ocean on our second day , thanks to Anna and Jose. You rock! Our fav restaurants were the Brazilian, the Steakhouse and the Japanese restaurants. You can stay at one hotel and play at three so you have many choices for all three meals. The food was plentiful and varied and many items at the buffets are cooked fresh while you watch (fish, chicken, steak) Yes, there are salesmen who try to sell you excursions or memberships- just say no thanks and they leave you alone. We are 4 seniors and finally found the Secret Adult Pool and loved it best. It is quieter and very luxurious. My favourite part of stay was playing in the waves in that lovely warm, aqua marine water with palm trees all around. Heavenly! We are so happy we chose this place and can't wait to go back! [Details]

Very clean and huge hotel but unfortunately the food and service in all restaurants were not 4 1/2 stars. [Details]

Great place for a relaxing holiday. [Details]

Very nice vacation. Hotel was great, food was good, pools were well maintained and pleasant. Beach was perfect. Activities for all taste (sports, music shows etc.). Service was good. My room was by the beach which was really nice but was not renovated. Shower was old and not functioning well. Beds are not very comfortables. I didn't like the fact that people spread two towels on four lounge chairs to reserve their place at the pool, they should be told by staff and use more respect to others. I enjoyed the lobby music in the evening, very talented artists. I was expecting better quality shows at the Merengue. I found annoying that the staff of the resort wants us to attend a 90 minutes presentation presented as a 'welcome gift' to sell some upgraded rooms for future vacations. [Details]

We had a great stay at the palace. We enjoyed our wonderful week there. This has been our second time at the palace and we were very pleased once again. [Details]

Travelled to the DR with a group of friends for a big birthday celebration. Lovely location. Grounds were beautiful and very well kept. Beach was spectacular if you enjoy high surf. Rooms were dated but comfortable. Restaurants were not convenient. Waited two hours at one of the popular ones - no reservations or assigned meal times available. Self-serve options very limited. Could not just grab a coffee or a beer anywhere. Would recommend for families. Not for singles. [Details]

Clean, a bit dated but under renovation. Huge resort, lots of activities and features. Adults only seems very lovely. Special kids activities and lots of amusements. Something for everyone. Some staff were excellent but most were adequate. This could be improved for a better experience but it was satisfactory. We would return to this resort as I believe it will only improve with the current renovations underway. [Details]

This hotel had extremely friendly and helpful staff. It was very clean and had alot of entertainment. Many things and places to go to keep you busy if you wanted to be. Shops on the beach, in the hotel complex. lots of shows. many different places to sit around and have a drink or coffee [Details]

6th trip to this hotel! it would be nice if a repeat customer was acknowledged at check in.. even when I told them there was no “Well nice to have you back” or any other nicety like that! Always have a problem with two week interval as hotel system cuts off the door card at noon (it happens every time I go and they tell me it's because I put it next to my camera, which I don't) NO.. it's because your system cuts it off on the day I was supposed to leave if I stayed a week, why not be honest? Other than this minor issue, I find the staff to be very good (front desk not as good as wait staff) food was not as good as last time I think the quality went down a bit but overall a good hotel. The rooms need a reno but are clean and ok but not to a 5 start quality. I see they now have a “vacation club” i.e. time share to sell so hope they won't get pushy with this otherwise it will be my last time to vacation here. I hate resorts that try to sell you something, I AM ON VACATION, not at the shopping mall... [Details]

it was not great as i exepcted, most staff were rude and didnt understand english [Details]

This was our seventh trip to the Palladium resorts in Punta Cana we have stayed at both the Bavara and the Palace and don't really have a preference of one over the other (we have never been disappointed). This time we were upgraded to La Turequesa Suites and that was an amazing surprise.
The room was beautiful. [Details]

Palladium Palace offered outstanding options of excellent dining. The food was "top notch"!
The Staff have a language issue which makes one feel that they are indifferent.
Would definitely return. [Details]

Beach was great, property and rooms were spotless, enjoyed the staff. Found the complex a little large for us. Disappointed in the food and the fact that they would not take reservations ahead. You had to stand in line for as long as 1 1/2 hours for a reservation for that night and then wait for your time. We were there in high season, so that may account for the waits. Would not go back to the same hotel. [Details]

This was our 4th visit at this hotel, and our 15th in Punta Cana. Our expectations were very high and we were not disappointed at all.
Like most other hotels in Punta Cana the staff is their best asset. They are friendly, most helpful and are always singing (they show that they are so happy to be working there).
This hotel,in particular is the best we have stayed at in all these years.
As all our trips to Punta Cana have been for two weeks each we will be doing the same next year (and maybe for three weeks this time. [Details]

The hotel complex was great! within the Palladium there are four diff resorts the Bavaro is the low end but great location, clean. Punta Cana is a great family oriented lots for kids to do the palace the higher end and located close to casino, shopping and a la carte restaurants, Theroyal suites adults only and have some with swim up pools per room really a dream come true. We booked the palace and where upgraded to the royal suites this gives you butler service, all domestic beverages are available at the royal suites ,2 extra restaurants a la carte no reservations which is great as no need to plan ahead... food was terrific everywhere, staff were very helpful, BOOKING THERE NEXT YEAR AGAIN! [Details]

I really just want to warn other travellers that the internet site portrays the Palladium Palace as a 4.5 star, luxury resort and everything looks top notch...but it really would be a stretch to say this resort even provides 4 star service, in comparison with 4-5 star resorts in the rest of the Caribbean. Two weeks we'll never get back.

At the airport, we got to the bus to our hotel and it was full. We had to wait another hour for them to get us alternative transport. Oh oh....

When we checked in, they gave us an "upgrade" to a loft suite. The loft smelled like smoke and mould, the beds were something you'd find in a rustic fly-in fishing lodge, and the floor in the loft sank two inches when I walked on it (I'm 200 lbs, but still..it was like a trampoline!) The furnishings and finish were very poor.

We went to the service desk manager, a Mr. Williams, who was very rude and completely uninterested in our problems. I kept trying to explain that we had booked a deluxe suite specifically to avoid stairs because of a bad knee. He continued to be rude throughout the interaction, even though I was trying to work with them in good faith. Finally he said he would try to change us the next day and walked away.

I didn't feel we had received any customer service so we kept trying to find someone who could speak English well enough to understand our issue, we had a very nice man tell us that they could make all our problems go away by upgrading us to the Royal Suites Turquesas. This sounded promising, until he said we would have to pay an extra 115 dollars a night! This was not an option, so we spent our first night in the stink pit. The next morning, we kept at them until they moved us to a deluxe suite.

The deluxe suite was much better, but still smelled like cigar smoke and mildew. Nonetheless we were happier as the king bed seemed 10 years newer and we didn't have stairs. The lofts are NOT an upgrade.

I would say the cleaning staff and bartenders were fantastic, but the wait staff and cooks were mostly lazy and would not serve the table unless you put a couple of dollars down as soon as you got there. When we were leaving, the towel attendant actually asked me if I would give him some money before he would give back our towel cards!

The management team had no customer service inclination or training, spoke English poorly and seemed blind to the concept that in the internet-connected world, people do look at Monarc and similar sites before making vacation choices. We all go on vacations to escape the stresses of life, and client service excellence will sell more trips than any advertisement, because word travels at the speed of the internet these days.

If you are a non-smoker, this is not the resort for you. I thought it was awful to be trying to eat lunch with people smoking at the next table...and even the lobby does not have a non-smoking section.

We had a couple of very ignorant neighbours in our villa who argued and/or partied every night with their doors open and even standing in the common areas. After a few nights with little sleep I approached the management to ask if they would be willing to have a staffer stop by periodically to quiet these folks down...and I was told that wasn't the resort's problem. I pointed out that I was also a paying guest, and that I had a reasonable expectation of quiet after 11 pm. Finally, after the transat rep stepped in, for our last two nights they had someone there to keep the peace.

As for the food, it was mediocre at best in most of the restaurants, but the Bamboo Asian restaurant was good. When we initially booked, the website said that reservations were required, but when we got there we were told that no reservations were required. So...you go to an a la carte restaurant and spend an hour or more in line just to get your name on the list....only to come back at the appointed time and still have to wait because a group from the Royal Suites just walks up with a reservation and bypasses everyone else in line. Their restaurant system is very, very screwed up. Also, we saw one of the cooks in the pasta station at the lunch restaurant continually putting his fingers into sauces, food etc....it really wasn't what you would expect from a kitchen in any restaurant!

Finally, if you want any premium alcohol like Bailey's you will have to travel to the Hemingway Bar at the Bavaro to find it....The bars at the Palace serve local stuff, and although the bartenders are nice enough....their mixology skills are less than that of any Canadian high school kid! I kinda liked the beer if it was cold enough.

Really...spend your money elsewhere. I am flabbergasted when I compare the fantastic reviews I read prior to booking with the real life results we lived through. I would say the more skeptical reviews are closer to what you really get.

My wife and I will likely never set foot in the Dominican Republic again, and never in a Palladium resort anywhere. Yep...THAT BAD!!!!! [Details]

The hotel was located close to the airport so the short bus ride was ideal as we were traveling with our 3 year old and 6 month old. Upon arrival, our only complaint would be the long wait at check-in. There was only one person working the reception and there was a line up for checking in. We were in building 85 which was centrally located, with easy access to reception, the beach, the pools, and restaurants. Our room was a loft suite. We had 2 double beds upstairs and a twin bed downstairs. The suite was large and our balcony overlooked the pool. The room definitely needed some renovation as the floor of the loft was caving in. The individual air conditioning was nice, but the downstairs air conditioner was so loud we couldn't use it. The bathroom also had a strong sewage smell that spread to the rest of the room and we also found a large cockroach in it one night. The room was always made each day and restocking of the mini bar with water, pop and beer was consistent (although we only drank the water and pop). It would have been nice if juice was also provided in the mini bar, not sure if other all-inclusive resorts do this. The staff and crew were very nice and friendly. They were especially good with children, always greeting them, giving high fives, etc. Additionally, there was always a high chair available for us to use at the restaurants so definitely a kid-friendly resort. The food at the buffets were good despite other reviews we've read. There was always a variety of food and the themes changed. We were only able to visit one a la carte restaurant (Sumptuori) and the food was really good. We would have liked to visit other a la carte restaurants but the restaurants (buffet and a la cartes) open fairly late for dinner according to our 6 month old so the buffets were the faster choice for us. Aside from the cockroach in the room, the hotel was fairly clean. The grounds were well kept. Our only other major issue was the amount of smoking around us. Admittedly, smoking was only permitted outdoors, but this meant that we were exposed to it at the beach and at the pools. Not sure if it would be possible to have a non smoking section of these open areas especially when kids are present. Furthermore, there were a lot of cigarette butts on the beach so it was a bit gross having to pick them out when building sand castles with the kids. We were quite happy that the pools were very kid-friendly. Our toddler was able to walk in on his own (no jumping in nor did we have to take him in our arms). There was also a kids pool with a pirate ship with not so steep water slides so very young children could enjoy themselves. Internet was only free in the lobby and was fairly slow. We did pay for 3 days worth so we could connect in our room and poolside (didn't try at the beach). Despite the issues mentioned above, we still had a great time. [Details]

The Palace is a nice location with beautiful grounds and beach. The waiters are very friendly and accommodating.

The food was a problem for us since we are vegan. Two of the a la cartes (Mexican and Asian) were closed and we couldn't eat at any of the other ones since they were very meat-centred. We got tired of eating the same old things at the buffet and having a very poor selection (they put meat in everything!). We have since complained about this after returning from our vacation and found out that if we had talked with the chef, they would have accommodated us. Too late for us, unfortunately, but hopefully this will help others in the future.

We found that the activities at the resort were very spanish-oriented. We tried to speak a little Spanish with the wait staff and they were very encouraging. The problem was that the activities staff spoke almost exclusively in Spanish (when they spoke English the sound system was so poor that we couldn't understand what the heck they were saying). I even tried to find the supposed Spanish lessons one day, but nobody announced it so I just gave up. Our understanding is that between December - April the hotel is 90% English speaking whereas we visited in the summer.

There are three hotels in the complex, besides the Royal Suites: Palace, Punta Cana and Bavaro. They have carts that pick you up and drop you off in various locations, but it doesn't come often enough. It is such a large complex that walking to a few locations isn't really an option.

We were upgraded to a loft and it is a beautiful room. However, our air conditioning didn't work. We asked for this to be fixed three times and three times we were told that it was fixed, but it wasn't. We slept in a warm room!

Please note that there are very few public air conditioned areas in this resort, including the lobby, lounge and eating areas. The buffet at the Palace was air conditioned. [Details]

Nice location, hotel is getting a little tired could use some TLC [Details]

We got an upgrade when we got there. Had booked the loft suites with the palace. Didn't even get to see them, however talked to a couple that had the loft, said they loved it. Gotta say...difference between the royal suites and palace. At the royal pool, we ordered whatever drinkes we wanted, premium liquors. Premium champagne and baileys. You will not get this at the palace site, we were shocked when we would go to their lobby from time to time, no momosa, no baileys....no bottled water. We got spoiled, and enjoyed our momosas for breaky, loved the baileys for an after dinner drink, also loved the part of bottled water, unlimited. Food was ok. Brazillian excellent, we went for a 10pm steak house reservation, felt like it was a rushed seating, steak was raw....like previously frozen and thrown on a grill, cooked on the outside, scary in the middle,..we didn't eat it. Saw a show called Micheal Jackson, very good. People beside us said also good show, should also catch the magic show. Can't really complain about much more, rooms clean and sweet, fridge not super cold but had beers everyday, loved our peakcock, we named him kevin. all in all have to give the trip an 8 out of 10. Would go again. take bug spray, lots of mosquitos and sand flies. [Details]

The resort was maintained very well. I stayed in this resort 5 years ago and little has changed since then. Although it could use some updating, it has been maintained well and looks the same as it did 5 years ago. The staff was great and the animation team keeps you going. One of the bonus' with Palace are none of the rooms are far from the beach, no matter what room you get the walk to the beach, lobby, spa or buffet is short. If you want variety there is alot of al a cartes and restaurants in the Bavaro & Punta Cana sections of the resort. [Details]

WE JUST GOT BACK THE HOTEL WAS GREAT BUT THERE ARE A FEW THING THAT COULD BE FIXED. THE BATHROOM AT THE BEACH WAS NOT VERY NICE, ONLY ONE TOILET WORKING THERE WAS ALWAYS A LINE UP. THE FOOD WAS NOT BAD THERE COULD BE MORE FISH OF THE AREA. THE SERVICE WAS GREAT WE WOULD GO BACK. [Details]