Ok Resort

The resort is very big, grounds are beautiful. The reservation process for restaurants is done very differently at this resort(not convenient). The food was very good, drinks are good however certain kinds of drinks served at particular bars :(. The pool could of been cleaner. The service during Buffett meals was poor.(looking for utensils, dishes and asking for water two or three times.) This was my third trip to Punta Cana and ninth all inclusive. This Resort is just ok,I would probably [... read more] never stay at a Pallidium again.

Beautiful beach

The renovated room that we stayed in May of been partly renovated. The shower was awful. I am pretty sure there was mold or mildew on the tiles of the shower. because of all the black splotches. The line ups at the a la carte restaurants were beyond ridiculous. No reservations accepted at most, so a one to two hour wait was typical. The staff were not that friendly for the most part. There were exceptions. Staff at punta Cana pool and at Italian restaurant were terrific. Even though the hotel is [... read more] rated 4.5-5, we've had better service overall at some 3.5 stars in dr and Mexico. Would I recommend it ? Depends on what is important to the individual

Average resort

Service is awful, my TV did not work properly for ~4 days, a phone did not work at all for almost 29 hours. I asked more that 8 times practically everybody at the reception to fix it. Nothing was done. It looks like nobody is interested at helping us, customers. We already paid for the vacation and that's it. Food was below average. Tables, dishes, forks, spoons were often dirty...

Beautiful Resort Poor Service

Resort and emenities are beautiful. Long wait times for dinner. Unable to get seated in tapanyaki? Good service seemed to depend on what colour of bracelet you are wearing. Bar staff were excellent. Very pushy to sign you up for their presentation on signing up with Palladium Hotels vacations. Overall very disappointed on the restaurant service.

Great trip

Had a wonderful stay at Grand Palladium. We had booked in the Punta Cana Section but were assigned a lovely room in the Bavaro section. This is a really large resort and other than taking a shuttle to some of the a la carte restaurants we basically stayed in the bavaro area. Buffet was good. Pool was lovely. Hemingway bar was delightful for a nightcap. Service was great. Grounds were beautiful and well manicured. Powder sand beach. Any concerns were immediately addressed. If anything I would say [... read more] that evening entertainment could be better advertised.

Amazing Resort

The Grand Palladium Punta Cana Resort and Spa is a VERY large resort. There was too much to see in just 7 days!. I guess we will have to go back again and continue exploring!! Service is very very good! Great value vacation!

Grand palladium Bavaro

The resort was very good !! The grounds were very well kept and the rooms were cleaned accordingly ... I have to say that the service was hit and miss .... I was kinda surprised because the last time I was there the service was impeccable .... The food was awesome ... It didn't matter which restaurant you went to .... Overall the resort was by far one of the best hotels I've been to

Amazing Staff

The grounds, public areas, dining facilities are amazing. The grounds are kept in such great condition, nothing out of place and the entire facility is spotless. We did not encounter any unwanted little creatures, dust bunnies, cob webs anywhere - truly a joy!!!We had an problem initially with the room first assigned to us but it was resolved quickly by the hotel manager and his staff. He was always there to oversee all details of the resort and we are extremely grateful.The staff in all areas o [... read more]f the resort were extremely friendly and helpful. The beach is beautiful, the food is amazing - great variety and abundance. Many rooms have already been up-dated, so when this is completed it will certainly be above all expectations. Thank you for a wonderful vacation.

Loved the resort

Resort is large but there is transportation to get around. Sports facility is large and always available. Staff are friendly but English is very limited. Rooms are fine sometimes musty. Pools are clean, beach is soft clean sand. Beach is deep after 40 feet, and waves can take you off your feet. Food is good, half the time not hot enough at the buffet. Restaurants are fun and tasty. All round, a good resort for couples or families.

Great Resort!!

Beautiful resort!! The food was good, everyone was friendly!! We had no issues at all. Lots to choose from on the buffets. We went to the steak house (which was great) and the Italian a la carts (good also). No problem finding something to eat. Our room (3000 bldg) was central to the beach, lobby, buffet, pool and those two a la carts. It is a big resort and for some activities there is some walking involved. The beach was fantastic and we were sorry to leave. We didn't spend a lot of time at th [... read more]e pool but it was great as well. Our room overlooked the pool and we also had a view of the beach. We had a great time!!!

Grand Palladium Punta Cana

This was our fifth stay at The Palladium in Dominican Republic. As returning customers, we've usually enjoyed room upgrades, but not so this time. Managers promised to meet with us but never delivered on that promise, opting to let desk clerks handle our concerns. Our closest pool was out of service for half of the week. Plumbing and electricity was interrupted for more than a day. We're used to being approached to purchase various services, but this year the frequency was significantly higher.  [... read more]People selling spa services were particularly annoying. The on site transportation service was heavily weighted toward people willing to listen to Palladium Travel Club pitches (which we did a few years ago, but we're not interested). My wife did finally make contact with a Manager while we were waiting for our taxi to the airport, and was assured that we would see better service on our next visit (should we choose this resort again). We've usually enjoyed our Palladium vacations, but this year was a step backward.

Will not return

Grounds beautifully maintained, food ok. Staff need to work on communication skills. Great Beach! Issues with room took a long time to fix. Reservation system they need to have one, waiting in line for up to 2 hours for an a la carte is not enjoyable.

Grand Palladuim Punta Cana

Cement hazards to fall into which my wife hurt herself Room was not ready Room changed because plane was delayed 4 hours Service was slow at bars Even with tips Front counter staff were indifferent to complaints Attempts to change $ 20.00 bills into smaller amounts was always difficult at front desk

Beautiful Resort for a Destination Wedding!

We traveled with 30 people for our destination wedding. We traveled with Sunwing and felt the extra perks were well worth it. We enjoyed the inclusive use of all 3 hotels but when we come back in a few years for a return trip we will definitely stay at the Royal Suits Hotel. On a budget with 30 guests the Palladium was able to offer us excellent rates in comparison to the more posh Bravaro and Royal Suits Hotels. Overall the Grand Palladium Resort and Spa was very large and sometimes confusing b [... read more]ut it was fun to get lost and discover a new part of the resort. The Palladium rooms were clean, modern and spacious. Some of our guests complained that the water pressure was inadequate to fill their in-room Jacuzzi tubes. As the Bride and Groom we had no issues with our room and took full advantage of the included room service. Our maids did a beautiful job making up our rooms with daily flowers, towels, and fresh bubbles/ oils for our bath. We loved the in room (included) mini bar. The staff guaranteed refills every two days ( sprite, beer, coke, fanta). Our 2L bottled water was filled daily without fail. The food was excellent, all the buffets had a great variety and quality of food. We loved the a la cartes we ate at, but we found it very difficult to get a seat at the most popular restaurants, as the resort does not take reservations. It was first come, first serve, so you had to line up an hour pre-meal. However we did enjoy having unlimited access to all the a la carts on all 3 hotels. Alcoholic beverages were flowing and not watered down, the house wine was available during lunch and dinner, and the sports bar offered 24hr drinks and snacks. We went on a private catamaran with our 30 guests that our Sunwing rep set it all up. Loved it! The Resort had tons of excursions you could choose from which were at an extra cost but well worth it. The beach was gorgeous, white sand, well groomed and private. The salt water pools were beautiful. I think we saw about 5 different pools, 2 for sure with swim up bars and Jacuzzi bubbles. Our guests enjoyed the pool side bingo, aqua fitness and foam party. Many of our guests spend every night watching the nightly entertainment. They couldn't get enough, every night was different and included two different shows back to back. Unlimited Wi fi was available 24hrs in all rooms and buildings but some of our guests had difficulty at times to access it. Our Rogers customers seemed to have the best reception. Our Wedding day was better then we could ever imagine. From the flowers, to the cake, the ceremony, the food and the reception, everything was perfect. We could tell that the Resort staff was very seasoned and knew exactly what they were doing. Our Wedding Coordinator made the planning process extremely easy and they fulfilled all their promises when we got there. As the Bride and Groom we also had a few of our own special extras (wine ceremony, wedding favors, special gifts and surprises for our friends) that we had brought with us and the resort staff was more then happy to help us execute them beautifully. Overall we a very impressed with the resort, the staff, sunwing rep, and our wedding coordinator. The only major change we would like to see made from this resort is the ability to make reservations at the a la carts, so that we arnt wasting our vacation time in line every evening. We cant wait for our return vacation as Husband and Wife.

Great value for the money

Grounds were immaculate and staff were very friendly and helpful. The property is quite large so be prepared to take extra time to walk to get where you are going or wait for a trolley shuttle. Plenty of activities and things to do throughout the resort. A big too large for my comfort, but most would find it quite acceptable. Large play area for children and family friendly. Only one bar out of many that served premium spirits - Hemingway Bar behind the lobby of the Grand Palladium Bavaro. The  [... read more]other bars served only domestic spirits. Buffet continental restaurants served a wide variety of meals. Vegetables were either prepared in sauces or oil - not to my liking. Fruit is local (melon, pineapple, bananas, etc.) and the same each day. Al a carte restaurants did not accept reservations - huge wait times which was really inconvenient. People started lining up at 5:30 p.m. If you arrived past 6:30 p.m. the expected wait was over two hours -not worth it. Hotel rooms were clean with the exception of low water pressure during peak times. Our room did not have a functioning shower so we had to take baths. Asked to have the shower looked at but it wasn't addressed. Pools were not as clean as they could have been (plastic cups, insects and leaves) - although the general area was well kept and the patio/chairs cleaned each morning. The beach was beautiful, however on this specific property, the area was more narrow than other Punta Cana properties I've been on. Overall, we had a wonderful experience. The entertainment staff were a lot of fun and kept people entertained. Overall, a fantastic vacation and despite a few shortcomings, I would recommend this resort.

Its big!

Arrived 11am cant check into rooms till 3. pretty standard stuff. Had the run of the resort to check things out. Buffet was pretty standard fare from any other resort. Bars were also pretty standard. Service was good by enlarge. We did experience some interesting behavior from the door staff at the specialty restaurants. We got into the Japanese, Brazilian, Mexican, & Steakhouse. We were not able to get into the Italian place as you cant make reservations ( unless you are in the royal suites sec [... read more]tion of the massive compound) we spoke to people who lined up starting at 5:20 for a place that doesn't open till 6, only to be given a vibrating puck to hold to wait their turn -- they waited 2 hours. come on now. We went at 8:45 even, figuring let the dinner crowd subside, but no dice, cant get in. We only got into the steak house ( which is on the same principle -- same door actually) because some friends we met fell ill and gave us their reservation. So, the door staff -- at the Brazilian, wow, that girl hates her job! We went expecting to be put on a wait list, we were given the vibrating puck and provided our room number we asked casually 'how long is the wait?' (it didn't matter we were curious) she snapped '' I don't know, when they are done eating, it will be after that'' wow...alright then!! lol funny. The food was good at the Brazilian, salad bar to start, then they bring a plate with a little rice, mashed potato, 1/4 cob of corn, and a fried plantain. then they bring out skewers of meat, beef, chicken, sausage, pork, vegetables, pineapple. they cut each item from the skewer at your table and move along. when you have had enough, you turn your card from green to red and they will stop. Each item was hot (which was better than lukewarm buffet options) The Mexican, door staff similar. Given the puck, told to wait in the sports bar down the walkway. ( sports bar by the way 24hrs and has quite a bit of food options -- bar food) we had a drink there, 40 mins later went for a stroll, wound up back at the Mexican door figuring it couldn't be much longer. The door staff told us ''you no wait here, I said go to sports bar'' we chuckled and moved on down the path again, 2 mins later the puck was going off. Strange. The food, was good, veggie fajitas yum. Could have made that a whole meal! We each had a beef entrée. both were excellent. Japanese was good, door staff had no issues, seated right away around the periphery. There are cook stations in the middle of the restaurant where if you can get a reservation, you can be entertained while they cook for you. Otherwise you can sit around the perimeter of the restaurant and dine. It is however VERY noisy from the ''show table'' portion of the restaurant. Cooks flashing their spatulas, tapping away on the grill for the show effect. They seemed to be having a blast though. The steak house, door staff a little crusty ( even with our reservation) but the meal, was good. NY strip was cooked well and served with good sides. Now... the rest of the place ... the resort is HUGE. The maps, are well... crude at best with no legend it was a little difficult to orient yourself exactly. It kept things interesting. The place is clean, the housekeeping and bar staff always friendly. The beach was awesome. tons of beach chairs to be had, no need to get up at the crack of dawn to secure yourself a spot. There are lots of vendors on the beach, but they are not too much trouble, and they are just trying to make a living. They will leave you be if you politely say no thank you. Yes, you will see them all week. Take a travel mug if you want to drink, as the juice glasses the drinks are in are small. Good for environment yes, but annoying to keep needing a refill. Ride the train around the resort (many train stops all over the area) it will give you a sense of just how big the place is. (it's good people watching too) The room -- well, we were in building 3000. Simple and standard accommodations. The air conditioning, ice cold. The bathroom, quite odd. Big soaker tub with a large tiled tub surround. Quite a feat to step up and over to get into...the hand held shower on the wall... literally poured all of the tub surround, causing the room to flood. We quickly figured out... you need to stand in the huge tub, take the hand shower down...shower with it that way, no flood issues. The issue is... at 5pm or so, when people come off the beach/pool to shower and prepare for dinner there is no water pressure. So, the diverter would not allow the shower head to run, ( or the toilets to flush or the sink to flow) It was naturally after I was all soaped up that this happened so it was a bit difficult, but again, vacation...not that big of a deal we managed. ( using a glass under the dribbling spout to collect enough to rinse the soap) did it ruin the week? absolutely not -- just be aware. Oh. and last about the room.. the safe. it says push in your 4 digit code... well... they really mean 6 digit code. after trying several times we realized there were 6 spots for numbers, though the instructions are very clear to enter 4 numbers. anyhow... 6 numbers..voila... locky locky... Relax, enjoy.

Good Resort

We had to upgrade our room but got a nice one for minimal cost. The grounds were very nice. The staff were very friendly and helpful. There was one pool that needed some attention with tiles missing and overall poor conditiin but it was close to the room. Food was better on some days not all. We really didn't like the hounding from people at kiosks selling their low grade goods. They wouldn't leave us alone...don't know why they are even allowed on the resort!

Grand Palladium Punta Cana

Found resort to be too big. Not very well laid out and confusing to navigate. No activities at the pools during the day. Food was OK. Service was good however. Rooms were clean and well maintained. The villas were good and clean. We simply didn't like how big the resort was. Lots of children and locals on the weekends. The a la carte restaurants were very badly organized. You had to get in line at 5 to 5:30 to make a reservation for that evening. There was no reserving in advance. Many times you [... read more] simply didn't get into the restaurants. Sent 3 days in line for over one hour each day to make reservations. We got in, however, it was a long wait in line. Beach was great!!!!

Great stay at this big and amazing resort!

We enjoyed our vacation at this resort, very clean, great service, a great variety of restaurants and buffet. Love the tropical look of the resort. Lots of people on site but found our way to tranquility. It's nice to take the carts to drive us around. Very happy!!!

Better than expected!

I went to Punta Cana 13 years ago, and had an AWFUL experience. When my friend said she was getting married in Punta Cana, I literally shuttered, but decided to go as she's my bff. It was 100% better than my first time! Even though the resort(s) is MASSIVE, it was pretty easy to find our way, and shuttles to help when we got lost. Will definitely consider again.