Been to Gran Palladium Palace, 12-12-2012 until 22-12-2012.
Me, Husband and 3 year-old daughter.

Room: Loft Suite, Building 96, Room 19.

Great weather: sunny, no wind, warm but not too hot. Last day rained a lot, really a downpour but no problem.

This was our second time to this Resort, again to the Palace Section. We were supposed to go to the Punta Cana side this time, but we then decided to change as at the Palace we would be, for sure, closer to the beach. We were happy with our decision as the beach at the Palace section, was much better, IMO. Wider and less people, although the beach in general was not crowded at all.

Again, we spent an excellent time. Woke up around 7, went to the beach and had time enough to pick a palapa, read or walked for a while and then headed to the Buffet Breakfast.
We had no problem in finding Palapas and even at 09:00 – 10:00 they would be available.
The food was quite good for an AI, although after the first couple of days tends to be a little repetitive, at least for breakfast and lunch.

We stood most of our time at the beach, reading, swimming and playing games with the “POP” crowd and other guests. Also played volleyball but not as much as in our previous stay, which was memorable. The “Animación” Team was very professional: Evelyn, Pedro, Alexander, Juan, Aureliana and so many others. Always working hard and trying to their best for people to have fun. We did! They were not pushy at all but always invited guest to participate in the games. We won the beach games 6x.. and went to the Theatre “Merengue” at night to receive our prizes.. bottles of rum or coffee... nice!

The Animation Team started at the beach during the morning by 10:00 and after lunch (+-15:00) headed to the pool. They were hosting the shows too at 21:45h.. a long journey’s work.

The shows at the “Merengue” were exceptionally good. We have been to many resorts in the Caribbean and the Palladium was excellent, only comparable to the ones we had in Occidental Flamingo Xcaret in Mexico. I was really impressed with the Michael Jackson show.

We were a little disappointed with the Kids’ Club. Went there with my daughter one afternoon... of course there was the “language” barrier but the 2 girls that were there didn’t even made an effort in approaching us. There were other elderly children also playing on their own. Maybe we were unlucky that time and there are other more active employees but after hearing a lot about the Pirate’s spot and the Club would expect more. Last January we were at Bavaro Princess and the girl that took care of the children’s activities (by her own) was amazing and always trying interesting things and activities. Hope I am not being unfair, but this was what we have experienced.

I cannot add much more to our previous review to this amazing complex... have tried many others hotels, namely GBP Esmeralda and Ambar (which are supposedly to be a notch higher, comparable maybe only to the Royal Suites Turquesa by Palladium) but even comparing it with the “Palace” section I would say the Gran Palladium would win: equivalent food, better involvement/ambience/vibe an much better beach. So wide... 980 m. The Gran Bahia is so crowded... half the beach for the same size, more or less. The only thing the Bahia would win would be the rooms.. they are newer comparable to the rooms at the Palace section (Bavaro section has been all refurbished by now and the rooms look nice). The Palace rooms are not new but we were quite comfortable. Our Loft was wide and adequate... maybe in 1 or 2 years they will refurbish.

Would we return? Definitely. The only problem is that there are not many TourReps selling the hotel from out of Portugal.

Will be pleased to answer questions, if any.

What can I say but WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is our 12th time to the Palladium complex and 10th time at the Palace. We visited from Nov 30 to Dec 14. The weather was typical. Some rain which only lasted a few minutes at a time and sunny days with +30 temperatures. We were a group of 13 from Canada including our 4 year old grandson and 2 ½ year old granddaughter. We were there to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary by renewing our wedding vows. I had not told my wife about this until we landed and the surprise on her face was priceless. Thankfully she said yes when I re-proposed. 2 out of 3 of our children have been married here and we could not think of a better place to renew our vows. I had been in touch with Carolina, wedding coordinator, previously and everything was awesome. My wife picked out her colours, flowers, music, location, restaurant etc. the day before the ceremony. We have met many wonderful people during our visits and Gunter and Ursula, from Germany, attended the ceremony as part of our extended family. The ceremony was at 4:00 pm on Dec 2 and the weather was perfect. We had chosen the new gazebo near the beach and there was a gentle breeze and a beautiful sunny sky. We spoke our vows and toasted with champagne. Mirpil, Guest Service Manager, was there as well. She and Carolina are like our daughters. They are amazing young women who do an excellent job making sure that your vacation is memorable. We had a dedicated train to take us all to "El Quixote" for dinner. The wedding cake was a simple chocolate cake, my favourite, with whip cream icing pink ribbon and flowers. It was big enough to feed the entire restaurant clientele. The entire day went off without a hitch.

We have never been disappointed at this resort and this time was no exception. My mother had suffered some medical issues immediately before we arrived and a wheel chair was provided upon arrival. They were all attentive and deeply concerned about "Mama Yvonne's" well being. We had the opportunity to attend the "staff" Christmas party and had a blast. There must have been over 300 people there. They were having a great time and included us in the festivities. Luis Miguel del Amargue was on stage and provided an incredible performance. We left at 2:00 am and they partied on till the wee hours.

We rented a taxi and went to Macao beach for the afternoon. We swam, drank, ate and enjoyed the afternoon. We were lucky enough to enjoy the company of Janiel, Patricia and Odil. As I have mentioned before these people are like family to us. They are incredible to be with and if you get a chance to meet them take the time to get to know them. You will not be disappointed. William at the swim up bar was our first Dominican son. We had to go home before his 33rd birthday on Dec 19 but we did enjoy the time spent with him.

The workers are friendly and work hard to make your stay enjoyable. Relax and watch the world go by. If you have children they will be safe and there is plenty for them to do. The kids club will keep them entertained and the pools and the beach are incredible.

The food is great and even the pickiest eater will find enough to eat. For those who complain about the service just remember that they serve about 500 to 700 people at each sitting at the buffets so give them a break and be patient. They are doing there best. Remember if you want 5 star Canadian service then stay in Canada. This is a third world country that strives to provide a great service for the money spent. Bring along some items to give away. Toothpaste and brushes, hot wheels, school supplies etc. are all appreciated. Leave the resort and visit the small school just to the south of the Royal Suites.

Remember when you complain about the service or the attitude of the workers that they have feelings and emotions too. You don't always have a great day when you are working so cut them a little slack and relax. They have the same worries and concerns as you have in your home life. My Dominican hermano, Nunez, had suffered a personal tragedy in his life a few weeks before our arrival and yet still managed to put on a smile every day and was deeply concerned about my mother's health.

One thing to remember is that the Casino and the stores are not affiliated with the resort. They are independent companies and employees. In the stores the motto "if you break it, you bought" is rigidly enforced even if it was an accident. Keep a close eye on children as their little hands want to touch everything.

Which ever country that you come from remember that you are an ambassador and represent your country. Be polite and be proud of who you are. You will be treated with kindness and respect in return.

We will soon return for our 13th visit and will once again be at home with Fernelis, William, Janiel, Patricia, Maribel, Rene, Mirpil, Nunez, Carolina and the rest of our familia Dominicana. Get to know the people and you will not be disappointed. I could go on forever but needless to say we will always return to the Palace. I am proud to call these wonderful people family.

Feliz Navidad mi familia dominicana. Amor Papa, mama, abuela, Jennifer, Christopher, Brayden, Monica, Seth y Coraline.

I was in the palace at the beginning of December and just want to say how impressed I am with the sevice and friendliness of the workers especially the animation team, they made our holiday especially memorable (BARBIE O Aurelina) she is a very special girl and funny, I had fun in their activities in the pool ...... very good job doing

I had the pleasure of staying here at the end of November. this is a self-contained village-like resort with 4 sections. Stayed in a loft suite in block 9300 of the Palace section. First time at a Palladium hotel but 3rd in the area. It is the oldest hotel in the chain in the Caribbean/Mex locations they have but to be honest there is nothing wrong with the hotel at all and most people that were there were quite happy including us. In fact staying here at the start of the higher season; all sections of this complex were busy with high occupancies. This is a huge indication that the hotel is doing something right.
it is located on one of the best stretches of the beach in Punta Cana, 2 min walk on the beach to a local market for some shopping, consists of 4 different sections which i will try to break down later and despite the fact that it is older - it is kept up VERY well on most part.
It is a large hotel but you get used to it and you will find that it's not so bad. The interconnecing walkways make it easy. Each section has their own pool(s), I didnt visit the Bavaro section or Royal Turquesa pool so i will not comment.My favourite two pools were the Palace and the Punta Cana pool (the one with the adjacent kids pool/splash pad). and not the one close to the beach. Each pool has its own vibe. Music is playing at each pool, with activities scheduled throughout the day but not too overbearing, swim-up bars have a nice atmosphere and have some restaurants nearby for lunch. There is a pool and a place for everyone--regardless of what you prefer to do when you are on vacation. The food is excellent on most part - you may have a night where you may not like particular theme (in my case mexican was my least favourite) BUT there are many restaurants to choose from and to be quite honest i really liked the buffet and the choices offered. You can go all the restaurants in Bavaro, Punta Cana or Palace section-not too shabby. They have a pager system here for the a la cartes which has its pros and cons but line-ups are inevitable on most part at every resort you go anywhere. It's either you lining up in the morning in the lobby to make reservations or you lining up at the restaurant to be granted a table the evening of. Either way you line up. What can you do? that is the only way to handle masses at all inclusive resorts. You can go to the other a la cartes and see which one can take you in sooner or you can go earlier and give it some time to get seated. My favourite a la carte was most def Japanese. Fantastic! One of the best i have been to. The Brazilian steakhouse was great too. Service is excellent everywhere...i mean you can get an odd ball especially at a buffet but dont stress about it. So what if they forgot to bring your coffee, they have such volumes coming through the doors to serve everyone, their heads are spinning. Go to the lobby and get a coffee there or by any other bar. There should not be any complaints about service here. I've had worse at better hotels in Punta Cana so i was quite pleased to have on most part happy service. Each lobby has its own live evening entertainment. Best part is that if you dont like one, you can go to the other by the amazing choo choo train lol which by the way runs all day long roughly every 15-20 min. They also have 2 amphitheathres for shows which may not always be open simultaneously but there is always a show. I preferred the lobby entertainment better. There is a lively disco here, 24 hr sports bar with fresh pub grub, pool tables etc. Again, something for everyone. Kids club looked pretty neat but the main highlight is the kids pool with slides. Bravo! My kid loved it. There is a huge sports court too for those that are active - very impressive. Best part about Punta Cana is the beach and with this location you hit a jackpot. The rooms are dated but again very clean and i personally had no issues. Major tip for the management would be to get the rooms updated with new flat tvs, bedding, matresses so that the hotel remains competitive with the rest of the hotels in the area. The upper level of the lofts needs some structural support as the floor are crooked and literally hanging. I dont think my life was at danger sleeping upstairs but it looks a little unstable. The rooms definitely need to get into the contempo decor like the rest of the hotels are doing. It would be worth the investment to upgrade the rooms to impress new and retain old clients. One negative part that i simply can't skip out on is the amount of vendors selling excursions on the premises. I have traveled to many resorts in various countries and i have never seen that many tour booths around the pools or people simply trying to sell things right at the hotel. Luckily they are not too pushy maybe cause i have seen worse or maybe because they are at the resort and have to behave but regardless it gets annoying after a few days. Some fellows at the beach are quite friendly and are not a nuisance but it's just a weird and uncomfortable set up especially when you want to exchange towels and each time you do you get questioned and lured into some brochure...come on! Mngmt should reconsider the set up of this perhaps. Have them in the lobby as guests enter maybe? overall i have to say this complex is a solid 4*. There is no such thing as 5* hotel anyway as ratings can be subjective to pesonal experiences but i give this complex a solid 4* hotel. If they upgrade the rooms, they can be a huge contender to hotels like Barcelo, Bahia, Melia, Ocean complex. Palladium keep up the good job! I would definitely come back because of the set up of sections, food, service, pools and ahh the beach.