We stayed at the grand palladium for 1 week and would highly recommend this hotel to anyone: families/couples, young/old. All 4 complexes (kantenah/colonial/white sands/riviera) of the resort were spectacular. We enjoyed walking to each section and discovering the subtle differences. The trains between the sections were comfortable if it rained, but otherwise, every area seemed easily accessible by foot.

The pool areas were all beautifully laid out and amazingly photo-worthy. The service was spectacular as was the food. The only recommendation about the restaurants would be to avoid booking on the Colonial side of the hotel as all the restaurants there face a walkway on which there are nightly souvenir sales...the bright lights as well as the nightly entertainment show both detract from the cosy atmosphere of the otherwise lovely restaurants.

Our favourite discovery was the spa. The hydrotherapy section is free for anyone to use with the caveat that you need to book in advance due to limited space. The hottubs and dry sauna as well as the steam room were wonderful, however, the hydrotherapy pool/faucets were the true delight....a relaxing/restful way to start/end the day! (make sure that you go in the evening so that you can see the stars, out of the hole in the ceiling above the hydrotherapy room, as the water cascades down your back.)

We would certainly return to the grand palladium and look forward to staying at more fiesta hotels in the future.

My wife and I decided this was the year to try the carribean side of Mexico. Initially, we were booked at another resort; but then I came across TripAdvisor, and there were several negative reviews. After a more thorough review of the Apple catalog, we looked here for the reviews of the Grand Palladium. As you can see, most of the reviews here are glowing and for good reason.
The Grand Palladium complex consists of the Kantenah and Colonial section, and also the Riviera and White Sand section. Each unit has its own lobby, bars, and a couple of the "ala carte" restaurants, and then the 2 sections share the large buffets and poolside area. As a guest you have access to all the amenities, bars restaurants, etc. The exception being a private enclave called the Royal Suites. The Kantenah/Colonial section (where we stayed) is the first phase opened, White Sands/Riviera being newer. The entire complex is built around a mangrove wetland, a significant feature here are the various walkways around. Many are elevated plankways over wetlands. Its a little like staying at a Botanical Gardens or even a Zoo. However, with water comes mosquitos; even though they do a good job of fogging, if you decide to walk around in the evenings you do need some repellent.
My family stayed during the off season, so the resort was about half full. To its credit, Palladium seemed to keep its entire staff on hand. There is almost a 1:1 ratio of guests to staff. Some are more helpful than others, this is more a function of launguage than anything else. This is a respectful, courteous staff. At this point I'm just going to bullet-point aspects of a trip here:
* The waterfront is divided naturally into 3 sections: a 1/4 mile of swim beach with mostly white sand and mild waves, another 1/4 mile of snorkelable reef, then about a 1/2 mile of scenic but unswimmable reef.
* The salt-water pool is a gem. It is adjacent to the roughest reef area so you have decent waves in the background. It has a sea bottom, averages about 4 feet deep, and is a fun place to practice snorkeling. There are fish at either inlet, and it has a large lounging/deck area with a bar. We had this spot all to ourselves for hours.
*The buffet food exceeds expectations. They change most of up regularly, but maintain some favorites like the pasta chef continuously.
*The ala carte meals you recieve are a treat. The entire complex has I think 8 different restaurants to pick from. Each one has its own staff and they seem to be competing. I believe that the Palladium uses the different themes (Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Rodizio, etc.) as some kind of culinary training.
*Bars are everywhere, and they'll make the drink as strong as you ask; but I never saw any public drunkeness.
*The basic rooms are a little small (think motel), but the AC worked fine. Next time we go were going for a suite, even though you aren't in your room very much.
*The spa is nice for a visit.
*Of the local attractions, Tulum is the best. Take along swimwear and spend he day on its beach, bigger waves. It is noticiably warmer there.
*This was our beginning snorkeling trip for the kids. We spent time snorkeling at the resort and also at Xel-Ha. However, expect cloudy water everywhere as the waves stir up the fine sand. If you want a real snorkeling experience, go to Cozumel.
*From what I could tell by Googling "Hurricane Emily"(2005, cat 4), this resort took a direct hit. They have a couple signs noting this, and there are some dead trees in the mangrove area. Other than that, its hard to notice any lasting damage. I personally would be interested in more educational displays about this.
*You are supplied with bottled water, but its easy to run out. Contact the front desk before its gone or you may have to wait a day for refills.

Every trip has some negatives, and we had ours, but nothing regarding our stay at the resort, it was like a haven.
*Canun's Airport is set up to be conducive to the hucksters. After you clear customs, THERE ARE NO MORE OBLIGATORY STOPS! But there are people in official looking outfits (with id badges) that try to forcefully direct you over to thier booth. Ignore them, be rude if you have to.
*Bring a roll of shrink wrap or duct tape at the least for your luggage. Someone will rifle through your bags at the airport if you don't seal them up.
*The locals seem quite a bit more cynical and hard than the Vallarta natives I'm used to. I wouldn't recommend venturing too far away from the tourist areas.

I see this all the time on this site. 5 apples does not mean 5 stars as we know it. And you are not paying $500.00 a night either. The catalog ratings are in proportion to the other nearby resorts. This is Mexico after all. As far as Grand Palladium, it exceeded all of our expectations. We will be back!

I was in need of a vacation and I got a great one. We arrived Sept 9th and left Sept 13th. The resort was nice and clean, I always felt safe, and the food was excellent. I don't understand the reviews from people saying the food wasn't good. No I didn't like everything on the menu but we always found food we did like and we never went away hungry. We tried the Japanese rest. and the Steak House and loved them both. My husband and I never ate sushi before but we love it now.

The beaches are nice and there are plenty of activities to do. We were always able to find a chair under shade while still staying close to the beach bars where the food was. ha..ha..
Helpful hints-ask for the drink menu at the bar. They have an array of choices you may not know they have unless you ask to see this list. My favorite choices were the Dirty Monkey and the Blue Hawaiian.

Be sure to visit the Spa, it is free and my husband and I took some of our best pictures there.

They do have an enternet cafe so you can check your email. It runs about 10 pesos a minute. Well worth it if you want some contact with home.

When we got there our room was not ready so we checked our bags by the bus line and headed for the beach. We could have gotten upset I guess but a vacation is what you make it, and we were going to have a good time no matter what. The staff was nice and they all spoke at least a little English.

The weather reports said rain everyday but it never rained one time. We have two children that didn't go and we think we will take them next time. If you are going you will have a great time.

I traveled with 3 other Girlfriends to the Palladium and we all loved the resort. We stayed there 4 nights in Oct.06. The weather was great no rain. We are planning another trip next year with the husbands. There was nothing bad to say about this trip. The resort was so beautiful. We stayed in the standard room which was very nice. The staff was super nice, and at your call, what ever you needed they were willing to help. The drinks were easy to get and very good. The food-- there was a lot. There were so many choices and it was good. The Beach was beautiful. Make sure you take time to go to the Spa. It was so awesome and relaxing. We went to Xel-Ha one day and that was a lot of fun too. This resort was Great and well worth the money.