First time to Jamaica.
We traveled with a few other couples and to sum this resort up...it's nice for the money.
I have traveled extensively, my last several vacations to some very high end resorts so this one although nice & clean, was not exactly my cup of tea. Don't get me wrong, it was not the worst place I have ever stayed, just not the best.
We arrived to a packed house at the airport, but customs still went smoothly...YEA ! Ride to the resort from the airport was approx 35 - 40 minutes. It went by fast as we marveled at "driving on the left side" of the road. I would have trouble with that...LOL
We were greeted with the usual "welcome cocktail" this one being Rum Punch....it was tasty & hit the spot after a long day of travel. Check in was super easy and we were pleased to find out our rooms were basically all together and we were in the building I had requested ahead of time...bonus. Rooms are nice, very spacious & clean. Our cleaning person, Patricia did an EXCELLENT job as well as being a sweetheart. We made sure to leave her money each day as she totally deserved it. They clean rooms once a day...no turn down service, but that was fine. Bed is not as bad as people say but....I was so tired each night, it didn't matter, I have slept on some "dreamy" beds though & this one was just so-so. Pillows are as people said..flat & small. Yes, they did have a pillow menu for an additional charge which after waking up several days with a sore neck, I decided to try. We called the front desk and arranged for two pillows from the menu, while she was writing up the receipt my husband mentioned my sore neck and she immediately crossed off the $12 and said no charge. Ok, we did only have two nights left, but that was still very nice. :-)

The pool is HUGE and I mean huge. No problems getting a chair. The pool & Infinity Bar in my opinion, are the highlight of this resort. I also like that there is a wall between the shallow pool area and the deeper end, it keeps the kiddies to a minimum at the swim-up bar :-)
Water was a bit cool, but felt good after sitting in the sun, we did not have the best weather our week, but it was much better than the snow & cold we left behind so it was all good.

Restaurants were all decent, nothing spectacular, nothing horrible. Our least favorite being the Mexican....we LOVE Mexico so are spoiled. This was not really Mexican. Our fav place to eat being the steak house, second the Caribbean(try the pork chop & the coconut shrimp..YUM) We also liked the Jerk Chicken hut by the beach, worth the walk over.

Did not do any of the shows, but did see the band at the Infinity bar each night. That bar is just stunning, we watched the sunset one night from up there...so nice. They also had great bartenders, they made a great effort to make our fav cocktail....dirty martini's :-)
Also right by the Infinity bar is Miss Lou's...Joy makes the most delicious cappuccino. That was our afternoon treat. We'd leave the pool and go see Joy before heading to get ready for dinner.

We did a catamaran cruise with Dreamer Catamarans...that was allot of fun...watch out for that rum punch...ouch !! Also did Mayfield Falls...so much more intimate than Dunn's River and allot closer. Also did Rick's Cafe....a very fun, pretty place. My hubby did the famous "jump" and said it was exciting. Not for me it wasn't...LOL



We had a really nice time but....I think I would have liked to be a bit closer to town. A ride into either Negril or Montego Bay was $100 ....YIKES ! We had planned on doing dinner in Negril one night, but that $100 kept us at the resort, next time we stay closer to town. People were generally very friendly..only once were we asked if we "smoked" & I said no, never have, never will.... and that was it.
I will return to Jamaica some day but .... Mexico is our first love.
Any questions please feel free to ask

Our check in went smooth, our room was wonderful, loved the 2 person spa tub in it, but the best part of the resort was the great staff they had working there. Special kudo's to our pool bartender, Martin, he really went out of his way to see that my wife and I had a great time there. My only downgrade on the place would be for the food, it was only average. The best meal we had there was at the jerk shack by the water sports center. The resort is very large, but the golf cart transports were readly available and the longest wait we had ofr one was about 10 minutes. overall a great place to vacation.

I stayed at this resort that is absolutely gorgeous!! I must tell you I go on vaca often and this hotel has the most unfriendly (woman) at the front desk!! They didn't welcome us! Our reservation was lost! We checked in 2 hours passed the reg time! They didn't offer us any info or a map of this resort! This resort is huge and you do a lot of walking which I didn't mind! The food was great at every restaurant!!! It's a shame that the first thing you are introduced to is the front desk! Anna and Renee were so rude as most of the woman at the desk! They never even told us to speak with our gogo tours woman! Ps if anything is wrong with ur room good luck having someone come and fix it! Also go ocean front! Even that wasn't a guarantee people were complaining left and right bc they paid extra for it and they didn't get it! I mean I had a great time! It's just a shame about the front desk!

Obviously I travel a lot - usually more for business but this trip was certainly for pleasure. I've been to Jamaica before; and I understand the overall culture - love it. Expect things to be slow and laid back here. The resort is pretty; probably 5-6 years old though used heavily. We lucked out and got into building 13; so it was not incredibly far from anything - with the exception of "lady hamilton" - by the way Lady Hamilton is the same resort. The rooms are nice; though obviously used well. I came with an open mind; understanding it will not be the Ritz; and it's nice Ritz priced. The grounds are nice; beaches are rocky and usually not so clean; prepare yourself for that. The drinks are low-grade; don't come expecting a Jack & Coke; prepare to give instructions to the bartenders on how to make a Martini. They specialize in Jamaican party beverages - not our usual. Items in the gift shop are incredibly expensive - cigar aficionado's should bring their own sticks. All the stogies I found on property were Cohiba and Montecristo rip-offs. All of the above is tolerable; we're in a 3rd world incredibly poor nation with strange social differences from America. Where this resort gets it's failing score from me is in the food department. A resort of this magnitude has the facilities to create great meals - not world class meals - but great meals. The food prepared here is poor from start to finish - I am not exaggerating - this aspect WILL frustrate you. If you are stuck coming here - steer clear of buffets for dinner, asian food and indian cuisine - they are the worst of the worst. If Palladium could clean it up and provide meals that are worth something - I would consider coming back; all resorts have their shortcomings; but it is inexcusable for a resort to provide food of their quality. There are a couple places you can escape the madness; the main pool blares club music all day with "POP" People of Palladium annoying the never ending crap out of you with their activities. Sunset cove is nasty and unclean; very crowded. There is a quiet beach and pool near building 12 & 13 --- hide there!

All in all; for $1700 out the door this was an OKAY adventure. I would be very hard pressed to stay here again unless Fiesta Hotel Group pulls it together. If you can cancel your trip here - just do it. Do more research. Overall I was very unimpressed and did not enjoy myself. Maybe I am biased and require above average food - this just did't cut it.