TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

An average stay. We wanted to relax and not worry about spending whilst here, which we achieved. Pools were great. Plenty of space and clean. Pleased there was no 6AM sunbed reservation happening. Room was comfortable and clean. Bed very comfortable. Plenty of space and quiet. Food was average in A La Cartes, nothing groundbreaking. Buffets were better, lots of variety and decent quality but better to arrive earlier as long queues later into service. Frustrating that only one buffet open most of our stay so very busy at all meals. Grounds well kept, staff friendly, drinks in the bars decent. We were not much for evening entertainment so no comment for that. Fair value for money and we enjoyed good weather and relaxing.

This is my honest feedback on the Punta Cana Palladium Resort. The resort has a lot of potential. It’s a bit big, but not enormous. Let’s start with the good. At most all-inclusive resorts, the two most stressful things are getting poolside chairs and making dinner reservations. This resort did a great job with both. Some of the waiters and staff were incredible. Willy at Guest Services, Ramon at the Italian restaurant, Wilfred at the steakhouse, Dario at the buffet, Fernando at the poolside, the entire Mexican restaurant crew, and the crepe/omelet ladies at Las Torres breakfast were all really friendly and helpful. Now, the Bad The rating on Google is manufactured with ppl walking around asking for great review Don’t be offended or annoyed that your guests don’t speak Spanish. Don’t start with “no” to everything. This is a service industry. Try to lead with “yes” or “let me see what I can do.” For example, at check-in, instead of telling me, “You have no access here” or “You can’t use this,” tell me what I do have access to. The Grand Palladium Palace pool was more fun for the kids, and the beach there was more enjoyable. Air condition They cut budget with electricity. No AC in the lobby. Like literally unbearable. The men bathroom is the only place with AC in the lobby and you can see the employees going there to breath. The room has limited ac. The restaurant has limited ac. Restaurants The restaurant manager seemed to say everywhere I saw him, “10 more minutes before we open.” If the restaurant is ready, open it. If you genuinely need another 10 minutes, then the efficiency and preparation process probably needs to be retrained. At breakfast, the servers are doing everything—refilling drinks, clearing dishes, and taking drink orders. Why not have one person take orders, one person refill drinks, and one person clear tables? Instead, guests have to hunt people down for almost everything. Entertainment The entertainment crew was probably the most disappointing part of the resort. Instead of walking around with a clipboard asking guests for Google reviews or trying to get people to scan a QR code, spend that time finding activities to entertain the guests. I’ve been to a number of resorts, and while the entertainment wasn’t always crazy or over-the-top, it was still better than what I experienced here. You don’t necessarily need to spend more money on daytime entertainment. Simple contests and activities using things you already have would be great. There are plenty of ways to make the resort more fun without significantly increasing the budget. Enthusiasm and Service Another major turnoff was the overall enthusiasm—or lack of it. The employees who I assume are on salary often seemed like they were there simply because they had to be. There wasn’t much motivation or enthusiasm. The people who work for commission were the friendliest and most enthusiastic bunch. The photographers, timeshare salespeople, spa representatives, and excursion representatives were all very friendly and engaging. Heck, even the coconut vendors seem to work harder. The rest sometimes came across as, “I already have this job. I’m good.” Spa The spa was great, and the facilities were nice. However, the adults-only policy doesn’t completely make sense to me. Kids are apparently too young to use the pool inside the spa, but not too young to receive a massage. Maybe the sauna and steam room aren’t appropriate for children, but how is the pool inside the spa any different from the pools at the resort? There may be a reason for the policy, but from a guest’s perspective, it doesn’t make much sense. Gym The gym is for guests 18 and older. I understand that a gym can be dangerous, but if a teenager is accompanied by their parents, why not have them sign a waiver or limit them to cardio machines? That would give families more flexibility without creating a major safety issue. The Beach The beach was terrible. Even without the seaweed, the beach itself was disappointing. It was very small and looked somewhat abandoned. I’ve never been to a beach resort where I saw fewer than a handful of people on the beach over the course of five days combined. That says something. Small Service Improvements There are also a couple of simple service improvements that could make a big difference. Instead of finger-wagging or gesturing for guests to come over, walk up to the guest and escort them. Again, this doesn’t require any additional budget—just better training and a better service mentality. Another thing that stood out to me was how often employees seemed to cut guests off or go ahead of them. Whether it was walking or driving, it often felt like employees had the right of way. Let the guests go first. It’s a small thing, but those little interactions shape the overall experience. Final Thoughts Finally, I’ll end with what I started with: this place has potential. Fix the mentality. Understand what guests are there for and why they chose the resort. If you want one-and-done guests, then you’ve got it. You did your job and they stayed. But if you want guests to return, prioritize the reason they are there before prioritizing your other revenue streams. Make the stay fun and enjoyable, and I promise people will want to come back for more. This resort has plenty of excursions and activities available outside the property, but the all-inclusive experience itself can be extremely boring if you want to stay on-site and participate in activities. We didn’t do any excursions because we were there specifically to relax. Even bingo night, which is a nighttime activity, costs $10 per card. Ten dollars isn’t a lot, but when you don’t have many activities to offer in the first place, charging guests to participate in one of the few available activities feels unnecessary. Then, after bingo ends and 100 people leave, there isn’t even a trolley ready to take them back to their rooms. Management really needs to reconvene and brainstorm ways to make this place incredible, because it truly has a lot of potential. I’m not asking for a response, nor am I asking the internet team to defend itself. I’m simply sharing my honest take on the stay.

Excellent place for family. supper clean. Great restaurants. good services and nice people. Good place for family stay.

Amazing stay. Shower could be better with a walk in shower. Restaurants was great. The refrigerator wasn’t working in my room and it didn’t get fixed.

Had an amazing time. Staff was very pleasant and friendly. Made me feel like home as a St lucian living in UK.