TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

The Grand Palladium was in a great location, the junior suite was clean and maintained throughout the stay by the staff! Very friendly staff that helped with any questions!

Wife and I stayed here for a friend's wedding. There was a total of more than 50 people in our party. It was during the El Mencho shelter in place order so a unique experience but at its core the reason for the negative review is Grand Palladiums poor business ethics. They charged some guests 3X the standard rate when they had no choice but to stay due to shelter in place order. Other resorts offered discounted rates or gave a free night in the same situation. Some guests who arrived late did not have a room at all and/or did not receive a refund for nights they were not there. We booked a panoramic ocean view room at nearly $400/night but had a partial ocean view. Mostly overlooking the pool and bar. The room was set way back on the property, bathroom had mold, smelled, and AC did not work well. Food options were limited but this is understandable given the circumstance. Everyone had to be flexible during such a situation but I feel that the hotel took advantage and prioritized profits over doing the right thing. During check out we were told that they were not going to make any accomodations or give any refunds for because it wasn't their fault. I understand that but it also wasn't the fault of your guests either. A more ethical business would have worked with their guests and used the opportunity to build loyalty. Other resorts did this. The Grand Palladium did not.

$400 per night is too much. The dinner buffet and selection of booze and beer were mediocre. Having to book a la carte dinner reservations a day in advance was very inconvenient. Room AC was marginally functional. However, the facilities were clean and modern, and views from the infinity pool were spectacular.

Had a bartender named Fabian that genuinely went above and beyond his job description every day to make our stay that much better. Beyond that all staff were nice and all the food was great.

We had a very relaxing stay at the Grand Palladium. The staff were friendly, the room was pleasant, there were plenty of amenities, and the beach was great considering it's on the Pacific coast. Tips went a long way for us whether it was the cleaning staff, bartenders, mini fridge staff, or the kitchen staff. I recommend lounging on the beach or the adult pool as the main/kid pool was very loud due to them playing music over speakers for a majority of the day. If you're looking for a resort with total silence and relaxation then this may not be the perfect spot but if you're wanting something in between relaxing and lively then this is a great choice. The part of the beach furthest away from the adult pool under the palapas was incredibly relaxing and when we went in early February, we were able to see whales throughout the day. I recommend putting a towel down by at least 7:30am for the good spots. The staff were very friendly overall. Some would say hello and some wouldn't but let's be honest, saying hello to every single guest that walks by you would get very tiring. We found all the kitchen staff very friendly, as well as the bartenders. Other than the front desk and concierge staff, I found not many staff members spoke English but that's expected considering we're visiting a Spanish speaking country. We got by just fine with Google translate if we needed anything. All the more reason to practice your Spanish beforehand. We didn't use every single amenity but having access to pickleball, tennis, paddle, sea kayaking, surfboards, snorkels, a catamaran, a great gym, and pool tables was great. The room was standard but we upgraded for the ocean view which was a great move. I've seen people complain that the room smells musty but that’s unfortunately what you get with 100% humidity and an AC unit going at the same time. If you've been to Mexico before then these rooms smell and feel on par to any room you're going to get at a resort. The food was okay overall. The a la carte restaurants were decent but not amazing. Stay away from the American food (hotdogs, pizza, burgers, etc.). Best one by far was Portofino (Italian). Honestly I'd recommend hitting the fresh food cook stations at the buffet every time as that was the best food. Tacos, egg, tortilla, and meat stations were really good. There were shows every night, some being just for kids and some for adults. The lobby bar and Hemingway bar were open late so that was nice to have those options. The adult pool bar was open into the evening so if you're looking for a quieter drink before/after dinner near the beach then that’s a great spot. Couple staff members that I'd like to shoutout are: Job, Alma, Emiliano, and Argelis at Portofino; Hortencia and Diego at the buffet; Julio at the Hemingway Bar; and Barnardo and Luis at the Adult Pool Bar. Overall we had a great experience and we would definitely return!