Grand Palladium Punta Cana Resort & Spa - All Inclusive

This is nowhere near five-star. Our first room was dirty, with hair on the sheets, toilet, and all over the floor. We told the front desk, and they sent us to another room that hadn’t been cleaned either. The sheets were balled up, towels were all over the bed, and there were drinks and cups on the dresser. They said they were upgrading us, and someone was supposed to meet us at the original room to collect our things. We waited and waited, spoke to employees who walked by, and still got no help. After a few hours of going back and forth to the front desk, we still couldn’t change clothes or have dinner. It was an awful first day, especially since we’d been patient and initially understanding. I’d never recommend this place or come back. It was literally the dumps.

The staff were helpful and nice, and we had no problems with service or check-in. The hotel is close to the popular clubs, about a three-minute drive. It feels like it used to be the best of the best, but there are obvious signs of wear and it needs updating. I’d have preferred rooms on the beach, but that’s just personal preference. We had a big loft-size Love Suite, which was nice, and the bed was comfortable. The shower and tub setup wasn’t ideal, though, and the room felt like it was from 2010. The food was about what you’d expect at an all-inclusive. Booking the restaurants was nearly impossible because there’s no way to do it in the app. They want you to go to guest services at 9 a.m. to make reservations, which isn’t ideal. We couldn’t get into any, so we ate at the buffet for all our meals. The bar by the beach and pool smelled awful, like mildew and standing water. Maybe the plumbing is the issue. I’d give the place a 7/10: nothing terrible, but nothing spectacular. I wouldn’t return unless these problems were fixed.

The buffet was cold every day, so I wouldn’t recommend eating there. The two restaurants we tried were much better, with hot, fresh food and a nice atmosphere. There also seemed to be very few activities each day, and the resort felt boring in the daytime. Our room was full of ants at one point, which was really uncomfortable. Customer service responded right away, changed the bedding, and removed items from the room, but didn’t move us elsewhere. Carlos from customer service really stood out for being attentive to our concerns. We appreciate your help, Carlos, and hope you keep up the great work. We were celebrating our third anniversary, but the stay was disappointing and not the experience we expected. When we arrived, the room didn’t look properly cleaned and smelled strongly of cigarette smoke, as if people had been partying or smoking in it. Staff moved us, but we changed rooms three times before a manager finally upgraded us for free. We did appreciate that. Based on our stay, I’d rate the resort 3 out of 10 and wouldn’t recommend it.

The staff were some of the best I’ve dealt with. Felix and Gerson at the pool bar were great, Cameron was a lovely server with a smile, and Cesar went above and beyond to make our weeklong vacation one of our best. We’ll definitely be back to Palladium soon. The resort restaurants were delicious, and the buffet was pretty good, especially with so many different cultures in mind. The place itself was absolutely beautiful. One thing that could use an upgrade is the Casino.