#17 of 24 hotels
The Monarc.ca popularity scale (#1/15) classifies all the hotels of a single destination according to the number of grades received on 5 and the total number of reviews.
in
Riviera Nayarit
Yessica was our concierge and she did all the best to make sure we had every things we need it. I wish all hotel should have a YESSICA [Details]
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The strong points
Reception with Daniel was amazing and we switch to Family selection and it was easy and very good
The weak points
Hard to have the time we wanted for dinner on different restaurant
Sanitary measures
all OK
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Certified
Bit of disappointment
Sasan Shariati, Coquitlam, BC
2023-03-20
Stayed at this resort back in Aug 2019, upgraded to one of their nicest rooms and quite liked it. This most recent trip was a bit of disappointment, restaurants food quality was below average. The NEST restaurant is now charging for lobster and their steak options are very limited. I even paid to upgrade to Family Selection but rooms were in need of repairs. [Details]
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The strong points
Staff remembered me so it was nice
The weak points
Family Selection rooms
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Noise
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Certified
Good for the money !
rudyb2015, Burnaby, BC
2023-02-26
Overall great experience. Clean, spacious and well maintained rooms. Helpful staff. Food and drinks ok, in all their 5 restaurants & bars Shopping: only one expensive store. Entertainment: good for the money. Wi-fi ? Public, insecure (no password!) [Details]
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The strong points
The beach (and its 3 well maintained bays)
The weak points
Poor selection of activities (billiard, PC games, beach volleyball and....that's it).
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Certified
Great resort!
Haris, Airdrie, AB
2023-02-23
We just returned from our trip earlier this week and we had a very enjoyable experience. We stayed in the Family Selection and from start to finish the service, hospitality was exceptional!! We really did feel that every staff member wanted to make sure we were having a great time. The staff in the buffet to A La Carte were very accommodating with food limitations and sensitivities and would make us something separate if we could not find something to eat. The front desk to snack bar, a la carte staff to luggage attendees were all super helpful and provided great service! For our first time in Puerto Vallarta, this was a great resort and can't wait to be back!! [Details]
We stayed in the main hotel the first 2 days (Grand Palladium Vallarta) and found the rooms and parts of the hotel to be a bit "tired". We decided to upgrade to "Family Select" which used to be called the Royal Suites and were much happier over there although we had a screaming child next door and had to change rooms. They were very accommodating and we moved next door to a much quieter room. The rooms on that side of the property are very nice and everything is very well maintained. The restaurant (The Nest) for the Family Select side is much nicer than going to the buffet every day for breakfast and lunch. It's outside with views of the ocean whereas the buffet is very dark and not as nice an atmosphere. Staff were extremely attentive and friendly in both hotels. All areas of the hotel were within walking distance but in the main hotel, there are quite a few stairs which might present access problems for some. We enjoyed our stay! [Details]
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The strong points
The pools, the staff-I lost my new iPhone & Hector helped me track it down. Vanessa from housekeeping had found it & returned it to me .I am very grateful-thankyou! Daniel Munuz at the front desk helped us move rooms & was wonderful.
The weak points
The nightly entertainment could be improved but realize we are still suffering from effects of the pandemic & it will take time. We did not enjoy the atmosphere or food in the Italian Restaurant.The Mexican Restaurant was lovely especially tables outside.
Sanitary measures
Very clean - no problems with drinking the water or any of the food.
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Certified
Best family vacation ever!!
Stephen Corea, Toronto, ON
2023-01-09
Best family getaway ever!! We are a family of 5 with young adults and The Grand Palladium Vallarta Resort did not disappoint and we felt as though almost every single aspect of the trip was an excellent experience. Food - Buffet was very good with the fresh options being very popular. Fresh eggs-any style with all North American options available - donuts, bacon, sausage, waffles, crepes etc. Dinner was also amazing there with each night having a different option. Tacos were to die for! The restaurants have to be booked in advance using the app and I would recommend logging in at midnight to reserve as the spots go quick. Mexican and Asian were our favourite!! The sports bar was very popular as there is always food to grab there and you can also sit and order whatever is on the menu. The beach burger shack was amazing too!! Beach - if you like waves, you'll love this beach. There are lots of rocks in the sand so if you can pack beach shoes, it will save your feet. Grab your chairs early as there are not a lot of them. Boogie boards are free to use and you can also sign up for free catamaran rides (30 mins). Sometimes you will see the whales popping up! Pools - Didn't spend a lot of time in them as they were warm and very loud [Details]
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The strong points
Everything!!
The weak points
Maybe the beds were a little too firm???
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Certified
Amazing vacation!
Emma Montgomery, Edmonton, AB
2022-03-01
I was travelling with a friend and we had an amazing time at the Grand Palladium! The staff were friendly and accommodating and the food was always incredible. The hotel has a very nature involved vibe, in fact we saw so many animals during our stay; including a cute little kitten, a pack of green iguanas, and even a skunk one morning! Personally I loved getting breakfast and walking around the mini-zoo before starting the day. We never had a boring day, always happy to busy ourselves with the fun activities, (always lead by encouraging and engaging staff-we had a blast with pool biking!!) or to just relax by the pool. We had an agent who encouraged us to try some day adventures around town and the two we attended were worth the expense. Rhythms of the night and Ocean mania were fantastic! Highly recommend them for families of all ages. Even without going on extended adventures, The hotel provided some fun shows and parties every night! We thoroughly enjoyed the burlesque show, and had a blast at the white party on our first night. We also had many nights playing games at the snack bar, who were also very accommodating! The hotel is very accommodating for families and even though it was just an adult friend and I, I already have future plans to bring my family. Highly recommend this resort for a tropical style getaway. I miss it already! [Details]
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The strong points
The food was excellent and the staff was accommodating and friendly. The resort was lush with trails and trees to explore, plus the shows were always a blast!
The weak points
Even though we had an excellent stay; sometimes you could notice things that were a little rough around the edges. Exposed wires, or how or shower head fell out of the wall one night. Nothing too bad though. Lots of stairs if that's a concern.
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Certified
Everyone made the best of it
L Family, Victoria, BC
2020-03-22
We travelled just before Canadian guidelines to not travel due to Corona virus. It was not a stress free trip because of this. Staff were always positive but management clearly should have had better communication with guests as the week progressed and changes were made at the resort due to the virus. This would have actually been more reassuring to vacationers. Amazing location, food was good, not always great likely due to the start of availability issues and less people at the resort. We got upgraded last two nights to Family selection and I would certainly recommend it even though we had a great room in building two originally. room 2003. Ground level and nice view from open air area out front door. Family selection room 4005 was nice and big and both our kids had their own bed which was nice but noisy late at night due to music at outside disco (happening outdoors due to virus maybe?). Resort was busy Sat due to log weekend and it had good energy as week went on less so due to virus, no fault of resort. Always chairs available because of that was a bonus. Nest restaurant could use more variety in its evening menu. Some food could have had better flavours, also Covid may have been a factor ie-shrimp were delicious but sauce tasted like Mcdonalds bbq sauce- plain w butter would have let the shrimp shine. Tuna wraps were delicious. All three of the weddings we saw looked very well done. [Details]
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The strong points
Location is absolutely gorgeous. Staff are friendly do their best to help. Very clean. Pools were great! Main pool was warmer than I expected as I heard it was unheated. It was somewhat heated as warm water could be felt coming in. Tamarind margaritas!!
The weak points
Food was never quite hot in regular area. Service of meals is often scattered, kids done eating and adults don't have appetizers etc.
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Certified
Loved it
Andrew Brown, Winnipeg, MB
2020-03-08
Nice grounds. Friendly staff. Great beach. Lots of surfers and boogie boarders. Good food. Clean room. [Details]
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The strong points
Good food and drink.
Great staff.
Surfing - looked good but I didn't try it.
Snorkling - Not the best but good.
Beach - good sand.
Ocean - whale watching - Multiple siteings.
Zoo area was nice.
Kids splash pad was a hit. Life guard on duty.
The weak points
Lots of stairs and ramps. We loved it, burnt off some calories after a big meal.
Couple of restaurants have no wheel chair access / Stoller ramps.
Saltwater ocean pool - not much water...shin/knee deep...time of the year?
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Certified
Excellent experience
Cynthia Jensen, Birch Hills, SK
2020-02-04
Last winter our son was married at the Grand Palladium and we went back this winter for 2 weeks instead of 1. The staff was friendly & helpful, the food choices more than ample! We especially enjoyed the steak house and eating out on the balcony at the Mexican restaurant watching the sun set over the ocean-Fresh guacamole made at our table and flaming coffee for part of our dessert. Amazing views everywhere with lots of green and lovely landscaping, we loved spending time with morning coffee on our balcony before heading to the varied buffet. Our only complaint is that it was very difficult not to overeat! The pool areas are nice but since we don't live near the ocean, we spent more time on the beach. We were always able to get chairs, not always loungers since he didn't compete with the crowd who took their towels down in the dark to reserve chairs. We hope to go back next winter. [Details]
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The strong points
Friendly staff, good food, beautiful views, isolated, a few vendors only-not pushy, lots of trees instead of just concrete. Nice beach
The weak points
The point beside the beach is famous for surfing, fun to watch even for non-surfers but the beach has a few spots that are rocky in the water.
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Certified
Affordable and relaxing
June, Vancouver, BC
2020-02-02
This was our second time staying at the Grand Palladium and we were pleased with our decision to return. Overall the level of service is excellent and we enjoyed our experience.
The property has undertaken some general renovations in the lobby area which help it to feel more modern. Rooms are satisfactorily comfortable and kept very clean with minimal noise and distraction.
This is the only 'all inclusive' that we've been to and found the food and beverage services to be very good with great variety and quality.
We stayed here for the surf break that is right at the beach. There is also a pretty tide pool that has been build which offers great snorkelling and safe ocean swimming. The pool areas are very good with the 'relax' or 'adult' pool being my favorite - the larger one is too big and loud for my taste. [Details]
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The strong points
Location, tide pool, relax pool, buffet options and level of service.
The weak points
Rooms are feeling dated and some smell a bit musty, bathtubs drain very slowly.
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Certified
Great as before
Adele Brownlee, Lachine, QC
2020-01-30
Excellent week ,,,same great service as 2 years ago, great food, lots of activities. taxis can be costly and uber is unavailable, though there is a local bus right out front [Details]
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The strong points
Great food, many a la carte restaurants though buffet is more than satisfactory, many activities
The weak points
Hobie cat was unavailable /not running or booked, lots of walking/stairs not for physically challenged people.
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Certified
Nice quiet place
Slavko Pucar, Vancouver, BC
2019-12-29
Hotel is older, but well maintained, full of tropical plants, a bit isolated what makes it ideal for quiet and quality rest. Air is fresh and clean, view spectacular, especially sunrise and sunset. Beach is nice and swimmable with medium ocean waves, but there is a small sea pool for non-swimmers, South side of beach, you could walk kilometers and kilometers by the ocean enjoying view ,send, sun, water, silence… Food and service were good. [Details]
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The strong points
hotel arhitecture, location, service
The weak points
hotel is older
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Certified
Safe but small beach
Kiwi, Kelowna, BC
2019-04-28
Poor food selection and tasteless. Hotel needs cleaning and refurbishing. Not at all suitable for anyone that can not walk stairs. NO elevators in any buildings. Not accessible for many to get to the beach [Details]
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The strong points
safe beach
The weak points
poor food and needs undating
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Certified
Fantastic Family Vacation
D&G Russell, Maple Ridge, BC
2019-04-16
This was our 2nd family vacation at the Palladium and I can guarantee it will not be our last. The staff in every department are so friendly and helpful. The food is great and if you don't see what you want they will try their best to make it happen for you! Highly recommend this resort. [Details]
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Certified
Beautiful resort with some drawbacks
Sherry Garinger, Coquitlam, BC
2019-03-25
Overall the resort was beautiful and the staff were very nice. The grounds were kept up nicely and the beach was great. Unfortunately we paid for a deluxe ocean view and when we saw the room we quickly realized that 3 of us couldn't sleep there. The 2 beds were very small doubles, 2 adults could not comfortably sleep on 1 bed. We asked for a cot or a switch of room to something with a king or queen with a pull out couch and was refused. We had to pay $500 to upgrade to a room with a king bed. They tried to say that the upgrade also included other perks that we really didn't see throughout our stay. The other downside was the food. It really was terrible. There wasn't a lot of choice and what was there was dried out and poorly prepared. We travel several times a year to many all inclusives around the world and this was the worst. Lastly there were never enough chairs by the pool, you would have to get up at the crack of dawn to reserve a seat, which appeared that most people did. Even by 9:00 you were out of luck. The plus was the lovely grounds, nice people and beautiful beach. [Details]
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The strong points
beautiful grounds, nice staff, great beach, good for kids
The weak points
terrible food, not enough facilities and chairs by the pool, "regular" rooms were unsuitable for a family.
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Certified
Week in a paradise
Hana P., Port Coquitlam, BC
2018-12-19
We loved the location of a hotel, away from the city and crowds. Check-in was a breeze, we paid little bit extra for ocean view room in blg. No 1. [Details]
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The strong points
Food selection in a buffet was very good, much better food than other hotels we have been to. Salt water nature pool was a great bonus - great for kids, no waves and they could see a lot of fish there. Boogie boarding was great, lots of fun.
The weak points
Kids club was a dissapointment - after 2 attempts our kids didn't want to go there anymore, they were bored (they are 9). I also would enjoy little larger pool, you can't do much swimming in this resort.
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Certified
Great family reasort.
Steven Scheirer, Abbotsford, BC
2018-09-03
Lots to see and do for the family. Lots of activities for kids and teens. Our boys met some other kids same age at the “teen club” and had a great time. Free use of surf boards, paddle boards, little kayaks, boogie boards and masks and snorkels at the beach. And you 3 can sign up to go out sailing on a small catamaran for free as well. We really enjoyed the food. Definitely recommend “viva Mexico”, they make fresh guacamole at your table, awesome. Lots of Beach and pool activities, and nightly shows and entertainment. There is No need to leave the property. Food at buffet and restaurants was very good. Staff helpful and friendly. Only two negatives, Must be careful in ocean, any beach activities can be painful, we all have war wounds from getting dragged over the rocky bottom at the beach by the waves. The rocks on the bottom start about 10ft from shore. The second painful negative was sitting through the high pressure sales pitch on our first day, heavy pressure to buy a Palladium membership. They are very good at their job. [Details]
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The strong points
Good Food / good variety.
Lots of Entertainment.
Many On site FREE activities for kids and adults.
Clean.
The weak points
Rocky beach,
Great for families maybe a little less romantic for couples.
Big Spread out resort, not good for those with mobility issues.
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Certified
So so
Honeymooners, Vancouver, BC
2018-04-26
The hotel was very well kept and tidy. The staff was helpful when needed and the service was good for the most part. We were happy to see the animals on the resort and the private beach with salt water pool. We were unhappy with the service and booking with the a la carte restaurants. The app to reserve did not work the entire time we were there and only 2 restaurants were open at a time each night. We had no other option but to wait outside of the restaurant to get a table which took 2 hours. We booked an excursion for our honeymoon that we were looking forward to and either the driver or the staff that booked for us made a mistake when booking and the driver never showed up. After waiting for 1.5 hours in the lobby we contacted the staff who booked and he booked us a different excursion (not nearly as good, or what we wanted) and never reimbursed us the difference from the original booking. Considering this was our honeymoon and nothing was done to rectify the restaurant booking or excursion mix up they have lost us for returning or becoming a member. [Details]
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The strong points
Nice grounds and beach. Great play area and pool for kids.
The weak points
Restaurant and activity booking.
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Certified
Get away
Wendy Lassam, 100 Mile House, BC
2018-04-12
Great hotel with a great location.the grounds were well maintained and beautiful. Nice breeze which kept you a little cooler.the adult pool was awesome with a great veiw of the beach and ocean and mountains.the staff was great everywhere.friendly and curious. Our room was nice and cleaned daily.the food was ok.we have had better and have experienced worse.the drinks were good and the bar staff everywhere were excellent. would go back to this resort and would recommend to family and friends to try it out. [Details]
There is some room for improvement as far as the food goes.there is something for everyone though.
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Certified
My Holliday
Shannen Harle, Campbell River, BC
2018-04-05
This resort is designed really well for both visitors who have children and visitors who do not. There is a whole separate area that has an infinity pool, for adults only, that is beautiful. Each day while having a drink in the infinity pool we could watch humpback whales. The resort is also tucked away, isolated from the hustle and bustle of vendors. A weakness of the resort is the food and the evening shows. Both are below average; both are below average. The staff were very friendly and helpful. [Details]
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The strong points
The resort it is isolated from irritating vendors. Quiet and relaxing adult pool with a great View. Great service. One of the few surf breaks in Mexico. Two swimming pools for families with children including a water slide . Free shuttle from airport.
The weak points
A lot of selection of food but the food have very little flavor. The quality of the nightly entertainment was low. The shows were substandard. Very poor Wi-Fi.
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Certified
Grand Palladium Vallarta
Barry Baxter, Langley, BC
2018-03-10
A wonderful experience at this resort. Friendly helpful staff. Five very good al a carte restaurants and a buffet. Food was very good with a wide variety of choices. Large swimming pools and a salt water pool on the beach. Our deluxe ocean view room was on the ground floor with a patio that was perfect for viewing the spectacular sunsets. The beach is gorgeous and you can walk quite a distance along the shoreline but should have water shoes as there are rocky areas in and along the water front. [Details]
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The strong points
Strongest point is the entire staff. The resort is clean and well maintained. Food and drink choices are wide and varied throughout the day and evenings.
The weak points
If even a weakness at all, be prepared for a lot of uphill/downhill walking and stairs which could prove difficult for mobility restricted persons.
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Certified
Nice holiday
Laura Bradley, Edmonton, AB
2018-02-16
We just returned from a two week vacation at the Grand Pallidium. It is a beautiful resort but not to big. You can walk anywhere you want to go with not many problems. I would advise anyone who is handicapped to ask for main floor rooms as there is no elevator. Many days I had walked 26 stairs on my Fitbit. The pools are nice and not to cold. The food was good as well. Repetitive but still good. Lots of fish. The alacartes were pretty good other than the Italian not to great but still an experience. It was a very relaxing holiday as we didn't do any excursions but did ride the local transportation to Busaries and Puerto Vallarta. Very cheap and worth the ride. The entertainment crew put on a fantastic show. The bartenders and waitresses/waiters were more than accommodating. I would recommend this resort if you are looking for a relaxing holiday. [Details]
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The strong points
The staff. The food in the buffet.
The weak points
There were many different levels in the main lobby area. If you weren't watching were you were walking you could easily miss them.
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Certified
My First Trip South
Michael Rae, Pincourt, QC
2018-02-11
Awesome time! Staff was fabulous - made friends with them all! Beach was not what I expected but I enjoyed the waves. Food was ok... my Mom was very sick twice in two weeks... was that from the food or the ice? [Details]
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The strong points
Staff, excellent!
The weak points
Too far away from towns... Very expensive to go anywhere. I was alone and it was very expensive to have my own room.
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Certified
Nice and green lots of stairs.
Annie Waters, Vegreville, AB
2018-02-02
Ok... so we are not high society type of people, just average please and thank you and waiting our turn types. So here in point form is our take on the Paladium at Bucerias...
1/ Lots of stairs but we knew that. 2/ Nice and green. 3/ Partially secluded beach which was nice but little sand. A bigger beach with more sand. Water was always wavy. Warnings posted about sea urchins, sting rays and other bad creatures of the sea. Not a place for swimming in my opinion. Surfers were out there though. 4/ Lots of places to sit under palapas so no need to rush out a 06:00 to save a chair. 5/ Hotel inside is not new but good to above good. 6/ Maid service is not great and we even tipped every day...maybe 20 pesos is not enough??? 7/ Lots of pools if you like that kind of stuff...cannot comment on the daily activities as we are not those kind of people. 8/ Lots of crying babies we found and we just had our first grand kid so we are used to it. Maybe the times have changed since we first started going to mexico and where do these young people get the money? 9/ Stayed only a week so maybe the nightly entertainment would have changed but the week that we were there it was all interpretive dance crap. We have seen a lot of so so entertainment and one night would have been ok but yeah the whole week was crap. 10/ Windy and cool at the time we were there but that was great for me. The locals say that this was not normal though. 11/ Never took the taxi but it is expensive...take the chicken bus its easy and fun! 12/ About an hour from PVR. This is Bradley doing the commenting. [Details]
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Certified
Grand Palladium Vallarta
Derek Morris, Regina, SK
2018-01-28
Overall, the resort was good (my first time in Mexico and my first time at an all inclusive resort) but I think it just matters what you are going for.
Good Attributes: Great beach and views: lots of beach front and we viewed whales everyday from the beach and pools. Service: all workers (front desk, waiting staff, room service) were all polite and professional and did a good job. Food: the buffet (so many options) and the a la cartes had amazing food (tasty and filling). Pools: 3 pools on site (family, kid and adult pools) which fit everyone and you could always find a chair. Entertainment: a show at 9 every night and the performers were amazing. Some nights there was nowhere to sit. Rooms: nice rooms, nothing over the top but are kept clean.
Bad Attributes: Restaurant Reservations: they make you download a phone app to make reservations at the a la carte. Can only reserve for the people of one room (hard when you have people in several rooms). Out of 8 of us, only 2 of us could get the app to work and it seems like this was happening to everyone. The concierge and help staff make it very difficult to make reservations without the app. Had to argue with them every night to get them to reserve a table for all of us. Wi-Fi: very spotty. Better at the pools than in your rooms (I could only get service in my room if standing beside the window). Plus you have to sign in each time you lose connection, which doesn't always work and is time consuming. Spa: first it is a bit pricey (about $140 USD). We only booked because they gave us 30% off. Both of the hot tubs and saunas were out of commission and were not forewarned about this (the guy even said to come early so we could hang out in the hot tub). The actual massage wasn't anything great either, just a regular massage. Terrain: resort is built into the hills which means there is a lot of ups and downs. Personally, I don't find this as a negative, but it can be for people who are old, out of shape or disabled. Location: this can be seen as a negative or a positive. The resort is somewhat secluded and a ways away from Puerto Vallarta. Takes about $10 USD per person to get to PV, so it gets costly if you wanna do excursions or visit cities. Nightlife: there's a disco there, but we were there for a week and it seems like nothing was ever happening there. Doesn't really attract young people and there wasn't much of a nightlife. [Details]
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Certified
Wonderful stay at this resort!
Harold Denenfeld, Calgary, AB
2018-01-22
The experience was great from check in through activities, meals and entertainment. The staff was excellent and as an experienced traveller thought this was one of the better places we've ever stayed at. But what was outstanding was the resort cleanliness and quality of food. The only issue was at check out. The only time I use my credit card in Mexico was to pay for my wine. I experienced a multiple of charges immediately after using my credit card from an account not authorized. RBC security credited at the multiple charges and I'm sure contacted you. I checked out on January 9 with your main daytime person that handles cash. You may have had others similar experiences and that's why I should warn you. This caused much difficulty as we were continuing vacation in other countries without this Visa card as it had to be destroyed. Although the card issue was very disappointing I still have to tell you that my wife and I enjoyed our experience up until that point. [Details]
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Certified
Grand Palladium, Puerto Vallarta
Raymond Orr, Minnedosa, MB
2017-12-25
This was a one time trip for us with our family. We enjoyed our stay. There are plenty of staff and they are very accommodating. The hotel delivers what it promises - nice weather, pools, beaches, surf, good food and entertainment [Details]
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The strong points
The Buffett - always excellent food. The Mexican restaurant, the surf and beach,
entertainment. Spa, gym, fitness programs
Towel exchange.
The weak points
Location - isolated compared to downtown hotels.
Felt like we got sucked in to the membership “tour”
Restaurants hard to access - maybe some are for members only - so just say so.
Room was hot
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Certified
Best to go when there are no renovations going on.
Lise Gallant, Abbotsford, BC
2017-11-23
For our first time staying here, we had a bit of problems. our room reservation was incorrect and we had to change rooms four times and we still didn't get what we paid for. The renovations were extensive and inconvenient. Jewelry disappeared from our room. We were hit up right away to buy a membership. High price to pay for what was going on there at the time. [Details]
Room
Quality - Price
Front desk & Reception
Beaches
Location
Bathroom
Staff / Crew
Cleanliness
Food & Restaurants
The strong points
Staff was very friendly and rooms were clean. Drinks were good.
The weak points
Major renovations going on. Incorrect room assignment.At checkout we asked for a bellboy to be at our room at a certain time and no one showed up. Inconsistency with information given.
0 0
Certified
Great Family Resort
Grant Russell, Maple Ridge, BC
2017-05-08
Our visit to Grand Palladium was great. The staff was very friendly and always went out of their way to help us. The food was good. We had no problem getting into any of the restaurants even without reservations. The buffet was great, had plenty of selection for both adults and kids. The kids club was great for our son, they did a great job of keeping him happy when at the club. The beach was amazing, very clean. There was plenty of beach toys for younger ones and for the older ones there was surf and boogie boards. They even gave free surf lessons. We will be returning next year. [Details]
Room
Quality - Price
Front desk & Reception
Beaches
Location
Bathroom
Staff / Crew
Cleanliness
Food & Restaurants
The strong points
the effort made from all to make everyone enjoy their vacation was outstanding.
The weak points
The sports bar needs an overhaul and they pushed the spa too much
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STAFF REVIEW
Bit of disappointment
Good for the money !
Clean, spacious and well maintained rooms.
Helpful staff.
Food and drinks ok, in all their 5 restaurants & bars
Shopping: only one expensive store.
Entertainment: good for the money.
Wi-fi ? Public, insecure (no password!) [Details]
Great resort!
Grand Palladium Vallarta, Family Select Section
Best family vacation ever!!
We are a family of 5 with young adults and The Grand Palladium Vallarta Resort did not disappoint and we felt as though almost every single aspect of the trip was an excellent experience.
Food - Buffet was very good with the fresh options being very popular. Fresh eggs-any style with all North American options available - donuts, bacon, sausage, waffles, crepes etc. Dinner was also amazing there with each night having a different option. Tacos were to die for! The restaurants have to be booked in advance using the app and I would recommend logging in at midnight to reserve as the spots go quick. Mexican and Asian were our favourite!!
The sports bar was very popular as there is always food to grab there and you can also sit and order whatever is on the menu. The beach burger shack was amazing too!!
Beach - if you like waves, you'll love this beach. There are lots of rocks in the sand so if you can pack beach shoes, it will save your feet. Grab your chairs early as there are not a lot of them. Boogie boards are free to use and you can also sign up for free catamaran rides (30 mins). Sometimes you will see the whales popping up!
Pools - Didn't spend a lot of time in them as they were warm and very loud [Details]
Amazing vacation!
Even without going on extended adventures, The hotel provided some fun shows and parties every night! We thoroughly enjoyed the burlesque show, and had a blast at the white party on our first night.
We also had many nights playing games at the snack bar, who were also very accommodating!
The hotel is very accommodating for families and even though it was just an adult friend and I, I already have future plans to bring my family.
Highly recommend this resort for a tropical style getaway. I miss it already! [Details]
Everyone made the best of it
Loved it
Excellent experience
Affordable and relaxing
The property has undertaken some general renovations in the lobby area which help it to feel more modern. Rooms are satisfactorily comfortable and kept very clean with minimal noise and distraction.
This is the only 'all inclusive' that we've been to and found the food and beverage services to be very good with great variety and quality.
We stayed here for the surf break that is right at the beach. There is also a pretty tide pool that has been build which offers great snorkelling and safe ocean swimming. The pool areas are very good with the 'relax' or 'adult' pool being my favorite - the larger one is too big and loud for my taste. [Details]
Great as before
Nice quiet place
Beach is nice and swimmable with medium ocean waves, but there is a small sea pool for non-swimmers,
South side of beach, you could walk kilometers and kilometers by the ocean enjoying view ,send, sun, water, silence…
Food and service were good. [Details]
Safe but small beach
Not at all suitable for anyone that can not walk stairs. NO elevators in any buildings. Not accessible for many to get to the beach [Details]
Fantastic Family Vacation
Beautiful resort with some drawbacks
Unfortunately we paid for a deluxe ocean view and when we saw the room we quickly realized that 3 of us couldn't sleep there. The 2 beds were very small doubles, 2 adults could not comfortably sleep on 1 bed. We asked for a cot or a switch of room to something with a king or queen with a pull out couch and was refused. We had to pay $500 to upgrade to a room with a king bed. They tried to say that the upgrade also included other perks that we really didn't see throughout our stay. The other downside was the food. It really was terrible. There wasn't a lot of choice and what was there was dried out and poorly prepared. We travel several times a year to many all inclusives around the world and this was the worst. Lastly there were never enough chairs by the pool, you would have to get up at the crack of dawn to reserve a seat, which appeared that most people did. Even by 9:00 you were out of luck. The plus was the lovely grounds, nice people and beautiful beach. [Details]
Week in a paradise
Great family reasort.
Lots of activities for kids and teens. Our boys met some other kids same age at the “teen club” and had a great time.
Free use of surf boards, paddle boards, little kayaks, boogie boards and masks and snorkels at the beach. And you 3 can sign up to go out sailing on a small catamaran for free as well.
We really enjoyed the food. Definitely recommend “viva Mexico”, they make fresh guacamole at your table, awesome.
Lots of Beach and pool activities, and nightly shows and entertainment. There is No need to leave the property.
Food at buffet and restaurants was very good.
Staff helpful and friendly.
Only two negatives,
Must be careful in ocean, any beach activities can be painful, we all have war wounds from getting dragged over the rocky bottom at the beach by the waves. The rocks on the bottom start about 10ft from shore. The second painful negative was sitting through the high pressure sales pitch on our first day, heavy pressure to buy a Palladium membership. They are very good at their job. [Details]
So so
We were unhappy with the service and booking with the a la carte restaurants. The app to reserve did not work the entire time we were there and only 2 restaurants were open at a time each night. We had no other option but to wait outside of the restaurant to get a table which took 2 hours. We booked an excursion for our honeymoon that we were looking forward to and either the driver or the staff that booked for us made a mistake when booking and the driver never showed up. After waiting for 1.5 hours in the lobby we contacted the staff who booked and he booked us a different excursion (not nearly as good, or what we wanted) and never reimbursed us the difference from the original booking. Considering this was our honeymoon and nothing was done to rectify the restaurant booking or excursion mix up they have lost us for returning or becoming a member. [Details]
Get away
My Holliday
Grand Palladium Vallarta
Nice holiday
My First Trip South
Food was ok... my Mom was very sick twice in two weeks... was that from the food or the ice? [Details]
Nice and green lots of stairs.
1/ Lots of stairs but we knew that. 2/ Nice and green. 3/ Partially secluded beach which was nice but little sand. A bigger beach with more sand. Water was always wavy. Warnings posted about sea urchins, sting rays and other bad creatures of the sea. Not a place for swimming in my opinion. Surfers were out there though. 4/ Lots of places to sit under palapas so no need to rush out a 06:00 to save a chair. 5/ Hotel inside is not new but good to above good. 6/ Maid service is not great and we even tipped every day...maybe 20 pesos is not enough??? 7/ Lots of pools if you like that kind of stuff...cannot comment on the daily activities as we are not those kind of people. 8/ Lots of crying babies we found and we just had our first grand kid so we are used to it. Maybe the times have changed since we first started going to mexico and where do these young people get the money? 9/ Stayed only a week so maybe the nightly entertainment would have changed but the week that we were there it was all interpretive dance crap. We have seen a lot of so so entertainment and one night would have been ok but yeah the whole week was crap. 10/ Windy and cool at the time we were there but that was great for me. The locals say that this was not normal though. 11/ Never took the taxi but it is expensive...take the chicken bus its easy and fun! 12/ About an hour from PVR. This is Bradley doing the commenting. [Details]
Grand Palladium Vallarta
Good Attributes:
Great beach and views: lots of beach front and we viewed whales everyday from the beach and pools.
Service: all workers (front desk, waiting staff, room service) were all polite and professional and did a good job.
Food: the buffet (so many options) and the a la cartes had amazing food (tasty and filling).
Pools: 3 pools on site (family, kid and adult pools) which fit everyone and you could always find a chair.
Entertainment: a show at 9 every night and the performers were amazing. Some nights there was nowhere to sit.
Rooms: nice rooms, nothing over the top but are kept clean.
Bad Attributes:
Restaurant Reservations: they make you download a phone app to make reservations at the a la carte. Can only reserve for the people of one room (hard when you have people in several rooms). Out of 8 of us, only 2 of us could get the app to work and it seems like this was happening to everyone. The concierge and help staff make it very difficult to make reservations without the app. Had to argue with them every night to get them to reserve a table for all of us.
Wi-Fi: very spotty. Better at the pools than in your rooms (I could only get service in my room if standing beside the window). Plus you have to sign in each time you lose connection, which doesn't always work and is time consuming.
Spa: first it is a bit pricey (about $140 USD). We only booked because they gave us 30% off. Both of the hot tubs and saunas were out of commission and were not forewarned about this (the guy even said to come early so we could hang out in the hot tub). The actual massage wasn't anything great either, just a regular massage.
Terrain: resort is built into the hills which means there is a lot of ups and downs. Personally, I don't find this as a negative, but it can be for people who are old, out of shape or disabled.
Location: this can be seen as a negative or a positive. The resort is somewhat secluded and a ways away from Puerto Vallarta. Takes about $10 USD per person to get to PV, so it gets costly if you wanna do excursions or visit cities.
Nightlife: there's a disco there, but we were there for a week and it seems like nothing was ever happening there. Doesn't really attract young people and there wasn't much of a nightlife. [Details]
Wonderful stay at this resort!
The only issue was at check out. The only time I use my credit card in Mexico was to pay for my wine. I experienced a multiple of charges immediately after using my credit card from an account not authorized. RBC security credited at the multiple charges and I'm sure contacted you. I checked out on January 9 with your main daytime person that handles cash. You may have had others similar experiences and that's why I should warn you. This caused much difficulty as we were continuing vacation in other countries without this Visa card as it had to be destroyed.
Although the card issue was very disappointing I still have to tell you that my wife and I enjoyed our experience up until that point. [Details]
Grand Palladium, Puerto Vallarta
Best to go when there are no renovations going on.
Great Family Resort