We have just returned from a week of Caribbean heaven. We took our 5 children ranging from age16 to 20 with us to get married.

We were choosing between 2 hotels and based on a review we read on tripadvisor we booked at this resort. We contacted Isyuney Peguero, the hotels wedding planner, she is amazing, very professional and so caring not leaving any details over looked. During the planning stages she was extremely accessible either via email or phone. She and Cely personally decorated our suite after the wedding. If you need a photographer make sure they book Arthur for you. He is a charm. We had a short power failure during the wedding and for our first dance...he sang to us so we would have music. The pictures he took are so creative and he gave us precious memories.

Cely and Cesar (Bubble man) of guest service were very helpful always ready help you out, Jacques at the reception desk was very obliging and friendly always aiming to please.

After the wedding we all got to enjoy the resort..Our 3 rooms were so clean and housekeeping were always so obliging. Our rooms we were just a few feet from either the pool or beach. We were spoiled by all the attention and gifts we received from the resort. We rarely saw our kids as they hopped from one pool to he next an enjoyed the ocean and everything else the resort had to offer. The resort is big with 4 different ones connected by a train that can take you from one to another. The music played on the train is infectious…it was fun day one but by day 7 there were 2 songs we would have made us loco if we heard it one more time.

If there was a negative side it was the A La Carte restaurants. We tried 3 and were disappointed with the quality of the food; however, the service was impeccable. The Dominican restaurant lacked authentic Dominican speciality dishes which we were looking forward to trying. At the Oriental restaurant, the meals were undercooked and the prawns were so tiny. The “American” overcooked the meat. We would recommend sticking with the buffets, they had something for everyone and offered theme nights that even if you didn’t like the theme they had so much more to choose from.……..They were all excellent we tried all 4. The kids enjoyed the 7/24 sports bar that had hamburgers, hotdogs, nachos, sandwiches and fries with fresh salad and ice cream.

Overall the A la carte restaurants couldn’t even dent our vacation and we would return in a flash.

We took 3 tours and if you only do one we would recommend the Country Adventure Tour. Gives you a real sense of the Dominican life and culture.

We had a few issues but they were so minor, and could have happend at any hotel around the world...the most important factor was that they were willing for fix it immediately....Hola..see you there

I just got back from Punta Cana. I must say, reading the reviews before i left made me nervous. However, i'm glad i went ahead with this resort. I thought it was amazzinng!!! The beach was gorgeous. There were plenty of chairs and i found that not many were reserved. However, finding chairs in the shade IS easier by the pool then by the beach.

Rooms were good. Considering that we only used the room to shower and sleep there wasnt any complaints. Beds, sheets, washroom, etc... was very well cleaned by the maids. We were three people and when we got there they had a third bed already in the room.

I'm not a really picky eater so i would say the food was also very good. Buffet had a wide variety. I'm extremely sensitive to certain ingredients in food and i didnt get sick at all. =o)

Grounds were very VERY well kept. It is a huge resort but a beautiful walk. As for the harrassment that people have been writing about- there was none. We were three females and yes we were approached by men but it wasn't excessive just simply "Oh your beautiful". Personally, i think previous reviewers were being extremely critical (but then again, everyone has different experiences at the same place). Staff was VERY friendly. Sometimes hard to communicate though if you dont know spanish.

Overall i was definately recommened this resort. We had an amazing time! Dont forget the bug spray- SOOO MANY mosquitoes!!

We just got back from the Grand Palladium-Punta Cana, and as you can tell from the title we're still coming to grips with being back in the "real world". My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and we can't wait to get back. Here are my thoughts on the visit:
1. The resort itself is great; once we got use to our surroundings, we had no trouble getting around.
2. Our room (4123) was nice and clean, and probably 50 yds from the beach.
3. Speaking of the beach, this is one of THE NICEST stretches of shoreline I've ever visited. White sand, beautiful blue water--great place to be a beach bum!!!
4.We didn't go to any of the al a carte restaurants (I didn't bring slacks), but we ate our fill at the buffets! (I think I liked the food better than my wife--my only complaint would be that foods were sometimes not as hot temp-wise as I would like.)
5. The staff was great--friendly, and usually very attentive.
NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
* When you arrive at the airport in PC, you must pay a $10/person tax of some kind to get into the country. (Gouging, anyone??)
* As mentioned before on here, there are topless women roaming about the beach. If this sort of thing offends you, I would advise staying away.
* Lots of Europeans at this resort, and they are NOT friendly.
* You will be advised to get to the airport 2.5 - 3 hours prior to your departure. Make sure to do this, as the airport was a mad-house when we left.
*Also, if you buy alcohol, don't try to pack it in your carry-on, as it will be poured out!

All in all, this was a great vacation, and we feel like we got our money's worth and more!

My husband and I and two children stayed at the Grand Palladium Punta Cana the 3rd week of April. We have travelled to different countries (mostly in the Carribean) in the past and we like Punta Cana because it's very affordable compared to other places like Barbados, St-Lucia and the Bahamas. By the way, this was our sixth trip to Punta Cana in the last 4 years, so we were able to compare the Palladium with other Punta Cana resorts.

In terms of quality of service for the price we paid, the Palladium is a bit more affordable than other 4 and 5 star hotels. BUT, you do get what you pay for. And this was quite obvious starting with our arrival. The reception staff were all very rude and did not seem to care about us at all. At one point, in my best Spanish, I asked the reception supervisor where the washrooms were and he did not even have the decency to acknowledge me but just rudely raised his arm and gestured to his right (I was supposed to guess that the washrooms were at the end of the hallway towards the back of reception.) We also had a few minor problems with our room which could have been easily resolved, but we were disappointed once again with the reception staff's attitude (one staff practically laughed in our face when we asked about changing a light bulb that was burnt).

Ok, enough complaining about the reception staff. Now for the rest of the hotel, the accommodation were ok. The rooms were clean but outdated. The bed covers were soiled and we found mold on them, but the sheets were clean. But we did not go to Punta Cana for the rooms, but rather for the beach. The maids seemed to be very nice and always said a cheery Hola or Buenos Dias. This was probably one of the most pleasant part of our vacation!

The food at the restaurants was ok for the most part, but we became sick on our last day, despite being careful with what we ate. But I do believe that this can happen anywhere we travel and it may not be entirely a problem with the hotel itself, but rather just our immune and digestive system reacting to the different foods. Also, the service in the restaurants was good on some days, and really bad on others so it was pretty inconsistent, despite the (generous) tips we gave regularly.

As for the beach, well, that is the best part! It is totally awesome like the rest of the other Punta Cana resorts' beaches. However, it's not as wide as other resorts' so, as some people have commented before, you have to get up very early to find a good spot or even find a chair.

Overall, if I allow myself to compare the Grand Palladium with other Punta Cana resorts where we have stayed (like the Majestic, Iberostar Bavaro, the Excellence and the Riu Palace, all of which I would rate as strong 4 and 5 stars for their service, food, accommodations and beach), the Grand Palladium, however, gets only a 1 star rating. But, we would have given it a good 3 stars if it had not been for the rude and negligent service at the reception.