My fiance and I stayed at the Palladium from April 26-May 3, 2008 and we had a great time. We are a couple in our mid 20s and this was our very first vacation. I did a lot of research before booking and although I was a little scared of the negative reviews, the trip was awesome!

Rooms:
We stayed in the regular "superior" rooms and it was great. Our room was 1308, which means the first building, the third floor and the eighth room. It had vaulted ceilings, 2 double beds, recessed lighting, tiled floors and nice decor. The room came with a small safe, a mini fridge stocked with 3 pops and 2 bottles of water, a coffee maker and also air conditioning. 2 bottles of water wasnt enough so we asked for more and we always had at least 4 bottles of water in the fridge.The beds were a little hard but I didnt notice because I was sleeping. They are on a concrete slab but the beds were comfortable enough. I was completely happy with our room!

The bathroom was big with nice marble tiles and 1 sink. Every morning the maid would make a swan design with the towels.

We had a great balcony with an amazing view of the ocean and the adult pool. It was always quiet and peaceful.

We always tipped our maid at least 2 U.S. dollars or 200 mexican pesos every day.

Pools and beach:
We only went in the adult pool, which was amazing. There are no kids allowed at the adult pool, which was nice for people wanting to get away from it all. The adult pool had an amazing view of the beach and ocean and there was a bar right there for easy access. There were lots of lounge chairs although there could be more palapas and shade areas. If you get to the pool before noon, you can always find a nice shady area so you dont get too hot.
There are 3 pools at the resort although one of them is only for the people who stay at the royal suites. The main pool looked like a lot of fun with lots of kids, activities, music and the snack bar. All the pools were right on the beach and they all had lounge chairs and bars nearby.
The beach was a little disappointing. But I knew that going there. The sand was nice but the water had lots of rocks and a lot of seaweed. There was only one area for swimming and the danger flag is almost always up. You can still go in the water when the red flag is up but you must be in the swimming area.
The beach had a lot of lounge chairs but again could use some more shady areas. There was a bar right on the beach and a place to get boogie boards, surf boards and other water sport eqiupement. They were a few merchants on the beach but they had their own area off to the side. The would come around to ask if you wanted a dress or braids but I never felt bothered.

Restaurants and Buffet:
You get 3 restaurant dinner bookings for a one week stay. We went to the Mexican, the italian and the beach bbq and Viva Mexico was the best! The make the salsa in front of you and the food was excellent. The service was great. All the restaurants were great, with awesome views and good food. I wish I could have gone more. There was also an oriental restaurant but we didnt have the chance to eat there although I heard it was great too.
The buffet was alright. You do get a little sick of the food but it was decent enough. It was never busy and there were always tables. The worst part was breakfast. It was always insanely busy and the food wasnt good at all. We actually only went the first morning we were there and then again in the middle of the week but decided against getting up to go again. The buffet times are 7-1030, 1230-3 and 630-10. There are always snack places around the resort if you get hungry in between those times.

Entertainment:
I loved the entertainment. There was always live music and nightly shows to look forward to. The entertainers were so happy to be there and they really enjoyed their jobs. They speak english but really fast do you have to really listen to what they say. Nights were always so much fun. They had a disco but we only went once. They played mexican dance/techno music that I didnt enjoy. One night they had a beach party and that was awesome! It would have sucked for the people in building 2 as it was right outside their building but we had a great time doing the limbo and dancing! Overall, I was entertained and the entertainment was great!

Lastly:
The resort is really spread out and there is a lot of walking so it isnt for people with limited mobility.
There is no atm at the resort so bring money or you can take a cab to the nearest atm for 10-20 u.s. dolllars
The grounds were amazing and so beatiful. Lots of lush gardens, plants and flowers.
There was a zoo with monkeys and other animals that were neat to watch.
Tip the maids, the bar tenders and the servers. The work really hard and dont get paid well so make sure to tip them. Get small bills and mexican coins. They really appreciate the tips. We tipped the bartender 5 bucks and everytime we went up for drinks, he had our drinks ready for us.
There are excursions to go on but they are pricy. Some people we met went on a safari tour for 98 bucks each, but they said it was well worth it.

I had a great time lying by the pool and watching the shows. I would recommend this hotel to everyone but keep in mind that the beach and water is rocky and there is a lot of stairs. Keep a fun loving attitude and that is exactly the time you will have!

The Palladium is a very nice hotel. It is not five-star as some places will claim. It is very clean and great for a vacation with girlfriends. Lots of young people there to have fun with.

Food:
The main buffet is great. Unlike many resorts, they have a HUGE selection of salad fixings. Green lettuce, lots of veggies and dressings. Every day there is something new for main courses. Also a great nacho bar every day.

Viva was good the first night and not the next. The pumpkin soup was amazing. The stuffed crab was good and the Mexican platter was very good. Service and food were great the first time we ate there. The second our waiter was cold as was our food.

Portafino was amazing. The ceaser and stuffed mushroom salads were out of this world. The soups were OK. We had the vegetable lasagna and beef dish. Both were great. Service there is amazing. Must get Spanish coffee here. Delicous and un presentation.

The beach BBQ was good. The meat was very tender, but if you don't like meat, there is not much to choose from. Also, bring bug replant of the sand fleas will eat you alive.

Bars:
Lobby bar: rude staff, watered down drinks.
Secret bar: fast service, cold beer.
Beach bar: OK, nothing special.
Hemmingways: The place to be. Adults only, amazing mojitos and Marcelino, the funnest bartender in Mexico.

Pools:
Main: overrun with kids. Loud.
Adult: amazing! So great to get away from the kids and awesome views.

Zoo:
Very fun for all ages. I work at a Zoo in the US and can say that the animals look very well cared for.

Entertainment:
The shows were actually very good. Much better than I have seen many places. Great dancing. make sure to catch at least one.

Gym:
Much better than most. Lots of equipment. Only downside was it was not air-conditioned.

Things to bring:
Bubba keg cup (available at Wal-Mart) to keep your drinks cold.
Portable alarm clock as your room does not have one and we did not receive the wake-up calls we asked for.
Bug spray.

Overall this was a really nice hotel.

I stayed here from April 26-May3, 2008. I must say that the grounds of this resort are exceptional. It is full of many plants and trees, some of which have the names of the species. So if you want to know what a banana tree looks like or the agave plant from which tequila is made from you can do so by reading the name plates. The zoo is alot of fun, different varieties of animals, the peacocks would walk around the grounds, soif you have a bird phobia be on guard. I am in my early 20s so walking in this resort was welcomed. I must say there is alot of ground to cover and alot of stairs to climb, so if there is any reason why walking alot may debulitate you I would not suggest this resort. The food was decent. Large buffet so you could pick and choose what you wanted to try each day. Snack bars were good too. Nobody got sick in my group, the food was well prepared. Portofino I think was the best restaurant. The pools were really nice. The main pool is basically rued by children and families. The adult pool is really nice to get away from the kids, and is super relaxing with a beautiful view. Oh, the views are outstanding. Staff was super friendly and would really try their best to give you a good service. Bars were plenty and drinks were delicious. OK, so the shows at night....I thought they were not up to par, and yes I know it is a resort show but the concepts were confusing and choreograpy not so good, BUT.....for some reason we kept going back to see the shows. The enthusiasm was there at least. Oh, and before the shows they usually have a mariachi band or singing band that will perform wonderful spansh music by the lobby bar....that was a nice touch. Overall, I would be more than willing to coem back here!!

I'll keep this short and sweet, since some reviews tend to go on and on, without getting to the nitty-gritty:

ROOMS: Clean, but pretty ugly furnishings (Think Holiday Inn, not Shangri La). Our room (2301, building 2) had hairline cracks in the bathroom sink, chips on the white sink tap, and the shower diverter's pull top had been unscrewed. We did have a very nice view, though--lawns, palm trees, and the Pacific Ocean.

HOUSEKEEPING: Very good. I saw that the stone floors in our room had been mopped several times during our stay--very clean. We tipped a few bucks a day.

HOTEL GROUNDS: Beautiful! There's a zoo in the middle of the property, with monkeys, ostriches, deer, peacocks, parrots, and a kind of mexican raccoon. There was also a botanical garden, and covered pathways between different parts of the hotel. Once in awhile, it smelled a bit bad near the family pool....I don't know if it was an irrigation problem, or it was coming from the zoo.....

POOLS: There are two pools, the family pool in the middle of the resort, and the adult-only pool on the south side. We spent all of our time in the adults only area (where the "Relax Bar" is). The kids side was TEAMING with families, and it was so loud (due to kids and onsite entertainment) that we stayed well enough away. The adult pool was smaller, but inviting. My biggest complaint was the music--depressing Michael Bolton ballads, and 80's sob songs. Ironically, the kiddie pool had much better music. We tried to request something a little lighter, but we were told by bartending staff that the music was pre-determined. The Beatles were as close as we came to fun, uplifting music.

FOOD: If people say that the buffet here is great, they must be eating at "Uncle Willy's" all the time (if you're from Vancouver, Canada, you know what I'm talking about). At least we lost weight! The only decent food was at the "reservation only" restaurants at the hotel (we went to Viva Mexico and Portofino), and then you only got 3 reservations for a 7 night stay. So three good meals out of 21 (breakfast, lunch, dinner). Do the math. My guy lost 10 lbs.

GYM: All the essentials. One woman was complaining there was no stair master---my God, lady! It's Mexico!!! (they have an elliptical, two treadmills and a few stationary bikes), as well as freeweights, etc.

That's all, folks!