We’ve just returned from a 2 week family holiday to celebrate my sisters 30th birthday. We had an amazing time, very relaxing and I would absolutely recommend this hotel but not to be completely biased I will give you a balanced view of our experience. (Long read but tells you everything you need to know)
Arrival and check in
Upon arrival we were in awe of the grand open entrance and there were three more of them across the hotel. We were staying in the Bavaro section. We were greeted with a cool drink and an iced towel and check in was smooth. We were given a handbook which included towel cards, room key, a map of the resort and an activity timetable. The booklet itself gave you all the other information you would need for your stay. We then took a golf cart to our room with a porter welcoming us home and not letting us lift a finger.
The room.
We stayed in a luxury junior suite but this has since been renamed to rooftop terrace. Everything was clean and tidy and in good condition. We were really happy with the room and have posted some pictures. The beds were really comfortable you could choose from fan or air con. Minibar was topped up everyday and room was cleaned everyday with fresh towels if you left them on the floor to let the maids know. The flush on our toilet broke on our first night but we called reception went out for dinner and returned back to the room and it had been fixed! Room has hairdryer, robes, slippers, scales, cable TV. My only three observations about the room was no WiFi on the rooftop terrace, only lager and soft drinks in the mini fridge which was great for the hubby and kids but not for me as I don’t drink either so perhaps mini bottles of spirits and finally the toilet wasn’t very private with only a glazed glass door preventing you from using the toilet in front of others. But not all room types are like this and I would t mark down this hotel for that reason.
The beach
The hotels beach front stretched out a fair way with several beach bars and a snack shack. Lots of shade from the many palm trees and very clean. Always plenty of sunbeds with active security and life guards on patrols. There was free water sports; however, the water was not very calm and we were often not able to use the water sports for that reason. Sand was turned up a lot in the sea which meant no snorkelling and my boys often had sand rashes within an hour of getting to the beach so we didn’t spend much time there for that reason which was a shame.
There are a lot of people trying to sell to you on the beach, if you’re firm and tell them no thank you they tend to leave you to it but within 5 minutes of arriving to the beach we had probably had 10 different people approach us which left my brother in law feeling like he wanted to get off the beach immediately! If you can, get up to watch the sunrise over the sea - beautiful
The pools
There were 5 pools to choose from. One of which was an adults only pool which we didn’t go to because we had children with us. We also didn’t use the children’s pool as our children were a little too old for it and we also didn’t use the palace pool mainly because it was the furthest away from our base but we visited or passed by them all on several occasions all pools had pool bars, activities, drinks service, Buffett restaurant close by, towel service, toilet facilities and were clean. Again with plenty of sunbeds and shade if needed (you do not have to get up and place your towel to reserve a spot here ;-) ) The kids pool was right next to the Punta Cana based pool.
The people
95% of the people around the resort were friendly and only too happy to go above and beyond for you. Anything you need reception will arrange for you. They work so hard to make your time there as special as possible and paid so much attention to the children. There were a few who were clearly not happy in their jobs but they could never overshadow the enthusiasm and friendliness of the majority. My only observation relevant to English speaking travellers is that this hotel didn’t appear to have many English speaking guests. Of course the country has a Spanish mother tongue and whilst a lot of staff were able to communicate with us, many really struggled which was quite difficult for us when we were trying to communicate to a minority.
Again, they’re are people around the resort at all times trying to sell you excursions, spa treatments, pictures with parrots and monkeys and of course the usual shark tooth bracelet and accessories. Be firm and say no thank you. We were frustrated by this the first few days when we were just wanting to chill by the pool but it tailored off once they realised we were not fresh blood. Also the travel club guys are fairly consistent on your VIP breakfast and tour of the hotel with the promise of a goody bag. Again, be firm if you are not interested. It’s easy to get taken by surprise as they are on you as soon as you have your room key and could find you have agreed to attend without realising.
Grounds
Beautiful, tidy, grand - all words to describe across the whole resort. There were no area I might describe as shabby - it clearly takes a lot of up keep and the hotel should be proud of how well it keeps it’s grounds. We all felt the wow factor when we arrived.
It takes a few days to get your bearings and it is a large resort so perhaps too much for some but if you have no intention to leave the resort you need this size of grounds so you don’t feel getting claustrophobic. There is a train that travels round the resort all day if you don’t fancy the walk but honestly once you get your bearings nowhere takes longer than 5 mins to walk and I often had heels on on a night with no issues and was probably quicker than the train.
Alcohol
No half measures here they kept you topped up at all times, some local brands, some not e.g. absolute vodka. local beer on tap but no complaints from the hubby or brother in law. Large cocktail list, champagne, house wine etc. My observations - only larger in mini fridge, champagne differed depending on which bar you were at some were not very nice. Travel club customers had access in some restaurants to spirits not available to the rest e.g jack Daniels (fair enough they have to get something extra I suppose) however in Hemingway’s bar, those drinks were available to all guests as part of their all inclusive package but only there and that unfortunately was a adult only bar so families travelling paying for the same amenities were restricted because these drinks were limited to an adult only bar which felt unfair. In some restaurants they tried to show you a wine list which was not free and would be charged to your room but you can get wine and champagne as part of the package so don’t pay unless you are a real wine lover and want to test. There is also a wine bar but again that is not part of the all inclusive package. There were bars at every pool, in every lobby, on the beach, in restaurants. You didn’t have to look far to get a drink which was great.
Food
Amazing! We tried almost every restaurant
Mexican - there was more Mexican food offered in the buffets at lunch than on the menu in the Mexican and portions were small but the food was nice.
Spanish - love it - the food was beautiful but it is tapas so don’t expect to walk in and get a paella.
Chinese - lovely food enjoyed it here
Japanese - show cooking at its best - food was lovely - reservation is a must!
Italian - bit dark in here but food was beautiful we went back twice - gets busy even in low season so book if you can.
Steakhouse - food was cooked well but something was missing for us and we were underwhelmed we just can’t put our finger on why - again gets busy so book if you can
Indian - food was so nice here and lots to chose from
Argentina- we came here more or less having just got off a 9 hour flight with limited sleep so were unfair on this place as we just didn’t enjoy it - but if you’re a meat lover give it a go
Buffets
We went to cathedral everyday for breakfast but all more of less offered the same. Showcooking for omelettes fried eggs and crepe, fresh fruit, yoghurt, continental, Spanish sausage and bacon, hash browns, porridge, cereal, smoothies, cakes, pastries - so much choice - even Bloody Mary and champagne if you fancied it. Fresh, clean & plentiful. There were some birds that managed to get into the dining area but they never landed by people they went to empty table to steal the sugar sachets and they were few and far between. Waiters were refilling coffee cups, cleaning your plates as soon as you had moved onto another - perfect service.
Similar experience at lunchtime and dinner in all the buffets but even more choice and showcooking - fresh meat and fish cooked in front of you, Italian, Mexican, Spanish, salad, vegetables, bread, cheese - I could go on and on we were spoilt for choice - oh and the deserts were to die for.
Sports bar 24 hours - food was a little more stale if you took from the counter but I understand they had a menu they could cook fresh from although I never tried this and kids often went in here when they were peckish for a doughnut or ice cream.
Room service 11am-11pm - we ordered twice after a full on day at the pool. Good selection in the menu but food only we could not order drinks
Allergies - they were really keen on this. They had allergy cards they gave you on arrival if applicable - asked you each time you entered a restaurant and took you to the buffet to show you what was and wasn’t safe to eat. We had two of our party with nut allergies so this was really reassuring
Amenities
Gym - Great! Could be cooler but equipment is vast and spot on
Spa - didn’t use
Shops - handbag shops, clothes, general store etc but all expensive - we didn’t buy
Kids club - it bothered me that I didn’t have to fill out a form about our boys with health, age, contact details for parents etc. The woman in the junior club did not understand a word our children said and whilst the facilities were great, the activities on offer for children aged 4-12 was too young for our children but they were allowed to use the facilities as free time if they wished but if we did that they did not have to sign in and could come and go as they pleased which made me nervous so they only used the clubs twice
Doctors - thankfully we didn’t need to use this service but they were open 24hours if needed. I did need something from the Pharmacy though and spoke to reception who had the pharmacy drop off at reception 30 mins later - this was at 9pm
Sports centre - all outdoors and brilliant! Basket ball court, football court, table tennis, badminton, volleyball, multiple tennis courts, mini golf, large chess boards and archery. Fab for the children when they were growing tired of the pool.
Entertainment/activities
There is always something going on but whilst you have an activity timetable it’s not always as advertised and the timetable doesn’t necessarily always say where the activity is taking place but to give you some ideas
Aqua aerobic
Pool bike class
Yoga both sunrise and sunset
Dance lesson (only around 20 mins and always round be pool)
Cigar rolling
Towel modelling
Bingo
Waterpolo
Ping pong tournament
Darts tournament
Football on the beach
Bar tending lessons
Pool parties including live DJ and foam parties
Evening entertainment
There is a theatre which does a show every night - sometimes very cringeworthy and never sing live BUT the dancing on the Michael Jackson show and the skill of the circus show is brilliant - it’s just too late at night it doesn’t start until 10:15 and our children were falling asleep in their chairs by this time so we missed many shows for that reason.
Other than that there wasn’t really any other entertainment for the children on an evening. There was lobby music and of course the casino and night club but we often found ourselves back in the room by 10:30 as a family.
On a weekend, locals come to stay for the weekend. At this time the restaurants and buffets get very busy so be prepared to maybe wait a bit longer or find that that the waiters aren’t getting to you as quickly as normal.
Overall we had an amazing time and left feeling so relaxed and well fed. Thank you Grand Palladium Punta Cana
