The Unofficial Palladium Resort Site

Hola'!!!

My Wife and I just returned from the Grand Palladium Kantenah. This was our first ever AI vacation and are already planning to head back for more. We had Mayan Suite #3606 and could not have been happier with it. Albeit, it's at the far end of the resort which had its advantages and disadvantages. Overall our experience was great and I cannot say enough good things about the Palladium. It was exactly what I expected it to be and more.

In planning our return trip however, I want to understand what else is out there. So I'm looking to the community for some advice. Was my research so flawless (or lucky) on this vacation that we ended up at the perfect resort? A ridiculous ratio of value for money? I mean, it worked out to be $110 pp per day to stay in a Mayan suite just steps away from the beach! Nothing at the Palladium seemed to cut corners either. It felt 5 stars to me even though I read it's actually 4.5 stars.

So what else is out there? Barcelo' worth a look for next year? Iberostars in Playacar? RIU? The Royal in Playa Del Carmen looks awesome. The Valentin is very appealing too. But as I research all of these places the sum total does not seem to get me where the Palladium did. Yes, some are nicer. More plush, perhaps better food? But there always seems to be a trade off in beach quality or pool size or the caste system, etc... I'm not into any of that. I want it all. The Palladium appears to be the only resort in the area that can come close to offering it. Am I too biased right now to see the good points of the other AIs?

Issues I have with Palladium:

Distance from airport: A good driver will take an hour. But with a few stops you'll be more like 2 hours. That was not cool. Much better on the ride back to the airport. Ummm...

Things I loved about Palladium:

Salt water pool was a pleasant surprise. I was not expecting an uncrowded swimming pool literally built into the ocean with a beach bar.

Spa: Are you kidding? While my wife paid a meager $64 for a 50 minute deep tissue massage, I swam in the beautiful pool, took a 20 minute menthol steam, did a little hot tubbing, and finished it off with this incredible hot pool sitting under a sunny hole in the roof. It was fantastic. We used the gym facilities every day. No extra charge. That's excellent.

Natural Surroundings: Iguanas are everywhere. It's fantastic. The wildlife ranged from what I think was an aardvark to these little raccoon type animals to crocs. The bridges and pathways through the mangroves made you feel like you were somewhere other than a built up mega-resort.

No Towel Game: At no point during our stay were we unable to find a fantastic place to sit. Never once did we worry about giving up our seats.

Food: Look, it's an AI. I didn't head in there with expectations of Nobu' or epicurean perfection or anything. I was very pleasantly surprised by the presentation of the dishes and each a la carte meal we had was thoroughly enjoyed. The buffets each morning offered a wide variety. My wife is a vegetarian and very strict with living a healthy lifestyle these days. She had zero problems finding great food to eat all week. I'm happy to report that I think she may have over-eaten.

Activities: Friday night there was a rock band in the Colonial lobby. The Sports Bar was going crazy watching Spain in the world cup. One of the beach bars is open 24 hrs. Segway tours of the resort. Yoga, aerobics, sports, kayaks, snorkeling, etc... The Disco looked cool if there were people ever in it.

Pools: Love the depth. Some may complain, but I like it. Pools are everywhere. 4 adult only. (complaint - they need to install some sort of skid / friction pads on the in-pool lounge chairs. You sit in them and just slide into the water.)

I could go on and on and on. See, I'm biased now. But I have zero experience with any of the other resorts. Can the L talk me out of booking the Palladium twice? What will I be missing out on?

P.S. - What are the "good" excursions to go on? Most of the zip lines and speed boats in the park looked pretty cheesy to me. Having grown up at the Jersey shore I've done plenty of para sailing, jet skiing, and that sort of touristy stuff. Outside of the ruins, what are some of the "real" attractions that will immerse us in this part of the world? Besides my favorite, eating tacos off the side of a cart in Playa del Carmen.