Grand Palladium Bavaro Resort & Spa

good times, good price

Hotel was excellent. Service and staff were great. Definitely enjoyed the included imported and domestic alcoholic beverages. Negatives: 1) the local presence on hotel grounds constantly trying to sell gifts and excursions. They don’t leave you alone. 2) no nightlife at hotel at all. You have to go out if you dare. 3) you don’t want to leave resort. Its mostly all very poor farmland area. 4) although a pretty large selection of food, its not very good. Other than that, it was awesome. landscaping was beautiful. Plenty to do at hotel (except nightlife). I would definitely go again

Traveler's tip on local attractions

There’s nothing to see. Book as many excursions as possible to keep yourself busy or just stay at hotel and swim, eat and drink.

Thoroughly enjoyable

Thoroughly enjoyable

Wonderful staff

We enjoyed our stay at the Palladium Bavaro very much. This was our first trip with our 9 mos. old daughter. Everyone at the hotel went out of their way to welcome us and our daughter. She made many friends with the staff during our stay there (she loved watching them make crepes every morning). Our hotel room had some serious ant issues, which is our only complaint. The beach was beautiful, great food, beautiful grounds.

Very pleased...

With so many choices my husband and I weren’t sure if we had made the right one. Fortunately for us we did! The premises were beautiful and the staff was great too!!!

Traveler's tip on dining

The buffets are great and faster, some of a la carte restaurants were a little slow with their service.

Would go back

The hotel was very well kept including the rooms. The food in the buffet theme nights was good. You could always find something to eat, even if your picky.The Italian and Spanish rest. are the best in the resort. Get up early, 6:30 am to get a palapa at the beach. The ocean breeze is amazing.

Stay somewhere else

No one speaks English! The tropical drinks are, not tropical, they are terrible! Three out of four of the adults we were with got sick, and almost a week later two of us are still sick. You have to wear a plastic bracelet the entire time you are there! No one is friendly and the beach is loaded with people trying to sell you something!

What a beautiful way to live

More English spoken and understood PLEASE

We had an excellent time on our honeymoon!

My husband and I stayed at the Grand Palladium from August 19th-25th of 2007. We absolutely loved our stay, especially the flawless beach/ocean and scenery. We chose the most basic room and were happy with what we found - mini fridge with drinks that is refilled 3x a week, garden view, comfortable bed, clean room, etc. We did like the food, but as others have said, it was not amazing. We aren’t picky eaters and found ourselves at the pasta/Italian section quite often. There is something to eat for everyone and while it isn’t world famous food, it is good. We also had a fantastic time on the beach every day. We didn’t have to reserve any chairs, maybe because of the time of year we went. There were various beach activities going on throughout the day - we participated in the beach volleyball and dancing. Good times! We also did para sailing and loved every minute of it! There weren’t many, if any, English speaking individuals there. We encountered mainly French and other Spanish-speaking couples and families. Remember that a lot of women go topless on the beaches (though most should probably just keep those tops on anyway!)! Overall, a fantastic trip and glad we chose the Palladium.

Traveler's tip on dining

We used our vouchers on three of the four nights and found we liked the food better at the buffet anyway.

Not impressed

Well... the rooms were no good. Beds were like sleeping on rocks, we had ants in the room and on the bed. We had mosquitos everywhere and bees were all over the resort. At night, they shut off all the lights so you have no clue where you are going, it is pitch black. The food was ok, not the greatest. And the resort is not spread out well.. most rooms are far from the beach, pool, and food... so be prepared to walk ALOT! Customer service was mostly good except the front desk, they have no clue what they are doing.

Highly Recommend to friends, plan to return

Very beatiful exotic grounds and hotel. I felt they had anticipated all our needs. The food, service and staff are the best I come across anywhere. The buffet had the familiar entrees plus exotic cold cuts. They vary every day. Try the unfamiliar foods and you will discover something new you will love. The sands are soft and clean and the water an appealing clear green. Very clean rooms, pools and grounds. Lots of acivities at all times so never a dull moment if you want action; disco, casino, two night clubs, pool side games and dance lessons. Although there are lots of people you don’t feel crowded, you get immediate service due to a large friendly staff. The guests are mosly europeans from Germany, Spain, Scandinavia,France and UK. Some Canadians and Puerto Ricans, you meet some interesting people with different perspectives. Most Germans speak english well and want to know about the US. Lots of young attractive people.

Traveler's tip on local attractions

Suggest you take the tour that visits the country’s capital, it is a good value for an all day tour 7AM to 10 PM.

Overall good

The hotel was really big, but after the first day we were able to walk around and figured out short cuts to the beach and pool. My husband and I went with 2 other couples and we all had a good time. Rooms were nice and hotel had a great night life with a disco, theater, and casino. I woke up early and RSVP lounge chairs with a umbrella. so not problem there. Food was ok-but you were able to find something you liked b/c they had a lot of choices.

Traveler's tip on nightlife

The Disco had white night on Sunday. So figure out when it is-so you don’t wear it before hand. It was a cute idea-we had a good time.

very impressed

the best hotel so far I have in the long time

Great hotel; exceptional value

First time to Punta Cana and we were very happy with our hotel choice. The Grand Palladium resort is beautiful. The beach is awesome, as are the grounds, rooms, and food. We had 6 adults and 9 teens in our group and everyone enjoyed themselves. I would return to this hotel w/o hesitation.

Traveler's tip

Although it is not required, tipping is very much appreciated. Bring plenty of one dollar bills.

awesome place to stay!

I stayed at this hotel from May 21st to the 25th, 2007. This seemed to be their slow season, but because of that, we had no problems getting dinner reservations or finding chairs at either the beach or pools. It was fun, clean, and for the most part everyone spoke english well enough to get by. Some of the pool bartenders were harder to communicate with, but "pinacolada" is the same in any language!!! We had a lot of fun, and would definitly recommend staying there. I would definitly go back.

Traveler's tip

Bring a power strip! There is a standard US plug behind the refirgerator/TV that we were able to use to run our own hairdryers, cell phone/ipod chargers, etc.

Felt like a Queen

Never having been to an All-Inclusive hotel, this was way to go!!!! The hotel, the service, the cleanliness and the employees were all excellent. I was so pleased! There was plenty to do (and plenty of food to eat).

Traveler's tip

Take the train around the resort a few times so you are not missing out on anything (its easy to miss something since its so big).

Paradise!!!!!

My husband and I were a little skeptical at first because of the negative reviews but the minute our shuttle pulled up into the hotel- we were thoroughly impressed! The grounds were amazing- perfectly kept and gorgeous. We were upgraded to a suite which had a living room and a jacuzzi. We were only a few steps away from the beach which was simply breathtaking! The water was such a blue-green and the sand so powdery white. There were plenty of topless sunbathers on the beach but rarely did we see any at the pool. Our favorite pool was the one in front of "LA UVA" restaurant-it was huge with an island of palm trees and a swim-up bar. The disco was a blast- they played all types of music- lots of spanish music, pop, techno, etc. Take the train back to your room- your feet will thank you. By the way, the train passes every 15 minutes and makes navigating around the resorts much easier and faster. I can’t say enough about this place. Excellent food (the best buffet is the next to the lobby), excellent service, beautiful beach and pool, perfect drinks (not at all watered down), and just AWESOME overall. We are already planning on going back with other couples!

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

I only have 2 tips- wake up early and reserve your chairs if you need shade (7am!)and make your restaurant reservations the day you arrive (they fail to tell you that you only get a certain amount od reservation tickets- we got 3 for an 8 day stay).

Somewhat dissapointing...

We expected a great hotel, but it was a little dissapointing. We had to wait about 45 minutes for our room to be ready when we got there. Bed was uncomfortable. Lunch was mediocre, although breakfast and dinner was very good. The beach is great (must get your chair early in the morning) and it was definitiely a relaxing time, which is what we were looking for. But the quality of the hotel was not that great. There are so many options in the area, there must be better hotels.

A perfect vacation spot!

My husband and I based our hotel selection primarily on the reviews and we did real goooood!Even though other resorts were a little more expensive, this one came so highly recommended that we went with the Palladium. It was great! Cleanliness is a real priority with us and it surpassed our expectations.The food was very good,the choices were abundant.The beach was a mile long,beautiful soft sand, clear weed free ocean. You just need to get your cabana early in the AM, trade in your beach towels for clean ones at the end of your beach day so you can save your area early the next day.i would go back there in a heartbeat.The staff was very accomodating, although English is not their second language.Be prepared for many foreign, topless vacastioners. If you like the beach, this is the place to be.

Traveler's tip for business travelers

Buy some vanilla at the resort store, but put it in yor checked luggage.

Nice hotel with a great beach

This is a nice hotel with a bunch of 2 story villas set in a tropical coco-nut palm garden. The beach is great. Buffet restaurants are good. We were supposed to have 3 diners at a la carte restaurants, however upon check-up we were told we could only have one. We chose the Spanish restaurant and it was OK, not great though. Another disappointment - we came at 3:30 and at the check-up they told us our room was not ready. We had to wait till 5 pm, and the people at the service desk did not even apologize. Be aware that there is no any clock in the room and there is no ATM machine in the hotel. Gift shop only takes credit card for over $50, so bring enough cash.

Manati park was ok. My 11 year old daughter had a swim with dolphins and it was very short (too short for the money!), but she liked it anyway and they took great pictures of her with the dolphins.

Extremely polite and helpful service. Rooms were beautiful and clean. Many activities every night.

This hotel is huge, but there are trollies you can ride to get around the property. Beaches were wonderful as well as the pool and the rooms. Several restaurants to choose from with spectacular food and service. We highly recommend this hotel.

Traveler's tip on recreational activities

Many recreational activities that can be booked directly from the hotel.

not organize

when i open the room door they where pleople slepping in the room, the beds full really hard, the bathroom discusting, but the food was great. we go 4 times a year to Punta Cana always a new hotel, my english is not to good, sorry

Traveler's tip on dining

Good food

Not impressed

The service is not good, the room has problem with the light, the door in the shower has problem too.. The restaurants are only by reservation, and if you go for less than 7 days, you only get one dinner.. the rest is buffet.

Looking forward to next stay.

This hotel complex is huge, but easy to get around. The service was fantastic, and food was excellent. You never felt crowded at any of the bars. Specialty restaurants need reservations but are well worth the time.

Traveler's tip

Sports bar is an excellent place to visit. There is a bar, and food 24 hours a day. Self serve ice cream and snacks. Pool table and internet access are here also.

Worth every penny

Great Service. Amazing Beach. Would go back.

Excellent Vacation!

What a beautiful vacation! This was exactly what my husband and I were looking for: a beautiful location/ beach, warm weather, lots of R&R. The grounds of this hotel are gorgeous. They are well maintained and you always see people working to keep things clean. The beach is just like you see in the travel ads with fine white sand, blue waters, and beautiful palm trees. There was seaweed in the water - but I didn’t think it was too bad - its the ocean - what do you expect? As for the rooms - they - were ok. We got the deluxe room, and it was pretty standard. The bathroom seemed a bit moldy? around the top of the walls - I mean if you looked for it. As for bugs - we did get some mosquito bites. We also found 2 creepy crawly bugs in our room - but nothing too bad. Food: was pretty good - we did the buffet every night. They have the standard foods everyday, and then each night there is a theme like Asian, Italian, etc - so there was variety there. I was worried about the language barrier, but I really didn’t have any problems. Everyone was very friendly - just give a smile and an "hola" even to other vacationers. Summary: I would definitely recommend this hotel if you are looking for a beautiful location. Beach and grounds were stunning. Rooms were average, food was pretty good. Great value for the price!

Traveler's tip on nightlife

We went to one show at the hotel and found it to be quite cheesy. The dance club was fun - hubby and I like to dance =) The lobby has live music every night - also pretty good, though it got a little repetitive after a few nights.