Onsite Review: Palladium & Wyndham Couple Up

DECK AND POOLPalladium & Wyndham Couple UpBy Regina BarabanEntering the Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort & Spa, I immediately felt ensconced in spacious, modern luxury and all my travel stress melted away. My visit was part of a celebratory event to mark the Palladium Hotel Group’s new alliance with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, which added 14 all-inclusive TRS and Grand Palladium properties to Wyndham’s luxury Registry Collection. During my time at the resort, I experienced much of what makes this distinctive property special.Located 35 minutes away from the Cancun airport, the 50.6-acre Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres has 660 suites in various locations on the sprawling beachfront campus, with buildings connected by scenic canals. Among the amenities are four pools, eight a la carte restaurants, 19 themed bars, a unique Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre, Palladium’s signature Chic Cabaret dinner show and my personal favorite, the Zentropia Palladium Spa & Wellness. Oh, and there’s also a long, lovely white-sand beach. Clients can stroll the landscaped walkways or hop on canal boats or open-air shuttles to visit the different resort destinations, including the adjacent adults-only TRS resort. Overall, the Grand Palladium campus feels like a self-contained and secluded resort village, with spots to unwind, spots for romantic interludes and spots to party. Offerings include everything from Family Selection, a beautiful hotel-within-a-hotel purpose designed for families, to the Weddings Palladium program for personalized wedding packages and event services. During my tour of the property, I was impressed by the fact that clients experience five-star luxury anywhere they stay, with friendly, attentive service and guestroom amenities such as extra-large soaking tubs.FOODPalladium + Wyndham AllianceClients can now use Wyndham Rewards points to book the 14 Palladium Hotel Group properties currently in Wyndham’s Registry Collection. “Joining forces with Wyndham means that 2023 is going to be an even more successful year for the Palladium Hotel Group,” Jesus Sobrino, CEO, Palladium Hotel Group, tells Recommend during an onsite interview along with Lisa Borromeo Checchio, chief marketing officer, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. “The alliance, and being part of Wyndham Rewards, allows us to be more in front of the American market. We want American travel advisors to know we are ready for them.” For Wyndham, the affiliation brings a new collection of all-inclusive luxury resorts to the company’s portfolio. “We’re excited to talk about these all-inclusive Palladium resorts that offer such a wide range of options,” says Checchio. She noted that as leisure travelers from the U.S. come back
to traveling after the pandemic pause and have more confidence about going out of the country, they feel comfortable and excited about visiting Mexico and the Caribbean. Also, “from a leisure perspective, there is a huge demand to stay at all-inclusive resorts,” she says.BATH During the grand celebration to mark the new alliance, the resort hosted a spectacular event at the Chic Cabaret and Restaurant, showcasing the talents of more than 20 singers, dancers and acrobats while guests enjoyed a multi-course gourmet dinner. The not-to-be-missed, adults-only dinner show offers clients a dazzling three hours of nonstop entertainment. In addition to the Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres, the Wyndham alliance includes Grand Palladium Colonial Resort & Spa, Grand Palladium Kantenah Resort & Spa and Grand Palladium White Sand Resort & Spa in Riviera Maya, TRS Yucatan Hotel in Riviera Maya, Grand Palladium Vallarta Resort & Spa (Riviera Nayarit), Grand Palladium Palace Resort Spa & Casino, Grand Palladium Punta Cana Resort & Spa and Grand Palladium Bavaro Suites Resort & Spa (Dominican Republic); TRS Turquesa Hotel and TRS Cap Cana Hotel (Dominican Republic), Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort & Spa and Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa (Jamaica); and Grand Palladium Imbassai Resort & Spa (Brazil).TENNIS CENTERWeddings, VIP-StyleRomance is in the air throughout the Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres campus, with many options for intimate experiences, such as wine and cheese for two on the beach. Whether at a beachfront gazebo, lush garden lawn or gorgeously decorated function room, “romance and luxury go hand-in-hand here,” says Sobrino. Weddings, honeymoons and vow renewals are a big part of the resorts’ offerings. As part of the Weddings by Palladium program, resort amenities include a dedicated wedding planner, a choice of ceremony locations, breakfast in bed for the newlyweds, honeymoon amenities, a wedding gift, free access to the hydrotherapy area at Zentropia Spa & Wellness and 15 percent discount on spa services, a guestroom upgrade (subject to availability) and more. Private dining experiences for couples range from a moonlight dinner on the beach to a formal romantic dinner with upgraded wine and gourmet fare to a twilight photo shoot and dinner. Renowned wedding planner Karen Bussen has designed a spectrum of possibilities for the Wedding by Palladium program, sharing her expertise in food, wine, flowers and hospitality to design VIP-level experiences and help every couple to create personalized, one-of-a-kind celebrations. Contact InformationPalladium Hotel Group: palladiumhotelgroup.com/en Wyndham Hotels & Resorts: wyndhamhotels.com

COVEREXPLORA JOURNEYSTable of ContentsPALLADIUMPALLADIUM SPREADEditor's NotesSANDALSSANDALS SPREADIndustry InsightsPALLADIUM 1Advisor SpeakSpecial Section: Cruising into 2023Onboard Review: 10 Top Hits on Board Celebrity BeyondOnboard Review: Virgin’s Valiant Lady—For the Young at HeartOnboard Review: MSC Seascape—A Peek Inside MSC Cruises’ Newest ShipSEABOURN SCSEABOURN CRUISESEXPLORA JOURNEYS SCLove & Luxury in Mexico and the CaribbeanAn Interview with Frank Maduro: Advisors are Key for KarismaAn Interview with Armin Asceric: SunSwept Resorts Delivers in the Wellbeing SegmentSANDALS SCEMPORIO CANCUN SCEMPORIO CANCUNSAINT LUCIA SCSAINT LUCIAOnsite Review: Palladium & Wyndham Couple UpGlobal: G’day, Mates—Three Tour Operators Talk Down UnderOnsite Review: QatarGOWAY TRAVEL SCEDU HOUSE ADAMERICAN CRUISE LINES