Onsite Review: Grand Palladium Punta Cana—Four Resorts in One

VIEW OF BEACHGrand Palladium in Punta Cana—Four Resorts in OneBy Cheryl RosenPass the three restaurants, turn right at the Teppanyaki, pass the Hemingway Bar, turn left at the casino, bear right to building 4000. After almost a week at the Grand Palladium Resort complex in Punta Cana—made up of Grand Palladium Bavaro Suites Resort & Spa, Grand Palladium Punta Cana Resort & Spa, Grand Palladium Palace Resort Spa & Casino and TRS Turquesa Hotel—I finally know how to find my room...and now it’s time to go home, sadly. It’s never really been an issue, though. Twice I got lost, and in a minute the golf carts zooming by stopped to pick me up and take me where I needed to go. Indeed, getting lost and wandering the lush grounds is just part of the experience, I quickly learned, when Recommend joined a group of 20 international journalists on this leg of an international press trip to check out Grand Palladium properties around the Caribbean. POOSIDE Our first impression: There is so much to do in this sprawling complex by the sea that you could easily stay for a week and have each day be a unique experience. You can take a golf cart, hop a shuttle bus or kick off your shoes and walk in the waves as you move among the four properties and 18 bars and restaurants that make up this sprawling tropical complex that stretches more than half a mile along Bavaro Beach. Choose TRS Turquesa Hotel for an adults-only higher-end vibe, or the 666-room Bavaro Suites Resort & Spa section for family-friendly villas, some with bunk beds. The first section to start it all—36 years ago—the Bavaro Suites property will be closing from April to December 2025 for a top-to-bottom renovation. But there is plenty more here in the meantime. And while parts of the resort are a good fit for more budget-conscious travelers—and high-school graduation and multi-gen family groups seem to abound—there’s something for everyone here. GUESTROOM The rooms in the largest and most central property, the 582-room Punta Cana Resort & Spa, were renovated in 2018, as were those in the 366-room Palace Resort Spa & Casino property. Note that there are no elevators and some bathrooms do not have showers, however, so be sure to make arrangements in advance to ensure that guests with mobility issues are on the ground floor. Each of the properties has bars and restaurants serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, and guests can eat where they like, though children are not allowed in the adults-only TRS section. There’s amazing sushi as well as a fun hibachi, Italian, French, Caribbean and Asian to choose from, not to mention Dominican beer, frosty drinks and champagne. But as with many all-inclusives, it’s important your clients make their reservations as soon as they arrive. They can beat the heat at the pool or beach in every complex, or opt for many of the first-floor rooms that have private swim-up pools. Your clients can also enjoy a game on one of the four tennis courts, 20 pickleball courts or two soccer fields at the Sports Center. For some more fun, they can head to the in-house casino or move their hips in a bachata class. For the younger set, a giant kids’ club comprises vast indoor/outdoor spaces. There are two groups, one for 18 months to 3 years and one for 4-12, plus babysitting is available in guestrooms in the evenings for an additional fee. For just $35, or free with a massage, hotel guests can start the day at the calm and luxurious Zentropia Palladium Spa & Wellness center, where the cascading water, soothing music and smell of eucalyptus form a backdrop to all manner of relaxation. Clients can walk the circuit from the sauna to the ice room to the steam room, immerse their muscles in the cold and hot tubs, and wrap their skin in three types of mud before or after the massage of their choice. Then have a healthy bite at the cafe and spend the afternoon by the quiet pool.CABERET RESTAURANT Our group waded into the bathtub-warm and gentle waves, attended mixology, yoga and pickleball classes, and took a break from the property to spend a day on beautiful nearby Saona Island. One evening we checked out the Chic Cabaret & Restaurant, where for an additional fee guests get a 6-course dinner and an intimate cabaret show. In the evenings, 10 different shows rotate at the theater, and artists perform up close and personal in the small venues in each lobby, where one can sit at the bar and listen while they’re waiting to be called for their dinner reservation. The Palladium Brand ShinesA number of travel advisors report good experiences at various Palladium properties throughout the Caribbean and Mexico, with vacation specialist Autumn Trussell-Murray, owner of Abundant Travel – Dream Vacations, saying she has always had a positive experience working with the brand. Contact InformationGrand Palladium Resort: palladiumhotelgroup.com/en/hoteles/republica-dominicana/punta-cana

COVERINCLUSIVE GATE 1INCLUSIVE GATE 2-3INCLUSIVE GATE 4Table of ContentsSANDALSSANDALS SPREADEditor's NotesEDU HOUSE ADAdvisor Speak: Making Waves in Cruise SalesIndustry Insights: USTOA puts Responsible Tourism Front and CenterCaribbean/Mexico: Island Hopping—Caribbean UpdateMexico: Good Vibrations—Eco-Friendly Vacays in MexicoCAYMANS ISLANDS SCCAYMAN ISLANDSINCLUSIVE COLLECTION SCINCLUSIVE COLLECTION ADINCLUSIVE COLLECTION SPREADPALLADIUM SPREADOnsite Review: Grand Palladium Punta Cana—Four Resorts in OneCruise: All-Around Wellness—For the Planet and Your ClientsOceania’s Marina is Back in ServiceOCEANIA SCOCEANIA CRUISESOnboard Review: Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse PointNorth America: Two Las Vegas Giants Put Focus on Healthy FutureMGM SCMGM RESORTSOnsite Review: Disney Magic Meets the BayouTURKISH AIRLINES