Grand Palladium Kantenah Resort and Spa - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

10624 reviews

• 

  Take me back!!

  I can not fault this hotel at all. I really don't understand some of the negative reviews. For the money we paid, I thought it was excellent value and it is by far the best resort we have ever stayed. I am sure some of the poor reviews are from American or Canadian travellers who have never experienced European all inclusive food and service, because then they would understand just how good this hotel is. The grounds are extensive and the buggies dropping you off around the resort are very welcome, as walking in that heat is tiring. We enjoyed the gym each morning and the equipment is very good, a lot better cared for than my own gym at home. We preferred the White Sands Pool during the day, it was less deep and less noisy than than the Colonial pool. The afternoon entertainment at the White Sands was also good, the live band (Goliath) and the DJ were especially good. We also enjoyed the free boat trip around the lagoon at the White Sands. There is also less wildlife at the White Sands pool. Only Iguanas. However at the Colonial pool there were lots of Coatis rummaging through peoples bags and stealing food and monkeys who would approach you if you took food out of the buffet. It was great to see but not very relaxing when you have to keep an eye on your beach bags. Coatis raided my bag whilst I was in the pool and I had no food in it. They just left my hair clamps and a empty bottle of sun cream scattered under my sunbed. The food was very enjoyable. Again I refer back to European all inclusive and it is far superior here to any European destination. With so many different restaurants to choose from. Our favourites were probably the Thai (Bamboo) and the chicken at the Brazilian (Bahia e Brasai) was the softest and most flavoursome chicken I have ever eaten. We did not try the Fish restaurant as it was closed during our stay, or the Mexican as we did not fancy anything from the menu (You can check the menus on the app for all restaurants before booking) The only restaurant we were not keen on was the Italian (Portofino) We found the food lukewarm, which for an a la carte was strange. Buffets were all good. There are 3 to choose from for breakfast and 2 for lunch and dinner. As with any buffet the food is repetitive but we found that some buffets had more options than others. The White Sands buffet (La Dalia) had a lot less options for breakfast than the Colonial buffet (La Hacienda) Both the White Sands and the Colonial pool bars for lunch were exactly the same foods, but we always found something to eat. We found that if we mixed up what we had for lunch each day, then it was less repetitive. Pasta one day, burgers the next, tacos another day. etc. The Sports Bar food for me was not as good. We had lunch there one day and it wasn't great. Greasy food and not very tasty. But the help yourself popcorn was good. And they also had a coffee machine to help yourself too. They also brought out some fried chicken, hot dogs and burgers one evening when we were there to watch a game. That was good, but only because we managed to get some when it was just brought out. Had it been sat there for a while it would have been cold quickly as the air con on the sports bar is the coldest in the entire hotel. Rooms we found perfectly adequate. Minibar replenished every day and only once did we not have fresh towels, but after speaking with the front desk, we had someone arrive with fresh towels within minutes. As for the old Mexican belly! There was a group of 8 of us in total and almost all of us came down with stomach issues at some point. I honestly do not think it had anything to do with the food or cleanliness of the hotel. We all ate different things at the restaurants and buffets. Plus the hotel is spotlessly clean. If you want my opinion on why people get sick, I believe it is two things, 1, the sugar syrups in the drinks. A lot of the cocktails use the sugar syrups, even the kids cocktails have them. Out of our group, all of the members that drank the cocktails during the day had a case of Mexican belly. 2, Peoples hygiene at the buffets. I witnessed numerous people with zero hygiene awareness at the buffets. Not using hand sanitiser upon entry to the buffet and then cutting slices of bread without a napkin covering their unwashed hands. People picking up food and placing it back. Children being allowed by their parents to touch and poke food and I witnessed a man take a spoonful of sauce from a jar, taste it and then put the spoon back in! I really think people need to be aware of how they are treating buffets, that a lot of other people are using. Finally the staff. Can not fault them. I witnessed them take a lot of abuse from some guests and they really do work their hardest at making people happy. Maybe they are under staffed in some areas but that is not their fault. Thy go above and beyond to give people the best experience. I'd like to mention Santos at Bamboo. Excellent waiter and very attentive. Highly amusing and a pleasure to have met him. And Italia on the concierge desk at Kantenah lobby. She was fantastic. She helped us out a lot with booking restaurants and she was always polite and helpful. She is a credit to the hotel. When we informed her it was our last day, she had a gift sent up to our room, which was very appreciated. All in all. We loved our stay and we will be back.

  Dec 08, 2025
• 

  Wonderful hotel

  In September 25 we stayed at the Grand Palladium in Mexico. The hotel is amazing, it’s clean, big and many areas to explore and enjoy. The basic rooms are a bit dark, but if you can afford to upgrade to family section swim up room, you will not regret it. With the upgrade you can use every restaurant, every swimming pool and every square inch of the complex, which is vast and beautifully designed and maintained. We ate in most of the restaurants in our month there, but our favourite by far was The Nest. In the morning Diana and Kenia were there to greet us with a smile ,and in the evening, it was the lovely Fernanda on hand. The Chang Thai and The El Dorado restaurant were also outstanding. All of the staff are kind, friendly and very helpful but Isis, Lucia ( the lifeguard ), Diana, Kenia and Fernanda all stand out above all others. You will not regret booking here, and if you can go for a swim up room you will not be disappointed. Well done Palladium, you have a lovely hotel staffed by wonderful people.

  Dec 06, 2025
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  Great stay

  Great resort. Tons of wildlife. Friendly and helpful staff with great service. Good alcohol options and tons of activities to do whether you are young or old. Great pool facilities. Very clean. No sickness. Would definitely visit again.

  Dec 05, 2025
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  Holiday

  Very nice resort lovely staff nice food, lots to explore within the resort, lovely beach, plenty of seats round the pool and beach, staff friendly and accommodating, very clean, money well spent not over priced, lots of animals around the resort to see. Would book again.

  Dec 05, 2025
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  No Complaints!

  We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The resort is immaculate and sprawling, which we loved. It never felt too crowded and there was so much green space all around, which was so beautiful. We really got to enjoy the flora and fauna of the area. Lastly, but definitely not least, I can’t say enough good things about the staff there. We’ll definitely be coming back!

  Dec 03, 2025