The Grand Palladium Riviera Resort Summation by Judy and Maria
Location. The Grand Palladium Riviera Resort is an approximately one- and one-half hour direct ride from the Cancun International Airport. The resort is located near the town of Akumal and approximately 25 minutes from the hotel is the town of Playa del Carmen. The Grand Palladium Riviera Resort is perfectly situated in the heart of the Mayan sightseeing district.
The ride from the Cancun International Airport to the Grand Palladium Riviera Resort is approximately two and one-half hours when using the motor coach transfers. The highway has become very busy and congested with traffic. The ride is time-consuming because the motor coach stops at hotels along the corridor to drop off vacationers. We recommend the purchase of the nonstop transfers at the cost of $30.00 USD per person or the private transfers at the cost of $50.00 USD per person. The transfers will cut at least one hour off of the drive time and are much more relaxing and convenient, especially when vacations have an early morning flight departure. The nonstop and private transfers can be arranged by the travel entrepreneurs at Judy and Maria’s Travel, Inc.
Ecological. The Grand Palladium Riviera Resort is Ecological ... Tropical … and Natural. The White Sand Resort has been constructed on and around a large, man-made salt water lake. The hotel is ecological with bright-colored gardens, wildlife, palm trees, mangroves and flowing water throughout. This construction of resort was a monumental fete. Guests will find lighted and marked pathways for walking the property(s).
Two Trains (Purchased in Italy), one red and one green navigate the resort complex, stopping to pick up guests at marked points along the complex and dropping guests off at the lobbies of all four hotels. This allows easy access for guests to get from one hotel to another within the complex. Guests were having a great time riding the trains, especially when the trains go over the bridges. One afternoon a young girl (age 11) was on train. She informed us that since arriving at the hotel she has been riding the trains continuously because it was so much fun. Everyone was laughing as she narrated to all on board every feature of the resort. She informed us that her mother and brother were on the beach but had nothing to worry about because security would not allow her to leave the hotel. The child was such a delight!
Two boats navigate the salt water lake and pick up guests at launch sites located off the lobbies of White Sand and Riviera Cancun Resorts. We enjoyed our rides around the lake.
Jogging. Early each morning we noted guests running the walkways around the resorts.
“Stay at one, play at four” . . . Guests vacationing at the Grand Palladium Riviera Resort have full access to all of the facilities, bars and restaurants of the Grand Palladium Kantenah Resort, the Grand Palladium Colonial Resort, and the Grand Palladium White Sand Resort.
Grand Palladium Colonial
Grand Palladium Kantenah
Grand Palladium White Sand
Grand Palladium Riviera
The Grand Palladium Resort complex is large, yet guests experience the feeling of low density due the skillful design of the property. We noted that we seldom left the comfort of the Grand Palladium Riviera Resort to venture out to the other hotels in the complex. One morning Maria decided to time her walk from the Grand Palladium Riviera to the Grand Palladium Kantenah – end-to-end. The time: 25-minutes.
Guest Rooms. All of the guest rooms (Junior Suite, Suite, and Cabana Suite) at the Grand Palladium Riviera Resort are luxurious, comfortable and accommodating. The Junior Suite are spacious and comfortable and feature a large whirlpool on the balcony or terrace.
Dining Options at the Grand Palladium Riviera Resort. Guests have the selection of dining at any of the restaurants (buffet and á la carte) in the Grand Palladium Resort complex. Reservations are required for dining in the á la carte restaurants and a voucher system applies.
Dining at the Grand Palladium Riviera Resort is all about food preference and there are so many options that one will never be bored and even the most finicky diner will be satisfied.
We had the opportunity to dine at the following restaurants:
Rodizio “Espeto Corrido”
The Rodizio á la carte restaurant is a Brazilian dining experience. The waiters serve hand-carved meats on skewers. The selections are carved to order at your dining table. The selections on the evening we dined at the Rodizio were:
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Beef
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Port
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Turkey
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Lamb
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Sausage
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Chicken
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Vegetables
We thoroughly enjoyed dining at the Rodizio. “Good Friends, Good Wine, Good Food”
BBQ Grill “Ribs and More”
Ribs and More á la carte restaurant features ribs, chicken, steaks and much more and is the perfect selection for good old home style American selections. The décor at Ribs and More was Western motif and a nice touch was the “diner-style” booths set up along the walls of the restaurant.
We selected for our appetizer chicken fingers with honey mustard sauce. Our main course selection was pork ribs with corn-on-the-cob and other vegetables. We selected the flan for dessert. All of our selections were well prepared and flavorful.
El Dorado Restaurant
Our third á la carte restaurant selection was at the El Dorado Restaurant at the Grand Palladium Colonial. The rib-eye steaks in peppercorn sauce are tremendous.
We would like to note that the buffet restaurants in the Grand Palladium Resort complex are all wonderful and enjoyable dining experiences. We particularly enjoyed the themed cooking stations and the numerous theme nights, Italian selections made to order. Pasta . . . Pizza . . . Hand-carved Meats . . . and so much more. We sometimes say to ourselves that the buffet restaurants are our favorites because of the vast selection of well-prepared fresh food that we can personally select.
Pools. The pools at the Grand Palladium White Sand Resort are large, lagoon-style pools. The 
pools feature Roman-columned whirlpools in the center and along the wall are in-the-water lounge chairs for sunbathing. There are ample lounge chairs and shade palapas situated around the pool areas.
The salt water pool on the ocean is breathtaking and features tiered layers with palapas for lounging under the shade or the sun. The salt water in the pool is fed by the ocean and the water level rises and lowers with the tide. We noticed that guests were building rock statues on the beach (similar to those on Easter Island). The beach by the salt water pool is perfect for snorkeling, quiet lounging and long walks.
Located near the salt-water pool is a beach bar and restaurant. The restaurant features numerous lunch selection such as chicken sandwiches, fries, hot dogs, and hamburgers. Located nearby were local vendors selling t-shirts, sarongs, and souvenirs. The Grand Palladium White Sand salt-water pool is unique
Beach. The beach at the Grand Palladium Riviera Resort is 1-1/2 miles of white powde
r-like sand! The beach is great for snorkeling, sunbathing, and for long walks enjoying a glorious sunrise or sunset. This beach is magnificent! In our opinion, the Grand Palladium Resort and Spa offers guests one of the best beaches in Riviera Maya corridor! There are more than adequate numbers of Palapas and beach chairs for sunbathing. Located off-shore is a coral reef. The sea water is warm, calm and peaceful with breathtaking views of palm trees and turquoise and azure to deeper blue sea water. On the left side of the beach is a very good snorkeling area. Snorkeling equipment is offered free of charge for one hour per day per guest (guests may be able to keep equipment longer dependant upon occupancy of the resort).
Entertainment. Entertainment options at the Grand Palladium Riviera are varied and wonderful! The theater is located adjacent to lobby and is open-aired. The resort offeres waiter service for drinks (in glass not plastic) at the theater. The caliber of the entertainment is top-notch. One 
evening the show was a Las Vegas Review and the costuming was beautiful (costumes are made on site). The shows are very professionally presented and choreographed. You just won't believe it until you see it! One evening the show was a comedy show with a twist - impersonators of Whitney Houston, Elvis, Michael Jackson just to name a few. The Grand Palladium's team of entertainers are energetic, well-rehearsed and fresh! Take note of the costumes, backgrounds and the lighting. You will enjoy the shows, especially the children who are asked to participate on the stage!
Sunset Boulevard Disco The Sunset Boulevard Disco is said to be one of the best discos between Cancun and Tulum. This disco is extremely high energy and well decorated - a 50s theme -a wonderful atmosphere for all. A sports car is located inside the entrance of the disco. Located around the bar are full-sized mannequins of Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean. Posters of Hollywood with neon tube lighting are hung on the walls. A glass wall featuring guitars signed by famous artists are hung on plexi-glass between the sitting area and the bar area. The dance floor is black and white checked and is illuminated by the disco's lighting Teenagers are allowed to use the disco from 9:30 PM to 10:30 PM and adults only from 11:00 PM and 2:00 AM. Don't miss out on the fun!
Kid Club. The Palladium Resorts are well-known for their fabulous children's program featuring daily social, recreational and sports activities for children ages 4-to 12-years. A nice feature of the Grand Palladium Kids Club is the location - near the beach where parents can view the children playing. The area is fenced in and offers structured activities.
Spa fitness center. During your vacation at the Grand Palladium Riviera Resort, schedule an appointment for one of the many spa treatments at the Grand Palladium Spa. This large spa is most likely one of the most spectacular spas in Riviera Maya. The Grand Palladium Spa features winding pools, whirlpools, 17 indoor massage cabins, outdoor massage cabins (great for midnight massages), a large gym equipped with the finest equipment, a beauty salon and much more. The Grand Palladium Spa is impressive