Punta Cana - Grand Palladium Bavaro Resort & Spa

Have stayed at the Grand Palladium 3 times. Although very comfortable, the rooms are getting a little worn. The grounds are beautiful and the food was good. Beautiful beaches.... .. More>

Have stayed at the Grand Palladium 3 times. Although very comfortable, the rooms are getting a little worn. The grounds are beautiful and the food was good. Beautiful beaches....

The beach was the cleanest and most beautiful that we have ever seen. .. More>

The beach was the cleanest and most beautiful that we have ever seen.

While this resort is great, they seem to now focus on preferred guests that are NOT APPLE guests. If you’re from their Palladium Travel Club or even some other travel agents, you get preferred seating at the nicer restaurants! When we tried to advance book, we could only make 10PM reservations or n .. More>

While this resort is great, they seem to now focus on preferred guests that are NOT APPLE guests. If you’re from their Palladium Travel Club or even some other travel agents, you get preferred seating at the nicer restaurants! When we tried to advance book, we could only make 10PM reservations or not at all.

The hotel was beautiful and the grounds were verry well kept. They did a very poor job of advsing us of hotel activities and amenities at check in. We were handed "pool cards" at check in. we wer never told they were actualy beach towel cards and we ended up spending $50 for tow beach towels tha .. More>

The hotel was beautiful and the grounds were verry well kept. They did a very poor job of advsing us of hotel activities and amenities at check in. We were handed "pool cards" at check in. we wer never told they were actualy beach towel cards and we ended up spending $50 for tow beach towels that were probably worth about $5.00 stateside. We were never told of any hotel activities. I found out while we wer checking out that we could have gotten free internet service in their lobby. That's something we shold have been told at check in. There was a huge lanfuage barrier which probably caused most of the lack of comunication. We were aslo hawked constantly by hotel employees to attend a luncheon so they could sell us time sahers I suppose. Also hawked by street vendors who I really didn't think had any business being allowed on resort property. The showers also never even got hot enough to dissolve any suncreen we applied so we felt dirty the whole time we were there. We would not return to this resort again.

On our second day, the air conditioner had stopped working. After 3 hrs, we were told that they were calling in a repair-man to fix it. We went to dinner and hoped and prayed. We came back and the front desk informed us that the a/c HAD, in fact, been fixed. We went back to room to find out it h .. More>

On our second day, the air conditioner had stopped working. After 3 hrs, we were told that they were calling in a repair-man to fix it. We went to dinner and hoped and prayed. We came back and the front desk informed us that the a/c HAD, in fact, been fixed. We went back to room to find out it had NOT. We called front desk and complained. They said we would be feeling the "cool air soon" as it takes a while for the cold air to come thru the vents. We went to bed and ended up sweating all night. Next morning .. went and complained we wanted a new room! They said to be patient. Make a loooong story short .. it took 22 hrs before cold air actually turned on AFTER my friend got REALLY mad and threatened she would give them a BAD review on tripadvisory.com I'm telling ya .. it was 15 minutes later when we felt COLD air coming thru vent!!!! Other than THAT 22 hours withOUT a/c in 90+ heat . . our trip was wonderful and had a GREAT time. We would LOVE to go back someday.

This resort was all we wanted and more! I can not say one bad thing can be said about this resort. .. More>

This resort was all we wanted and more! I can not say one bad thing can be said about this resort.

Very nice beach and resort and the rennovated rooms are great, and done very well. If you are a pool person this is not teh resort for you as some of teh pools are very poor condition, but teh beach, cabanas and water is great. Just fix some of teh larger pools and keep them cleaner. Very good va .. More>

Very nice beach and resort and the rennovated rooms are great, and done very well. If you are a pool person this is not teh resort for you as some of teh pools are very poor condition, but teh beach, cabanas and water is great. Just fix some of teh larger pools and keep them cleaner. Very good value for the money and Bavaro is by far teh better of teh other Punta and Palace resorts as Bavaro Villa buildings sit in beautifull landscapng and are very private.

yous room will come complete with ants.. nobody speaks english but they all speak money. need your room clean...sure...but we will come at 4 or 5 pm. everything is inclusive...but if you want any attention or service you better fork up money. oh and everyone in the casino are a bunch of basta .. More>

yous room will come complete with ants.. nobody speaks english but they all speak money. need your room clean...sure...but we will come at 4 or 5 pm. everything is inclusive...but if you want any attention or service you better fork up money. oh and everyone in the casino are a bunch of bastards....and all the slots are from 1941 and steal ur money, but the operators wont reemburs you they will just scowell at you and say yes to every question and stament that comes out of your mouth. i havent called you guys at apple yet...but i will be soon im sure you think that me not getting what i paid for and ruining my plans for my engagement that i had planned since i was in afghanistan will just go unnoticed because you put in this aparently more expensive room... nope...that room was bullshit.... never mind... hope a human reads this msg

Our room was very nice, but the air conditioner did not get very cool. We had a junior suite and those who were sleeping in the beds at least had the air blowing on them, but the ones sleeping on the pull-out couch were warm -- no way to circulate the air. The service at the pool bar was not grea .. More>

Our room was very nice, but the air conditioner did not get very cool. We had a junior suite and those who were sleeping in the beds at least had the air blowing on them, but the ones sleeping on the pull-out couch were warm -- no way to circulate the air. The service at the pool bar was not great. Had to wait a long time for someone to acknowledge us for a drink - even when we just wanted a soda. We were not very demanding of the bartender -- just wanted to get a beverage now and then. The resort was not crowded, so that wasn't an excuse. Did have an incident one day with housekeeping. Shame on me: I left a necklace out on the desk before going to breakfast. I realized it at breakfast and looked for it immediately when we returned to the room (which had just been made up; in fact, we waited outside for a minute or two while she finished up). I immediately went in to get the necklace, and it was gone (I know, shame on me for not putting it in the safe). My husband and I searched a few places, and I figured I had nothing to lose by asking the housekeeper -- who was cleaning the room next door. She sheepishly said "oh, I'm sorry" and pulled it out of her pocket. I was amazed. My mix of emotion was disbelief/betrayal that she took it, but grateful for her honesty. Overall, the grounds were beautiful. The beach was fantastic. Food was good.

The beach at Grand Palladium was awesome! Did not get bothered too bad from people trying to sell items. The facilities were beautiful and the landscape was well maintained. Had numerous issues with the room the first few days and called the front office over 6 times with no resolve. The Apple Rep .. More>

The beach at Grand Palladium was awesome! Did not get bothered too bad from people trying to sell items. The facilities were beautiful and the landscape was well maintained. Had numerous issues with the room the first few days and called the front office over 6 times with no resolve. The Apple Rep was able to help the first day after buying excursions, but did not seem too helpful afterwards. Difficult trying to get our departure time as the time was not posted on the Apple wall so caused a headache on the night before. Overall, the staff was awesome and very helpful in the restaurants and bars and the beach was great. Not sure if I would book through Apple with the experience from the rep.

Great location, hotel was clean and food was awesome! .. More>

Great location, hotel was clean and food was awesome!

We wanted to treat ourselves for a celebration of our 20th wedding anniversary (we did a cruise for our 10th). We booked through Apple Vacations and were given a room upgrade when we checked in... More>

We wanted to treat ourselves for a celebration of our 20th wedding anniversary (we did a cruise for our 10th). We booked through Apple Vacations and were given a room upgrade when we checked in. Not sure what our regular room would have been like, but our suite in Villa #12 was very roomy for the 2 of us. We had a nice garden view and enjoyed walking the paths to the pool, beach, or restaurants throughout the week. Between sunshine & palm trees, what more could we ask for. Didn't find our area to be noisy (only saw one other couple in our Villa twice). Our housekeeper was great with keeping up with making the bed in the morning or turning our sheets down in the evening. We just needed to get new towels everyday, since the weather didn't seem to let our one's dry between showers. Though people did seem to "save a spot" on the beach or by the pool, because they wanted the shade (though we never saw them use it...), we still always found a spot to accommodate ourselves. All of the staff was friendly, and we got the hang of saying 'ola (hello) and fist bumping our favorite amigo's daily. Jimenez - is the BEST concierge we could have asked for. Always there with a smile, a little island info, and taking time to make sure we had all we needed. Bartenders - Carlos, Susana, Isadora and all the rest at the lobby bar kept the beer flowing. We enjoyed just watching them keep up with all the orders they had. There were usually at least 6 of them behind the bar mixing the cocktails every evening for the people enjoying the easy music. The resort also offered shows at the theatres, but we didn't always stay awake for those. All of the waiters/waitress were consistently walking the loop (whether poolside, the lobby, or buffet restaurants) and checking if we needed a refreshment. Some of the few who made our trip extra special: Miquel - who made sure my hot tea and glass of ice was ready (guess I was the only one who wanted iced tea). Eduardo - always working long hours and always had a smile on his face Mariana - what a sweetheart :) Michel - a true amigo who we always enjoyed joking with when we sat in the lobby bar for some evening music. Maikel - We know why they hired him in the entertainment department. His energy was exhausting to watch. Overall, we truly enjoyed our vacation. It is a large resort and does require a fair amount of walking, but if you are going to eat buffet, you might as well walk some of it off.

We wanted exactaly what we had - Free Drinks, Free Food, Palm Trees, nice resort, Pools, swimup bars, a BEAUTIFUL beach, night life, etc....but after having that and having stayed in a smaller resort... More>

We wanted exactaly what we had - Free Drinks, Free Food, Palm Trees, nice resort, Pools, swimup bars, a BEAUTIFUL beach, night life, etc....but after having that and having stayed in a smaller resort (RIU in Jamaica) - we now know what we like better! I would not go to this resort if you dont want to do a lot of walking (for ex: from their room to anywhere else - beach, pool, restaurants, lobby, etc). It was a huge resort and very spread out. Might make it hard for parents who bring children. The hotel room was nice...no problems at all with the room besides it had a horrible mildew smell?once you left the resort and headed home you could really smell it. BUT that is a beach resort for ya :) The room was always clean and we had fresh towels that is all that mattered to us The pillows on the beds were terrible! Yes, you could buy better pillows for minimum of $3 per pillow per night though. The alcohol mixed drinks were very sugary and not many options or variety. Not good quality. Hemmingways bar was an exception to this their cocktails were really good but we didnt know about this place until 2 days before we left. The bar staff couldn?t understand English very well which made it hard trying to order a drink not on their menu. The food was alright but not the best - I'd say with my husband and I a 3 out of a 5. But they had a large quantity, many options, and I don?t think they ever ran out of anything. Breakfast was the best! Amazing nachos! Good icecream cones! Be prepared to see topless women and men in banana hammocks that shouldnt be!! Not a pretty site in most cases! No matter what always make reservations for dinner if you want to go to one of the restaurants or you are looking at 60-90 minute wait. AND men must wear pants to all restaurants (not including dinner and lunch buffet or sports bar), so pack accordingly. The evening activities didn?t start until 10, way too late when you are out in the sun all day. We barely made it to 10:00 at night. BUT heard the shows were great! If you want a cabana on the beach with beach chairs you better get down to the beach before 7:00 AM and claim your seat with a towel. The most ridiculous thing ever since most people didn?t even use their chairs until later in the afternoon - but they had a towel on it which "claimed" their spot. Beach chairs were always available just not with shade. We never had a problem at the pool finding shade even though the same thing seemed to happen there as well - towels on the chairs to claim their spot. The employees spoke little English which made it difficult. Hard to tell someone what you want or need at the bar or at dinner. Reservations were cancelled for dinner on the beach and we were not notified while others were given reservations to the Steak House that night. The check in was HORRIBLE!! We arrived around 3:00 and that was their ?check in time??well we stood there in what was considered a line for 45 minutes while others would just walk right up in front of you - I finally went up to an employee and asked what was going on and I needed help with check in and was checked in 15 min later. Once we got our room keys it was another 15 min wait to get taken to our room. The resort was HUGE so it wasn?t like we could just walk to our room and find it on the first go around. The employees are very hard working and fun. I highly suggest to travelers to tip the workers, even though not expected to! They make $200-300 a MONTH, the extra money the get here and there will make a world of difference! We were also told, they do not get much training so when they are tipped they know they are doing a good job...a way of learning for them! Depature was very smooth - check out, transportation, etc... All in all - I am very happy with our vacation, it was just what we wanted and were looking for and hoped for...I miss it already! When there is a pool, a beach, and free drinks all day - there is not room for much complaining. My personal thoughts - after being to a smaller resort and a large resort - I would much rather be at a smaller resort.

Arrived at the hotel on 28 April 2013. Had an upgrade to Royal Suites (adult section only), by Thomson . The suite was very nice and clean with four poster bed double sink, bath, toilet shower etc... More>

Arrived at the hotel on 28 April 2013. Had an upgrade to Royal Suites (adult section only), by Thomson . The suite was very nice and clean with four poster bed double sink, bath, toilet shower etc. room service was included which was excellent. Also free wi-Fi in the room. Bathrobe and slippers. Dining room was waiter service, food very good although I struggled a bit because of my gluten free diet. There was waiter service for drinks on the beach. Entertainment in the lobby bars very good especially the guitarist. This is quite a large resort and we did quite a lot of walking although there are motorised trains running until 2am. All in all an excellent holiday with very hard working friendly staff. Very pleased we had the upgrade as I think we would have been a bit disappointed otherwise. This is the second Grand Palladium hotel we have stayed in the first one being in Jamaica. Would definitely book a hotel from this group again.

It's the best hotel that me and my wife stayed ever!!!! Staff,food,amenities , service, location was great! Perfect vocation! Defenetly will come again! Location on most beautiful beach in the... More>

It's the best hotel that me and my wife stayed ever!!!! Staff,food,amenities , service, location was great! Perfect vocation! Defenetly will come again! Location on most beautiful beach in the world! We travell a lot and it was great deal!

This was our second visit with apple vacations, when we arrived they gave us a cool towel and a refreshing drink ,clean beautiful beaches, nice rooms, the staff was very friendly, if you had a... More>

This was our second visit with apple vacations, when we arrived they gave us a cool towel and a refreshing drink ,clean beautiful beaches, nice rooms, the staff was very friendly, if you had a problem go see Jimenez he will take care of you. Our favorite was Japanese I liked the seafood, shrimp, salmon, and beef outstanding dinner! We are seniors and needed a room near the beach and pool 1561 this was good for us, we met new friends , went to Hemmingways bar, We liked the beach grill, they had plenty to choose from, We will be back soon thanks, Jill & Tony from Philly