Grand Palladium Select White Sand Resort & Spa - All Inclusive

Big box feel about this place unfortunately. Great facilities but you get the sense they're constantly nickle and diming on the small things. Restaurant bookings are a headache. If you have any dietary restrictions or allergies stay somewhere else. Sports complex was amazing.

Service: - Only one beach bar with only one person taking care of guests and the other serving the restaurant, as a result, it took me 20 minutes to get a drink. When you get the drink, they make sure to put in minimum amount of alcohol. So you always need to ask the bartender to add more alcohol to avoid yet another wait for the following drink. - Same thing while checking in, 90 minutes after a long journey to reach there is not acceptable, then trying to find a place to eat was a challenge as the main restaurant offering buffet was closed, and of course the seated ones need prior reservation. - Took my plate on the beach which is allowed, asked server nicely to take the empty plate as birds are very aggressive looking for food, server declined as he is only collecting empty cups. He didn’t send the right guy. - We had to chase them for fresh towels after the housekeeping service as they forgot to add them, by the time they get us the towels, it’s too late, happened twice during the stay. - Small things related to restocking water and coffee as we have to follow up several times since the initial stock was not enough in the first place, so feeling as if we have to fight for every little thing, including trying to cheapen on body wash that takes forever to dispense during showers. - The fact that most of the staff don’t speak any language but Spanish is beyond me in a five star hotel, having to use google translate many times is totally not convenient. - The beach at white sands does not have a bar, so we are forced to use other locations where we can get services. We paid extra for white sands but really not getting the benefit, they should make the bar at the seafood restaurant at the beach open for white sands customers during the day and have towel services so that we don’t have to walk all the way to pick up the towel to be able to use that “exclusive space “ Facilities: - TV is working, however, the remote control is not, took three times to finally get it work in the third day of our stay. - Sealing fan working nonstop, needed to get a technician to come and work for 20 minutes, and still it works as if it has it’s own mind. - Power outlet next to my bed is unstable, many times I wake up in the morning only to have to wait until my devices are charged - Accessibility is a joke, if you have a stroller or wheelchair, you need to carry it up steep stairs to go the the main pool area that leads to the lobby, then back to the beach or our room, you need to do the same as they have some kind of a water canal that boats use, so stairs have to be really high to accommodate the heights of these boats. - The app is another joke, can’t use it to book restaurants, or use it to give you directions real time. - They don’t really bother to remove the rocks, pebbles and stones from the beach, some areas are ok, but most areas are not. - The main lobby has huge cockroaches running everywhere, we reported this and did not see any follow-up on this matter.

We wouldn’t go again. Pretty disappointing. Quality and service just nowhere near where you expect a five star hotel to be.

The room was not well prepared. The response from the staffs is often slow. The airport transportation was delayed for quite some time.

All the bartenders were fantastic. Awesome personalities and were very fun to talk with. Made good drinks and were funny.

This is our second time coming to this resort. 2 years ago my family and I stayed at the Kantanah and loved it. This year we were put up in the White Sands. I have no complaints about our stay. We love this resort. We can't wait to return next year.

Pools are excellent, the Japanese and the Brazilian restaurants too. The Colonial pool is the right place for small children, where the water slides are and the water is heated, as opposed to the White Sand pool, which is pretty cold in December. The secret pool is a nice place, if one is looking for quietness (adults only). The staff is friendly and helpful. Our maid was obviously grossly overworked, since most of the time she was making up the room late afternoon or in the evening, some days skipping the service. And she always put one less sheet than necessary on the additional bed. The minibar is replenished irregularly, one needs to remind them to do it. The night entertainment looked good, but we didn't go. Same for the spa. The most negative thing we experienced was the "check-in" system at the buffet restaurants, e.g. the wait to be seated. I have been to more than 10 other all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico, but have never experienced anything similar. The guests have to wait to be led to a table, as opposed to just go and sit at any available table, which leads to a long wait. I suspect that the reason is insufficient number of tables and insufficient personnel to prepare them. One day the main buffet at White Sand was closed for lunch and there was about 40 minutes wait at the neighbouring pool buffet. They have a free beach/pool towel system, due to what one can see piles and piles of clean unused towels on the deckchairs and at the same time they are out of towels at the dispensing booth. One can see used towels everywhere, including on top of toilet bowls, in the bush, etc. The shallow water at the beach is very rocky except at the north end of the resort, bring wading shoes. There is pretty long wait at the pool bars in rush hours. The personnel is not to blame, they are very efficient, there are just too many people for the bars available. Other not so major things: The TV remote is very primitive, does not allow any adjustments. Basically just for changing the channels. If one uses the phone, a switch to English is not possible - pressing "9" gives no result.

Having travelled to Mexico 5 times, this has to be the worst experience we have ever had, despite it being our most expensive holiday to date. The food was very poor, often just lukewarm, which caused myself and others in our family tummy problems. Half of the restaurants were closed, and 2 nights running we had to que for over 20 mins to get a table in the buffet restaurant. Once inside, there were simply not enough chefs to meet the capacity, and the ques were horrendous, unless you were willing to tip the chef $20 + which I witnessed on more than one occasion, and those people were served 1st !! We were 'lucky' enough to get an al a carte restaurant on Xmas Eve, but the waiter was so miserable, and rushed us to eat our courses, bringing out our next course before we had finished the 1st one, taking our plates whilst we were still eating, messing up our order for 3 of our party and tutting when we tried to explain...just down right rude !! All the entertainment was in the Colonial hotel and waiting for a golf cart at the end of the night meant waits of up to 30 mins as once again there werent enough to meet the needs. I think the accessibility within the hotel was poor, with large, steep bridges or a long walk to the pools being the only way to access them. I have a severe back injury which my mobility poor, and the bridges and walk caused me to be in a lot of pain. Our acommodation was not the one we had booked via Tui and was black mould and a broken vanity unit which was siliconed together. We were moved rooms but unfortunately the 2nd one also had a broken vanity unit, so we gave up. Seriously DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY. There are much better hotels, we know because we have visited them

Bought the Bravo package that had 2 massages and dinner/dance show. Had our massages on our second day, I had Elena, was so good I went back on our last day. Great pressure, highly recommend. Dinner at the Bravo was outstanding, enough of a show to be entertaining but not at your table so much that it’s bothersome. Food was great.

Low quality hotel that charged 5 star rates. Do yourself a favor and take your money to xcaret or any of the other AI resorts in Cancun or playa del carmen. This hotel is going downhill fast. The pool is nice. But that does not make up for surly employees, food that rivals the quality of airplane food, or rooms that are a small step above a motel 6.