We're a couple in our late twenties, and stayed at this resort with another couple from May 4 - 11, 2008...we're now nice and relaxed! Overall, this was a really great place - we've travelled to many other AIs and this falls somewhere between a 4-4.5 star hotel based on experience.

Check-in and check-out: seamless and quick - (other than the fact our bus left without us to the airport on the last day - however, not the resort's problem - guest services were wonderful about helping us -Candians beware of Conquest vacations - they were completely prepared to leave us stranded in DR) The welcome drink is a matter of luck - we didn't get one, but noticed that the group that arrived 20 minutes after us did - we weren't concerned, there's a bar within 25 meters of the front desk

The Rooms: stayed in the 3000 block - I have seen many pics with jacuzzi tubs located in the main portion of the room - not in this block - in fact, the rooms were truly the one really disappointing part of the hotel - the furniture was old and beat-up, as was the bedding - the comforter was visibly soiled, as were the decorative pillows - i'm not a germaphobe by any means - but avoided touching these items at all costs - just, yuck! The sheets were of course, changed each day, and were perfectly fine - the pillows for sleeping were small and lumpy - we tried 3 times to order 2 extra 'new' pillows, and in the end received 1 extra small lumpy pillow. The bathroom was lovely, towels always fresh, and in-room fridge loaded-up each day - tipped the maid $2-3 a day, but don't think this made a difference in service.
Overall, didn't notice a lot of tipping going on at this resort compared to others, and really can't say that it made too much of a difference in service.

Staff - 90% of the time cheerful and helpful - they appreciate your efforts at spanish - lots of European guests at this resorts - far fewer english speaking guests than other resorts I've been to as well - perhaps this is why the staff's english wasn't as profficent as at other resorts too. Still, never had major communication problems

Beach - incredible! - the towel game is ridiculous - i think it would be nice if the hotel had a no reservation policy, but it's really not worth getting too upset over - there's always somewhere to sit. The ocean water was a perfect temperature, and the soft white sand extends as far as you can wade in - very little seaweed or other debris.

The grounds are impeccable - the groundsmen work hard throughout the heat of the day - walk around a little to appreciate how well everything is manicured.

Activities - there is a LOT going on all here - at the beach, and at many of the pools there's constant action - games, aerobics, volleyball - you will be harrassed by the activity crew (P.O.P), so mentally prepare yourself! The vendors on the beach are also relentless - again, a little mental prep will do you good - we found that ignoring them actually works best (as completely rude as that sounds!) There is a marketplace a short walk down the beach where you can purchase souvenirs - we walked passed a couple of times while on walks and were completely harassed by shop owners - we actually decided to shop at the stores on the resort to avoid the harassment it was so unnerving! Some people love the thrill of bartering - we despise it, and just thought it was worth it to pay a little more $$ to avoid it.

The Food - very good overall
Buffets
Breakfast - excellent - make your own omelettes, smoothies, lots of fresh fruit, yogurt, variety of meats and hot items, pancakes, waffles, eggs everywhich way - pretty much any breakfast item you can think off
Lunch - El Behique is the biggest and nicest buffet, it's near the reception building - tons of variety everyday - and not the same items each day either - there are makings for incredible salads and sandwiches to your taste, along with a huge number of hot dishes - really, not too different from the dinner buffet.
We also did lunch at the beachside grill - really good - hamburgers, hotdogs, pork, chicken - and toppings - it's also right next to a beach bar - it definitely satisfied my hot dog and beer craving!
Dinner buffet: similar to lunch - had a theme each night, but could always count on salad bar, breads, cheeses, make your own pasta, pizza, and grill your own meats if you couldn't find something else - which I can't believe is possible!
A la carte - went to 4
Mexican - amazing - great salad bar, with wonderfully fresh guacamole - perfect fresh lime juice margaritas, and perfectly cooked seafood mains - this was by far the best meal!
Seafood - nice variety of choice - i had the curried shrimp pasta which arrived with no shrimp and no curry - and waaay too much salt (which is a common thread for most a la carte items), but for a main had shrimp and fish skewers - perfectly charred but still moist - delicious.
Asian - a strange mix of chinese, japanese, indian, and thai - had the sushi roll appetizer - was fine, very simple veggie fillings - and the chinese rice and shrimp stirfry - shrimp were well cooked but the sauce was simply soysauce and oil - too salty, and uninteresting flavour
Italian - grilled veggie appetizer was very good and simply seasoned - 'raw beef slices' appetizer which I thought meant carpaccio, was really thin slices of yesterday's fully cooked roast beef - didn't taste bad, but not what was advertised! had veggie risotto for pasta course - i would not be surprised if it was a Lipton's Sidekick made to order - super salty, itsy bitsy grains of veg, and definitely not risotto-appropriate rice. For main, had veal picatta - over salted, tough, but on a bed of yummy veggies and potatoes with melted cheese and a nice little sauce. Dessert - tiramisu, which was did not resemble tiramasu in the least - it was a piece of fluffy white cake with a thin layer of chocolate icing in the middle - no coffee flavour, no lady fingers, no marscapone! shame shame! but really, Iyou shouldn't expect authentic italian, or authentic anything really (expect maybe dominican flavours) - it was yummy none the less - and the capuccino to end the meal was deeeelish...in fact all the coffee at this resort was great - order cafe con leche for a more north american style of coffee.
Sports Bar - great for the late night tummy rumbles after some disco dancing next door - humungous BLTs - great grilled cheese and ham and cheese sandwiches - pizza, nachos, and salad bar are available 24 hours - handy dandy.
I realize i rambled about the food - but really this can make or break a vaca for me! overall i was impressed by the variety and the a la carte choices, vegetarians would be completely happy with the variety at this resort too - oh, and the green olives, amazing!

Night life - go to Hemmingways - it's located a short walk directly behind the Barcelo resort lobby - premium liquors are available - premium vodka, scotch, liquors, specialty coffees - we spent at least 3 nights there. The disco was fun and was busy on both nights we went - i've been to oterh resports where the discos were dead, so this was a nice change - a good mix of english and spanish music - and a great people watching venue!
We went to one show - M.J. of course - as a fan of the man himself it was an impressive mimicry of the popular music videos - in a cheesy kind of way - it was entertaining - just not enough to make a return visit to any of the other shows.

SPA - took advantage of the free offerings - you have to make an appointment to get in - but it's never too busy and nice and relaxing - a vapour room, a steam room, a couple of luke-warm hot tubs, a variety of different showers (cold water), pressure jets perfect for a 'free' massage, and some nice comfy loungers.

Excursion - only did a 1 hour snorkeling jaunt - it was fun and there was lots of fish - most of the coral was dead, but the number and variety of fish made up for it - bring a few slices of bread or a banana, the fish will swim right up to you and eat from your hands.

I think i hit the major points! feel free to contact me with any questions - just relax and enjoy your vacation here - don't get upset over small imperfections - the good points far outweigh the little oversights!

We stayed at the GP Punta Cana Section for two weeks at the end of April. First, the Punta Cana sections is the place to be - it is cheaper than Bavaro and Palace sections and is centrally located within the 3 resorts so its not a long walk to any other areas of the complex.

We are a young Canadian couple and booked this resort based on the traveller reviews. We were glad we chose this resort because its size provided lots of options to eat/play for a two week vacation. Although it is a 3 in 1 resort, once you get there is seems like one giant resort (no dividers, etc.).

The towel game was only an issue if you wanted a Palapa - I am guessing it was slow season at the end of April, so it was not an issue getting a chair for us as we were there for the sun. We also found that clean towels are in short supply during the mid-day hours so get yours in the morning or late afternoon.

The food was acceptable. If you have the will power, it is possible to eat clean and healthy. For others who have diet requirements for weight lifting, lots of protein options but i recommend bringing some whey powder as breakfeast you are limited to eggs. Also, as far as Carribean resorts go, the gym was pretty good and updated.

Due to the size of this resort, you do lose some friendliness with the staff that you would normally get at smaller resorts. That would be our only major complaint - the staff appeared to hate their jobs and it proved surprisingly difficult to get a coffee at breakfeast on some mornings.

The beach, weather, and grounds were pretty great but again, other resorts may have an edge on the GP due to its shear size. The size does, however, provide lots to do (disco, two nightly shows, 3 beach vbal nets, etc.). It is my opinion that you may not get the full experience of the resort with a one week vacation.

I am pretty sure i figured out the mini fridge situation as well. Because the fridge is not stocked by the maid, your tips will do nothing to get beer/soft drinks refreshed daily. There is a guy whos job it is to only restock fridges, he walks around with a trolly of drinks.

The pools (4 to choose from) are as warm as bath water. It was a perfect temperature to swim in all day and it was still refreshing if you are hot from the scorching sun. Each pool has a variety of depths and features, from swim up bars to air jets and volleyball nets.

As far as the other guests go, english speakers are the minority but it was not a deal breaker. Learn basic words for beer (we learned that cervasa is pronounced cerBasa), coffee, etc. and your fine.

All in all, the size of the resort has many benefits but also limits the resort to a 4 star tops. Despite the problems above, nothing was a deal breaker and this resort is great spot to relax and catch some rays. We would definately consider this resort for another vacation.

A group of us (5 women friends) stayed a the Grand Palladium Punta Cana for 2 weeks in March. The hotel location is perfect and the beach is awesome! However, it's not very wide as some people commented, so you sometimes feel like sardines on top of one another. And a big problem is finding chairs in the morning. Luckily, we were early risers so were always able to always find a nice spot.

Most employees are nice and friendly. However, the hotel management at the reception is not very helpful if you have problems. For instance, they put us in the Bavaro section at first and gave us a room far from the beach. We immediately asked to be relocated but were told we would have to come back the following day as they were overbooked. We specifically had booked with the Punta Cana section because it is closest to the beach and one of my friends has mobility problems so it made getting to the beach very difficult for her. The following day, it was again another hassle to try to get them to change us rooms, but they finally did later in the day after we complained enough (but we ended up losing 2 days over this). We also found the staff at reception to be rude with us even though we are all professional women and were very respectful with them.

The hotel grounds are very beautiful and well kept and the beach is cleaned daily. We are not pool people so cannot comment on its cleanliness other than to say that it seemed nice when we walked by.

The rooms were well maintained but no extras (no nice towel decoration, for instance) despite the huge tips and gifts we left daily. Also the rooms and amenities could use some updating. It was difficult to get extra towels and some of them were old and ripped at the edge, the shower leaked all over the bathroom, there was mold on the bed covers and on 2 of our pillows, etc.. The rooms had a musty smell and sometimes we did not get the room cleaned before quite late in the day, which was a nuisance since we liked taking our showers around 4 or 5 p.m.

We ate at most A la carte restaurants, but the food was not much better than at the buffet restaurants, which was not that great. There was always something good to eat but not what you would expect at a 4 or 5 star hotel (I am comparing this to other hotels in Punta Cana where we have stayed in the past). The food at the Bahia Principe, for instance, was by far much better, (and so were the rooms and the service).

One thing I would like to comment on is the constant sexual sollicitation by some male employees at the Palladium. I have vacationed with my friends before at other hotels, and the Palladium is the worst when it comes to sexual harassment. I noticed some comments about this below and I have to agree with Kathy1241. It was very annoying and sometimes scary as the males are very persistent, do not take no for an answer and will even try to follow you to your room, despite our saying NO to them. I personally witnessed a reception employee relentlessly follow a female tourist to her room, and they did not seem to be talking business (it was obvious there was inappropriate touching). It seemed like a disgrace for an employee to conduct himself this way. My friends and I are all married and have never encountered this problem when we travelled with our husbands nor when we travelled at other hotels by ourselves.

Overall, this hotel has a lot of potential if they updated the rooms a bit and improved the service at reception and the quality of the food, as well as educated their male staff on how to treat women travellers. It is unfortunate that the sexual harassment is a deterrent for us to return to the Palladium, because the price is very good despite the few negatives I mentioned. But my friends and I agree that for now we would rather pay extra money to get better service and have peace of mind from getting sollicitated constantly (whether on the beach or just walking back to our rooms at night). I know that I would never send my daughter alone at the Palladium.

If it had not been for the harassment and the bad reception manners, I would have given this hotel a 3.5 star.

My friend and I stayed at the the GP Punta Cana in early April 2008. I usually travel with my husband and have stayed at 5 star hotels (like the Majestic and Gran Bahia Principe in Punta Cana). This time, I took a vacation with my friend. The hotel in general is very good. However, compared to the Majestic and the Gr. Bahia Principe, I would have to give this hotel a 3 or 3 1/2 stars at the most.

The beach is very beautiful but it is not very wide. It is also very difficult to find chairs. We had to get up at 6:30 a.m. in order to reserve chairs on the beach. We don't like playing the towel games, but at this hotel, it's a must. There were many people having to sit on their towels all day, despite some chairs being occupied all day by a towel with no one in sight. However, the best thing about this hotel is that the rooms in the Punta Cana section are 2 steps to the beach (which is the reason my friend and I booked this hotel). So it was nice to not have to walk 15 minutes or have to take the tramway to the beach like at some other hotels.

The rooms are nice but the furniture is old, bathrooms have a musty smell and could benefit from some renovations - jacuzzi did not work, cracks in marble floors and walls, etc. But nothing serious. We figured that we were not there for the rooms, but for the beach. Also, for some reason, our fridge was not stocked daily despite the $5 tips we left every day. We didn't mind too much but after the third day of having no soft drinks, we called the reception and they sent us some Diet Cokes a few hours later.

The food at the Buffet Restaurants is not the best. However, you will not go hungry as there is lots of choice. But the food is not the same quality as at other hotels I have stayed in the past. We also ate at the seafood restaurant and paid a $30.00 supplement to have a lobster tail, and it was the worst I have ever eaten (it was burnt and tasted like burnt rubber) and the service at that restaurant was not very friendly. The waiters acted like snobs and did not smile very much (despite our being able to speak Spanish to them).

The overall service at this hotel (including the reception, restaurants and rooms) was not the greatest either. I believe that it is probably because it was very busy that week (first week of April). The service was a hit or miss. But again, not the worst nor the friendliest I have ever had.

But what bothered us the most was the constant sexual harassment from male staff on the animation team and also at the restaurants and even the reception. My friend and I both speak Spanish and were therefore able to tell them unequivocally that we were both happily married women and were not interested. However, there was constant propositioning from the male staff and even some of the female staff seemed to be in on it and helped their colleagues to try to convince us to meet them at the disco or have a "romp session" in our rooms with them (even though there is apparenlty a strict hotel rule against staff visiting tourists in their rooms). We were at first flattered, but then it got very tiresome after a while. I believe that the hotel management should be controlling this better (we were not the only women complaining of this type of harassment).

Aside from the harassment, I would have to say that this hotel is good quality for the price we paid. But next trip, I would rather pay a bit extra and get better quality, especially with regards to the food, service and quality of the rooms.