Kantenah, Colonial Palladium Review

Overall Rating

We stayed at the Palladium (Kantenah/Colonial) in April 2004. This was our second trip to this resort. It just keeps getting better.

A week is not long enough.

My family and I returned to the Palladium in April 2004 for our second trip there. First time we stayed on the Kantenah side which was in a beautiful jungle setting. This time we stayed in a Jr. suite on the Colonial side, closer to the beach and pool. Both sides have much to offer.

Normally we enjoy trying new resorts. Our first trip in June 2003 was so perfect, however, that we decided to return. This is the first time that we brought a friend for our daughter who is now 13. The girls had been friends for years and have a lot in common. Having a friend along really enhanced our experience. The girls were very happy "hanging out" together and the adults enjoyed some free adult time.

As I have an extensive, detailed report elsewhere, I'll make this a summation.

Palladium from 2003-2004: The Palladium has earned the distinction of five stars from Apple within the last year. In my view, they deserve this rating. Upon leaving the resort, the guests receive surveys from the management. It is apparent that these are analyzed. The management is receptive to guest suggestions and improvements have been made in small but significant ways. As an example, my one area of disappointment on our 2003 trip was the choice and volume of music. I found it to be too loud and too harsh for my enjoyment. I had read other trip reports that mentioned the music. The management has greatly improved the music so that it is soft and subtle and really adds to the ambience. The water-robics music is appropriate without being intrusive.

Another area in which the resort has attempted to improve is that of activities and amenities. They have added hammocks, floats for the pool and sea, boogie boards, have extended disco hours for teens in a non-alcoholic environment and attempted to add other activities for pre-teens and teens such as basketball and soccer as well as "rainy-day" activities. There is always something planned for adults from beach volleyball, to music and dancing in the various lounges in the evenings and an evening show.

Food: The food is consistently five-star with a lot of variety. There is something for everyone in the buffets, i.e. custom pasta station, various meats, poultry, seafood, soups, salads and a very popular desert crepe station. The food in the al a cartes was excellent. The breakfast buffet is a breakfast lover's paradise. The food was served fresh, at correct temperatures and presented beautifully. Another nice addition is the help-yourself food bar at the beach bar starting at around noon. This was popular with the kids for french fries, chicken nuggets, etc. and popular with the adults for the excellent guacamole. This is replenished with fresh food often. There is a Friday night beach barbeque and a Sunday afternoon beach paella party. Paella is prepared using a recipe from Ibiza, Spain.

Beverages: This is another area in which the resort has improved. There is top shelf liquor served in Hemingways Bar. As I am a wine drinker I noticed the improvement in that the resort upgraded the house wine from Mexican to Spanish wine. They also serve a sparkling wine called Dubois. There is a wine list should anyone wish to purchase something more sophisticated. Beer in the fridge was Superior or Dos Ex. Dos Ex was served on tap. Coffee and cappuccinos are excellent. The water at this resort is safe as they have their own water purification system.

Cleanliness: Outstanding. The entire resort was immaculate. Everything shines! Maid service was excellent. The public restrooms were cleaned every half hour.

Beach and pool: Maintenance was outstanding. The staff here work extremely hard to keep up with the guests. (Please don't litter your cups and/or cigs.) There were always numerous workers on the beach and at the pool at the crack of dawn. There are several pools of various depths. The main pool is lake-like and is 5'3" deep. There are more shallow pools for activities such as water sports and a kiddy pool. There are two separate pools in the jungle which are 4'11" deep; the Adult pool and the Spa pool. Both of these have wait service.

The beach was different this year in that it varies almost daily. As we had a nice tropical breeze, there was a surf that brought in a beltway of coral and rocks along the shore on the Colonial side for part of the week. Once past the beltway, the beach was soft and white. The resort has added mobile signs indicating where the rocks and coral are, as they move. By the end of the week this beltway had disappeared. The Kantenah side of the beach is soft and white. There are plenty of shady spots all during the day if one wanders away from the beach bar.

Service: The service in the bars and a la cartes was excellent. Once again, the staff try very hard to please. The service in the buffets varied depending on how busy it was. We tended to go to breakfast and dinner early so we experienced excellent service and never waited in lines. We noticed that it got a little busier during peak hours. This is indicative of a resort that has become very popular and is experiencing 100% occupancy. If you go with realistic expectations and appreciate the staff for how hard they work you will enjoy your trip more. A one-dollar tip was met with a smile and a surprise every time we tipped.

Landscaping: Wonderful. I noticed that if plants were less than perfect they were replaced. The entire resort is a beautiful experience for the senses. We did not experience any bugs.

Rooms: Very comfortable. The beds have box springs and mattresses so they are not the typical Mexican hard-as-rocks bed. Rooms are very comfortable with safes, ample closet space, coffee makers, hair dryer, TV with many channels. The Jr. Suites and Mayan suites provide fluffy white robes for use during your stay. Our girls slept on a pull-out couch. Once they got a mattress pad from the maid they were very comfortable.

Wrap-up: Like fine wine, the Palladium keeps getting better with age. The resort is large and offers something for everyone. Even at peak occupancy, we never felt crowded as it is spread out on nearly 200 acres. Would we return: In a heartbeat!