ThePassportPrincess

I stayed at the Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort & Spa in April 2019 for one of my Travel Agent “Work Trips”
These work trips entail us flying to some beautiful beachy destination and checking out a ton of resorts so we in turn can sell them to potential clients. The Grand Palladium was chosen as our home resort (as in, the resort we stay at for the whole week while we check out other resorts during the day) so I really got to experience everything the resort had to offer.

The Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres is great for couples and families looking for a bigger resort with nice large pools and lots of options for places to eat.
They’re located in the gated community of Playa Mujeres (about a 30 minute drive away from Cancun Airport) so you’re not quite in the downtown Cancun Hotel/Party zone which is perfect if you’re wanting something a bit more secluded and you’re not too fussed on leaving your resort. Outside the resort, there’s not too much within walking distance apart from other hotels and a golf-course so it’s definitely a lot quieter than other parts of Cancun.

As the resort is quite big, they have electric buggies to take you to and from your room. I tended to walk everywhere as sometimes you had to wait a few minutes for a buggy to arrive and I couldn’t be bothered waiting. Everywhere is pretty flat anyways so if you’re in a wheelchair you shouldn’t have any problems. You may just need a push to get up and over some of the bridges. Speaking of the bridges, they have this man-made canal around the whole resort where you can catch a taxi boat to and from other parts of the resort which I thought was pretty cool! It took me until the very last day to finally catch one of the boats though as I was always out all day and one was never around when I was walking by.

Rooms

We stayed in a Junior Suite, however there are also Loft Suites, Ambassador Suites, Swim-Up Suites and Family Suites. The spaces are modern and chic with warm woods and stylish furniture. Some rooms have a whirlpool tub whereas the Swim-Up Suites have direct access to the pool. As it’s quite a newer resort, you can enjoy all the mod-cons like flat-screen TV’s, iPhone docks, nespresso machines, Wi-Fi and fully stocked minibars. I loved the deep soaking tub we had which I’ve read are pretty standard throughout all the rooms. There’s also a separate walk in shower with a glass wall over-looking the bedroom (otherwise you can close a sliding door if you’d like some privacy)

Spanning two floors, The Loft Suites have extra touches like wet bars, more seating space and an exclusive hot tub on the terrace. Ambassador Suites have separate living rooms, while Family Selection suites have extras like private check-in & check-out, a personalized minibar, a welcome kit for each child, a pillow menu for the adults and children, an exclusive zone on the beach and preferential reservations at all restaurants with breakfast, lunch and dinner à la carte.

Things To Do
There’s a ton of things to do suited to everyone of all ages!
If you’ve got kids, there’s a great kid’s program with three different kid’s clubs (Baby Club, Mini Club and Junior Club) with lots of organised activities and areas like a painting room,  a room for video game consoles and an outdoor playground with trampoline.
Next to the main pool, there is also the children’s area with hammocks for parents and fun water playgrounds for the little ones. 

If you’re a beach person, the resort has a lovely stretch of beach that is reached via wooden walkways. My friend and I had a walk along the beach when we were there however it was very very windy so we didn’t actually go in the water. I’m more of a pool person anyways so I enjoyed floating around in one of the three large pools the Palladium had.

The hotel’s Zentropia Spa and Wellness center is massive at 4740 m2 and is dedicated to relaxation and well-being. The spa is shared with the neighboring TRS Coral Hotel but it never feels over-crowded. One thing I enjoyed was the hydrotherapy circuit, with a beautiful indoor/outdoor pool as well as hot tubs, saunas, steam baths, an ice cabin, and sensation showers – but access incurs a fee (unless guests have purchased spa treatments or are Palladium Travel Club members) If you’re after a massage or to get your nails done, they also have these services available.

I’m quite the gym bunny myself (too bad my body doesn’t like to show that ;)) but there’s a large fitness center on-site equipped with state-of-the-art machines, plus you have the

Rafa Nadal tennis center which is built up of eight illuminated clay tennis courts and a selection of classes, training, and tennis camps for kids and adults. I’d describe it like a Museum combined with a Tennis Centre as they also have a shop, and an exhibit of Nadal’s objects and garments. The court rental is free for guests however you have to book 24 hours in advance. They also offer individual premium training through private classes which go from 3- 6 days and cost around $100 a day. Or you can benefit from group programs, of no more than four players, with similar ages and levels to improve your tennis skills.

A major point of difference compared to other resorts in the area is their very own CHIC Cabaret & Restaurant. The show’s are on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights and are a combination of acrobatics, dancing, singing and choreography matched to a legendary soundtrack of classic 50’s rock all the way up to present day pop, with a touch of Latin rhythm. The show goes from 8:15pm-11pm and then turns into a nightclub afterwards until 1am. We got to enjoy this show for free, however there is a charge even if you’re staying at the resort. Totally worth it though! You get a 3-course meal included along with all the entertainment and drinks.  (Suitable for vegan and vegetarians, you just need to let them know which menu fits your lifestyle during the time of reservation.

Food

With 10 restaurants, 19 bars and their All-Inclusive Package you’re not going to go hungry here! I ate pretty much everywhere but at the Japanese Restaurant because it was closed. One night we even ate at the French Restaurant and then headed to the Thai restaurant afterwards so there’s definitely no restrictions on how much you can eat.

Bar options are impressive here. You won’t get budget watered down liquor and you don’t need to walk far for a drink. They have a pool bar (including a swim-up bar), a sports bar, and a beach club, plus there’s a coffee shop and a juice bar at the spa.

Final Thoughts
I loved the food options and the cabaret show was awesome! Having so many choices for dinner – I was totally in my element. In regards to the rooms, ours was always tidied daily and all the rooms I saw were beautifully laid out and up-to-date with the latest technology. The spa was a pure haven for relaxation and even though I didn’t get a treatment done, a friend got a massage and said it was lovely. All the staff were very pleasant that we talked to and nothing was too much trouble!
On the downside, I personally found the resort to be a little too big. I didn’t tend to want to go to the beach because I felt like the walk was a little too far, even having to meet up for dinner at night with the rest of the group, I just knew it was going to be a bit of a walk which isn’t ideal when you have heels on. The resort does however cater to this and they provide the golf buggies to take you everywhere. It’s just the waiting for them that I can’t be bothered doing haha!
If I could recommend any improvements, it would be for them to design a cocktail menu. I do like to drink when I’m on holiday (especially at an all-inclusive) however I am one of those people that are always stumped with what to order when it comes to ordering a drink! I like to look at a menu and choose a drink or just work my way through all the combinations to find my favorite one. When there’s no menu, I end up ordering the most basic cocktail because I can’t think of anything on the spot.
Another thing that was a slight bother were the restaurants weren’t open every night (may have been due to the time of year we went) so we missed out on a couple as they weren’t open.
If you’re after a large family-friendly resort or you’re a couple looking to flop, drop and relax- The Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres is for you! Even if you’re thinking of having a destination wedding, they have lots of space and even a church for you to get married in. This place would be perfect for groups as there’s so many rooms and so much space.

*Pictures have been copied from the Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Website and are my own personal pictures.