I visited Jamaica once before--13 1/2 years ago, on my Honeymoon. I am so over-the-moon that I had the opportunity to return! The island has come a long way over the past decade. Jamaica now boasts a modern airport, modern roadways, and new shopping centers. I remember the bus-ride from the airport to our Honeymoon resort, the Sandals Royal Caribbean, and it seemed long--on a narrow (dirt?) road, with poor shanty-towns around. Well, there is now a new, smooth "highway", the "Hip Strip" (containing Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville and a Harley-Davidson club), modern houses, more hotels/resorts, and shopping plazas dotting the road. In fact, it is now a very quick 20 minute bus ride from the airport to Sandals Royal Caribbean!
Because this trip was a "Business Trip" and not a "Leisure Trip," I ended up looking at each property with a critical eye--Would I send my clients here? What are the positives of this resort? What are the negatives? What can be improved? People use travel agents for their expertise and hopefully, first-hand knowledge. Each travel agents reputation depends on this. If I were to suggest what I consider to be a decent property, and my client goes and feels that it didn't meet his/her expectations, they probably might not use my services again.
My plan is to write and post pictures about a each Jamaican resort I visited.
The host hotel for my Fam Trip was the Grand Palladium, which opened in 2008. The Grand Palladium is a 45-minute bus ride from Sangster Airport in Montego Bay. It is roughly half-way between Montego Bay and Negril. The ride from the airport hugs the coast, and can be very beautiful and scenic. Once you arrive at the resort, you notice there is nothing else in the surrounding area. If you like a vacation where you go to a resort and stay there, by the pool or beach, then this resort would be great for you.
From first glance, this is a beautiful resort. Beautiful large reception area, with a beautiful marble staircase leading down to the grounds level, a clean, shimmering pool that seems to go on forever--this resort gives a very good first impression.
The Grand Palladium has over 1000 rooms—all Jr Suites and Suites--in 28 buildings. The main building hosts the lobby, a la carte restaurants, buffet restaurants, lounges and bars, and gift shops. The complex is divided into two "resorts." To the right is the Jamaica Resort and on the left is the Lady Hamilton Resort (I really couldn't see any difference in resorts). Each building is painted a faint pink, yellow or green. Each building has 3 floors, with 8 rooms per floor. There are no elevators in the buildings.
Each side has approximately 450 Jr. Suites and 60 Suites. The Jr. Suites are a wonderful size with large bathrooms. My bedroom had 2 double beds, and a sitting area, as well as a balcony with an ocean view. The bathroom had a tile shower and a large Jacuzzi tub. Each room has a flat-screen wall-mounted television, as well as an alarm clock with an iPod dock, a coffee maker, and a small refrigerator with complimentary beverages.
This all-inclusive resort has 13 bars, 3 buffet restaurants and 7 a la carte, but depending on the season, not all are open. I ate at the only buffet restaurant open during my stay—the MoBay—for breakfast (3 times) and dinner (once). I was very impressed with the selection for both meals—it is a very large buffet. Everything was nicely laid out and organized. Each morning there was a little bit of variety in the offerings. I especially liked how each selection had a placard in 4 languages describing the dish. The restaurants do try to buy local.
On my last day, because I had time before leaving for the airport and because the sun had finally come out, I was able to spend some time by the pool. I can honestly say, the pool at the Grand Palladium is probably the biggest and prettiest I have every seen. It is gorgeous! The staff takes immaculate care of the pool. The pool is definitely the resort’s best feature.
Despite opening in 2008, there are signs poor workmanship. At the giant rotunda in the lobby, there are water stains, cracks, and peeling paint--not a nice sight when you are trying to impress your guests. I also read several reviews on Trip Advisor where former guests complained about "unfinished" bathrooms or cracks in walls. I experienced this not only in my room but also another room (both in Building 16) that I entered to use the phone (and take pictures since I forgot to take pictures in my room).
A few travel agents in my group commented on the lack of management at the resort. I would have to agree--especially at the breakfast buffet. The buffet opens at 7am each day. There should be a check-list of “Things To Be Done” before opening the doors. One of those things should be having all the placards describing the dishes in place prior to opening. One morning, none of the placards were set up--even at 7:30 the workers were finishing--and the second morning, they were still finishing set up. There are a lot of waitstaff milling around at breakfast. But it is hard to get someone to bring some coffee or take a plate. I once stayed at a resort where each waiter was assigned 5-7 tables. That was not the case here. The waitstaff was more interested in cleaning/sorting around the supply cabinet than assisting guests.
Personally, I feel that the resort could do a couple of things that would make its' guests experience more pleasant.
It would be nice to see a real bar in the lobby area. Each and every resort I visited on this trip had a proper bar in the lobby area. The Grand Palladium, instead, had a rolling bar that they brought out when guests were departing/arriving, with the only choices being rum fruit punch and pineapple punch. The closest bar is a short-walk away, out of sight of the main lobby.
Another suggestion is to have a towel area on the "Jamaica" side of the resort. Currently, there are only 2 places to get beach towels--the reception area or the towel shack on the Lady Hamilton side of the resort. It would be *so much nicer* to have an additional towel shack on the Jamaican side, considering the massive size of the resort and the amount of walking required.
I did have the opportunity to speak to a few of the guests staying at the Grand Palladium, to get their opinion on their experience. Each person I spoke with was having a pleasant time and enjoying the entire experience. One couple was on their honeymoon, and complimented the staff for finding alternative activities during a period of bad weather (it is hurricane season!).
