Grand Palladium White Sand Resort & Spa

It had been 10 years since our last visit to the Grand Palladium Complex in Riviera Maya, and while some things had changed, the resort’s high standards remained the same. Arrival & Check-in Check-in was quick and efficient—we were in our rooms within 20 minutes of arrival. Our accommodation in...

It had been 10 years since our last visit to the Grand Palladium Complex in Riviera Maya, and while some things had changed, the resort’s high standards remained the same. Arrival & Check-in Check-in was quick and efficient—we were in our rooms within 20 minutes of arrival. Our accommodation in Villa block 56 was centrally located, overlooking the pool. The room itself was clean, very spacious, and well-maintained. Weather & Atmosphere On our first evening, we got caught in the rain while walking to the restaurant, but from then on, the weather was fantastic, with daily temperatures ranging from 26–29°C. We noticed that we were among the few British guests at White Sands, with the majority being American, Canadian, or Spanish-speaking visitors. However, English was widely spoken by most customer-facing staff, and the hospitality throughout the resort was outstanding. Dining Experience Despite our flights being full, the hotel never felt overcrowded, and we always found a table in the buffet restaurant. We primarily dined at La Dalia Restaurant, where we always found something to suit our tastes. A special thanks to Lourdes, Feliciana, Eugenio, and manager Juan for their excellent service. In the White Sands Bar, we enjoyed great service and friendly conversations with Vladimir and Miguel—their attentiveness made our stay even more enjoyable. Booking Restaurants The hotel provides an app for booking à la carte restaurant reservations. We successfully used it for two bookings but needed assistance from the reception team for two additional reservations. Other guests have also mentioned difficulties with the app, and it seems like an area that could use improvement. Other Observations Gratuities & Tipping Culture The resort is all-inclusive, but tipping is common, especially among American and Canadian guests. We frequently left small tips (usually $1 per drink) in appreciation of the excellent service. However, at no point did staff expect tips, which differs from experiences in the U.S., where tipping is often mandatory. Resort Size & Walking Distance The Grand Palladium Complex is huge—we averaged 14,000 steps (11km/7 miles) per day just walking around. While we enjoyed exploring on foot, guests with mobility issues should be aware that they may need to wait for golf carts to move around the resort. Airport Experience & Transfers Luggage retrieval at Cancún Airport was slow, though the reason was unclear. The transfer from the airport to the hotel took about 70 minutes. Changes Since Our Last Visit Since our 2014 stay, the resort has evolved in several ways: ✅ Kantenah and Colonial Hotels now offer stronger family-oriented options. ✅ Royal Suites (TRS) provide superior service for a more exclusive experience. ✅ Palladium Travel Club has dedicated rooms and pools at White Sands. These changes have slightly altered the overall atmosphere of the resort, but the welcoming vibe we loved from our previous visits is still very much alive. Final Thoughts The Grand Palladium Complex continues to offer excellent service, comfortable accommodations, and a variety of dining options. While the resort has changed over the years, it still maintains the charm and high standards that made our past visits so memorable. Would we return? Absolutely!

Irvin was our main bartender and he was amazing. Literally amazing. The best Ojo Rojo we’ve ever had. Jose was amazing too. All of the workers were amazing but Irvin and Jose stood out for us. Super kind and talkative and brought all of the good vibes. Thank you Grand...

Irvin was our main bartender and he was amazing. Literally amazing. The best Ojo Rojo we’ve ever had. Jose was amazing too. All of the workers were amazing but Irvin and Jose stood out for us. Super kind and talkative and brought all of the good vibes. Thank you Grand Palladium and thank you Irvin & Jose. Made our first trip to Tulum the best it could’ve ever been.

Very great service , super kind workers , service super good ,clean rooms ,good food and drinks , great treatment .polite workers very nice . Pool bars are very fun , Luis and Jose were very nice and friendly good manners and attitude towards us

Bring honest the hotel for me was lovely, staff can't do enough, very quiet around the pool and easy to get a lounger. Some communication problems here and there but generally all good.. my only negative and it's a big one is being told we was going for a 15...

Bring honest the hotel for me was lovely, staff can't do enough, very quiet around the pool and easy to get a lounger. Some communication problems here and there but generally all good.. my only negative and it's a big one is being told we was going for a 15 minute tour in the morning of the hotel but this turned into a sales pitch for travel members club... 2.5hrs later and breakfast with the rep which I didn't expect on our 1st day. They could have done their pitch in 20mins and we could have been on our way. They were expecting us to give them £7000 and £200 a month for ongoing holidays. This isn't why I came and if this was explained properly I could have saved their time and ours. It did put a real downer on the start of the holiday.

White sand resort bravo show was amazing, great gourmand food, excellent service from Alfredo and Adrian. Highly recommend for couples and families. Interactive high energy performance, great singers and dancers, great performances

Its always a pleasure to be back to any Palladium Resorts especially as a member. All time anf for any request we have the entire attention and help from any member of PTC staff. Special thanks to Hector Victor Cindy Joao And all other personsl of PTC.

Gloria, Lupita & Yordi took care of us at pool Laguna and they were excelente us. It was amazing and they helped us have an amazing experience they helped our vacation amazing!!!! We were pleased and beyond happy with the experience she they made the best drinks ever! We were...

Gloria, Lupita & Yordi took care of us at pool Laguna and they were excelente us. It was amazing and they helped us have an amazing experience they helped our vacation amazing!!!! We were pleased and beyond happy with the experience she they made the best drinks ever! We were 8 and we were extremely happy!!

Luisa, the concierge, was a godsend ! Our first day there we stopped by at least 10 times with different questions and she helped us every time ❤️ if you go, I hope that you have the pleasure of working with Luisa !! No matter the question, she had an answer.

We are having the best time. Luisa from the concierge has been incredibly helpful and friendly from the time we woke up in the morning and throughout the day anytime we needed anything. We appreciated her help which made this experience more wonderful!