IT’S ALL ONE GLORIOUS GROUNDHOG DAY AT GRAND PALLADIUM
Luxury Cancun resort guarantees family fun
I am reclined on a cushioned white lounger looking out on the whitesand Caribbean beach wondering how long I’ve been here.
Has it been two days in the lap of luxury at this grand resort? Or three?
I don’t walk anywhere. I get shuttled around in a golf cart, or ferried by boat to and from the buffet or the resort’s village. Our concierge greets me every morning at his desk on the third floor, our floor, and asks if I “desire anything?” If the answer is yes, he is happy to arrange it. Later he will Whatsapp me to say it’s been taken care of, or the reservation has been made.
At the beach the server comes by to ask, “Another mojito, Mr. Dave? Or this time you want tequila?” And we will both smile knowing I can’t handle tequila.
I get a text message from my 12-year-old daughter wanting to know if she can order room service; she is living large. My wife and a gal pal are off checking out the spa. My son is playing video games at the kids’ club, or by now he might be playing pool. I’m not keeping track. Camping rules apply — go have a good time; check in at lunch time.
We are at the Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort and Spa, and it is as sprawling and lavish as its name. It’s also the home of an official Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre, which means Rafa Nadal was here (“A few times, but hasn’t been back since COVID,” I’m told) and lent his name to the training centre — which now has high standards to maintain. There are dozens of clay courts, all immaculately groomed, and trainers standing by to give lessons. Or you can just play. All guests get one free hour of court time every day.
The Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort & Spa opened in 2018 and is the newest jewel in the Palladium family of hotels, which has properties in six countries. Known for luxury and service, this five-star beachfront resort was carved out of the jungle.
The resort boasts 670 suites with seven room types to serve couples or large families. We stayed in a Family Selection Junior Suite. The suite had two double beds, with memory-foam mattresses, a sofa-bed, and a large bathroom with a free-standing tub with massage jets and a separate rain-shower, and of course, provided plush bathrobes and slippers. If you arrive tired or just don’t feel like it, unpacking services are available.
Family Selection boasts a concierge for each floor, swim-out suites on the ground floor and a lengthy private pool.
Those lucky enough to book an end suite in buildings 11 or 12 get gorgeous panoramic views of the beach and the Caribbean Sea.
The week of my December visit the resort was at 95 per cent capacity, yet none of the facilities were busy or crowded. (Except Zentropia Spa, which my wife forgot to get the concierge to book.)
“It’s like a boutique hotel. All quality. But spread out so it’s really quiet,” said Sam Abulail, a Vancouverite who was on holiday at the same time.
THE BEACH OR THE POOL?
My bare feet sink a half inch into the white sand with each step. The sea is four shades of blue. If I squint, I can see Isla Mujeres in the distance. But I’m not trying that hard. I prefer to watch the beautiful people, the waves and the lone brown pelican skimming the water for its next meal.
The days matter. I want to balance my time between the beach and the pool. It might be time to rotate from seaside to the main pool. From mojitos to Sauvignon Blanc.
There are a lot of activities to keep guests entertained. On offer is: paddle boarding on the lake that runs through the centre of the resort; archery; catamaran sailing tours; kayaking; Spanish lessons; aerobics, both aqua and on the beach; snorkelling at coral reefs; wine and tequila tastings; cooking classes; and of course tennis at the Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre.
My wife joined the large group of mostly women at beach aerobics, my son played tennis, and my daughter ordered (on more than one day) pizza, the catch of the day, chocolate cake and a Shirley Temple to the room.
You can eat the world at the Grand Palladium as each restaurant in the village specializes in a different cuisine.
There are Hindu, Japanese, Mexican, Italian, Mediterranean, Thai and French restaurants and two steak houses: El Gaucho, an Argentine cuisine restaurant, and El Dorado.
In total there are more à la carte restaurants than days in the week. We had dinner at five of them and at each the food was fantastic and the atmosphere authentic.
Dining tip: Have your concierge make all the reservations on your first day so you can get your desirable dinner time.
There were still more restaurants that we didn’t get to. Our time in paradise came to end long before we could take it all in, including the adults-only TRS Coral Hotel which Family Selection adults have access to.
Which is why it’s important to keep track of the days. It all slipped away so fast with every day at the Grand Palladium, one glorious Groundhog Day of my dreams.
The writer was hosted by Sunwing. No one from the company approved of or vetted this story before publication.
IF YOU GO:
Sunwing Vacations offers flights and all-inclusive vacation packages to Cancun, Mexico and Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort and Spa from 21 airports across Canada.
Book an excursion with Sunwing Experiences. Sunwing partners with Nexustours to offer more than a dozen excursions in Mexico for those who want adventure or culture or history lessons with their holidays.