Grand palladium palace resort spa & casino all inc

Grand Palladium Palace has three pools on its main property, but guests have access to dozens of other pools across the Grand Palladium complex. Named after Dominican beaches, the Barahona and Samana pools are popular spots for guests to lounge during the day. Both pools are huge, freeform aquatic spaces with large hot tubs and zero-entry shallow ends. Both have built-in water lounge chairs, swim-up bars, and circular white columns — the latter of which we still haven’t figured out the purpose of. Each pool is surrounded by tons of lounge chairs and palapa-style umbrellas. The Samana pool has its own kiddy pool, complete with a pirate ship, spewing fountains, and a few slides. Some guests may find it irritating that the pool areas are not smoke-free and do not have designated smoking sections.   

The Grand Palladium complex fronts a large stretch of Bavaro Beach. While the beach isn’t the prettiest in the world — it’s narrow, steep, and plagued by seaweed — the hotel does a nice job of keeping things lively. There’s rarely a time when beachfront Zumba, group bachata lessons, or beach volleyball tournaments aren’t going on, and staff members are always on hand to help guests with free non-motorized water sports, like kayaking. Because of the beach’s lively atmosphere, we wouldn’t recommend the spa’s beachfront massages. The gauzy white curtains separating the palapa-covered massage tables from the volleyball court don’t do a great job of blocking out the noise. 

Zentropia is the Grand Palladium’s spa, which is shared by guests from across the complex. The spa offers treatments like facials, massages, and body wraps, but they are not part of the all-inclusive package. The gym is connected to the spa, but was being renovated at the time of our visit. Other amenities across the complex include an impressive kids' club, a small casino, and a convention center. Nicely maintained sports facilities include tennis courts, basketballs courts, soccer fields, and a mini-golf course. The dozens of bars and on-site disco are popular nighttime hangout spots, and there's live entertainment at theater. Many guests congregate in the lobby throughout the day and into the night — considering it’s the only spot on the property with free Wi-Fi.