| Fantastic! Returning next year, for sure; Great facilities; great kids club; great food. | |||
| Hotel Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa | |||
|
|||
| Our family (Myself, wife, and 6-year old daughter) were here from Mar/7/2010 through Mar/14th. We plan to return next year. This is probably the nicest resort vacation we’ve been on (went to Melia Caribe in DR twice; Melia Guillermo in Cuba once; Sol Guillermo in cuba twice; Sol Melia CayoCoco once).
We picked this resort in part due to advice that it had a good kids club / kids programme, and we were very pleased with how this worked out: There was a good space which was well setup; perfectly happy for kids to be dropped off for an hour or two, or longer (half or whole day if you wanted – although we didn’t leave our daughter there that long). Staff for the kids club were excellent, and they have a well structured program. |
|||
| Your Arrival | |||
| Transfer from airport was typical/painless/well organized; approx 45min drive from airport to hotel lobby.
Quick efficient check-in, bags (and us) were shuttled directly to our room very promptly. A ‘welcome drink’ while you wait in line for a few minutes was not unwelcome. The lobby is very nice space. |
|||
| Rooms | |||
| Rooms are well maintained, clean, very nicely setup (LCD/flat screen TV is a perk for example). Beds were comfy; cleaning staff was efficient; fridge was restocked consistently. | |||
| Restaurants and Bars | |||
| Food was excellent, consistently. Always plenty of good choices (including an amazing pastry selection at the main breakfast buffet every am – REALLY GOOD; not just frozen-thawed junk). Excellent ‘juice bar’ at breakfast – lots of nice fresh juices available. Lots of healthy food options, and less healthy (but tasty of course) options too if you prefer 🙂 A-La-Carte – was easy to book at the guest service counter. Book a few days out at once so you have things laid out. We tried many of the a-la-carte restos and they were all good.
Bars were good; sometimes longer lines formed at ‘peak season’ (beach bars in particular) but I suspect this is inevitable. Good selection of drinks, very good service. |
|||
| Beach/Pools/Grounds | |||
| A number of different beach areas each with their own character gives this resort a nice flavour: A bigger beach with water-sport activities at one end of the resort; a small quiet beach for sun bathers but also with excellent coral snorkeling; a larger beach near the main section of the resort – some rocks at one end make it ‘a bit of a challenge for swimming’ – but just move down this same beach 100-200m and you have excellent swimming. Further down the beach there is less sand, more ‘coral shoreline’ so not really for swimming – just sunning or rock-hopping to explore tidal pools (which are nice and interesting actually).
Grounds are *lovely* — well maintained, and the covered walkways are nice to keep you out of the sun as you walk about during hot-hot sunny days during peak burning times. |
|||
| Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel | |||
| Standard on-resort activities, but our main focus was the beach and the pool, and we were very happy with these. Night time entertainment was good (we only went 2 nights but it was good). We didn’t end up going ‘off resort’ at all – we were enjoying ourselves far too much ‘on resort’. | |||
| Other Comments | |||
| This place is simply fantastic. The staff are very good, and management clearly are making an effort to ‘stand out’ from ‘typical all inclusive’ resorts. They have a management welcome cocktail meet-and-greet on Mon/Tues nights and they setup a ‘beach party’ on Friday night – lots of good food, tons of tables – seating for .. various hundreds .. in the ‘main poolside / beach-volleyball area’ – which is a significant amount of setup work – with good live music, good food – so a nice touch.
Small detail: This is really a ‘two in one’ resort – one ‘half’ is "Lady Hamilton"; the other half is the "Grand Palladium Jamaica" – but anyone staying at either side has full access to everything. I think Lady Hamilton is a more recent addition and possibly booked up more heavily with Transat/Noritours affiliated charters. (but I’m not 100% certain about this). Either way, we were very happy with our stay at Lady Hamilton.. can’t want to go back next year for another week (or maybe two! ? 🙂 |
|||
![]("https://www.debbiescaribbeanresortreviews.com/images/flower_red.png")
| Don’t make a mountain out of a mole hill and you’ll have a great time. | |||
| Hotel Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa | |||
|
|||
| Arrival: Feb 6 – 14 Two couples – our first time to Jamaica. We had a later flight and arrived at the airport around 9:30 p.m. It was about an hours drive from the airport – check in was fast and our room was ready, we spend little time waiting to get to our room.
Rooms: We had oceanview rooms – WOW – beautiful view – but remember – this is a much newer hotel and landscaping, trees, shrubs etc., require time to mature. Restaurants and Bars: Most bars are quick in serving you. Leroy at the main pool swim up bar is fantastic – a small tip will definately get you great service! Make sure you ask Leroy for a "triple tower", and his famous shooters! The bar by the activity center wasn’t too bad – took a little longer for the cocktails – but who’s in a rush – your on holidays! Buffets are great – different selections every day. We went to a few of the A La Cartes (which you did not need reservations for – because there are quite a few) and they were good as well, but we decided – why dress up – we were on holidays – and the buffets were great! Beach/Pools/Grounds: I did quite a bit of research before booking this hotel and knew going in the beach(s) were not their best feature. Nice smaller beaches, if you go for a holiday mainly for a fantastic beach – you might want to reconsider going to this hotel – but having said that – the complaints about the pool – wow people – a few tiles (1" x 1") is really not a big deal. The pool was in magnificant shape when we were there. Grounds are super clean. The employees are extremely friendly and courteous. The weather was a little windy on the first few days, but the rest of the week was hot and sunny, and thankfully there was a bit of a breeze. |
|||
| Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel The activity center is the area you want to be in. They have activities going pretty well all day, if you are interested in doing that. We enjoyed the dance instruction, volleyball, horseshoes and one day they had competitions going and that was a blast as well. We went on the safari to the mountains, what a beautiful landscape in Jamaica. We got to visit an orange plantation, which also had a small water fall, went through the jungle and really had a great time. We also did the catamaran to the cliffs, not quite as enjoyable. You get to see people jump off the cliff at Rick’s Cantina, and you can also partake in that as well. One of use did do the jump – not something I would recommend – she was covered in black and blue bruising from head to toe! If you have never jumped – observing is the better way to go!
Other Comments We only had problems with our door key on a few days. They replaced the unit twice. Remember this is also new technology for the Repair guys too. My philosophy is a holiday is what you make of it. Yes there may be a few things that don’t work or need repair – but we knew that going in for eg. the beach, a few tiles in the pool – but it was nothing near as bad as some of the other reviews say. I would highly recommend this hotel and plan on going back there myself in another year or two. The couple we were with also want to go back as well. Enjoy yourselves, don’t make a mountain out of a mole hill and you’ll have a great time. |
|||
| Buffets have good selection | |||
| Hotel Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa | |||
|
|||
| Stayed at this resort from Dec 4 to 11, 2009. We were very impressed with the size of the room. Safe included and fridge replenished daily. Most of the staff is very friendly and eager to assist. Wireless internet provided free of charge in the lobby, so if you have a laptop or notebook, you`re all set! In room safe is big enough for notebook 10-11 inch but not 15 inch laptop though. Rooms: Spacious and clean Restaurants and Bars: Buffets have good selection and you can even get various meats and/or fish grilled fresh. Bars have good selection of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks. We tried the Grill Restaurant (Bubba’s), Asian and Italian. They were all good but preferred the grill, don`t miss it. Beach/Pools/Grounds: Pools are beautiful, clean and well maintained. There are pool attendants all day to ensure the grounds surrounding the pool is kept clean. The grounds are patrolled by unarmed and armed security 24 hours a day. Beach however is very rocky, recommend wearing water shoes. The best beach is closest to Lady Hamilton however not easily accessible as there are many steps. Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel: Local shopping tour with rhum cake factory was 40$ US and we found better prices at the Airport Duty free shops when it came to coffee, spirits and tobacco products. The craft market however had better deals if you are good at bargaining. Other Comments:
This is our first time in Jamaica and will definitely return. I recommend this resort wholeheartedly. |
|||
| Beautiful | |||
| Hotel Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa | |||
|
|||
| Our first time in Jamaica and we will definately go back we were there a week, the people were great, the resort was beautiful and the food was excellent. I can’t say enough about this place truely. I enjoyed every minute we were there. If you don’t like the pool that everyone shares there are pools outside the rooms almost like your own private pool, which is what we had, and it included our own bar tender and she was wonderful. The music was enjoyable and there was always something to do if you wanted to spend extra money. They always had plenty of restaurants opened so you didn’t have to eat at the same place each night, and we tried all of them and enjoyed them all. I have been to many places and this is by far the best of them all. | |||
| Your Arrival | |||
| The arrival was quick and easy, you get dropped off at your resort and they have people to take your luggage while you check in and get a drink! They are always willing to accomodate as we were suppose to have a ocean view, and there was a small mix up which was quickly fixed the next morning. | |||
| Rooms | |||
| The rooms were beatuiful and clean, every day they make another design on your bed with the towels, and the fridge in your room was replenished daily and if they forgot a quick call fixed the problem. | |||
| Restaurants and Bars | |||
| All I can say about this was the food was excellent and the drinks were perfect, if you do go make sure you order a dirty banana it was to die for! | |||
| Beach/Pools/Grounds | |||
| The beach was rocky wear some shoes but there is another place to eat where they serve jerk chicken down by the beach, and it was the best and the view was wonderful and the beach was gorgous. | |||
| The place is above average to say the least | |||
| Hotel Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa | |||
|
|||
| My wife and I stayed at the Grand Palladium from March 1st to March 8th. We read the reviews of the place and the bad ones left us a bit apprehensive. The place is above average to say the least. We stayed at the Rosehall Iberostar last year. If you were to compare the two properties, they are both above average. They are totally different styles of resorts, though. The Iberostar is a more centralized, NY hotel style. The Grand Palladium is more California styled, sprawling resort. The GP has lots more shoreline and acreage. The Iberostar has a higher quality of buffett food, complete with champagne at midnight and desserts, etcetera. The GP has a larger pool, specialty restaurants, and a greater number of bar stations.
They are both good resorts in their own, yet different rights. |
|||
![]("https://www.debbiescaribbeanresortreviews.com/images/flower_grey.png")
| All in my family felt constrained by the resort model. | |||
| Hotel Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa | |||
|
|||
| Arrival: Feb. 21 – 28 A 6 pm departure from Halifax meant a 3 pm arrival. Landed at Montego Bay at 11 pm, five hour flight, processed through customs, forty minute ride to resort, in room by 1:30 am. All amounted to just under 12 hours travel time.
Rooms Our "basic" room was on the third floor, with a corner balcony overlooking the Caribbean. It was over 500 square feet in size, and had amenities beyond my needs. Contrary to those who had comfort issues with the mattress, this light sleeper never awoke once during the night. The room was as good as it has to be: clean, comfortable, and well appointed. Housekeeping staff are discrete and do a wonderful job. I liked the feature where the a/c doesn’t operate when you have the balcony door open. It is but one of the measures taken in the spirit of being environmentally concious.Restaurants and Bars Got to all restaurants but one, and left that one, Bubba’s, to those tourists (not from Canada), who can’t seem to go without their daily fix of steak, burgers and hot dogs – not that I’m no patron of red meat, but given options like Indian, Asian,Mexican, Italian, Jamaican, and buffets with a huge variety, I chose to avoid the familiar. There was ample choice on all menus, and apart from the Mexican dishes lacking anything exciting, my family unanimously endorsed every meal. Our favourites were the Poseidon for its fish, and the Asian. For lunch, we kept the jerk chicken and jambalaya chefs in business – their location at Sunset Cove dictated our choice of beach. If I was a whiner, I might complain about the quality of the coke they mixed with my rum, but this was as bad as it got. Feel sorry for me yet? |
|||
| A day trip tour guide suggested trying a Dirty Banana at a bar, which we did the next day at the beach. Resembling a Tim Horton’s iced drink, it gently brought our senses into full relaxation mode, while soothing a parched palate. Others in my family found the same relief with a similar drink called a Hummingbird, made with strawberries.
Beach/Pools/Grounds Not a big pool fan, but the place is so big you could float your own armada in privacy.The three beaches are small, but once you pick a spot in the sun or shade, and listen to the waves, size hardly matters. The grounds are a delight to walk about, with gardeners and landscapers at every corner. For a property only opening seven months ago, they have worked hard to bring it to where it is. We came prepared for snorkeling, and while the water was as good as it gets, brilliant colors were not to be found on the bottom. It is what it is, and likely the boat you could hire would take you off shore to a more vibrant reef. Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel There is a huge theatre with a nightly show that we grew to avoid coming withing earshot of its deafening MC. I trust someone in management will soon realize that all those empty seats means others felt the same way. There were four or five spots on the resort you could find entertainment nightly, and while the bands were good, their set list was clearly appealling to the same people who lined up for Bubba’s steak and burgers. Too many mainstream pop tunes, pop tunes with a Reggae rhythm, and as a treat, some authentic Reggae, made up the evening’s entertainment. We chose a few excursions off site, as despite the excessive creature comforts at our disposal, we all felt a bit of cabin fever (even with such a big cabin). |
|||
| A tubing float down a river was a poor choice on our part, as we have all grown up with water and boating. We assumed we would find a spirited river, and navigate our own tubes through challenging rapids. Instead, the dry season gave us a river so low, we were all linked to the charming guide, who had to yell "butts up" each time the river bottom threatened ours. We also expected wildlife to abound; nary an insect to be seen, and I think we saw two species of birds, probably six birds in total. A trip to Negril and Rick’s Cafe turned out to ne predictably touristy. For many I’m sure it was enjoyable, but we were naively looking for something more authentically Jamaican. The locals are warm, inviting people, but the resorts don’t want to accept the liability for the risks that come with such excursions, and can’t say I blame them. Two members of my family took a tour to Nine Mile to the town Bob Marley was born and is buried. While there was similar comment on the limitations to freely explore, there were no regrets for having gone.
Other Comments Here I am offering a reflection on a type of vacation that I will likely not attend again. All in my family felt constrained by the resort model. We wanted more access to the community, and at the Lady Hamilton, they would not let you leave the premises unless with an approved escort, again, with good reason. We will choose our next vacation site where we can have the best of both worlds – the mix of sun and surf, along with a local village where we can explore the culture a bit. This resort has it all for those who want to be pampered on site. The place is the largest in Jamaica, and that bothered some in my group, but I saw it as an excuse for a good five minute walk for the next Dirty Banana. We had a fabulous family vacation, because we focused on the measure of family, not whether the mattress was too firm or first come first served was inconvenient. I read hours of reviews before deciding on the Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton. Too many people complain about things that shouldn’t matter. My resolution upon returning was to offer a more realistic profile of my experiences there, I hope some will gain by it. |
|||
| Infrastructure problems, average food | |||
| Hotel Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa | |||
|
|||
| Arrival: Feb 1st – Feb 15th Our Vacation was booked through Signature Vacations out of Toronto with the "Star" Service option. The bus ride to the Hotel was less than an hour including a stop for refreshments in route. Our room was not ready when we arrived but was available within a couple of hours
Rooms: Our room was a nicely appointed Jr. Suite with a King Size Bed in Building 16. During the last couple of days we had difficulty with the A/C and at the time of our departure had not been resolved. This was one of a liteney of infrastructure problems which ranged for water leaks, water backups and strong sewage smells. Restaurants and Bars: We ate at all 3 of the of the Buffet Restaurants and 4 of the 7 A-La-Carte Restaurants. The Mo-Bay and The Negril Buffets are on a staggered schedule for lunch, Because of high winds the Blue Lagoon was closed for a few days during our stay. Bubba’s Steak House was by far the most popular and because there were no reservations one had to get there early or endure a long wait to get in or be denied access completely. The Pasta restaurant was just as popular while the others there was usually a little or no wait accessing the other A-La Cartes. The food was great in the 4 A-La-Cartes we ate in especially, the Rib Eye Steak in Bubba’s, and the Rasta Pasta and the Jerk Chicken in the Creole. The Seafood Food Possidon Restaurant was not open the first week we were there. Management were constantly handing out assessment forms in the buffets asking guests their opinion to the point of overkill. We had difficulty with guests picking up and handling food with their hands rather than use the tools provided. |
|||
| Beach/Pools/Grounds The Beaches in the resort are a "Work in Progress". In the evenings when weather permits sand was hauled in and spread with heavy equipment. All the beaches with the exception of Sunset Cove are exposed to sea and when the winds were high the beaches were Red flagged. The pools are deep, the pool with the Pool Bar is up to 4 1/2 feet deep making the bar and the built in Jacussi’s out of reach for anyone who may be a little timid about deep water. The 2 Adult Pools are 5 Feet Deep. Many of the pools have damaged tiles and there is a real danger of foot damage
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel We went on a tour of Negril and Rick’s Cafe for $15.00US. We also did the Croydon Plantation Tour. The tour was very informative and our Guide Alisa was great. We met the Plantation Owner Mr Henry who went around speaking to all his guests learning what they thought and offering a wealth of information. The road to the Plantation was hair raising at times made worse because your prospective is distorted driving on the right side of the road. We took a taxi to Montego Bay. We hired a cab outside the resort for half the price of the Juta Tour Cabs. Karl our Driver was fantastic and he took us where we wanted to go. He went with us to insure our safety and protect us from being harrased by merchants. You can arrange free tours with the animation staff. The offer a shopping trip to Montego Bay, and Negril, and a sunset cruse to Negril Other Comments The Hotel is new and there are many logistical problems to be ironed out. The hotel is large with many stairs so it does not lend itself well for people with mobility problems. |
|||
| As for the hotel, it is indeed beautiful but it ends there… | |||
| Hotel Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa | |||
|
|||
| Arrival: Feb. 7 – Feb 18 We arrived in Montego Bay around 10:00pm….No problem with the airport..all went smooth. Found JTL counter for our hotel transfer, was ushered outside to our bus…sat and waited an hour for 2 more people that were going to Negril…just anxious to get to our hotel…Our checkin at the hotel went smooth as well…
Rooms: Our room was beautiful…a huge jaccuzi which easily sat 4 people…an awesome outdoor shower, long chaise loungers on the balcony facing the ocean. Too bad the bubble was about to burst…A rock hard bed awaited us…I can compare it to sleeping on a box spring that someone forgot to put a mattress on…Not a good night’s sleep the whole time….For a 5 star hotel and the price we paid we expected more comfort….everyone we met were commenting on the beds….room was clean and had no rpoblems during our stay… Restaurants and Bars: The buffets were cafeteria grade food…..The seafood restaurant at Sunset Cove was by far the best with a limited menu…The crab & cheese bread was delicious and were the mussels…Bubba’s steak was so chewy…. left a lot to be desired….The Creole restaurant has good pork chops, we ate there twice it was tasty food with great service. All the bars were the same except the swim up bar is not easily accessible for those a little timid in deeper water… Beach/Pools/Grounds: The best beach is Sunset Cove….the others are for sunning only…. We spent a lot of time at the Adult pool, loved the chairs in the water….The grounds are lovely and will be quite stunning with the time…. |
|||
| Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel We went To Negril and Rick’s Cafe….15US per person was reasonable…The shopping wasn’t the best, vry crowded…and the worst was the vendors market….it was like arriving in a slum area…garbage everywhere and very dirty….they harrass you the minute you step off the bus…many stayed on the bus….It poured rain on our way to Rick’s cafe so we missed the sunset and sat on the bus for about half an hour while three got off to jump the cliffs….major traffic jam with busses when we left…those roads were not designed for tour buses… We also went and did the Appleton Rum tour…very interesting, scary ride up the mountains…would I do it again ??? No way !!!!
Other Comments This is my second visit to Jamaica…and the place has not changed in 12 years…Such a beautiful island to be spoiled with garbage everywhere and being hounded constantly for tips, I think the government needs to clean up their island and try to stop people for harrassing the tourists..after all tourism is one of their main incomes…After hearing so many negative comments while we were there, I think a lot of people will be going to other islands, we know we will… As for the hotel, it is indeed beautiful but it ends there…tiles missing in the pool, very shoddy workmanship…and most of the front desk staff had an attitude. Sorry if I sound negative but for what we paid and looking forward to our annual vacation for a long time we were disappointed… Forgot to mention no working ATM machines at the hotel and the elevator was broken….Our hotel opened in November, the Jamaica side opened in July…. |
|||