Grand Palladium White Sand Resort & Spa

Riviera Maya's Grand Palladium resort complex consists of five separate resorts: Colonial, Kantenah, White Sand, Riviera, and Royal Suites (which has non-reciprocal access across all resorts). However, the remaining four resorts are unofficially split up further based on their location: Colonial shares space with Kantenah, and White Sand with Riviera -- but all guests in these four resorts has access to all the features, food, drinks, and entertainment of the others. The Riviera and White Sand each have their own large entrance, reception desk, and lobby located in what is essentially one massive building split into two sections. White Sand's lobby is large, but not as grandiose as those at the other resorts in the complex: It's a big, open-air building with a brown palm frond roof, cream and black decorative tiles, and a central, large Mayan totem pole-like structure. The lobby's interior has deep orange paint with cream accents, as found in the rest of the complex, and dated peach couches and colonial-style wicker furniture that feel a bit like hand-me-downs. Unfortunately, this breeds very little atmosphere in the lobby itself, though White Sand has arguably the most beautiful immediate grounds. White Sand is surrounded by a man-made lagoon that lends a relaxing and peaceful vibe, makes for great photo ops at dusk, and is home to koi fish. As with the other sections, the resort has open hallways, nicely landscaped grounds, and clear-cut signs to help you get where you're going (but it's still possible to get lost). Shared space -- across the entire complex -- tends to have a generic, but well-kept, look. While White Sand is not as fancy as other resorts in the complex (the decor is slightly nicer at Kantenah and Colonial, and much nicer at Royal Suites), White Sand has a slightly more romantic and private vibe. Because the kids' club is on the Kantenah and Colonial side, there tend to be fewer kids running around here -- but there still are some, as many families appreciate the space offered by the White Sand's two-room Suites. White Sand also has closer proximity to the pools and restaurants than Riviera, which feels even more secluded. 

The huge, five-resort Grand Palladium complex entrance is off northbound Highway 307. It's just over an hour's drive south of Cancun and 30 minutes south of Playa del Carmen, but less than 15 minutes north of Akumal Beach's town center and 30 minutes north of the town and beachside ruins of Tulum. Adventure parks Xel-Ha, Xcaret, Xplor, and Alternative Tours are located just up the Highway 307 strip on the way to Playa del Carmen. The village-like resort complex gives little need to explore beyond the property, but if you want to get out and about you'll need a car or cab -- even just to make it to the front gates. White Sand's buildings are just to the east of, and almost parallel with, the Colonial section, but are closer to the lagoon. The beach on this side of the complex is a bit narrower.

Grand Palladium White Sand has three room categories and under 300 rooms, all of which were renovated in late 2016. Junior Suites have jetted tubs in either enclosed bathrooms or in-suite; the latter layout makes the bathrooms feel a bit more spacious, while the former offers more privacy (better for families). Suites have separate living rooms and look more contemporary following renovations, with modern decor elements like padded headboards and seaweed-inspired wall art. Both categories come with sofa beds; the 570-square-foot (53-square-meter) Junior Suites can come with a king or two double beds, and sleep up to five, while the 721-square-foot (67-square-meter) Suites always come with king beds and can sleep four.The Mayan Suites, which also have a more contemporary look following renovations, are all set along the lagoon and are the most romantic (in fact, they're for adults only). These rooms have a hexagonal shape with thatched roofs and look out over the man-made lagoon (kayaks and canoes are available to use); highlights here are the decks and outdoor showers. All rooms have minibars, flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, coffeemakers, digital media players, bathrobes, and slippers. Spacious bathrooms are decorated in cream marble tiles and have generic toiletries, hairdryers, and makeup mirrors.The Colonial and Kantenah have slightly nicer decor, but neither have two-room Suites at this price point. The Royal Suites Yucatan has lagoon-adjacent Mayan Suites with significantly nicer decor, but they're pricier. 

The Grand Palladium Riviera and White Sand share a slightly small main buffet, La Laguna, with outdoor seating overlooking the pool that serves breakfast, lunch, tea time snacks. There's also a pool-facing bar of the same name with lower-level swim-up service. (An additional and similar buffet is available on the Colonial/Kantenah side of the complex). There's an additional, much larger buffet, Kabah, that is shared between the two properties, but located on the Riviera side proper. Kabah is open for three meals a day. Otherwise, the a la carte selection includes the impressively decorated Bamboo (a Chinese restaurant), Brazilian steakhouse Rodizio, Portofino (Italian), and Ribs & More, a grill and barbecue joint. Reservations are required 24 hours in advance for the a la carte spots, and most have seating both indoors and outdoors. On the other half of the resort complex, guests have even more choices with La Adelita (Mexican) and El Dorado on the Colonial side, and Sumptuori (Japanese sushi, hibachi, and table service) and Chang Thai (Thai) on the Kantenah side. In addition to the official restaurants and buffets, there are quick snacks like nachos and burgers available at the Beach Bar, Punta Emilia (at the beach on the Riviera and White Sand side), and Sports Bar.Besides having a head-spinning amount of dining options across all four resorts, Grand Palladium has implemented a fantastic program for those with restricted diets (including those with egg allergies, dairy intolerances, or celiac disease). Upon check-in guests with special dietary needs will receive a card to present to dining staff which alerts them to their particular requirements. Informed staff members can then show what dishes are acceptable or can be modified for the guest. 

With more bars than some small towns, the Grand Palladium complex has plenty of places to make sure your cup is never dry, from the beach, to the pool, to the theater, to the lobby, to the late-night dance club. The White Sand/Riviera sections of the complex give guests two eponymous lobby bars, El Teatro theater bar, Punta Emilia beachside snack and booze bar, and the dual-level pool and swim-up bar near their poolside buffet, La Laguna Bar. There's a unique saltwater pool among the rocks on the Riviera side where a small bar is set up, and a late-night dance club, Sunset Blvd., is located off the Riviera lobby. On the Colonial side, there's Bar Colonial in the lobby, serving coffee and cocktails; a surprisingly large Sports Bar decked out with table games, sports memorabilia, ancient pay-per-use Internet kiosks, and a large projection screen TV; a bar off the theater serving spirits and soft drinks during the live shows; and the dual-level Gran Azul bar next to the buffet. The lower half of this bar has swim-up service that closes in the early evening, but the top part stays open late. Nearby, on the Kantenah side, there's another lobby bar, two evening lounges off the lobby, and off the far north corner of the beach, La Jarra beach bar. The Kantenah side also has an adult-only pool with bar service, while both resorts have the beachside Beach Bar (that also serves snacks) just behind the main pool and water park. 

The Mayan Riviera coastline is famous for soft white sands, turquoise waters, and sometimes, rocky coral shorelines -- oh, and a few (or more) gusts of wind. While busy and filled with sunning bodies (some topless), small shady palapa huts, and lounge chairs, the long stretch of beach behind the large resort still manages to feel natural and relaxing. Perhaps this is due to the mangrove and palm tree barrier between the edge of the pools and the beach itself, or the secluded Las Rocas area -- a naturally elevated spot with rustic views, coral reefs, and a saltwater pool -- connected to the sandy beach via a scenic walk through jungle landscaping with peekaboo ocean views. Down on the sands, lifeguards are on duty; water sports gear like paddle boats and kayaks are in frequent use; a webcam streams live; and people take dips in the shallow waters. Typical white loungers with tight-stretched blue fabric are strewn across the sand, and if you've got kids, note that topless sunbathing is allowed. There's not much shade available on the White Sand and Riviera side of the beach, but farther down on the Colonial and Kantendah sides there is a small section of sand under the shade of palms.Beach bars include Las Rocas, Punta Emilia on the edge of the White Sand and Riviera beach section, the Beach Bar smack in the middle of the beach behind Colonial/Kantenah (where food and beer, but no liquor, is served), and La Jarra on the far edge of the Kantenah strip. 

In total there are seven pools and one saltwater pool accessible to Riviera guests, with a large main pool (with small kids pool), adult-only pool and bar, and the seaside Las Rocas saltwater pool calling the Riviera/White Sand area home.The main pool is large and contains jetted areas, multiple bridges, and plenty lounge space. If viewed from above, its irregular shape looks like a splatter of water. Notable features include the in-water tiled lounge beds, exercise bikes placed around the pool's edge, beach entry section, and a slightly sectioned off area where the swim-up bar is located. The remaining pools (plus a nice-size kids' water park) are located on the Colonial/Kantenah side of the complex. The kids' water park is off the main pool on this side, between the large pool deck and the beach. Kantenah has an additional small pool with hot tub and bar service. There's also a garden-surrounded adult-only pool (marked on the map, but not on resort signage) placed between the Colonial/Kantenah and White Sand/Riviera sections. Although it's a quasi-secret, it's usually packed, but is a much quieter and more elegant looking spot than some of the other pools. A small bar is off to the side to serve up drinks. An infinity-style pool lined with shaded loungers is located at the spa, but can only be accessed with a spa pass. 

Built first, the Grand Palladium Colonial claims the bulk of the complex amenities; just off the lobby guests will find bars, a theater, and multiple shops -- including a pharmacy and tobacco shop, a 24-hour doctor's clinic, and row of tour desks, along with baggage, telephone, and money services. On the grounds outside the lobby, Colonial is home to a pretty chapel with mass services (and weddings), orchid garden, and a flamboyance of flamingos (also found outside of Kantenah). Behind the Colonial and Kantenah pool area, there's an indoor and outdoor kids' club area with a large and colorful water park full of slides, fountains, and splash areas. The resort also has a baby club and teens' club, which is priceless for those hard-to-cater-for ages. Around the complex grounds, guests will find a large sports center -- that people actually use -- with tennis, basketball, archery, soccer, running tracks, and mini-golf. Nearby, there's also the massive Zentopia spa which has its own pool; a large hydrotherapy area with saunas, various temperature pools, a typical Mayan sweat lodge, and treatments; beauty salon, treatment rooms with outdoor showers in Mayan decor; and gym. Access to the spa used to be a part of the all-inclusive, but in order to keep it less congested and more relaxing, the hotel decided to start charging a small fee. Because of the massive grounds, golf cart shuttles transport guests from lobby to lobby, with drop offs at the spa and sports center as well. But, if you want to get adventurous, you can always rent a Segway and zip around the property yourself. The garden grounds have an abundance of wildlife. It's not uncommon to see coati (raccoon-like animals), raccoons, capybara (large hamster-like fellas), and various birds throughout the grounds -- there are even caged-in crocodiles hanging out behind the Colonial/Kantenah lobby. The resort also has three natural cenotes hidden among the verdant grounds, although unlike the popular ones along the highway, you cannot swim in them.Parking and basic Wi-Fi are free, but if you want faster speeds with more access, you'll have to pay extra.