Paradisus Palma Real Golf & Spa Resort

Hotel is overrated. The price charged is completely unrealistic for what it offers. Upon arrival, the guy who took our luggage to the room left angry and slammed the door because he didn’t receive a tip. The room was supposed to be for a honeymoon from the start, but they gave us a room with two single beds and did not allow us to change it—unless we paid an extra $800. There’s no coconut water, no freezers around the resort to grab drinks freely. There’s no ice cream. There’s no heated pool. It was hard to even find a bar that had food. You have to order food and wait for it to be prepared, sometimes taking more than 20 minutes. I tried to book a restaurant for dinner, but there was no availability—not even for the next day. And the restaurants don’t allow reservations more than two days in advance. I went to get a beer at the beach kiosk, and they said my reservation didn’t cover beach beer. I went to another bar to get wine, but the wines are extremely expensive (yes, they charge for wine at an “all-inclusive” resort). The room amenities are low quality. Liquid soap. There’s no music, no parties, no shows. It claims to be adults-only, but there are lots of children. Food service is only available at certain hours at the buffet (the only place with food for those who couldn’t get restaurant reservations). I asked for a Corona at a bar, and they said I wasn’t entitled to it. For a coconut or a Redbull you must pay U$$5 extra for each one. The beer is warm and far to get one. ALL inclusive total fake news. This is the worst all-inclusive resort I’ve ever been to.

The positive: The hotel is very large, with immaculate grounds and excellent presentation. Overall, the staff are very friendly and ready to help. We stayed in the adults-only section, The Reserve, which has several pristine pools. It was generally much quieter than the rest of the resort and was always clean. One of the advantages of being in that location is the assignment of a personal concierge. We were fortunate enough to work with Christopher Rivera, a shining star! He took care of our room issues (see below), booked our restaurant meals, and generally filled in a few gaps. He was unfailingly cheery, communicative, and very professional. I cannot say enough about what he added to our holiday. The beach is walkable white sand, and there seem to be plenty of loungers for everyone. I’m sure the swimming is fine, but it was very windy during our stay and the water was rough. The food is good and varies from restaurant to restaurant. Of the ones we tried, Mina (the steakhouse) was our favourite. There is a large three-meals-per-day buffet available to all guests, offering more options than you could possibly desire. And in The Reserve, there is a private breakfast and lunch buffet area around the pool which offered a smaller, quieter, but delicious option. There is no evening “show” at this resort, but there is usually some form of musical entertainment. Unfortunately, bad weather can cancel those events as they take place in an open-air location. A shout-out to Luis and his crew at the sports bar, too. They always managed to find the Blue Jays games for us on at least one of the tv’s. The negative: It’s possible that our room was unique, but the door lock, safe, refrigerator, and hot water in our room all required some maintenance/attention when we arrived. The rooms are large and clean, with all the amenities you might expect. One of the beds in our room appeared to be quite new and firm, the other less so. These inconsistencies lead me to suggest this is a solid 4-star resort rather than a 5. Also, a word of warning – the bathrooms have no walls. The bathroom area is separated from the main room by a gauzy curtain. The sinks and tub sit in the open, with a glass-doored shower and a toilet with a door alongside. If you are travelling with a friend, colleague, or family member with whom you do not wish to share so openly, this hotel is not for you. There are also sound and light issues if one person gets up through the night. There is also no place to easily change money on site (although many guests ask). One has to take a cart over to the nearby casino in order to exchange money in its secure area. Finally – and this is regarding Air Canada Vacations rather than the resort – the ACV rep was entirely absent throughout our stay. He didn’t show up for the arrival briefing, and he didn’t respond to texts. I ended up having to contact head office for basic departure information. We were told by some of the other travel reps that this was not the first time this had happened. ACV needs to do better by its customers in that regard.

Exceptionnal services from Antonia on the beach. She is a lovely person and so kindness. At the Lunch Box, Jeason and Edisson made everything for your satisfaction.

Amazing experience as always at this beautiful hotel. Stayed in a beachfront suite in the reserve on 3rd floor. Staff is amazing. I incredibly attentive and takes the time to remember your name and preferences. Special shoutout to Yuderi in the beach area who has made each of my 3 stays incredible. Remembers his guests each time and is a very special human being - look forward to seeing you next time bro. Raphael is equally incredible and took extra steps to save me great ocean seats every morning and remembered my drink preferences every day - really appreciate the hospitality and warmth. Junior at the reserve bar next to the beach and Pedro at the reserve bar on the beach also killed it and really appreciated the hospitality and attention to details. Warmth and familiarity really go a long way from guys like you when on vacation - thanks for making it a memorable experience.

Great Staff, large portions, large menu. Staff is attentive, menu items varied, portions are very large. Slightly salty.