Grand Palladium Colonial Resort & Spa All Inclusive

Grand Palladium Colonial Resort & Spa is a large all-inclusive beach resort for divers who want the rest of the holiday to run without much organising. You have restaurants, pools, a spa, a private beach and a 24-hour reception on site, so the evening can stay pleasingly simple: shower, eat, wander, repeat.

English and Spanish are spoken by the hotel team, which makes the practical conversations straightforward. The resort also works well for couples and families, with poolside room options, a kids' club for children aged 1 to 12, evening entertainment and enough space to spread the day out.

It is not a tiny hideaway, and it does not pretend to be one. This is a full-service resort with plenty happening around you, useful when some people want activity and others would rather do very little at all.

The resort sits directly on the coast at Puerto Juarez, Mexico, with direct access to a white-sand beach. Sun loungers and parasols are set up for the beach, so you can move from room to shoreline without turning the walk into an expedition.

The address is in a beach setting rather than in the middle of town. The city centre is about 30 minutes away by car, while Cancún International Airport takes around 90 minutes by road. That longer transfer is worth factoring into the arrival and departure days, particularly if the flight home is early.

The surrounding area gives you access to some of the Riviera Maya's better-known outings, including Xel-Há Water Park, Xcaret Eco Theme Park and the ruins at Cobá. The resort can also help arrange excursions, leaving you free to concentrate on choosing which day to spend away from the water.

The room choice is mainly about how you want the space to relate to the resort. Garden-view double rooms keep things simple for two, while the junior suites add a little more room to settle into. Poolside versions put you close to the water, which is handy when a quiet morning by the pool matters more than a distant view.

Couples looking for a more private feel can look at the Romance Villa Suite with poolside access. Families or travelling companions may prefer the connecting suite arrangement, while twin-bed versions make sense when sharing a room without sharing a mattress. The cards below set out the exact sleeping arrangements; the useful distinction here is whether you want garden views, poolside access or a connecting layout.

Air conditioning is available in most of the room categories, and the rooms come with a private bathroom, safe, hairdryer and minibar. Tea and coffee facilities appear in several categories, while some also include toiletries, slippers and a television. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel, so you can deal with messages without hunting for a signal after a long day outside.

The all-inclusive format gives you a broad choice of places to eat rather than one dining room to learn by heart. Tikal covers breakfast, lunch and dinner, with breakfast served as a buffet and service running from early morning through to the evening. La Hacienda handles lunch and dinner, while El Gran Azul is the daytime stop, open from midday until late afternoon.

Dinner is where the choice widens. El Dorado and Ribs & More are steakhouses; La Adelita brings Mexican cooking; Sumptuori is Japanese; and La Lola takes the menu in a Spanish direction. La Hacienda and Tikal work with international cuisine. Several evening restaurants use a casual dress code, while others have no dress code listed, so you can leave the full expedition kit in the room.

There is one named bar: The Secret, a beach bar specialising in cocktails. A separate snack bar and café facilities are also available, along with bottled water. What is not set out is continuous snacking or a late-night dining service, so the main meal times are the safer part of the plan when your appetite has arrived before the kitchen has.

The beach is the obvious place to let the day slow down, with white sand, loungers and parasols close at hand. The resort also has outdoor and indoor pools, a water park and a spa bath, giving you alternatives when the sea is doing its own thing or you simply want an easier swim.

Zentropia Palladium Spa & Wellness offers massages, facial treatments, a hammam and hydrotherapy. The fitness side includes a gym and yoga, while tennis, table tennis, mini-golf and billiards provide options that do not require a full afternoon commitment. A solarium, sauna and beauty treatments are also available for the days when the only sensible plan is to remain horizontal, with occasional movement for refreshments.

There is enough for a family holiday as well: a kids' club for children aged 1 to 12, children's activities, a play area and a games room. For adults travelling together, the resort adds evening entertainment, karaoke and a nightclub. Excursions can be arranged through the concierge, and cultural outings are part of the activities programme.

A 24-hour reception makes late arrivals and early departures easier to manage. Check-out is at midday. Airport transfers are available as a paid service, either arranged through the resort or as part of the transfer options, and car hire can be organised on site. Parking is available for guests arriving by road.

Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. Concierge assistance, luggage storage, laundry, dry cleaning, an ATM, currency exchange and a medical service on site cover the small practical matters that tend to appear between flights, meals and dives. The resort also has a business centre and eight meeting rooms, although most holidaymakers will be more interested in the beach than the conference facilities.

Accessibility includes lifts, step-free access and accessible rooms, with an accessible restaurant. Rooms include air conditioning, and the property uses Type A sockets with a 127-volt supply. Visa, Mastercard, American Express and cash are accepted. Pets are not allowed.