Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort – Lucea, Jamaica
As someone who always turns to personal reviews when investigating my travel decisions, I wanted to share a current, honest, and hopefully helpful review.
Context:
We stayed at the Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort for five nights in August 2024. We purchased a package through Costco travel that included flights, the all-inclusive resort, airport transfers, a Costco gift card, airport lounge for our departure, and day passes for the Hydrotherapy circuit at the spa. This was a last-minute purchase but I did enough research to know it was a good deal.
Arrival:
MBJ airport is busy, and you will have to navigate customs coming into the country. You will need to present a C5 form or prepare it online. I suggest you investigate this before you arrive. There is an entry service through Mobay Lounge at the airport that we did not use but I think we would on return. We ran into a person who helped walk us to the front of the line for a tip. If you arrange Mobay they will meet you as you enter the airport and walk you to the front of the two major lines you will need to navigate to enter.
Once through the airport, our package included hotel transfers through Jamaica Tours Ltd. Small bus, big crowd, crazy traffic, distracted driver. We made it, but it took over an hour from the airport to the resort due to traffic.
Arrival at the resort is somewhat confusing as well. They will set your bags aside, you can get a welcome beverage at a cart in the lobby and then do your check in. Once your room is assigned, a person will assist you with your bags, load you onto a cart, and take you to your room. You will be given a wristband that identifies you as a guest and also serves to electronically open your room
The Resort:
As noted in many reviews, it is truly massive. Be prepared for lots and lots of walking. I would strongly suggest having some idea what area you might want to stay in. If you’re looking at the resort from the ocean, Grand Palladium is to the left of the main building and Lady Hamilton is to the right. The main building has separate lobbies for each. All but one of the main restaurants, all the shops, service desks, and multiple bars are in the main building surrounded by the pool. Our room was in building 26, closest to the pool on the Lady Hamilton side. I recommend it for convenience, but be aware that the music and noise from the pool during the day and the entertainment at night literally shake the foundations of the building. We were fine to turn up our noise machines in exchange for the convenient location. But if you’re sensitive to the noise, you may want to be further.
Overall, the “3.5-4ish” rating the resort seems to have across review sites seems on target. I would say this was built as an ultra-luxury resort but it is showing it’s age. There are maintenance issues, furnishings and décor show their age in both style and wear and tear, and there is evidence around the property that is has been here for a while. Our take – that’s why you’re getting a good deal on the price. If you will manage your expectations accordingly, and not try to find or focus on every little maintenance detail, you can really enjoy yourself here.
The Fun:
We love the beach and pool and that was the center of our activity. Hosts seem to be frequently arranging games and activities, but we didn’t participate. The main pool is the feature here. We loved it and were quite content to spend hours here. The beaches are nice and the ocean is gorgeous. Several options for access with somewhat limited seating. Beaches here aren’t as deep as some elsewhere. The water is calm, the bottom goes from soft sand to grasses to rocks. But it’s so clear you can see the obstacles and work around them. There is also entertainment of some kind almost every night at 9:00 pm. We did not see any of these shows.
The Food:
Food was good overall. About what you might expect from an all-inclusive or a cruise. Breakfast is available buffet only and all locations seem to serve the same food. We discovered “Blue Lagoon” which is under the portico of the main building just above the swim up bar. Same food, but much nicer atmosphere than the other buffet restaurants with a saxophonist and more attentive service. One or perhaps both of the Buffet restaurants are open specific hours breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are also seven ala carte restaurants for dinner. All of these have a salad bar which included the appetizers and an ala carte menu. You need to get the app in advance. Once you have your room number and check in, you can go on the app to make your dinner reservations up to 2-3 days in advance. Of the restaurants we tried, Portofino was our favorite – Italian menu with more options and perhaps the best air conditioning. El Dorado, the steakhouse, was also very good. Poseidon is the seafood restaurant. It is separate from all the others, open air, and beautiful. The food was good, but the air was too hot for us and there was little circulation here. We also enjoyed Xaymaican, but the options were somewhat limited.
There are a couple of Jerk Huts that open during the day. Jerk chicken and pork, rise, and bread. These are really good options, especially if you’re in your swimsuit enjoying the beach or pool.
Don’t miss the Sports Bar in the corner of the Lady Hamilton Lobby downstairs near the Theater. This is a cool and comfortable place to chill with full bar, small food buffet with hamburgers, hot dogs, nachos, popcorn and a few desserts. We even enjoyed hanging out here and reading one hot afternoon.
Miss Lou’s is a coffee shop and bar with pastries and small bites included. This is another great place to chill in the air conditioning and hang out with a good book.
There are bars everywhere. Some of the drinks seemed very thin, but others were strong. You can always ask for an extra shot of dark rum in your fruity drink and they will typically comply. Regular tipping can always help.
The Weather:
Just a quick word on this topic… We almost cancelled our trip because the weather forecast was calling for 70-90% chance of rain every day. In our six days here, we had one afternoon shower. It got cloudy a couple of times, but the clouds cleared. Be aware of the weather, but likely you can expect mostly nice weather with scattered thunderstorms. Just as you expect any time and virtually anywhere you go to the beach.
Bottom Line:
Overall, if you can get a good deal and you’re ok with staying in a “well-used” resort, I think you will like it here. If you need the “newest, nicest” place to vacay, this isn’t it. In my opinion, this resort fits the bill for a modestly priced, mid-level all-inclusive. I would not pay top dollar for it, but I felt I got my money’s worth and we really enjoyed our time here. I hope you will too.
