Reaching Paradise
Sanitized, that is what we did once we reached the lobby.
We made accommodations at the Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort and Spa. The resort actually has two sides, Jamaica and Lady Hamilton. However, due to COVID, everyone’s accommodations were on the Lady Hamilton side. This time of the year is considered their high season as snowbirds (colder climate travelers) flock to paradise to escape the cold temperatures. At a time where resorts are usually overbooked, this particular resort was operating at 9% occupancy. Can you believe that? The pandemic has really hit the tourism circuit hard but I’m positive it will return.
The Grand Palladium Jamaica/ Lady Hamilton Resort and Spa is an all-inclusive family-friendly resort. Believe it or not, this is my first time at an all-inclusive resort. Now, I’ve stayed at great hotels/resorts but this was a new experience as I didn’t have to worry about food or drinks if I didn’t want to leave the grounds.
Early morning flights, with no in-air refreshments, make me a hungry person. After checking-in the resort, my first mission after showering was food. But before we talk about the food, let’s take a tour of the room. After being driven to our villa, we arrived at our door with the pleasant surprise of a sanitization sticker sealing the door, indicating no one entered the room since cleaning. Upon entering the room, there are double beds, a sitting area, mini-bar, stand-alone shower, jacuzzi tub, and balcony. Our balcony overlooked a small plaza but you could see the ocean in the distance which was just steps from our villa. I enjoyed the balcony every day.
As you could imagine COVID made this experience different. Since I had never been to an all-inclusive resort before, I could only imagine how it would be bustling with people pre-COVID. With lower than the desired occupancy, amenities and services were condensed. That meant instead of all restaurants open at the same time every day, the restaurants were assigned a certain day of the week and time they served the guest. The first night was the choice of an Italian or Mexican themed restaurant. We decided to explore the Italian restaurant.
What do you think happened before we could enter? You guessed it sanitize and temperature check. After dinner, we walked the grounds and hung out in the sports bar. Before turning in for the night, we attended a performance in the theater area of a Rock Show. The performers were great dancers and put on a great show. It reminded me of the cruise entertainment after dinner. Concluding the performance was a silent dance party overlooking the infinity pool. A silent dance party is where you wear headphones and can switch between two different channels of music. I’ve heard of the parties but never attended. It was funny to see how people reacted to a song that wasn’t on your station, so you were intrigued to switch just so you could know what they were dancing to. That would wrap up our first night in paradise, the following days would include more paradise, relaxation, adventure, and exploring.
Come back to hear more about the beautiful country of Jamaica and the adventures to take.