Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort

Today is the 11th of January, 2015 and I have spent seven of the eleven days in the New Year outside of Anguilla. My first trip of the year was a work trip to Jamaica. I spent five days in Hanover, Lucea (close to Montego Bay) at Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort and Spa and two days in Kingston, Jamaica at Altamont Court.

I attended the The Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica Conference 2015 under the theme ‘Bridging the Technology Gap in in Higher Education: Transform, Educate, Collaborate.’ It was a great opportunity to meet some of the partners and friends of the Anguilla Community College. Some of the sessions were interesting and I walked away with some valuable information and insight.

Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort and Spa

This is a large All-Inclusive property. I arrived a day early and took some time to explore the hotel. I really loved and appreciated the covered walkways at the hotel.

I explored the various restaurants, stores, beach and water sports centre, pool entertainment and more. I encountered many male workers on this property from maintenance guys to security guards to entertainment instructors and much more during my walk. If you are a woman in any of the islands, not just Jamaica, be prepared to be greeted with ‘Hello beautiful’ ‘hi gorgeous’, and many other terms of endearment. It is my opinion that if you want a boost to your self esteem, visit the Caribbean! One guy even decided to stop his outdoor task to escort me around the property.  I really liked that the hotel seemed to have a policy which allowed all levels of workers to do what it takes to ensure that guests have a good stay.

However, I had one bad experience the night I arrived at the hotel. I requested an item from  reception and despite numerous calls that night and the next morning, I didn’t get it until almost midday. It appeared that there was a serious breakdown in communication multiple times. I do appreciate the two staff members who called back later in the day to find out if I had received the item. All my other experiences at this hotel were positive.

The Food at Grand Palladium – Lady Hamilton

The food was good and I was apparently too busy eating to take pictures of my dishes. I definitely ate too much on this trip. My palate leaned towards Jamaican dishes such as callaloo, stewed chicken, ground provisions, fish etc. I also enjoyed some of the other sea food options especially the mussels. I love mussels! I tried the Indian restaurant as well and it was pretty good.

After five days our stay at Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort and Spa came to an end. Our next stop was Kingston. It was a four hour drive. Professor Louden, the President of the Anguilla Community College is Jamaican so along with another friend and Jamaica colleague, they both kept me entertained and informed about various locations and sites during the drive. We stopped by a street vendor on our way down for some coconut water- refreshing. The views from the North South highway were spectacular but I could not get a good picture.

Altamont Court Hotel

Our second hotel was charming. It is in Kingston but the surrounding area is quiet. My room was cozy and the food once again was really good. This is what the Jamaican breakfast looked like.

Professor and I attended a meeting with some partners while there.

Later that day my Mother in Law came to visit. It was wonderful seeing and spending some time with her. I also took some time to head to Tastee’s for some Jamaican patties for my brother and sister in law. If you are reading this, please note that I have already eaten four of your share. Sorry, I was hungry!

After a great trip, it was time to go home. This was my seventh trip to Jamaica and I know I will be back. If you want to read more about some of our travels click here for our stay in Jamaica Part 1 and Stay in Jamaica Part 2 or my vacation in Punta Cana last year.

Where are your favourite places to stay in Jamaica? We want to know!

If you are experiencing winter right now stay warm! We wish you were here with us.

What’s new in Anguilla?

One of our sponsors has a new website. Do check it out! You can also read more about Sunset Homes here. They do spectacular work and the villas are all beautiful.

Don’t forget to follow My Anguilla Experience on Instagram and Facebook for wonderful adventures in Anguilla and periodically when we travel. Talk to you soon xxx.