PAX On Location: a luxury oasis awaits at the TRS Yucatan

Last week, PAX joined nearly 200 North American travel agents to take part in the Palladium Master Experience, held at TRS Yucatan, to learn more about the various hotels of the Palladium Hotel Group on Riviera Maya and Costa Mujeres.

READ MORE: Palladium adding 2 hotels near Cancun

Palladium hotels: more luxurious than we think

For the first time in its history, the North American team of Palladium Group Hotel was led by Jacques de Paep, sales and marketing director for North America.

Over the course of the week, industry professionals were invited to learn and engage more with a mix of hotel visits and theoretical lectures on the products of the Spanish brand.

Jacques de Paep, sales and marketing director for North America, Palladium Hotel Group.

Among the 200 North American professionals, about 40 travel agents and delegations of Canadian tour operators (Transat and Sunwing) were present. Sonia Casaubon, sales manager, Canada, and Sebnem Richtmann, BDM for Eastern Canada were on site.

"The Palladium Master Experience allows agents to experiment and learn more about our products, especially TRS, our high-end, adults-only banner that has undergone a major transformation and rebranding over the past year,' said Jacques de Paep. "In general, there have been a lot of improvements and investments at Palladium, in the 'hardware'; the renovation of rooms, restaurants and receptions, but also in the 'software'; so the service, the experience, what we drink, and what we eat."

With a presence in the Canadian market for almost 30 years, Palladium wanted to change its brand image.

"People had an image of an all-inclusive medium quality," Jacques de Paep explained. "With the rebranding, we want to show that we are not a Spanish chain anymore. Thus, instead of an all-inclusive concept, we now speak of a concept of "infinite indulgence."

What we learned after 4 nights

Formerly The Royal Suites by Palladium and the Grand Palladium Riviera, TRS Yucatan underwent extensive renovations last year for more than six months. The result is a luxurious oasis decorated with tasteful designer furniture.

The suites are beautiful in size and each has a terrace, with or without a small private pool, balcony or roof terrace, with concierge service for each villa.

Among the suites, 22 of them are located in small private bungalows, with a terrace overlooking a lake and an outdoor shower, which is a great option for honeymooners or couples seeking a romantic getaway.

Among the six restaurants, the Cabaret Chic gets a special mention. This restaurant combines a five-course meal with a colorful show featuring dancers, singers and performers.

The TRS Yucatan does not have its own beach, since the coast in front of the main pool is rocky. You have to walk 15 minutes, or take a shuttle bus which takes guests to an exclusive part of the Grand Palladium Beach in five minutes. Here, you'll find Bali beds and bed service.

A brief overview of TRS Yucatan

TRS Yucatan in brief:

• Inaugurated in December 2017
• 454 suites
• 3 pools
• Concierge service
• 24-hour room service
• 6 restaurants on the property, in addition to 14 restaurants, including two open 24/7, on the Grand Palladium properties
• Access to Zentropia Spa with Free Hydrotherapy (instead of $35 for Grand Palladium guests)

Adjacent to TRS Yucatan are three Grand Palladium:

• Grand Palladium Colonial Resort & Spa
• Grand Palladium Kantenah Resort and Spa
• Grand Palladium White Sands Resort and Spa

TRS guests can enjoy all the facilities, restaurants and bars of the three Grand Palladium.

New development in Costa Mujeres

The 200 professionals from the tourism industry were able to take a look at the TRS Coral and Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres, currently under construction and scheduled to open on November 1 of this year.

In short:

• Located near Riu Dunamar and Dreams Playa Mujeres, north of Cancun, on a long beach opposite Isla Mujeres
• 16th and 17th group hotels in the Caribbean
• 469 luxurious suites for the TRS Coral, dedicated to adults
• 673 rooms for the Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres, for all
• Waterbody in the centre of the complex, on which shuttles will navigate to bring customers from one place to another
• TRS Coral is already a member of the prestigious association The Leading Hotels of the World, a pledge of extraordinary quality in terms of service, hospitality and gastronomy

At the end of the trip, PAX learned that Jacques de Paep has already announced a second edition of the Palladium Master Experience.

"We are thinking of the TRS Coral and the Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres, towards the end of April or beginning of May 2019," de Paep said.

Get more information on the Palladium Hotel Group.