10/10 Exceptional
Great atmosphere, beautiful place and excellent service
Andres
Andres, 1-night trip
The Balaji Palace at Playa Grande
Beachfront resort in Rio San Juan with spa and outdoor pool
Escape to a tropical paradise at The Balaji Palace at Playa Grande, where Caribbean cuisine and stunning ocean views await. Unwind with a sports massage or reflexology treatment, indulge in beachfront dining, and enjoy activities like volleyball on the private beach.
Good
Popular amenities
- Airport transfer
- Gym
- Bar
- 24/7 front desk
- Pool
- Laundry facilities
Main amenities (12)
- Daily housekeeping
- On a private beach
- 2 restaurants and bar/lounge
- Full-service spa
- Outdoor pool and 4 hot tubs
- Breakfast available
- Fitness center
- Sauna
- Children's pool
- Pool bar
- Swim-up bar
- Room service
Feel at home (6)
- Children stay free
- Babysitting (surcharge)
- Children's pool
- Rollaway/extra beds
- Private bathroom
- Garden
Room options
Check availability for these dates
Deluxe Room, 1 Queen Bed
Highlights
Balcony
Soundproofed
Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Hypo-allergenic bedding
Pillowtop bed
Down duvet
- 19 sq m
- Sleeps 2
- 1 Queen Bed
Suite, 1 King Bed, Garden Area
Highlights
Balcony
Separate sitting area
Soundproofed
Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Free cribs/infant beds
Hypo-allergenic bedding
- 33 sq m
- Sleeps 4
- 1 King Bed
Royal Suite, 1 King Bed, Oceanfront
Highlights
Balcony
Separate sitting area
Soundproofed
Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Hypo-allergenic bedding
Pillowtop bed
- 42 sq m
- Ocean view
- Sleeps 4
- 1 King Bed
Royal Suite, 1 King Bed, Jetted Tub, Oceanfront
Highlights
Balcony
Separate sitting area
Soundproofed
Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Free cribs/infant beds
Hypo-allergenic bedding
- 42 sq m
- Ocean view
- Sleeps 4
- 1 King Bed
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About the area
Playa Grande, Rio San Juan, Espaillat
About this property
The Balaji Palace at Playa Grande
The Balaji Palace at Playa Grande offers a private beach and puts you near activities like scuba diving, surfing/body boarding, and parasailing. The outdoor pool is perfect for guests looking for a bit of fun, while those in the mood for pampering can visit the spa to indulge in Swedish massages, body wraps, and aromatherapy. Balaji Palace, one of 2 restaurants, serves Caribbean cuisine and is open for lunch and dinner. A poolside bar, a fitness center, and a sauna are other highlights at this luxurious resort.
At a glance
Property amenities
Room amenities
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The Balaji Palace at Playa Grande Reviews
7.0
Good
7.4/10
Cleanliness
7.4/10
Staff & service
10/10
Amenities
6.6/10
Property conditions & facilities
10/10 Exceptional
Amazing services, great location, outstanding experience
Verified traveller
1-night trip
2/10 Poor
Terrible experience, stranded - BEWARE
Reservation was confirmed through Expedia and credit card was charged. Arrived at the hotel, an hour and a half away from the airport, only to find it CLOSED.
Nobody answered the phone (and cell reception was terrible, maybe because it was raining heavily). Taxi took me to the nearest other hotel (Playa Grande Beach Club), and the manager there was able to reach the manager of The Palace, who said he had no record of my reservation and the hotel was closed because no other customers were there.
Ended up staying at the Beach Club, which was a little pricier than I had planned but fantastic, and I highly recommend to anyone considering The Palace to go there instead.
At the very least double and triple check directly with the hotel that they have your reservation BEFORE flying there, or you might end up stranded like me.
JR
2/10 Poor
Do not try to stay here
First I could not find the hotel. Called hotels phone number many times and got a answering machine that had a different hotel name on machine. I went looking for the hotel name on machine. Found that hotel. Went to giant gate in front of hotel around 6pm. No one at gate . Gate was locked. Yelled anyone here no answer. Could see a hotel in the distance. No lights on and saw no people or cars. Called Expedia. They attempted to call hotel and got a answering machine. Expedia said they would give me a refund once they finally got approval from hotel. Then had to look for answer hotel in a foreign country. Horrible experience
Verified traveller
2/10 Poor
hotel decevant
Àrrive vers 16h et aussitôt agression d un employé pour savoir ce que sera votre repas du soir.
Il est impératif de répondre de suite.ensuite visite de la chambre(située à côté de la réception)
Porte vitrée ,fenêtre sans volet,pas de séparation entre chambre et wc.pas de frigo etc....
Dîner ,choix 2 entrée 3 plat 2 desserts.....et pas de Café dans ce soit disant PALACE.
Pour ne pas prendre de risques ,nous dînerons avec qqs pâtes et riz froid
Après avoir rejoint notre chambre,qui donne aussi dans le hall,nous constatons que qqs personnes s amuse follement au billard américain.
En l absence de tout personnel de l établissement,nous interpellons les joueurs de billard qui
Comprennent la situation en arrêtant immédiatement leur partie.
Le matin petit déjeuner réduit à ca plus simple expression.
Après quoi nous décidons de ne pas poursuivre cette expérience pour la nuit suivante pré payee et nous partons.
Paul
10/10 Exceptional
Treated like royalty at The Palace!
The Palace didn't start as a luxury hotel but rather a private residence. But now it is open to the public to get a glimpse of what it must be like to live like royalty! The location is ideal. The Cliff House is literally built into the ocean-side cliff. The main building (The Palace) is set back across wonderful landscaping and terraced walkways with fantastic views. A third building (the guesthouse) has 4 guest rooms as well.
This is an ideal location for a relaxing and private vacation. Meals are set out by the staff on the back porch which receives a wonderful breeze all day. Other covered porches and gazebos offer relief from the sun when needed. The pool is comfortable and refreshing. Local wildlife includes resident chickens and peacocks.
However, all of these amazing facilities pale in comparison to the tremendous staff whose only mission seems to be to pamper you and make you feel like you are the only guests in the hotel. To be fair, on two nights, we were. But the morning, afternoon, and evening staff were attentive, courteous, helpful, polite and right there whenever they were needed. The service is truly world-class--unmatched at all but the most exclusive luxury international hotels.
Details: Location on the ocean, not as some Google Maps put it in Rio San Juan. Look for the kidney-shaped pool. ATM available in town; staff will give you a ride. Get a ride from airport thru the hotel to save hassle; meal plan available at hotel too.
Roberto
10/10 Exceptional
Great place
A lil more expensive but definitely worth it in my opinion
Nick
10/10 Exceptional
Beautiful Hotel & Great Staff!
The hotel is beautiful, the pictures don't do it justice. The private beach had really strong waves when we stayed so I was a little nervous to actually swim in it, but there are a bunch of nice beaches close by which the staff will take you to. Playa Grande is beautiful and you should definetly go there at least once.
The hotel staff were amazing. Very friendly and helpful.
A guy named Felix came by on my first day to sell some excursions. I went to Do-Do lagoon, horseback riding and whale watching. I would reccomend all three, as they are pretty private. I went to the lagoon with a couple which was staying at the hotel as well and a member of the staff came along, and the horseback riding was completely private. Whale watching was with a bunch of people from other hotels and was amazing. We saw a humpback whale and her baby!
I got the meal plan which wasn't really great (Expedia doesn't offer it but the hotel will). Next time I would pay a-la-carte for breakfast and then get lunch and dinner out. Another couple went this route and it worked out great for them; Tinto, our guide from the lagoon trip was really nice and took them out every day.
To get to the hotel take the Expedia Blue bus. I was the only person on the bus and it was really easy and about half the price the hotel will charge.
Also, bring cash. The excursions charged a lot for credit card fees and it's a pain to use the ATM in the town.
Overall, great experience. I highly reccomend.
Peach
8/10 Very good
Different experience. Amazing staff. Great food.
This was a great 3 day vacation, we needed to disconnect and that is exactly what this is. We just got back from an amazing relaxing 3 days in Feb 2014- the staff makes the stay. Everyone wants to help you. The hotel is very remote and its very homey feel- romantic place for a couple. No hotels in the area or restaurants or a touristy town- so know to expect that. The hotel offers rides to and from 2 nearby beaches which are really beautiful. You can get a sense for the local lifestyle here. The palace is really beautiful- no tv or phone in the rooms also which again is something we appreciated.
Lauren
6/10 Good
No esta como advertido
El hotel no estaba como hemos pensado. No se llama "the palace at playa grande" no estaba en el playa grande, no teine los facilidades y hay bastante habitaciones casi abandonado. En realidad es un pequeño "boutique" hotel que se llama "Balaji Palace"
Felipe
