Palladium Hotels & Resorts announced Wednesday that it plans to invest $21 million to enhance guest experiences at a dozen properties throughout the Caribbean and Mexico.
The investment will be made in Palladium’s Grand Palladium and The Royal Suites by Palladium hotels in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Mexico.
Nearly one-quarter of the additional investment ($5 million) will be put toward upgrading food and beverage offerings, including a higher quality of steak and liquor offerings as well as a better presentation at buffets.
Palladium will also increase its staff size by 13 percent compared to last year.
The hotel chain will also invest in technology. It plans to enhance its mobile app to allow guests to communicate with hotel concierge directly and will also look to increase Wi-Fi bandwidth and install higher quality sound systems at its pools.
Palladium is also eyeing additional trolleys to cut down on wait times when transporting guests between properties.
“We are dedicated to improving our guests’ experiences in every way possible, so we are investing in upgrades in the areas that matter the most—service, food and beverage and technology,” said Palladium Hotel Group’s commercial director for North America Jacques De Paep in a statement. “Guest satisfaction at our upgraded properties in Jamaica, Riviera Maya and Punta Cana has soared after the renovations completed, so we are extending this investment in upgrades at all of our properties.”
Director of innovation and product development, Bernard Wyss will begin working this month to identify market trends, analyze economic impacts on Palladium’s business and oversee various services set to be implemented at each property.
Palladium also announced this week that the Grand Palladium Riviera Resort & Spa in Riviera Maya, Mexico will be converted into an extension of The Royal Suites Yucatan by Palladium. The conversion, designed to expand the resort’s adults-only offerings, will occur in multiple phases beginning June 1, 2017.
In the Dominican Republic, Palladium said the Grand Palladium Punta Cana Resort & Spa will undergo renovations in the coming months that will extend from the lobby to select guestrooms.