Fun holiday

The good: We stayed on the Palms side versus the seaside suites and much preferred the rooms and the beautiful grounds where the palms is situated. The Palms side is also where most of the night life occurs and also where the beaches are better. Night life and entertainment were great. The food was better depending on the restaurant selected - the Asian and Italian restaurant up by the main entrance lobby were the best. Make sure to wear very light clothing for the Italian restaurant as it te [... read more]nds to be exceptionally warm. For the most part the service is good and the staff are very friendly. The entertainment up at the pool was also a lot of fun. The not so good: The seaweed! No matter how hard, or how many people worked each day, the seaweed did have a negative impact on the beach experience. We were at this same resort 2 years ago in early March and the beaches were beautiful. Unfortunately not this year. Both my husband and I got diarrhea - a first for the many Karisma resorts we have travelled. We spoke to another guest who had a similar story but we had not eaten in the same restaurants. Despite this we had a great holiday and would still consider going to this resort again but perhaps more in January or February to try to avoid the seaweed.

Not quite up to their usual standards

Gorgeous resort with very nice pools and well kept gardens. Was a little disappointed in the quality of food. It was good but not the usual great. Rooms are a little dated for a 5 star. The towel game is going strong for a place at one of the pools. While the beach is beautiful, there is no access by the main pool area and seaweed is abundant. The other beach areas where you can swim is only thigh deep and impossible to actually swim there. Staff is super friendly and fun. Drinks were good. We [... read more]ather was perfect. They really made an effort with masking and safety protocols. If you fly with Air Canada, beware that the rep is never in the office. Covid test (antigen) was not free. Most resorts it is included. It’s a long (took 2 hours) drive from the airport but if you take a private car, it’s about an hour. Overall a good time was had but wasn’t quite as good as I expected from a Karisma resort. I’m sure this is a result of covid and I hope they can get back to their usual standards soon.

Great resort

The room we booked was the beach front second level, the view was breathtaking , the room was specious and clean, the fridge was filled everyday , you have 24hr room service, drinks were great, the beach it's self was okay , it had some seaweed but the workers were cleaning it everyday , the ocean is not deep , the food was okay the best food was at the ala carte resturant , the buffet was find, the sandwich resturant outside was good, staff was great, very friendly, would have to hire more peop [... read more]le as sometimes you have to wait , overall we loved it here and would love to come back ❤

Christmas and NYE at ElDorado

Stayed at ElDorado Seaside for Christmas and NYE. There were theme events and big parties on 25th and 31st of Dec. Fire show from Cancun was visiting one day. Hotel has two lobbys. I was staying close to the beach. Room was spacious and clean. Maid service was prompt and at the highest standard. Hotel has clean beach with shallow water and pools. There were plenty of restaurants at the resort with decent selection of food. Pcr test for travelling is available at the hotel. One possibl [... read more]e downside was small selection of alcohol at the resort. Wine is limited to red and white wine. Whisky – only basic choices. Overall it's a great place for vacation.

Great Vacation

Exceeded expectations: people, food, bar, pool. Everyone is so friendly and accommodating and goes out of their way to make you feel at home. A special thanks to our concierge, Stephan... he was amazing. Yes, we had to get Covid Tests which costs about $130 US, but that went very smoothly.

Great rest and relaxation resort!

We spent a week (Dec 14 - 21) at the El Dorado Seaside Palms for some R&R and escape from life. This resort is a great place for doing just that with an amazing beach and tall palm trees throughout the resort. The resort does a great job making their resort feel like a magical place. The staff were incredibly thoughtful, friendly and helpful towards our needs and requests. Staff followed covid protocols and we never felt unsafe from the staff. We were able to book our return covid test at c [... read more]heck in, and did not have to worry about anything as they communicated reminders through email. The food was amazing and we would like to especially highlight the food at La Carretta, which was absolutely amazing and represents the flavours of Mexico especially well. The tacos, stuffed peppers and mole dishes are a must eat, and be sure to have some churros and flavoured coffee to end your meal. The beach BBQ was a great place to have breakfast and lunch, as there is nothing better than eating on the beach! There weren't many negatives to our stay, however we need to mention a few things so future guests are aware of what to expect. First, upon entering the ocean from the beach area, there are many rocks and corals in the sand, so be careful when walking around in the water. Second, the room decor in our suite was from the late 90's and felt a bit dated, though this should was fine as we did not spend our time hanging out in the room apart from the end of the day. And lastly, when walking around the resort, the mangrove forest areas towards the back of the premium suites can have pretty strong smell from the stagnant water. This resort was an absolute dream and perfect for those looking for a quiet retreat from the ordinary. Enjoy some lime margaritas on the beach while suntanning. Sit on the swings over the water or spend the day on the bali beds (get there early to get one!) while drinking cheladas. Or lay on a hammock with a book watching the sunset. This resort is truly a hidden gem.

Great vacation resort

This is our second visit to the El Dorado, but the first to the Seaside Palms. Love the laid back atmosphere. They are doing an amazing job during this time of "Covid", making sure masks are worn in restaurants and enclosed spaces and supplying an endless amount of sanitizer. Felt very safe. Everyone we spoke to was double vaccinated and in some cases already had a booster shot. Everything at the resort was keep very clean. The rooms are a little strange in that the sitting area was totall [... read more]y separate from the bedroom area, and the t.v. was in the bedroom area only, along with a deep lounging bathtub. We asked for extra chairs, which did not ever arrive, so we moved the couch to the bedroom area in front of the t.v..........problem solved. The restaurant and bar staffs were excellent. Food, once again, did not disappoint, it was very good.... We will return.

Great time!

EDSS, was amazing. We traveled Nov 1st-10th. Stayed in the beachfront room 3004. It is literally 26 steps from the patio to the sand. Want to acknowledge all the hard working and friendly staff. Thomas from the beach always had a warm fresh towel for us, Dani from the restaurant greeted us with a smile and Mario our conceriege who went above and beyond to make sure we enjoyed every moment. You have to go to the mezcalito bar and get the chocolate pot drink. Also check out the liquid smoke [... read more] drink. Both are fantastic! All the restaurants were good, I enjoyed every meal. Tip, bring a floatie for the ocean. Also painted a bowl for a keep sake. The vendor is set up beside the pool store. He has great prices and makes your creation look like a masterpiece. Overall, worth every penny. I would go back in a heartbeat.

Nice Hotel but Too many mosquitos

Hotel was nice, swim up suite is great with pool bars you can swim/walk to .Rooms are nice, but loud air conditioners and bar fridge Concierge services, but they don't do to much... talk a good plan, to no effect A Lot of un-maintained palms, so be careful of falling fronds and coconuts. Water at beach is only a couple of feet, so if you like sitting instead of swimming, you will like this restaurants where OK, nothing to special and Mexican should be sooo much better in Mexico, poor service [... read more] and food, with all kind of people waiting inside the restaurant for a table.. on large guy would not even move to let us out.. Italian was the best! You also have to get up early (5.30am) to get bed on beach and by 8 for a decent chair.. No bars in lobby 's, and very little entertainment, just band or singers in sea side bar... not enough chairs and tables for everyone.. We liked the hotel, but would not return, as there are too many mosquitoes and they do not spray.

Very Pleasantly Surprised

We went to Sensimar Seaside Suites a little apprehensive since our previous few times in Mexico were at another adult only all inclusive. I am very much a "if it's not broke, don't fix it" kind of person, but here we were trying something new. My initial impressions were not great but looking back, I was comparing my stay here to my previous stay at the other resort where I was very familiar with the surroundings. At Sensimar/El Dorado we felt a little lost. It's not big as far as the number [... read more] of people, but the resort overall is quite large so navigating around was not always easy at first. But as the days went by and I got to talking to other guests and hearing their reviews on the restaurants and becoming familiar with where people were gathering after supper we started to really enjoy ourselves. The food was absolutely incredible. I think I would rate it higher than our other experience. If you like meeting others, this place was perfect. I like making new friends and there was no problem her because you saw people frequently. We played beach volleyball every day and the beach itself was great. I went snorkeling a few times and when the water was rough I stayed within the barricaded area where the waves were calm and saw plenty of fish, and when the waves were calm on our last day there I swam out to the wave breaks about 400 yards from shore and there was treated to an incredible amount of different fish. It was excellent. I went kayaking one day and enjoyed that a lot. My wife was more comfortable relaxing and reading on the beach so she got to enjoy that. The loungers were hard to come by if you were not up early but as the week went on the resort got less full and the beach seating became more available. We did not sit by the pool at all so I have no comment on that. The service on the beach as far as drinks goes was lacking, but I had no issues going for a short walk to one of the bars and refilling our drinks. The pina coladas were great and others seemed to enjoy the icebergs a lot (margarita beer mix). Our room was a little dated, but we spent little time in there. The beds were super comfortable which matters most to me. We took advantage of the jacuzzi tub in our room a few nights and the showers were big which was great. Overall we had an excellent stay and would gladly go back.

Nice quiet get-a-way!

Just got back from a 4 night get-a-way at this resort (Dec. 28-Jan. 1) and my husband and I were very pleased. The resort is very quiet and caters mostly to couples which was perfect for us. The drive from the airport was pleasant although it was almost an hour and a half long. When we arrived the staff was very welcoming and friendly. The lobby of the Sensimar side is very dated which we noticed made some visitors concerned. Our room was not ready as we arrived at 1 pm but we were encouraged to [... read more] go eat and enjoy the grounds. We ate our first meal at Culinario which was absolutely delicious. Highly recommend their ala carte breakfast as well, which we enjoyed daily. The service was excellent, especially Cecilia the hostess. We got into our room a little before 3pm. We were on the first floor and our room had a swim up pool which was a nice touch. The room was very clean and had a Jacuzzi tub. The jets did not work but it was great for a bubble bath. We spent each day on the beach with the exception of one day that rained from morning to night. The beach is small and protected by large sand bags so it is more of a wading area, waist deep. A lot of sea weed but the workers remove it all day and it really wasn't a problem. We got out to the beach early and never had a problem getting loungers however they were not very comfortable. Lizbeth the waitress on the beach was awesome and very attentive. We stayed in the warm ocean water until sunset each day. Little tip is ask for premium alcohol when ordering drinks as we enjoyed Grey Goose Vodka when requested. The 24 hour room service was fast, accurate and of good quality. We really have no complaints. We tipped the excellent service which appeared to be much appreciated but not expected. We normally stay at Sandals resorts but opted for a less expensive trip this time and although the facilities were a little dated, the food, alcohol and service were comparable if not better. Hope this is helpful :) Show less Date of stay: December 2018 Room tip: reseach what type of room you want before booking so there are no surprises

The staff makes the difference

The staff are totally dedicated to helping guests, especially the personal concierges. Sheila (our concierge) was the best help one could ask for. The grounds are very well kept, thanks to the workers. There are better beaches out there but the food and staff make up for that.

Beautiful beach .... okay resort

The beach at this resort was beautiful and unique with natural coral and exotic fish in the water BUT if you are not 50 + and or European DONT go here . This resort is geared towards its European visitors and the entire time we felt like we were in seniorville. No offence but we were just disappointed in the lack of entertainment and things to do in the evening . There were absolutely no younger adults (we are in our 30’s) and if you were at all loud in any way ( we had a small speaker of musi [... read more]c playing on the beach with us ) you were complained about and talked to by staff . It’s rediculius . The worst part is I read all the reviews prior to booking and NOONE mentioned that this is geared for like retirement age and english people ( we are Canadian ) (I only mention the type of people geared to as this affected their food choices ) we were in Mexico and could barely find a freakin taco !! Everything was fish n chips and pastas . Food was mediocre and everything in the resort and it’s sister resort (one side is sensimar one is el dorado) was extremely far so it either took forever to walk there or it took long waiting for a golf cart to take you . I will say the food at el dorado side was much better .

Sensimar El Dorado seaside suites

My husband & I stayed in a premier swimup on the older side of the resort and absolutely loved it! The rooms were redone but you could see the age but did not affect or impede our stay or enjoyment. The food was absolutely Devine for an all inclusive & the service with many many kind staff was great to have!!

El Dorado Sensimar - very good resort

We enjoyed our stay greatly. The Sensimar is a traditional type resort, great staff, clean, good amenities. And having access to the sister resort, Seaside Suites balances out nicely as it is new and very modern - but also great service, food, also very clean. Entertainment options also good, restaurants very nice. We would definitely return.

Lovely resort

We had a great time. Our room was spacious including a large balcony. The staff were so friendly with everyone always saying hola. We enjoyed the nightly entertainment, the food was delicious and the bartenders were great at their jobs.

Sensimar Seaside Suites was another perfect Karisma vacation!

We had 10 days of perfect weather, amazing food & drinks, wonderful massage & aqua therapy & had our every whim looked after by Arturo, Anna & Ivan! We could not ask for more & highly recommend every Karisma resort we have been to!

Wonderful Culinary Getaway!

We were amazed at the quality of the place! The food, staff and cocktails were definitely 5 star and worth going for - not at all what you’d expect at an all inclusive. Go for the swim up suites and the more attractive Sensimar side. (The Eldorado side isn’t nearly as attractive). Local excursions into neighbouring Tulum were easy to coordinate independently.

Amazing vacations

This hotel has been one of the most wonderful places I been ; we’ve been here for 7 days and the room ; pools food mostly gourmet; pool beach and service from the front desk room service and restaurant service was great ; and actually we went to do couples excursion ; shopping at playa del carmen and next day going to the Marina beach to enjoy with rtv speed boat and seadoo and again it was amazing ; i know than in México many persons doesn’t like to go because news said to much negative pr [... read more]oblem ; but I’ll tell you if you just gonna go to the resort and staying there until your last day you for sure gonna be okay ; nothing going to happens ; this side to f this beautiful country is pretty secure and well take it and secure with alots cops all over ; now if do you wanna go out of your resort for f do you speak spanish you have not problem at all and if isn’t just go away during the day and you gonna have always an excellent profesional service to taking care of you . Thanks everyone In sensimar sea side suites all of you guys are amazing .

Go for the service, food, & gorgeous grounds including beach!

TIP: Joining the facebook group for this resort prior to the trip was VERY helpful! If you go for the rooms, you'll be slightly disappointed. The Sensimar side of the resort is older, so there are mature palms, but the rooms are dated and dim. Rooms: Originally, I was in 4028 (end of the hall), overlooking a pool. I was afraid it was going to be too loud, but there was barely anyone in it! (Tbh, I didn't even dip my toe in it because there wasn't much action.) I did find the AC a bit loud  [... read more]and midway, it completely broke, leaking, and shooting out ice. However, the problem was rectified and we were moved 2906, in the Premium Beach Front block. (I wouldn't write a negative review based on broken AC, unless the resort did nothing to solve the problem) I also found the AC in 2906 a bit loud, it sounded as though it was raining outside, but hey, at least it was functional. Being a beach front room, I think it would've been good if guests were able to exit their rooms via the patio door instead of walking all the way around the front. TIP: If you like to watch tv before you go to bed, I'd recommend you download some movies. I don't know if they have satellite or dish, but the quality is quite bad and the channels are very limited. They seemed to play the same movies every other night. Not a big deal for most, I'm sure. Service: Most of the staff were very friendly, greeting you with a "Hola" whenever they would cross paths. About half of them would go above and beyond their usual tasks. Personal Concierge: Absolutely useless. Alejandro, our original concierge, didn't offer us any tips or extra info. Booking of the 2 restaurants was soo archaic and can only be done during certain hours from 8:30am - 2:30pm. Concierge literally has to call each restaurant, where the phone seemed to ring endlessly. It was a time killer! Alejandro also said "restaurants are fully booked". However, when we went for our reservation at Klay Talay (Asian), it was only 1/4 full! So if you can't make your reservations, literally just walk in and ask if they'll accommodate you. You can use any of the concierges if yours is closed or unhelpful. Again, the facebook group for this resort was much more helpful than the personal concierge. Food: My favourite restaurant, that you didn't need any reservations for, was without a doubt Mia Casa (on the Seaside). Food also seemed to taste better there. Other honourable mentions goes out to: Seaside Market (for breakfast), Beach BBQ (breakfast & lunch, primarily for the convenience and atmosphere), & Culinarium for lunch/dinner. I didn't like Driftwood (lunch), Klay Talay (Asian by reservation), Seaside Market (for dinner, no variety), or Arrecifes (dim, nursing home atmosphere). You definitely won't go hungry! Overall, I think your experience varies on what you order. Sometimes there are inconsistencies in terms of how one dish tastes/looks depending on the night. It may say roasted chicken on the menu, but you end up with stewed or something like that. There are soo many bars on this resort, it's quite possible to not even go to half of them during a week's stay! Drinks: Most of the drinks have added syrup/sugar, so I learned to ask them to make a drink less sweet. If you want the Top Shelf liquor, you have to ask for it, re: Grey Goose, Don Julio, etc. Crowd, Noise-Level, Activities, Shows, etc.: I'm not sure if I went during low season, but the crowd was a bit older and things were quite tame. I usually make it out for every nightly show, at other resorts, and this time, I was only able to make it out to ONE. They were quite late, ~9:30pm. I usually tend to participate in all pool-side activities, but for some reason, I only made it out to one. I think it's because the beach was just so nice, that more people tended to migrate there, instead of the pools. Animation team wasn't super aggressive in recruiting people to participate. Crowd was older, primarily British, then American, lastly Canadian and most people seemed to keep to themselves. Overall, I'd return again and would recommend it to friends/family with some comments on what to expect!