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!

Amazing Resort

Resort was great! Do not let the smaller entrance fool you, the resort is large beautiful and fantastic staff. The entire staff friendly, kind and enthusiastic. Food was fantastic and never had difficulty finding food, even with dietary restrictions. Great time, only down side is slightly rocky beach. I would go back in a second

INCREDIBLE and FANTASTIC-BEST EVER PROPERTY

The views from the new buildings #6 and #7 were spectacular overlooking the ocean!! Each room has its own infinity pool.The room itself is largerr than most hotels have.The restaurants on site are all gourmet. We did not have one bad meal at all. The food is exceptional. The grounds are immaculate. The staff is friendly. The different beaches, pools and places to lie around are incredible. The hotel by the Karisma brand is a must to stay at

We had a great trip at the El Dorado!

This was a great resort on many levels. Lots of shade so that our tender skin could get out of the sun and not turn cherry red. We usually took a bed with good shade that looked out on the ocean but was close enough to the main pool to here what was going one. The best bar tender is at the small bar on the very end of the lazy river. He is tucked away over there but, he makes the best drinks in the hotel. If you are a big beach person, probably not the resort for you but my husband made it out  [... read more]to the reef for some snorkeling and said it was good. I did some snorkeling closer in and saw a number of fish but only 2 or 3 varieties. The resort is in a great location for excursions! Close to many of the day trips and of course close to Tulum and Coba. We really enjoyed the half day excursion called Cenote and Sea Turtles. Food was excellent, and the staff was friendly and welcoming. The only downside was the pool for our "upgraded" rooms had an algae problem but, as pool owners, we were surprised how quickly the problem was fixed and since we were sitting down on the beach it didn't really make much of a different to us. The music pipped in at the upgrade pool and the Lazy River though was truly awful. The cover tracks of Beatles songs by a jazz singer just have to go! Main pool looked small but could handle a surprisingly large crowd and there were a couple other pools to enjoy anyway! We had a great time and would recommend this hotel to others!

Great experience

The service was excellent at all the restaurants . Our personal concierge was exceptional. the room was perfect. overall I would say perfect vacation. If thewre was one thing we didn't like about the rsort was the beach. It was way to small and cramped. Water was not clean.

Amazing Resort

My wife and I have travelled to the Mayan Riviera several times as well as several other locations throughout the Caribbean and this was our best trip ever. This resort is perfect for couples. The attention to detail at the Eldorado Sea Side suites is exception everything from the room, to the food to the staff were exceptional. The check in process was fast and easy and within 10 minutes of our arrival we were being escorted to our room. Every meal we had was very good, and we really enjoyed t [... read more]he gourmet al-a-carts at dinner, we found it much nicer then lining up at a buffet every meal. I have recommended the resort to several friends and family since our return and I am looking forward to our next trip to an Eldorado property. The only problem I had with this resort is now I cannot see myself vacationing at a regular all inclusive again. It will be a Karisma property or nothing.

Immaculate Resort - very clean

This hotel is great! Food was excellent, service was excellent, drinks were wonderful, lots of house wine to choose from! Wonderful, quiet, romantic escape. Grounds were very well kept. Beach is a little rocky but nice to be able to snorkel right off resort. Staff are very accommodating! Will adapt recipes if food dislikes or allergies. Italian restaurant was our favorite.

Almost a five star experience at El Dorado Seasde

Restaurant 5* - Portions were small so you had to order 4-5 courses however the food quality and service was excellent! Bar and Staff 5* - Never had to wait for a drink, service and quality of products excellent. Hotel Grounds and Pool 5* - nicely landscaped , clean and well maintained. Service and Friendliness 5* - all staff greeted you and stated our pleasure whenever they were asked for something and was very professional, well supervised. Hotel room 4*- Our room was a little tired, lamp shad [... read more]es were battered and torn, no electronic safe in room, room and washroom was poorly lit. Beach swimming 3.5 * - Yes there is seaweed however resort staff work tirelessly to rake it up each morning; and in my opinion there is no need for water shoes there are adequate places to enter the water in nice sand HOWEVER the water in the swimming area is less than waist deep and is a small area so for that reason the beach is lacking in my opinion. Overall we had a very nice stay at the El Dorado however the beach swimming area and our room could not be given a 5 * review.

AWESOME Vacation at this resort.

The hotel room, service, food and entertainment were all excellent. The only negative is the long ride to the hotel from the airport - 60 minutes via private taxi or 1.5+ hours in regular bus with a number of stops.

Excellent staff

This hotel was great, however, the swim up pool is more like a swim through. The bar is enclosed so you cannot get to the bar by foot. You have to swim to it. Also, it's all closed up with windows so you need to talk to the bartender through a small window. The temperature of the pool water was sssooooooo cold that no one was ever at the pool stools or doing activities in the water. That part of our trip really sucked because we enjoy sitting at the swim up bar and chitchat with the bartenders a [... read more]nd other guests. Also, there are no snack bars anywhere in site. If you want to eat, you have to go to a restaurant. There is no buffet and no snack bars. The rooms were very clean and the grounds were well kept. The food was good and the staff are just awesome. The beach is not the nicest but they do everything possible to keep it clean.

Wonderful

The El Dorado is a 1st class hotel in a beautiful setting! Excellent service, food and staff made this stay wonderful! It is a smaller hotel and therefore we had a chance to meet and visit with people from all over the world! The sad thing is some of the nicest people are living so far away! Five restaurants to choose from (all gourmet).

Favourite Resort Ever!

Beautiful grounds, gorgeous room, friendly staff and excellent food! The activities were fun as well....be careful of the slippery marble by the pool and in the rooms. The size of the resort was perfect - not too big, not too small. Not a crazy wacky nightlife but that was fine with us!

Exceptional!

This was our second trip to EDSS. The resort has only gotten better since we were there seven years ago. The food was exceptional. We really like not having to make meal reservations. We received a complimentary anniversary package which included a candlelit dinner on the beach and breakfast in bed the next morning. The staff was very accomodating to all of our requests. We had a beachfront suite that was kept spotless. We ended up purchasing a 30 week Vacation Package and are looking forward to [... read more] returning to EDSS and also trying the other Karisma resorts and hotels.

Paradise!

We returned January 30th, 2015 from this beautiful adults only resort. We had a wonderful time! The service and the people who work at this resort are wonderful! The food was great and the grounds are lush and well maintained. We had a swim up room with a Jacuzzi. When we arrived, the beach was covered in seaweed and we were disappointed, but within a day the whole area was cleaned up and the beach was actually wonderful! Many people were swimming in the crystal clear water , and little fish wer [... read more]e swimming around our legs. The resort is pretty low key, no music playing on the beach, the main pool is small and very little activity there. The nightly entertainment is not great, when compared to large resorts, but we were not interested in that anyway. Anything you desired, you just had to ask and it was granted with a "my pleasure". Service on the beach was constant. 24 hour room service arrived within 20 minutes and was delicious, we ordered nachos and pizza in the late afternoon a couple of times, and had a wonderful breakfast as well. My friend and I also enjoyed a sky massage on the beach which was fabulous! We have been to three Sandals resorts and the service and amenities at this resort were just as good or better in our opinion.

Everything we wanted!!!

This resort was exactly what we needed!! There was a lot to do but we chose not to do much of anything...service was beyond excellent, the best we've ever had!! I wouldn't recommend paying the extra money for the beach rooms and they do not have an ocean view, you just quicker access to the beach.

Perfection

As a Christmas gift to each other my boyfriend and I decided to take a trip down south. I researched extensively for the perfect place and landed on EDSS and we were not disappointed. Unfortunately our flight was delayed and the bus ride from the airport to the resort was nearly 2 hours and we did not arrive until 2AM. Upon arrival we were brought to a room with 2 twin beds.. I was not impressed and we had to pay to upgrade to luxury room with a king bed. We were quite happy with the new room an [... read more]d 24 room service which we took advantage of as there was no restaurant open at the hour we arrived. The next 6 days were pure perfection. The staff was super friendly, waitresses, bartenders, gardeners and entertainment staff alike! We tried several of the restaurants for breakfast lunch and dinner - our favourites were the Beach BBQ, Burger Bistro, Italian and Asian. All were so delicious! Premium liquors and beers were available at all bars and our mini fridge was always stocked. The house wine was also amazing - no need to purchase the ones they try and up sell to at dinner. There was daily entertainment at the main pool which we didn't spend much time at - spent more time at the lap pool and on the beach beds. Nightly entertainment at the main bar was always good. The rock circus show was our favourite. We really have no major complaints and look forward to our next opportunity to return to an El Dorado resort :)

Romantic spots for couples

Great hotel for couples celebrating an anniversary or honeymoon. Also, great for anyone with food allergies as we were asked at every meal. Service was very efficient everywhere. Pools have mostly deep water. Difficult to find shallow water if don't swim well. Beach is narrow. Hotel very insistent on collared shirts for men at dinner in restaurants. No place for good coffee. Suggest hotel add a coffee bar. Lots of restaurants and bars for everything else. However, great place for romance with wh [... read more]irlpool tub, lots of trees on property for walks, easy to get Bali beds, etc. Had some great food but some heavy food also.

2nd time's a charm!

Want to mention names before I begin. Ebaldo,bartender at premium swim up, Claudia and Christine at Naay Spa. Thanks for everything. We were here 5 years ago and a few things have changed but only for the better. New theatre and suites. Drinks, food , pools and beach were wonderful. Friendly staff and event staff ( Ivan and Theresa) awesome job. Best Guacamole ever! If the main beach is not what you're looking for, head west along the beach between Palladium and Seaside and you'll find an amazin [... read more]g piece of beach that cannot disappoint. Only complaint I can give is the Pub Restaurant that is a reservation only. Food was meh but mostly choice was not impressive. Hotel and staff are top shelf all the way.

Very amazing resort

We stayed in the swim up rooms and they were great the rooms and grounds were well looked after. The food was good. The entertainment was good and the people and staff were great. I would go back to this resort anytime.

Very Relaxing Vacation

We really enjoyed how relaxing this resort was. The beach side beds are so nice and comfortable. Just get out by 7am if you want to save one for the day, if you ask your concierge they can get a sheet put on your bed for the day, it makes it less sticky. The beach front jacuzzi suit was very clean and romantic. The food was quite good especially the Mexican food, it was very fresh and authentic. The food portions are quite small so make sure you order a variety of things off the menu. Just an FY [... read more]I the cheese fondue from the Mexican restaurant has about 2 pounds to cheese melted with lots of meat, it tastes great but very heavy. The dress code is not really enforced, most people dressed casual for breakfast and lunch but more formal for dinner. They have made to order eggs and omelette station. The Ariccffices? restaurant has a smoothie station and a chocolate fondue for breakfast, stay away from the donuts and pastries they are a bit dry and stale tasting. Overall we really enjoyed out anniversary trip, make sure if it is your anniversary you tell them ahead of time and show proof of your wedding date they will give you a candlelight dinner and a few other perks. The 10 year anniversary special they put in your door is a 1 hour tour of the facility and a sales pitch to purchase there loyalty program. We were told to stay away based on online blogs so we did not do the tour. This is a beautiful place and I would go back.