Adult/Couples Only?: Yes
Time of Year/Weather: This trip was taken in early August 2003. The weather was sunny, hot, sometimes humid, and around 95 degrees the whole time. It was very hot during the day and a bit more comfortable at night.
Length of Trip?: 2 days/1 night (we were upgraded to Hidden Beach Resort on day 2 of our 8 day/7 night trip)
Was this an All-Inclusive Resort?: Yes
Approximate per person cost?: $825 per person (for 7 nights) from Detroit, MI (DTW) purchased through Funjet Vacations.
Were there any hidden or extra costs?: No. The package included airfare, airport transfers, hotel, all food and drinks, and all taxes and fees including the Mexican departure tax.
Describe room accommodations (view, decor, cleanliness, etc.): Four types of junior suites are available: Garden View, Ocean View, Ocean Front, and Jacuzzi. The Ocean View and Ocean Front suites are pretty much identical except the Ocean Front are closer to the beach. The Jacuzzi suites are the farthest away from all the main areas of the resort. We stayed in an Ocean View Junior Suite. The room was quite spacious and well-kept. Our air conditioner did leak overnight, but it wasn't much of a problem except the tile floor was a bit slippery due to the leak. We had a great view of the Ocean and it was relatively quiet all day long, as we were a bit further down from all the activities on the beach. The bathroom was very small. Each room has a hammock and 2 chairs on the patio or balcony. There was also a dining table and 2 chairs, a built-in sofa, and a TV.
Describe food/meals (presentation, quality, etc.): El Dorado has 3 restaurants: Los Arrecifes (International), La Carreta (Mexican/reservations required/dress code), and La Fontana (Italian/reservations required/dress code). The food was average...nothing spectacular, nothing horrible. Breakfast was buffet, while lunch and dinner were ordered off a menu. There could have been more food choices available. Service in the Los Arrecifes restaurant was excessively slow and random. People who were seated after us were waited on before us. We often found ourselves searching for our waiter to get a drink refill. The restaurant was very, very hot. Although they had the air conditioners running it still was unbearably hot to the point where we often finished our meal quickly, rather than linger in pleasant conversation, just to get out of the insufferable heat. It was cooler outside than inside. I feel this may have been a ventilation problem. We did not eat in either of the reservations-required restaurants but did hear from other guests that it was not much better.
Describe staff and service: Friendly and accomodating for the most part. At times slow, such as when they said they would be at our room in 30 minutes to transfer our luggage to their other resort - yet over an hour later we ended up dragging our luggage to the lobby ourselves. And they were by no means busy at the time. Most of the time we felt obligated to tip the El Dorado staff, which has never happened at the other AI resorts we have visited.
Onsite Activities: 2 pools (one is a lap pool), exercise facilities, 2 gift shops, snorkeling, bicycles, paddle boats, kayaking, and tennis court. Seven bars including 2 "swing bars" (bars with swing seats for 1 and 2 people) and a Disco. Also a Spa with affordable services and excellent package deals.
Offsite Activities: Shopping trips to Cancun and Playa del Carmen are included in your package. Lomas Travel has a tour desk in the lobby where you can schedule organized tour outings and trips, if desired.
Local Points of Interest: Tulum (seaside ruins), Playa del Carmen (shopping), Xcaret (eco-park), Cozumel (scuba & snorkeling), Chichen Itza (ruins - about a 2 hour drive), Coba (ruins in jungle), Xel-Ha (eco-park)
Value for the cost?: Good
Overall Rating (10 being best)?: 7
Additional Comments: El Dorado is a nice resort if you are a patient person and don't expect top-notch services. Out of the 3 Karisma resorts in the Riviera Maya: El Dorado Royale, El Dorado Resort & Spa, and Hidden Beach Resort; I would rank El Dorado Resort & Spa as # 2. El Dorado Resort & Spa is the least expensive of the 3 resorts, but I would chose it over El Dorado Royale because the staff is much friendlier, it is less crowded, and the atmosphere is more laid back, yet not immature. My first choice would be Hidden Beach Resort, but that may not be the right place for you (see my Hidden Beach report).
Kantenah, Mexico
