El Dorado Royale a Spa Resort by Karisma - Adults

We have visited El Dorado Royale a number of times now, and it is still quite good - one of our favorites. I actually never write reviews, for anything, but I felt compelled to write one this time. The resort itself, as mentioned, is still great. Food, staff, etc - all great. This time, however, we met an amazing Concierge named Angie - and I just wanted to give her a specific shoutout. Not only did Angie help us expertly plan our week on site, she went above and beyond after our vacation, tracking down a document that we needed - all of which was outside of her scope of work. After having little success trying to contact the resort from abroad when we got home, I took a chance and asked Angie. Not only was she willing to help, but was instrumental in gathering the document that we needed. It would not have happened without her. If you are visiting El Dorado Royale, count yourself as lucky, if your concierge is Angie from behind building 54!

Second visit to this expansive resort, first visit was in November 2024 @Casitas. Staff are some of the best I have came across, attentive and knowledgeable and extremely friendly. Food was top notch in November but it seems to have fallen in standards since November, second visit food was not as good thus the 4 instead of 5 star rating. Simple things like hash browns still ice cold in the center and general buffet food was lukewarm and cold. All dinners were very good with Casitas Italian the standout. The entertainment crew. Mauricio, Luis, Eduardo, Dana and Hugo are amazing and should be commended for their efforts. Rooms are spacious and very clean with daily cleaning with everything refreshed. You can see also they are constantly fixing and maintaining the property which is a great sign going forward.

We had a very good experience at El Dorado Royale and would most likely return. The resort itself is beautiful, with lush, well-kept grounds and a relaxing atmosphere. A fun surprise was seeing iguanas roaming the property. There’s no shortage of things to do — from daily activities to multiple pools to choose from, we were never bored. Overall, we felt the trip offered excellent value for the money. Dining Highlights: The food across all the restaurants we tried was very good. A few experiences really stood out: Kampai Restaurant: Ezekiel and Eli took care of us here, and both were lovely. Eli, in particular, was especially funny and welcoming — a real highlight of the evening. D’Italia Casitas: This was a standout meal. The food was absolutely delicious. The cacao cacao dessert is a must for chocolate lovers, and my husband really enjoyed the cannolis. Our server Miguel was outstanding — professional, warm, and gave great recommendations. Cocotal (Breakfast Buffet): Joel was wonderful and made our mornings enjoyable. The buffet had an excellent variety, with lots of Mexican touches that made it feel special. The host (whose name I didn’t catch, but he also worked at the Kick Bar) was also very friendly and attentive. We also tried the Culinary Experience at Fuentes, which was a fun one-time experience. The dinner itself was fine — not something we’d rush to do again, but we’re glad we tried it. The highlight of the evening was the guitarist Pablo, who was truly amazing and made the experience memorable. I also want to mention Ramses at the Spa, who was a lovely young man — welcoming, kind, and professional. A Few Drawbacks: Unfortunately, not every service experience matched the rest. Vladimir at the Kick Bar was incredibly unwelcoming — he never said hello or acknowledged us at all, even when taking our order. It was noticeably unpleasant. The Santa Fe Grill was also disappointing — we waited over 10 minutes after being seated without anyone coming over to greet us, offer drinks, or take our order. We ended up leaving and were fortunately welcomed again at D’Italia Casitas. Other Notes: The oceanfront has large concrete blocks used as a wave break and artificial reef, which aren't the most attractive to look at. Also, the beach itself is rocky and not really suitable for swimming — something to keep in mind if you’re looking for a swimmable beach. Overall: Despite a few bumps in service, the majority of our experience at El Dorado Royale was wonderful. Friendly staff (with a few exceptions), great food, beautiful grounds, and plenty to do — all made for a relaxing and memorable stay. Would recommend!

We wanted a resort with extensive, beautifully landscaped grounds and fresh, healthy food. That’s exactly what we got. Service was excellent from check-in to check-out and everything in between. There are kilometres of paths for walking or running. There are a variety of colorful birds, especially near the lobby building. From the front of the lobby all the way to the beach there are a series of reflective pools and pretty bridges surrounded by mature palm trees that are artistically lit at night. Dinner Restaurants It was easy to book dinner for 2 with the web app. We tried several restaurants. D’Italia Villas was our favourite. The appetizers, soups, mains, and desserts each arrived with small gaps between the courses. None of these were large but together made up an enjoyable meal. The Rishta Lentil Soup was so good. Lunch Health Bar: seating is outside where you can see and hear the waves. The day we arrived we were settled into our room at 5 pm and realized that they were still open until 6. I ordered a salad and a sandwich. Both are fresh and so big that it was almost too much for me. We went back there often. Spot: seating is on a covered patio overlooking a large pool. Food is buffet-style with different choices each day. A very good selection of desserts. Beach In front of Kick bar there is a beach with loungers. Many are shaded by large palapas over round wooden tables. Being right at the southern end of the resort, by facing south, you can enjoy a view that is unimpeded by artificial reefs. That’s also where you can find a small stretch of sandy waterfront for swimming.

Unfortunately this resort is showing its age. Started coming here in 2009 and became a member in 2010. Fully enjoyed all their properties, especially their “gourmet inclusive “ restaurants. Our room had broken shower taps, bathroom windows that couldn’t close, tiles missing and the “new” terrace couch is half the size of what was there before and it barely fits 1 person now. The restaurant service is unbelievable, everyone now has to make reservations on an app that doesn’t work properly. Forced to have dinner at 9 pm, came 15 minutes early and told to go away until our time. Came back at 9 and made to wait until all the others were seated. Had an ok dinner but nothing like we are used to from this resort and D’Italia Casitas. The ridiculous part was when we got our dessert and coffee the manager came over immediately and told us that the staff needed to go home (10:15 pm) and we needed to leave. We had barely started our dessert and just got our coffee. A few minutes later another server, not ours walked by the table singing na na na na goodbye. If this was my 1st time here it probably wouldn’t have bothered me as much but not after 16 YEARS of coming here. What a pathetic level of service at what is supposed to be a 5 * top level resort. The next night at Kampai the service was better and the meal was better but the menu has been significantly reduced. One of our favorite entertainment spots is seeing the Tenors at Gaviotas bar on Friday, they didn’t show up. Usually a business tends to try and improve service but definitely not here. Every year for the past 5 years service has declined, menus have been reduced, drinks were always made with actual fresh fruit juices now it’s some hideous pseudo juice. There used to be pillow options, towel art, room scent options , treats with turndown service. All gone. It seems like the management are trying to squeeze every dollar they can out of the place. I feel bad for the staff that keep trying to manage with reduced support and ability to do what they used to. Went to Valentin Imperial after leaving EDR, like night and day. Valentin is doing everything that EDR used to do and excelling at it. We did these 2 resorts back to back, so our experiences are current.