El Dorado Seaside Suites By Karisma All Inclusive

Heaven on Earth

El Dorado Seaside Suites met and exceeded all of my expectations. What a wonderful place to spend some time and get away from it all. The staff and service were helpful, friendly and professional. I was very impressed with the level of service provided. It was just right without being too much or too little. The resort is beautiful inside and out. The rooms are spacious, comfortable and clean. The grounds were landscaped into a lush, tropical paradise. The pools were clean. The beach is beautiful. The restaurants were all very nice. I wouldn’t say that the food was actually "gourmet" but they tried and it was very good. I especially enjoyed the outdoor breakfast/lunch spot. If I was to have any negatives (and these are minor compared with the overall experience) the first would be the beer selection was not good. If you enjoy different types of beer you will be out of luck. The second was the smoke detector went off in our room at 0330 hrs. waking us from a dead sleep. Malfunction. We disconnected it and they fixed it in the morning. This is a resort that I want to go back to. It is a wonderful, relaxing place.

We’re Definitely Going Back!

This was my the first trip my boyfriend and I took together. We both couldn’t be more pleased! Although it was overcast the entire time there was always tons of fun stuff for us to do! If you want to go on some excursions Xel-Ha (beautiful place to stop by) is only 20 minutes away, as is Xcaret and Playa Del Carmen. The event staff was amazing! The staff in general from the bartenders to the room service would always put you to the highest priority! We got the Garden View room but there isn’t a room that isn’t gorgeous! Even though there is said to be no buffets some restaurants had them for breakfast and lunch. The food was amazing and the Bars were a great hang out place. We are already planning on going back. Great place to go for an anniversary or honeymoon. We would recommend it to any of our friends interested in going to the Riviera Maya.

Traveler's tip on saving a few bucks

Go to your concierge early on. My boyfriend and I didn’t know that we had too, but they are really nice and want you to get the most out of your stay. We wanted to get some massages for our last full day there and the concierge booked us what would be equivalent to the moonlight massage for half the price!

Loved it!!

This was our third trip back to the same resort and it was better than ever! The resort is beautiful, the food delicious and the service was outstanding. We couldn’t have had a better time! We will be back.

Fantastic Trip In Paradise

We spent 4 days and enjoyed every minute of it. The beds on the beach with the thatched roofs were superb. All the service personnel were extremely friendly and attentive. The food was great. Even though the portions are smaller than we Americans are used to, they are more than happy to bring you as many dishes as you want. Also, you can get room service 24hrs a day and it’s fast. We were amazed at how much was included in the package.

Traveler's tip on local attractions

Highly recommend renting a car and driving to Tulum and visiting a Cenote. We went to Dos Ojos Cenote just 10-15min down the road, paid approx. $25 each to have a guided snorkel tour of these amazing underwater caves.

Relax to the Max

Quiet, low-key property on the ocean with good stretch of beach. The king size cabana beds are plentiful along the beach and a great way to spend the day relaxing and sunning. Pool area is also comfortable and low-key with swim up bar. All adult, couples oriented, sit down restaurants w/several cuisine type choices. Away from the rush of Cancun and Playa del Carmen, which can be inconvenient if you like night life and shopping.

Traveler's tip on recreational activities

While the hotel has the usual assortment of on-site activities, if you want to scuba, access decent snorkeling or take a tour, you’ll have to travel and spend a few hours doing so. Tulum is not far, as well as one shopping area with a variety of shops. Having your own car can be a plus because this hotel is a bit out of the mainstream.

Disappointing Honeymoon

I was disappointed with this trip in general. Riviera Maya is 1.5 hours outside of Cancun, meaning your first and last day are pretty much wasted travelling. The area surrounding the resort is impoverished, and yet they love to refer to it as "paradise." The food was sub par, the service was okay, overall just simply disappointing. The warm sun and the lounge chairs were the saving grace. I certainly do not plan to return to that area of Mexico.

Traveler's tip

1) BRING BUG SPRAY. 2) Be sure to bring your own "first aid kit" of supplies -- bandaids, neosporin, ibuprophen, immodium/pepto bismol, etc. They will charge you GREATLY for these items at the "gift shop."

Sandals instead

I am biased because once you stay at Sandals you’ll never stay anywhere again. Food was downright terrible, would have rather stayed home and cooked. The beach is rocky, but very beautiful and the resort was pretty nice. Tennis courts were barely playable, but the spa services were very good. Service eas usually pretty good and friendly, but the overall experience didn;t give me that pampered feeling that I got at Sandals for the same price.

As long as you don’t ask for anything

The hotel is beautiful. Us and other guests wanted the map that was supposed to be provided. We were told "it’s a small property". Yet us and 3 other couples were looking for the Asian restaurant and once we found it we had to circle the building to find the door. Nobody could print the map. We called guest services (it was raining hard) to let the tour van know that we would not be going. Her answer was "can’t you come up here and do it yourself?". Our self proclaimed "personal conceirge" said he was there to help us with whatever we needed. We asked him to verify our flight, he said "that’s not my job". Whoever we asked the answer was always "I don’t handle that, wait 20 minutes, come back later or my personal favorite "come do it yourself". However, there was a ray of sunshine. Right next door is the sister property Hidden Beach. The service is absolutely impressive. The difference is unbelieveable. The staff is friendly and outgoing. Served us drinks in the hot tub (while it was raining). They knew the drinks we liked, brought us towels. All without being asked. The staff got some great tips.

Very Nice Place

Seaside is not the biggest resort out there but the staff will bend over backwards to make your stay perfect. Most of the food was amazing and the resort itself is beyond picturesque. They organize enough activities to keep you busy during the day and night. Most of the people we met there were couples on their Honeymoon or anniversary, and the resort is PERFECT for a tripo like that. WONDERFUL RESORT!!!

El Dorado

Our experience was pretty good. The beach beds are awesome & they are everywhere. The beach was pretty nice, a little rocky but overall descent. The Chinese restaurant was pretty good but overall the food was not good and the portions are small. They have DVD players in the room and DVD’s and the front desk which was a nice surpise. We had a massage & did the Beachbed 3 which was a 50 minute couples massage set up on the beach which was awesome. They gave us champagne and chocolates (if you count 4 miniature Hershey’s). Bring Off or mosquito repellant. Everything is expensive in the shops and if you plan on going to the beach at night you will need the Off. They were bitting my face throughout my massage. Most of the staff was pretty friendly. We did tip the ones that took good care of us. There are issues with the water in the showers. It was either really hot or really cold, hard to get a good inbetween. The shower water is also salty and smells bad. If you are wanting to sleep in find a way to turn off the phone because they call you all the time to check up on you...even in the morning. The pluses were the beach and the beach beds. The minuses are the food & water. Do NOT talk to ANYONE at the airport. Get outside and find your bus or taxi. They trick you and act like they will help you but they want you to pay for a hotel tour. IT IS A SCAM!

Traveler's tip

Bring sun screen and Off (mosquito repellant). If you buy it at the hotel it is expensive.

A Few Downsides

The beach was not white sand, it is coral sand and very hard on the feet. There were too few service personnel on the beach to take drink or food orders. Our personal concierge tried to sell us a timeshare and was so pushy that we had to completely avoid him for the rest of the trip. It became a game, but not a pleasant one. Despite numerous requests for more cerveza in our mini-fridge, we never received more than 3 at a time. They also did not deliver alcoholic beverages via room service. However, all in all we would recommend this hotel.

Traveler's tip on saving a few bucks

Bring plenty of sun screen because a small bottle at the hotel will cost you about 30 USD. It is a little less expensive in the farmacias in Playa, but still pretty high.

2nd Stay

My wife and friends went back for a second trip. We had visited two years earlier and were very impressed. They have went out of their way again with great food and service at all the restaurants and bars. Even when the resort is a little busier, it seems to still be quiet at the pools and on the beach. Two issues that we had were water pressure and temperature in the shower and some ants in the bathroom the last few days. I thought the hotel might discount our stay a little, for the shower and bathroom issues we had but they wouldn’t offer anything. I take that back...they offered $10 off our hotel stay and I just laughed. All in all it was a nice stay again for the money,and the only downside was that I thought they would work with us a little more on our room issues...especially since we were repeat customers and hand referred guests to the resort.

Traveler's tip on recreational activities

Were sunscreen, even if you tan easy. I learned the hard way.

Fabulous Resort...wish we coul’ve stayed longer

We loved our stay at El Dorado Seaside Suites. The service was wonderful, the facilities were very clean and beautiful. It’s a long and narrow resort, so we were never far from the beach. The food was wonderful. It is all gormet, so if you don’t like gormet food, this would not be the place for you. The staff was so friendly and helpful. We truly enjoyed our time. We only wish we could’ve stayed longer.

Traveler's tip on dining

It is an all gormet resort. If you love gormet food, you will love it. If you don’t then this wouldn’t be the place for you.

Wonderful Place!!!- Ignore Neysayers

Food-best we had anywhere-even in U.S. and the presentation beautiful. Portions relatively small, which is great for me, but not for husband. Was ok, because it’s unlimited and you get room svc/snack bar. Hubby was able to get enough to keep him full. Have read reviews where some thought food was awful-dont know what resort they were at. Food=extraordinarily fabulous! Rooms - beautiful, clean. A/C broke one night, but was fixed quickly. Were put in wrong room one night (booked swim up and got ocean view) but to make up for it, we got free lobster dinner on beach. More than made up for inconvenience. They go out of their way to make all happy and often work 12 hrs/ day for $10-15 /day. They always seem happy to serve. We were grateful & always tipped at least $5 per meal/bar and usually $10-15. They are deserving of it. We are not rich, but felt it necessary to forego extras to make sure they got appreciation. Many dont tip and are rude to them. So uncalled for. Beach-great for us. North side rough, but not resorts fault-2005 Hurricane wiped it out. South side was nice. Beach beds usually taken, ok with us. We just lounged on a towel in a chair. Waters rough, so no snorkeling, but not resorts fault. Blame weather for that one. Normally, you can snorkel off beach in normal weather. By far the best we ever stayed at. Dont believe bad reviews. Very picky people who cant be pleased no matter where they stay.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

Tour cancelled due to rough waters, so got a taxi, went into Playa DC, took the public ferry to Cozumel and got to snorkel on the west (calm) side of the island. So, even though tour to Isla Mujeres was cancelled, still got fun out of it. Lomas Travel-fabulous!! Highly recommend them for tours, info and airport transfers. They gave us a limo at no extra charge for our trip back to the airport home. They deserve business! They’re right there in the hotel lobby. Please utilize their services.

This was 100 time better than we had anticipated. It was the BEST VACATION ever

WE were so impressed with Seaside Eldorado that we joined the Exotic Travelers Club and now have the opportunity to stay there another 88 weeks. It was heaven. The place is just beautiful, the staff is wonderful, they just can’t do enough for you. The food is out of this world and it is the most Romantic Place you could Imagine. I just can’t say enough about it or wait to go back. Shear Relaxation and no children running around.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

Take advantage of the Romantic Dinner on the Beach, the couples massage on the Beach is just unbelievable. It’s like heaven and then some.

WILL DEFINITELY RETURN

The staff is terrific. The food is excellent. No horrible buffets.

Traveler's tip

Nice and quiet getaway. NO kids!

Second Visit

El Dorado SeaSide Suites continues to improve following the last major hurricane. Since our initial visit in March of 2007, the facilities have improved. They have added a new restaurant, outdoor pool table and otudoor (large) chess set. The water activities available have changed (miss having the paddle boats) but are still suitable. The staff continues to pay attention to details which make one’s stay a great experience. Reservations are no longer needed for the restaurants ( a big +) and despite this, your wait to be seated is never more than a few minutes.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

The room service food menu is limited. I recommend getting out and sampling the cuisine at the restaurants.

Best vacation we’ve had!

We went to this resort Dec. 27 - Jan. 3. Everything was wonderful and gorgeous. The food was sooo good and the beds were very comfortable. We had an ocean front room but any room there would be great. I very much recommend going here.

Great Time Very Quiet and Romantic!

The only two complaints i had were the concierge didnt really help me when i needed him to. And also the beach was rockey in the water. Other than that it was fabulous! I will definatly be going back!

Not as expected

We stayed in this resort from 11/9 to 11/17 and enjoyed the beach and the resort facilities very much but were disappointed in the restaurant service. They advertise the restaurants as being gourmet and I suppose they are, but the service is slow and they are open only at certain hours which varied every day. Even though room service was available 24 hours a day,it was a hassle to do that so having at least 1 of the dining facilities open for a buffet type dining would be a great addition. We did find a few things on the menus that were great but it was a new adventure every day.

Traveler's tip on local attractions

Tulum is worth going to see, hire a guide at the front of the entrance and it will include the fee and ride to the ruins. Playa Del Carmen is great for shopping, others in the resort went to Playacar and liked it also.

What an excellent vacation spot!

We just needed to get away for some R and R and we picked the right spot. The service was impressive and we would return without a doubt.

What a Suite Honeymoon!

This place was great. Everyone was so nice. Drink the hotel drinks! They’re awesome and they have a water purification system, so no problems! Bring beach shoes- coral cuts! Food was incredible, staff was fun, atmosphere romantic and quiet (but not so quiet as to be boring). We went to Xel-Ha and Xcaret- again, bring water shoes! Totally worth it. What a paradise! I would recommend to my best friends!

Loved it!

We were honeymooners(almost all ppl there were)&plan on going back!Really friendly people.Tips are included-a lot of ppl still tip.At the resort,you can"rent"(free)snorkeling eqmt&kayaks.There are sand volleyball&horseshoe areas.Beds on beach are 1st come basis.Spa guys walk around&give free 5min.massages on the beach(Which are awesome!)they will try to sell you another once theyre done-they arent too pushy though.We got a couples moonlight massage one night.There is someone who sets up a pottery hut every day.You paint a piece of pottery.They glaze it&you pick it up the next day.(You pick the pottery-$10+)We opted to sit through a"timeshare"mtg.which wasnt that bad.We didnt do it-though it seemed like a good deal-just not the right time for us.We still got to keep the t-shirts&(very nice$$)coupon!-it will save us a ton next time!Our ocean view room meant you could see it over the top of the next building-still a great view though.Our room:comfortable bed,nice big shower,stocked mini-bar(beer,water,pop)The water temp.in our room-in both the shower&jacuzzi(which is just a Jacuzzi-bath so it only stays hot as long as a reg. bath would)was not very hot.The temp.in the shower would go from really hot to really cold&it never stayed one temp.for very long so we were always adjusting it.Theres a reg. hot tub on resort.You can parasail,swim w/dolphins,take snorkeling trips,etc.for extra 10 min. away.Sign up in advance w/your travel agent,etc.or once you get to the resort.

Traveler's tip

Sunscreen,cameras,etc..are VERY pricey at Resort.All food is great!Its sit-down-no buffets.After certain hours youre limited to room service-but this is still a good menu.We ordered breakfast in bed every day&went out for lunch&dinner.Italian was the best-but all were good.Try the mushroom appetizer@Italian restaurant.Everything comes in small portions,but you get 4courses so its plenty(app.,soup/salad,entre,desert).But,if youre real hungry,the Asian restaurant serves pretty large portions.

Gem of the Rivera Maya

We went to El Dorado Seaside for our honeymoon. We were greeted with glasses of champagne while we checked in, and were waited on hand and foot for our 6 day stay. The gourmet food was delightful. The bars were all stocked with top-shelf alcohol. Room service is 24 x 7. The swim up rooms were amazing. It was so nice to go from our private jacuzzi to our private part of the lazy river. You will not be disappointed in a stay here.

Traveler's tip on local attractions

Stick to Tulum or Xel Ha. The attractions around Cancun are too far and you end up losing a whole day of sunshine. Don’t book tours ahead of time. Book them with the travel agent at the hotel after you arrive.

Best vacation ever!!

This was a wonderful resort. I’ve been to 3 all inclusive couples only resorts and this was my favorite. The food was the best I’ve seen at an all inclusive and the presentation was excellent. My only complaints were that it was about an hour and 15 min. from the aiport, no fitted sheets on the bed and most of the beach is closed off by a rock wall. Go to the south end of the resort for the nice part of the beach. Be aware that it is an "Au Natural" resort and some females do take advantage of it. The staff is extremely friendly and very helpful. I will go back if I have the chance.