El Dorado Seaside Suites Palms by Karisma - Adults

We stayed here for 14 nights for our honeymoon last month. It was an excellent trip. We saw some negative reviews about this hotel shortly after we booked which worried us slightly as we had booked for our honeymoon due to the high quality reviews it received, the reviews seemed to get worse in 2024 when people were reporting that TUI customers were not given access to certain facilities without extra daily payment. We contacted TUI beforehand, and they confirmed our fears were correct, however when we arrived at the hotel we were told we could go anywhere in the resort with no extra charges (except from the spa). This was a huge relief to us because this was our first experience of ‘all inclusive’ and we felt like paying for certain facilities didn’t sound very all inclusive. We were disappointed that when we wrote to them TUI did not reassure us of this change to the situation (we were told at the hotel that had been the case last year but it was no longer the case). You would think they would know the latest about their own hotel! The resort itself is beautiful surrounded by palm trees and there is some amazing wildlife all around (birds, monkeys, lizards and we also saw coatis, raccoons and crabs). However at no point did we find the room had any insects or animals in which was really good. The snorkelling was also very good and the sea very clear. We loved the laid back friendly vibe of the hotel (all the staff say hola as they pass and cannot do enough for you). The food was also one of the highlights for us with the Italian, Japanese, Gourmet Pub and Driftwood restaurant being particular favourites. Our Concierge Axel was also very good. He organised for me to have a more comfortable pillow as I can’t sleep with the really big fluffy ones provided and needed something flatter. The service everywhere in the hotel was really good and was one of the highlights of the hotel. We really liked the Bali beds on the beach and were surprised to find we could normally get one whenever we wanted one. Some people have commented that this hotel is not 5 star but having never stayed in a 5 star hotel before we thought it was of a very good standard, the outdated rooms on the Palms side are the only thing that lets it down slightly. Our housekeeper Lidia Tuz was also excellent and sometimes checked our room twice a day and left us some beautiful towel character and decorations in the room. We used the collectivos to travel to other beach towns down the coast (Playa del Carmen and Puertos Morelos), we really enjoyed this but it is not really advertised or encouraged at the hotel because I think they want you to use their taxi services. However we found the taxis from the hotel were very expensive. This is the only criticism really and I think it would be good if there was a daily bus to Playa del Carmen for those who want a change of scene from the resort. There is a ‘free shopping bus’ but this takes you to 2 shops on the way which takes around 1.5 hours of your day. We did do this one day though and it wasn’t too bad and they were not too pushy, the transport was good also. Our room was on the top floor of the premium block on the Palms side, the room was a bit outdated but very roomy and fairly comfortable. The view from the top floor was also very good and we were glad to be away from the noise from the pool bar. We asked for a quiet room and we were glad we received one. The sound proofing was also pretty good in these rooms which is important to us. I did find the sun would sometimes wake me in the mornings through the curtains but that’s because we have blackout curtains at home. The only downside otherwise was that there was no iPod speaker as advertised in the room (however this was not a major problem as there were music channels on the tv). The bathroom layout was brilliant with double sinks, a separate shower room and toilet room and a jacuzzi bath for two. The jacuzzi bath was really good and worked, although a couple of times we tried using it the water was slightly brown (this was fixed by the next day but meant sometimes we couldn’t use at the time we wanted to). Entertainment wise we particularly enjoyed the saxophone player, the silent disco and the reggae band. The entertainment at the fire night and Mexican night was also very good. Overall, an excellent hotel and we really enjoyed our 14 day honeymoon, we are very glad TUI decided to no longer charge customers for some facilities as we felt this would have spoilt our experience if this had been the case. Thankyou to all the staff at the hotel who made our stay so special, we were congratulated by a staff member on our honeymoon when we first arrived but to our knowledge, nothing else was provided to mark this - however the housekeeper’s room decorations in some way made up for this as they were such nice surprises! This may have been because we regularly left a tip for her. Some flowers in the room and a card from the hotel might be a nice touch for future honeymooning guests.

A beautifully well kept resort with honest hard working staff, just a couple of situations let it down which is why we’ve given 4* not 5. There were emergency works due to a burst water pipe in the room next door to us, however I did not know it was emergency works, day one I didn’t act on it as I thought it could be an issue that’s quick to resolve; the works continued into day 2 where I spoke to reception and he assured me that they were due to finish later that day (day 2). Day 3 and that’s when pneumatic drilling started and I again spoke to reception and took video evidence of how loud it was in our room, hotel manager Mildred agreed it was not acceptable and offered us a room swap, we were hesitant to swap as we’d unpacked by this point, however Mildred checked again and the works were finishing that day, she explained it was an emergency etc we were very understanding and didn’t cause a scene or a fuss as some would. Mildred then compensated us with complimentary 25 minute massages & a session of hydrotherapy at the on site Naay Spa for which we were extremely grateful for and thankful. A few days later and thats when many of the premium guests were bathing in the sun in the premium area to be greeted by chainsaws, hammering and debris flying everywhere as they decided they were ripping up and re thatching the roof on the apartment next to the pool, many guests were extremely frustrated by this as again no communication was received from the hotel, the TUI Rep and hotel manager were then called to the area by some guests, this is when the workers then decided to set up ladders in the pool! To begin painting the exterior of the building while we were all in it, situations like that are what make you question am I actually in a 5 star resort that I paid thousands to be here. We then returned to our room to find a letter apologising for the works, and had a knock at the door from Andy another hotel manager, he told us to come and see them tomorrow, which we did and the guests affected were treated to a 100 USD Credit to spend on paid services at the hotel, I’d like to reiterate we are not the type of people to go to hotels to complain and try and get freebies, I think this is just how this hotel deals with situations like this to keep its reputation up. Which is a nice touch. Unfortunately the letter we signed saying we had a 100 USD Credit was lost when we went to check out, I explained to the receptionist who was checking us out what had happened after nearly half an hour we were able to check out as someone sent him a photo of the letter, my advice if anything happens during your stay where you’re given compensation or a service get a copy as it will make check out a lot smoother as it took us nearly half an hour. A la carte restaurants were not on the top of our go to list, the menus were extremely niche & portion sizes left you hungry in my opinion, the buffet at seaside market was a great dinner spot as such wide variety and you could have as little or much as you want, If you prefer to be sat down and waited on then a la carte maybe for you but you’ll be waiting a while at some of them, we waited nearly 20 minutes just for our drinks order in the Mexican one night. Ensure when you’re making reservations with the concierge that you double check the days, as we were supposed to be going to the Asian one day, the day we turned up Jordy the restaurant manager said that our concierge had booked us for the previous night however our itinerary said the day we went, the restaurant manager then said he could not accommodate us as it was to busy we left and I went back to the room to get the itinerary just to prove to him we went the day we were told, when I arrived back I said that I’d raise a complaint as we waited in before going out at our reservation time to get dinner then all of a sudden it was okay and we could be accommodated Jordy mentioned that concierge always seem to do this, so check & check again! Axel the concierge did come round to us the next day to apologise, however I understand mistakes are made but we were made to feel like we were in the wrong for the hotels mistake by the restaurant, aside from that the food at the Asian restaurant was our favourite from the whole stay. We used our $100USD Credit from the hotel due to the inconvenience at the premium pool, for a tomahawk steak on the beach on Mexican night, this would normally cost around $110US for 2 people I believe, so we only paid the difference as we had a credit, the night was entertaining, would I pay over £80 for this? Probably not… I asked for a medium rare tomahawk it was well done, it was extremely fatty, but it was free so I have no complaints, if I was paying the full price, then maybe a different story, this does also include a reserved table of your own at the front. The entertainment we thoroughly enjoyed, fire dances, mariachi band all sorts of really enjoyable entertainment but you can enjoy this for free, there are other packages available instead of the steak. House keeping maids were exceptional, the room was always left clean and tidy every day. There is a safe in the room, iron and ironing board, coffee maker, umbrella, etc… Staff are really friendly and helpful the room service staff impeccable can’t do enough for you, the waiters and waitress round by the premium pool always made sure we had drinks, the sargassum was tackled by extremely hard working teams throughout the day to keep the beach clear and picturesque. I have written such a long review as some people spend there savings coming away on holiday and I wanted to be as honest and fair as I could so you can have just a little bit more of an insight on what to expect. Big thank you to Mildred & Andy for their help during our stay. (For reference, we booked through TUI & stayed in the premium palms section)

Fantastic service from the sports and entertainment team! Jose, Maria, Angel, Luis, Benjamin, Luana spend every hour of the day getting you involved with activities and making so much effort to get to know you, they were truly the best part of the entire holiday! 5/5 for everything they provided, I'm going to miss them a lot! The rooms were a bit outdated and in need of refreshment. The main buffet is lacking and definitely smaller / less variety than most all-inclusive restaurants. You are encouraged to dine at the Al La Carte restaurants which are mostly great apart from the Pub (really bad / dry food!) The themed food nights on the beach also made myself and another couple sick - I don't think having an open buffet outside is a good idea. The pool area is lovely and well maintained, I'd definitely recommend the Palms pool over the Infinity / American side

The team hosting all the event/activities did an amazing job at every task. Luis, Angel, Jose, Luana and Benjamin did an amazing job hosting all the activities, getting guests involved and not letting the fun die down. Also, Tiburcio and the bartendering staff did an amazing job with keeping drinks filled. I deeply appreciate the hardwork of every individual we came across.

Best stay, the food was lush, the hotel was lovely and accommodating and the reps were amazing! They made the stay the best. Thank you Jose, Luis, Maria, Angel, Benjamin, Luana 🩵 Will deffo be back again. The Italian was lovely and the risotto in the culinarium was amazing!