El Dorado Casitas Royale, a Spa Resort - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

9971 reviews

• 

  Not terrible, but we wont be back

  Pros: Service was great! All staff were wonderful and helpful. Our Casitas Pool bar was excellent and we never had problems getting a chair. The grounds are beautiful, well kept. There are so many different animals on the grounds to enjoy. Our Casita room was good, large, clean. The coffee shop has awesome coffee. Cons: THE FOOD IS TERRIBLE. And we are not picky eaters. But 70% of the food we got at any restaurant was just gross. We were in a group of 6 and everyone felt the same. Also annoying was the fact that the only real supper buffet is at Generations which has a poor selection. You HAD to make reservations for your weeks worth of restaurants when you arrived, which is annoying. I don't know what is good and where I want to eat. The Concierge is mostly useless. I wish they had a decent App that you could just make reservations with instead of wasting time with the Concierge. We only had our mini bar restocked twice, only after we complained several times. The beach (or lack of) is a site for sore eyes. There is no view, it is literally rocks and these ugly concrete barriers. If you want a nice beach, STAY AWAY from this resort. And lastly, there is no signage, the resort is spread out and there is no signs to direct you to the restaurant or pool or bar you want to go to. There is very few signs on the actuals restaurants/bars themselves. Adding to this is the fact that the paths around the resort are poorly lit at night, you cannot find anything. We had no idea what activities were going on at the resort, there is one small bulletin board tucked behind a ping pong table at the Royale pool, who is going to see that. We found it on the last day. We still had a nice enough time, but we will not be back and will most definitely not recommend this place to others.

  Nov 30, 2025
• 

  Won’t be returning - service has gone downhill

  Decent dinner reservations are impossible. They cut availability and prioritize slots to “members”. We won’t return

  Nov 30, 2025
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  Beautiful (but crowded) resort

  We just returned from our fourth visit to El Dorado (1 at royale and 3 at Casitas). This year we were in the 2700 building of Casitas, on the second floor. We are not members. PRO: The resort is beautiful and well maintained on the exterior with gardens and grounds that never fail to impress. The pools were clean and all the chairs were recovered daily. My husband enjoyed the pickleball courts everyday. Our casitas was quiet and lovely although others were much more lively. You could pick your experience. The food is good , if a little inconsistent at times. IE; Kampai was amazing one day and the next my pad thai was more like spaghetti with tomato sauce. We are frequent AI travelers so we know what to expect on the food. The Generations restaurants were all very good, Santa Fe for breakfast was also excellent. The staff is always impressive and we noted that there are many who have been there for years. Our bartenders Issac and Eduardo were great and professional, the housekeeper, Erika, who did our room daily was outstanding. Celestino at Cocotal breakfast was also excellent. Our Concierges Aida and Shelvy were very attentive and helpful with any problem right away. I notice they are always trying new things as far as food options and things around the resort. I loved the fresh bread man at breakfast . The taco bar near the Gravitas bar was popular. Also the coffee and ice cream shop in the same location. CONS: The Casitas are in desperate need of an update. They are dark and shabby. The roof thatching is very damaged. The pool bars, while clean, are cracked as well as the pool tiling. I notice that the Royale section is in the process of being updated so I hope Casitas is next. I have an injury that makes me a little mobility challenged right now. The golf carts are not a reliable option, so be aware. Also , many stairs everywhere. The steep steps at Casitas rooms are painted black (difficult for the vision impaired) and can be slippery in the rain. We celebrated a milestone anniversary while here and noted that all the little touches and such that we experienced in the past are gone. No fruit or champagne in the room. We were offered spa packages that we were expected to pay for. We were offered dinner on the beach. Been there before and there was not really anything to replace it. Even the door banner had to be asked for. Also, no special anniversary breakfast in the room (although we could have just called room service ourselves). The resort was far more crowded then we usually experience. We travel the same week every year. This was evident in the incredibly crowded main pool area. It was most evident at Cocotal breakfast. We are early risers in general so we did not have to wait to get in. However the food was often in need of refreshing and was not done in a timely manner. While I saw dining room managers, There did not seem to be a food manager to let the kitchen staff know to fill the empty egg/bacon/ guacamole etc. In fact, I saw guest approach the kitchen door to ask for the bowls to be refilled. The crepe station and omelet station often did not have a staff person right away. In general , it remains one of our favorite resorts and I note that things that were a problem in the past have been resolved so I expect we may go back soo.

  Nov 25, 2025
• 

  A Trip That Looked Better on Paper Than in Reality

  My wife and I stayed at El Dorado Casitas for our honeymoon through my parents Saphire Elite membership, which includes benefits and credits for their adult children. We even noted ahead of time that my wife had not changed her last name yet. That small detail set off the first of many issues. Arrival and Check In Check in was disorganized from the moment we arrived. We were moved around, waited far too long, and eventually sat in a crowded room where multiple groups were being processed at once. When we were finally called, the first question we got was whether we had our marriage license with us. This requirement had never been mentioned. They told us we would only receive half of the Elite benefits unless we provided proof immediately and wouldn’t accept if I provided a copy by the next day. I do not travel with my marriage license, but after digging through old emails, I found a scanned copy. Only then did they proceed. By the time we finished, we had been at the resort for more than an hour, luggage arrived an hour after the promised ten minutes, and the butler we were told would check in with us never showed. We were just left wondering what to do. Membership Benefits The printed benefits list looks great on paper. It promises a premium arrival, aromatherapy, pillow menus, premium toiletries, laundry service, hydrotherapy access, spa treatments, premium bar selections, upgraded dining, and more. Almost none of that happened. The premium arrival described on the sheet could not have been farther from reality. Our check in felt like the lowest tier version, not anything close to an Elite experience. Credits At check in, the staff described the credits as “cash” and even asked how we wanted them broken up. We never received them. Each day we asked and were given a new version of the same answer. They are on the way. The butler will bring them later. Check with concierge. No one ever delivered anything. Because of this, we delayed excursions, thinking the credits would show up. They never did. We ended up booking none. By mid week, we figured we would at least apply the credits to other charges as it was described to us. That never happened either. At checkout, we were treated as if we were trying to claim something that did not exist and got the run around all over again. Reservations and Butlers No reservations on day one at check in. Our butler never arrived the first day to help with reservations. Concierge told us check in should have handled it. They had not. It was a little after five, and they said reservations cannot be made after five. After pushing, they offered us a seating at six. The restaurant we were told we couldn’t get a reservation to ended up being half empty. The rest of the week was more of the same. Multiple butlers, no communication between them, and the same questions repeated every day felt more like herding cats. Room Service and Room Condition We did room service for breakfast most days. Only worked after figuring out the web app. It was slow but will eventually show up. We were never able to reach anyone by phone. Calls rang without an answer or put on hold til we got disconnected. The jacuzzi tub in our room was never properly cleaned. We mentioned it multiple times. Everyone said they would take care of it. Nothing changed. The tub had visible scum and looked like it had been rinsed, not washed. The premium bar selections also did not match what we chose pre arrival. Food D’Italia Our first night there was fine, mostly because we were starving after hours of travel. The menu layout is confusing and unlabeled. Portions were small and the service felt rushed. The second visit was rough. They didn’t have enough menus for the restaurant. A special was pushed on us that turned out to be shrimp fettuccine Alfredo with poorly peeled shrimp. Drinks only arrive after asking multiple times. We ordered lamb ratatouille and beef short rib. Both came out as the same short rib stew served in different dishes. Fuente - Omakase The early sashimi and nigiri were nicely presented and tasted clean. After that, things drifted. Service was very nice, wine pairings were tasty, and the chef did a great job presenting, all be it, not always factually correct. We were told fried rice and coconut shrimp were traditional Japanese cuisine. Hibachi was described more like American Benihana than actual Japanese hibachi. None of it tasted bad, just seemed a little culturally confused, and oversold for the omakase price. Wine Kitchen Best meal of the trip. Great service, good pacing, tasty food. Jade The tuna sashimi was good. The shrimp nigiri was an overcooked piece of cocktail shrimp tied to rice. The menu leaned heavily into a pan Asian theme that didn’t fully land. Lunch Lunches near buildings 31 and 32 were very reliably good. Bali Beds and Beach Once found, the Bali beds were great and beach service was excellent. Some beds had ants. Chair saving was the bigger problem. Guests would claim spots early and not return for hours. Spa The spa was genuinely excellent. My wife’s massage with Paulina was a highlight. The hydrotherapy circuit was nice, though would have liked to know our “elite membership” also gave us access to this. Golf Cart Highway Golf carts fly by constantly. The beachfront path is beautiful, but you spend most of the walk dodging carts, which makes it feel rushed instead of relaxing. Checkout Checkout echoed the rest of the week. We were told to complete a pre checkout at the lounge with help from our PM butler. I messaged him, no response. We eventually found the lounge by asking a bartender. When we asked again about the credits, staff acted confused and treated us as if we were trying to claim something we were not entitled to. We were told to return at eight the next morning so our butler would have the credits for us. The next morning, after no word from our butler. We went in and waited almost an hour while they looked into it. Then we were told to go next door to collect the credits. The office was locked. We returned. Then we were told we needed to be bussed across the resort to receive them. These were simple paper vouchers no one could produce. After a week of this, we gave up and decided to just pay the full amount. We asked for an early shuttle. We got the usual yes of course. At the front, no one knew anything. We paid for a taxi and left. What Worked • Beach service and Bali beds • The spa • Wine Kitchen • Lunch near buildings 31 and 32 • When something worked, it was enjoyable What Didn’t • Disorganized check in • Surprise marriage license requirement • Credits promised but never delivered • No communication between butlers • Reservations not handled • Jacuzzi never properly cleaned • Benefits unclear and inconsistently honored • Golf cart traffic along the beach path • Checkout confusion • First and last days essentially wasted Overall This was our honeymoon. The spa, the beach, and the Wine Kitchen were bright spots. But most of the stay was overshadowed by miscommunication, lack of follow through, and a pattern of being told things would happen and then nothing happening. It also felt like the polished experience only exists for people they hope to sell memberships to. If you already have a membership, you end up chasing every benefit you are supposed to receive.

  Nov 23, 2025
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  Best Resort in Riviera Maya!

  This is our second time to this resort and loved it both times. The staff is amazing (especially our bartender Manuel), the rooms are great, beach is beautiful, food was good and the overall experience is excellent. We’ve sent multiple friends to the Casitas as well and they’ve all raved about the place! 10/10

  Nov 22, 2025