Recently, my husband and I went on an impromptu vacation to Mexico for a four day getaway. We decided to stay at the El Dorado Seaside Suites in Riviera Maya Mexico which is an all inclusive, all adult resort. We had such a great time! If you're planning a vacation to Mexico, considering an El Dorado resort, or you're just curious, read on!
We were up bright an early that Thursday morning to begin the adventure. We'd gone to Mexico before but only by cruise ship so this was a totally new experience. We were excited! We flew Southwest (another first and quite an experience in itself), and arrived in Altanta for our connection to Cancun. Luggage was checked through to our final destination, and thankfully the flights were uneventful. Btw, our Southwest flight attendants made the trip more enjoyable with their great sense of humor. Upon arrival at Sangster International Airport in Cancun, we began the slow process through customs. I say slow because even though there were a lot of customs agents, there were SO many people so it takes a while for everyone to get through. Your experience may be different as it really does depend on how many flights are landing at that time. Also, make sure you fill out all of the paperwork you're given on the plane thoroughly because it will hold you up in customs if you don't. We had no problems and were off to get our luggage.
It took quite a while for luggage to start coming down the conveyor belt, however once retrieved, we headed outside to find our transportation to El Dorado Seaside Suites! Private round trip transportation by Lomas was included with our reservation. We were eventually escorted to a nice van and on our way. El Dorado Seaside Suites is about an hour away from Cancun airport, depending on traffic. This day, our drive lasted about 50 mins. Although there seems to be an endless amount of resorts in the Cancun area, you won't see most of them as they are set back from the road and fenced in. However you will see signage indicating where they're located.
Upon arrival, we were stopped at the gate by security, had to provide some verifying information that we were indeed checking in, but we were quickly on our way. There was a long drive way before arriving at the lobby. I must say that everything about this resort is impressive from our arrival until our departure four days later. The driveway is surrounded on both sides by lush woods giving an air of nature and tranquility. We saw iguanas languishing on the rocks, and just strolling down the edge of the driveway. Upon arriving at the lobby, we were greeted with "Hola!" and that one word set the tone for our entire stay. Every single person you meet, every staff member, the gardener, the waitstaff, the clerks, and bartenders, everyone greets you with a big, friendly "Hola!". The lobby is stunning, there is a fountain in the middle as well as a bar and some shops. Check in was quick, we were given some information about the resort and turned over to a nice gentleman who grabbed our luggage and directed us to a golf cart. We were taken around the resort to get a lay of the land and then on to our suite.
We stayed in building 7, suite 7205 which was in the main building on the second floor. Our room was gorgeous, very modern with a circular couch that swiveled around. The bathroom was nice and spacious and I later fell in love with the two headed shower! The room is a very comfortable size at 581 sq ft. There was a minibar with beer, soda and snacks which was replenished once a day. There was a bowl of fresh fruit waiting on the table and a nice note from our room steward with a number to reach him if necessary. The highlight of the room for me was the view and the infinity pool! All of the rooms in the main building are oceanfront so the views are spectacular. Next time, I will ask for a higher floor as the palm trees can get in the way. The balcony had two chairs, a bed, and a small table. Walking up a few steps gave us access to the infinity pool. My husband enjoyed it especially after spending the day outside. The water was a bit too cold for me, but I managed to dangle my legs in from time to time. Lol
We were given a small booklet during check in which lists all of the various venues and the hours of operation. It also had a map of the property. This was most valuable during our stay as we carried it everywhere and referred to it often. The resort is quite large, so it definitely helped us find our way around. There are shuttles that run until 11pm that will take you to different locations but there are only a few times where we really needed the shuttle to get from one place to the next. We always felt safe while on the property both day and night.
The resort is divided into two sides, Palm and Infinity. We stayed in the main building on the Infinity side. There seems to be advantages to both sides, the newer Infinity side seems to be the hub of activity. All of the suites are oceanfront and the swim up suites connect directly to the main pool. Something really neat is that all rooms have a balcony pool! The Palm side had more Mexican architecture and greenery. Some parts looked dated, however I didn’t see inside the rooms. There's a nice beach, plenty of food and drinks including an outdoor grill. There's also an outside restaurant where they serve healthy shakes and snacks. No matter which side you choose to stay on or play on, there are pool and beach butlers everywhere to pamper you while you enjoy your vacation.
We visited 6 of the 10 restaurants, only visiting one of them twice. The food was always good, and the staff always worked very hard to please. Just as everyone says "Hola!", a thank you or a request is always followed up with "my pleasure". There are many bars as well. We most hung out around the ocean in front of our building so we frequented the bar in the Driftwood Gourmet. BTW, they make a delicious rib eye on the outside grill and a dangerous Dirty Monkey. :) On our last full day, we also spent most of the day on a Bali bed in front of the beach. Very comfortable, excellent view, and the attendants are very attentive. From time to time, they bring around snacks. On that day it was watermelon and chicken sliders. We also had a picnic lunch which consisted of salads, sandwiches, a bowl of fruit, a cheese plate, fruit skewers with chocolate dipping sauce, and a bottle of white wine. Very lovely, very classy and very romantic.
Our transport was at 7:30am back to Sangster International Airport. The ride back to the airport took about 1:15 mins due to morning traffic, so make sure you allow enough time to check in for your international flight. We had great flights back to Tampa International and overall a wonderful vacation in Mexico.
We are so glad we went on this vacation. Not only was it relaxing, it was important for me to see the area for myself as I recommend this destination quite a bit. Mexico has so many options; no matter what you are searching for, luxury or budget friendly, you can find a resort that can provide a spectacular backdrop for your most precious memories. We felt welcomed and safe in the Cancun and Riviera Maya areas and we can't wait to go again. But first, off to Jamaica in Oct 2018 so stay tuned! Meanwhile, if you'd like to visit El Dorado Seaside Suites or any of the Karisma branded resorts around the Caribbean, I'm here for you! Until next time! :)