El Dorado Casitas Royale, a Spa Resort - All Inclusive - Adults Only

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

9986 reviews

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  Fantastic Anniversary Experience - Relaxing and Beautiful

  El Dorado Casitas 5 Stars. The vacation purchased through Costco, was very well organized and enjoyable. At first, I was nervous reading some of the other reviews but I can only assume some of the perspectives are from travelers who are used to more of a cruise experience than a local resort. Every experience we had was positive. The transportation pick-up at the airport is seamless and we were at the resort in 30 min. From there we were taken by golf cart to a concierge office for the Casitas. We were offered sparkling wine and were checked in. Because dinner is by reservation only and because they are booked by visitors on the first day at the resort there were only 2 options for us, a buffet and room service. I don’t do buffets so we opted for room service. Unlike what others report, it took 30 min maximum. The casita was beautiful, clean and well maintained. The outdoor shower, spacious interior and the pool on the balcony were so special. The bathtub worked great and we always had plenty of hot water. The housekeeping team was fantastic our room was always clean and we always had fresh towels and water. The pools are well maintained and the gardens are gorgeous. We loved walking everywhere because the landscaping is so beautiful. The beaches all have bali beds and lounge chairs and the view is fantastic. There are erosion blocks and seaweed, but no one can control the weather. We are used to wild beaches so we didn’t mind and we spent a lot time wading and floating in the ocean. Every day we ordered coffee room service and it took no more than 10 min. They also had almond milk for my coffee and Splenda. We were there for our anniversary and they made it extra special with a door sign and a decorated room, it was so fun. Most days for breakfast we went to Santa Fe, which as close to our room. They were so accommodating of food restrictions and allergies, it put us at ease. My husband loved the chilorio burrito and we both loved having fresh papaya juice every morning! Everyday for lunch we ate by the pools where Nora was making some wonderful gorditas or Belen was making some amazing aguachiles and ceviche. We recommend the scallop aguachili, 12/10. The next day we booked our dinners. The first day only one place was open and we didn’t love it. The Mediterranean restaurant was lovely but the food was bland to our taste. The following day we book the Haab, the Indian restaurant. First of all, they were very nice. Tovar was the host and Jonathan was our server. Their recommendations were excellent. We ordered the lamb curry, the chicken 65 and the shrimp. 10/10. The third day we had dinner at Kampai, the Asian restaurant, again, fantastic flavors. Manuel was our waiter and he even taught us some Mayan words. We ordered the kom ka gai, duck and chicken, all fantastic. In the evening the path along the beach was such a treat, there are beach swings everywhere and the sky is so clear you can see stars everywhere and even see Cozumel island. We never felt pressured to buy any kind of membership or service. All the staff were helpful and respectful of our wishes. We would come back and we would recommend it to all our friends.

  Jan 15, 2026
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  Farewell Casitas 31

  ⭐⭐ A Farewell After 10 Years of New Year Visits We have been coming to this resort every New Year week for the past 10 years, and this stay sadly feels like a farewell. The landscape remains beautiful and well cared for, but unfortunately almost everything else is no longer well maintained, especially for a resort that promotes itself as luxury. We stayed in the VIP Section 31, and the condition of the beach area was disappointing. Several beach chairs were torn, and the mattresses on the Bali beds were badly deformed. One of them caused serious back discomfort, which is unacceptable at this level. Another major frustration was restaurant reservations. Trying to book through the concierge felt like a battle of nerves and patience, far from the smooth VIP experience that is advertised. Honestly I think the 5 star reviews are coming from their members at their own section 32 which is surely better maintained After so many loyal years, it is disappointing to see standards decline. While the setting is still lovely, maintenance, comfort, and organization need major improvement for us to consider returning.

  Jan 13, 2026
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  I don’t recommend

  Recently spent a week at Casitas Royale and won’t be returning. For several reasons. 1. I did not expect to spend hours of my day waiting for a golf cart or walking from one end of the place to another..just to access basic amenities. If you enjoy 25 minutes walks in 80+ degree heat, maybe you won’t mind. For me, an all inclusive resort that advertises so many amenities…I didn’t expect this. There is a shuttle system of gold carts but I don’t know what that system is. There is absolutely zero signage to help you. The easiest path runs along the beach side but that’s not where you will find a shuttle. It was completely hit or miss to even get a shuttle to stop for you and they have many running around with many purposes and it is not clear at all. Be aware… the advertised amenities/restaurants are stretched across three properties ….the el dorado, dorado casitas and the family friendly generations property. So…not exactly an ‘adults only’ property as several of the restaurants are in the family resort. 2. I am white, traveling with my brown skinned partner. It was very clear that people would stop and ask if I needed anything, but he did not get the same courtesy and even had the pleasure of being told off by a shuttle driver when he asked if we could get a ride. Multiple times when he tried to bring something to the attention of staff… he was given a lecture about why he was wrong. His stress level and discomfort was enough to make us contemplate leaving early. 3. This place is all about the hustle. I’m not trying to be hustled on an all inclusive vacation. From extra pricing for a decent dinner to the membership presentation. By the way… my lovely partner thought the hour presentation would be worth it for free massages and discounted facials…it was THREE hours long and we had to cut them off to say we were leaving after losing an ENTIRE morning to that garbage. Then, when trying to use the free and discounted spa services, they tried to charge 450 for a pair of facials after telling us it would be 330 with a $150 credit we could apply. We ended up walking from the whole thing and spending the day in playa del Carmen. 4. The room. Floors are filthy. One walk through the room barefoot and my feet were nearly black on the bottom. Wearing shoes at all times in my room was not in my vision for the vacation. The bathroom is sloped…so every time we took a shower the water ran through the bathroom and pooled in the middle of the main room. We cleaned our own room as a result every time we showered. We had a swim up room, but the water was glacier cold and filthy. Entire giant bird feathers and debris. Cats everywhere... we even briefly had a raccoon in our room. Kind of makes the outdoor table and bed useless unless you want to take a turn as Dr Doolittle. 5. Overall service, aside from the items mentioned above… multiple times we were told someone was calling a shuttle for us and then they literally closed the concierge office and couldn’t be found. There were a handful of lovely people, but I wouldn’t say the staff in general looked happy and they seemed resigned when offering help. The room service was pretty reliable so we ended up giving up on the subpar restaurants and eating room temp food for most meals. 6. Security and privacy. The first night… my partner and I took a nap after getting in….we had a member of staff walk in on us sleeping. It shouldn’t have happened and the latch we are supposed to use to keep someone from accessing with a key…completely lifted and moved away when you pushed the door in. My partner reported it the next morning…a Tuesday, we were told someone would be sent right away, but it wasn’t fixed while we were there (we left on Friday). In addition… the sliding glass door was supposed to lock if you closed it….we were warned to not lock ourselves out. All you need to do is give it a good shove and it unlocks…so….don't exit that way and instead, use the metal hook lock from the inside and don’t try to use the patio/poolside exit. This is a 3 star property at best. We did meet a pair of women who were members and in sharing our experiences…they were horrified. The difference in being a member sounds vast. No way would I pay 15k for a 5 year membership to this company. It’s the new timeshare and that aside…. I will never go back. My partner also made the mistake of brushing his teeth with the sink water and got violently ill. Stick to bottled water. My partner did speak to a manager on our last full day after a comedy or horrible experiences and they offered absolutely nothing in terms of a remedy. We chose to leave the property for the rest of the day and had the best day of our trip being elsewhere.

  Jan 10, 2026
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  Not a 5 star resort

  We stayed at the resort for seven days in the first week of January . We consider ourselves seasoned travelers with fairly high expectations. The following is our honest account of our experience: First and foremost for the Coke vs Pepsi crowd. This is a Coke property!! Check-in: Dropped at the main lobby and then taken to the Casitas lounge. Check in was fairly quick, and luckily there was only 2 couples or it would have taken forever. They gave a quick run down of the resort since we’ve never been here. They didn’t show us to our rooms, just pointed and said go that way and look for this building. Also didnt tell us about the hotel app, which isn’t very good anyways, as it doesn’t give any menus for the restaraunts, but does show activities. Dinner reservations: At check-in, the conceirge would make us a reservation for that night or we could eat at the buffet. We chose the buffet as it was 4 pm already. It was disappointing. The buffet food was barely edible, and not a ton of variety. Very Mexican influenced which was fine, but not even any tacos or chips and salsa. In fact, none of the restaurants had chips and salsa. We made our other dinner reservations throughout the week via the casita conceirge the next day. We had no issues with the reservations. However, at this time, the concierge did mention the membership presentation and what we could get for spending the hour doing it. We declined. And in speaking to people who have the membership, they advised not to get it as the facility has deteriorated since Lomas took over. I can’t speak to that as this was our first time here. Food: We tried many different restaurants throughout the property for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It was hit and miss for us with the food and the service. The pizza place was great for lunch. Good service and food was good. Chefs market for breakfast was ok. Service was awful. We didn’t even see a waiter the second, and last, time we tried it. Palms wasn’t great. Says it opens at 7 but they weren’t ready. We got in at 7:20 and got our food, which was wrong, at 8. All the restaraunts seemed to be like that. We had 2 dinner reservations at 6 and didn’t get in until 6:10 and 6:15. Time really isnt the issue, but if you want to be considered a 5 star resort it does. Mediterranean was good with good service and the Italian was good with good service. Room: Casitas Suite with Private Pool. It was very large but needed refurbishing (old furniture, Jacuzzi tub jets that didn't work, Nespresso machine didnt work, mismatched knobs on the bathroom door, broken towel racks, and old drapes). These things didn't impact our experience, but the hotel needs to improve to be considered a five-star resort, especially when it comes to the Casitas rooms. The private pool is small and freezing. Unfortunately for us, our room only got sun from 8-9 am. Youre right beside one other patio with no barrier so if they are out and loud, you can’t enjoy your space. Has an outdoor shower that was cool. Water was always hot when needed. Beds are soft, so if you require a firm bed, not for you. TV had good variety of channels. If you book into a Casita room with private pool you are in the members section which gets you access to a Mexican and seafood spot behind the bars in each of the casita areas. Tried to get the sea scallops and they came cold and were grey?? Not a seafood guru but have never seen that. We didn’t eat them. Didnt eat at the Mexican spot, so can’t comment on quality there. Maid service and mini bar attendants: The room wasn’t cleaned one day, and they may have come later but it was 4 on already so we put the fo not disturb sign up as we were getting ready for dinner, but done the rest. Bar was restocked daily and towels for the beach daily in your room. Wifi: It is available throughout the resort, but patchy on the beach which wasn’t ideal. Staff: Most were friendly. Most of the staff took the time to say hello as we walked by. Many seemed to be on their phones, which we all know how addicting they are. But found that in restaurants as well. Maybe a correlation between that and the poor service? Resort Layout: The resort is huge. The grounds were kept in nice shape. Being in the casitas , walking to the far end of the resort takes about 20–25 minutes to walk from one end to the other at a leisurely pace. There are very few signs. Easy to get lost looking for a specific restaurant. We also enjoyed the new coffee bar set up near the casitas by the beach. It only opens at 9 am though. Not sure why so late for a coffee place, but good coffee. They also served ice cream at no extra charge. There is also ice cream below the chefs market. Beach: Stay somewhere else if you prefer white, sandy beaches. The beach is dirty and not swimmable. It is rocky so difficult to walk in the water. The cement blocks used to prevent beach erosion are also quite ugly. The saltwater pond was closed during our stay. Bottom line: We wouldnt stay here again. We had actually left a deposit prior to coming here to reserve a spot for our next Mexican trip, but we will cancel that and move the deposit to Xcaret. The food, the spotty service, spotty wifi and the beach, are a few reasons why. We expected an 5 star resort experience, and were encouraged with some of the reviews, but really got an 3.5 or 4 star experience. The Casitas royal is way too expensive for that .

  Jan 08, 2026
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  Decent Stay with Minor Issues

  We stayed at the resort for seven days between Christmas and New Year's. We consider ourselves seasoned travelers with fairly high expectations. The following is our honest account of our experience: Check-in: We checked in at the Casitas lounge, which was fairly quick, but not in a traditional way (was done in groups). We are accustomed to checking in privately, similar to North American hotels. Dinner reservations: At check-in, we were told that the only place to eat our first dinner was the buffet, which was disappointing. The buffet food was barely edible, except for the desserts, and it was comparable to a Disney-style buffet experience, with kids everywhere. This was not what we were looking for, especially since we chose an adults-only resort for a reason. We made our other dinner reservations throughout the week via the app. We had no issues. However, at check-in, the concierge told us that the app didn't work and that we had to come back the next day to make our reservations through him. He was either misinformed or trying to influence us to book through him instead of using the app. We suspect he did this so he could upsell us on other services, which didn't happen because we avoided the concierge completely. Food: We tried so many different restaurants throughout the property for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food was always fresh, and the service was excellent. We never had to wait long for our meals. Our favorite places for dinner were the Italian restaurant and the Wine Kitchen. Room: Casitas Honeymoon Suite with Private Pool. It was very large but needed refurbishing (old furniture, Jacuzzi tub jets that didn't work, mismatched knobs on the bathroom door, and old drapes). These things didn't impact our experience, but the hotel needs to improve to be considered a five-star resort, especially when it comes to the Casitas rooms. The pool and lazy river were cleaned daily. Maid service and mini bar attendants: The maid kept the room clean and restocked our towels daily. The minibar attendant brought us water daily and made sure the fridge was stocked with our favorite drinks and chips. There were also clean towels available each day by our pool for our lounge chairs. Staff: VERY friendly! Most of the staff took the time to say hello as we walked by. Resort Layout: The resort is huge! We were impressed by how clean the grounds were and by the lush greenery. We stayed in the casitas and walked to the far end of the resort each day, sometimes twice. It takes about 20–25 minutes to walk from one end to the other at a leisurely pace. We also loved the new coffee bar set up near the casitas by the beach. They also served ice cream at no extra charge, which we really appreciated! It was a nice little pit stop during our walks and we really appreciated it! Beach: Stay somewhere else if you prefer white, sandy beaches. The beach is dirty and not swimmable. The cement blocks used to prevent beach erosion are also quite ugly. The saltwater pond was closed during our stay, too. We knew about all these issues before booking, so they weren't a big deal for us. Included activities: We signed up for the guided nature walk around the resort grounds. It took about an hour and twenty minutes. We saw monkeys, the greenhouse, and a cenote. It was a cool experience! We also took a day trip to Maroma Beach. Transportation to and from the beach was seamless, and the buffet lunch was delicious. Both activities are highly recommended! Bottom line: We would stay here again without hesitation. The food, the beautiful grounds, and the staff made our stay memorable. Although the resort was full, we never felt crowded at anytime. However, the resort is walking a fine line by marketing itself as a five-star property while essentially providing three-star rooms in the casitas section. The rooms and thatch need to be remodeled or replaced soon.

  Jan 05, 2026