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

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

17843 reviews

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  A very tired resort. Needs updating. Most staff great

  The vast majority of the staff at the hotel were lovely. They were helpful and courteous and nothing was too much trouble. However the staff on reception were mostly awful, unhelpful discourteous and gave us conflicting information. They were very sarcastic about our requests and I single out Alejandro as the worst of these. He seemed to take delight in telling something would be fixed when he clearly had no intention of doing so. At booking we asked for a king size bed and we got a twin. Not a huge issue, we got one 3 days later but we had to move our own bags and the assurances we got about the help we would get for this turned out to not be true and we were gaslit with regard to this. The resort is very tired, lots of old furniture some rotten on the balcony. Our safe didn’t work. The maintenance guy instructed us to hit it to make it work. Our jacuzzi didn’t work. Despite asking several people, several times we only ever got coffee bags on our first night. It’s very difficult to book the restaurants even off peak. The access to Nickelodeon was great

  Jan 24, 2026
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  Definitely not a 5* like so many say.

  Definitely not a 5* like so many say. The property is very large but the problem is a lack of signage. Lots of luck locating many things. They give you a map too small to see anything. There is hardly any beach so get up at 6 if you might want to get a chair. Difficult to find out what/where any activity is. Make all your dinner reservations as soon as you arrive with your concierge. The concierge did attempt to help us with some small problems…example..took 3 requests to get Diet Coke in our fridge as they just seemed not to come by. Worst of all was how DIRTY the area around our swim up was. We showed them pictures and they made a small attempt but the area was filthy. Enjoyed the Italian and Santa Fe restaurants the best. Not sure if we would return.

  Jan 21, 2026
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  Beautiful Resort, Disappointing Front-End Service

  Resort Overview: The resort itself is attractive and very clean. Rooms are spacious, well maintained, and comfortable. Some rooms are renovated while others are not, but overall room quality was good. Property Layout & Transportation: The resort is very large with little to no signage, making it difficult to navigate. Golf cart shuttles are often full and drivers do not stop at designated pick-up areas, which makes getting around the property frustrating. Food & Dining: Breakfast: Excellent buffet with a wide variety of options. Lunch: Very good selection throughout the resort with options to suit most tastes. Dinner: Disappointing. The only buffet is located at a sister resort, which is inconvenient. All à la carte restaurants require reservations, and despite booking on our first day, the earliest available dining times were after 8:30 p.m. À la carte food was average at best. Pool & Amenities: The pool area is great, and service at the pool and pool bar was outstanding. However, there are not enough loungers available. Too much space is taken up by cabanas, leaving limited seating unless guests pay extra to rent one for the day. Service (Major Concern): Service at the front desk, from Lomas Hospitality, and from the concierge was poor. From arrival onward, staff were unhelpful and failed to provide basic, important information. Lomas staff were consistently unaccommodating and at times rude. The concierge, who is supposed to provide resort orientation and information, was not available until the second-to-last day of our stay. For a large group, this lack of communication significantly impacted the experience. These departments play a critical role in guest satisfaction, and they fell well short. Overall Impression: The resort itself is nice, and the service staff in restaurants and at the pool were excellent. Unfortunately, the lack of support and professionalism at the front desk, concierge, and with Lomas Hospitality negatively affected the overall stay.

  Jan 21, 2026
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  Everything was wonderful except the concierge could have been more helpful. It would have saved us a lot of time in grie

  We spent 5 days Jan 12 -17th 2026. It is a beautiful and clean property. The food was very good. The rooms were spacious, the bed was very comfortable. The shower was amazing with great water pressure. Our waiter Antonio was amazing. They kept our refrigerator stocked with the items we preferred. The housekeeper we had was excellent. I had two instances where I had to call maintenance and they sent somebody within 30 minutes and remedied the situation quickly. The maintenance people were extremely friendly. The issue I had with this property is upon arrival after a long day of traveling, the check-in seemed lengthy. They sent us to the concierge because you have to make reservations for most places that you eat. The concierge was not helpful at all. Nothing was explained. We were a couple days into the vacation and didn't even know that there was an app you could use. We just had a lot of confusion during the trip and talked with other travelers who felt the same way. The initial day we spent quite a bit of time with them but they really didn't tell us anything. This area could greatly improve. The concierge needs to come up with a streamline way to explain the property and how everything works. It's worth stating again how wonderful our waiter Antonio was. He really made the restaurant experience delightful. He is such a wonderful person. My advice to future travelers is to really research how the property works so you don't have any confusion when you get there.

  Jan 20, 2026
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  Returning After 20 Years: A Realistic Look at the Expanded El Dorado Royale

  My spouse and I first visited El Dorado Royale for our honeymoon in 2006. Returning in January 2026, we found the resort has significantly expanded with the addition of Casitas and Generations. While it is still a beautiful property, it is much less intimate than it used to be. The sheer size and layout now create some logistical frustrations that travelers should be aware of. The "More Inclusive" Perks (The Best Part!) Because this is a "More Inclusive" resort, you have access to incredible excursions that you can do as much as you want, provided there is availability. We wish we had known how much better Maroma was; we would have gone 3 or 4 times. • Maroma Beach: This is the highlight. A 15-minute coach bus takes you to a stunning sister property with a beautiful, swimmable beach. You must reserve this in advance as seats are limited. • Included at Maroma: You can book a free 3-hour catamaran and snorkel tour (gear included) at 9:30 AM or 1:30 PM, plus a free 15-minute Sea-Doo ride. • Other Activities: Separate from the beach trip, you can also book free horseback riding or a cenote visit. The Beach Reality: Read Before Booking If you are a "beach person" who wants to walk out of your room and swim in the ocean, book somewhere else. This resort absolutely does not have a swimmable beach. The entire shoreline is covered in massive concrete triangle blocks to prevent erosion. While there are some beds in the sand to lay on, the water access is completely blocked. If you're happy with pools and good food, and just want one or two scheduled beach days at Maroma, this might be for you. Liquor & Drinks We aren't fans of sugary drinks, so we appreciated the quality brands available if you know where to look. • Pool Bars: Serve Antiguo de Herradura, Flor de Caña, Beefeater, Tanqueray, Bombay, Stoli, and Jim Beam. • Other Bars: Outside of the pool area, you can find much better liquor, though it is often hidden so you have to ask for it. They have Don Julio Blanco and Reposado, 1924 Tequila, Hendrick’s, The Botanist, Grey Goose, Belvedere, Johnny Walker Black, and Maker’s Mark. * Other Drinks: Beer options include Dos Equis, Coors Light, Heineken, Sol, and Tecate. They also have Aperol available for spritzes. Dining & Logistical Frustrations The resort is massive. There are only two buffets: the Royale buffet is only open for breakfast. The only nightly buffet is at Generations. Because the resort is so spread out, you can't really walk to the other side; you have to wait for a golf cart. While the wait is often 15 minutes, we sometimes waited 20–30 minutes for a ride, followed by a 15-minute commute to dinner. • The Reservation System: This was a major downside. They make you sit with a concierge for almost an hour on your first morning. Even then, we didn't really get to "pick" our restaurants. Often, there was only one restaurant option and one time slot available per night. We wanted to eat at 7:00 PM, but were usually stuck with 8:30 PM or 9:00 PM. • Restaurant Scores: D’Italia Casitas (8/10), Rincon Mexicano (8/10), Kampai Thai (7.5/10), and Santa Fe Steakhouse (5/10). • Room Service (8/10): We waited anywhere from 30–60 minutes. The food was mostly hot, though it depended on the timing of the order. It covers basics like burgers, pizza, pasta, and wings. Room & Service The rooms are nice, but we had no hot water for a few days and toilet trouble. Management was not very responsive and did nothing for our anniversary despite being told three times. However, the daily staff (waiters, bartenders, and drivers) are all very kind and hardworking. Final Verdict We enjoyed the food and the staff, but next time we will book somewhere else that has an actual swimmable beach and doesn't require a frustrating dinner reservation system.

  Jan 17, 2026