El Dorado Casitas Royale by Karisma

Spent a week celebrating our sons 30th birthday, and it was a great experience. From check in to check out the staff were amazing. We are members, but apart from a few things at the end of this review the experience would be the same. We had a casita suite in building 31, a swim out. The room was clean and well appointed. The bed was firm but not to the point my arm fell asleep when on my side. The bedding was soft and in good condition. The bath area is large and there are separate areas for the sinks, toilet, inside shower and also there is an outside shower. Linens were big and thick. The amenities are of good quality. The large closet holds plenty of room for hanging clothes and included an iron and board, along with a safe, bathrobes, slippers and a pair of umbrellas. There is a large jacuzzi style tub area, but we didn’t use it, as we enjoyed the outdoor shower that had crazy water pressure and very hot water. There is a large dresser that also holds the mini fridge which was well stocked with beer and soft drinks. In addition we had some chips and chocolate for snacks. The outdoor patio and pool area is large and contains a nice table that we used for morning coffee service daily. The swim up bar at our pool was great, our bartender Alberto was an excellent mixologist. There were loungers available most days until 11 around the pool and beach. The restaurants were all good, although some menu changes from our last visit were a little disappointing at Kampai. We had excellent meals at D’Italias Caistas, Wine Kitchen, Santa Fe, Rincon and Jade. We also did the Chef Table one night. Sit down breakfast at Santa Fe was our favorite along with Chef Market for buffet style (they have omelets and crepe stations). While most of our week was relaxing, we did a few activities such as Tequila tasting at Rincon, and a mixology course. The few bumps we had were some ants in the bathroom, late dinner reservations, and the seemingly inability to get extra towels without calling every day. From a member perspective, our private transfers were great and timely. The resort credit process was easy to understand a d we used them for for experiences and add on’s. We didn’t use the spa because they told us we had to use credits and pay book prices and wouldn’t give us special pricing. The cenote and member sunset cruises were booked when we looked into them, and fill quickly. Not sure how they can fix that without adding more capacity. Probably the biggest thing I hope they will do is let the butlers help anyway they can, including help make dinner and excursion bookings and put the best ones where they can support the guests that paid for their attention. They are huge brand ambassadors and have had their positions eroded over the past few years with ridiculous schedule rotations and duty removals or reassignments. If member pricing gets better, we will be back.

Just spent 2 weeks here, our 15 th visit in a casita and would never go back. Upon arrival, we were told that our casita was overbooked and they wanted to downgrade us to a standard room at el dorado for 4 nights! We refused, and they finally “found” a casita in 2500 but many other couples were not so lucky and were sent to Generations or a sub par room at el dorado. Our casita was full with very respectful guests until the last few days when a group came and hoarded every chair at the pool leaving everyone else to go elsewhere. Also, el dorado Guests were coming over and using the casita furniture which is not allowed. We complained to our concierge, Carolina many times and she said she would send security but she never did. Finally, Juanito found us, the man in charge of the bartenders and he listened and saved us chairs at our casita the last day. One of the last few days, a casita guest in 2500 decided to go behind the bar to make his friends drinks when the bartender went to lunch. He thought it was funny. We reported this to the bartender and he did nothing. Sanitary issue for sure. Water was another issue, cold some days in the showers. Housekeeping also was not always supplying enough bath towels. Food has gone downhill. Cocotal was not as good nor was Kampai. The Italian at el dorado changed to Mediterranean and it was not good at all. Food was better at Santa Fe, Casita Italian and the wine kitchen and jade at Generations. Dress code is also not being enforced. Many slobs in t shirts, gym shorts and baseball caps at dinner. Giselle, chief of casitas finally came to us to listen to our concerns but we did not receive any kind of acknowledgement for our troubles. In summary, casitas royale is not the 5 star resort we once knew. My recommendations of this resort to other travelers will not be happening.

Stay: January 26th to Feb 3rd. We are Exotic members. Room: Building 25 Room Category: Beachfront Casita Suite The previous week we stayed at El Dorado Palms. See our review there as well. Restaurants: Overall, the restaurants were good, but nothing noteworthy. Even our favourite Fuentes was slightly disappointing. How long is the food kept under a heat lamp before serving? I hope they can fix this, as an evening at Fuentes is always a treat. In spite of the drop in quality over the years, Fuentes is still a “must visit” every time we go to this resort. Go for the wine pairing (extra cost). If you are an Exotic member, the wine pairing is included at the member’s gala. D’Italia in El Dorado Royale used to be Italian, but now it’s moving to a Mediterranean menu. That’s all fine. The food was quite good. We had lunch at Spot and La Cabana regularly. Both were good, but nothing spectacular. Breakfast at Cocotal is recommended if you’re a buffet kind of person. Want breakfast a la carte? Then try Santa Fe for a Mexican inspired breakfast. It was very good. Most of our breakfasts were from room service on our balcony. It usually took 30 minutes or less to have breakfast delivered. The Casitas have a large balcony with a table/chairs to enjoy breakfast in the morning sun. We also ate at Generations resort at Habb, Chef Market, and Jade. Chef’s Market is a buffet and seems to be better than any buffet at Casistas or Royale. Jade is Asian and is on-par with Kampai. We were very disappointed with Habb (Indian). The experience started out strong with a quick serving of fresh naan bread with dips, but things went off the rails after that with a waiter that seemed to be overworked at other tables and food that wasn’t all that tasty. The biggest observation I can offer is that the quality of food has gone down over the years at the sister resorts (Casitas, Royale, and Generations). This was mentioned by other guests as well. It hasn’t fallen to a critical point yet, but it’s an area of caution. Quality has gone down. Staff: Contrary to our experience at El Dorado Palms the week before, the staff at both Casitas and Royale were pleasant, engaged, and happy. It was a pleasure to see familiar faces. Room: The rooms look tired. Furniture is old. The mattress was fine however. We slept well. This observation isn’t unique to this property as we noticed the same thing at the El Dorado Palms the previous week. The room was cleaned very well each day and in the evening turndown service. Kudos to the chamber maids. Take care of these people by leaving a tip each morning. There was a hot water issue that persisted for two days. At times, there simply wasn’t any hot water. Other times it was warm. Entertainment: Wow! Remember when I observed the quality of food has gone down over the years? Not so with entertainment. We had the privilege of seeing Dana Kennedy again. She had 100% of the crowd (between the ages of 20 and 70) on their feet and singing. She manages to bring everyone together for 60 minutes of very positive energy. Other notable performances came from the Black Cow Band, Elite Band, Cygnus, and Trio Juanras. I’m favouring the music acts in my review, but there are burlesque, Mexican, and circus shows too. Well done El Dorado. Pools/Beach: We spent most days at a beach palapa. It was easy to get as long as you put personal belongings on it by 08:00. One thing we noticed is that the palapa mattress covers were changed each day at the Casitas. They were not at El Dorado Palms when we stayed there the week before. Each Casita building has its own pool and bar, but we really didn’t hang out there. There was no beverage service on the beach, so had to get drinkie-poos by going to the pool. Not an issue however. Atmosphere: The beach and pool areas had a good vibe. There are quiet areas to escape the other guests, or you can choose to immerse yourself with the crowd at the main pool with music and activities. The property is very well maintained. Gardeners and maintenance staff do an excellent job keeping the exterior in order. Value: The Casitas (and adjoining Royale) is more expensive than the Eldorado Palms where we stayed the prior week. But I feel it’s worth the extra money if you can pull it off. The quality and selection of food is better, but still an area where the resort should focus attention. Quality has dropped over the years. Staff are energized and friendly. As a reminder, we stayed the prior week at El Dorado Palms. Check out my review there.

Grounds were beautiful and our room was outstanding. All of our interactions with hotel staff were excellent, except for a few situations in the restaurants. One of the waiters we had at the Italian restaurant at the royale was below average. He was always very hurried and rather impersonal. The breakfast staff at the buffet at the Royale were the same way. Not the usual welcoming attitudes we have found in other resorts. That being said, the rest of our interactions with wait staff at all the other restaurants were excellent. We found the overall food quality a little above average. The Italian at the Casitas was excellent . Sante Fe was above average. Our biggest complaint was the lack of availability of fresh fruit. We always look forward to having fresh papaya and pineapple for breakfast. No papaya the last three days, and no pineapple the last day. In our 30 some trips to All Inclusive resorts, this has never happened. This is not a major issue, but did not expect this at a resort that we paid almost double for compared to other resorts. We were celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary, and spent extra dollars to go to a resort that we always wanted to try, but was out of our normal budget. I was hoping the extra dollars would also buy a heated pool, but that was not the case. Most pools were almost empty because of the cold water. To be fair, this is a very nice resort that is beatiful and well cared for. Most of the interactions were positive, and we did very much enjoy our stay. However, one can obtain a very similar experience for a lot less at a nice Riu, Iberostar, or Barcelo.

So happy to be back in my Happy Place! This resort is top notch, staff are amazing, resort is beautiful, many activities to participate in or not. Service for the most part was incredible. You can tell the staff enjoy working here and are customer service focused. Naay Spa: Felipe is excellent. Massages are relaxing and well worth the cost. To feel that relaxed for a long time afterwards is priceless. Butlers: Melissa and Hugo are exceptional. They are so focused on the guests needs and providing everything within their power. I've been there 12 times in the last 4 years and not having to ask for certain things because they communicate with each other and remember my preferences are really great! Rene also did a good job of checking in and attending to our needs. Wait staff: Norma & Wilberth at 31 are so friendly and inviting. They make you feel at home the minute you see them. And remember your name. Alex at Palms was so pleasant and friendly. And he got the order of eggs benedict correct!! Shuttle drivers, lobby staff, grounds staff, housekeeping, all were so friendly and genuinely interested in doing a good job. Until next time.....