El Dorado Seaside Suites

We expected something a bit special for a Premium swim up room, but it was very ordinary. We didn't understand the 3 small chocolates (one and a half each !?!) on a welcome plate......they really shouldn't have bothered. There were no sockets to charge our phones by the bed, we found one socket behind the tv and one hidden behind a table leg. No usb points, take your own and adaptors. Tui lists amenities as a bath AND a whirlpool bath. This is NOT TRUE, there is ONE bath in the bathroom which can be used as a whirlpool. No privacy in the bathroom due to the glass dividing wall.I Now this might seem petty but on the pics it shows the beds having a bright coloured runner across the bottom of the bed and lovely matching patterned cushions. We had non but I did query it with reception/tui reps/concierge and just got extra pillows! These just might have brightened the room up a bit, but not to be, maybe they'd run out! It was a special birthday for me, 70th, while we were there. I did tell the reps no fuss, but maybe a bottle of Prosecco and a couple of glasses, or a little cake in the room would have been a nice surprise, all I got was a few petals and a twig pic on the bed. Unfortunately I'll never get that day back. AFTER a few days a nice American couple arrived in the premium swim up room next to us, this was fine until their extremely loud friends (these were NOT in the premium rooms) turned up every day in the pool. So much for exclusive pool! So, now I've got that lot off my chest........the staff were all brilliant. The whole resort was spotless, we gave all our room cleaners good tips. The food in the a la cartes was all very very good, especially the italian. Again, we tipped well. We didn't make much of the buffets though, but that's our personal thought. Cunnilaruim, excellent a la carte breakfast and dinner, as was the gourmet pub for dinner. I'm not a burger fan but they were very good. Seaweed was a huge problem, but that's nature for you! The workers were almost fighting a losing battle, they worked so hard to get rid. No chance of swimming in the sea. All in all we enjoyed ourselves, we always do, plenty margaritas! But I cannot recommend the premium swim up rooms unfortunately..

Pro's The staff were excellent and couldn't do enough for us, they always seemed to be happy and polite. Victor the guy who drove the golf cart was a pleasure to meet. Our room was very spacious and clean. The fridge was kept stocked up with water and cans of beer. All the rooms are a short walk to the beach wherever you stay and the gardens are immaculate. There is a continual stream of driven electric golf buggy type vehicles at your service. The gym is excellent for a hotel. The food in my opinion was very good. The buffet was varied, each night of the week had a different theme. The drinks were of a good standard with many well known brands. The beach towel system doesn't need a token or exchange, you just simply throw your old ones in a box and collect fresh ones. Con's We have family and friends who have stayed at the Palms and they told us about the Frontier Bar and Grill and how nice the beach was. When we went to book a table with concierge we were told it was closed as were some of the other restaurants due to it being the quiet season. The policy of not reserving sun beds is not upheld. We saw one bed at the pool reserved with a towel for 8 hours in full view of bar staff. Our biggest disappointment was he beach. It didn't look anything like the pictures that you see online. This was confirmed by two couples who had previously stayed and said it had deteriorated. Part way out to see was a man made broken wall of rocks with rusting metal bars that presumably once held a form of fence to stop the seaweed washing on the beach which it was now failing to do. Close to the beach in the water were discarded nets and a small wall of sandbags, presumably another attempt to control the seaweed. There was a group of people working continuously to move the seaweed, they deserve a medal but they were fighting a losing battle. They were removing it from the main beach and dumping it on the Frontier beach to an estimated height of 6ft. The smell was horrendous and it was worse still at the seaside suites. A couple we met had to move from the suites to the Palms because it was making them feel sick. Please note that the seaweed is a natural issue and I'm not blaming the hotel for something that is out of their hands. This is a great place but something needs to be done to bring the beach back to its former glory. We would probably return but maybe in another season.

Luis (entertainment team) made our family holiday unforgettable! His energy, fun, and enthusiasm were incredible. He got everyone involved, made us laugh every day, and truly made the whole experience so special.

This is my second visit in this amazing place and I enjoyed every second of my staying. The reason why come back here is the experience is so fabulous, I list an array of things that I love here, the wildlife, the jungle, the spa, the food is fantastic and specially the staff, the people here they always do a great job. I want to say thanks to Luis for the best aqua-fitness classes and the energy he brings every day. Thanks to Claudia, Alexandra and Jose for the funny moments. As well big shoutout to Lorenzo and Sandra for the good service at the restaurant.

The hotel is gorgeous, food is amazing, Luis is the absolute best at aqua fitness and Lorenzo always greats with a huge smile on his face!! All of the staff are phenomenal and so friendly. This is our second time here and we are already planning our third. The rooms are lovely and its great value for money. Everything is so clean and quiet, perfect for a relaxing holiday.