El Dorado Seaside Suites

Absolutely a gorgeous resort where staff work exceptionally hard to maintain and continue the beautiful landscape. The staff are all incredible - including Celvin at the beach who was always trying to make guests' experience wonderful, to the amazing restaurant staff who create yummy meals for everyone's enjoyment and all of the concierges, but my special ones were Rodrigo and Luis, who elevate your vacation by trying to assist in any way imaginable! EXTRA shout out to my favourite, Alex Gil at Guest Services who went so above and beyond to provide additional support during a medical crisis and he followed up to ensure help was always readily available! Staff make this vacation destination one that visitors should be excited to enjoy and return for repeat vacations.

This hotel offers a truly exceptional experience, with comfortable rooms, excellent service, and beautiful surroundings that make every stay enjoyable and memorable.

Other than a one-day visit off a cruise some years ago, e have never visited Mexico before. Looking for somewhere hot accessible by a single-leg flight from the UK, we opted for the TUI Blue El Dorado. And we are so glad we did, amazing place. It has two parts, the Suites, which is a co-located hotel and the Palms, a series of blocks set in the grounds; both surrounded by beach on one side and the jungle on the others; we opted for the latter. Accommodation: Our Junior Suite was lovely even though it is technically the more basic level. A large bedroom with king-sized bed and en-suite with french doors out onto a lovely balcony over-looking the gardens. It was immaculately clean although some of the fit and finish was a little dated. We are seasoned Cuba campaigners and compared with Cuba, this was much more up to date. The housekeeping staff were excellent with the complimentary fridge being re-stocked daily with beer, soft drinks and snacks. Overall, very good. Food & Drink: There are numerous restaurants and snack bars and the overall quality was excellent and the staff, exceptional. Point to note. There is a weekly programme issued showing the when and where for food-related activities. It is a bit confusing at best and inaccurate at worst. E.g. There is a Mexican Restaurant, officially. Officially, there is no Mexican Restaurant, the Arrecifes Restaurant does Mexican on some nights. If you go looking for "The Mexican" you will be searching in vain. Also, not all restaurants are open every day, but the programme doesn't make this clear. On one evening, there was a Beach BBQ. What the programme didn't mention was that the Sea Market, which is the big buffet, closed on that evening and effectively the only place, other than a couple of the A La Cartes, was the only place you could get anything to eat. On another evening, there was a Day of the Dead celebration which was apparently in the Plaza Zocalo, the main area in front of Reception. Click on the link on the TUI Blue App and it said, "Join us on the beach to ......"; the beach and Plaza Zocalo are not the same place at all. Apparently there is an American Grill. there isn't. It's actually the "Gourmet Pub". This contradiction and multi-naming made it un-necessarily confusing for the first few days until we got our heads around it. That aside, the food was really good and the range of offerings, pretty much up there. And no, neither of us got Montezuma's Revenge! Beach & Gardens: The second one first. The gardens are simply wonderful. Loads of shade provided by the palm trees and everywhere is maintained to an incredibly high standard. The complex is simply dropped into the jungle and wildlife is in abundance, from the shy but lovely Agoutis, which are like large guinea pigs to the cheeky 'trash panda' raccoons to the simply enchanting Coatis which will happily take food from your hands, there is loads to see and experience. The only possible negative was the signage giving directions to everywhere which were, at best confusing. After a few days, I believe I got my head around them but even after two weeks, I am not sure I am right. They are blue with white writing with names of the places. But where those places are, is not clear. I think, but am not sure, that if you see a sign with a place name and an arrow, that means you should follow the direction of arrow, which would appear straightforward. However, approach the same sign from the opposite direction and it looks exactly the same! The only difference is that one side also has arrows while the other side doesn't. My assumption is that if there is no arrow, you assume that the place is actually behind you. Mind you, after a few days, you will get your head around the place anyway. The beach itself was lovely. Extremely long with loads of loungers and sunbeds. The hotel has a policy that if you try and reserve a bed and then leave it for two hours, your property will be removed and placed in lost-property. A sound system and with only one exception, we never saw anyone taking advantage. The water is lovely but, due to erosion risks, there is an artificial break-water, like a mini-reef, around a hundred meters out from the beach. This means the water is very shallow and there is a bit of weed but nothing compared to other places we have been to such as Punta Cana. Again though, everything is maintained to a high standard and is exceptionally clean aided, perhaps by the fact that the hotel is strictly no-smoking, except for a couple of designated areas. Big shout-out to Lizabeth for her continuous delivery of Mango Daiquiri to our sunbeds, delivered with an irrepressible and beautiful smile, daily. Entertainment: We have visited several places around the Caribbean and the entertainment has been, to be kind, mixed. Jamaica was fun but a bit amateur-hour, Cuba was a lot of fun but primitive and Dominican Republic was hilarious if only for the complete absence of talent on display. The Entertainment at El Dorado was simply superb. Day time entertainment is excellent, delivered through an amazing team. On this we have to give a massive shout-out to Ixchel who is simply lovely and made our holiday truly special. Evening entertainment was really good too, from the solo musicians playing in the Plaza Zocalo in the early evening to the acts who appeared in the Guacamayas Bar a little later on, through to the big show events such as Mexico Day and the Day of the Dead celebrations which were simply stunning. Overall, there is little I can point out with any serious kind of criticism. My wife and I have been all over the world and to loads of different hotels etc but for this place, we have made a lifelong exception. We have loved some places but we have never been to the same place twice. For El Dorado, we are making an exception and are already planning to go back again next year. The hotel is wonderful and there was so much we would have wanted to have done but didn't have the time and are extremely confident that even after another two-week break, there will still be more to see and do. We needed a relaxing break in a lovely environment and we got it in spades. I can't recommend it highly enough.

My stay at El Dorado Seaside Palms had its moments, both good and bad. The resort's landscaping is undeniably beautiful, providing a lush, tropical atmosphere. The overall footprint is large, which means everyone feels quite secluded and segregated, offering a sense of privacy if that is what you're looking for. Our room itself was nice, but its location in room 101 was terrible. It was directly above a storage and laundry room, leading to constant operational noise. Additionally, road noise and traffic were a persistent issue, disrupting the peace. In my opinion, the current premium room block should be relocated to the garden swim-up area, which has a better pool bar closer to the beach, with the current premium block being better utilized as the activity pool. The food was generally average. Breakfast and lunch were consistently better than the dinner offerings. Reservations at the restaurants seemed nearly impossible to get, adding a layer of frustration to evening plans. Room service was a lifesaver and great when the app worked or we could get someone to answer the phone. The beach itself was subpar, not the pristine Caribbean experience one might hope for. The pools, unfortunately, were all too cold to enjoy. Service was a mixed bag. Most of the staff were excellent and went above and beyond. Sadly, it was a common practice to move service staff locations daily. Our concierge was awesome, helpful and informative. However, many others seemed confused and provided conflicting information. Communication was poor when events were moved due to weather, leaving guests in the dark. Be aware that the included excursions are a minimum of six hours, which makes for long days. In summary, a beautiful setting with some significant operational and logistical kinks that need to be addressed.

My boyfriend and I recently stayed at the El Dorado Seaside Palms from October 30th to November 6th, and we couldn't wait to leave this review. While the resort itself is stunning—with a fantastic selection of restaurants and activities—it was the staff who truly turned our vacation into an exceptional experience. They genuinely treated us better than family! ​We want to give massive shout-outs to the incredible TUI BLUE team members, Maria and Luis, who go above and beyond for their guests. We met Maria at the Halloween pumpkin painting crafts table. Though we were a little shy, her heartwarming smile and genuine welcome immediately made us comfortable enough to sit down and participate. ​The very next day, we met Luis at the same table, where he was setting up for the beautiful Day of the Dead mask painting. Luis took the time to introduce himself and everyone nearby, sitting with us to chat about the crafts and the resort. He taught me so much about Mexican culture and heritage and was incredibly patient and kind as I tried to learn a few Spanish words! Seeing both Maria and Luis around the resort afterward always brightened our day, as they consistently stopped to greet us and ask how our trip was going. ​Finally, our housekeeper Manuel was absolutely amazing. He did a meticulous job cleaning our room every single day. The true highlight of our mornings was rushing back after breakfast to see which adorable towel creature Manuel had left waiting for us on the bed. We wish we had brought more tips for him and the rest of the hardworking staff! ​If you're considering El Dorado Seaside Palms, come for the beauty, but stay for the people. Maria, Luis, and Manuel are shining examples of world-class service. Please give them the recognition they deserve!