El Dorado Seaside Suites

Crikey. Believe some of the reviews below and you'd think you were in for a trip to hell for your hols at this place. So, let's be clear from the off: this hotel is a high-quality, well-staffed, and extremely friendly venue. We were there for 14 nights, early to mid August, and loved every minute of it. DO NOT get yourself in a state about the temporary closure of its neighbour (Seaside Suites) – the impact, as we’ll get into below, is extremely minimal. In fact, unless you go there every year and are wedded to the Suites’ Driftwood buffet, I’d be surprised if you even noticed there was an issue). DO brace yourself for the seaweed, which is a shame, but a climate-change-triggered phenomenon impacting the vast majority of the Caribbean, so don’t go blaming the hotel for that. But if you like well-maintained, exotic grounds (you are literally surrounded by jungle), a diverse array of food options and bars everywhere you look, staff who greet you with a cheery ‘hola’ at every turn, then rest assured, you will be happy here. Crowds (or the lack of): What did surprise us, was how quiet the place was. For various reasons (seaweed, US crowds scared off by headlines and rising cost-of-living) the hotel cannot have been at more than 20% throughout our stay. Now, personally, we loved this as we came here for peace and quiet. It also meant no issue getting beach beds or reservations in the a la carte restaurants. Not great for the Mexico tourism economy – I had been told August was its second ‘peak season’ after the Christmas/NY break – but great for us. It is, I would suggest, the reason the neighbouring Seaside Suites is closed. Even if bookings there have been transferred to the Palms, the place was still REALLY quiet. Rooms: We had a garden view suite. Sat a couple of blocks back from the beach. Takes about four minutes to walk to the beach and about two if you were just heading to the nearest of the resort’s numerous pools. Room was immaculately maintained – daily clean/minibar restocked (fridge minibar which includes water/Coke/beers/crisps) – and all in good working order. If you wanted to be really picky you could say it is beginning to show its age a little – but, God, you’d need to be a pedantic dullard to do so. Room was large – space for a table and chairs (for use if you’re ordering from the 24/7 room service options), plus a super King bed. There’s also a ‘big enough for two’ whirlpool bath thing in there too. Bit odd. Decent-sized balcony with a couple of reclining wooden chairs and a small table offering views immediately above the swim-up rooms and some smashing palm trees. Loads of storage, easy to operate safe. Big TV too, but we didn’t turn it on at any stage (well, it is our holiday) so no idea what channels you get. Nice coffee machine and you can request a kettle too. Oh, and the door to the rooms have very handy unlocking mechanisms triggered by your wristband. Saves faffing about with a key or card. Best bit though? The sheer amount of interesting wildlife you get to see in and around the hotel and its grounds. From iguanas of various sizes to raccoons and the (very adorable) coatis, we also spotted agoutis (like big guinea pigs), vultures, huge seabirds, and a host of other colourful birds. If you like that sort of thing, it’s a huge plus. Beach/seaweed: If you are expecting the classic pristine white beaches and turquoise seas (at this time of year, at least), you’re not going to get it. The sargassum is pretty relentless. A team of guys work tirelessly to try and clear a key stretch of beach so you can swim/snorkel etc – but it’s a bit like that episode of The Simpsons where Marge and Lisa scrub the spilt oil off the rocks on a beach only for the tide to bring more in. Some days are noticeably worse than others. But we could snorkel on a few days (rays, fish and even a barracuda spotted)…but sometimes it was just a little too murky. A JCB carries the seaweed off, but due to the work the BBQ restaurant (which I had been looking forward to) was closed as are the far reaches of the beach. The upshot? The water looks clear in parts, but can be a bit ‘chocolate milk’ in others…(this is really noticeable at nearby Tulum where the ‘money shot’ of the Mayan ruins overlooking the beach is rather transformed from the postcard images). The seaweed can get a little pongy if left to cook in the sun too…noticeable when we first arrived for a couple of days – but not for the rest of it. It DOES NOT spoil your holiday, however. Just be aware it’s going to be there. To tip or not to tip, that is the question: There’s lot of chatter as to how you tip in Mexico. On our coach transfer, the chap was banging on about how it’s an essential part of the culture. But I think that’s just due to the clientele in what is an area of Mexico devoted to tourism. The American visitors (of which there were plenty – you’ll not miss them as they all operate with their volume switch turned up to the max) will tip all the time – as that’s what they do normally. But, our Tui rep (who was excellent and herself Mexican) said tips are only for service ‘which goes above and beyond’ what you’d expect. So we applied that rule. I would urge you to do the same as it sparked zero issues. (In other words, don’t feel obliged to hand over cash every time you order a drink/someone clears your plates). Food: There are several areas for the restaurants. By the main bar, there’s the buffet restaurant which offers a (fairly limited but tasty) breakfast and lunch offering and doubles up as the Mexican restaurant upon an evening. It does, however, allow you to dine just in front of the jetty which is a real treat. Beyond the beach volleyball court is an outdoor restaurant – Kaab. We’d read a lot about this vegan outlet before going…but were disappointed when we turned up and it was closed. It did reopen – just as the heavens opened – on the final day of our hols, so didn’t get to experience it. It offered, we believe, the vegan menu and some items from Driftwood (the closed Suites restaurant). A two-minute stroll away is the Culinarium (the Mediterranean restaurant) which also offers a la carte breakfast. Good service and nice environment, although arguably the least charismatic of the restaurants. Just outside the main reception area is the ‘Gourmet Pub’…nice for lunch (cracking ceviche), but was sold to us as English-style for evening meals. We live in England so certainly didn’t want to experience fish and chips while on hols, so gave it a swerve. Head up the hotels main road, however, and about 300 yards up on the right a path leads you to three more restaurants. Here lurks the Seaside Market (a buffet outlet open most (but not all) days…good, broader range than the one near the jetty. Next to it is the a la carte Asian restaurant Klay Talay. Possibly the stand-out restaurant (assuming, of course, you like Asian food)…lots of sushi and some really tasty other dishes. Tui customers used to get charged $25 for this…that has been dropped as it’s so quiet, so eat, drink and be merry. Next to that is Mia Casa – the well-designed Italian restaurant. Food here was also good, but the air conditioning sometimes needed adjusting as it got rather hot. Go up the stairs, and there’s the cocktail bar hidden (to the left) in the corner…great choice of cocktails on the menu, but staff will do whatever you fancy. The ‘flowerpot’ signature cocktail is very tasty. All in all, excellent choices and made a change going to a nice ‘proper’ restaurant each evening rather than relying on the buffet. You need to reserve your tables at the a la carte venues. Best way to do so is with the concierge service dotted about the resort. We did some via Andrea (TUI rep) which worked well but others (through the other TUI rep) where it was apparent no bookings had actually been made…we still got in, but it was a bit of a pain. Seaside Suites (the closed neighbour): Clearly closed (temporarily, one assumes?) due to a lack of bookings, you can stroll around it and see that little in the way of renovations seem to be taking place. The gym (just at the top of the ramp) is fully open to all, but everything else is shut. There’s also a tonne of seaweed along its beachfront, which adds a certain aroma. Driftwood was the only loss of a restaurant I could see…but, to be honest, you don’t notice it and given it’s so quiet, its closure is neither here nor there for the first-time visitor. Rest assured, if you like your holidays 'sans clothes' then the nudist Hidden Beaches hotel appears to still be up and running... Excursions etc: We had planned to use the local bus colectivo services which shuttle people up and down the highway…but the road was six lanes deep and, frankly, we thought dicing with death wasn’t for us. So we booked a load of Tui excursions instead. Would highly recommend the whale shark swimming (absolutely incredible experience), enjoyed the Chichen Itza, Tulum, Coba day trips and had a really great time at Xel Ha water park for the day. Unless you are desperate to see Playa de Carmen, I would avoid the $1 dollar shuttle bus to which you actually have to sign a form agreeing you’ll be subjected to a 30-minute sales pitch at a jewellery store and then 40 mins at its neighbouring tequila shop…we went, bought nothing, but then discovered Fifth Avenue was a bit rubbish so ended up in a very nice beach club waiting for the shuttle bus to return. You win some, you lose some. The final word… The Yucatan Peninsula was developed for tourism and the prices in the shops in the main spots are as high as the UK (if not more so), so don’t expect a bargain. Plus, taxi prices were sky high too. But, that aside, we had a fabulous holiday at a fabulous resort.

The site is very beautiful, although it is not at all possible to use the beach. Only half of the hotel setting is open due to renovations. If you use the gym, you will be going to the closed off portion of the gym, and the washroom facilities dont have any working lights. Also the gym was on most days not ready when we arrived, meanng the lights were off, no AC, and no water avaiable at 8h30 AM. Other difficulties, I have a dairy intolerance and trying to get non dairy milk for my coffee in my room took a visit to the manager after 3 days. Also the food is more like a 3 star hotel. I really don't have high standards for food, although for the price this hotel cost (2000$ CA), it is not worth it. The beach cabana rarely had the food I wanted, for example, every day when I would go for a french frie, they no longer had any, and would not have anymore fo rthe day, and this at times at 1PM in the afternoon. SO if you want a bang fo ryour buck, this is not the place.

Luis’s energy around the pool was unbelievable, especially at the pool party. He also drew us a beautiful picture of our pet dog chip which was amazing during an arts and crafts session. Shout out to Benjamin as well who was great.

This is a follow up to my previous review of the ‘Eldorado Hotel Suites & Spa’ as of 12th August 2026 . Firstly I’d like to say a Thank You to the Tui reps and all staff at the hotel for making this stay as good as they can with what they have been given. For those of you that have heard there is maintenance going on in the American side that is not the case. After a short walk across there it’s a ghost town and it has just been closed down due to lack of tourists wanting to come here for whatever reason. So it’s just closed. The fountains leading up to it or small decorative pools have no water in them . The main pools are but that’s it. Hot tubs have gone so you get the picture. So despite everyone saying it’s being renovated it’s not. Hence the resort being at 20% capacity. I was told by the Tui Rep that there is no money for renovations that’s why it is closed. When the guys from the U.S book their time share holidays they are being placed in the premium block. I have added various photos of the kind of condition the hotel is in now. What was the Culunarium is also closed and taped off in need of repair. I was told that the roof tiles which you can see from the premium pool area have been missing for a couple of years. There are numerous fittings around the hotel which have come off or are in need of replacing as I will show in the photos. With regards to the air conditioning, its was on but was not cold enough . In Mescalitas Bar you sat sweating. Also the Gourmet Pub was too hot and in some cases guests were leaving as it was too warm for them The Wedding It was faultless, well organised . Diana and the staff made it so special for our group of 8 including the meal for us in a private area at the Italian at the back of the restaurant and the service we received was very good. So if you’re planning a wedding here that’s a plus The Spa Simply run down and in need of some work. The steam room in the men’s side wasn’t working and the hydro area has broken glass and the walls and ceiling have been patched up. The massage treatment was excellent though, A credit to the staff once again . Other guests mentioned the equipment in the gym was broken also this is over on the closed side. Entertainment It’s got something for everyone. A couple of good bands and saxophonist. Fire show, silent disco to name a few that we saw at the beach bar but there are other things you can do during the day. Also the themed night are very well done such as Mexican night which is done on the beach. The Asian night in the Seaside market is good too. The Beach We all know about the Seaweed issue and the guys on the beach work all day so guests can get into the ocean. Unfortunately due to erosion the beach is not as good as it was. Bali beds are squeezed in and some are only for time share guests and the beach Bbq is now closed as is the daytime restaurant on that beach. The Room We had a Premium Swim Up room, Comfortable for a short time with a mini bar which had 3 types of beer, crisps and a couple of chocolate bars but as my wife pointed out there is nothing for her but Coke. Sprite, Diet Coke but nothing such as Baileys or a wine, There is a TV , coffee maker, Hairdryer, Iron and Board but again not the best quality room. The Air-con is also noisy. Our wardrobe light had been disconnected so you couldn’t see into the safe. Overall nothing special.

Not an enjoyable experience, we booked with Tui, the website information and description of the hotel is out of date, misleading and factually incorrect. The sister hotel is closed, reducing advertised options for restaurants, bars and pools. Most of the beach has been eroded, with only a small section still accessible. The remaining beach has a significant area reserved for members so is not available for Tui guests. The service has been extremely poor, the food served, even in the à la carte restaurants, has been lukewarm warm at best and is often cold. We are just 7 days into our 14 day holiday, our room was not cleaned for 4 days or the mini bar restocked. We were woken on our first night by a large group enjoying a landing party until 02:30hrs. Even after several calls to reception and my personal request for quiet, the party continued, without any intervention from hotel staff or security. Our third night was interrupted by a domestic, ending in a physical altercation. Again, even following numerous reports from hotel guests the altercation was allowed to continue for over an hour before one solitary member of hotel security arrived on scene. Both incidents were allowed to escalate placing guest safety at a significant risk of harm. On our 6th night we endured our worst disturbed night, kept awake for nearly 3 hours by loud voices and music. The phone network was down, so at 05:30hrs I got dressed and walked to reception to report the issue. The hotel found the TV in the next room had been switched on and left on full volume. No one is staying in the room and the hotel are investigating how the TV was turned on. I requested to speak with a manager 4 days ago to provide an account of the poor service we have received and to provide an update of the incidents we have endured. Following further requests, repeated chasing, and numerous promises, we are still waiting to see a manager. Overall a very scary and bitterly disappointing experience, and definitely not what you would expect from a supposedly 5* hotel. My wife is so upset she wants to return home early as a result of the unsavoury incidents, poor service and the overall disappointing condition of the hotel, rooms and furniture.