El Dorado Seaside Suites

We booked this holiday with tui from the UK and stayed on the palms side and stayed in block 29. Yes rooms are dated but they are kept spotlessly clean also no noise at night and beds super comfy Grounds are lovely, always someone cleaning the beach or maintaining the gardens and all say hello when you walk past My main gripe with this hotel is they seem majorly understaffed we take our own cups to breakfast so only required hot water and this seemed to take forever to even get someone to come over and ask us Most of the time we had finished eating before we even had a drink. Coming from the uk we don’t tip unless we’ve had good service so felt unable to tip. The staff in the buffet tend to head towards the American guests as they know they will be tipped regardless of service . Entertainment is also a bit hit and miss as the tui blue app is not up to date We also didn’t get the point of the concierge as they always told us the restaurants were full and to come back the next day. In the end we asked our tui rep to book them for us We also found that guests would reserve Bali beds and then not use them all day (just why) 🤦🏻‍♀️ Overall a great holiday but the hotel need extra staff

Swimup Junior Suite Room: 4006 Airport Arrival Went very smoothly, very little wait time to get through security. Our longest hold up was waiting for our luggage and the last guest to board our shuttle to the hotel. We flew from Canada and booked with Sunwing. I was glad that I had read some reviews, so that I knew what to expect because this is what seems to be confusing everyone. Sunwing instructs you to check in with their Nexus Rep (orange shirts with straw hats) at the airport for the transfer to the hotel BUT the hotel uses Lomas (blue shirts) for their guests. The Nexus rep will direct you to check in with the Lomas rep and that is the company that will transport you to the resort. The transfer was direct, but we had heavy traffic and it had just rained hard leaving lots of standing water, so it was a longer ride and took close to 2 hours to get there. The transfer back to the airport only took an hour. Resort Check-in A bit of a wait here to check in but at this point you are officially on holidays with nothing but time. This went smoothly and we enjoyed a refreshing cocktail while we checked in. They took us by golf cart to our room. We were told that there is a meeting in the lobby at 10am the next day to welcome guests and tell them about the resort. We chose not to go to this because part of the fun is exploring and figuring things out. We had a note under our door the next morning to see our concierge to book restaurants which we got into all of them. She told us about the resort, the two dinner theme nights they had (Elementals/Fire Show and Mexican night), and a little push to go to the membership presentation. Then we popped over to the lobby to see the Lomas rep to confirm our airport transfer back to the airport. This is also who you would book your excursions through. Room Was beautiful, comfortable, clean, spacious and a very Mexican feel to it. Yes, the rooms on the Palms side are older looking but they still have a luxurious authentic feel to them. This was our first ever swimup room and we loved that it flowed into the lazy river which then flowed into a smaller pool with a swimup bar. Our room was very close to the swimup bar but also had a nice garden view. This location for some might not be the best because of it being so close to the bar you have little privacy but if you have the right neighbors which we did it can also be quite enjoyable. The pools are not heated but very refreshing for a quick dip or a float down the river. We never had to fight for a pool chair with having a swimup room. We could spend part of the day at the beach and then come back to our patio and enjoy the pool. Our room had sun most of the day. Restaurants/Bars We dined at the main buffet (Seaside Market) and enjoyed everything we selected and great service. The Sandwicherie beside the Guacamayas Bar (chicken burrito), Fronterra Grill (meat plate for two) and Driftwood (tacos, ribs, shrimp, salad, everything was so good here and they have ocean front tables) were our favorite places for lunch. The evenings we dined at Klay Talay, Culinarium, Mia Casa and the Mexica A-la Carte. There were still so many places we wanted to try but couldn’t fit them all in so I guess we will need to return. The food and service were amazing everywhere we went on the resort. The themed dinners if you want to get a seat go at least 30 minutes early as there are not a lot of dining options open on these two nights. This was our experience so we ended up going from restaurant to restaurant to see who could get us in. The main buffet is closed during the themed nights and there were only two first come first serve restaurants open that were over an hour wait but thankfully one of the A-la Cartes had a cancellation. There was also room service as a backup OR we could have got a plate of food at the themed night and found a quiet place to sit away from the main area or take it back to our room. We never went hungry. Just be prepared to pivot and maybe you might have to wait. Guacamayas Bar was our favorite place to end the evenings. They would have some entertainment (a band, person playing guitar etc.) followed by a DJ for some late-night dancing. And of course, you must stop at the Mezcalito Bar (Suites Lobby) for the infamous flower pot drink). Resort The grounds are lush and beautifully maintained. The Palms side the buildings are smaller and spread out throughout the grounds, so you are surrounded by palm trees and gardens. The beach has nice sand, a bit rocky and is cleared of seaweed each day ALL day long it seemed. The ocean is quite shallow in the swimmable area so great for a float. Lots of people went further out to snorkel. If you kayak or paddleboard it is best to go further out as well. Lots of bali beds and loungers to choose from but you do need to get these early or go later in the afternoon. This resort is easy to get around on foot but golf carts are available to drive you anywhere you need to go. Everywhere we went we were greeted with a warm smile and a Hola! The staff are truly what make this place so special.

We decided to have a secret wedding here in January 2026. We booked with TUI in UK and at one of their shops as we wanted a legal wedding, when choosing where to marry we were told the resort is one of the older hotels so some sort laces were a bit tired but the staff , service, cleanliness, food and lush gardens made up for this ! We managed to eat at all the restaurants at least once and our favourites at least twice, the tui team are very helpful! Our favourites were Mia Casa, La Caretta(artifices at night) and Culinarium,, we had the lovely Hugo served us many times! Beach girls served drinks all day sorry can’t remember their names but they always remember your choice of drink! Our wedding went how we wanted it to go ! All in all a great wedding and holiday !

‘Inconsistent’ best describes Eldorado Seaside Palms. It has the potential to be a five star, but is closer to 3.5. With over 40 trips to Mexico, and approximately 30 to all inclusives in the Playa del Carmen area, I feel qualified to review this property. First, the good….The resort itself is beautiful, with their signature palms, landscaping, pools and beach all being clean and well maintained. The staff is friendly, attentive and qualified. The food is good, but nothing special. Drinks were inconsistent and kinda weak but my main problem with them was the artificial sweetener, with that yucky taste in everything, including the breakfast ‘orange’ juice, and ‘pineapple’ which is nothing but powdered Tang. The specialty restaurants require reservations which are nearly impossible to get unless you sign up on Friday morning OR want to eat before 5:30 or after 9:00. Wasted a bunch of time with the concierge and got zero help. Also, it’s a looong walk to some of them, but all exercise is good exercise, especially in an all inclusive. My other problem with nearly all the food served is that it’s almost never hot, unless you are there to get it right off the grill. From breakfasts in the morning, through lunch and dinner, food is served at room temperature…and it gets real old. Fair warning; We paid extra for a premium, Ocean View room, and true, we could see the ocean, several hundred yards away, but was very surprised to be SO FAR from the beach after paying extra. That being said, the rooms were clean, modern and the beds/sheets were very comfortable. The cabanas/chaise lounges are nice, BUT, you’ve got to get up early, by 6:00 or so, to reserve them cuz there aren’t nearly enough for all the guests. As for entertainment, it’s nearly non existent, other than a musician in the background during an outdoor fiesta, or fire dancers, or Mexican culture night. As per evening/late night partying/dancing, we couldn’t find anything. Also, they are lacking the usual water sports equipment, like kayaks, canoes or snorkel equipment. Zilch…. Bottom line, it’s a beautiful resort, and has the potential to be excellent, BUT, it sure isn’t there yet, although it was very nice, for the price.

This was our second time to El Dorado Seaside Palms this time we brought with us five other couples. Cancun airport was very busy. It took forever to get luggage off of the carrousel and we had to wait about 30 minutes for the bus to arrive thru Lomas. There was one short stop at another El Dorado resort, which took about 10 min. Once we arrived at the hotel, check-in was very smooth and went fairly quickly. And we were greeted with a nice refreshing cocktail and in our rooms in no time. While we were eating lunch after getting settled, the hotel concierge manager Mildred approached us. I asked her how it would be possible for us book all 12 at the à la cartes and special themed nights. She came back about 10 minutes later and had all of our evenings arranged on a paper schedule for us. The rooms themselves (and ours was beachfront in the palm section) we’re indeed a little dark due to the lush, tropical environment outside and yes, they were a little dated, but they were always cleaned daily. We always had plenty of wash cloths, towels and everything needed, including a stocked bar fridge, with pop water, beers and chips. We were situated in 3102 directly across from a small pool, including a pool bar and just about 20 steps from the beachfront. The beach itself was by no means perfect. However, it was totally acceptable for everyone in our group. None of us wore water shoes. We tended to hang out in the far end of the palms where the heart is located.we We saw lots of fish, pelicans and stingrays daily. It wasn’t deep especially when the tide went out. There were snorkel equipment, paddle boards, and kayaks available to use for 2 hours daily. You did have to get up very early to reserve your chairs. The food was very delicious at all of the restaurants, portions could sometimes be small, but don’t be afraid to ask for a couple of different things they will bring whatever you ask for. The only thing I would suggest not getting would be the eggs Benny or the waffles at Culinarium, not good at all, but their eggs bacon fruit dishes were very good. The lasagna and the cannoli at Mia Casa were outstanding. The cannoli were the best that any of us had ever eaten anywhere even better than in New York City’s Little Italy. Klay Talay was exceptional and Kaab vegan on the beach, very good. I wish I could’ve tried everything they offered including their drinks! So good. We booked through Sunwing and there were free excursions included. We did the Maroma beach trip and snorkelling on the catamaran. I would highly recommend it. The catamaran was a lot of fun. I saw a couple of sea turtles while snorkeling. On the catamaran, they cranked up the music and we enjoyed the free drinks and the beautiful day before getting off at Maroma Beach. The buffet lunch there was amazing. They had everything you can imagine and great drinks. After we got situated on the beach, we even had beach bar service and never had to go to the bar. This beach is spectacular and the sand is beautiful. It’s so soft, white and powdery, and the water was gorgeous to swim in. Entertainment at the Palms was very good. We enjoyed the Fire show and the Mexican night, and also enjoyed a couple of great bands and dancing at Guacamayas bar. Not your same old monotonous same old shows that every other resort seems to offer. The grounds themselves at this resort where immaculate and staff were always cleaning and keeping things beautiful, everyone you passed, had a smile and hello. Even the guests themselves would always say hello. Everyone seemed to be very happy and enjoying themselves. I loved that this resort had no bracelets, no towel cards no insects no children around. We enjoyed the birds, the raccoons, the coatis and the two sweet resident cats. Would I return to this resort most definitely everyone in our group raved about how nice it was because at this resort it’s not your typical resort, at this resort they go above and beyond for you. If you need anything at all, all you need do is ask and they will accommodate you . Don’t buy into any negative reviews. Some people just have nothing better to do. Go and enjoy and leave all your worries behind.