Luckily, there was more than enough going on at the hotel during the daytime to keep us occupied. Unfortunately, it took us most of the holiday to adjust to the time difference so we were in bed early more often than not! They had everything from rock shows to DJs, acrobats to Mexican fiesta themed nights. The Indian restaurant over in Generations is a must-try, as well as La Isla for an authentic Mexican meal – although I do think their lunch menu is stronger than their evening offering.Įntertainment and activities at El Dorado RoyaleĮl Dorado boasts the most scheduled nighttime entertainment that I’ve seen at any resort. Our expectations were high and it was nice but not exquisite, so we left feeling a bit deflated. We booked Santa Fe for my birthday meal and paid extra for Argentinian steak and a lobster tail. We were also served a beer that had been exposed to Mozart’s music! Fancy. However, I do absolutely recommend paying it, because the wine was beautiful. They don’t tell you about the wine pairing fee when you book, so I thought it was worth mentioning. You pay 15 USD per head for this ‘culinary theatre’ experience, plus 5 USD for the wine pairing. Our standout dining experience at El Dorado was Fuentes. It was one of our favourites and my only criticism is that they serve the same menu at lunch as they do at dinner. It offers Asian soups, sushi, noodle and rice dishes plus Thai curries. We actually went to the Italian twice without a booking. It’s often difficult to get a table without a reservation at the resort’s restaurants and you have to book ahead, although it didn’t impact our stay too much. TIP: Visit your concierge on your first morning and book your evening meals. I had a delicious salad and Tom had a wrap which he enjoyed. This came in useful when we came back from our horse riding trip at 4pm and couldn’t find anywhere else that was still serving. They serve healthy light meals between 12 and 6 at the Health Bar. I didn’t set foot in the gym but Tom went once or twice while I was at the yoga class and he thought it was well-equipped. There’s also a Health Bar that serves smoothies, shakes and juices which is fab for gym bunnies. We tried the Tiki Bar over in the ‘exclusive’ side of the resort but only once – the options are burgers, hot dogs etc. The fish tacos were the tastiest I’ve ever had, and Tom ordered a melt-in-the-mouth beef short rib that we both tucked in to. The best lunch we had was actually on our last day at La Isla. Personally, I liked that the lack of dirty plates around the pool kept the place clean and hygienic. The pop-up street food stands are the easiest workaround if that’s something you want to do. It isn’t possible to order food to eat by the pool at this resort and I heard a few people complaining about that. Sometimes I went to Kampai for sushi or there would be a pop-up burger stand where you could grab a bite to eat on your sun lounger. There’s a casual eatery next to the main pool that serves yummy pizzas and tacos every day, so we usually wound up there. TIP: At most of the bars, they’ll give you the cheap stuff unless you ask for the brand of alcohol you want specifically. Sometimes we enjoyed it so much that we didn’t make it to dinner… There was also a gorgeous bar on the beachfront at Casitas that we enjoyed for sundowners. The Martini Bar in the lobby is ideal for pre- or apres- dinner drinks and they have the best selection of premium spirits. The sparkling wine is very sweet, so you may struggle with that if it’s your usual tipple.

I thought the house wine was drinkable, which makes a change from my experience at most resorts. You can also pay 8 USD at Coco by the main pool for a coconut, and then you can keep going back for unlimited refills. Pretty much everything is covered in the all-inclusive package alcohol-wise, except for the tequila cream cart and the cocktail cart they roll out sporadically to serve drinks in pineapples. There’s a decent cocktail menu on display at all of the swim-up bars, but you can go off-piste and order your own favourites or ask the bartender to whip you up their signature concoction.

Riviera maya resorts el dorado royale