It should be no suprise that in the booming Mexico All Inclusive travel market competing resorts are pushing the boundaries of luxury accomodations. But with so much available, it can be easy to miss out on everything these resorts have to offer. Before setting off for Mexico’s El Dorado Royale Resort my boyfriend and I conducted extensive research and worked closely with our Resort Rentals Travel Agent. We spent many hours on the web hunting for the best activities, restaurants and attractions the resort and area had to offer. Though we did find some valuable information, for the most part however we learned from trial and error once we arrived. It was these hidden treasures that made our vacation truly amazing. Now we’ve compiled these tidbits and interesting resort features for you, to ensure that you get the most out of your time at El Dorado Royale. We hope they help to make your experience at El Dorado as wonderful as ours was.

When Making Your Reservation: Before you leave home, there are some steps to take early that will create long lasting memories.

• Reserve through Resort Rentals International and travel as an Owner’s Guest. You’ll receive VIP privileges including the Lobster Gala with mariachi band, VIP check in and priority seating at the resort’s restaurants.
• Honeymooners and couples celebrating their anniversary receive a complimentary candlelight dinner on the beach, a complimentary bottle of champagne upon arrival and the coolest towel arrangements each night with turn down serve. You must tell them at the time of reservation and bring your marriage certificate with you at check in.
• Transportation to and from the airport can be pre-arranged in advance at the time of reservation. The cost is $90 per couple to and from the airport in a shuttle van provided by Lomas Travel. The service was great and we felt very comfortable.

Upon Check-In: It’s been a long flight, but there are still a couple things to remember before dropping off your luggage and hitting the poolside or the bar… or poolside bar!

• We highly recommend reserving a couples’ sunrise massage. We did it the first morning and it really set the mood for the week and got us relaxed. They perform the massage in a tall tree platform overlooking the ocean while you enjoy mimosas. One of the best things we did on the trip and worth the $125.00/per couple.
• Reserve space at the free trips into Cancun and Playa Del Carmen at check-in. These both fill up quickly. The trip by cab cost about $45 so it’s a good value provided by the resort. Playa Del Carmen is a MUST! It’s infused with a European influence that is so surprising. Tons of shopping and dining options.
• Find out which day the monkey and baby tiger are coming to the resort. They travel around to the pools in the afternoon for photo ops.

Dining To Dos: El Dorado Royale is known for its dining. Here are some tips to get the most out of this culinary oasis.

• Don’t be afraid to order lots of menu items. Food is served in tapas size, which means you get to try lots of different things! We often ordered 2-3 appetizers and 3-4 dinner items.
• Hands down, the best breakfast is at Cocotal by the Main Lobby. The huge buffet features the best French toast, made to order omelets and a Bloody Mary bar
• If you are a wine drinker, buy wine when you go into Playa Del Carmen and bring it back with you. Wine is very expensive at the resort. They will gladly let you bring your own with you into Dinner.
• The Italian Restaurant D’Italia is a must! Their filet mignon was the talk of the resort. The trio of pasta appetizer was a good choice as well. Check out the very chic martini bar right upstairs for a cocktail before or after dinner. There is also a pool table in the back for after dinner fun.
• Each afternoon they deliver box lunches and ice cream poolside. This was helpful when we lost track of time with all of our new friends at the swim up bar. The coconut ice cream is a must but they do offer chocolate and strawberry as well. This level of service was such a luxury!
• La Fondue is built much like a tree house and supplies the most romantic atmosphere- really cozy and great even if you stop in just for desert.
• Try the chicken sandwich with avocado at the Health Bar or hot dogs at the Pizzeria poolside for lunch.
• The Mexican Restaurant has a very festive atmosphere. You’re able to watch the chefs on large projection screens preparing their native dishes. Favorites were both the shrimp and scallop appetizers.
• When scheduling your Candlelight Beach Dinner try and avoid still weather. The flies can be bad when there is not a breeze blowing.

Special Details:

• Pool floats are behind the swim-up bars for guests use upon request.
• We didn’t mind rain spells with 24-hour room service and current release DVD rentals. Order the Caesar salad, cheeseburger and strawberry cheesecake. DVD rentals are available under La Fondue at the Concierge Desk. Relax and enjoy!
• Casitas are located at the far end of the resort and are very tranquil. However, walking to the restaurants and other parts of the resort can get tiring. There are golf cart shuttle stops along the walking paths. However, you can call ahead and have them pick you up right at the door to your suite. Trust me, this will come in handy!
• Excursions can be booked all over the resort. We had a blast on the deep sea fishing charter and caught huge barracudas and a tile fish. Worth every penny.
• Casita guests have access to a pillow and aromatherapy menu. Make sure to take advantage of this amenity. Both extras made a big difference when we were vacationing for seven nights.

My mother and her husband recently traveled to El Dorado for their 6th wedding anniversary upon our recommendation. We flooded them with these and other insider tips the minute they made their reservation. They both said they felt like they had their very own travel agent and personal concierge. They raved when they got back about all of the fun they had and remarked on how helpful the insider tips had been. They also had a lot of their own unique experiences and memories to share along with their very own set of insider tips.

Every vacation should provide for your very own unique adventure. Insider tips on what not to miss doesn’t hurt either. Happy Travels!