For our honeymoon at the beginning of June, Rob and I visited Riviera Maya where we stayed at El Dorado Seaside Suites by Karisma.
As it was such an important trip, I spent a lot of time researching hotels and trying to find the perfect destination. Neither of us had ever been to Mexico, so that was a big plus point straight away as we wanted somewhere that was brand new to us both.
After a lot of time spent on Thomson, TripAdvisor and Google in general, I came across a hotel that looked like perfection- El Dorado.
Karisma have a number of other hotels, not just Seaside Suites in Riviera Maya- they have resorts in Jamaica, Croatia, The Dominican Republic and more!
We stayed for two weeks and travelled with Thomson- the reps at the hotel were so friendly and helpful- we had a welcome meeting on our first day at the resort to explain all the excursions, the different restaurants at the resort, where everything was and answer any other questions we may have.
On arrival we were offered a welcome drink and a cool flannel- then our suitcases were taken to our rooms while we relaxed before being driven to our rooms separately. We felt like royalty already!
We stayed in a Premium Suite which meant that we had our own pool that was only for guests staying in that section- other than that (and different coloured towels!) there weren't really any differences so if we were to return we wouldn't pay the extra again.
This resort is adults only and gourmet all inclusive. There are 7 restaurants and 4 bars with swim ups at most pools- which there are 4.
Lounging on the beach at the resort, the amazing staff never let you have an empty glass- the cocktails (the alcohol is not watered down like you would expect, it is all premium brands) they offer are amazing- our favourites were Gin Fizz and Singapure Sling!
Our favourite restaurant was the oriental- Klay Talay- we ate there three times and tried almost everything on the menu- don't be afraid to order several dishes at once as the staff are more than happy to oblige!
There are loads of excursions that you can do, we did swimming with dolphins, visited Xplor which is an adventure park, went to Tulum and lots more. There are also actvities that you can do at the resort, like coconut painting, event nights every night, yoga, kayaking, snorkelling....
As we were on our honeymoon, we had to bring our marriage certificate and we were then treated to a couples massage at the hotels' amazing spa (I could write a whole post just on the spa it was incredible!), a moonlit meal that evening and then when we returned to our room afterwards, the staff had filled our jazuzzi (which all rooms have by the way!) with bubble bath and rose petals, decorated our bed and left it so romantic. The following morning, we were woken up with the 'Honeymooners Breakfast' which consisted of omelette, hash browns, mimosas, french toast...it was just beautiful.
The food at the hotel was to an incredibly high standard- think 5 star restaurant in the UK but without the massive bill at the end!
All in all, for us, it was heaven on earth. The staff can't do enough for you, the food is immense, the resort is absolutely beautiful and we would go back in a heartbeat.
Here are some photos of the resort and our stay-
