El Dorado Casitas: Swimming in the Lap of Luxury

There are some hotels that live up to their hype and some that don’t. Then there are those that don’t need any. Karisma Hotels & Resorts’ El Dorado Casitas is one. There’s nothing like seeing the striking thatched roof palapas (cabanas) with beach beds yawning in front of the churning Caribbean Sea for the first time. Set in the Rivieria Maya, it just couldn’t be prettier.

Everywhere you look there is water, with a seemingly endless array of pools scattered throughout resort and a “lazy river” connecting swim-up suites to pools and pool bars.

Then there’s the service, which, at a staff ratio of 2.2 to one guest, is virtually impeccable. But it’s not stuffy, nor is the ambiance or the guests, which is a big plus when you just want to chill.          

More than anything, El Dorado Casitas hangs its hat on its food, calling the resort “gourmet inclusive” rather than all-inclusive. It features a 100,000-square-foot greenhouse, which provisions it and Karisma’s other Mexican properties with herbs and produce, providing as much of a farm-to-table experience than one is apt to get in Mexico. Many of its chefs are Michelin trained and meals are prepared a la carte as opposed to buffet, although at breakfast guests will find both. Premium alcohol is also included in the all-inclusive price tag.

In keeping with its gourmet-inclusive concept, Karisma has partnered with Jackson Family Wines whereby Karisma features selections from the Jackson portfolio, representing more than 30 labels at each of its properties. Karisma Hotels & Resorts is also hosting the Jackson Family Wines Culinary Series, by Karisma, a monthly wine and food program spotlighting top chefs and wine masters from around the world at its resorts, including El Dorado.

The property also this year introduced the 2014 Canadian Beef Culinary Series, which is featured the second week of the month.

For all intents and purposes, El Dorado Casitas are three properties in one. The Casitas are adjacent to El Dorado Royale and Generations, a new brand all-suite brand with butlers that caters to multi-generational families and just about anyone looking for a luxury resort experience. Guests are able to use facilities at any of the three resorts.

In part, the Generations brand came to fruition because people wanted to have weddings at the adults-only El Dorado Royale and Casitas, but they needed rooms for kids.

The thatched-roof Casita suites with vaulted ceilings feature roofless shower, double sink, full baths and showers inside, private toilet, DVD/CD library, amenities kit and oversized balconies with exterior double. Casita suite extras include concierge service from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., concierge lounge and pillow menu. A beach butler is available between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Swim-up casita suites feature all the niceties of casita suites plus my favorite amenity: outdoor plunge pools off the balcony that lead into the lazy river and swim-up bars, enabling guests to doggie paddle to the bar. (Gotta love it!)

The presidential one-bedroom casita adds an adjoining living room equipped with a plasma screen television. The suite also features such amenities as table games, personal snorkel equipment, iPod, espresso maker, international magazines, and daily newspaper.

It’s pretty easy to find a place to get a drink. In addition to myriad swim-up bars, the resort offers The Martini Bar with premium vodkas from around the world;  Las Guamayas where guests can enjoy their cocktails on swinging chairs while listening to live music; and Bellini’s,  offers the classic cocktail plus other premium drinks.

For business travelers, there are 10,000 square feet of meeting space that can cater to 600 people in a banquet setting, 1,000 people in an assembly/auditorium setting, or can be divided into up to smaller event spaces.

There are tons of wedding locations, including a chapel. Ceremony locations also include the beach and wedding gazebos.

Cocotal, in the same building as the main reception area, features international cuisine and is open for continental breakfast, breakfast and dinner. As its name implies, D’Italia serves Italian food. It’s open for dinner only. Kampai, with its focus on the Pacific Rim, has its own sushi menu at night. It’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. La Isla, in an open-air pavilion, features a continental and international breakfast, international lunch and Mediterranean dinners. Jo Jo’s, set by the sea, serves up Caribbean cuisine and seafood, enabling guests to choose their own lobsters from a tank. It is open for lunch and dinner.

The Fuentes-Culinary Theatre, with its 90-foot vaulted ceiling and myriad flat-screen televisions, features an interactive dining experience. During meals, guests watch chefs preparing meals in one of five open kitchens. It’s open for breakfast and dinner.

None of the resort’s restaurants require reservations. Twenty-four hour room service is also available.

The Mexican themed N’aay Spa – all 20,000 feet of it – offers a full treatment menu at an extra cost, including treatments using indigenous ingredients. It also boasts private bridal and couples’ suites, and the Beachfront Sky Massage, where guests receive their treatment in privacy on the beach in a raised palapa. It incorporates a beauty salon for hair and nails, hydrotherapy circuit and fitness center.

Daily and nightly activities include salsa lessons, bike tours, yoga, kayaking, live music, and shows. There are two hard surface tennis courts with rackets and balls provided free of charge. Excursions can be arranged to the Mayakoba 18-hole championship golf course, as well as the Playacar Golf Club.

A wide array of excursions are available – the resort is just five minutes from Puerto Morelos and 35 minutes form Cancun – and may be booked through the resort’s concierge.