My wife and I stayed at El Dorado Maroma for our honeymoon from August 16th to 23rd. I apologize in advance for the length of this review. In planing our vacation, we had a lot of questions so I figured it best to give as many details as possible.
Arrival: Flight The flight on Air Canada was uneventful. Flight was on-time and service and cabin were top-notch. Arrival in Cancun We arrived in Cancun and got through Customs and Immigration fairly quickly. After making it through the gauntlet of time-share salesmen, we found our transportation waiting outside as expected. We had to wait approximately 45 minutes for the rest of our party to arrive to join our shuttle to 2 other resorts. If we had known this, we probably would have booked a private transfer to the resort. Arrival at the Resort Upon arriving at the resort, we were greeted in the small but very luxurious lobby by a check-in agent who offered us a moist wash cloth as well as a glass of sparkling wine. Within a few minutes, we were greeted by many of the staff who came to the lobby to meet us and welcome us to the EDM. Katarina, one of the butlers gave us a tour of the resort and introduced us to many of the staff. They were all courteous and gracious. We were then led to our room so we could freshen up and head to lunch. We also took some time to meet with our concierge in order to plan for the theme dinners for the week. We attended the Mayan, the Italian, the Mexican and the Dinner around the World. She also made arrangements for our honeymoon package including a massage lesson and candlelight dinner on the beach. Carmina also offered to help us out with any excursions we might like to do. She also tried to schedule us for a sales-pitch meeting for the resorts Exotic Club but we were not interested.
Rooms: Our room We were in room 302 which was a swim-up jacuzzi suite. This room was located 2nd from the edge of the building. There was a path in front where staff and guests were always walking by. Since most of our time was spent on the beach, this traffic did not bother us. When we were out there, we just waved, smiled and hollered “hola” to everyone who walked by. The room is mere steps from the beach and was located at the most central part of this small resort. Our room had a King size bed, a living room area with a pull-out couch. A well appointed bathroom with jacuzzi, double sinks and a shower. Inside the shower was a door leading out to the Aguas del amor, the outdoor shower, which was really cool. A safe, free to use, was in the closet by the front entrance. A small refrigerator was located in the TV stand and it was refilled daily with sodas, beer, water and snacks.
Thanks to Laime and Margarita who cleaned and turned down our room daily.
Restaurants and Bars: The Food There are no buffets at the EDM. Sabores restaurant is located by the pool on the south side of the resort. Breakfast and lunch are served here as well as most of the theme dinners. Papito’s is the palapa restaurant by the beach. It was nice to have lunch on the patio, mere steps from the ocean. A different lunch theme was served every day. Myo and Kiyoko were the italian and oriental restaurant. We ate at both and enjoyed them. The quality of the food was excellent and was very well prepared. The theme nights allowed us to try some different things that we normally would not have necessarily ordered. The entertainment during these theme nights was a great touch. Service by the waiters was excellent. Special thanks to Cindy, the hostess who always found us an excellent table and to Gabby, Alejandro and Rodmiro, some of the waiters, among many who served us during our stay. Our last night ended was supposed to be a candlelight dinner on the beach. Thanks to the staff who set Andrea and I up for dinner on the platform above the water where the sky massages are held. It was very romantic and something we will never forget. Special thanks to Walter, manager of restaurant services for running such a good operation. We really like the dinner that Chef Paco prepared on Thursday night. Chef Kim and the Chef at the Oriental restaurant (I forgot his name) also left a very favorable impression on us. The bars
Bar service was excellent. Top shelf liquor here but you do have to ask for them. Bartenders will usually remember what you like to drink and how you like it prepared. Each bartender seems to have his own special drink. Order them all.. they are all good.
Beach/Pools/Grounds: The Beach This is probably the most beautiful beach we have ever seen. The southern part of the beach is rough.. stumps in the ground, etc. But walk north and you have miles of pristine white sand beaches. Right next door to the resort is Maroma Marina which is a starting off point for a lot of the activities. Above the beach is a large 3 tier palapas where the sky massages are given. Some people are put off by the sandbanks about 400 feet from shore. There are probably about 20 sand bags which protect the beach from motorized traffic and act as a break wall. To be perfectly honest, they did not bother us in the least. When I took some time to snorkel, the sandbags provided a refuge for many fish and created a man-made reef. Snorkeling equipment was available to be borrowed from the animation team. The beach was wonderful for wading and cooling off although it was quite warm. It never got very deep so it’s perfect for those who do not like deep water. Animation Staff Kary, Ariel and Diego from the animation staff try very hard to get people involved in activities. Bingo, bocce, horseshoes, volleyball are all available activities. However, most guests are content to simply sit on the beach and relax. We were very pleased one day to have Ariel and Kary spend some extra time at our beach bed for a private spanish lesson. The pools There are two pools. The smaller pool is in the Mihotelito section. There is a swim-up bar (Bar 24). Emilio and Estrella kept us entertained with their funny stories and witty banter. This pool was usually the quieter one. The main pool is next to Sabore’s restaurant. This is where we usually ended up at the end of the day enjoying cocktails or tequila shots provided by Carlos or Cesar.
Both pools were cleaned daily by the pool staff. The pool staff worked all day long cleaning out the swim-up section leading to the main pool and also emptying and refilling the infinity plunge pools on the 2nd to 4th floors. Water temperature was very warm in the pools.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel: Excursion
You can book excursions with the concierge or with Luis, the Lomas Travel Rep who is on-site. We did the wave-runners and truly enjoyed it.
Other Comments: Staff The staff at this resort are outstanding. Every request within reason is granted. When you ask for something, the typical response is “It’s my pleasure”. I’ve named a few who left a particularly positive impression on us. However, we did not meet any bad apples or anyone who did not seem to want to be there. The thing that amazed me about the staff was their ability to remember people’s names. They asked for your name once and they remembered. We were starting to think we were wearing name-tags!! This is such a nice personal touch. One thing we found particularly interesting occurred on Saturday. Apparently, Saturday is cleaning day at EDM. All the managers and office staff step back from their regular duties and start cleaning all parts of the resort. It was neat to see Alfredo, the GM, raking grass, and Walter, the restaurant manager, cleaning in the restaurants. I think this is a neat initiative. Nightlife We did not partake in the nightlife. We stayed up to watch the Michael Jackson tribute night on Friday and we highly recommend it. Departure Check out was smooth, but we did not want to leave. It was nice of Alfredo, the General Manager to come and see us off. We really appreciated your hospitality. This resort really has changed my philosophy about what a resort should be about. Customer service is not to be taken for granted. El Dorado Maroma brings that to a whole new level. The size of the resort creates an intimate atmosphere ideal for a romantic and relaxing vacation. We cannot wait to go back! Gracias por todo!!
My pictures can be found on facebook at the following link http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=251290&id=515800235&l=64d393c2b5
Other pics can be found on the Facebook group called “El Dorado Maroma Magic”.
If anyone has any questions they can email me at gaudreaur+EDM@gmail.com
Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=251290&id=515800235&l=64d393c2b5