Our honeymoon et EDR was for a fortnight from 6th May 08 and we had a fabulous time. We arrived early evening into Cancun airport and I must admit, the Mexican First Choice rep on the coach was first rate (much more than I can say for the First Choice flight!!). The reps at the airport directed us to our coach and the rep at the coach took our luggage and suggested we get a beer from the bar (which we could take on the coach) and relax whilst waiting for the other passengers.

We were pretty amazed by the elegance of the reception when we arrived at EDR and we were greeted with a glass of champagne whilst we waited to check in. A golf buggy driven by a staff member took us to our ocean front junior suite (4022) which was lovely. The shower was huge, the bathroom fully stocked with toiletries, and there was a four-poster and a lovely in-room jacuzzi with more champagne. The view was fabulous but this block was right by the Guacamayas bar which had a DJ/live band until 2am; we managed to sleep through!! Those lighter sleepers may need earplugs.

I had my eye on the Casitas when I booked back at home but the price was outrageous so we decided to find out about an upgrade from Reception. Their original price was cheap and they offered us a further 30% discount so we stayed in the Casita (3015) for the last four nights of our fortnight and it was worth it. One of the staff in the golf buggies collected us & our luggage and transported us to our new room. The outdoor shower was amazing, the indoor one flooded the bathroom!! The little door on the loo did not offer much privacy but luckily, my husband and I have been together for four years!! The room service was more varied here and served later, the turndown service was sweet although it sometimes spooked me out when I came back to the light on and the music playing. Loved the day bed too. Oh, and we got champagne every day in our room. The room was huge and I think there was more choice of TV channels although I may just be getting giddy with myself.

Our brochure had described the Casitas as peaceful and perfect for honeymooners but once it got to 3pm and the guests are quaffed more than their share of cocktails, it could get pretty loud until dinner/sundown. They were cool though, nothing like our last holiday in Alcudia, Majorca!!

Foodwise, we rather enjoyed the small but tasty portions. We especially loved Jo Jo's for lunch, Kampai for lunch and dinner and D'Italia for dinner. Fuentes offered up a breakfast feast which easily saw us through to lunch. We also had a candlelit dinner on the beach which was sumptious and Felix the waiter could not do enough for us. The only restaurant we didn't go to was La Fondue, just because it is not a cuisine we are keen on. By the way, you no longer have to book for the restaurants; if you have to wait, they will give you a beeper and beep you once your table is available. Found the male dress code for dinner of enclosed shoes a little strange and as my husband had only brought trainers, we bought some shoes from Zara when we were in Cancun two days into the holiday but we found that only D'Italia & Cocotal stuck to this rule.

Two whinges: I had heard about the sandbags at the beach prior to going and it was a little worse than I was expecting but we still went in upto our waists and the 11 pools made up for it I guess. As others have said, the minibars were a bit warm and there was no food in them. However, the pina coladas and miami vices went down a treat and we feel in love with horchata.

The pools were lovely with swim-up bars and there were loads of sunbeds but the palapas were in high demand. We rarely bagged a palapa in the first couple of days but as my body clock was out and I was up at 6am, I took myself off for a walk early one morning and realised that there were people bagsying beds at this unholy hour!! We didn't have this problem when we moved to the Casita as there were some reserved only for the use of Casita guests and there were loads.

We took ourselves by taxi into Cancun and Playa del Carmen, and from there to Cozumel. We could have gone on the hotel shuttle bus but there was a waiting list plus it went to Playa in the evening and we wanted to go during the day. We went to Tulum & swimming with the dolphins with First Choice. Planned to visit Chitchen Itza too but sickness cancelled that out.

We were not impressed with First Choice as an airline but we did not let that ruin the holiday. However, I would advise you to find an alternative airline to get you to EDR if you do choose to go.

Hope my review does not sound like a moan, I'm just describing the hotel as we saw it and we had the best time and plan to return for our fifth wedding anniversary.

PS All the staff were fabulous.

My Hubby and I just returned from our Wedding and Vacation at the El Dorado Royale and we must say it was fantastic! We did lots of research before picking this resort and after reading a few articles about the weddings here, we decided to book! It is the perfect resort for a wedding group as it has something for the seniors and for us young folk that want to party a bit in the evening. We have been to the super party resorts before and wanted something a bit different for our wedding.
We really liked the fact that it was known for having great food, not only buffets like many.

We had a group of 31 that stayed at the resort and everyone had a great time, most of our group arrived early so rooms weren't ready as of yet but they were treated very well, luggage was held and they headed down with a pager to Jojos (beach bar)for some food and drinks. Check-in for us (arriving later) was very smooth, we got champagne as we walked in the lobby, we asked about upgrading our room just to find out how much it would cost, we decided later to stay with our garden jacuzzi room which was really nice, I do recommend getting one on the 3rd floor as the balcony is more private and the view is better. We were put on the ground floor at first but asked to be moved in which they had no problem with, they were very accommodating.

We loved the location of our room it was 9 block as many of our friends and family were close by, we were also central to everything, the lobby, Cocotal restaurant and La Isla pool and restaurant (great breakfast at both of these places) and weren't far from the beach and Swingbar either!

The food was all great, I really don't think we had a bad meal, we tried most except Kampai (asian) but we live in Vancouver so we can get great sushi at home. The 24hr room service is a great feature and was well used by most in our group after nights at the bar, the nachos, burgers and club sandwiches seemed to be a hit!
Our favorite meal was our Candlelight dinner on the beach the day after our wedding, it was the best! Our server was Christian and he was so genuine and taught us spanish lessons with our dinner which was fun, he went our of his way to make our dinner so special..his manager was also a great guy, we got to know him a bit during dinner, he has a passion for what he does and we want to say thank-you again as it was very memorable!

Our wedding was so beautiful and they made it perfect for us, you never know was the result is going to be when booking from another country but we were super pleased with all the staff and how everything turned out. I really recommend having your wedding here as they do so many and they have really mastered it. We booked the gazebo 55 location for our ceremony and I must say I think it is one of the nicest and great for photos as there are no sand-bags in the water at this location. Gloria was our onsite coordinator and she was very nice, she helped relax my husband when he was waiting for us during the ceremony and she was attentive to me as well.
Our reception was at Tucannes, really nice location and a good size for our group of 37, I would pick a larger space if your group is bigger. The grounds at the resort are so beautiful so I really think that any of the locations would be really nice. Tucannes was great because it had a pool, which some of our guests jumped in after the party! The serving staff was Israel and his team and they were great! They made the reception a lot of fun for everyone, one of the guys was balancing a tray of drinks on his head for about 10 minutes as we were all doing the conga line and limbo!! Was a riot!!

I have to say thank-you to Marcella in the spa, she did my pedicure, hair and makeup and she was so wonderful and talented, she really made my day relaxed and easy =)

We read many reviews on here before we left and the only thing that we were a bit concerned about were the sand-bags that people were talking about, they turned out to be not so bad and many of our guest mentioned that they liked them as it made the water calm to swim in and warmer..they were also great to snorkel around! This was really not a big issue at all, the water was still beautiful and the sand nice on the beach. The beach in Cuba was nicer but everything else here was better!

All in all, a fabulous wedding, holiday and resort..highly recommended for a romantic getaway without kids or a wedding group!!

Jen and Mike, Vancouver Canada

(This is long, but I tried to cover everything I had questions about before we went... and I broke it into sections)

Ok, first... if you can splurge a little and get a Casita... DO IT! It is amazing! We went to EDR for our wedding and honeymoon (8 amazing nights). We read most of the reviews on here before we went so we DID know what to expect ahead of time. I can't imagine that any of the bad reviews are from people in the Casitas... it is truly Paradise! I will say that I believe the Casita guests get top priority and service... but you pay for it too.

Arrival: We were greeted with Champagne and within a few minutes our Casita BellBoy - Martin (pronounced Marteen) - greeted us and took us on a great tour before taking us to the Casita check-in. It is separate from the regular check-in desk in the front lobby. Marteen is the friendliest and sweetest person on the property... he took care of us all week! We gave him a nice little tip at the beginning and at the end... and he was always there to take us anywhere we needed on the golf cart. (Give Marteen a hug from Pedro and Catalina!)

Casitas: We will post some pictures because it is breathtaking. We splurged and stayed in the Infinity Plunge Pool Casita (3104). We had the most amazing view! And we had our OWN plunge pool... which connected to the lazy river... which led to the Casita bar pool. Each set of Casita's has their own swim-up bar pool, their own set of Palapa's on the beach and their own Concierge... therefore there is never a crowd, you never have to fight for a chair or Palapa and the Concierge makes all of your reservations for you (for dinner, massages, etc...). Casita guests can make reservations at all of the restaurants, so no wait. Another great thing about the Casita's is that you can completely stay to yourself if you wish, or you can get to know your Casita-mates. After a few days of "alone-time" we were excited to meet some great new friends: Houston, Oklahoma, Colorado, Virginia and Scotland. They were all so much fun and we are keeping in contact with most of them. We are even trying to plan a future trip together! (We were so thankful to have met all of you!!!)

Concierge: They take care of all of your reservations for dinner and for the spa. They make sure you have whatever you need for your room (beer, water, towels, whatever). Anytime we had a question or needed something, they took care of it right away. Maria and Yalma (sp?) were so helpful!

Food: Gourmet, so sometimes we weren't sure what we ordered. Overall, the food was good for an all-inclusive resort... better than most I have stayed at. Portions are small, so its worth trying something from each section of the menu to get a variety (appetizers, salads, main course, desserts). The room-service breakfast was our favorite. Even though they only have certain things on the menu, we would write what we wanted and leave it on the door and we would get exactly what we ordered the next morning.

Casita Room: Very nice... jacuzzi tub, roofless shower (amazing... we hardly ever used the indoor shower), comfortable bed, they have a pillow menu in case you need a different type of pillow to sleep in, fridge is small and does not stay very cold (you can get as much ice as you want from the swim-up bar), lots of room, great patio with a bed and table (we had breakfast on the patio every morning), great maid service. We tipped our maid and we had great towel-animals and flowers on the bed most nights, and more towels than we could use.

Spa: I thought the spa was great... I was given a robe and slippers and a locker upon arrival. There were showers and towels available. It wasn't a 5 star spa, but it was very nice. I had a stress-relief massage and a facial - both were very good. Our favorite massages were the sunrise couple's massage and the sunset couple's massage - both on the beach. Do these - they are worth it... especially the sunset massage (with a bottle of champagne)... AMAZING!

Sunset Beach Dinner: Beautiful! Food was great (our best meal)! While you have dinner on the beach under the moonlight, a saxaphonist walks around and plays the most beautiful and romantic music... A MUST DO!

Tipping: Not required, but I would highly recommend it. These people work so hard (for very little) and they are so appreciative when you tip them. They will go above and beyond to give you great service with a little generosity. So many people do not tip, so they are so grateful to those who do. I wouldn't dream of not tipping, even when it is not required.

Beach: What everyone else says is true... the water is beautiful but the beaches are not really swimable. Their are plenty of palapas and chairs along the beach but its not the kind of beach you can just run in to when you get hot. We posted pictures. Again, this is why it is great being in the Casitas... you will never miss the beach.

Golf Carts: The Casita's are about a mile away from the main lobby, so most of the time you will want to catch a ride. They do drive a little crazy... keep you arms and legs INSIDE the cart. :) If we had a complaint, it would be that at night (during dinner time), it took awhile to catch a ride because they were so busy... but everything is so beautiful that you just need to breathe it in and enjoy it and be patient. Our bartender told us "a Mexican Minute is a Mexican Hour"... ha.

Hint on airport transfers: take a private car if you can (we only paid $35 extra each way and it was worth it). If you don't take a private car, its worth it to just get a cab... then you can bypass everyone and get to your destination A LOT faster and start enjoying your day. Also, when you get past customs, ignore all of the people trying to stop you... just bypass them and go straight outside to get a cab or to a private car if you booked it. We gave the Lomas Travel (who we booked the private car with) a $5 bill and he moved us ahead of everyone and straight to our car. The car to the hotel was just a regular 4 door car, but on the way back we were in a Navigator... either way, its nice because you don't have to stop at every hotel on the way there and back.

I hope we answered a lot of your questions... just remember to relax and enjoy and be patient... be grateful that there are places on earth that are so beautiful and breathtaking!

My husband and I were married in the UK on the 4th May and honeymooned at EDR from the 6th to 20th May.

Our lasting impression of EDR will be peace, beauty and overindulgence! We have never been fortunate enough to stay anywhere as beautiful. The staff work like trojans and are polite and attentive. The resort itself is maintained to an extremely high standard and better still, the people working at EDR seem to genuinely care about their place of work.

We stayed in an ocean front junior suite which did not disappoint. The room was large, airy, comfortable and cool. Now that I'm home, our bath will never seem the same again!!

We did use the room service on a couple of ocassions, and whilst the standard of the service and the food was good, the food wasn't very warm. Also, the cans of drink and bottled water in the fridge were welcome but again, not always very cold.

The only restaurant we didn't use was La Fondue due to a particularly long wait one evening so we chose to go somewhere else. All of the restaurants were superb. The portions were small but as another reviewer has mentioned, it was nice to be able to enjoy a starter, main and dessert.

We were not aware of the sandbagged beaches before travelling, and yes we were disappointed. Having said that, the beaches were clean and quiet and we managed to find our own quiet little lagoon to enjoy swimming and sunbathing.

I think the only thing I missed in staying at a totally a la carte resort, was being able to pop into a buffet restaurant during the day to have just a simple bowl of salad or to make a sandwich. This is in no way a criticism, more an observation, for how can you possibly criticise near perfection!!

We did go on a couple of the trips, Xel Ha is magical, and we also visited Playa Del Carmen and Cancun a couple of times. The speedboats are a complete buzz, but remember your sunblock. The beach at Playa is fabulous and makes up for the sandbags at EDR. I did find the shopping a little tedious as many of the shops are 'samey' and the goods overpriced for tourists, but they're good for an air-conditioned stop on a humid day!! Also, you must go to see the monkeys that live on the 'Bonanza' ranch on site. Take them some fruit and you'll be sure of a warm reception!

Thankyou EDR for a fabulous honeymoon and first impression of Mexico. I've always said that I would never return to a resort twice as there are so many beautiful places to visit, but never say never, and EDR will always be difficult to ignore.