Disclaimer: I was invited to experience 2025 LOMAS Appreciation Week at the El Dorado Royale all-inclusive hotel in Cancun, Mexico. The nice group of folks over at FERRCONN, a Cancun/NYC area-based marketing team, helped organize the event.
I had never heard of Grupo LOMAS, nor was I terribly familiar with all-inclusives. Nevertheless, I happened to traveling in Veracruz for work, so the timing worked out to attend 2025 LOMAS Appreciation Week in Cancun.
Grupo LOMAS was founded in the 1980s, when founders Dolores López Lira (formerly an Acapulco travel agent) and José Luis Martínez Alday began offering ground transportation around Cancun. They opened a few hotel rooms in 1992 on a beach 30 minutes south of the airport (CUN); that turned to 100 rooms around 10 years later. Now, they oversee eight resorts in Cancun.
Among those eight resorts are a mix of adults-only, overwater bungalows, and family-friendly options. The gaggle of media was hosted at the El Dorado Royale, which shares a campus with Casitas (adults-only), and Generations (family-focused).
Following a private transfer from that series of bus terminals known as Cancun Airport, I was met by FERRCONN representatives for check-in.
FERRCONN had arranged some special activities for the small media group, of which I was a part. Although I couldn’t participate in some of them due to work obligations, those activities included a welcome dinner, a visit to a cenote (Yucatan watering hole), a ride on a catamaran, a site inspection, and on-site spot called Rancho Bonanza to mingle with animals.
I should mention that even though El Dorado Royale/its two sister properties do have a beach, it’s not really made for swimming. For that, one can head to another Grupo LOMAS hotel called Maroma.
Speaking of Maroma, that’s probably where I had the best meals of the week. Their star dining establishment is a buffet of a variety of Mexican dishes.
That’s the key — Mexican food.
I could have spent most of the five days at that buffet, no sweat. Instead, the El Dorado Royale – Casitas – Generations complex swung and mostly missed at non-Mexican cuisines.
Take the welcoming dinner as an example.
The aguachile started things off strong, but then imagination took its toll.
Mexico’s regional cuisines have consistently earned a gold star in my book. Stick with that.
On that note….
Señora Dolores, one of the co-founders, heard that I was asking for actually spicy salsa. The next day, she surprised me with some excellent habanero salsa, and some charred habanero “chips.” There are around 5400 employees under her belt, and countless other faces that she’s met, so that was a nice individualized gesture.
Speaking of where to eat, note that not every restaurant is open for breakfast/lunch/dinner. You will get a schedule at check-in of what’s open, as well as a map, since the resort complex is large. If you’re too full/inebriated, take one of the golf carts to your destination.
Anyway, Cocotal is the main breakfast (buffet only) place at El Dorado Royale, located below the lobby. Time it wrong, and you’re going to have to wait; fortunately, on the two days I timed it wrong, I headed to other places that almost entirely lacked patrons.
Cocotal has some good Mexican eats, as well as a slightly hidden juice bar somewhere in the back right corner (from the POV of entering the restaurant).
Look out for their churros and baked goods, too.
Another place I went to a couple of times — not because I ever want vegan food, but because it had available seating — was the “The Health Bar.” The location right by the waterfront sold it to me.
The lobby bar was another common place for me to spend a few minutes, as 1) it had bottles of water readily available, and 2) it begat striking up conversations.
Room
El Dorado Royale is undergoing intermittent renovations, so take the image of my room with a grain of salt. It was a bit long in the tooth, and had an anachronistic jacuzzi that I only used for keeping luggage.
FERRCONN had a nice little spread of cosmetics and bonbons awaiting my arrival, as well as a bottle of El Cielo white wine, from the Grupo LOMAS vineyard and hotel in Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California.
The internet wasn’t particularly good, and the shower pressure was iffy, but on the plus side the bed was great, and the air conditioner was otherworldly.
On the last night, the 2025 LOMAS Appreciation Week culminated in an awards show for the top selling travel agents from North America. It was nice to see a big company giving something back to the people who keep Grupo LOMAS chugging along.
In spite of the so-so meals and lackluster accommodations, I met some good people in the group — media and the two hosting companies — who made all the difference.
The Cancun sunsets didn’t hurt either.
