El Dorado Casitas Royale is connected to the El Dorado Royale but the 2 resorts couldn't be more different. As soon as you step onto the Casitas side, you can immediately feel the calmness and tranquility of the resort. The Casitas has different blocks of rooms. Each block surrounds a pool and swim up bar so you never have to venture far to get a drink or cool off. Each block also has its own concierge who can make dinner reservations, spa appointments, book excursions or bring DVDs to your room. There was a decent selection of DVDs for when you want to have a lazy night.

The rooms are all ocean view and come with a high thatched roof, a king bed, a jacuzzi tub, small dining table, couch, indoor AND outdoor shower and an outdoor table and bed. The outdoor shower was heavenly and the outdoor bed was perfect for naps.

The beach is right in front of you which I loved because you could easily go back and forth between your room and the beach. You also have beach butlers which bring you a little cart with sunscreen, books, magazines, etc. Besides bring you drinks, they also come around with little gourmet snacks. The beach is swimmable but there are man made reefs in the water to protect the coastline.

All of the restaurants are shared with El Dorado Royale guests. All of the food is great, my favorites being Rincon, the Mexican restaurant, and D'italia, the Italian restaurant. There are 2 D'italias, one conveniently located on the Casitas side. Kampai is the Asian restaurant also located on the Casitas side. For Rincon, make sure you try lunch and dinner there as the menus are very different and both are excellent. JoJo's is great for Caribbean food with a view. And for a quick snack, there is a healthy cafe that serves smoothies and delicious soups, salads and sandwiches.

Nighttime activities are always at Guacamayas. There is a stage for the weekly performances and the outdoor bar next to it has comfortable seating and swings. There is also the Martini Bar in the main lobby of El Dorado which has a lounge like feel if you want something a little more mellow.

Make sure to get one of the resort bikes one day and just ride around. They have tandems which are a blast! It is also a great way to get a feel for the resort as it is quite large and things are spread out. They do have shuttles that run about every 10 minutes which are great for when it rains. Be prepared to wait a bit if it is raining. Service here is great and they make sure you are always enjoying yourself.

This part of the resort is definitely geared towards couples or singles who want peace and quiet. Definitely worth the splurge- you will not be disappointed!