Why The Foodie In You Will LOVE Karisma Resorts!

For anyone who’s ever wondered what Gourmet Inclusive® really means, this list is for you. Here’s a little taste of what awaits when you elevate all-inclusive to Karisma’s standards.

SERVICE & STYLE  KARISMA HOTELS & RESORTS

Gourmet Inclusive® isn’t just about the food—it’s about the whole experience.

​A luxe touch is more than just what's on your plate. What this brand promise means is to have every detail covered from start to finish—to have needs anticipated before you even think about them. Little things like reading glasses and shawls available at every restaurant, the latter unobtrusively offered at the hint of a shiver, without ever having to ask for it. It's being offered a flute of sparkling wine and cool towel the minute you step into the lobby, and being told that any request is "[my] pleasure" to fulfill. 

As for actual eats, it can be things like child–sized food displays, name–brand baby food, and real recipes from the Yucatan Peninsula. For drinks, chlorophyll or fruit–infused water in the spas and fitness centers. And in terms of novel presentation, you'll find that gourmet touch in features like a sushi river with floating bites at Tainan of Azul Beach and Kiyoko at El Dorado Maroma; real Peruvian ceviche at Lima Limon, also at El Dorado Maroma; or dining in what looks and feels like a real, hilltop port town in Italy at Mia Casa at El Dorado Seaside Suites.

JACKSON FAMILY WINES
GENERATIONS RIVIERA MAYA, A GOURMET INCLUSIVE® RESORT, 
BY KARISMA

Wine more and you’ll find nothing to complain about.

​Drinking red wine is good for your heart; drinking good wine is good for your heart AND soul. That's why Karisma Hotels & Resorts have partnered with Jackson Family Wines to offer premium vintages from over 40 lauded wineries across California, France, Italy, Chile, and Australia to create a wine list so good, it won the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. This honor is reserved for wine lists that "typically offer at least 90 selections" that are "appropriate to [the] cuisine and appeal to a wide range," guidelines Karisma exceeded with flying colors. 

Narrowing all these choices down to one glass or bottle is challenging, but these resorts have you covered. A yearlong calendar of full–week events let you try some of the best of the best at nominal cost. Visit the first week of each month to learn about and sample something new every day with the Jackson Family Wines Culinary Series, which features sommelier– and wine personality–led seminars, tastings, guest chef dinners, and even an extravagant gala meal at the Fuentes Culinary Theatre at El Dorado Royale next door.

CANADIAN BEEF
EL DORADO CASITAS ROYALE, A GOURMET INCLUSIVE® RESORT,
BY KARISMA

Where’s the beef? Karisma Hotels & Resorts, obviously.

​Beef is definitely what's for dinner when it's sourced from the acclaimed ranchers up in Canada, a region renowned for rigorous grading, inspection, and food safety standards. At Karisma Hotels & Resorts, it's the only red meat you'll find on your table, whether it's in the form of a meatball on fresh–made pasta, a burger grilled and topped with greenhouse garnish, or a succulent ribeye, smoky and rich with velvety goodness. 

But of course, it's not Gourmet Inclusive® if it's not taken up yet another notch—El Dorado Royale and El Dorado Casitas Royale also host weeklong celebrations with guest chefs all year round. Get in on the rare action: the remainder of this year includes guest appearances by Ted Corrado of The Drake/The Drake 150 in Toronto (October 10 – 14), Paul Rogalski of Rouge in Calgary (November 14 – 18), and Murray McDonald of Fogo Island Inn in Gander (December 12 – 16). Book a stay around those dates and reserve your spot for the Monday night beach BBQ, Tuesday night beef sampling and wine pairing, Wednesday dinnertime cooking demo, Thursday burger and wine lunch, or Friday gala at the Fuentes Culinary Theatre.

FUENTES CULINARY THEATRE
EL DORADO ROYALE, A GOURMET INCLUSIVE® RESORT, 
BY KARISMA

Where dinner is a show.

​Our first two reasons both made mention of this exceptional venue, so we'd be remiss if we didn't acquaint you with one of the most innovative concepts in the Riviera Maya—nay, the global—resort scene: the Fuentes Culinary Theatre. Imagine sitting in the studio audience of your favorite cooking show and being served lauded chef–imagined dishes as they're being prepared. Then, imagine it being in a tropical paradise, under a cavernously huge straw palapa roof, and multiply the pleasure by ten. 

That's what it's like to experience the live dinner performances here. However, these events are highly coveted and extremely limited, so be sure to reserve your seat. This once–in–a–lifetime experience is well worth planning ahead for and even basing your stay on!

GREENHOUSE
EL DORADO ROYALE, A GOURMET INCLUSIVE® RESORT,
BY KARISMA

How local is the sourcing? Try their own back yard.

​It doesn't get more local than this! The produce you'll find in the Riviera Maya's El Dorado, Azul, and Generations properties is the same you'll discover in the 10,000–square–foot greenhouse Karisma Hotels & Resorts maintains on the grounds of El Dorado Royale, by Karisma. This revolutionary commitment to fresh, farm–to–table ingredients is part of what makes Gourmet Inclusive® an incredible value and the brand an outstanding pioneer of making resort dining the focal point of a vacationer's stay. 

Even better? Everything is grown sustainably, yielding 120 tons of crops annually upon last report, a haul made more impressive by the fact that all pesticides used are organic and often just spice– and/or plant–based. Chemical–free vegetables and herbs improve not only the flavor of everything that hits your plate, but reduces the carbon footprint left by importing or transporting ingredients, something Karisma pays forward through their programs with local schools.

AVANT–GARDE (MODERNIST) CUISINE
AZUL SENSATORI MEXICO, A GOURMET INCLUSIVE® HOTEL,
BY KARISMA

Play with your food. These chefs do.

​You've seen it all on TV: mousse, foam, dry ice, deconstructed dishes. But with Karisma Hotels & Resorts, you'll get to not only see, but taste it in real life. Azul Sensatori Mexico, by Karisma in the Riviera Maya is home to Le Chique, one of the top ten restaurants in all of Mexico and host of a AAA Five Diamond Award–winning "multi–sensory dining adventure." They call it "modernist cuisine" here, where familiar foods and ingredients reimagined by Chef Jonatán Gómez Luna and his team resemble something else entirely. 

At the new Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, you'll want to make reservations at Kitchen 23 by Le Chique, where molecular touches meet traditional favorites. This adults–only restaurant is one that will have you as full of wonder as any child.

KIDS MEALS, ELEVATED
AZUL BEACH & AZUL SENSATORI MEXICO, GOURMET INCLUSIVE® HOTELS, BY KARISMA

Picky eaters? They won’t be after a stay at any one of these resorts!

​Children's menus are typically full of things like plain white pasta with watery tomato sauce, chicken nuggets and fries, or instant mac and cheese. No wonder their appetites stay pint–sized! But at the Azul, Generations, and Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts, their eyes will certainly be bigger than their plates as they discover how very delightful eating can be. 

They can start the day with breakfast with song and dance by Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob SquarePants, or even the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at Azul Beach and Azul Sensatori Mexico. There, parents and children alike are served healthy treats and prepared–to–order, gourmet food plated in fun and imaginative ways. At Generations Riviera Maya, the Little Eko Chefs™ program puts the magic in their hands as they learn about food, nutrition, and basic cooking skills. The food displays at some resorts are even set at child heights to let kids make their own healthy decisions! And for those who might still be a little too young to grasp the finer points of Gourmet Inclusive—or a fork!—there's always the fact that all baby food provided is by Gerber®, an American premium brand, and bottle warmers are happily stocked in–room by request.

AUTHENTIC TOUCHES
AZUL FIVES, A GOURMET INCLUSIVE®HOTEL,
BY KARISMA

No matter where your craving comes from, Karisma’s got you covered.

​With a promise like Gourmet Inclusive® and themed restaurants that span from European to South American to Asian, this brand had to do its homework. Visitors to their resorts are well–heeled, and they know the real thing when they taste it. 

That's why they go gaga over details like housemade pasta at Arezzo at Azul Fives and Siena at Azul Sensatori Mexico, where you can also get brick–oven pizza. They get excited about meals at Koh Thai, knowing that the chef hails from Thailand and was specially sought out for Azul Fives. At that same resort, they try all the street–food taco varieties made from scratch at Oriola, or the even broader menu at La Carreta at El Dorado Seaside Suites or Rincón Mexicano at El Dorado Casitas Royale. There, guests can also have coal–fired American Southwestern cuisine at Santa Fe Grill. At Generations Riviera Maya, don't miss the traditional–inspired pan–Asian hot pots, served sizzling and family–style.

SPECIALTY LIQUORS
​AZUL FIVES, A GOURMET INCLUSIVE®HOTEL,
BY KARISMA

Water, water, everywhere—so here’s a drop of drink.

Let's be real—one of the primary reasons all–inclusives became such a phenomenon is because nobody hates an open bar. Included food is great, but until Karisma Hotels & Resorts upped the ante by making all meals Gourmet Inclusive®, it was all about being able to tipple 'til you toppled. However, Karisma changed the game by bringing the top shelf to the table, including specialty spirits–focused bars for aficionados. For example, Azul Beach's Agavero and El Dorado Seaside Suites' La Carreta put tequila in the spotlight with a massive selection and even homemade flavors at the latter. Also at Seaside Suites is Mezcalito, which pays homage to traditional mezcal; Azul Fives takes the authentic route at 1910 with the same and yet another traditional favorite: beer! 

For those who want to drink with pinkies up, El Dorado Royale has the Bellinis Bar and a martini bar, and Azul Sensatori Mexico offers the upscale Mojito Lounge. To that, Generations Riviera Maya counters with the Sling Bar for their own specialty sweet treats. But if you want to get down to sophisticated "basics," try The Gin Bar at Azul Fives.

24–HOUR GOURMET ROOM SERVICE
​GENERATIONS RIVIERA MAYA, A GOURMET INCLUSIVE® RESORT,
BY KARISMA

Ordering in at Karisma? Forget the plastic containers and paper plates. This is gourmet.
Mexican? Italian? Asian? Continental? Or just a little bit of it all? That's all up to you when you order 24–hour room service at any of the Karisma Hotels & Resorts. The only thing each of these dishes will have in common is that they'll be prepared by a gourmet chef who will put just as much time and attention into your "takeout" order as put in their "eat–in" tickets. They'll customize anything you like from their extensive menu, whether it's to accommodate allergies—from nuts to dairy to gluten—or lifestyles like vegan/vegetarian and religious restrictions. 

Enjoy it on your massive dining room table at Generations Riviera Maya, or take it upstairs to a private rooftop terrace at Azul Fives, where you can also request a chef–helmed barbecue exclusively for your party. If it's just the two of you, why not have breakfast in bed or lunch on your terrace or balcony? That's living the life.

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This article is reproduced from Travel Impressions, Ltd.