Reviews from guests who stayed at this hotel, shared by our hotel supplier. Score based on the latest 156 reviews.
trafelerwannabe
Couple · June 2026
“Disappointing Day Pass Experience”
+If you're thinking about a day pass here, you might want to rethink it. Sure, the resort has a huge, pretty pool and super nice staff, but honestly, that's where the good stuff ends. Everything else is pretty disappointing. The buffet food is really bad, and the cocktails are basically just flavored water. And if you're hoping to chill on the beach, forget it - there's no seating! The beach area is tiny, and even though there are palapas for shade, you won't find any lounge chairs or anything to sit on right on the sand. So, with the bad food, weak drinks, and no beach seating, a day pass here just isn't worth it.
angelacH571JC
Family · April 2026
“Amazing Family Resort!”
+We just returned from El Cid and stayed in Castilla Beach. We were a family of 9 including an infant of 10 mos, a toddler just shy of 2 and a 4 year old. When we booked we upgraded to Elite and it was worth every penny. Let’s start with our arrival. We were immediately directed to the private check in. There is a small tourist tax per room which we were aware of prior to our arrival. Check in was smooth and the accommodated our request for 2 cribs, a fridge and adjoining rooms. Out of the gate we were extremely happy. Our rooms weren’t ready yet so we went and had lunch at La Concha in the El Moro hotel. Shout out to our server, Angel. He looked after us a few times throughout the week and was always pleasant and welcoming. We had a choice of buffet or à la carte dining here. Food was excellent. We had breakfast and lunch here almost everyday. Definitely try the coconut shrimp and the La Concha salad. Rooms were clean and we had a beautiful ocean view. Like others who commented, they are a little dated but honestly the decor is low on our priority. Cleanliness is what is important to our group. Beds were comfortable and there was plenty of space for clothes to be hung etc. Poolside
Shell1384
Couple · April 2026
“Great vacation at El Cid Castilla”
+My wife and I spent one week as regular all-inclusive (not elite) guests the week before Easter (Holy Week / Samena Santa) at El Cid Castilla. Overall we really enjoyed our stay and would return. Room: Our ocean view, king size bed room on the 9th floor was fantastic! Very spacious, amazing view, comfortable bed, and very clean. My only negative was the lack of hot water when showering. It was only ever lukewarm at best, but when it’s +30°C outside it felt refreshing. We left notes for housekeeping if we wanted more towels or pillows and they were great at filling those requests by the time we returned. Pool: Every morning I would get our pool towels on some chairs before we went to breakfast. The pool is very clean and well maintained. The waterfall features are beautiful and relaxing when reading a book. The water was a nice temperature. The pool at the El Moro side was definitely busier since that is where kids can jump off the cliff. Castilla side did get busier in the afternoons so as early risers we enjoyed the quiet mornings at the pool. Food/buffets: the buffet was surprisingly good. We enjoyed 95% of what we put on our plates. Lots of options so you don’t need to eat the s
dwightkirkpatrickk
Solo · April 2026
“El CID Terrible All Inclusive”
+So I’ve been here for 2 weeks and leave tomorrow. So let’s start. First off I booked an all inclusive at the Granada. 14 days all inclusive direct from Edmonton. Price was very fair I thought. As we boarded the busy there was no option for the Granada, just the Beach, Moro, and Castillo. Being here before I got on the Castillo bus and once arrived I was just going to walk across the road when the bell boy told me the Granada was closed. “News to me”. So I checked in and asked to be upgraded because I didn’t want the absolutely packed poos at the other resorts. I wanted a laid back resort. Well get a 4 hr wait I got a room ground floor 15 ft from the pool at the El Moro, 15 ft from the stereo, yoga was 1.5ft from my deck. Yes not what I wanted. Do I thought I would make the best of it which was fine until you tried to figure out the all inclusive and the 59 colors of wrist bands. Went for lunch to be told sorry you came dine here, went for a drink and told the same. Finally four a bar and got draft beer. Guy beside me got a can? Got into the room, not a bad room. It was loud but whatever. I went to have a beer in the deck but guess what? No fridge in the room at all? 2 bottles of wa
U-dub-el-U
Couple · March 2026
“Our fifth time at EL CID-the best yet”
+If you are a couple or in a family, and you want to check in fast, the one thing to remember is that the bellhops will bring your luggage to you in the check-in area. So, why would you stand around and watch them unload the bus? Get off the bus and walk (or run) directly to the front counter with your paperwork and credit card (because there is a surcharge) in hand. They will have two or more staff at the check-in counter. Check-in is usually 10 minutes long. We got a room overlooking the pool, facing the Pacific. What we didn’t know immediately was that the activity area was close by and their super powered speaker was 8-feet from our balcony. Once we unpacked and headed downstairs to the pool deck to get our towels (and a beverage), we settled into a lounge chair and the activities staff were playing their music and entertaining the guests with games. A few hours later when we returned to our room, it was apparent that the noise from the speaker was going to be an issue. We were pretty tired having had to get up at 4 a.m. to get to the airport. (N.B. Once we got to the airport we found out the flight was delayed by 2.5 hours!) Anyway, after a nice shower and dinner at the Pergola
mikesW9420PH
Family · March 2026
“Beautiful resort and staff!”
+Beautiful resort! The staff was so friendly. The kids had a blast with all the activities and shows. The staff was so fun and accommodating for the little guys (Yazmin, litzy, and Nadia)
RockyDuane
Family · March 2026
“@ Weeks at El Cid Castilla Beach Hotel Mar 7 to 21 , 2026”
+Our 2 week stay at the El Cid Castilla was in the most part, a great 2 week holiday. From the clean grounds ,beautiful pools, great food, and Wonderful service and Great Servers , El Cid is the real deal. Smiling faces through out the hotel willing to help out when needed. Location was great for shopping and small bars in Golden Zone. Beware of $15.00 US. a day service fee upon registering . Not sure if other hotels in Mazatlan charge this. The buffet was good. The a'la cartes were great both the food and waiters. The beach was clean and easy to walk. Great location. Pools were clean and activity people were full of energy and friendly. Service around pool was very good. Rooms clean. The only negative part of our stay was ; Check- in was very slow with limited English. No Free bottled water in rooms . No warning about not drinking hotel water. Food prices on menu were very inflated at buffet and a'la carte for non inclusive people. Bath Towels very late near end of day.
Carol
United Kingdom · Family · January 2026
“Enjoyed our stay but we didn’t stay much at the hotel as we were visiting family.”
+The location was fantastic! The outside of the hotel was great and very clean. The food was mostly Mexican but plenty of fresh fruit, cereal, pancakes and bread for breakfast. The hotel room was basic but did have a TV, iron and ironing board, hairdryer and a safe box.
−You have the option of clean sheets and toilet rolls each day but the room itself was basic. You have to tip for everything, not much but it all adds up. The hotel had 85% Mexicans, a few Canadians but we were the only English people throughout our stay.
sidneym2026
Family · January 2026
“Vacation”
+Noe was by far the most welcoming, friendly person we met at El cid. He made us feel so welcome to Mazatlan, any questions he was happy to help! We will be back just for Noe.
Smeehere
Family · December 2025
“A pleasant surprise! WestJet Vacations and the Elite Club exceeded expectations.”
+We booked a last-minute family trip through WestJet Vacations and were initially a bit nervous since we weren't familiar with this property. However, from the moment we arrived, those worries vanished. We were whisked away to the Elite Club check-in, which was our first hint at the luxury experience ahead. The staff did a great job explaining the expansive property and the perks of our wristbands. The Elite Club is worth every penny,it granted us access to all properties, various beaches, and top-tier bars. Dining: The food was a major highlight. We visited the Marina (absolutely fantastic!), the Mexican, and the Argentinian restaurants. Each offered incredible service and a perfect atmosphere. Even the buffets were consistently clean with a generous variety. Beach & Pools: While the pools looked inviting, we spent all our time at the spectacular beaches. If your package includes the private beach, do not miss it,it’s a must-see. Obviously I used AI to help write this, but it sums it up quite nicely. Would return in a heart-beat.