El Cid Castilla Beach Hotel

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 was great. As I mentioned we had a 4 year old with us and there was plenty of things for her to do. Water wasn’t too deep close to the edge and they had water slides that were age appropriate. Our servers at the pool were Francesco and Ramon who were amazing. Talk about hard working! Those guys never stopped. We were there over the Easter long weekend and they set up an Easter egg hunt and the Easter bunny was there for pictures too. Very kid friendly and well organized. Beach was a ton of fun for everyone too; from building sand castles to playing in the waves. Life guards on duty took their jobs seriously and certainly were watching what was going on. We booked four of the five à la carte restaurants and again food quality and service was fantastic. We didnt go to Marina. We will save that for next time. The only place where we didn’t find the food to be good was the buffet in Castilla. There wasn’t a ton of selection but with so many other choices it doesn’t change my rating of the property. We (twosome) also managed to get four rounds of golf in. Courses were in great shape. Played a round in about 3 hours. Our caddy had eagle eyes so no time wasted looking for balls. Overall we had an amazing family vacation. We had never been to an El Cid property prior to this vacation and we were completely satisfied with everything. Although I only mentioned a few, all of the staff were outstanding. Highly recommended and we will definitely return but absolutely upgrade to Elite!

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 same thing every day unless you choose to. The omelette and eggs cooked to order station was fantastic! Always fresh fruit, lots of vegetable and salad options, great fish and other meats, pizza and hot dogs available for more North American style foods. Lunch is served at the outdoor restaurant with great views of the ocean, and dinner had different themes every night. Food/a-la-cartes: We didn’t have any trouble booking an a-la-carte restaurant for the following night. With only 2 of us, we were able to book for 6pm or 7pm seatings 3 nights in a row. We ate at the Italian, Thai, and Argentinian Steak House restaurants. All were very good. The mango tapioca dessert in the Thai restaurant was so delicious and refreshing! Alcohol/drinks: we are not big drinkers but enjoyed the occasional michelada, Paloma, jamaica juice, orange juice, or horchata. We never went thirsty and everything tasted great. Beach: the beach is lovely in this area. Golden sand, flat, you can walk for about an hour to the left with no obstructions. Heading right/North the beach does get a little steep in some places making it more of a hike. The Pacific Ocean water is very warm and swimmable. You can walk out quite a way and only be hip deep. Resort Fee: there is a $15 USD/day charge that is paid upon check in. This can be surprising so be aware of it when you book. It’s not uncommon though, I have paid it in places like Las Vegas so just work it into your vacation budget and be sure to utilitize the hotels amenities. Staff: the staff were always incredibly helpful and attentive. Special thanks to Sergio and Antonio for always taking care of us in the Pergola buffet! Location: El Cid is connected to 3 resorts (Granada, Moro, Castilla) and offers a shuttle to their Marina location. The 3 connected are close to the Golden Zone and Malecon so walkable or a short taxi/pulmonia ride from most things you may want to visit. We absolutely loved our stay at El Cid Castilla. We were at Riu Emerald Bay 3 years ago and preferred El Cid. It is an older hotel but extremely well maintained for its 40+ year age. Hope to return soon!

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 buffet/dinner theatre, we decided to go to the check-in counter and request another room. We are seniors and like to take a nap in the later afternoons. So, this room would not be a good match. I spoke to the same young señorita that checked us in and asked for a different room. She hummed and hawed for a bit asking irrelevant questions. I, again, requested a different room and she disappeared to the back and out came Carlos, the young assistant to the rescue. Right away Carlos found us a room, number 4081, which was far away from the music and activities of the El Moro pool. He made arrangements with a bellboy to come to our room in an hour and escort us to our new room. By 9 p.m. our problem was resolved and we were happy, plus we slept comfortably all night! Thank you Carlos! Our vacation was issue-free thereafter. Not one thing went wrong. Everything was great! The staff there are so pleasant and pleasing. You’d think this review would be over. Not really, we just want to say a heart-felt thank you to Sergio in the Pergola breakfast area for being our number 1 server. He saved us a table each morning, got us our three favourite juices, and sometimes a coffee. Another big thank you to Alejandro in the Mexican à la carte Restaurant (La Cascada), and our two pool servers by the El Moro pool for refreshing us with our morning Tequila Sunrises and afternoon cervesas. And then there was Monica at the money exchange booth for putting up with our daily, sometimes twice daily, visits to “break” our 500 peso notes. This was our fifth visit to the El CID Castilla beach resort since 2007. Superficially, I see there are some changes. They repair and paint as well as keep the building looking fresh and clean. We like coming back because we are comfortable with the resort and the staff are great. Also, the cooking crew are hardworking and creative to ensure we stay satisfied.

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.

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.

This was our 15th (15 years) visit to Castilla, and as usual an outstanding trip! We are a group of golfers who book the elite package with unlimited golf. There are 3 golf courses accross the street as part of this amazing resort, which also includes numerous tennis and pickleball courts.You will never be bored.The beach area is also fantastic, if you like beach walks around sunset , this is the place. Rooms and food were outstanding.With our package we dined mostly at La Concha, and did a few of the a la cartes, which were great. Shout out to Leissie for arranging our accommodations, Fernanda and her team at elite for ensuring care and comfort, Marta at the club house for arranging our golf,....all amazing and service oriented staff that understand customer service. Also at La Concha, Ricardo and Stephen outstanding 5 star service! This is an amazing resort with incredible staff and we will be back next year. Highly recommended!!!!!!!!!!

We ate at El Alcazar twice during a recent stay in Mazatlan. It is our favorite of all the El Cid restaurants. The food is delicious. Both times our server was Marco. He was outstanding. Attentive, professional, personable, and a lot of fun. We also spent a day at the beach. We received excellent service from Alfonso. If you’re on the beach, look for Imelda who sells cover ups, dresses, and hats; Patricia and Blanca who sell jewelry and do hair; Leo for sunglasses and hats; and Sergio for fresh fruit. They are extremely kind, wonderful people.

There are pros and cons, and will begin with the good. The service towards guests is excellent and top priority. You can see this from entry point to check out. The food is good, but the reserved spots are excellent. I especially enjoyed the Sushi food. The drinks are ok and cleanliness is a pass. When you request extra items, they kindly provide this. The negative is extremely disappointing to me and that is the fact that there is NO consideration to the environmental impact. There is soooo much trash in the beach without any accountability from the hotel towards having someone clean up after it's inconsiderate guests that leave a bunch of trash for the ocean to take. Its so disheartening that it left me feeling so disappointed in the hotel. I understand that people should be the ones picking up after themselves, but the reality is that its not the case, and I do believe the hotel could at least have one person picking the trash (plastic cups, toy nets, plastic bags, chip bags and some much more) that is in its beach. I was in the beach everyday of my stay and picked up so much trash from the beach, but to no avail since so much was left throughout the day. I told the Cid Castilla representatives by the beach, but not much response was given.

We stayed at the Marina, and used the the Castillo for the kids club, breakfast/lunch and the adults pools. Service is amazing ! My kids (4&6) looooved the kids clubs, the women there were very nice and loving . Our favorite part of the breakfast were the Nutella waffles 🤣 . Food is correct , nothing outstanding but as expected for an all inclusive . I recommend this place for family !