Hotel Playa Mazatlan

I give this hotel one star. My issue was with the fake "special" price $2,267.00 for 4 nights at this hotel is beyond abusive.

We went for a day (9-5), and paid through the roof for it. In addition to over $900 pesos for the day pass which included food and drink, we had to (no option not to do this) pay over 300 pesos for towel rental even though we didn't need towels. We arrived around 10:00 and all but one restaurant was closed until 11:30. The one open was a buffet where the food was mediocre and cold. The pool where the swim up bar is was also COLD. They do not have paper maps or even anyone to help direct you to where the pools are located. Eventually, we found the hot tub and heated pool (both were the same temperature). The drinks were very, very weak and not very good (mineral water instead of soda water in Mojitos). My husband dropped his card for the towel rental (WHICH WE DIDN'T NEED) AND Someone snatched it up. This meant we did not get our 300 pesos deposit back on the towels WHICH WE DIDN'T USE OR NEED OR WANT. Bottom line, cold pools aside from one, bad drinks, cold food, and forced to rent towels whether you need them or not. Absolutely no worth the time or money.

I initially made a reservation for October 2025. Unfortunately, my plans changed and I wasn't able to make this trip. With that said I did a lot of research on where to stay. I chose Hotel Playa Mazatlán, because of its fantastic reviews. It's a place where you can enjoy great food, fun activities, and more. Even better than that is the customer service you receive. As I mentioned earlier, I wasn't able to make the trip. I want to give a shout out to Alejandra who helped me with my refund. She went far beyond what I'd expect from most customer service reps. She kept me informed of when I'd get my refund and even gave me detailed instructions to help her facilitate the transaction. When you experience that kind of customer service, you know you've made the right choice for a vacation. I look forward to making another reservation to Hotel Playa Mazatlán. Thank you, Alejandra Preciado, for your exceptional customer service.

The resort is definitely NOT a 4 star. As a Canadian traveler with my husband and his family, I would definitely not return to this resort or recommend it to anyone.

I'll start with the good:
- service - despite staff not being able to speak English (or if so, minimally), they were very friendly and tried to be accommodating. They worked hard and we appreciated it. There was drink service at the beach some days too.
- room was cleaned well each day. Floors were mopped, bed made, etc. Would recommend the ocean-view as it is really pretty at sunrise and sunset.
- the beach (sand and water) were nice
- really cute, authentically Mexican-style resort. Enjoyed the architecture and history of the resort. Generally it was quite clean.
- location - easy access to restaurants and the malecon

The bad:
- the rooms. no option to select a king bed, only two doubles - not a big deal though. The rooms are not equipped with things you typically see at an all-inclusive (or even a basic hotel) - no mini fridge, no coffee maker, no robes or slippers, just 3 water bottles provided during the daily cleaning. Most all inclusives have a nicely stocked mini fridge with ice cold beer or hot coffee in the morning to enjoy. Also no fan in the room if that's something you're used to. We also did not have any hand towels or face cloths in our room (had to request these).
- the food. TERRIBLE. the buffet was awful, bordering inedible. the a la cartes were also awful. everything tasted like cardboard. You'd find better food at your local Denny's than anywhere on this resort. The only thing that was remotely edible were the tacos at Captain Jacks. Otherwise, worst food I've ever eaten in my life.
- drinks (alcohol and non-alc). Very limited selection other than the typical sugary blender drinks.
- noisiness of the resort. We could hear every word or footstep outside our room, all day and all night. It would be nice if there were resort quiet hours in the evenings. We barely slept on this trip due to the noise of people in the hallways. There is also almost nowhere to enjoy a peaceful moment on this resort during the day. Loud music blasting at the pool or bandas exploding your ear drums on the beach,
- unless you speak spanish, you cannot watch tv (not that I suggest watching tv on holidays anyway, but it isn't even an option).
- advertised to have a swim-up bar. there is no such thing.
- birds swarming you if you eat on resort

The ugly:
- despite the beach itself being beautiful, the chairs provided on the beach are hard plastic. I'm in my early thirties and my back was aching after a few days sitting in these things. The resort seriously need to invest in some loungers for the beach. Even worse than the chairs were the incessant salespeople and the constant bandas playing. We had other reviews mentioning this, but it is even worse than you can imagine. The beach is somewhat peaceful until noon (minus someone waking you up to try and sell you something every 5 minutes), but the mariachi bands are working at a volume you cannot even imagine. There is usually 1-4 bandas playing at the same time, with their amps cranked to maximum volume. You cannot hear the person right next to you speaking, let alone hear your own thoughts. Do not think about reading or napping past 12pm.

All in all, this resort is very much catered to locals. It is not at all relaxing, I feel like I wasted 7 of my vacation days on this trip. Can't really think of one redeeming quality to render this place worthwhile to anyone.

recently stayed at this resort in Mexico and unfortunately, it did not meet expectations.

The room was very basic and lacked some standard amenities that most travelers would expect. There was no fridge in the room, which made it difficult to keep drinks or snacks cold. There was also no coffee maker, which was disappointing since having coffee readily available in the morning is something many guests look forward to while on vacation.

One of the features that was advertised and that I was most excited about was the swim-up bar, but it was closed during our stay. This was a major letdown, as it’s often a highlight of an all-inclusive resort experience.

The location itself was beautiful, as you would expect in Mexico, but the missing amenities and unavailable facilities took away from the overall experience. I hope the resort addresses these issues so future guests can enjoy the stay they’re expecting.

Beach: A+. The best part. Clean and beautiful. Palapas are great. Landscaping lovely. Could use cushions on beach chairs. Back hurts!

Hotel: B. Definitely 3 star. Very clean, firm but comfy beds. Genuinely lovely, hardworking staff. Great view for ocean side rooms.

Buffet: D. Terrible. Nice location on beach. Breakfast good but lunch and dinner a crapshoot...Only 50% of items had signs. No understanding of celiac disease and cross contamination. One day canned mineral water was free and the next there was a charge...?

Restaurants: A-. Much better quality of good and service. Casa Roberto was excellent. No understanding of celiac disease and cross contamination but were trying hard.

Bars: B-. Good but inconsistent. One bar ran out of red wine before dinner. No problem getting it once seated. Chilean house merlot and cab sauv are very good.

Banda: Fun, authenic spanish marching bands with tubas, brass, and drums. Play from noon to early evening nonstop. If you want a siesta, bring earplugs or sleep by the warm pool where the cafe is. You either love it or hate it. Sometimes both. This week was carnical and there were 18 bands on the beach playing at the same time. (We counted the tubas).

Suggestions for hotel: Train your staff on food allergies and celiac disease. Improve buffet quality. Label everything individually, including salad dressings, drinks, and honey. Provide butter not margarine. Get decaf espresso coffee (not instant). Make a conference room a quiet room for reading / library.

It was so great!! We love Walter he is so nice! the activities are great, food is great too, i was sceptical at first but we loved it!! Pools are lovely. Beach is super clean.

I am giving my honest opinion of Playa Mazatlan Resort. I am an unbelievable very fussy person and cant eat many things even at my own home, never mind a resort. My last vacation I spent every day of the week eating spaghetti 3 times a day, every day for 7 days. I am that picky. I have to say this is without a doubt Playa Mazatlan is the best place I have ever been. The location, beach, service , room were all fantastic. Above all, the food was utterly FANTASTIC. I never ate so well in my life. Captain Jack has the most awesome Kabobs, chicken, beef or shrimp with all the fixings. They went out of their way to add pineapples to my chicken skewer. Desserts were great. Brazilian was a chefs masterpiece. Carved Beef, BBQ pork tenderloin and marinated chicken breast your choice. The buffets were just incredible. Everything was fresh, hot and plentiful. Tons of fresh fruit and salads. The deserts were like you would get in a high end bakery. Believe me, they really put on a great meal choice. Honestly I even went back for seconds and sometimes a 3rd little portion. I did actually eat spaghetti once as a side to my meal. I do not eat fish or seafood but there was plenty there that looked delicious. My room was second floor facing the beach and ocean. The music was beach mexican musicians and it was really nice. It was not loud like others have said. I slept quite well at night. One thing I like the best is the street markets. They are not pushy at all. You do not feel hen pecked the minute you walk by one. Beach sellers are the same. They respectively take no as an answer. All in all, it was the best vacation I have ever had. I thank you playa mazatlan and I hope , health willing , I can return again.

Best location along the strip. Walking distance to numerous restaurants, stores, the malecon. Beautiful beach you can walk for miles. The food is fantastic if you go to the Italian or Mexican restaurant. The sushi beach snack bar is also fantastic! However, the buffet is absolutely disgusting. I have traveled throughout Mexico and Cuba and this resort had the worst food I have ever encountered. I would be emberrased serving this food in a 4 star resort. Resort could also be cleaner. Pool decks were dirty and I saw floating bandaids in the pool.

Good:
The hotel has 4–5 swimming pools with different temperatures, which is a big plus. There is a great shallow pool with warmer water that’s perfect for younger kids. The location is excellent, and the beach is very nice.

Not so good:
Cleanliness is a serious issue. Don’t expect towels or bedding to be properly clean.
The food is very mediocre, especially for a resort. Breakfast is extremely disappointing: there is no egg station at all (this is the first time I’ve seen this after staying in more than 40 hotels worldwide). Only boiled eggs and cold scrambled eggs are available, with no bacon. The bread is shockingly bad — always stale and almost inedible. In my 20 years of traveling, I’ve never encountered bread this poor. The coffee is also terrible, which is surprising for Mexico; it tastes like old leftovers that should have been thrown away hours earlier.
Dinner is just as bad. In addition to the bread issues, the meat and seafood are the lowest quality I’ve ever seen at a hotel. It honestly feels like the buffet is being served leftovers from another restaurant from the previous day.
Overall:
Seriously, do not book this place unless you plan to eat outside the hotel for most meals.

Was assigned room 210, huge balcony, perfect view! A few heated pools, great for the kids. Beach is awesome, I doubt you’ll find a better location. Service has been good too. A great place for the family!

👍 The Good
Property Aesthetics: Old but beautiful architecture, rock work, and lush plants give the grounds a unique and charming character.

Buffet Food & Dining: Solid and varied, always found something enjoyable. The oceanfront buffet areas are lovely.

Ocean/Beach: The highlight of the trip; absolutely loved playing in the waves. The beach itself is beautiful (when the music is off).

Recreational Facilities: Awesome volleyball area and a lot of swimming pools are available.

Cenotes: Cenotes are incredible and a major enjoyment point.

👎 The Bad & Inconveniences (Major Issues)
Noise Level: Extremely loud Banda music on the beach from ~1 pm to 6 pm, making beach relaxation nearly impossible.

Game Area Rules: Restrictive rule against children using the pool table (even with an adult, in a non-alcohol area), which was frustrating and a big disappointment.

👎 The Bad & Inconveniences (Minor Issues & Observations)
Specialty Restaurants: Underwhelming and not memorable; did not add much value over the buffet.

Children's Facilities: The kids' club was closed, which was a minor disappointment.

English Proficiency: Some staff members struggle with English, occasionally making communication challenging.

Entertainment: Main pool entertainment is entirely in Spanish, limiting participation for non-Spanish speakers.

Nice and family place. I recomeded this place.
Check in and check out was faster it's excellent.
The fotos is good in ocacions excellent.
In general the experiencia en this hotel was wonderful.

Vission on the balcony in the morning the best 1 night only some inprovment. Coffee needs creamer bigger cups l and lids showers suck nowhere to have shampo but on thr floor accomedatons beed higher end inprovment

The hotel rooms, pools and beach were all good. The noise from the bands playing on the beach from midday to late evening was awful.

Great staff, clean room, great ocean view, definitely recommend and would stay here again. Right in the center of everything

Everyone was very excellent and the employees where very helpful and very respectful and the rooms are very clean the housekeepers are very kind and helpful the activity are very fun for my family.

Great location near the Malecón and on the beach. Fantastic staff, very clean, great pool area with many options. We did all inclusive which was nice, however only one main restaurant is open each night, as well as the buffet. No option to choose to eat at whichever restaurant you want, and you must make reservations by 11am. We were under the impression that there were many restaurants to choose from during our stay. This was not the case.

Hotel staff doesn’t help with food options. The food is terrible at most places at this resort. The hotel is in a perfect location but it is old and needs a makeover. Will not return because the food quality is really bad and to get anything at all you stand and wait in long lines.

Family-Friendly , Beach Acess, plenty of dining options all within walking distances!