We have no complaints about this resort. We were treated very well. The room was wonderful. The food was good. The cafe was great! The pools and waterslide and lazy river were bonuses. We will return.

Hotel and resort is amaising very clean and nice arangements . Superb garden and pools. Food excelent. Drinks like every resort try local resources, The only anouing is the marichis bands . They come like 4 or 5 bands to the beach from 1pm till 9Pm and they all play at same time different songs that it become o big noise all afternoon. I understand is public beach but they have to do something about it. The lifeguards I think are a bit to protective will kick you out of water even 2 feet high sometimes.

This is a little gem of a resort. The rooms need some updating but they are clean, big and bright. The patio on the balcony is like another room with a gorgeous view of the pool and ocean. The staff at the resort are so very friendly and helpful. The food was also very good. It was nice to have the option of going to the other resort in town for a change of scenery and again the food and service is excellent. The ocean is great at the in town resort. Don’t miss out on going to Angelo’s Italian restaurant - food is phenomenal. And Casa 46 in old town is a must. Food, drinks and service were exceptional. We truly had a lovely vacation at this quaint little resort.

We loved our stay here! A family with two adults and two kids. The food was great; the grounds were beautiful and the view spectacular. Not too busy in May and we always found a spot in the shade near the pools or the beaches. The grounds are quite large so there were very few lines for food or drinks. My kids had a blast on the on-site water park and had so much fun in the waves. You can't beat the sun setting over the ocean every single night.

Great food, Great beach, Great pool. Close to everything. My first time here but I am already looking at booking another trip there next year. Highly recommend if you are going to Mazatlán to stay in this resort.

We would rate the hotel a 5 star! The hotel was excellent and always spotlessly clean, the staff amazing and always pleasant, happy and helpful and the food was great! The beach was very clean and the pools amazing! Everything exceeded our expectations and we will definitely visit it again and recommend it to our friends! Thank you!

My husband and I love visiting the Riu Emerald Bay, it just feels like our second home! The staff are very welcoming, friendly and hard working, housekeeping never stops cleaning diligently and front desk staff are amazing and very accommodating, their knowledge of English truly inspiring. The hotel grounds are just beautiful and immaculately kept and the restaurants are numerous with plenty of choices for all tastes. Our room is always kept fresh and clean with welcoming little "towel animals" to greet us every day. I would have to say the only real complaint we have is there are no English channels on television except for two news stations. Often, after a tough day on the beach and a delicious dinner, it would be nice to watch a movie on television in English to finish the evening. The televisions we have had here throughout the years we've been coming have their HDV ports damaged, so we were not able to use our firestick as a backup.

The El Cid Castilla resort complex is an older complex but very well maintained and cleanliness is at the top of list from the rooms to the pools all areas of the complex are well cared for daily The food areas buffet ,lunch ,and Al Acarte restaurants receive the same close attention to detail The food is very good and the variety and theme nights make it a great dining experience to try various foods The staff are very friendly and helpful they work hard to make your visit a good experience We spent a week April 18-25 2026 and had great time at EL CID .We would not hesitate to book again it was a great vacation A shout out to the staff from the Concierge ,the bar staff , pool staff ,the morning breakfast staff who start your day out with a smile and little fun they are all fun hard working people that make it a great week vacation

Very enjoyable week with friendly staff easy to get around and lots of food and entertainment as you eat easy access walking distance to the Promenade and the gold Zone highly recommend I would do it again

This resort is clean and well staffed with great service right from the start. The food here is absolutely 15/10. We really enjoyed the Mexican food options, fresh guacamole, and the seafood. We loved the sheer variety of food at every meal. The bartenders are awesome at both adult pools and it was never long to get a drink. The beach was beautiful with no problems finding a chair on the beach at all. Sometimes it was a little bit more difficult to find a chair at the pool, but we weren't too worried about that. Pepe's food was a great option every afternoon if you were enjoying your time in the pool and not wanting to dry off. There were great options like tacos, nachos, burgers, fries, hot dogs, etc. Along with the staff being very helpful and attentive I also found just everyone in general at the resort friendly and there for a good time. I usually go to adults only resorts but there were lots of families there enjoying their time as well. There are two adults only pools where we spent our time along with the beach. I thought everything would be crowded and we would have to wait for food and drinks but I can't say it enough. This resort was so well staffed that you barely had to wait for anything and there was always enough food and drinks for everybody. I also found with the amount of guests at this resort I never felt like it was crowded. If you're headed to this resort also try a "dirty monkey" at the bar as well as a round of "mini beer" shots with your friends! We will definitely be back and probably bring the whole family next time.

This resort is clean and well staffed with great service right from the start. The food here is absolutely 15/10. We really enjoyed the Mexican food options, fresh guacamole, and the seafood. We loved the sheer variety of food at every meal. The bartenders are awesome at both adult pools and it was never long to get a drink. The beach was beautiful with no problems finding a chair on the beach at all. Sometimes it was a little bit more difficult to find a chair at the pool, but we weren't too worried about that. Pepe's food was a great option every afternoon if you were enjoying your time in the pool and not wanting to dry off. There were great options like tacos, nachos, burgers, fries, hot dogs, etc. Along with the staff being very helpful and attentive I also found just everyone in general at the resort friendly and there for a good time. I usually go to adults only resorts but there were lots of families there enjoying their time as well. There are two adults only pools where we spent our time along with the beach. I thought everything would be crowded and we would have to wait for food and drinks but I can't say it enough. This resort was so well staffed that you barely had to wait for anything and there was always enough food and drinks for everybody. I also found with the amount of guests at this resort I never felt like it was crowded. If you're headed to this resort also try a "dirty monkey" at the bar as well as a round of "mini beer" shots with your friends! We will definitely be back and probably bring the whole family next time.

The resort was absolutely amazing!!!! 2nd time here and they have certainly leveled up since the first time!! Staff is amazing, grounds, rooms and all buildings are clean and beautiful. Beaches are beautiful!

The resort was absolutely amazing!!!! 2nd time here and they have certainly leveled up since the first time!! Staff is amazing, grounds, rooms and all buildings are clean and beautiful. Beaches are beautiful!

The hotel was very nice.Lacking in nite. Entertainment.2 nites out of 14 had live music.Then karaoke. Very glad we bought elite gives u so much more to use.Especilly the adult quiet pool..Would never travel at Easter again.To many local with children come. To resorts.I think sunwing should be upfront about resort fees.Many people arrive not knowing about this.Also there should be a frig in all rms.Shouldnt have to pay for coffee in rm either.Yes I would go back but probably to one of sister resorts.like el cid moro.Had a great holiday all in all

Extremely friendly staff. Clean Excellent entertainment location was great not to far from the airport I really can't find anything negative to say. Yes the elevators were slow but really who is in such a rush on Holiday's. I would gladly return to this resorts.

Oh, this place is one of our very favourites in Mexico. It is beautiful and distinct. Been going there for over 15 years, and it is definitely fading away. The rooms are really tired and a refresh just makes them even more dated. Things certainly are smelly, and old and we even had to have the AC treated for the moldy smell. The food is a horrid thing here. Breakfast at the buffet is the exact same daily and serves the very basics. No cheese, no bagels, no cold cuts nothing a resort of 4 ish stars would be serving. The Bistro is about the only place to eat, but at least the shuttle takes you into the sister hotel where the food is excellent. So sad to see this place dying.

Excellent all-inclusive resort. Very clean, excellent food, friendly staff, large rooms, beautiful view and wonderful pools / grounds. It is easy to catch the green bus from outside the resort to downtown Mazatlan.

Riu Emerald Bay was honestly beautiful, The food was awesome, The staff was was incredible, The rooms and view spectacular. However some improvements would be welcome; * The pools were often dirty and full of bugs due to low water levels the pool skimmers weren't being reached. * The beaches were beautiful and clean however from 2:30pm-6pm it was impossible to be on the beach due to loud mariachi bands playing over each other much too close to the chairs this was a common complaint that anyone i met had. Over all me and my partner really enjoyed our stay for our week stay.

Great location! Everybody was so nice And will definetly be coming back asap! Close to everything you could ever need within blocks. The taxis and tours were affordable and the live music was amazing.

Rooms are lovely, resort is very well maintained. Food at the à la carte’s was very good, especially at the Italian. Buffett food was so-so. Some problems: ran out of regular Nespresso coffee pods in the room, lazy River was down for 4 days, stingy on the bottled water-had to keep requesting more, not enough umbrellas by the pool -all taken by 9:00 am. Overall a beautiful resort. Beach is amazing.

The grounds were very well maintained. The staff were so friendly regardless of tasks that were asked. The room we stayed in could use some upgrading but it was very clean. The only drawback was the resort could use at least one more restaurant.

The resort is awesome. It really has something for everyone. The pools are great and so are the staff at the pool bars. My only complaint would be that we were not allowed to have lunch on our last day. Because check out was at 11, they cut off our bracelets, which meant we could no longer have lunch at the resort even though we were getting picked up at 2:30 to get to the airport. When we arrived at the El Cid it was in the evening, so we only had 1 meal that day. We paid for 7 days all inclusive and this is the first time we have not had access to all amenities we paid for.

We had the BEST time at Riu Emerald Bay! The staff was awesome, super friendly and helpful it really seemed like they loved being there! The hotel its self was SO clean, second to none! Food was good if you go hungry here it's your own fault they had everything anyone could want! Service was great no lines for food. The bars can be a bit busy but that's to be expected but never waiting longer than about 5 minutes for a drink. Pools were great! Beach is AMAZING! I would recommend this hotel to anyone. We brought out 3 kids youngest is 9 and oldest is 13, they had a GREAT time and we felt SAFE SAFE SAFE the entire time! The only bad thing I have to say is that the beds were quite hard not overly comfortable unfortunately. But other than that totally worth it!

The hotel was nice and clean but had a musty smell and is outdated, could use updating, grounds are beautiful also pools very nice and clean and staff was all great Could also use 1 or 2 more restaurants, not many choices also no night life at all, great for older people who dont want night entertainment

The El Cid Granada, Moro and Castilla are in a great location for getting out and about to explore the area and take in some amazing dining experiences. The buffet and the lobby bar at the Castilla are filthy, to say the least. The tables and placemats are never cleaned after each guest. The dining staff simply take a cloth napkin to "dust off" the tables onto the floor and place new cutlery and napkins onto the filthy placemats. The chairs often had food and spilled liquids to them too. I must mention though that the service was always attentive and courtesy. Our favorite servicer at breakfast was Said. I should also mention that the evening entertainment is located in the same room as the buffet. You can not have a conversation over diner during the show, extremely loud! Service around the Castilla pool and beach were exceptional. The loungers on the beach are very worn and saggy. The ones around the pool are fine. There is NO saving of chairs/loungers, LOVE this policy and it's enforced. The lobby bar service could use some improvement. It wasn't horrible, but could definitely improve. This area was also filthy. The Granada was under renovations when we arrived so we were moved into the Castilla. The rooms were average. Balconies have no table, but we simply moved the table from in the room to the balcony. There is a coffee maker, but no mini fridge. For those that have purchased an all inclusive don't worry about the signs that state that the coffee and bottled water have a cost. When we checked out we had not additional costs for the coffee or the bottle water we consumed. The coffee isn't the greatest, so I'd recommend that you bring some from home. Receiving face clothes and hand towels were a hit or miss, but we made due with what we were given. For those that have never been to Mazatlan you will either love the Marachi bands that stroll up and down the beach or hate them.

While traveling to the Resort a few passengers were drop off at there Hotel and 1st thought there in the middle of no where.But that changed.What an excellent location.Great walking to shops and restaurants full grocery store with wine shop across the road. You could not ask for anything more.I,m hoping for another Elite GREAT DEAL for Feb/27.

The hotel was beautiful, the staff were amazing, the pools were nice, everything was clean. The food was okay. The beach, however, was completely unenjoyable. The Mariachi bands were relentless. They were extremely loud and played for most of the day. They even played over top of each other like they were having some sort of Mariachi war. We didn't reserve a lot of time to relax on the beach as we did a lot of touring and sightseeing, but the little time we did try, it was unbearable. Part of going to a resort with a beach, is being able to enjoy the beach. It was not just our hotel either, there was no escaping it. They were from one end of the beach to the other. At one time this wasn't allowed because there were rules posted inside the palapas that stated "Abiding with NOM-081-SEMARNAT-1994 (Noise Pollution) and looking to offer a pleasant stay for all our guests, hiring bands of music groups in front of hotel property is prohibited." Ironic reading this as the boom from the tuba launched my heart into my throat. We won't consider going back until a time when this is enforced again.

We just spent a week and loved everything about the resort! The food was amazing and the staff were also amazing. Jesus, Raul, and Hector just to name a few. Highly recommend and we will return! Our swim out room was beautiful.

We just returned from 1 week and it was amazing. We have stayed at Dreams resorts before and they sure do spoil you for other places. We booked a deluxe king ocean view and when we arrived I asked to just upgrade to preferred amenities and keep our room. The first price they gave us we were not interested. When we went back to see if the room was ready they gave us a price of $50 a day so we took it! With preferred you’re able to use the adults only pool which is nice! We love our kids but when you want a holiday you can choose to be entertained with kids or have a more quiet time at the preferred adults only! We had upgraded booze when available most days I had coors light. And a better grade of vodka! Food was awesome. Not one complaint. We only did the buffet for breakfast. Used all al le cartes for lunch and dinner as reservations are not required. Twice that week there was a buffet set up at the main pool area it was a BBQ/ Italian type which I had steak it was lovely. The other night it was like seafood and it was up by COCO cafe. We totally missed it. That’s one thing they don’t announce them on the app which would be nice to know when they are Our room was beautiful and our view was spectacular as we were on the top corner floor #4800 we did see whales and dolphins pretty much everyday. All in all Dreams did not disappoint us! Definitely would recommend this resort

I was a wonderful stay at the RIU Emarald Bay resort last week. The place was very clean, The staff was very friendly, with daily entertainment and fitness classes. The food was amazing and lots of choices.

Was very impressed how clean the resort was especially the public washrooms. The food fresh and tasty with different flavours. Loved the long walks along the sandy clean beach. Loved the ocean view with balcony’s and spacious room. I only wish they had supplied shower caps and conditioner

This is a very nice large resort. We were impressed with the high level of staffing numbers and how nice they were. Only critique would be I wish they had more seafood ,, ex: shrimp Pools, beach, loungers , drink service was great.

If you want to avoid heading to a beach destination where there is the potential for algae invading the beach, then you are better served heading to the Pacific side of Mexico. The waves are more present, the water is surprisingly warm during the winter months and you witness spectacular sun sets. As for the hotel all inclusive package experience, I would rate this hotel a 4.5 on 5. Tripcentral.ca provided useful information before and after our travel. The service offered is what you would expect from a serious travel provider. Thank you Martine

The transfer was fast and direct to hotel. Check in was organized and fast. Room was ready upon arrival. This hotel is very clean, the buffet has wide selection always restored. The specialty restaurants were all good, favorite was Italian. The steak and salmon are delicious. The grounds are very well kept. The beach is great for walking. I would recommend .

Rooms were terrible and we were in a superior room. Specifically the beds were bricks and the most uncomfortable mattress we have ever slept on at a hotel. It matters for a two week trip. Maid service was fantastic and it was clean. Only English channels were news channels. It’s nice to have some variety especially when the hotel caters to visitors from Canada or the USA. Food was very good but no variety. Very repetitive to have the same meal selection every single day for two weeks. The à la carte restaurants were not à la carte - they were buffets and not very interesting. The beach was spectacular and one of the best features of the resort. Very accessible for explorers because the green bus is right out front and well worth 13 pesos. Staff were very nice and professional. Pools were filthy. Very disappointing. Birds were everywhere eating scraps and bees were swarming the adult pool. Entertainment was very nice but the chairs were uncomfortable most having holes in them with a flat cushion to cover up. Gym was absolutely terrible. For a resort with 1100 rooms there should be a premium gym. People do workout on vacation especially younger people and fitness should be taken seriously by hotels. One jacuzzi for thousands of people is just inadequate. Wifi service was spotty and inadequate. We would not recommend this resort.

Awesome food and service! Loved the Ocean view rooms.Great set up for a larger family. Our family has been to this resort twice and would definitely go back for a third time! Our travel agent was Saskia who was very helpful with attention to detail.

We did the all inclusive. This included four other hotels in the palace chain. We did use this for meals. We were there for our anniversary and birthday. The hotel was exceptional in what they did. They decorated our bed with balloons and swan/bday cake towels as well as a happy birthday banner on our door. It was the smallest of the hotel chain and quietest. We loved it. The pool clean. Staff great.

Our group of 10 thoroughly enjoyed the RIU Emerald Bay Resort. We had read a few negative things about the resort, mainly elevator issues. Some people reported waiting up to 20 minutes for an elevator. We were on the 19 floor and did wait a couple of time but not nearly as bad as reported. However, we had requested 2 doubles beds but our request was not honoured. After a lengthy discussion with the front desk we did get it resolved.

We got an awesome deal for one week The hotel was great. Very big. Lots of dinning options. Rooms were dated but ok. The Riu app was not very user friendly. Difficult booking ala carte. Had to log in at 7:00 am to book for the same evening. Restaurants were booked yet when we did go to the Italian when we finally got a reservation it was more than half empty. Grounds were clean. I liked the roped off area on the beach so you were not bothered by all the salespeople. Entertainment in the evenings were not the greatest. The instrumental was drowning out the vocals. The “ battle of the bands” on the beach was very annoying. We moved to the far side of the beach so we didn’t have it blaring in our ears!

We got an awesome deal for one week The hotel was great. Very big. Lots of dinning options. Rooms were dated but ok. The Riu app was not very user friendly. Difficult booking ala carte. Had to log in at 7:00 am to book for the same evening. Restaurants were booked yet when we did go to the Italian when we finally got a reservation it was more than half empty. Grounds were clean. I liked the roped off area on the beach so you were not bothered by all the salespeople. Entertainment in the evenings were not the greatest. The instrumental was drowning out the vocals. The “ battle of the bands” on the beach was very annoying. We moved to the far side of the beach so we didn’t have it blaring in our ears!

Very disappointed that we were in a disability room that had so much mold on the walls, resort was not to capacity and still took till late wednesday afternoon to assign us a new room. Told us they would send a bellhop to help us move and no one showed up, we carried everything on our own to a non disability room. Not one apology

The grounds are very clean and updated. Staff are happy and helpful and there are plenty of them. The food is very good and the private beach is a nice area to relax compared to the public beach by the other resorts. The only thing that is a little annoying is that they scan the barcode on your bracelet every time you order food or drinks and then they want you to sign a bill before you leave the area but they never come around with the bill until you ask for it.

A great resort in every sense of the word. The grounds were emaculet, the food was abundant, the rooms were spacious and well equipped. The best ever was the unparalleled quality of service and the welcoming attitude of the staff everywhere in the resort.

Hotel advertises 10 restaurants, but what it actually is is two restaurants, with the same food served in other locations on site, and a third eating area where they swap out the restaurant sign daily to "Brazilian bbq" or "seafood". Serving actual Hostess cupcakes and other desserts you can buy at the gas station. Hotel advertises a swim-up bar but it's shut down and locked up. Hotel advertises several pools, but they only heat 3 and the rest are too cold to use unless it's the hottest time of year. There is no gelato bar as advertised, there's a guy in the dining room with 3 tubs of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream. Entertainment at all inclusives is never expected to be great, but this one is well below average. Bingo nights and music recordings with on stage musicians pretending to play instruments. Pros? Hotel was clean and service good. No mark up on exchanging $ for pesos at the front desk. Best possible location right in front of beach and access to shopping and restaurants outside hotel. Just a lot of purposeful deception about what they have vs what's actually there and cheaping out wherever possible. If you don't care about food or pools it's a great resort with fantastic beachfront access.

As this was my second time here, the first being a year ago at the same time, I knew pretty much what to expect. As with most Riu hotels, of which I've stated at many, you can expect a clean environment, from the common areas, to the dining rooms, and most of all in your spacious hotel room. The staff here is very good, upbeat, eager to please, and the rooms are always cleaned earlier in the day. The beach is great, long and expansive, with a nice little commercial area a 10 minute walk on the beach from the hotel. There you can eat, drink, browse various shopping options, and even visit a local Oxxo. There are 2 bars, both gave poor acoustics, so it can get very loud, and very easily. In one of the 2 bars, the non sports bar, there were the same 2 bartenders who were there from last year. They are a true comedy team, and their attitudes are infectious and welcome. Regarding the food, it's pretty good, but not great, but you will be fine. The location of this hotel is more isolated than say in the Golden Zone, but for us, that's MUCH preferred, as it's quiet and peaceful, as opposed to the bustle of the Golden Zone. That's just not our thing, maybe it's yours though. Overall, the Riu Emerald Bay is a very nice choice to say in Mazatlan

The resort was amazing! We had a jacuzzi suite on the 18th floor. Such beautiful, clean, spacious rooms. The sunsets can not be beat! Everything from food, to beach, to pools, to staff were great. Cannot think of one negative thing. We will return again!

What a beautiful resort with a great location, fantastic grounds, great views and a completely tired and decaying feeling.Our room was in need of a paint job, vent cleaning, and a definite redo of the bathroom.Still trying to sell time shares, but not keeping up the place. We love this place but it is so old, tired and dirty now it hits the 3 star level and not the 4 or 5. On a huge plus side, the staff is incredibly great, they try and make you feel special everywhere. Also, the new bracelet system that operates as your charge card, door key and towel card is amazing. Quite the upgrade. However, the buffet is the same all the time, no changes for breakfast and nothing new is introduced. Huge lines for food and only one cook. The staff try and make it better but the food went from 5 star to 3 star really quickly. It is disorganized and it is not fun to watch people going back and forth trying to make sense of a crappy layout. Make sure you get up as early as possible as even the staff at the hotel gets in on reserving pool chairs. There is nothing to be had after 9 in the morning and some stay empty for hours. There is a line between owners and guests that doesn’t get crossed. The sister hotel is better but the service in the top line Italian restaurant (Angelo’s)still sucks. Lots or flourish, but no standards. In and out in 45 minutes. Didn’t get to eat half of my appetizers before my dinner came. And that was the second time it happened. Still the best but decaying rapidly.

Resort is small but very nice, all rooms have ocean view! Beach is beautiful however water was very cold and hard to get into! Restaurants were very good, too bad the Asian/ snack bar was outside, it was windy all week and cool in the evenings so made it hard to sit outside. Staff at the restaurants and bars were fantastic and friendly, quiet resort as bar does not open until 10am and closes by 1030pm, no swim up bar either contrary to what is on line. All in all a nice place. This is the first resort we have stayed where there were also time share rooms, this made it awkward as you had to scan your "room" wrist band for everything...as all inclusive there was never a charge but scanning had to happen before leaving any restaurant. Our last day was ridiculous as the band stopped working at 12 and if we wanted food or drinks we had to pay out of pocket... It should be "all inclusive" until pick up to the airport...pretty sure the band could be programmed to reflect this! The resort is a bit far from the Malecon and the old downtown, but the "green bus" will get you there for 13 peso's. Would we stay here again, maybe not as there are many other places to stay closer to city centre and we felt a little pricy for what was there, but it was a great first trip to Mazatlan!

Had a blast and Nexus Tours Staff very helpful and Friendly. Did a Cruise to Deer Island a very enjoyable experience as well, Loved the Playa Matzatlan Beach Hotel too, Great Food, Friendly Staff, Lots of enjoyable entertainment and the Ocean View Honeymoon Suite was very nice also we will be back!

A Wonderful Stay at El Cid Resort in Mexico I recently had the pleasure of staying at El Cid Resort in Mexico, and I can honestly say it was a fantastic experience. From the moment I walked in, I was impressed with the level of care and attention to detail. Room Comfort: Space to Relax The room was spacious and clean—just what you need after a long day of exploring. It had plenty of room to relax, and I loved that it was always tidied up by the maid every day. Hot water and good water pressure in the shower made a big difference (seriously, no one likes a trickle of water when you’re trying to relax). I felt very comfortable during my stay—so much so, I’m pretty sure the bed tried to make me stay forever. Dining: Something for Every Taste When it came to dining, El Cid really delivered. There’s a great selection of restaurants, from Mexican to Japanese, Thai, Italian, and Argentinean, with a buffet that had something for everyone. Whether you’re in the mood for tacos or pasta, you’ll find plenty to enjoy. I ended up trying a little bit of everything—because why not? It's vacation, and I may have gotten a little carried away at the dessert table (no regrets). Location: Convenient and Central The resort’s location was perfect for getting around. It’s centrally located, so you’re right on the bus route, making it easy to explore nearby shopping areas and historic sites. If you like to get out and about while on vacation, this is a great spot to be. Staff: Friendly and Helpful One of the standout parts of the trip was the staff. Everyone was incredibly friendly and went out of their way to make sure I had everything I needed. Whether it was offering helpful advice or just making sure I was comfortable, the staff really made the experience feel special. I’m pretty sure they could read my mind when I was just this close to needing a glass of water. Now that’s service. Final Thoughts: Highly Recommended Overall, I had an excellent stay at El Cid Resort. The room was great, the food was fantastic, and the location was ideal for sightseeing and shopping. The staff’s attention to detail and kindness made the whole experience feel even more enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this resort to anyone looking for a relaxing and enjoyable vacation in Mexico.

Great Beach, cooler Ocean but safe, Golf course was in good shape and GC service was excellent. Our Stay at the resort was excellent. No concerns with food selection and service of all staff was very good. ??

Jan 17 2025 Very clean well maintained beachfront hotel. We were greeted with a pre tax of $15 us per day which was $4487.7 pesos for 14 day stay. Water bottles were for sale in rooms as well as coffee. Get over it. Coffee was available at 0630 from main buffet , bring your favourite coffee mug. Water refill stations everywhere and ice at bars or buffet. 4 of 5 alacarts open unlimited booking we went 10 of 14 days , best dining we’ve had in 20 trips. The pretax was to cover Pickleball Tennis and wifi. Best courts in area. We played at daybreak 0700 till club showed 0900 every day , then returned 1500 till security kicked us off 1730 all included . Were told the cost was $200 pesos per hour ea Beach can be walked for miles at low tide , Malcom walk is a mile south Lots of shops and restaurants Enjoyed the pool games and activities Did the math and this all inclusive was worth the $

Riu resort was a fantastic trip,grounds in resort are well maintained. Food was great in all the different restaurants,lots of choices. Staff was excellant,friendly and always helpful. Superior rooms in newer section were excellent. Entertainment at night time was always a fun time.

The hotel was basically great. However, as weather was cool in first few days, our request for an extra blanket never was fulfilled. Hotel phoned West Jet Vacations for time of bus pickup for us but time given was one hour later and we missed the bus and had to pay for taxi transportation. We were waiting close to the pool where they had a loud speaker which could have been used to call us.

Stayed in a superior room in the new section of the hotel. It was very spacious. Loved the little decorative touches the maid left everyday! The resort is very well laid out. Lots of pools and loungers. Found that there was lots of choices available at the Tres Isla buffet for dinner. Had breakfast everyday at the Malecon. Our favourite restaurant was the Bamboo. Enjoyed the ABBA tribute show. The guitar player and singer that played before and after were fantastic. We would definitely return to the Riu.

Went with 4 people in January 2025 and had a lovely time. Resort is older, but clean and smaller for those who don't want to go to a huge resort. Pro's: staff were great, food was typical all inclusive but fresh, al cartes were great and easy to book and the cafe for coffee and ice cream was great. Went to the Brazilian, Italian, Captian Jacks, the authentic Mexican that doesn't require reservations. Shout out to Hugo (boss). The resort is located with in minutes of walking to downtown, lots of access to shopping, restaurants, and local bars. Snack bars were awesome, there is ceveche, sushi and then the typically fries, burgers, hotdogs, nachos ect. Mazalan is a very different vibe from other parts of Mexico. No issues with hot water and always had fresh towels. We felt safe and loved the local culture. Everyone was so polite and kind. Enjoyed the heated pool and jacuzzi. There is a cenote on site which was cool to explore. Con's: Beds are very hard, I woke up everyday with a sore back. The nightly entertainment was pratically non-exixtant. The sports bar was a room with 4 TV's and some chairs. We only went there in the evenings, because there was no where else to go and enjoy a beverage and the evenings were very chilly. If you wanted to have a drink before 11 am you will have to wait or go to the OXXO (convience store) and get your own. They didn't have to go cups in the little cafe for coffee and you couldn't order any speciality coffee. The times were limited and not all day if you wanted a afternoon pick up. Be ware of the oyster bar, (beside the resort) they will over charge you for your drinks and we were told by locals that came up to us to watch out for some of the staff. The swim up bar is as warm as a frozen lake, never warmed up the week we were there and there was no one there. I really enjoyed my time in Mazatlan but would not go back to this resort as there are many other places to see and explore. I would say this resort is more like a 3 star then 4

Check in was smooth, Room was very clean with a great view of the ocean. Food was decent. A la cartes were really good. Ocean was chilly to swim but lovely to walk. Always easy to find seating. Pools sucked. Bands playing on beach were nasty on the Saturday but otherwise tolerable. Met lots of super nice people from US and Canada. Henry the beach vendor was a terrific and very friendly guy who remembered everyone.

The resort was great!! The transportation not so great! On our way to resort from airport.. bus broke down (battery problems) we ended up walking to the resort.. it was ok.. it was about three blocks away.. going home.. I was told I’d be picked up at resort for the airport.. last minute.. (while I was waiting outside for pick up) lady from front desk came and told me to take a taxi.. which it cost me 500 pesos.. I was not happy about that!! Arnold carrita!

Went for a week with a friend! We both in our 20's had a blast! Uber downtown is 12$. The place is great, food is "ok"..staff are very friendly. Lots of drinks types. Beach is ok plenty of activities. God bless all

I felt the hotel was money and tip oriented. They were always trying to sell you something and unless you paid their highest tier it was not convenient. The access to the a la carte restaurant were limited and to get one you needed to line up before 7 am. The buffets were just adequate but nothing special.

Pros Clean!!! Great food and choices Friendly and helpful staff Fully stocked room including towels and drinks Easy access to buses and taxis Nice long walking beach and opportunity to play in the waves Plenty of Sun loungers Good choices for pools with activities or quieter poolside opportunities Drinks available poolside from their portable bar service Cons Very noisy resort due to the high ceilings and tile floors presenting loud acoustics in the lobby and hallways. The Banda on the beach plays most of the afternoon through a PA system, (which is less loud on the south end of the beach) but still very loud even in the rooms. No fault of the resort just a matter of fact.

The food was above average, hotel was kept clean including pool areas and lobby. This is a 1000 room hotel which is well built and the rooms have sufficient sound proofing . The room was the perfect size , nice big bathroom and closets and good privacy on the balcony with full ocean view If there is one complaint, the elevators were slow and I was on the 19th floor. As well, the mini bar fridge was not always fully stocked. A big shout out to Manuel and Francisco at the main bar lounge, they were entertaining .

This was our 5th and last time to riu emerald bay, we where in the new section rooms are nice clean but locals have no respect for the resort and other people as the noise is terrible at night our 3 am take your pick food was still good except alacartes but that's always been like that hit and miss, bands playing on the beach is terrible everyone complains but public beach and locals like it so bands it is so for these couple reasons we will not be back.

We are very satisfied with the Cid Marina resort. Very nice and clean rooms, good food and helpful personnel. Way to go. Our daughter stayed there last year and she recommended the hotel to us. She was right.

Hotel grounds and the beach were beautiful, as was the ocean view room we stayed in. Staff were great too. General buffets and the snack bar were delicious, but the specialty restaurants were a little disappointing; could only get into two of them, and one was also a buffet, with pretty underwhelming fare. Still very happy with our stay though!

Liked: the location, the beach, the staff, the food. Needed more elevators, and palapas on the beach (Palm trees not providing enough shade), not much insulation between units and floors; heard a lot of noise from the neighbors.

What a beautiful resort! Considering that the resort was fully booked because of the eclipse, there were never any problems getting into the restaurants or finding a lounger by the pool or the beach. The checkin process was very quick, even with three tour buses of guests arriving at the same time. Dining was superb with great food and friendly staff. The rooms were very nice with a very comfortable bed. The only negatives we had concerning the room was the replenishing of the minibar and liquor dispenser. Two of the bottles in our liquor dispenser were empty when we arrived and it took several days to get someone up to replace the bottles. Also, the tap water is not drinkable so large bottles of water are supplied in the minibar. Except our minibar was not replenished until the last day of our stay so we had to scrounge around getting water to use. I guess another maintenance item was the loose and broken tiles on our balcony. But the view totally made up for it!

Please don’t never refer this resort, rooms are old and functional, most of the stuff don’t speak English food was very simple and not good. Drinks limited terrible .star Palace no good.. please don’t refer this resource

The resort is beautiful. This is by far the cleanest, best cared for property we have every stayed at. The service was exceptional throughout the resort. Been to several all inclusive properties and the service at this one really stood out be it the restaurants, Bars, housekeeping or just asking someone for directions. They all went the extra to be helpful. It is set a little away from town, but easy access by bus, Taxi, Uber, or Safari cab. It has an absolutely beautiful beach, however ocean Swimming depends on Tides and time of year. It does have a strong wave / undertow at times. Lots of pools and a great resort for both adults and families with kids with water slides and dedicated kids playground and activity area. Looking to come back next year with the whole family.

Spent two weeks with horns blowing, loud speakers playing, from about noon to eight in the evening, The beach area is the loudest area ,we tried to get away and find a quiet area it is almost impossible . The pool in the interior has music so loud it travels through the resort , we were trying to find a peace full location , so we would leave the resort just about every day. I realize the beach is a public area and your culture likes music but what we experienced was to much .It ruined the beach area, also the people selling stuff was a nuisance, so the beach area was very annoying . We came all the way from Canada to enjoy a beach and were very disappointed. On the good side the staff were very friendly and help full . We changed rooms to find a quiet area and found that both rooms were clean and well kept. i would not recommend this resort based on our time there .

This resort is a great place to take your family. The pools are very clean and are not too full. They do a great job at cleaning the bathrooms and rooms. The food selection in the restaurants is also amazing.

This was a beautiful resort. Even though there are quite a few rooms spread out, it was very quiet. Service was amazing (especially Philippe at the pool by the Bistro). Just a couple small suggestions: - they should have 1 more restaurant for variety - they should make sure the timeshare people do not go into any of the restaurants and disturb the patrons while they are eating (we had this happen once where we stood up to leave from our table and the timeshare person was standing right beside our table to ask us if we are interested and kept on us about attending a meeting) - i would also recommend a print out of the room service menu (too difficult to try and get it on the website). Other than these items, the place and staff were amazing! We will definitely come back.

We had a great time at this Hotel Resort. The food was good. Lots of fresh fish and sea food in the buffet. All kinds of things for kids to do. There was one kids show and two adult shows a night. Hotel was very clean. They where always cleaning every where. Nice to see that. The staff in the buffet, restaurant and around the whole resort where some of the best we have seen. Very friendly and help full. It was a great mixture of young parents with children to elderly people like my self all having a fun time. Thank You

first off I was hit with a $115.00 US funds charge at check in, a lot of other people were charged, but for some reason the four people I was with were not! scam maybe, never got a straight answer, people at front check in were difficult to understand. The buffet was ok, definitely not on the healthy side of food choices, but was ok. room was nice and cleaned daily. lounge and pool area was good with great service. location was great as well with bus or taxi service easily available. overall it was a nice place to stay.

The main needs of this vacation were beach, sand, pool, drinks, food. This fit the bill as the cheapest, direct flight for both my wife and I from BC and my brother and his wife from SK. A RIU this resort is NOT but we knew that going in. We knew the food would not be great, it isn't in the buffet. It's adequate for one visit maybe two but after that too limited and too repetitive. We chose instead to visit one of the smaller restaurants and either the Luna, Pacific Tower or Star Palace from breakfasts and select one of the dinner options each evening. Through that dining experience which was good we met Ramon. What an exceptionally pleasant, knowledgeable, hardworking and catering man. We asked to use the one dining room that was closed to play cards in. It was hard to find a quiet place to get away for that kind of activity. He said absolutely and turned the lights on for us and even asked us what we would like to drink. He even made the drinks, which were all exceptional, himself. Each evening then we asked for dinner that would take us to Ramon. He gave us special treatment and made us very welcome each evening for dinner and our card games. He served us drinks through the evening even while he was managing the dinners. The last evening he made me a dirty martini that was very excellent. Four olives!! If we were to decide to go here again we would choose the Luna Palace to stay in as it is a bit more laid back, nice pool and quieter. Not fault of the hotel but bands play on the beach and are extremely loud. The hotel was also fully booked with local families and associations or teams so very busy. We never were able to use the main pool but the Pacific pool was a good alternative and we stayed on the beach under a Palapa.

The Food was really good and instead of running buffé they have a couple of no reservation needed restaurants and also an Italian where reservations are needed. 2 Pool areas both fairly quiet, If you are looking for a party tyoe resort this is not the place, nobody bugging for Timeshares or anything which we appreciated. Gym was really small, but okay since I seemed to be the only one using it. Overall a really good experience, went to the bigger resort where you also have access, huge and did not care for it at all even though most people may like this style better. Non Alcoholic beer Heniken Zero they had up until the last day, when they started to say it was not included in the all inclusive package, when I explained I had been deinking the same all week long, and was not charged additionally anyways. I would go back as I prefer the smaller style resort.

We traveled to the Riu Emerald Bay for a week in February 2024 with our two kids aged 5 and 8. Overall, the kids had a great time, even though we did find the resort lacking in a few ways. We stayed in the tower with a beautiful oceanview. The tower rooms are very dated and in need of an overhaul - small, uncomfortable beds, chairs on the balcony were cheap plastic patio chairs - which was an issue since we hung out outside each night after the kids went to bed. Also no light on the balcony which made evening time a bit more challenging. The food was plentiful and overall decent. My kids didn't have issues finding food to eat. The a la carte's are not easy to reserve - we only got to Bamboo once, even though that was by far our favourite. If you have any dietary issues - this may not be the resort for you. I'm lactose intolerant and don't eat pork and found the available options to me to be extremely repetitive. Kids club was good - lots of diverse activities that mine enjoyed. Having the indoor ball play area was helpful the days we had rain. The large slides were a hit for my eldest, but user beware - I'm not sure this would pass a safety inspection in Canada. Beautiful and huge beach, but waves can be very rough with a strong undertow. Our package was supposed to include babysitting for an added fee. Very disappointing to arrive and learn this was not in fact offered by the Riu.

Grounds For the most part, the resort was very clean. There was always staff cleaning different areas of the resort. Rooms The rooms are a little bit older, but they were very clean. The beds were somewhat comfortable and the AC was strong. When being assigned room, you should hope that you get assigned to a room closer to the ground level as it takes a really long time to take an elevator down to the lobby. Every day, I just walked down from the 8th floor to the lobby. Food The food gets quite receptive after a few days. The food tends to be overcooked and it tasted average at best. Nothing really blew me away. There are only two restaurants where you require a reservation to dine in (Asian and Mexican). In my opinion, the Mexican restaurant was quite horrible and the Asian restaurant had decent food. However, for both the Asian and Mexican restaurants, they either were fully buffet style (Asian) or the appetizers were buffet style (Mexican). The other 3 restaurants were buffets along with a grill near the pools. The non-alcoholic drinks tasted quite diluted. Pools They had an amazing waterpark that is fun for both children and adults. The resort has around 7 pools. The pool near the buffet was less popular and tend to attract a lot of seagulls and birds. As a result, it led to a lot of seagulls defecating in the pool. Otherwise, the other pools looked relatively clean. Service The service from the staff was amazing. Everybody was extremely friendly and polite. The RIU app was easy to use and enabled us to make reservations at restaurants, request a refill in our minibar, or request refills to amenities such as conditioner and shower gel.

Rooms, food & service was fantastic. Maids were amazing & waiter’s. Great bartender’s. The only downfall is that the entertainment needs to be improved. They need at least a Michael Jackson impersonator. They also need the head of entertainment to speak better English. P.S I’ll never book with Trip Central as my agent told me & emailed me a visitax form that cost me for 2 $58.71 US dollars. I then find out I didn’t have to purchase it. Not for Mazatlan, Mexico. Trip Central said it was my fault. I reached out to the Mexican government & they will honor this if I visit a city that needs this visitax form.

It's extremely mobility friendly, even off the resort. One of the cleanest resorts I've been to. Public bathrooms were immaculate. They also have garbage cans everywhere so the hotel remains clean. Staff were wonderful and always helpful. We had an ocean view room, the area is beautiful but bands play on the beach which can be very loud. Of you want quiet, take a pool view room. The buffet is like other buffets. Variety is there but it's a matter of taste. There's always something to eat. We enjoyed it there.

Stayed at RIU for the first time, haven't been to a better place ever. Great service both room and hotel in general, clean pools, nice bars with entertaining bartenders, huge variety of delicious food, everything was on point. 5 stars, hands down!

The hotel is kept very clean. We had a problem with our safe not working, that got fixed after 2 service calls. Food was decent, only disappointed that the extra restaurants were also buffet style. No more service per table. Would definitely go back.

This resort was beautiful place to stay and I had a great time. The shows and a la carte restaurants were excellent. One thing people who go should know though is most people, both other tourists and staff only speak Spanish and if you are an early morning person the pool doesn’t open till 9 and the gym 7.

We went for one week all inclusive with teenage children. Overall was a great experience. Pros - very clean, friendly staff, safe, great beach, no lines ups for food or drinks, loved the location, beds and pillows were comfortable, the pools were great! Cons- no activities for adults or children(the teen club had pool tables that were covered the whole week, no games going on except bingo the one night) the shows are dinner and a theater so you can't just go and watch you have to make reservation and eat 3 course meal inside, the food is very authentic( very few western choices) and all the signs at buffet are in Spanish. Most of the staff don't speak English..very hard to communicate. No hot tub.

The resort is nice, however, we had booked three rooms on the bottom floor all together. When we arrived all three rooms were scattered on three different floors. They couldn’t accommodate us with the rooms we requested until the next day and even then it wasn’t what we had booked. The adult pool bar was so cloudy and gross we skipped it and went to the other pools. Water and coffee was never replenished in our rooms (even though it says in the room pamphlet it’s stocked every two days) 4 people out of our group got food poisoning and were laid up for two days. Couldn’t get any reservations for the restaurants. The food was average.

Traveled to Riu Emerald Bay on Nov 24th with wife and 2 young grandkids. Transfer and checkin were seamless and we were given a room in the new 4 storey building. The room was great but would have appreciated one that was not facing the air conditioning cooling towers as they run all day and are noisy when patio doors are open. Otherwise resort drinks and food were great, staff were helpful and beaches were awesome . And got those taking young kids the kids club was great with ball pits, dedicated kids water slides and care workers . Yes we would go again .

The Riu Emerald bay is a beautiful resort but it lacks in a few areas. Our bed was hard and well used, a the two chairs in our room were plastic covered and not comfortable at all. We couldn’t watch tv as it was all in Mexican, and it took until the last day after asking everyday to have the tequila in our room replaced as it was empty when we arrived. Children were frequently yelling in the hallways and the room next to us was smoking on the deck the whole time they were there, even though we called the desk to complain

The hotel was first class. The staff were amazing. A great variety of food. Wonderful Mexican dancers at the show! However the local loud repetitive music on the beach by 3 different bands at the same time playing different songs for 6 hours straight was unbearable. We could not sit on the beach, we could not sit on our balcony or have the balcony door open as all you could hear was tubas and drums for 6 hours and when that was finished, 2 hours of bad karaoke or bad audio video music began.

This resort was a 10/10 for me! Fantastic food, beautiful pools, lots of great drink choices and our kids loved the slide and rock jumping pool. We can’t wait to back! I saw lots of bad reviews about the beaches but they were fine for us. The resort works so hard to make them as good as possible.

I have never been more at peace then being at this resort. Everything was so amazing! The staff are so friendly and so nice. There are so many places to eat to choose from and they are all 5 star in my eyes! The pools and ocean were a straight paradise. This trip brought my girlfriend and I so much closer together because they made it so easy and enjoyable there. I SERIOUSLY recommend it!

Immaculate, clean, rooms/beds get cleaned everyday, friendly/helpful staff at Riu, grounds are immaculate, surrounded by nature, overall very clean, many activities happening during the day and night, never a dull moment, buzz everywhere

For the price we paid for this trip, it was a great value. The food could be better. Got tired of the same food over and over. My friend got sick in the last 3 days of the trip and is still sick and we have been home for 2 days now. Not sure if it was the food or drinks that caused it. We do question the ice (is it made from bottled water) and question when food is rinsed/washed, is bottled water used. Also is the food cooked in bottled water? The servers we had during our stay were fabulous. Our favorite was Hesau & Victor. They were very attentive. It was a very clean resort.

The worst thing about this hotel is not their fault. Mariachi bands show up for almost the entire afternoon. 3 or 4 or more bands playing different songs at the same time LOUDLY!! It's absolutely intolerable.

Older hotel. Room musty smelling. We did have ocean and pool view which was beautiful. Gets lively on the beach Saturday and Sundays. Pool entertainment staff were very nice and fun. Buffet was not great. A la carte we’re excellent. The Japanese restaurant forgot to bring my daughters main course she did have appetizers so it was not a huge deal. Bring your own drink cups and water bottles. They don’t clean the plastic cups very good at the bars as they reuse the cups. I Had a few drinks that I could not drink as the cup was dirty from previous person. They told us that we had to pay for water that was brought to our room but when we checked out they did not charge us. Main lobby bar staff were excellent. Bathrooms around hotel very always clean would of like to have seen more cleaning of tables and chairs.

This was a grand resort. Quite large and had lots of amenities. The main hotel is tall structure, however we stayed in the new addition. No beach views, but the room was great and spacious. Pools were well maintained and beautiful. We could get a spot most days after breakfast. Food was good, no complaints. Bamboo (asian resto) was by far the best! highly recommend making a reso. Given the size of the resort, I was surprised there wasn't more food options. 2 breakfast buffets, 1 lunch buffet and 1 lunch poolside taco/hamburger bar, and then dinner was 2 buffets, 2 reso restaurants and an Italian type restaurant but not requiring reso. the best part of the resort was the people who worked there. They were all very nice, accommodating and willing to help whenever needed. beach was very nice and well maintained. We went with toddler, and it was very family friendly! Things that could have been improved: - check in was fast, but sloppy. not personalized and they didn't tell us how to get to our room. we wandered 1/2 hour until we figured out we were in the new addition. -the hotel map should have more details on it (room blocks).

In terms of cleaning this is one of the best hotels we stayed at . It is however very large, busy resort . Lots of families with kids , even the adult pools were always packed and all afternoon there was a Mexican band playing on the beach . The quality of the food in the restaurants was not the best . Expected a lot better

resort needs a face lift, showing it's age Bring Mexican money with you or exchange at airport. Exchange rate at resort not very good and ATM is not reliable Food is not that great. Great beach, although there are a lot of cig butts

A wonderfully sprawling resort that had roughly 7 pools and 3 jacuzzis. The 4 of us (2 couples)had an amazing time and greatly appreciated the wonderful service by the staff. Although few spoke little English we still managed to get by and enjoyed the authentic feel. They helped me celebrate my husbands birthday with special thanks to the breakfast staff and later to the dinner staff and matre d at the le veranda restaurant. A couple of things to be aware of: the constant music by the mariachi bands in the beach all day and even into the night there was noise filtering in from surrounding properties. Other than that we enjoyed the variety offered at the buffets and I particularly welcomed brushing up on my Spanish. Be sure to check out the wonderful coffee at George’s cafe. Thank you Carlos for the wonderful tasting lattes and Americanos we would have before breakfast. All in all a beautiful resort overlooking the beach with amazing views of the water. Thank you to kerri at tripcentral for arranging this for us and a a special kudos to her as well for being there when we needed her. I had so many questions which she quickly addressed and she was there for us when our flight was cancelled for our return trip. We can’t thank you enough for making our vacation worthwhile and taking of us from start to finish. I’ll definitely be booking with tripcentral again.

This was our 2nd time at the resort. We had two weeks and found it a bit disappointing. The resort is clean and the rooms were nice. Comfy beds. We had to call each day for coffee for the coffee machine, Also. the fridge was not restocked every second day as suggested.We did get water bottles from the lobby to take up.We did leave a tip for the room and although the bed was made the toiletries were not replenished. Or the fridge restocked. The food at buffet was good, fresh but always the same. The a la carte is just a smaller buffet. And the reservation system does not work. We just walked up each night and got a table for 4. The pools and beach are nice. Clean and loungers are not a problem anytime of day. The vendors are good but the dualing mariachi bands are annoying and play from 3-7 or 8 . Very annoying and the hotel does nothing about it. It’s so loud and annoying!!!! We will not be back. If you go do not do the city tour. Take a cab. Better to do it yourself and save your money. The servers we got to know were great! But we tipped well. Makes a huge difference. Check out Lionso’s down the beach. Great food, music snd happy hour! Prices are amazing and portions are big!

Mariachi band on beach everyday fro 230 to 700 very annoying. Ruined whole trip. Could not sit on beach or on balcony or even have windows open while they were playing everyday!!! Food very repetitive and there were not 3 a la carte restaurants. Only one and it was terrible. Every restaurant seemed to serve same thing. Nice setting and room but could use a bit of work. Phone and drink dispenser and coffee maker did not work. Water not restocked had to ask for it everytime we needed it. Night club not open as far as we could see. Drinks not the same as last time. No fresh fruit in them just syrup.