Some good and some bad

Playa Mazatlan Beach Hotel Review. Our first time at the Playa Mazatlan beach hotel and to be totally honest we would give it a 2.5 out of 5 rating. Here is our experience there. We stayed at this resort from October 30 to November 6 2026. Firstly the Nexus tour bus dropped us off at about 7:30 PM at the entrance drive to the hotel, we then had to roll our suitcases up to the hotel entrance to check in. Check in was fairly painless, a bellman took us to our room right after checkin, this was  [... read more]fine. We had an ocean view room, but in the farthest corner of the hotel. After settling into our room it was late, we went for dinner at the buffet and it was passable but nothing like we have had at other resorts that we have stayed at. The next morning we went for buffet breakfast and again it was passable but nothing great. We learned that day that there was a second buffet breakfast available on the second floor. It was better but the food was nothing different from day to day. Lunch buffet was the same pretty much everyday, with nothing new each day. When trying to book the evening a-la-cartes it was a long standing line (which we were recommended by Check in personnel to do vs calling) to try and book, unfortunately there was one reservation agent that spoke no english and was unable to help us. We used the phone reservation system after that and it worked better and much quicker. The evening entertainment / shows were different. The one we booked was for the Day of the Dead celebration, the show itself was good, the buffet they served with it (only food available at the show) was not good, it was some of the exact food they had in every buffet morning, noon and night, but with even less variety than the buffet, very limited selection. We did not go to another show after that. A-la-carte restaurant food was excellent. The snack bar at the pool was good for a quick burger or fries to eat at your lounger. Bars didn’t open til 11 at the earliest and the lineups when they did were brutal. Drink Service at the pool or beach was random, sometimes it happened sometimes it didn’t. While we were there we experienced an influx of hundreds of Mexican Nationals bussed in from all parts of the area, from what we heard as far away as 9 hour bus rides. Mostly these people were wonderful friendly individuals, but there were the 25% of them that were rude and obnoxious. Twice we were crowded out of our palapa and finally left to find another place to sit on the beach. The second time we asked the waiter and security to do something about it and they did, thank you to them. The beach was nice and the water and weather were wonderful. The onslaught of vendors was ALOT, but most would leave you alone if you told them no. The worst part was the bands who were relentless with loud not necessarily intune music, you could hear them and their loud music from a long way off and there was no peace and quiet once they were close. You couldn’t have a conversation as you couldn’t hear each other talk over their instuments. We were in the farthest building of the resort closest to the local markets and where they put out tables and chairs for the locals who came to the beach for the day. The noise was sometimes unbearable and didn’t make us want to sit out on the balcony in the evening to enjoy our view. Most of the waiters and staff were excellent and looked after us very well and with a smile. It was easy walking to shops and restaurants in our immediate area, a nice stroll in the evenings when the temperature was cooler. Lastly the Nexus rep who was at the hotel most days was not there on the Thursday when he said he would be to let us know when our transfer back to the airport the next day would be, I was able to emailed Sunwing and received an email back confirming our time however they were ¾ hour late picking us up and again parked on the street forcing us to take our luggage down to the street to get onto the transfer bus. Overall it was an ok holiday. Would we go back to this resort? No.

Absolutely fantastic

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.

Mariachi Madness

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 o [... read more]f 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.

False Advertising

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  [... read more]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.

AWESOME HAD A WONDERFUL TIME! ❤️

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!

Pro's and Con's

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  [... read more]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

Nice vacation

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.

Not a peace full place

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 bea [... read more]ch 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 .

Beautiful resort.

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 enj [... read more]oyed it there.

Great resort

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.

Great Resort

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 reserva [... read more]tion 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.

If you don't mind noise...

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.

Great resort with amazing view

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 b [... read more]ands 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.

Pleasant Hotel

No complaints regarding the hotel. Staff were attentive and happy, tip or not. Rooms very clean and surprisingly, everything worked. Smart TV gave access to UTube which meant there was plenty to keep us amused rather than the usual 50 channels of Spanish. Specialty restaurants were better than average and if you are quick on the phone in the morning then it is possible to avoid the buffet. Ocean was a little rough and too cold to swim in. Only one pool was heated in the hotel. The big annoyance [... read more] was the noise. Impossible to relax on the beach without competing bands vying for attention, the Malecon is a madhouse of noise and exhaust fumes and the local restaurants were so loud it was impossible to converse. I recommend the hotel but not Mazatlan, but then I am a little over the hill.

Good resort

The resort is about 40 minutes from the airport so be prepared for a long bus ride upon arrival. Nice hotel. Easy check-in. Room was large with 2 beds. Garden view but we did have a nice view of the ocean. We liked that. The hotel was not busy. Maybe 1/4 full, likely from the effect of COVID. The location of the hotel is excellent. There are many stores and restaurants nearby (5 minute walk). Playa Mazatlan is 2 blocks from FRIENDS DINER. It is a hang out for Canadians. Worth visiting.  [... read more] It is a safe place. There is a security person at a gate at the front of the resort. Security people patrol during the day and at night. Food was good. Servers are great. We had a good one. His name was Robert. We did the buffet for breakfast and lunch. We did dine at the 3 restaurants. The Brazilian was the best. Every enjoyable. The beach is very nice. Of course the nice bright sunny days helped and made walks on the beach enjoyable. There are only 3 bars. None are on the beach. So you have to order your drinks from a server. Pretty well necessary to have tip money with you. Entertainment is limited. There are no shows. Musicians did play at meal time. They were actually quite good. One downside is the Mexican bands that play on the beach. They are numerous and a bit loud. Not appreciated. We enjoyed our stay. The biggest complaint would be with SUNWING. Their site stated that the PCR test was $45 and ON SITE. Well it was NOT on site. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. We had to wait 20 minutes and then rode in an open truck to a testing place about 20 minutes away. We then stood in line to get our test. The test seemed amateur. Cost $80 US each. So $100 Canadian. We wasted hours getting this test done. Waiting is part of life in Mexico, it seems.

Great Resort

The hotel is very clean ;well looked after. The beach is the best in that area. Location is very ideal for the golden zone tours and walking. It is within walking distance to stores, restaurants, bars and the Malecon. Customer service focused. Cannot say enough nice things about the hotel staff. Food and drink were much better than anticipated considering it is all-inclusive resort. The Italian a la carte restaurant was our favourite...beautiful, delicious, well presented and served meals!  [... read more]Their Casa Roberto a la carte restaurant offered amazing Mexican food.; we ate their twice. The Brazilian barbecue a la carte restaurant on the premises offered delicious food too. The sports bar at the resort felt just like home. We were there from 18th to 25th February. 2020 Mazatlan annual Carnival week was from 20th to 25th February which we didn't know when booked. Their Carnival is the 3rd largest World Carnival. It was very busy with tons of people out and about. The local transportation was available but some areas was challenging. We will return next year but not their Carnival week. We went out to explore and it was wall to wall people. Very interesting. However our next trip back will be better ( not Carnival week). By then Mazatlan will be back to their norm and easier to explore and venture off resort. This is what we like to do; get out and check out the area. Tip: find out when Mazatlan Carnival week is but that's only if you want to avoid being there Carnival week.

Hotel Playa Mazatlan

Love this hotel and their staff. Excellent management. Very safe and clean. Great location. Been staying here since 1991!! Doctor on location. Nice gym with an excellent trainer. Right on the beach with beautiful sand, no rocks. Close to malecon and in the Golden Zone.

Really nice place

Well let's get it out of the way first, it's not a five star by any stretch. It's a good three star , the service was great, the room was enormous and the side we were on was very quiet at night. If I were to go again I wouldn't go "all inclusive" because the buffet is only cafeteria quality and they didn't have much high quality stuff. I was expecting smoked salmon and a bit more seafood varieties but salmon isn't plentiful in these waters so i guess it's very expensive to fly it in. In any [... read more] event the food was OK and the breakfast menu provided eggs cooked to order. Pity they didn't have bacon and only had sausages if you were early out of the gate.The specialty restaurants did offer better quality but there's too much formality to get through and the portions are ridiculously small. One mouthful and the whole lot's gone! The shows were all in Spanish , in fact all of the entertainment was in Espanol so we only went the first night, after that it we just went for an evening stroll along the Malecon which is clean bright and friendly, as are most of the people you see. I guess the shows were entirely in Spanish because most of the guests are Mexican, we didn't really see anyone from Canada or the States until the start of the second week and then the place became much more enjoyable because we had someone to talk to. They were mainly from Edmonton , Calgary and Vancouver, Mazatlan being the closest tourist spot beyond the States, where I refuse to go these days. A couple of the waiters in the Terraza could do with some smile training but mostly they were really friendly, the housekeeping staff were just like your mam. Pool was great and the beach was right on the doorstep with chairs and beds readily available, beach service was really fast. We only took one tour which was in the back of a converted, open air VW beetle and it was the best day of the vacation. A charming young feller named Jorge Gonzalez ( phone #669-131-1861) took us on a 2 hour tour along the Malecon , around and beyond the old city and it only cost 600 pesos , ( he charges 300 pesos per hour) Just a wonderful time. To sum up it was a very nice experience, I would recommend it to anyone who's happy with an older place and who is prepared to take things as they come. The elevator broke down just about every day but it's only 2 floors up that you have to walk and it's not a big inconvenience.

Great resort

We have just returned from our stay at the Playa Mazatlan resort in Mazatln Mexico. The resort was very nice..over the top clean..the rooms were clean and great ocean front view we had. We stayed in the middle section of the resort close to everything and away from the noise of the town and the next resorts disco,no complaints..great area( walk out the front door and you are in the golden Zone) for shopping and restaurants. The food was great and a lot of choices,no line ups..Yay.. A la carts [... read more] were all good and the staff are over the top friendly and very helpful. We sat down at the ocean in our 2 week stay so the pool area we don't know much about( but always clear blue water and full of people)except they have good burgers,hotdogs and fries. The only dislike about the resort is the they have bands that play in front of the hotel(not on the resorts property so nothing can be done by resort) they are there most of the afternoon around 3ish up and down the beach so napping time is hard to fit in..LOL.. Maybe another suggestion would be an adult pool for guests.. There is plenty of children's pools and great fun areas for children that weren't used much,not sure why,they looked fun.. Over all a great resort..Would recommend a stay at the Playa Mazatlan. I would rate it between a 4-41/2*

Loved exploring the “cenote” area.

So much see and explore. The hot tub above the waterfall with the ocean view was beyond spectacular. Staff very friendly and willing to help. Every thing kept so clean and tidy. I would definetly recommend and return to this hotel.