El Cid Castilla Beach Hotel — Restaurant in Sinaloa

We stayed at El Cid Beach Hotel from April 12 to 22, 2025, and I can honestly say it was one of the best vacations we’ve ever had. The hotel itself is great — a bit older, but kept in amazing shape — but what truly made this trip unforgettable was the staff. We've never felt so well taken care of. Everyone we met was friendly, attentive, and genuinely seemed to care that we were having a great time. We’re already planning to come back this fall with our three kids.||Room & Views|Our room was just a standard room, but it had both pool and ocean views — can’t beat that. It was always clean, comfortable, and quiet. We had no issues whatsoever. Waking up and sitting on the balcony each morning was something we looked forward to.||Pools & Resort Grounds|The pools were the highlight for us. They’re huge, fun, and super family-friendly, with waterslides, rock features, and different areas to explore. It was easy to find loungers most of the time, and if they were running short, staff would go out of their way to bring more over. That kind of service was consistent throughout our entire stay. The beach is also awesome — huge, busy in a fun way, and great for long walks.||Dining|We’ve been to a lot of resorts, and I don’t say this lightly — the food at El Cid was the best we’ve ever had. Every meal was fantastic. Each restaurant had its own vibe and flavor, and even though the resort is spread out, getting around was easy with a quick 10-minute walk or by using the shuttle. The service in every restaurant was consistently excellent.||Excursion|We did a day trip to Stone Island that was only $25 USD per person and it was amazing value. It included a 1.5-hour catamaran cruise (drinks and music included), 3 hours on the beach with an open bar, and a full lunch. The whole day was smooth and relaxing — highly recommend it.||Now, the staff — these people made our trip.|It’s rare to remember names from a resort trip, but these ones stuck. Their kindness, effort, and consistency made us feel like more than just guests.||Alberto (Pool Bartender)|This guy is a legend. Not only was he fun and friendly, but he's also a great musician. We had some awesome conversations and even swapped stories about our families. We felt like friends by the end of the trip, and we even exchanged contact info. Just a solid, genuine person who made the pool bar a great place to be.||Martin (Pool Bartender)|Martin was always on top of it. He made sure we had great drinks, great shots, and even better conversation. He was fun, down to earth, and clearly cared about making sure everyone at the bar had a good time.||Ramon #1 (Our Daily Pool Waiter)|Ramon was with us every day. He’d find us a chair in the morning, bring us drinks and food throughout the day, and always checked in to see if we needed anything. Super friendly, super reliable, and just fun to be around. He made our pool days smooth and stress-free.||Francisco (First Pool Waiter We Met)|Francisco was the very first staff member we interacted with when we arrived, and he immediately made us feel welcomed. He took time to help us get the lay of the land and made sure we felt comfortable right from day one.||Ramon #2 (Backup Pool Waiter, Just as Great)|When our regular Ramon wasn’t around, this Ramon jumped right in. He never missed a beat — if he saw we needed something, he brought it without us asking. The two of them worked together so well, and we always felt looked after.||William (Pool Bartender)|William brought the energy. He was always smiling, checking in with everyone, and made the whole pool bar area feel fun and lively. Just a good guy to have around on vacation.||Ruben (Waiter at the Italian Restaurant)|Ruben made every dinner feel like a special occasion. He remembered our drink orders and our meals without us saying a word. And then he’d sing an Italian song to us each night. His voice was incredible, and it became a highlight of our evenings. Such a unique and heartfelt touch.||Girardo (Waiter at the Japanese Restaurant)|One night, my partner wasn’t feeling well, and Girardo noticed right away. He offered to pack our food to go and checked in later to make sure we were doing okay. The next time we came back, he remembered our exact order and recreated the whole night for us. That level of thoughtfulness goes such a long way.||Rudy (Morning Waiter)|Rudy consistently went out of his way for us. He tracked down peanut butter when it wasn’t available, made sure we had ketchup, and even went on a special trip just to get us mimosas one morning. He never forgot a thing and was so kind and consistent. Truly a gem.|||Final Thoughts|This trip was just my partner and I, but we’ll be back with our three kids in the fall — and we can’t wait. The pool features, kids’ club, food, and staff make this a perfect place for families. That said, couples would love it too (we sure did). The hotel is beautiful, but the people here are what make it unforgettable. We can’t recommend El Cid Beach...

Well here is my honest opinion. My family and friends spent 8000$ this is what we got. Also we tried to get a manger to help nope

I doubt changes will be made . We will get a I’m sorry for what happened to your stay reply that means nothing. The entertainment was ok. Better way better in Mayan Rivera! Ok some good things.

1. food there is fresh and best quality you’ll ever have! Drinks thou the mix in all drinks is off chemical taste gross .
2. The staff perfect amazing most people! They very kind hardworking, helpful to the best of their ability. Negative Things !
3. When checked in my son paid much more then my friend and I and I immediately compared it to the El cid 7 half years ago marina Mayan riviera . When we checked in I asked if for a bit more $ can we upgraded like my son and have vip pkg. We should have been able to for about 250$ each more from what they paid. Like the other El Cid did for us in Myan Riviera the rooms were crazy gorgeous insane nice there .

But not this hotel all are very outdated! They wanted 1500$ more to upgrade!lol People it’s not worth it folks !’ Listen please ! Telling you this is true ! Do not waste your money on VIP.!! They got use of two more restaurants and you must travel all over three or more hotels to do this . Not all in one place. Also my son and i Tipped in USA $ The maids never took all the dishes or garbage , also my son was mad because they paid like 1900$ pp and had a tiny closet for a room pool view not ocean like they paid for. When they saw our giant room two big beds comfy ones . They were complaining to vip customer service. The first night they were being poisoned by methane gas sewage in room. They were Moved down a few doors same tiny room , also water issues not hot enough. We paid less my friend and I 1400$ pp and put in first room 5011 was filthy like I said mud, dirt it’s not exaggerating! Kenny went to wash his face and then pipes broke and drain plug leavers fell out . No fridge, no microwave ,no free water or pop in room . Even in 4 star in cheap Cuba has all those appliances, my usual place in Huatolco Mex a 3 star there with 5 star service no issues. Our safe was acting up broken too in both rooms they moved us all twice due to rooms maintenance issues !

• NOTE* Maintenance and cleanliness is a major concern all over the hotel. Elevators not cleaned and leave a bad impression. They moved us right away to beside 5011 to 5012 The maid always forgot face cloths and floor mats the towel ones . Yes we tipped a lot . In the new room same mess and dust and cig butts on balcony, luggage strap garbage fell from above . Not once did she dust furniture head boards tv or sweep clean balcony. You are warned there to not drink tap water.

Oh yes two more stressful things!’ When you go on vacation you want to relax on the beach hear the surf hear yourself think ! No way !

The sharks (aka )the people selling things )! We had like 10 surrounding us all the time my family grandkids all of us could not get any rest or enjoy ourselves. So many noisy bands none stop playing so loud your screaming to you family 3 ft away no joke folks . They let people go out 530 6 am and there is no security staff there to take the towels hats shoes off Chairs and beach umbrellas. They have signs on chairs no saving !!! All the people ignore signs on chairs no security to enforce it. People have not enough chairs so they sit all day in restaurants chairs and tables so you can’t eat anything there at the one hotel restaurant by pool and water slides .

Taxis see not 30 pesos like in Huatolco Mex. 200.00 300.00 100.00 pesos you have no idea of the hundreds and hundreds of dollars in taxi we spent . A lot was not cleaned all week even when we asked . They hardly spoke English at check in. I hate leaving negative messages.

When I know how long we saved for this trip 8 yrs almost and it was not relaxing. The child clubs very limited not open long enough not flexible enough. Hope they listen...

Great vacation at a fantastic resort!

This was our first time going to Mexico. We had an amazing time. The hotel staff has the best level of service I have seen anywhere, and I have been all over the Carribean many times over.

The Good: *Hotel staff is absolutely A++. Their employee training is spot on, and it shows, big time. *The resort itself is beautiful. Its grounds are constantly being manicured and groomed. Nothing is out of place. *Rooms are very modern and nice. We had a killer view from a 3rd floor. Nice sized balconies. Despite the many complaints here, I found the beds to be very comfortable. *The restaurants were pretty decent. *The pools are sprawling, heated, and have a waterslide and diving platform, that's ~9ft high. *Resort is located in the center of The Golden Zone. Anything you want is a ~5min walk. *The hotel is actually one of 3 in a larger complex. We made good use of the gym, which was better equipped than some hotels have. It could have done with a squat rack, but I won't complain. *The beach is gorgeous. It has a western view, so you get postcard quality sunsets everyday. Unbelievably beautiful! There are two large islands about 800 yards off the shore that also make up the view, which were nice to look at. The beach has a nice gentle slope, and small waves you can boogey-board on. *The climate in Mazatlan in general. In the Caribbean, I have found it insanely hot. 30+ degree days with high humidity are the norm. At night, it is still ~28 degrees with high humidity often. The heat can be oppressive and uncomfortable. In Mazatlan, the weather was absolutely PERFECT; 26-30 degree days, with a nice ocean breeze. Nights were 16-18 degrees, also with a breeze. We never even saw a single cloud the whole week we were there. *I have a sensitive stomach, however, I ate at the resort all week, and never had any issues at all. I think they have their own water filtration. There is an abundance of water bottles everywhere you go. I was really happy that I didn't have any issues for the trip.

The OK: *The rooms were very noisey. Bring headphones if you are a light sleeper. We heard the neighbours turn on the water, flush the toilet, and move stuff around. People slam the doors, and the sound travels. Also, the pool area has loud activities going on from ~12noon-2pm. *It is a very busy complex. There are three resorts, and there must have been ~1000+ people around when we were there. Not necessarily a bad thing, it is what it is. *If you are used to the warm Caribbean Sea, the water of the Pacific Ocean wil be a bit cold for you. Not a big deal, you get used to it after a few mins.

The Bad: *The one thing I didn't like was that their beach area is very small, and they have a very small number of pergolas that are taken at 6am by people who leave their towels on the chairs, and then proceed to eat breakfast, nap, go on excursions, all while leaving their stuff on the chairs to reserve their sports. This despite the fact that each of the pergolas have a big sign telling people that this is not allowed. We sat on the beach and noticed ~60%+ of the pergolas were unattended for many hours on end. We got frustrated and complained, and to the hotel's credit, a very friendly manager came down to the beach and moved someone's stuff who had placed it there and then left for 3 hours. *Tying into the above point, we found many of the other guests to be inconsiderate and rude. People leaving their stuff on beach chairs all day, with no consideration for others, Many loud guests slamming their hotel doors at all hours. Not really a fault of the hotel, again. It is what it is.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at El Cid. We will definitely return. There's a reason that this resort has an aggregate score of 4/5, across ~5,000 reviews. It's a great place, the staff all go above and beyond to make your vacation the best they can. I would highly recommend this resort to anyone. You won't be...