El Cid Castilla Beach Hotel - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

8574 reviews

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  A okay stay but room for improvement !!

  Hello I booked this Trip on WestJet Vacations in August 2026 this is my own opinion of my Week stay.I flew here after receiving a last minute email by WestJet on Friday October 9 2026 warning of the possible problems of The Hurricane Simon Storm.Any how I set off from YVR VancouverBC 🇨🇦 to YYC Calgary on Saturday Morning at 6:45 AM.Once the Flight got to Calgary there was a delay of over half an hour getting to The gate.Anyhow I basically had less than 30 minutes to catch my Flight to Mazatlan meaning I was quick walking & jogging to my distant gate & was the second last person to board the Aircraft so I just barely made this Flight down to Mexico.Anyhiw I get to The El Cid & go to The Grenada which was the Hotel that I booked because I wanted to stay there.. right? I am then informed at The Lobby there there that it's closed for Renovation in The Low Season okay then why wasn't I informed of this by WestHet Vacations or The El Cid because that's where I had wanted to stay.I then had a Bellboy help me with my luggage over to Room 0406 on The Fourth Floor probably in the very same Room that I had asked to be moved from in December 2024 on a Week stay & wasn't ! Was I happy to be put in this very noisy Area facing The Second Main Swimming Pool... absolutely not ! This room that had no sound insulation may as well been Pool Side.The first few Nights were okay but in The Night & Morning of Tuesday October 13/ Early AM October 14.There were guests outside Partying playing Music,shouting & taking until 5AM in The Morning.I had complained to The El Castilla Front Desk after Midnight & again over an hour later.I was informed that Security would be sent to investigate the situation.Conclusion nothing was done these louts were doing as they wanted & I highly doubt if any of the guests on any of those four Floors that Night fit any sleep at all.The next Morning I went over there & asked to be moved which I was in Early Afternoon Wednesday October 14 to Room 1517 on The Fifteenth Floor in a lot quieter Part of The Resort.Yes they were good enough to give me a free Mini Fridge in the room.That said this was the third time that I had stayed in The El Cid Castilla & Grenada since December 2024.So as far as I'm concerned if I tell a few times that I don't want to be put in a loud party Area of a Hotel I expect you to know that because I've been there a few times.Also you gave me a basic Silver Bracelet that didn't even give access to The Bar lounge or Buffet at The El Moro even though I was told by The El Grenada Front Desk & Customer Service that it would give me some access to The Moro it gave me none whatsoever.Just so The El Cid knows it's not often that I return to any Resort i do have other options to other Destinations I hope you get the picture of what I'm saying here clearly?As for as The Ala Carte The Italian was good but I really liked The Argentine Meal.The Staff at The Bar Lounge at the Castilla were accommodating so were all The Friendly Wailers at The El Castilla Buffet were good as were the Cleaning Staff & Bell Boys etc.All I'm saying is that I should've been informed about this change a least a Week or two in advance that would've been I think the right thing to do.As far as my return Flight back up from Mazatlan through Calgary I again encountered problems.This time The WestJet Flight back to YVR was delayed for about a Hour & 15 Minutes at YYC sitting off to side of the runway after it had pulled out from the gate waiting to get the word to take off for YVR because of something going on at YVR Vancouver.Meaning I didn't get until Midnight yeah thanks YVR I didn't get home until about 1:30 AM Sunday Morning.

  Oct 24, 2026
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  Disappointing Day Pass Experience

  If you're thinking about a day pass here, you might want to rethink it. Sure, the resort has a huge, pretty pool and super nice staff, but honestly, that's where the good stuff ends. Everything else is pretty disappointing. The buffet food is really bad, and the cocktails are basically just flavored water. And if you're hoping to chill on the beach, forget it – there's no seating! The beach area is tiny, and even though there are palapas for shade, you won't find any lounge chairs or anything to sit on right on the sand. So, with the bad food, weak drinks, and no beach seating, a day pass here just isn't worth it.

  Jun 25, 2026
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  Amazing Family Resort!

  We just returned from El Cid and stayed in Castilla Beach. We were a family of 9 including an infant of 10 mos, a toddler just shy of 2 and a 4 year old. When we booked we upgraded to Elite and it was worth every penny. Let’s start with our arrival. We were immediately directed to the private check in. There is a small tourist tax per room which we were aware of prior to our arrival. Check in was smooth and the accommodated our request for 2 cribs, a fridge and adjoining rooms. Out of the gate we were extremely happy. Our rooms weren’t ready yet so we went and had lunch at La Concha in the El Moro hotel. Shout out to our server, Angel. He looked after us a few times throughout the week and was always pleasant and welcoming. We had a choice of buffet or à la carte dining here. Food was excellent. We had breakfast and lunch here almost everyday. Definitely try the coconut shrimp and the La Concha salad. Rooms were clean and we had a beautiful ocean view. Like others who commented, they are a little dated but honestly the decor is low on our priority. Cleanliness is what is important to our group. Beds were comfortable and there was plenty of space for clothes to be hung etc. Poolside was great. As I mentioned we had a 4 year old with us and there was plenty of things for her to do. Water wasn’t too deep close to the edge and they had water slides that were age appropriate. Our servers at the pool were Francesco and Ramon who were amazing. Talk about hard working! Those guys never stopped. We were there over the Easter long weekend and they set up an Easter egg hunt and the Easter bunny was there for pictures too. Very kid friendly and well organized. Beach was a ton of fun for everyone too; from building sand castles to playing in the waves. Life guards on duty took their jobs seriously and certainly were watching what was going on. We booked four of the five à la carte restaurants and again food quality and service was fantastic. We didnt go to Marina. We will save that for next time. The only place where we didn’t find the food to be good was the buffet in Castilla. There wasn’t a ton of selection but with so many other choices it doesn’t change my rating of the property. We (twosome) also managed to get four rounds of golf in. Courses were in great shape. Played a round in about 3 hours. Our caddy had eagle eyes so no time wasted looking for balls. Overall we had an amazing family vacation. We had never been to an El Cid property prior to this vacation and we were completely satisfied with everything. Although I only mentioned a few, all of the staff were outstanding. Highly recommended and we will definitely return but absolutely upgrade to Elite!

  Apr 17, 2026
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  Great vacation at El Cid Castilla

  My wife and I spent one week as regular all-inclusive (not elite) guests the week before Easter (Holy Week / Samena Santa) at El Cid Castilla. Overall we really enjoyed our stay and would return. Room: Our ocean view, king size bed room on the 9th floor was fantastic! Very spacious, amazing view, comfortable bed, and very clean. My only negative was the lack of hot water when showering. It was only ever lukewarm at best, but when it’s +30°C outside it felt refreshing. We left notes for housekeeping if we wanted more towels or pillows and they were great at filling those requests by the time we returned. Pool: Every morning I would get our pool towels on some chairs before we went to breakfast. The pool is very clean and well maintained. The waterfall features are beautiful and relaxing when reading a book. The water was a nice temperature. The pool at the El Moro side was definitely busier since that is where kids can jump off the cliff. Castilla side did get busier in the afternoons so as early risers we enjoyed the quiet mornings at the pool. Food/buffets: the buffet was surprisingly good. We enjoyed 95% of what we put on our plates. Lots of options so you don’t need to eat the same thing every day unless you choose to. The omelette and eggs cooked to order station was fantastic! Always fresh fruit, lots of vegetable and salad options, great fish and other meats, pizza and hot dogs available for more North American style foods. Lunch is served at the outdoor restaurant with great views of the ocean, and dinner had different themes every night. Food/a-la-cartes: We didn’t have any trouble booking an a-la-carte restaurant for the following night. With only 2 of us, we were able to book for 6pm or 7pm seatings 3 nights in a row. We ate at the Italian, Thai, and Argentinian Steak House restaurants. All were very good. The mango tapioca dessert in the Thai restaurant was so delicious and refreshing! Alcohol/drinks: we are not big drinkers but enjoyed the occasional michelada, Paloma, jamaica juice, orange juice, or horchata. We never went thirsty and everything tasted great. Beach: the beach is lovely in this area. Golden sand, flat, you can walk for about an hour to the left with no obstructions. Heading right/North the beach does get a little steep in some places making it more of a hike. The Pacific Ocean water is very warm and swimmable. You can walk out quite a way and only be hip deep. Resort Fee: there is a $15 USD/day charge that is paid upon check in. This can be surprising so be aware of it when you book. It’s not uncommon though, I have paid it in places like Las Vegas so just work it into your vacation budget and be sure to utilitize the hotels amenities. Staff: the staff were always incredibly helpful and attentive. Special thanks to Sergio and Antonio for always taking care of us in the Pergola buffet! Location: El Cid is connected to 3 resorts (Granada, Moro, Castilla) and offers a shuttle to their Marina location. The 3 connected are close to the Golden Zone and Malecon so walkable or a short taxi/pulmonia ride from most things you may want to visit. We absolutely loved our stay at El Cid Castilla. We were at Riu Emerald Bay 3 years ago and preferred El Cid. It is an older hotel but extremely well maintained for its 40+ year age. Hope to return soon!

  Apr 08, 2026
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  El CID Terrible All Inclusive

  So I’ve been here for 2 weeks and leave tomorrow. So let’s start. First off I booked an all inclusive at the Granada. 14 days all inclusive direct from Edmonton. Price was very fair I thought. As we boarded the busy there was no option for the Granada, just the Beach, Moro, and Castillo. Being here before I got on the Castillo bus and once arrived I was just going to walk across the road when the bell boy told me the Granada was closed. “News to me”. So I checked in and asked to be upgraded because I didn’t want the absolutely packed poos at the other resorts. I wanted a laid back resort. Well get a 4 hr wait I got a room ground floor 15 ft from the pool at the El Moro, 15 ft from the stereo, yoga was 1.5ft from my deck. Yes not what I wanted. Do I thought I would make the best of it which was fine until you tried to figure out the all inclusive and the 59 colors of wrist bands. Went for lunch to be told sorry you came dine here, went for a drink and told the same. Finally four a bar and got draft beer. Guy beside me got a can? Got into the room, not a bad room. It was loud but whatever. I went to have a beer in the deck but guess what? No fridge in the room at all? 2 bottles of water that they replaced “once” in 14 days. Went to the buffet for dinner and let’s be clear I’ve eaten camp food for 26 years. The slop they serve is the worst I’ve seen in 26 years ov vacations. It tasted ok, it it all was “slop” in some sauces that you had to guess what you were eating. Lunch was worse. Breakfast was better if you could wait in line for an hour to get eggs cooked to your liking. No bacon but you could get a pork chop for breakfast. Lol Could not get a seat in the lobby bar. They had 1 for all 3 resorts (1000 rooms). It maybe sat 30 people. Now the staff worked hard and are not the problem. I say to management and owners if you don’t want to be an “all inclusive” then don’t be. I will not return to the El CID, Mazatlán is great and if you want a real “all inclusive” go farther out to the Riu.

  Apr 03, 2026