Hotel Marina El Cid Spa&Beach Resort All Inclusive

Mexico , Riviera Maya / Playa del Carmen
PUERTO MORELOS, Boulevard El Cid Unidad 15
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100 reviews shown

4/10

Poor

19 Jun 2026

ibeth

I recently stayed at Hotel El Cid Marina and unfortunately would not return.

The biggest issue was the smell throughout the property. Many areas smelled strongly like sewage, and our original room had a terrible odor that reminded us of dirty laundry. We eventually requested a room change because the smell was unbearable. I especially would not recommend the Marina rooms near the lake, as the odor seemed even worse in that area.

The staff was also disappointing. We often felt that guests without Platinum membership were treated differently. Staff came across as condescending at times, and it was obvious that Platinum members received preferential treatment.

The reservation system for dinner was frustrating. We were told to make reservations at the front desk, but when we did, we were informed that everything was already booked. However, other guests we spoke with—many of whom were Platinum members—had no problem securing reservations. Even more confusing, when we arrived for dinner around 9:00–9:30 PM, the restaurants were far from full, making it hard to understand why no earlier reservations were available.

Although El Cid promotes access to three resorts, the food options felt surprisingly limited. For lunch, there was typically only one restaurant open, which became repetitive very quickly. The food was average at best and not what I expected from an all-inclusive resort.

Getting around the property can also be difficult, especially for anyone with mobility issues. G

Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jun 2026

Felicity

Everyone is so helpful and kind! Resort is perfect for families!

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

13 Jun 2026

Michelle

Just got back from the El Cid Marina Beach. Pools were great. Room was clean. Staff helpful. Beware of the timeshare they try to sell. You will be stuck for 3 hours plus for a small promised gift. We loved our suite. Two separate rooms, one for my four teenage daughters and one for my husband and I. Three bathrooms and a huge kitchen table. Stove, microwave, etc. Great ocean view, however, every morning the trucks were out cleaning the sargassum. The smell was awful. The beach was unusable. It also didn't make sitting out on the balcony very enjoyable. The buffets were good. Just wish we could have gotten more restaurant reservations, and we tried getting these as soon as we checked in. The best restaurant to us was the Japanese. Excellent show and excellent food. If considering going to this chain in Puerto Morelos, I'd get the more upscale Ventus or Ventus Ha. Price is almost the same but more newer rooms. We did have a great family vacation. The only reason I may not return is how bad the sargassum looked and smelled.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jun 2026

Suren

I have been coming to Cancún for about 15 years now, and without exaggeration, the food and general service at this hotel are the best I have experienced so far. The only issue is the beach, which is full of seaweed. If that doesn't bother you, everything else at this hotel is great. A special thank you to all the chefs and managers of the restaurants — they are clearly doing an outstanding job!

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jun 2026

Yovani

Clean room, staff very helpful!

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jun 2026

Delvis

Great hotel, but bad location because of how far and difficult it is to get to via car.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jun 2026

Rogelio

Family friendly !!!

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jun 2026

Alicia

The resort was absolutely beautiful. The staff were so friendly. It was very family friendly. There is a lot of wildlife around the resort! Everything is clean and well maintained. The food and service was great! I have nothing negative to say about our experience! We took our two young kids and had a blast!

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

07 Jun 2026

Sahilys

Nice restaurant and food staff was nice hotel just people who sell you excursions in the hotel too treating if you go to the cenote they try to over sale you and the want to charge more for the attraction

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jun 2026

Nargis

Todo excelente el trato las personas de los carritos de golf en fin quedé encantada la comida ufff divina

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jun 2026

Lauren

Enjoyed our stay and would recommend

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

03 Jun 2026

Robby Jay

We had a wonderful stay at El Cid Spa & Resort and loved having access to all three sections of the resort—it made exploring even more fun. The staff was friendly and accommodating, the pool activities and music created a lively atmosphere, and the food across all restaurants was delicious. We especially enjoyed the taco night with live music and drinks. The resort was also conveniently located just 10 minutes from downtown Puerto Morelos for shopping and exploring.

There were a few hiccups during our stay. We signed up for a discounted package through the concierge but were not initially told it required attending a lengthy presentation, which took away valuable vacation time with our kids. We also had an issue with our first dinner reservation—the concierge told us it was booked for 8 PM, but when we arrived, there was no reservation in the system. We ended up waiting nearly an hour to be seated while traveling with tired and hungry children, and our son fell asleep before his meal even arrived.

Despite these inconveniences, we still had a great time, made wonderful memories, and enjoyed our vacation overall.

Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

03 Jun 2026

Navid

I recently stayed at this hotel and was disappointed by the overall experience.

The property is noticeably outdated and does not appear to be well maintained. One of the biggest drawbacks was the beachfront area, which was in very poor condition and essentially unusable during our stay.

The hotel also limits Wi-Fi access to two devices per room and charges additional fees for any extra devices, which felt unreasonable and outdated for a modern resort experience.

Due to the slow season, approximately half of the restaurants were closed, significantly limiting dining options. Securing dinner reservations was difficult, and on several occasions the only available reservation times were as late as 9:30 PM. The alternative was the buffet, which offered a less-than-impressive dining experience.

Another frustration was the constant pressure to attend a sales presentation. Multiple members of the hotel team approached us throughout our stay to encourage participation, which became intrusive and detracted from our vacation.

While the service staff working throughout the resort were friendly and pleasant, the front desk, concierge, and management teams were generally unhelpful and did not seem interested in addressing guest concerns.

Overall, the resort did not meet expectations, and the combination of limited amenities, poor beach conditions, aggressive sales tactics, and lackluster customer service makes it difficult for me to recommend this property.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jun 2026

Kathleen

Love this place!

Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

29 May 2026

Saurav

Family friendly resort with lot engaging activities going on with main marina pool. Staff are really working hard to keep the resort well and people entertained. This is my second visit and I can say that it’s different from my last visit. Very hard to get any reservations in dine -in restaurants. Food options were limited and not all bars were open. This could be due to off season but it does let down overall experience

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

29 May 2026

Karel

Tengo que decir que este viaje fue maravilloso, el hotel bien limpio, las piscinas súper, la comida maravillosa, el staff súper atento con los huéspedes, siempre estaban preguntando que necesitábamos, los cuartos limpios, amplios y en muy buen estado, la vista maravillosa, lo único malo es la playa porque tiene muchísimo sargazo, pero por lo demás súper recomendado para cualquiera que quiera ir y despejar la mente y olvidarse del día a día. Súper recomendado para familias.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

29 May 2026

Stephanie Crystal

I love the room was spacious. The staff was always very helpful. Got reservations to al la carte restaurants upon check in without any issues. Lots of animals on the property. Beautiful property. The food was always good. Try the pastries at breakfast buffet, they are delicious.

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

27 May 2026

Kevin

Great resort overall. It's about 30mins to the airport. Have access to all the different sites during the stay. Beach area is not what it once was and restaurant reservation availabilities were limited.

Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

26 May 2026

Jacqueline Corazon Carmen Caguiat

Pros/Cons:
Rooms - We stayed at El Cid Marina and booked their 1 bedroom suite. It was spacious, clean, and it had a complete bathroom in and outside the bedroom which was perfect for me and my brother. But the whole room had a bad/terrible smell - dirty water/wet dog kind. I had to spray my own Lysol, but it still didn't get it out completely. It had a murphy bed outside which was very comfortable. It had a small kitchen, a mini fridge, with a dozen canned soda-beer combo, and they left 4 small and 2 large bottled waters out for us, but no utensils nor pots/pans - I guess you had to request them. It only had a tea pot, glasses and cups/saucers. We had access to a patio and it was a close walk to the pool and breakfast restaurant. They had a giant ice machine outside so it's convenient to always have cold beverages. The sheets were okay - not very silky or cloud soft as other hotels offer. The A/C would only go down to 20C. There was a ceiling fan that helped out. There were 2 TV's. We had a the privacy tag on our door knob but when I requested for more water, since I was out on the patio, I didn't hear their knock (no doorbells here), they came in and left it on our table. Same with the room service - maybe next time we should chain up the door when we're indoors.
Staff - 99% of the staff were helpful, kind, polite, said 'Hola!' as you pass by. At the spa, they accommodated our changes. However, the big misunderstanding was with our Concierge. Because we booked through ex

Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 May 2026

Derek Todd

If you only like to stay in the resort, a great place to spend time with your family. I enjoy the service and very respectful.

Friends

6/10

Pleasant

23 May 2026

Nico

Hotel was okay, staff was not as friendly as you would expect

10/10

Exceptional

22 May 2026

Mike Steven

Been going to this same resort every year since 2018. I've noticed this year however that the pools seemed dirty and not as much entertainment as previous years.

However the staff are still such amazing people and love them so much. They are the ones that keep bringing us back each year and will be going back again next year 💯

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

16 May 2026

Cynthia

Well maintained property. Abundant pool space so you never feel crowded. Family friendly. I was there for my birthday week however, I was sick. The staff went above and beyond to do everything they could to ensure I had a relaxing \"recovery vacation\".

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 May 2026

Victor

We live the customer sirve was great, no issues.

The only comment is that they should have Modelo beer or more variety.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 May 2026

Cassandra

One of the best vacations we have had. Everything was amazing! So great we are already booking to go back!!! From pools to food to the staff- fabulous resort.

Friends

8/10

Excellent

14 May 2026

Barakia

The room was clean and housekeeping did a great job. The staff was friendly. The property do have three parts which was a bit confusing but we figured it out. Very relaxing.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

14 May 2026

Joseph

Such an amazing week at El Cid. Everything was just lovely. Food was great. Service spectacular and property gorgeous!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 May 2026

Gregory

Excellent & easy place to navigate.
Food is GREAT, a little something for everyone - there's a gym, spa, & the resort has all water activities.

Highly recommended

8/10

Excellent

10 May 2026

Leslie S

Pools are great and several options. Food was good , yet at least 2 restaurants were closed at lunch time leaving us only one option. Kid friendly, staff friendly. No beach in my opinion .

Family

8/10

Excellent

08 May 2026

Aymee

La propiedad es muy grande y tiene restaurantes muy pequeños la capacity del hotel es mayor a la de servicio y la comida no es buena

10/10

Exceptional

07 May 2026

Kenneth

We had a fabulous stay, so many activities, pools anD bars! Highly recommend!

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

07 May 2026

Rafael Prado

Excellent

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 May 2026

Joyce

Kind friendly staff. Loved the pickleball and all the pools! Food was amazing! But stay away from the time share people! It’s a waste of time!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Apr 2026

markita

kid friendly everything was great wonderful place to stay

Family

6/10

Pleasant

29 Apr 2026

Yesenia

The rooms were cleaned, staff were very helpful. I enjoyed the amenities of the hotel and the sister hotels near by. The food was okay ,average buffet style options. The pastries were my favorite of the trip! You can ever go wrong with open bar and drinks all morning till sun down.

Friends

8/10

Excellent

28 Apr 2026

Angela

Upon arrival there was attempts to upsell into two different rooms. We were told that normally Expedia gives four Wi-Fi passwords we received only two and was expected to pay for more if we wanted more devices hooked up. It wad nice that despite arriving early we were allowed to have breakfast and use the facilities until our room was ready for us. The pools are large, food was great and the entertainment was new and different every night. The downfall to this resort was the upgraded room included a soft kingsize bed and a hard hide-a-bed for a room of 4 adults, really bad cell reception, limited wifi codes, poor signage/notifications throughout the facilities to help navigate throughout the resort and also you had be up really early to obtain a cabana or lounger chair under an umbrella. Despite notices placed if they were not being occupied within the hour.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

27 Apr 2026

Angel

We had the platinum access; which allowed access to all three resorts, all inclusive. The staff were very friendly. We were there for only four days so didn’t quite get to experience everything the resort had to offer. Finding a lounge chair was never a challenge for us. Food was great! The Kobo Teppanyaki restaurant was an amazing experience. The rooftop pool was cool too, great views of the acres of nature reserve behind the resorts where development will not happen.
The only thing I would say is: (and maybe it’s just that time of year) but the beach sucked. There was a lot of seaweed and it made the water color appear brownish-red. Also the seaweed stunk up anywhere near the ocean, so cut out a few pools for us. Ended up hanging out at one of the pools farther from the ocean most of the time.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Apr 2026

Sara

Well maintained, polite staff, lots to eat

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

22 Apr 2026

Harmandeep

Kid friendly, good pool, food and lot of activities to so.

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

22 Apr 2026

Jon Shelby

This was a great resort. The food was very good. Many pool options so you can find whatever fits your mood. Staff was very helpful and friendly. The reservation for dinner were easy to come by if you have some flexibility. The nightly entertainment was fun.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Apr 2026

Chelsey

Food, drinks, service, and entertainment were great. I just wish housekeeping would've been consistent in timing from day to day so we knew when to step away, or expect her.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

21 Apr 2026

Caleigh

We had a wonderful time.

Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

21 Apr 2026

Jennifer

The check-in process was beyond ponderous. Internet situation was irritating. Every device required separate connection with fees. Booking specialty restaurants was difficult. The staff were lovely. The Ventus Ha, although not ocean front, was a much more serene, attractive option if you wanted a more relaxed holiday.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

21 Apr 2026

tenni

My new favorite resort!!

2/10

Poor

21 Apr 2026

Alexis Marie

We had the worst experience. From start to finish. The staff at check in were unfriendly and unhelpful. We had issues with our reservations and they couldn’t have cared less. They made no effort to make it right and after along time arguing back and forth I asked to speak to a manger one wasn’t available and I asked for one to reach out when they were available and shocker they never reached out even though I had asked that they do. After finally checking in we found our kids room to be flooded and were told we would half to wait for maintenance. We had travels all day hadn’t eaten and now had to wait hours for maintenance.The food was terrible at the buffet and you can only dine at the restaurant if you have a reservation and good luck getting one. You can’t make on in advance and you can’t seem to get one on the property. We ended up eating off property cause we couldn’t do another bad meal.Half the bars weren’t open and the few that were closed early. As far as entertainment good luck there was absolutely nothing to do at night other then a music of some sort in the lobby. It’s super far from everything even though they advertise it as Cancun it’s a solid 45min drive to Cancun for f there isn’t traffic or an accident if that happens looking at an hour drive each way! The rooms are very outdated. We had a 2 bedroom suite it was very spacious but the couches are beyond uncomfortable and basically useless. The beach is basically not usable at all. They have these weird barrie

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

21 Apr 2026

Janiyah

The stay was amazing, missing it already!

10/10

Exceptional

20 Apr 2026

Nancy

Everything was amazing. My one issue is I wish they would stop the reservation requirement for the dining.

10/10

Exceptional

20 Apr 2026

micheal

Pools are incredible

8/10

Excellent

20 Apr 2026

Melissa

The only thing I dislike was in the pool people would hold spaces and you would have no where to sit and it was the pool with kids so some adults could of gone to the adult side instead of taking the spots where families could be with the children like at 6am people where leaving towels and things on the chairs

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

19 Apr 2026

Hemeak

Just came back from Hotel Marina El Cid, it's connect to a couple other resorts, so you have a wide selection of meal options. Golf carts that can take you to the restaurants. My family enjoyed the pool, we used it everyday.

8/10

Excellent

19 Apr 2026

Melanie Crystal

Very clean, beautiful resort, better than expected for the price we paid. We had a big suite, very clean and comfortable. Staff great. Only thing lacking is nightlife/night entertainment and food at a la carte wasn't as good as I've had elsewhere in Cancun. Buffets were good. Lots of pool space, didn't have to fight for chairs. All in all, it was a good stay. Close to Puerto morelos town so you can walk or uber in to check it out.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Apr 2026

Vanessa

A lot of activities for our 16 yr olds. Staff went above and beyond to help us celebrate their birthdays. They decorated our room with balloons, streamers and a cake. Great food.

8/10

Excellent

18 Apr 2026

Burke Aubrey

Great food great pool, beach not so great. Good for family vacation.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

18 Apr 2026

Karla

Lots of fun for everything… great food, beautiful pools, nice rooms for family of 5!

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

15 Apr 2026

Matthew

Clean and pleasant great staff very a helpful and polite

8/10

Excellent

15 Apr 2026

Winona Michele

Very clean & relaxing. Staff was wonderful & food was decent. Cons are internet & phone service was awful. The resort charges $15 per day per device you cannot swap between devices. We paid a small fortune for our family and the service was terrible. Overall great vacation and we do it again.

Friends

8/10

Excellent

14 Apr 2026

Erika Mariela Paz

Food was great. We couldn’t go to the beach because there was too much seaweed.

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

14 Apr 2026

Wendy

I will start by saying we have traveled to Mexico at least 15+ times. Staying at diff resorts. The airport doesn’t bother us. No issue w timeshare sales ppl. Great vegetation, very pretty! Wild life was super cool. Staff do their best to give good service (less butlers). DO NOT UPGRADE to platinum. Complete waste of money. Cost $55/person per day, never saw/met butler. May have just been AI texting me randomly. We had 21 ppl staying for 8 days over easter ages 9-70. Of the 21 people, 6 got food poisoning at diff times over our stay. Forced to eat buffet 4 nights in a row, same foods. Reservations required at all restaurants, they open on Sat but are all full on Sat when they open?? Restaurants somehow always full?? If ur lucky, you get a 9pm reservation. They appear to save space for timeshare folks or maybe families that stay year after year. Not sure how they plan to increase those returning families if they don’t allow new guests to try any of the restaurants. I have never gotten food poisoning at any other hotel in Mexico or had to wait an hr to eat at a buffet. Lines out the door of the hotel. Drinks garbage, platinum was $800 & top shelf vodka by pools was smirnoff or absolut. They had don julio in the platinum lobby but I would have to keep going inside to get drinks with don julio. CANCEL IF YOU CAN! stay at fiesta americana condesa or Hyatt Ziva in Cancun (not riviera maya), hyatt serves grey goose by the pool & both have top service & great food/drinks

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

14 Apr 2026

Margaret

The check in was horrific! I have my confirmation from Expedia that I was booked in el cid spa and beach, however when I check in they said I was booked at Ventus Ha. They said that Expedia provided the wrong information to them; I refused to stay at Ventus ha, and it cost me another large amount to added to my original expense. I need see if Expedia made the error or if the person at the check in desk was just up charging me. I definitely want this investigated and the money reimbursed

Self

10/10

Exceptional

12 Apr 2026

Nick

We love this resort!

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

12 Apr 2026

Mary Ann

The staff were very friendly and our one bedroom was perfect for our family of three to have a little space. Multiple pools around the complex made it feel like it wasn’t crowded.

Two things that would have made the trip even better is if we could have gotten restaurant reservations and if the beach was a bit nicer. The beach is great for small children, but has too many breakers in it for adults to swim.

Taco fest on Thursday evenings is a must! Overall very nice vacation.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

11 Apr 2026

Kola

This resort was nice but a few things that if I had known maybe I would have not booked it. There was no snack bars around the pools. Having three children and couldn’t even get chicken tenders or fries or even a simple burger near the pool. We had to go to an actual restaurant. We were charged a significant amount so my kids iPads could have wifi. I got charged for platinum services and didn’t benefit from them. Was assigned a “butler” aka a concierge and they weren’t much help, they couldn’t even get us decent reservations, but when i walked into restaurants during the day and asked for reservations the restaurant staffs were helpful and obliged.

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

11 Apr 2026

Jonathan

No one tells you but you must book your dinner reservations prior to arriving. We tried booking Tuesday and nothing was available until Friday.

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

11 Apr 2026

Wilfredo Figueroa

The pool areas were very nice. Having multiple pools allowed you to enjoy every experience differently and let you decide what and how to spend your time.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

11 Apr 2026

Jesus

Expedia says its on the beach but it is not, you are pushed to the new buildings in the back. They are nice but not what i booked. Also its $700 more to stay in the area you thought you paid for in the beginning.

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

11 Apr 2026

Sharon

long, but please read. Been to Mexico at least 15+ times @ diff resorts. call from front desk about “welcome package” first day. Went to front desk, they directed us to timeshare people, we left to head to pool. didn’t say a word to anyone & never bothered about timeshare again. Pros: great vegetation & Wild life. random animals around resort were cool. Staff does best to give good service (less butlers). DO NOT UPGRADE to platinum. Complete waste of money. Cost $55/person per day USD, butler to help with reservations/anything needed, premium liquor, better view, etc..butler didn’t contact me until I went into the platinum lounge to say I hadn’t heard from anyone 2 days after arriving, then got a text asking if I needed anything. Never met/saw either of the 2 butlers in person, not sure they were even real. Still wonder if it was AI texting. Half our group upgraded & got no help from any butler. upgrades in other countries, butlers meet in person & help with everything. only able to make 1 dinner reservation before arrival by emailing hotel. Told no reservations avail most nights. Forced to eat buffet 4 nights in a row. Food & drinks awful. 6 of 21 ppl got food poisoning on diff days over 8 days. Top shelf vodka was smirnoff. Older hotel is fine & knew the beach sucked, but bad food, drinks, bad cell service & butlers that don’t exist..not ok. Cancel if you can. Stay @ fiesta americana condesa or hyatt ziva in cancun for amazing time!

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

11 Apr 2026

Tomasz

The variety of pools across the resorts that you have access to is wonderful. We stayed by the main pool for the kids most of the time, but each pool had its own vibe. The food was fantastic and the staff very friendly. The only thing i would flag is that the beach is not great. Its always covered in seaweed, but we came here knowing this already so it wasn't a surprise.

Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

10 Apr 2026

Mitch

Overall great resort but when checking in they claimed we booked a room at the “cheaper” sister resort and if we wanted to stay at the Oceanside resort we actually booked we had to upgrade and pay more which was extremely disappointing.

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

10 Apr 2026

Todd

2nd time to property. They expanded to twice the size without doubling the amenities, restaurants, pool access, etc. Three complaints: 1. Long Lines and difficult to get restaurant reservations. . . I spent too much time getting what was already agreed to and we did not get to choose which restaurants. 2. Upon arrival they tried to switch us to the Ventus Ha property--Our reservation was for Hotel Marina El Cid Spa and Beach resort. The reservations we paid for was supposed to be ocean and pool view and full access to restaurant reservations. UP CHARGED us to be at El Cid Hotel (I absolutely hate this. . . we had be in transit from home for over 10 hours. My wife and daughter were exhausted and the hotel staff held us hostage until we would pay ~$450 more for what we already reserved and pd for) No manager available that night to figure it out. 3. Tried to up sale us to their platinum club to provide what should have been provided with original reservation. Ultimately, Manuel, Manager, refunded just less than 1/2 of the original upcharge but he seemed to be powerless to do more. EXPEDIA fell down and the job and did not accept any responsibility or provide any real assistance. Their CS chat function ultimately failed and they did not follow up to make sure that things were right.

The property was clean, most of the staff was really great and they worked so hard to make sure that things were clean and first class. Our room was comfortable and clean.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

10 Apr 2026

Malgorzata

Beach was not really nice

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

09 Apr 2026

Seth

Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

07 Apr 2026

Stan

We had a fantastic time at the El Cid Marina PM with our grandchildren despite my complaints. We have stayed at this resort in 2019 & 2023 with grandchildren as well and we returned due to how wonderful a place it is for youths. What we noticed this last trip was that our building #19 was dirty. There was Coati (Mx racoon) feces in the stairwell for more than three days, it's likely still there!! We also found some of the staff unfriendly, especially Karin who is a hostess and also a server named Ananis at the Dolores. The quality of the food and the cookery of food is sub par. While at the buffet my grandson went for a scoop of vanilla ice cream, he was given a hollowed out scoop. He requested another and was refused! At a buffet!!! I question the maintenance of this building as well as the balcony rail was wobbly on our third floor room. The chairs in the dining rooms and the lobby are filthy. This resort is run down, they should spend a little cash on the \"old\" part and stop on the Ventos side. Reminded me of the shabbiness like at the El Cid in Mazatlan. We paid cash for the extra fees and then those fees were charged to our credit card, beware.....do not give them cash. I am sad to say that we will never attend at an El Cid again due to these reasons.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

06 Apr 2026

Patricia

I have been to ElCid several times. Always clean, great food and friendly staff.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

05 Apr 2026

Igor

Assuming everything else was great (staff, clean, looks nice, stuff to do - all 100%), here are the only things that were actually horrible here.
#1 - the food. The restaurants were 90% bad. They had maybe one good dish (Baja taco) the rest was bad. Clearly microwaved, and horrible cut quality.
#2 - if you could even get into a restaurant, by the way, day 1- they're all 100% booked. How? Then, on top of that - on those 'super booked up days' they closed some of the buffets? Sounds like a terrible job managing it. The lady at \"concierge\" was telling me 1 story, then my friend who we traveled with went to talk to her, gave him a different story. I went to the front desk, he gave me a third story... it's a mess. It's 2026 and they're still tracking availability in an Excel doc on Windows 2000.
#3 - They lack enough lounge chairs at the pools. There is a sign that says something like \"if your (stuff) is unattended for more than an hour, you'll lose your place\" that isn't enforced. People were pining down spots from the day before. And they have space, look at the Marina cover - they only have 1 row of loungers, could put 2 even 3 in some.
#4 - ALL the drinks were watery. None of them were like \"wow that tastes so good!\".

Everything else besides those 4 were great. The people were amazing, super nice, friendly, etc... It just feels like the place is poorly managed.

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

05 Apr 2026

Katherine Ann

Great resort!! Better food than most all inclusives I've been to! Lots of fun activites for the family. Staff is great, rooms and resort are very clean!

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

05 Apr 2026

Christina Holden

Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

03 Apr 2026

Kathryn Vilter

The resort property is fine. Plenty of pools and such. The problem is the restaurants. If you have a food allergy or sensitivity - do not go to this resort. We left 2 days early because I was constantly getting dishes with gluten in them - and sick much of the next morning.

You can't get reservations in the nicer, non-buffet restaurants. I think those all go to the Platinum guests & their members. We checked every day - and several times for just 2 people. Those have menu items that are notes as GF - nut I am not sure if they understand GF, as they had an item noted as GF, and it was made with Couscous - which is 100% wheat... I may have done better at those. but the buffets are so busy - super long lines to get a table, and then the language barrier - so I was just guessing what was safe.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

02 Apr 2026

Geoffrey T

Was offered and enjoyed an upgrade to a beachfront 1 bedroom deluxe suite on the ground floor with an outdoor jacuzzi tub and more or less next to the pool, bar and beach volleyball for a small extra price at check in! It was fantastic. I was a little unsure of the all inclusive price when considering booking but the incredible benefits and options were well worth the price. 10 restaurants, many pools, bars, gym, kids and adult activities, nightly shows etc. etc. and never paid an extra penny for anything after check in. If you are a big drinker the endless open bars alone make it a deal. Also incredible food options, I mean really awesome fine dining options! Also loved the breakfast options and endless fruit, expresso and mimosas in the morning :)!!!!!! The facility is super family friendly but there are some adult only options as a part of the 3 properties. The staff was super friendly from start to finish and we felt like family by the time we left. Seriously, we were lucky enough to enjoy many of the same staff members services during our stay and by the end they knew us by name and what we liked. Please be kind in return, they deserve it!! I did take a couple of envelopes stuffed with $1 bills and spread them around liberally as my only out of pocket expense there and it made a lot of smiles and I am sure it was sincerely appreciated. We truly enjoyed everything about the El Cid experience and would not hesitate to recommend to others and would definitely go back.

Family

8/10

Excellent

01 Apr 2026

Allison

Everything was great! I would recommend having more options of activities for teens/young adults in the evening. Maybe a games room or other options.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

31 Mar 2026

Kristi Ann

I heard this was a \"budget\" Resort, but we have stayed at much higher end resorts and this blew them out of the water! Excellent staff, many great restaurants to choose from, the bike excursion to town was excellent. Zero complaints about anything at this Resort. Teens were entertained and loved it. Would absolutely NOT go to the 90 minute presentation for their travel club unless genuinely interested. It was way longer than 90 minutesand wasted half our day.

8/10

Excellent

29 Mar 2026

Ramon

The resort is beautiful but out of 4 nights i couldn’t get a reservation. You have to pay for extra WiFi over 2 devices.

4/10

Poor

29 Mar 2026

Kimberly

Not very allergy friendly. Staff wasn’t knowledgable. Very hard to get dinner reservations but restaurants were empty.

Friends

4/10

Poor

29 Mar 2026

sari a

room was ok not cool enough. water pressure was not good. couldn't get reservations for dinners had to meet with manager to get reservations. reservation girl was not nice when I met with her. Food at the French restaurant actually made me sick that night. over all food was not good. been to this resort before was very disappointed this time.

Friends

8/10

Excellent

28 Mar 2026

Stacey

Everything was very clean. Staff was great. Pool actives were super fun.
The food was the worst part. We were only able to get into one restaurant. The buffet was fine at best.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

27 Mar 2026

Luis Armando Arreola

Amazing pools for all the family!

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

26 Mar 2026

Candace

Pleasantly surprised with the entire resort - would definitely come back again. Enjoyed the food!

8/10

Excellent

26 Mar 2026

Carin Myrrh

The staff were all very friendly and we enjoyed our stay immensely.
We paid a lot of money for an upgraded room and though we loved the room, the cleaning service only came once while we were there (we did have a privacy please for 3 of the 7 days).
We were probably the most disappointed with the wifi access. The service was spotty and we were only allowed to connect two devices during the stay despite having purchased the trip for 4 people. I couldn't even update my kindle unless I paid 25 usd for 24hrs of access. And then on the last day - they cut off our wifi as soon as we checked out even though we had the rest of the day before our flight.
the food was incredible - something for everyone! Only issue was that we couldn't always find which restaurant was serving the buffet :). but we found it an it was amazing!
The evening entertainment was very good - and very enjoyable for all audiences!
OH - about the beach - they have some barriers in place to help break up the waves... but we missed the waves and being able to swim in the ocean - something my kids were really looking forward to!

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

26 Mar 2026

Bradley

It was an amazing experience from check in to check out. The staff was attentive, the food was great, and the rooms were clean and well equipped for this level of resort. I would recommend it without hesitation.

10/10

Exceptional

24 Mar 2026

Eleanor

We had an amazing stay! Our room was at Ventus Ha which was new, modern and very clean. The grounds are beautiful and we were able to enjoy pools at all 3 resorts. Dinner reservations were difficult to make however. If we had known that we would have upgraded to Platinum. Otherwise the food was fantastic, staff were friendly, we will definitely be back!

8/10

Excellent

24 Mar 2026

Jennifer

Room was always clean, staff were amazing, the beach was a little lacking but the pools made up for it.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

24 Mar 2026

Marilyn

The main pool was great for the kids, there is a cliff jump and a slide, volleyball and water polo nets. Our kids had a great time. The rooms were clean and the property was very well maintained. I would return!

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

22 Mar 2026

Laura

It was amazing.
Such friendly staff!
The water aerobics were such a blast.

4/10

Poor

22 Mar 2026

Kyle Jordan

Poolside seating nearly non existent after 7am.
Had a seat for my wife and I, and after leaving our things on the seats and running back to the room for swapping out shoes for flip flips, we came back to find our seats has been given away since we left them “unattended” even though the six seats to the left had no people at them all morning, and the four on the other side were also unattended. If you are going to enforce a “no reserved seats” policy, do it to everyone not just two people out of 50+. Especially after we paid extra for your pathetic “platinum club”.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Mar 2026

Maya

Our extended family had a great week! Great food, great drinks, lots of fun!
Water aerobics, volley ball, pool hopping, walks, etc

Sombrero's are our new favorite drink.
The swordfish at the Italian restaurant was the best fish of my life.

Our room was clean and comfortable with a great view!

Our butlers Orlando and Are were extremely helpful.

Extremely safe resort for a family!

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

21 Mar 2026

Jessica

A lot of walking to get to the different pools/restaurants on the resort. Wish there were better signs for getting around. It took me awhile to find the “short cuts.” There are employees that will drive you around on golf carts but then I feel obligated to tip every time.
They need a better system of making reservations for restaurants. It’s almost impossible to get a reservation for any day of your stay, even when reserving as soon as you check in. The reservations we did get were at 9 and 9:30 at night. No way I want to eat dinner that late.

If there was an option of a resort app, I did not know. It would have been nice to have an app to use as a map or make reservations.
You have to pay for WiFi beyond two devices. I paid an extra $120 so everyone in my party could use phones for apps, etc. Data did not work well at all, and we had Tmobile. Paying for WiFi is a huge reason I wouldn’t return with my entire family of 6.
Be prepared to get up early in the morning to save a pool chair at the main “party pool” if you want to be near all the action. Signs state no saving chairs, but no one listens. The other pools on the resort were much quieter and easier to get chairs.
The food options were actually great and tasted good, considering it is an all inclusive resort. I was very very impressed!
The rooms were very clean, beds very comfortable. The Murphy bed is very comfortable, surprisingly.
I definitely would return, but only as a party of two.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

21 Mar 2026

DONNA

We enjoyed our stay very much. We are coming back in May.

Friends

6/10

Pleasant

21 Mar 2026

Michelle

This was our second visit to the resort and this time around we brought our nine-year-old daughter. The resort and amenities were all there, but we did notice a decline in the customer service and willingness to go a little bit above and beyond the recreation and entertainment staff were amazing but the weight staff and bartenders didn’t seem too keen on providing exceptional service. It’s undecided whether we will be back or not.

Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

19 Mar 2026

Christopher

It was great and we really liked the property. The food was good and the staff was wonderful. There are 2 things that really took away from all the good things- 1) they charge you ridiculous prices to use he internet. If you have 5 devices it’s $50 per day and your resort fee doesn’t count toward this and the WiFi is terrible. Make it free like every resort this side of 2020. 2) the restaurants were great but the lines to eat at the buffet at peak were ridiculous. Way too long, sometimes 30-60 mins and that’s not good when you have hungry kids. Reservations at the restaurants were very hard to get.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

18 Mar 2026

Cecilia Osborne

Great stay. Food and staff were wonderful. Will definitely be in our vacation rotation.

Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

16 Mar 2026

Kelso

Clean room. Staff were great.