Dreams Estrella del Mar Mazatlán Golf & Spa Resort
Dreams Estrella del Mar is the most ambitious resort to open in Mazatlán in years: an all-suite Hyatt Inclusive Collection property inside the gated Estrella del Mar complex that opened in April 2024 as the first Hyatt hotel in the city. The appeal is a combination that is rare on this coast, with a water park and lazy river for the family, a par-72 Robert Trent Jones Jr. golf course next door with six holes on the ocean, and Unlimited-Luxury dining across six restaurants. Most suites face the Pacific and the rest open onto the pools, and two years in it is still a handsome, modern build, even if it can no longer coast on being brand new.
Traveler Insights
Pros
- +Opened in April 2024 as the first Hyatt hotel in Mazatlán, so the build, design and suite finishes are still well ahead of most of the destination
- +All-suite resort with roomy junior suites (about 549 to 620 square feet), most facing the Pacific and the rest opening straight onto the pools as swim-out suites
- +Water park and lazy river give families a full day of entertainment without leaving the gated Estrella del Mar complex
- +Next door is the Estrella del Mar golf course, a par-72 Robert Trent Jones Jr. layout with six holes running along the ocean
- +Six restaurants plus a snack grill, café and ice cream parlour: Oceana for seafood, El Patio for Mexican, Portofino for Italian (adults only), Meraki for Mediterranean and Asian, World Café buffet and Barefoot Grill
- +Explorer's Club for kids 3 to 12 (potty-trained) with weekly campouts and kids' dinners, plus a Core Zone teens club for 13 to 17s, so parents get real downtime
- +Manatee swim-up bar, Desires dance bar with live DJs, 24-hour room service and Wi-Fi throughout keep the resort lively day and night
Cons
- −Food consistency is hit or miss: the same restaurant can be excellent one night and disappointing the next, and not every specialty venue opens every evening
- −Water-feature upkeep has slipped in recent reviews, with the lazy river reported only about two-thirds full and its pumps off, slides described as rusted and leaky, and pools including the infinity pool low on water
- −The Pacific beach comes with real cautions: jellyfish and stingray warnings have been posted and guests have been discouraged from swimming on some days
- −World Café, the buffet, serves breakfast and lunch only, and Oceana's lunch, the adults-only pool and the hot tub are reserved for Preferred Club guests
- −The spa is where costs climb: treatments, the water circuit, the salon and the sauna and steam room all cost extra, as do motorized water sports, sport fishing and tours
- −The resort sits on the Isla Piedra side, well south of the old town, so getting into the city means a taxi or a tour, and the grounds are large enough that walking between areas takes time
Reviews have split as the property settles. Guests still praise the staff, the beach setting and the scale of the water features, but a growing share report upkeep problems: the lazy river running about two-thirds full without flow, rusted and leaky slides, and pools including the infinity pool low on water, alongside uneven housekeeping. Food is the other common gripe, with kitchens that turn out great meals and weak ones on the same day. Dinner is spread across Oceana (seafood), El Patio (Mexican), Portofino (Italian, adults only) and Meraki (Mediterranean and Asian), since World Café's buffet closes after lunch. The Preferred Club tier buys an adults-only pool, a hot tub and Oceana lunch service, while spa treatments, the water circuit and motorized water sports are extra. The beach is the constraint it always was: jellyfish and stingray warnings appear often enough that families should plan most water time at the pools.
This resort suits families, with an Explorer's Club for ages 3 to 12 and a Core Zone teens club, golfers who want fairway time alongside all-inclusive convenience, and travelers who want a high-end Mexican stay away from the Cancun-to-Tulum corridor, ideally after checking very recent reviews on maintenance. Couples after a quiet, romantic trip may find the family energy a lot, though Portofino and the adults-only pool section help. It also takes pets, which is rare at this level. Compared with Dreams resorts in the Riviera Maya it offers more outdoor variety and a real city on the doorstep, while the Caribbean wins on calm-water swimming.
Common Questions
Is the water park good for young kids?
Is golf included at Dreams Estrella del Mar?
Is the beach safe for swimming?
Which restaurants are worth it, and do I need the buffet?
Is Mazatlán a good destination beyond the resort?
What's nearby
Stone Island (Isla de la Piedra)30 min drive · 10 mi
Mazatlán Malecón45 min drive · 20 mi
Teatro Ángela Peralta45 min drive · 20 mi
Mazatlán Cathedral45 min drive · 20 mi
More things to do (26)
- Playa Norte · beach50 min drive · 20 mi
- Whale watching cruise (December to March) · excursion50 min drive · 27 mi
- El Cid Marina · marina50 min drive · 27 mi
- Playa Brujas · beach55 min drive · 29 mi
- Sunset cruise · excursion50 min drive · 27 mi
- Cliff Divers (El Clavadista) · viewpoint50 min drive · 21 mi
- Estrella del Mar Golf Course · golf5 min drive · 0.7 mi
- Fuerte 31 de Marzo · historic site45 min drive · 20 mi
- Old Mazatlán (Plazuela Machado) · town50 min drive · 20 mi
- Olas Altas Beach · beach50 min drive · 20 mi
- Museo de Arte de Mazatlán · museum50 min drive · 20 mi
- Museo Arqueológico de Mazatlán · museum50 min drive · 20 mi
- Observatorio 1873 · museum50 min drive · 21 mi
- Gran Acuario Mazatlán · wildlife50 min drive · 20 mi
- Museo Nacional de la Ballena (MUNBA) · museum50 min drive · 21 mi
- Concordia · town50 min drive · 25 mi
- El Faro Lighthouse · viewpoint50 min drive · 21 mi
- Mirador Puente de Cristal · viewpoint50 min drive · 21 mi
- Marina Mazatlán · marina50 min drive · 26 mi
- Deer Island (Isla de Venados) boat and snorkel trip · excursion50 min drive · 27 mi
- Bird-watching boat tour of the marina · excursion50 min drive · 27 mi
- Playa Gaviotas · beach50 min drive · 21 mi
- Sea Shell City · museum50 min drive · 21 mi
- Mazagua Water Park · water park50 min drive · 28 mi
- Playa Sábalo · beach55 min drive · 28 mi
- El Cid Golf & Country Club · golf55 min drive · 27 mi
Amenities
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Style & Rooms
Atmosphere
Room upgrades
Seaweed & sargassum
Mazatlán is not a sargassum destination.See the month-by-month guide →Google Reviews★ 4.2 · 545 reviews
“Pros: food was good for an AI. I would compare it to food on a celebrity cruise. Maybe a notch better. Not all the restaurants were good but Oceana and Portofino were decent as well as anything made fresh in the Buffet (fish and meat were grilled fre...”
“Spent 11 days here, was absolutely fantastic. Entertainment and entertainment staff were absolutely amazing, very kind and friendly and get out and bring people into the activities, food was great, hotel was beautiful. Would definitely come back...”
“An incredible relaxing stay! We stayed with a large group of 10 adults and 4 kids for 5 nights in early October. The resort sits about 20mins from the airport and 40mins from town, feeling far removed from the world. The resort we learned was at 38%...”
