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El Cid El Moro Beach Hotel

Mazatlan, Mexico

4.5(9,623 reviews)

FamilyEl Cid Resorts

El Cid El Moro is the high-rise end of a four-hotel El Cid complex in the middle of Mazatlan's Golden Zone, and that complex is the real product. The tower stands directly on Playa Gaviotas, every room category is a luxury room or suite with a private balcony, and the all-inclusive rate lets you eat, drink and play at El Cid Castilla Beach and El Cid Granada next door at no extra charge, with a free shuttle looping the hotels and the El Cid Golf & Country Club. The club is a genuine 27-hole layout played as three nines, the Marina, El Moro and Castilla courses, which is more golf than any single beach resort in Cancun or Los Cabos can offer without a drive.

Traveler Insights

Pros

+Every room category is a suite or luxury room with a private balcony, and the hotel sits directly on the wide soft sand of Playa Gaviotas, so upper floors look straight down the beach to the islands offshore and the Pacific sunset
+The all-inclusive rate is a four-hotel pass in practice: it covers the restaurants, bars, lobby bar, theme dinner shows, activities, kids club and gym at El Cid Castilla Beach and El Cid Granada at no extra charge, and a free shuttle loops the El Cid hotels and the country club. Book a Luxury Elite or One Bedroom Suite Elite and the same deal extends to all four El Cid Mazatlan hotels with premium menu items and no surcharges
+El Cid Golf & Country Club is a 27-hole complex played as three nines, the Marina, El Moro and Castilla courses, about a mile from the lobby on the free shuttle, and the One Bedroom Suite Elite with Golf category bundles unlimited green fees and tennis court fees instead of charging per round
+The pool complex is one of the largest in Mazatlan: a freeform main pool with waterfalls and a water slide, a separate children's pool and a jetted pool, with the connecting pools and swim-up bars of El Cid Castilla a two minute walk away
+Kids Club for ages 4 to 12 runs 10am to 10pm and the Teens Club for 13 to 17 runs 11am to 9pm, both folded into the all-inclusive rate, which is a longer supervised day than most mid-priced Mexican resorts offer
+Golden Zone address means the city does not disappear behind a resort wall: dozens of restaurants, bars, shops and markets are walkable, Centro Historico and its cathedral are about 7km away, and the Malecon seafront promenade is an easy evening walk
+A daytime beach and pool activity programme and nightly entertainment are included, and the theme dinner shows at the sister hotels give the evenings more variety than a single property this size could carry on its own

Cons

−A la carte dinner reservations are the most repeated complaint: guests describe calling a day ahead and still being sent back to the buffet, and the operator fact sheets warn that restaurant and bar hours and availability change with occupancy
−The dining roster at El Moro itself is short, essentially La Concha for seafood with sea views, La Cascada for Mexican by the pool, and the La Conchita snack bar, so most of the variety comes from walking next door to Castilla and Granada. Tour operators cannot even agree on how many restaurants and bars belong to El Moro, which tells you how much of the dining is shared
−Buffet food draws steady criticism for being bland and repetitive, and travelers who have stayed at Dreams or Sandals properties tend to rate the food as the weakest part of the stay
−A mandatory resort fee of USD $15 per room per night is collected at the property. It covers basic Wi-Fi for four devices, parking, local calls and the business centre, and anything faster than basic Wi-Fi is a paid upgrade
−The included gym is not in the tower. It is the fitness centre at the country club Club House, so a workout means catching the shuttle, and the spa, salon and sauna are charged extras rather than inclusions
−Room-only (European Plan) rates are sold alongside the all-inclusive on the same room categories, so it is easy to book the wrong one. On a room-only rate the kids club becomes a paid add-on
−The all-inclusive pours house brands, and specialty dishes such as lobster, jumbo shrimp and chateaubriand carry a surcharge unless you are in an Elite category
−This is an older high-rise and, as of October 2026, there is no renovation programme underway, just rolling maintenance such as repainting and elevator work. Pools and the shared beach also get genuinely crowded during Mexican holiday weeks, when chairs and quiet both run short

Food is the weak link. The buffet gets criticised for bland, repetitive options, and the a la carte restaurants are the single most common frustration: guests report calling a day in advance and still being turned away. El Moro's own roster is short, La Concha for seafood, La Cascada for Mexican by the pool and the La Conchita snack bar, so plan on walking to Castilla and Granada for variety. The pool complex is the opposite story, a large freeform pool with waterfalls and a water slide plus a children's pool and a jetted pool, and the kids club for 4 to 12s and teens club for 13 to 17s both run long hours inside the rate. Two things to budget for: a mandatory $15 per room per night resort fee paid at the property, and the fact that the included gym is at the country club Club House rather than in the hotel.

This resort works best for golfers and for families who want a real Mexican city outside the gate instead of an isolated resort corridor, since the Golden Zone puts dozens of independent restaurants within walking distance when the buffet wears thin. As of October 2026 the major booking sites were quoting roughly $240 to $335 a night for two adults on an all-inclusive rate, which places it below Pueblo Bonito's two Mazatlan properties on price while beating them on golf and pool scale. If food quality and room finish matter more to you than sport, pay the difference for Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay instead. Day trips to Isla Venados and Stone Island, the Malecon and Centro Historico are all easy from here.

Common Questions

Is golf included in the all-inclusive rate?

Not on a standard rate. Guests get access to El Cid Golf & Country Club, a 27-hole complex played as three nines about a mile away on the free shuttle, but green fees are charged separately. The exception is the One Bedroom Suite Elite with Golf category, which includes unlimited green fees and tennis court fees. Equipment, carts, clubs and the driving range are extra, a caddy is mandatory and not included, and tee times and court bookings go by email to the club.

Can I use the other El Cid hotels, and what does that actually cover?

Yes. Any all-inclusive rate at El Moro includes the restaurants, bars, lobby bar, theme dinner shows, activities, kids club and gym at El Cid Castilla Beach and El Cid Granada at no additional charge, and a complimentary shuttle runs between the El Cid hotels and the country club. If you book a Luxury Elite or One Bedroom Suite Elite room, the same privileges extend to all four El Cid Mazatlan hotels and include premium menu items without surcharges, plus preferred seating in the a la carte restaurants.

Is the Deer Island snorkeling trip included?

No, and this is worth correcting before you book. El Cid runs boats from its Mazatlan hotels to Isla Venados (Deer Island) and Stone Island, which sit about 2.4km offshore, but they are excursions booked at the tour desk and charged separately, and tour operator fact sheets list snorkeling and scuba as paid activities too. The island itself is excellent, with calm clear water and a short crossing, so plan it as a paid day out rather than a freebie, and bring your own mask if you want to skip gear rental.

What extra charges should I expect on top of the all-inclusive?

A mandatory resort fee of USD $15 per room per night is collected locally and covers basic Wi-Fi for four devices, parking, unlimited local calls and the business centre. Beyond that, expect surcharges on specialty dishes such as lobster, jumbo shrimp and chateaubriand unless you are in an Elite category, and paid pricing on the spa, salon, sauna and steam room, tennis courts, scuba, snorkeling, motorised water sports, excursions and medical services. On a room-only rate the kids club is also a paid add-on.

How good is it for kids, and are there age rules?

Strong on structure: the Kids Club takes ages 4 to 12 from 10am to 10pm and the Teens Club takes 13 to 17 from 11am to 9pm, both included on all-inclusive rates, and there is a children's pool, a playground, a games room and a water slide. Rooms sleep four to six depending on category, which is why the property shows up in family-of-five collections. Note that the minimum age to check in without an adult in the same room is 21, a valid passport is required, and college groups are not accepted.

Where exactly is the hotel, and can I get around without a car?

The address is Av. Camaron Sabalo 811 in the Zona Dorada, directly on Playa Gaviotas, about 35km from Mazatlan International Airport and roughly 7km from Centro Historico. You do not need a car. The Golden Zone is walkable for restaurants, bars and shops, the free El Cid shuttle covers the sister hotels and the country club around 1.3km away, and taxis or pulmonias handle the run into the old town and along the Malecon.

Restaurants (4)

Type	Restaurants
Mexican	La Cascada
Japanese & sushi	Ban Horu
Asian	Ban Thai
International & fusion	La Concha

From the resort's own dining pages. Only restaurants the resort lists are shown. All are covered by the all-inclusive rate, per the resort.

What's nearby

Playa Norte
7 min drive · 2.6 mi
Cliff Divers (El Clavadista)
12 min drive · 5.0 mi
Gran Acuario Mazatlán
8 min drive · 2.8 mi
Mazatlán Malecón
9 min drive · 3.6 mi
Mazatlán Cathedral
12 min drive · 4.7 mi
Olas Altas Beach
13 min drive · 5.4 mi

More things to do (24)

Whale watching cruise (December to March) · excursion4 min drive · 1.6 mi
El Cid Marina · marina4 min drive · 1.6 mi
Playa Brujas · beach14 min drive · 6.1 mi
Sunset cruise · excursion4 min drive · 1.6 mi
Playa Sábalo · beach2 min walk · 0.1 mi
Sea Shell City · museum3 min drive · 1.0 mi
Playa Gaviotas · beach3 min drive · 1.1 mi
Deer Island (Isla de Venados) boat and snorkel trip · excursion4 min drive · 1.6 mi
Bird-watching boat tour of the marina · excursion4 min drive · 1.6 mi
El Cid Golf & Country Club · golf4 min drive · 0.9 mi
Marina Mazatlán · marina7 min drive · 3.0 mi
Fuerte 31 de Marzo · historic site11 min drive · 4.5 mi
Old Mazatlán (Plazuela Machado) · town13 min drive · 5.0 mi
Museo de Arte de Mazatlán · museum13 min drive · 5.0 mi
Museo Arqueológico de Mazatlán · museum13 min drive · 5.1 mi
Teatro Ángela Peralta · historic site13 min drive · 5.1 mi
Mazagua Water Park · water park14 min drive · 6.5 mi
Playa Cerritos · beach15 min drive · 6.2 mi
Observatorio 1873 · museum15 min drive · 6.1 mi
Museo Nacional de la Ballena (MUNBA) · museum20 min drive · 6.1 mi
El Faro Lighthouse · viewpoint20 min drive · 7.0 mi
Mirador Puente de Cristal · viewpoint20 min drive · 7.1 mi
El Verde Camacho Turtle Sanctuary · wildlife40 min drive · 23 mi
Estrella del Mar Golf Course · golf55 min drive · 28 mi

Amenities

Golf Course

Water Slides

Tennis

Kids Club

Swim-Up Bar

Snorkeling

Room Service

Nightly Entertainment

Show 4 more amenities

Buffet Dining

Spa

Gym

Beach

Seaweed & sargassum

Mazatlán is not a sargassum destination.See the month-by-month guide →

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Google Reviews★ 4.5 · 9,623 reviews

Janet H.

3 weeks ago

“Martin Rodriguez at La Concha took care of us every morning and did a fabulous job! Remembered our preference every day and always topped it off with gracious service and a smile. He provided us with excellent service during our entire stay and made...”

Steven M.

2 months ago

“The atmosphere at LA Cascada is festive and inviting! The food is excellent! Everything I ate was delicious!!! The staff was friendly and attentive! Five stars to our hostess, Evelina and our waiter, Ruben! Reuben could be a star in the Opera! What...”

Janet H.

3 months ago

“Love this hotel! The staff is absolutely wonderful and go above and beyond to make you feel welcome. A special shout-out to Jesus Salomon Lopez from the lobby bar — his service, friendliness, and attention to detail made our stay even more enjoyable....”