Hotel Playa Mazatlan
Hotel Playa Mazatlan is the original Golden Zone hotel, built more than 65 years ago and still running 400 rooms across four hundred metres of beach on Mazatlan's Playa Gaviotas. What it offers is unusual in Mexican all-inclusive terms: beach resort infrastructure with an actual Pacific port city immediately outside the gate, and an all-inclusive plan sold as an add-on rather than the only way to book. That flexibility is most of the appeal. Travellers who want to eat their way through Mazatlan's seafood restaurants can take the room alone; families who want everything handled can add the plan.
Things to Know
- Non Refundable
Traveler Insights
Pros
- +One of the better-value legitimate all-inclusives on Mexico's Pacific coast, and the all-inclusive is sold as an add-on to the room rate rather than baked in, so you can price the hotel either way and skip the plan if you intend to eat in town
- +Beachfront in the heart of the Golden Zone, spread over four hundred metres of beach by the hotel's own measure, with beach volleyball and a busy, sociable stretch of sand rather than an empty private cove
- +A real Mexican port city around you instead of a resort enclave: the well-preserved Centro Historico with Plazuela Machado and the Angela Peralta theatre, serious local seafood, and a working arts scene, all a short taxi or pulmonia ride away
- +Five pools set up for both children and adults, with swim-up bars and jacuzzis and one of them heated, plus a playground, minigolf and sports courts on the grounds
- +Mini Club for children aged 4 to 12 and a daily entertainment programme aimed at families and teenagers; children up to 4 are covered on the all-inclusive plan, and the hotel's own October and November 2026 direct-booking offers ran children free from 0 to 12
- +Spa with sauna and massage treatments, a trainer-staffed gym and a beauty salon, which is more wellness infrastructure than most all-inclusives at this price keep
- +A strong base for the things Mazatlan is actually known for: marlin, dorado and wahoo charters out of the harbour and Carnival, billed as one of the largest in the world, which runs for five days ending the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday
Cons
- −Food at the all-inclusive level is solid rather than memorable. The core of it is buffet service at La Terraza and Salon Venado, with a la carte and dinner-show options alongside, and premium drink brands generally cost extra
- −This is the open Pacific, not the Caribbean. Playa Gaviotas gets real surf and current, so swimming days are governed by the beach flag system in a way they never are at a Riviera Maya resort
- −The Golden Zone beachfront draws persistent vendors and timeshare pitches, and the hotels along this strip get the brunt of it
- −Parts of the property show their age. It was the first hotel built in the Golden Zone more than 65 years ago, and it has not been through the renovation cycles that newer Pacific-coast competitors have
- −Service consistency moves with the season. Christmas, New Year and Carnival weeks stretch the staff, and food and response times suffer for it
- −A city-street location means traffic and nightlife noise from Avenida Playa Gaviotas reaches some room categories
- −There is no water park and no water slides here, despite what some third-party listings imply. The water offering is the five pools, the jacuzzis and a playground, so families shopping specifically for a slide complex should look at Puerto Vallarta or Nuevo Nayarit instead
- −The hotel runs no diving, sportfishing or windsurfing operation of its own; those are booked through the tour desk with outside operators, and the free Wi-Fi tier is capped at 3 Mbps for two devices with a paid 30 Mbps upgrade
On the property, the water is five pools in children's and adult settings with bars and jacuzzis, one of them heated, backed by a playground, minigolf and sports courts. Dining runs from buffet service at La Terraza and Salon Venado with live music through a la carte Italian dinners, snack outlets and dinner shows, and the hotel's own count of its food and drink outlets runs well ahead of what booking sites list, so treat any single number with suspicion. There is a spa with sauna and massages, a gym, a beauty salon and babysitting at extra charge. Children aged 4 to 12 get the Mini Club and there is a daily entertainment programme for families and teenagers. Rooms come with a private balcony, air conditioning, filtered water and a coffee maker; check-in is 1 p.m. and check-out 11 a.m., and stays over 24 or 31 December carry a mandatory holiday dinner supplement.
This suits families and couples who want Pacific beach time without resort isolation, and anyone who would rather spend an afternoon in Centro Historico than at a swim-up bar. It is a weaker pick for travellers who want calm swimming water, a slide park for the kids, or the newest rooms on the coast. Beyond the hotel, Centro Historico is a short taxi or pulmonia ride, the seafront Malecon runs for miles back toward Olas Altas, the aquarium is one of the larger ones in Latin America, and the sportfishing fleet is the reason a lot of repeat guests come at all. Carnival in late February or early March is the single best reason to time a trip here, and rooms for it go months out.
Common Questions
What does the all-inclusive plan cover, and do children pay?
Can I walk into town, and what is worth doing in Mazatlan?
Is there a water park or slides for the kids?
When is Carnival, and should I plan the trip around it?
Is the water safe for swimming?
Restaurants (9)
| Type | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Buffet | The Terrace |
| Mexican | Roberto House |
| Italian | Georginis |
| Asian | Oskar Sushi Roll |
| Seafood | La Veranda, Mariscos Playa, La Playita |
| Brazilian churrascaria | Praia Brasil |
| International & fusion | Capitán Jack |
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 Norte7 min drive · 2.4 mi
Cliff Divers (El Clavadista)12 min drive · 4.8 mi
Gran Acuario Mazatlán8 min drive · 2.5 mi
Mazatlán Malecón9 min drive · 3.4 mi
Mazatlán Cathedral12 min drive · 4.5 mi
Olas Altas Beach13 min drive · 5.2 mi
More things to do (24)
- Whale watching cruise (December to March) · excursion6 min drive · 2.5 mi
- El Cid Marina · marina6 min drive · 2.5 mi
- Playa Brujas · beach20 min drive · 7.0 mi
- Sunset cruise · excursion6 min drive · 2.5 mi
- Sea Shell City · museum3 min walk · 0.1 mi
- Playa Gaviotas · beach3 min drive · 0.6 mi
- Playa Sábalo · beach3 min drive · 1.0 mi
- Deer Island (Isla de Venados) boat and snorkel trip · excursion6 min drive · 2.5 mi
- Bird-watching boat tour of the marina · excursion6 min drive · 2.5 mi
- El Cid Golf & Country Club · golf6 min drive · 1.7 mi
- Marina Mazatlán · marina10 min drive · 3.9 mi
- Fuerte 31 de Marzo · historic site11 min drive · 4.3 mi
- Old Mazatlán (Plazuela Machado) · town13 min drive · 4.7 mi
- Museo de Arte de Mazatlán · museum13 min drive · 4.8 mi
- Museo Arqueológico de Mazatlán · museum13 min drive · 4.8 mi
- Teatro Ángela Peralta · historic site13 min drive · 4.8 mi
- Observatorio 1873 · museum15 min drive · 5.8 mi
- Museo Nacional de la Ballena (MUNBA) · museum20 min drive · 5.8 mi
- Mazagua Water Park · water park20 min drive · 7.4 mi
- Playa Cerritos · beach20 min drive · 7.1 mi
- El Faro Lighthouse · viewpoint20 min drive · 6.8 mi
- Mirador Puente de Cristal · viewpoint20 min drive · 6.8 mi
- El Verde Camacho Turtle Sanctuary · wildlife45 min drive · 25 mi
- Estrella del Mar Golf Course · golf55 min drive · 28 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★ 4.5 · 10,393 reviews
“Wow! This place was so good it was above my expectations. I've been to Mazatlan multiple times and this place was my favorite so far! It feels like authentic mexico with the rustic look and beautiful scenery. 5 pools, hot tub with a gorgeous view o...”
“We visited this place as part of our tour and we had a lunch buffet type meal and watched some great Mexican performances. The place have lots to offer but unfortunately limited time for us with the tour. They have a nice pool area and a great beach...”
“👍 The Good *Property Aesthetics: Old but beautiful architecture, rock work, and lush plants give the grounds a unique and charming character. *Buffet Food & Dining: Solid and varied, always found something enjoyable. The oceanfront buffet areas are...”
