1 / 5

Oceano Palace beach hotel

Mazatlan, Mexico

4.2(9,048 reviews)

Family

Oceano Palace Beach Hotel is a mid-sized beachfront hotel (tour-operator sheets list 254 rooms) on Av. Camarón Sábalo in Mazatlán's Zona Dorada, one of the Pacific coast's cheaper routes into an all-inclusive week. Its defining trait is energy: foam parties, contests, beach volleyball, live bands and nightly shows from morning until the bars close at 1:00am. The hotel is one of three Hoteles Palace properties that pool their facilities, so an Oceano wristband also opens the pools, buffets and bars at Pacific Palace and Star Palace next door, with a la carte specialty restaurants that need booking in advance; Luna Palace, the fourth Palace hotel, is not part of the arrangement.

Traveler Insights

Pros

+Right on the sand on Av. Camarón Sábalo in the Zona Dorada, with direct beach access, free loungers and palapas, the Three Islands on the horizon, and the Golden Zone's bars, seafood restaurants, shops and the malecón within walking distance
+Your wristband works at three hotels, not one: Oceano Palace, Pacific Palace and Star Palace share pools, restaurants and bars, with a buffet at each (La Terraza here, Pelican at Star, Sunset at Pacific) plus a la carte specialty restaurants that take advance reservations; Luna Palace is the one Palace hotel not included
+The inclusive hours are long for the price: food from 7:00am to 1:00am and alcohol from 10:00am to 1:00am, snacks such as hamburgers, pizza, nachos and hot dogs between meals, and the plan starts at 1:00pm on arrival day and runs until noon on departure
+Four on-property venues cover the day without leaving the hotel: La Terraza ocean-view buffet for all three meals, the Aqua Bar at the pool (an in-person hotel review calls it a swim-up bar serving cocktails, beer and wine), the Grand Central Sport Bar with screens for the game, and Bar Azul for cocktails on the beach
+Free high-speed Wi-Fi in rooms and public areas, free guest parking, an air-conditioned gym, ocean-view pools with a children's area and a daily programme of yoga, foam parties, contests, table games and beach volleyball, with live and nightly shows after dark
+Mazatlán all-inclusive pricing sits structurally below Cancún or Los Cabos, and the 2014 renovation left bright, simply furnished rooms with balconies or terraces that still read cleaner than much of the older Golden Zone stock

Cons

−This is not a quiet hotel: bands play loudly into the night, rooms overlooking the pool and beach hear all of it, and a February 2025 guest said the music outside most nights was so loud it distorted
−The hotel sells both an all-inclusive and a breakfast-only plan, so staff check wristbands at every bar and restaurant and breakfast-plan guests pay as they go; losing your wristband may cost you a replacement fee, and the two-tier setup can feel awkward at shared facilities
−Entertainment programming runs heavily in Spanish, with karaoke, announcements and show themes aimed at a Mexican domestic audience, which can feel exclusionary for North American visitors
−Room keys deactivate frequently, sending guests back to the front desk repeatedly over a multi-night stay
−La Terraza draws mixed reviews: fine for a day or two, then repetitive, with recurring complaints about food quality and cleanliness, and a February 2025 guest found the outdoor buffet overrun by pigeons
−Not everything is always open or in good order: guests have reported the swim-up bar closed for stretches of a week-long stay, outdated finishes, and construction noise during remodelling works in the years since the 2014 renovation
−The beach out front is a bustling stretch with bands, performers and hawkers through much of the day, and Mazatlán's genuinely atmospheric Centro Histórico needs a taxi or pulmonía rather than a walk

The practical experience splits by expectations. Guests who come for the beach, the Three Islands view, the long drinks hours and a party-adjacent crowd rate it well; guests expecting Caribbean-grade buffets, quiet evenings and everything working every day leave disappointed. Rooms are simple and bright, standard ocean-view or city-view with a balcony or terrace, and the 2014 renovation still holds up, but the machinery around them is inconsistent: La Terraza gets repetitive and drew a pigeon complaint in February 2025, the swim-up Aqua Bar has closed for stretches, keys deactivate, and remodelling works have brought daytime noise. The hotel runs an all-inclusive plan alongside a breakfast-only plan, so wristband checks at every bar are routine and the two tiers rub shoulders at the same pool.

Oceano Palace makes the most sense for young couples, friend groups and spring-break-minded travelers who are choosing Mazatlán on purpose: sunsets over the Pacific, fresh seafood a few blocks away, the malecón, and a February Carnival that is among the biggest in Mexico. Families do fine during school-holiday programming if nobody needs an early night. Hurricane Polo's swell closed Mazatlán's beaches in the last week of September 2026 and pushed the sea onto hotel-zone streets; Zona Dorada was among the first three zones reopened on September 30, 2026 under red-flag restrictions, and the hotel posted no damage notice and kept taking bookings. The Centro Histórico, with its restored cathedral, Olas Altas promenade and seafood market, is a taxi ride away and worth half a day.

Common Questions

What is the three-hotel complex, and how does it work for all-inclusive guests?

Oceano Palace, Pacific Palace and Star Palace are sister hotels under Hoteles Palace that share pools, restaurants and bars, and your all-inclusive wristband is valid at all three. Each has its own buffet (La Terraza at Oceano, Pelican at Star, Sunset at Pacific) with different hours, and the a la carte specialty restaurants need an advance reservation. Luna Palace, the group's fourth hotel, is excluded from the exchange, so do not plan on eating there.

How loud is the resort, and is it appropriate for families or couples seeking quiet?

Loud. Bands play in and around the restaurant into the night, pool entertainment runs on a microphone, karaoke carries, and a February 2025 guest said the music outside was distorted most evenings. Rooms over the pool and beach get the worst of it. It suits travelers who want a party-adjacent week; couples wanting a relaxed getaway should look at quieter Golden Zone options such as El Cid El Moro down the strip, or at least ask for a city-view room away from the pool.

What does the all-inclusive wristband cover, and what are the hours?

The wristband is your proof of the plan and must be worn for the whole stay; a lost one may carry a replacement charge. It covers buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner, between-meal snacks (hamburgers, pizza, nachos, hot dogs), alcoholic and soft drinks at the bars, live shows and the activity programme across the three shared hotels. Food runs 7:00am to 1:00am and alcohol 10:00am to 1:00am; the plan starts at 1:00pm on your arrival day and ends at noon on departure. A breakfast-only plan is also sold, on which restaurants and bars charge separately.

Is Mazatlán worth visiting for the city itself, beyond the resort?

Yes. The Centro Histórico is one of Mexico's more walkable historic districts, with a restored cathedral, colorful colonial streets, the Olas Altas seafront and a seafood market where fresh Pacific shrimp and tuna cost a fraction of resort prices. The malecón links the Golden Zone to the old town and the open-air pulmonía taxis are the fun way to ride it. Give it at least half a day.

When is the best time to visit, and did Hurricane Polo affect the hotel?

October through April brings warm, dry days; December through March is high season with fuller facilities; and Mazatlán's February Carnival is one of the country's largest, with maximum crowds and noise around the hotel. Summer is hot and humid with the Pacific storm season. Hurricane Polo's swell closed the city's beaches in the last week of September 2026 and flooded hotel-zone streets; the Zona Dorada reopened on September 30, 2026 with red flags still posted, and the hotel reported no damage and kept taking bookings. Check the beach flag before swimming after any Pacific storm.

Restaurants (5)

Type	Restaurants
Buffet	La Terraza Restaurant, Sunset restaurant (at Pacific Palace), Pelican Restaurant (at Star Palace)
Japanese & sushi	Sushi market (at Star Palace)
Seafood	Restaurante Pacifica Terraza (at Star Palace)

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
9 min drive · 3.2 mi
Cliff Divers (El Clavadista)
14 min drive · 5.7 mi
Gran Acuario Mazatlán
9 min drive · 3.5 mi
Mazatlán Malecón
11 min drive · 4.3 mi
Playa Cerritos
13 min drive · 5.5 mi
Mazatlán Cathedral
13 min drive · 5.3 mi

More things to do (24)

Whale watching cruise (December to March) · excursion2 min drive · 0.8 mi
El Cid Marina · marina2 min drive · 0.8 mi
Playa Brujas · beach13 min drive · 5.3 mi
Sunset cruise · excursion2 min drive · 0.8 mi
Playa Sábalo · beach2 min drive · 0.7 mi
Deer Island (Isla de Venados) boat and snorkel trip · excursion2 min drive · 0.8 mi
Bird-watching boat tour of the marina · excursion2 min drive · 0.8 mi
Sea Shell City · museum4 min drive · 1.7 mi
Playa Gaviotas · beach4 min drive · 1.7 mi
El Cid Golf & Country Club · golf6 min drive · 1.6 mi
Marina Mazatlán · marina6 min drive · 2.2 mi
Fuerte 31 de Marzo · historic site13 min drive · 5.2 mi
Mazagua Water Park · water park13 min drive · 5.8 mi
Olas Altas Beach · beach14 min drive · 6.0 mi
Old Mazatlán (Plazuela Machado) · town14 min drive · 5.7 mi
Museo de Arte de Mazatlán · museum15 min drive · 5.7 mi
Museo Arqueológico de Mazatlán · museum15 min drive · 5.7 mi
Teatro Ángela Peralta · historic site15 min drive · 5.8 mi
Observatorio 1873 · museum20 min drive · 6.8 mi
Museo Nacional de la Ballena (MUNBA) · museum20 min drive · 6.8 mi
El Faro Lighthouse · viewpoint20 min drive · 7.7 mi
Mirador Puente de Cristal · viewpoint20 min drive · 7.7 mi
El Verde Camacho Turtle Sanctuary · wildlife40 min drive · 22 mi
Estrella del Mar Golf Course · golf50 min drive · 27 mi

Amenities

Yoga Classes

Free Wi-Fi

Nightly Entertainment

Buffet Dining

Gym

Beach

Seaweed & sargassum

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

Every all-inclusive in Mazatlán →

Google Reviews★ 4.2 · 9,048 reviews

Gwen P.

3 months ago

“Not enough English speakers, the rooms are beautiful. There was not enough selections on the buffet, maybe 1 or 2 meats and the rest vegetables and for the price of 22 us dollars there should have been a better variety of something. They have a res...”