Royal Decameron Salinitas
Royal Decameron Salinitas occupies an unusual position: it is essentially the only full all-inclusive resort in El Salvador, which makes it both the default answer and a hard property to benchmark. It sits on the Pacific coast near Acajutla in Sonsonate department, about 50 minutes from San Salvador and two hours from the international airport, spread across two towers and three low blocks holding 552 rooms. The signature feature is a saltwater pool that refills itself daily with the tide, and it really is the standout, backed by four freshwater pools and a kilometre of open beach. The atmosphere is Decameron classic, sociable and loud in a good way, with a crowd that skews heavily Salvadoran.
Traveler Insights
Pros
- +The saltwater pool refills itself every day with the Pacific tide, which is a genuinely unusual piece of engineering and the thing guests photograph most
- +Four more freshwater pools for adults and children on top of it, so 552 rooms worth of guests are not fighting over one deck
- +A kilometre of Pacific beachfront with wide open sand and almost nobody on it outside Salvadoran holiday weekends
- +Effectively the only full all-inclusive resort in El Salvador, which makes it the practical base for anyone who wants a beach week in the country
- +Around $200 to $235 a night for two adults all-inclusive, roughly half what the same format costs in Mexico or Costa Rica
- +About 50 minutes from San Salvador, so it works as a weekend trip rather than an expedition
- +Discoteca Ixchel and an open-air cinema facing the water are both included, and the gym has a proper cardio and weights setup that July 2026 guests singled out
Cons
- −Upkeep has slipped: guests in March and August 2026 described the facilities as badly worn and the value as poor for the money
- −Only four a la carte restaurants and two buffets for 552 rooms, and 2026 guests repeatedly report ending up at the buffet most nights because a la carte slots are hard to get
- −Food variety is thin, with one June 2026 guest finding only snacks available in the main restaurant outside set service hours
- −Service pace dropped noticeably through 2026, with several guests describing stretched, tired staff
- −This is the Pacific, not the Caribbean: the surf is rough, the water is murky where the waves break, and most guests end up swimming in the pools rather than the sea
- −Entertainment is hit and miss, and a September 2026 guest found the shows childish and the sound system overly loud
- −No spa on the property despite what some listings claim, the wellness offering is the gym and a jacuzzi area
- −Acajutla is a working industrial port, so there is nothing walkable outside the gates and every outing needs a car or a tour
Go in with calibrated expectations on the product itself. Four a la carte restaurants and two buffets serve 552 rooms, and guests through 2026 say the practical outcome is the buffet most nights, with limited variety by the end of a week and snacks only outside service hours. Six bars pour unlimited drinks and the gym and jacuzzi area earn praise, but reviews from March, August and September 2026 line up on a slide in both upkeep and service, with facilities described as worn and staff as stretched. Rooms are plain and functional with ocean view and superior ocean view categories above the standard, and swimming happens in the pools rather than the sea, because the Pacific here breaks hard and runs cloudy.
This makes sense for two groups: Salvadoran families who want a short, affordable beach break with a pool complex and a disco, and international travelers who specifically want to see El Salvador and need a comfortable all-inclusive base. Anyone comparing it to Royal Decameron properties in Cartagena, Panama or Puerto Vallarta should expect a step down in polish at a lower price. The country itself is the real reward, and the surrounding area is strong: the coral reef at Los Cobanos is about 20 minutes away, the UNESCO Mayan site at Joya de Ceren is an easy half day, the surf towns of El Tunco and El Zonte are along the coast, and the Ruta de las Flores through Juayua and Ataco plus Lake Coatepeque and the Santa Ana volcano sit inland.
Common Questions
Can you swim in the ocean here?
Is El Salvador safe to visit now?
How many restaurants are there and can you get into the a la carte ones?
How do you get there from the airport?
Is it a good resort for families with young children?
What is worth doing outside the resort?
Restaurants (6)
| Type | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Buffet | Chack Balam, Food Court |
| Asian | Bambú |
| Steakhouse | Maya Grill Steak House |
| Seafood | La Mar |
| Mediterranean & Spanish | Oliva |
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 Los Cóbanos20 min drive · 5.5 mi
More things to do (10)
- Sonsonate · town35 min drive · 16 mi
- Snorkel and dive trip on the Los Cóbanos reef · excursion20 min drive · 5.5 mi
- Acajutla · town20 min drive · 5.8 mi
- Playa Metalío · beach30 min drive · 13 mi
- Parque Recreativo Atecozol · water park40 min drive · 20 mi
- Barra de Santiago · beach50 min drive · 23 mi
- Juayúa · town55 min drive · 25 mi
- Ruta de las Flores day trip · excursion55 min drive · 25 mi
- Apaneca · town60 min drive · 31 mi
- Concepción de Ataco · town60 min drive · 32 mi
Amenities
Google Reviews★ 4.7 · 66,322 reviews
“Had a really great experiences from checking in to leaving the restaurant. The staff was really nice they treated us very well and had an amazing service. The food was really good and fresh had lots of variety. I highly recommend chalk Balam and our...”
“Restaurante Maya Steakhouse was really good. La Parillada was delicious! I encourage you to give it a try. The churrasco was goid too, the meat was tender. Our mesera was Rosa Ramos and she was very pleasant. Jacqueline Martinez was extremely nice an...”
“Restaurante Steak was excellent! Their signature cheeseburger and lomito were great. The desserts weren’t too sugary or sweet which was a perfect ending to an excellent meal. Special shoutout to Rosa Ramos, our waters and drinks were always topped...”
