Hotel Marina El Cid Spa & Beach Resort

Loved the fresh juices at breakfast restaurants and great selection of ceviches at the Mercado de Dolores. The buffet food exceeded my expectations, we preferred it to the reservations-only restaurants! The one-bedroom suite was so spacious and perfect for allowing privacy for my family.

I wish more of their cocktails were made with fresh fruit instead of syrups. It is true that the beach has tons of brown seaweed and is small. I didn't mind too much because the pools were so great, but a nice beach would have totally wowed us. I also wish they heated the pools a little more. The large pool with the water slide was too cool for me to be comfortable in. Our one-bedroom suite was great, but there were no electrical outlets on the same wall as the pull-down murphy bed, which for us meant we had to pull the mattress onto the floor to sleep closer to the outlets behind the TV.

The buffets are tasty and varied . Food and drinks* are included and available all day. ( * pay extra for wines other than the house wine, which is poor and for premium brand liquor ) . The " restaurants " let you enjoy a sit down meal instead of self service , the food in the restaurants is mediocre . The waiters and cleaning staff are very friendly and accommodating . The property is immaculate, public and private areas are constantly being maintained. Rooms are serviced twice per day. The pools are lovely .

This is not a beach/ ocean to play in - the ocean floor is very rocky , the water is not inviting and the beach is just a narrow short walk - but its has ocean atmosphere , the pools are lovely and overlook the ocean and none of the guests seemed to mind the lack of real beachfront . The reception desk tried to up-sell us on the room at check in , Extras are expensive .