Hotel Marina El Cid Spa & Beach Resort - All Inclusive

Was exactly what I was looking for. Friendly and helpful staff. Lots of activities for those looking for things to do. Very clean and spacious rooms. Quiet and laid back atmosphere. Only complaint was the ice machine in our building worked one out of five days there. We reported this to cleaning staff and management numerous times but to no avail. Had to go to next building to get ice every day. Would definitely go back.

Hated having to get up at 6:30 a.m. each day to go out and put our pool towels on chairs to reserve them. Got into an altercation one day with a guy who moved one of our towels and then told us that the wind must have blown it off. For some reason, even though there were 4 of us in the room, the maid would only put 3 towels in the bathroom. Not a big problem...they would show up within minutes of us calling the front desk about it.

We travel to Mexico every year and stay at different all-inclusive resorts. Like anything else, it all depends on what you are looking for. This property is small. But don't take that as a criticism. My family, used to the mega-resorts in Mexico, really enjoyed this resort. The question is .... why? It starts with the staff. They are 100% attentive to you and your needs. They are friendly, helpful, and always service with a smile. To give you an example, when we left after our 8 day stay, 4 different members of their staff took out their personal phones to take pictures with us - or gave us hugs. Whomever is in the HR department at this resort knows what they are doing. The rooms are spacious and well appointed. Some have complained in past posts about the cleanliness of the floors in the rooms and we noticed a bit of that - but nothing to complain about. If something was missed one day - it was taken care of the next. We had maid service in the morning and they came with fresh towels and a turn down service at night. Very nice. The food was varied, plentiful, and always good. We rarely ran into any lines at the buffet. For breakfast there was always an endless supply of coffee (a plus because Mexican coffee is SO good!) We also tried each of the "reservation only" restaurants. We didn't run into the typical problems of trying to get reservations. The food was good, service was at the right pace for a leisurely dinner, and they didn't exclude children. There was always enough to do at the pool. While some have complained about people "marking" chairs with towels early in the morning, we didn't find this to be a problem. There were enough chairs for everyone and if you didn't want to drag a chair to your favorite spot, one of the staff was always happy to help. The beach was great. I would recommend bringing water shoes because it does get rocky close to shore. (If you stay close to the marina breakwater, it is all sand and you won't need the shoes.) We also took out the boats and went sailing on the catamaran. Again, the staff was excellent and accompanied us on the short sailing adventure. My wife and I checked out the adult section. It was as promised - quiet and relaxing. The "hot tub" is huge, clean, and HOT. A great way to end your day with a bar near-by. Speaking of the bars, they pour strong drinks. Beware - or ask them to take it easy on the alcohol. That's your call. :) A few recommendations for extra things to pack: snorkel gear for checking out the shoreline, insulated mugs, water shoes, bug spray if you plan to spend a lot of time lounging on the beach at night. A few favorite things I might suggest: A cappuccino from the lobby bar in the morning. Hang out at the beach bar that is open until (I believe) 1am - there is always something interesting going on. Check out a touch of old Mexico and spend some time with the natives in Puerto Morales. Check out the snorkeling or diving off the reef. We booked both in town and at the resort and both worked well. Also, bring some tip money for the staff. While they don't expect it, they really deserve a few bucks here and there for the wonderful way they will treat you. And most of all - enjoy yourself!

the El Cid is a great family resort! The pool and beach were fabulous! The restuarants were always accommodating and no wait! The bar service was always prompt! We had a great view of the resort, pool and ocean from our hotel room. The bedding was perfect for my family of 5. We will go back again!

Nice park-like setting. Very well maintained grounds. Courteous staff. Several restaurants with good variety of food. Rooms are large and well cleaned. Nice sandy beach with many lounge chairs and shade easy to find. Very large pool!

For the money, this hotel is a great deal. There are fairly good restaurants for an all inclusive resort and the service is excellent. The theme's change daily which makes you feel like you are not eating the same things every day. My few complaints would be the chair hoarders (I swear up at 3am with their towels to save a spot) and $60 charge for wi-fi.

Our second time at this resort, we enjoy the proximity to the airport, the beach privacy, pool slide/cliff for the kids. Staff is accommodating, rooms are close to everything. No beach vendors to interrupt your nap. Small issues - not enough towels, room fridge not always stocked. Would go again.

We went as a group of 8 families celebrating our children"s senior year, and there were some hiccups in room placement for 1 family, but after the first day it was fine! We all felt safe and didn't have to worry about our kids. Younger children were with us and everyone was entertained, ate wonderfully and had a fantastic time. We would ALL go back! The staff is so friendly and personable...after 6 days it felt like family! There are constant activities for the kids and adults if they choose and we went to bed exhausted and well fed every night!

No complaints at all. Everything was first class. Entire staff was awesome, grounds immaculate, all meals above average to great. Twin 8 year old boys had a blast and said they would rather return here next year versus a Disney repeat. We upgraded to platinum and would highly recommend during peak seasons for the meal reservations and palapas. Thanks to all who made this a wonderful time for the entire family. Also did a 8 hour fishing charter while there and had a great trip. Boat was Double Trouble

We loved our experience at EL CID. The only down side was the lack of beach chairs. If you wanted one, you had to get up early in the morning to reserve one.