Hotel Marina El Cid Review From February 2010

We booked this trip for a 3 night getaway. Boy, were we sad it was only 3 nights. We didn't want to leave. From the minute we were picked up at the airport, we were treated with that special Mexican hospitality. We arrived and were greeted by Esau, our butler, and Sophie from the Platinum Club. They were always ready with a smile and friendly word. The staff was everything we could have asked for and more.

Our room was a 1 bedroom in the Platinum Club. This upgrade was worth it to us. We had ample space for my husband and I and our daughter, 8 and son, 11. The maid service was wonderful. Our room was made up early everyday and turndown service was done around 8-8:30pm. We had 2 balconies and 2 bathrooms. We had a perfect oceanfront location in building 14. We had a small kitchenette and a fridge. With one call, we had beer, soda and water to last for most of the weekend. We had a bottle of wine and fresh fruit upon arrival. The first night, chocolate covered strawberries were delivered to the room with a special note. Also, for my daughter's birthday, one of the butler staff, delivered a beautiful chocolate cake to the room.

The beach was beautiful and the staff did a superb job raking the beach of seagrass each morning. The Platinum Club will reserve a palapa and chairs on the beach for your family. But there was never a problem finding a spot, even without a reservation. The pool, with cliff jump and slides was the highlight for my kids. We all enjoyed jumping and sliding. What a blast. (Everyone was right, though... that slide is fast!!!)

The Animacion team was fantastic and made each afternoon by the pool more enjoyable. Louis and his team deserve a round of applause. We enjoyed the fire show and especially the magic show. That guy was soooo funny, and talented.
The lobby entertainment was also very good. I really liked the sax player.

The food was great, considering we did mostly buffets. We ate at the Mexican restaurant one evening and it was delicious. The wait staff at the pools, beach and in the restaurants were so wonderful. We never had to wait long for a drink and the were always available to meet your needs. We were so impressed. Please bring small bills for tips. It is not expected, but they work so hard to make your vacation special. It is very much appreciated. Room service took approximately 45 minutes, but they tell you to give them that amount of time when you call. Breakfast coffee every morning on the balcony was most delicious.

Our only complaint, and it is a small one. We didn't mind paying $9.00 per day for internet, but the connection is not great. But hey, we were on vacation. I didn't even check my emails.

There were many children, but all seemed welll behaved and supervised. This was the first time my kids didn't use the kids club, but the younger kids played in the pool, built sand castles on the beach, played tug- o- war. They looked like they had so much fun. There were adult-only areas that were great for relaxing and just enjoying some peace and quiet. The staff were great at keeping kids out.

If you go to El Cid, I can't imagine how you could be disappointed. This is probably not the place for spring breakers. It is not wild and crazy. It is definitley more family oriented, but we had so much fun and we cannot wait to start planning our next trip to El Cid, and we are bringing more people with us!!