The Good: The history and architecture of this hotel, built in 1955, added on to and renovated, they have maintained the quaintness of a Mexican villa. The rooms are very comfortable, as are the beds and pillows. The showers are great, lots of pressure and hot water. Our room was well maintained and equipped by the cleaning staff daily. A fridge might have been nice but there was always lots of water left for us. The staff at the Playa are some of the best we’ve EVER had! The restaurant and bar staff went out of their way to make us feel welcome. They are truly the best part of the Playa Mazatlan. The food would be a close second. There are three al a carte restaurants, we tried them all a couple of times and were never disappointed. The buffet always had enough choices but it wasn’t always hot, not a big deal. Public washrooms are plentiful throughout the Playa, they are well marked, well maintained and always clean, not always the case at other resorts, very impressive. The Bad: NOISE! If you like being in the centre of things, this place is for you! The noise never stops, NO EXAGGERATION! I read the reviews and didn’t get it, now I do! The design of the resort, along with all the hard surfaces, combined with lots of small children, sounds echo and reverberate and are amplified. There are no quiet places at this resort. What this resort is lacking is designated quiet adult only areas, a quiet lobby bar for an evening cocktail or quiet afternoon visit. There are 2 smallish hot tubs for adults only but they were generally packed, sometimes even with children. There was a large pool with a swim up bar (not open) that maybe was to be for adults but it wasn’t heated so no one was ever in it. I really think this resort is designed with families with children in mind, not adults. Birds at the buffet restaurants was another complaint I saw on reviews, yes, it’s a problem. They don’t really get to the buffet tables but they sure are a pest while dining. A modest effort had been made to keep them out with thin screen but that is ripped, torn and might as well be taken down. I’m sure there is something that could keep the birds out but maintain the beautiful view and the fresh air. The Ugly: None of this is about the Playa Hotel, just the timing of our visit and beach experience. First, bands on the beach! They start around 12 and go till around 5:30. A first you think, what a quaint Mexican experience, and then another band shows up, and then another, all playing at the same time! It’s like a competition to see who can play the loudest! There is no where to escape from the noise! CARNAVAL, sorry not for me. Carnaval runs for 6 days 6 weeks before Easter and the city goes crazy. Parades, fireworks, bus loads of people coming from other parts of Mexico, noise, Noise, NOISE! Noise all night long, for 6 days or more. Maybe staying in the Gold Zone is not the place for people looking for a quiet vacation, like me. If you are like me, and are looking for a peaceful beach vacation, look in a different area.…
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.