We just got back from an awesome Thanksgiving vacation in Mazatlan. The Hotel Playa is a fabulous hotel! The rooms are a little plain, but clean and roomy. The hotel is very well maintained with very friendly staff. Ask for an ocean view room if they have any available! They have nice pools which are in the courtyards of the hotel instead of facing the beach, but their beachfront is the best of any of the hotels in Mazatlan! They have many Palapas (thatched roof beach umbrellas) right on the beach, and the restaurant sends out waiters to the beach to offer you drinks and food. The restaurant is excellent and has awesome views of the ocean and the beautiful islands just offshore. Highly recommended!!