We are an older but very active couple who have been vacationing in Mazatlan at least once yearly since the l980's. We own at Royal Villas, Marina el Cid, El Cid Tower, Marina del Rey, Playa Bonito, and Solmar, as well as a Penthouse Suite at Pueblo Bonito. We agree with the reader comments made recently with a few exceptions.
Angelo's failed to keep our window reservation. On our return, the service and food was poor, as well as pricey. Would not return there or to Sr Pepper's accross the street. Food and service have been great at Hacienda de la Flor in the lobby at Royal Villas, with prices reasonable.
Very difficult to deal with Marina del Rey where they have tried to charge us for items already in our contract and for paid maintenance fees years ago.
We especially enjoy the performances at the Angelo Peralta Theater, usually eatling at Pedro and Lola's before. Take cash to pay for theater tickets. Schedule is listed in the local English Pacific Pearl newspaper.
Penthouse Suites are lovely at Pueblo Bonito, very comfortable, great vews, maid service, but no automatic dishwasher! Of all our world travels using time shares, staying at PB is by far the best.!

Allan and Diane
allanking@earthlink.net

My husband, my teenage son, and I vacationed at Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan for ten days over Christmas 2007.

The hotel sits on the main street going through Mazatlan’s Golden Zone. Although not in the middle of the action, the street can be a little noisy and polluted, mostly because of the numerous buses that connect this zone to the rest of Mazatlan. On the bright side, this also means that one can get anywhere quickly and inexpensively. Having been initially assigned a room with a door facing the street, we went back to the front desk and politely asked if they had another room in a more quiet location. We were promptly switched to room 2018 in the Pueblito wing and found it to be very quiet and provide easy access to the pool and to the beach area. We tipped the front desk employee $5 for having helped us with the room assignment, but we did so after the fact and only because we wanted to.

The hotel consists of two adjacent wings, the Pueblo and the Pueblito. Each of them wraps around a swimming pool and faces the sea. We spent most of our time by the smaller swimming pool because we found it to be a little quieter and better for swimming. The one problem with this pool was that half of the lounge chairs were in the shade all day, meaning that by 9 or 9:30 all of the desirable chairs would be occupied. For those who like music by the swimming pool and want to participate in the daily activities, the main pool may be a better alternative.

Like other reviewers mentioned before, the hotel rooms seem a little dated and, although clean, have a musty smell. We got rid of the smell by leaving the balcony door open all day. Also, since the weather was on the cool side, we didn’t have to turn the air conditioning on, which also may have helped. I blame the smell on the humid weather combined with the cold air during the night. Nothing we left on the balcony to dry overnight was actually dry the next morning and our clothes got damp on the hangers. We eventually got used to this and found the bathroom to be our best bet for hanging damp swimsuits or towels.

The kitchenette turned out to be quite useful. It came fully equipped and it allowed us to prepare a healthier lunch than the fried food that one could get from the swimming pool grill. Speaking of which, while we went to Cilantro and Angelo for dinner and greatly enjoyed them, we found the Cabana grill to be overpriced when it came to both food and drinks.

In terms of the hotel’s location, it is a little far from the most popular restaurants and shops of the Golden Zone, but buses and taxis provide fast and inexpensive transportation. We tried the famous pulmonia gold carts only once, as it seemed a little too cold at night to ride in an open taxi, plus we didn’t enjoy inhaling the exhaust gases from all the other cars. A taxi to the Golden Zone would cost a few dollars, while numerous buses could be flagged down right in front of the hotel. Most buses are older models and cost 50 pesos/person. They don’t have air conditioning and their seats are cramped and uncomfortable, but it hardly matters since the ride only takes 10-15 minutes? One route, the Sabalo Centro, costs 80 pesos/person and the buses are modern and have air conditioning. This route goes to the Old Town. The Sabalo Cocos bus (50 pesos/person) goes to a large grocery store called Gigante, while Cerritos Juarez (50 pesos/person) takes you to a mall called La Gran Plaza and to another grocery store, Mega. To replenish our fridge, we would ride the bus to the Gigante or Mega grocery stores, then get a cab on the way back so we didn’t have to carry the grocery bags on the bus (a cab from Gigante and/or Mega back to the Pueblo Bonito would cost $6.) Both of these grocery stores have great bakeries!

Old Town Mazatlan was a revelation, despite the fact that our first impressions were negative. The bus dropped us by the Pino Suarez Market and we disliked it immediately. We found it and the surrounding area to be crowded, rundown, and dirty, plus we weren’t looking for cheap souvenirs, which seemed almost all you could get there. However, the part of Old Town next to the Angela Peralta Theater has a lot more character, color, small restaurants, in a word a lot more to offer. Both the theater and the cathedral are not to be missed. From there we went to the sea and to the Paseo Clausen and we found walking along it thoroughly enjoyable due to the many statues and great views.

On the subject of time share presentations – you will be approached upon arriving in the hotel lobby and sometimes right on the street by locals who are strategically positioned in little kiosks next to restaurant entrances or by the bus stops. Pueblo Bonito will invite you to attend a presentation at their newer resort, Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay. They will offer you $200 in coupons to be used for food and beverages at Pueblo Bonito. We decided to go because we were planning to visit that resort anyway as everybody was writing about how beautiful it is. Upon getting there, we were assigned to Clare, a salesperson who said he’s originally from Indiana and who seemed very laid back. After a 30-min tour of the resort he basically said, “Unless you want to hear about packages and prices, I’m done.” It was the easiest $200 we ever made. Granted, other salespeople might pressure you more, but our experience was very good. On a related note, the Emerald Bay resort was truly spectacular, with the exception of the beach, which was rocky and seemed inferior to the one at the Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan.

Finally, a couple of recommendations: try the Guadalahara Grill in the heart of the Hotel Zone for moderately priced but good quality Mexican food in a pleasant décor, and Gallery Michael, directly across from the Guadalahara Grill, a two-level store brimming with art and souvenirs by various Mexican artists, a little higher priced but definitely better quality than the cheap street merchandise.

Can't say enough nice things about PB Mazatlan. The staff was very courteous and really friendly. They have by far the best beach in all of Mazatlan, with lots of palapas and a bit more private since it is on the far end of the golden zone. The food was wonderful and inexpensive. We were on the side with the smaller pool with an awesome view of the pool and the ocean, with a large patio. I loved that the rooms have a kitchenette; we went to the market sometimes and cooked dinner in the room and ate on the patio with the sun setting. Ask for a room that is furthest away from the road, because it can be a bit noisy. We also visited the PB Emerald Bay, but we liked the PB Mazatlan better because it was within walking distance to restaurants, shops, but not right in the middle of everything. It's a great spot for everyone. Nicely decorated, beautiful resort, great restaurants and the best beach.

We stayed at P.B. Emerald Bay & think it is the most beautiful place in the world. All the staff are very friendly & willing to help with anything. It is a bit of walking, but is so incredibly beautiful that the walking is a wonderful opportunity to see the unbelievable landscaping.
We are wondering if any of you are an "odd" year or "even" year timeshare holder that would be willing to swap with us?
Thank you
Stevie
steviepeper@hotmail.com