HOTEL
Great as others have mentioned. Restaurant prices are fair, the infinity pool is fabulous and clean. Only problem is that the windows are single pane and with masonry wall and floor finishes everywhere it does not serve as the best acoustics for reduced ambient noise. You will need to place a towel under the front door to help reduce the noise. Another con is the issue of rocks in the sea. Not sure is this is common to the whole Mazatlan beach, but there are some large rocks at the Holiday Inn beach which made it tough to go out confidently and have a swim without worrying about not scrapping my feet and running to a hospital. If it wasnt for these cons I would have given a 5 start review.

FOOD
- Holiday Inn restaurant called Oasis is pretty good. I had a hamburger for lunch and it was surprisingly pretty good.
- Villa Italia (Italian restaurant across from El Cid), the prices were expensive, food quality is lousy and not one local person there. Dont go.
- Chilli Peppers was not as great as the reviews made it out to be. It was OK, prices were about $5 per dish (for breakfast) but the meal portions were small and not as fabulous as others have made it out to be. The neighboring eateries are better.
- Fat Fish is also good, we got dinner for two for less than $15USD with some of the best ribs I have eaten (cross the main road, looking at the sea, go right for about 150-200 yards.
- Minnesota Café, go north, cross the main road and it’s about two blocks up ( past Fat Fish). Its located with a corner hotel, so watch out for it. Good breakfast for 29 pesos and fair dinner, i.e. 130 pesos for two.
- For good coffee go down south past El Cid about 500meters to a place called Rico. The Mexican hot chocolate is fantastic.
- I highly encourage eating from the local street food vendors. Food for two costs less than $4USD. The food is fabulous especially in downtown and around the market area.

TRANSPORT
Take the buses. They are dirty and rough, but that’s the beauty of it. They are cheap and efficient. Also if you need to get somewhere hop on the polmonas taxis. Make sure to bargain with them. I always got away with halving the quoted price.

We happened to drive into mexico from california & I'd never driven in mexico before,on our way to our hometown we needed to rest so we drove into Mazatlan, i would hear from my parents how their honeymoon was like 40 years ago in mazatlan, and truly it was an unforgettable experience!! Holiday Inn Sunspree was it!!!

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Sunspree from March 17-24 2007 and had an amazing time. The hotel was clean and the staff were courteous. The swim up bar, while not huge, was never that busy and the wait staff were always prompt. We didn't eat at the restaurant except for the occasional breakfast, as the hotel is within walking distance of a lot of great restaurants and we wanted to check them all out! The room was very spacious and clean, loved the huge shower and the ocean view from our balcony was spectacular. In the evenings you could hear the entertainer in the bar playing acoustic guitar and singing a lot of easy listening songs. He did a fabulous James Taylor! The pools were never crowded, and plenty of lounge chairs to be had. We had plenty to do every day and walked through the craft bazaars, took a pulmonia to the zoo/aquarium, to the downtown Cathedral and Marcado.
You must check out "Munchkins" as they have the best ribs I have ever eaten, huge portions (it's a little scary looking shanty, but the food is wonderful!). Also the view from "Cilantro's" restaurant at sunset is amazing for a more expensive tasty meal. 2 other great spots, La Casa Country has great food and entertainment! and Carlos and Lucia's is right next door. Don't miss out on them. You can take a cab or the bus to the Hotel Posada Freeman and go to the roof to get a great view of the city. Take the tour to Stone Island, it's cheap for a great boat ride, views, beach day and meal and drinks.
I never felt unsafe walking the streets in our area, even at night.
I least liked the constant solicitation for time shares, we were practically assaulted from the time we got to the lobby, every time we walked off the elevator. They get more aggressive as your holiday wears on, trying to wear you down!

My husband and I and two sons (3 & 8) stayed at the Holiday Inn Mazatlan from Nov. 2-9. This was our 2nd trip to Maz and the Holiday Inn. We had an oceanview room and loved this time of year. We plan to go back next year same time! It was not crowded and the service, hotel, beach and pool were same as last time - clean, fun & safe, great staff. The waiters are kind and professional, and accomodated our picky eater's needs with a smile! We played in the ocean and pool almost all the time, and there was almost never more than 7 or 8 others there. If you don't need fancy and want to have a quiet family place this is it. The breakfast restaurant opens at 7(try the chilequiles!), my kids were up at 5:30 every morning:(, and everything shuts down by 10:30. We love that there is no night life anywhere nearby - only the sound of the waves will keep you awake. We have been home 2 days and can't wait til we go back.
We loved the restaurant Pancho's, which is in the heart of the Golden Zone, the best of all we have been to in Mazatlan - worth the pulmonia trip. Go super hungry or share a meal.