This was my first trip out of the U.S. with my son (22)

The beach is secluded - the rooms are old - but it is mexico!

The view was spectacular - the staff fabulous - -

It really beat the stuffyness of a 5 star hotel - it was like being in mexico with the native people - really a beautiful get away - -

If you are looking for champagne wishes and cavier dreams - - this is not the place for you - - if you are looking to melt into mexico......you found the right place to do it...

Can't wait to go back

I stayed at the Faro Mazatlan for four days in July.
Good: private beach, friendly waiters, clean rooms, nice bartenders pouring strong drinks.
Bad: small and overcrowded pool, awful food, no room amenities other than a television.
Overall, the experience wasn't great and I probably wouldn't stay there again. It's just not a really nice resort. The rooms are extremely basic and the beds are really hard. The rooms were as clean as could be expected, as they are in need of major renovations and upgrades. The price is right, but I honestly wish I would have spent more and went somewhere else. The other reviews mention how bad the food is, and it was indeed awful and incredibly disappointing. However, the bar captain informed us that the resort just got a new chef and the food should shortly improve, so maybe the experience will change. I think the staff is nice and means well, but the place needs serious work before it could be considered anything but a two-star hotel.

My boyfriend and I booked an innclusive 1 week vacation off [---] from February 28 - March 7 2007. It was between the Emporio Mazatlan and the Faro and boy am I glad that we made the right choice! The Faro is a little bit further from the Golden Zone however it is very accessible by bus to get to the Golden Zone or even downtown Mazatlan. If you are looking for a private gem of a resort to unwind, relax, and decompress from the stress of daily life, then this is the place for you. If you want to party hard, then move elsewhere.

I only have great things to say about the Faro even though I was slightly apprehensive after reading previous not-so-enthused reviews. The food is hardly as bad as some reviewers have made it out to be - one must remember that Mexico is a poor country and that one shouldn't be expecting gourmet meals. There is a choice of 2 restaruants - the Terraza which is buffet and there is always a made-to-order grill (ie. omelettes, fajitas, chicken, steak) and there is the Chiquita Banana situated right on the beach which you can order off their menu. Definitely try the Seafood Tacos!!! The fruit and salads are in abundance and were always fresh. The serivce is absolutely impeccable - the servers cater to your every whim so make sure to tip them well! We tended to tip $2-$3 USD each meal as they all make you feel so welcome and go out of their way to serve you what you want. We were stuffed after each meal..... delicious! The drinks are amazing - try their whiskey sour and chiquita banana!

The beach is a public beach as it is federal property however there was never more than a handful of people there at any given time. Staff will set up your beach chairs for you and bring you drinks and even lunch on the beach as you relax in front of the ocean. We often opted for the beach after breakfast until the afternoon when we would move to the pool where the rays were still pretty strong. There are about 70 steps down to the beach however this should not be a problem if you are mobile and moderately in shape. There are not too many beach vendors - maybe 3 per day, who will leave you alone if you act uninterested (or feign sleep).

The hotel rooms and grounds are maintained very well. Our maid did a wonderful job of cleaning our room and gave us extra bottles of water as requested. We ended up tipping her $10 USD for the week. The beds are comfy, tv had several English channels on it, plenty of hot water for showers and there is a safe in the closet. When we were taken to our room, the balcony overlooked foliage and I decided to call down to the main desk to ask for an upgrade to an oceanview room if available, willing to pay for the upgrade. Amazingly we got a new oceanview room upgrade "on the house."

The Hotel Faro is a secluded beach-front facility that is perfect for a romantic getaway or for quiet relaxation. There are no nightly entertainment acts or water activites but further into the Golden Zone, one can purchase tours or parasailing, etc. HIghly recommended resort if you're not expecting luxury. But if you want a quiet, private beach, gorgeous views of the ocean, plenty of tasty meals, unmatched service, and clean rooms, then this is a sure bet. I would return to the Faro in a hearbeat!

We have just returned from a week stay at the faro mazatlan resort Feb 10-17 2007 . We had such a good time, the hotel was alright, there was barely anyone staying there, maybe 40 people. So it was very quite, but we did meet some great people.
The service was great, the waiters were so fun & friendly. The food was nothing to write home about, breakfast was the best meal of the day, lunch was alright, there was a small menu to choose from, and supper was pretty much the same everynight, fajitas. But all-inclusive was worth it for the drinks! If you plan on staying there you better be in shape, because to get to the beach and the lunch area, you have to go down over 70 steps, serious!
We always dredded going back up, especially after a couple drinks. Our room was nice, great ocean view, maid service was great. There wasn't any nightly entertainment, unless you consider the kareokee guy entertainment, and it only lasted for 30 minutes, and the bar closes at 11 pm everynight. All in all, it was alright for my first time in Mazatlan, but next time I would like to stay in a more upbeat resort.