Hotel Marina El Cid Review: An Established Family-Friendly Resort in Mexico

If you are looking for a family-friendly resort a short drive from the Cancun area, then consider Hotel Marina El Cid Spa & Beach Resort. Built in 2006, this quiet resort is all-inclusive and beachfront, and available for all ages. It is also connected to two other sister resorts, the chic Ventus at Marina El Cid, and the newly built boutique Ventus Ha’ at Marina El Cid. This gives you so many possibilities to stay at one but enjoy three.

While we haven’t stayed in a room at the Hotel Marina El Cid side, we did visit the complex twice over the years, and were able to enjoy the resort’s grounds and facilities. And if you’re considering planning a trip to one of the three El Cid resorts, make sure you don’t miss our Ventus Ha’ review and our Ventus review to learn which of the three resorts you should book at.

Keep reading to learn about our experience at Hotel Marina El Cid!

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Location & How to Get There

Hotel Marina El Cid is an established all-inclusive resort located in the town of Puerto Morelos, Mexico in the state of Quintana Roo. It is situated along the Riviera Maya coastline of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. It is a quick 30-minute drive from the Cancun International Airport (Code: CUN).

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You will need to prearrange ground transportation for the thirty minute drive to the resort. We booked transport through the resort’s recommended company Prona tours, which has a presence on-site. We paid $125 plus tip for roundtrip service for the two of us. At the airport, it was extremely easy to book and locate our driver and we were transported privately in a very nice Mercedes van. I highly recommend this transportation service.

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All-Inclusive at Hotel Marina El Cid

Your stay at Hotel Marina El Cid is all-inclusive. That means all of your food, beverage, and alcohol is completely included in the nightly rate.

All-inclusive includes the following perks here:

All food, beverage, and alcohol included in the rate
24-hr room service and in-room minibar
Pillow menu and turn-down service
Wait service at the pools and beach
Entertainment and activities
Non-motorized water sports
Fitness Center, Kids Club, and Teens Club
Full access to restaurants, bars, and facilities at two sister properties

Note, the resort does not offer complimentary wifi. There is a cost of $15/day or $60/week for one device, with a discount on a second device.

Platinum Club at Hotel Marina El Cid

Just like Ventus and Ventus Ha, Hotel Marina El Cid offers a Platinum Club upgrade option. These are a specific class of rooms that offer additional benefits. Below are the perks of selecting a Platinum Club room class:

Guaranteed ocean views
Butler service
Pillow and aroma menu
Upgraded beds and linens
Welcome fruit basket and wine
Beach bag and umbrella
Complimentary beach reservation
Platinum Lounge access with premium snacks and liquors
Private check-in and check-out area
Late and Express check-out (subject to availability)

There are some areas within the resorts that are restricted to Platinum guests only. Primarily, this is a beach area at Ventus. I personally do not think a Platinum room is necessary at Hotel Marina El Cid, or at any of the three El Cid resorts, unless you specifically want the upgrades and ocean view.

Rooms & Suites at Hotel Marina El Cid

Hotel Marina El Cid offers rooms and suites ocean, pool, and garden views. Upgrading to a Platinum class room will guarantee an ocean view. Rooms are decorated in a tropical style, though they are starting to feel dated.

The following room classes are available:

Family Room (Sleeps 5)
Junior Suite (Sleeps 4)
Junior Suite with Jacuzzi (Sleeps 4)
Junior Suite Platinum (Sleeps 4)
Luxury Double Room (Sleeps 4)
Luxury King Room (Sleeps 2)
One Bedroom Suite (Sleeps 4)
One Bedroom Suite Platinum (Sleeps 4)
Studio with Jacuzzi (Sleeps 4)
Two Bedroom Suite (Sleeps 6)
Two Bedroom Suite Platinum (Sleeps 6)
Three Bedroom Suite (Sleeps 8)
Three Bedroom Suite Platinum (Sleeps 8)

Pools at Hotel Marina El Cid

Hotel Marina El Cid offers two main pools. The newest pool is a infinity lap pool complete with beachfront ocean view and a full bar. While not adults only, this pool is definitely more appealing to adults guests. There is also an adults-only whirlpool.

There is also a massive 22,000 sqft pool in the heart of the property. This pool includes a children’s area with slides, as well as waterfalls and a swim-up bar. This pool area is gigantic and will be most appealing to families with children.

There are a total of 9 different pools between Hotel Marina El Cid, Ventus, and Ventus Ha’ that you have access to during your stay.

Beaches at Hotel Marina El Cid

Hotel Marina El Cid is a beachfront resort where you can find sun loungers, wait service, and even massage palapas. In addition to the these beach areas, just a short distance down is the Ventus beach areas. Both beaches feel very similar with the exception of Ventus having a Platinum-only designated beach at the far end of the resort.

It is important to note that this area of Riviera Maya is greatly impacted by the Sargassum seaweed crisis. If swimming in the ocean is important to you, then you need to plan the timing of your trip carefully and make. sureto monitor the Sargassum reports. The beaches at the El Cid complex do get hit pretty hard.

During both of our visits, we saw employees working very hard on a daily basis to clear Sargassum from the beaches via hand shovel and bulldozers. It was obvious these workers worked very hard at their jobs, but depending on the time of year, sometimes it can barely make a dent in the Sargassum.

Restaurants & Bars at Hotel Marina El Cid

Hotel Marina El Cid offers five different restaurant options. There is a primary buffet restaurant that is open for three meals a day with no reservations needed, in addition to another breakfast buffet location and a lunch option. However, the other restaurants will require reservations for dinner service.

La Alhambra – International buffet serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Trattoria Di Gulio – Italian restaurant serving breakfast buffet and dinner. Reservation required for dinner.
Hacienda Arrecife – Mexican restaurant serving lunch and dinner. Reservation required for dinner.
El Alcázar – Asian-Mediterranean fusion restaurant serving dinner. Reservation required.
La Marina – Seafood resturant located at the Marina, serving dinner. Reservation required.

The bars at Hotel Marina El Cid include:

Lobby Bar – Located in the Lobby
Scaramanga Beach Bar – Located at the beach
Congo Bar – Located at the Main Pool
Swim-Up Bar – Located at the Main Pool
Jacuzzi Bar – Located at the Infinity Pool

Our favorite restaurant was surprisingly Trattoria Di Gulio. They served an amazing breakfast buffet. We preferred this buffet much more than the La Alhambra international buffet, and were quite disapointed in the taste and quality of the food at La Alhambra.

While we wanted to dine at La Marina, unfortunately no dinner reservations were available during our short stay. We highly recommend booking here as soon as you arrive. Foodies will definitely want to try to obtain a reservation at the two restaurants location at Ventus Ha’.

Overall, you have access to 26 bars and restaurants between the three El Cid resorts.

Entertainment & Activities at Hotel Marina El Cid

Hotel Marina El Cid offers a variety of entertainment and activities on site, such as:

Non-motorized water sports (windsurfing, kayaking, Hobie Cats, paddleboats, and boogie boards)
Fitness Center including TRX, free weights, spin room, Yoga and Tai-Chi classes
Tennis courts and volleyball courts
Daily poolside and evening entertainment
Kids and Teens clubs and activities

Hotel Marina El Cid has a newly built 13,000sf spa on site, the El Cocay Spa. This Mayan-themed spa offers massage services, traditional Mayan spa treatments, a hair and nail salon, and a spa boutique. You can also book massages on the beach in one of the spa’s palapas.

A huge draw for boating enthusiast is that the resort is directly connected to Marina El Cid. This full-service marina offer a variety of boat cruises, SCUBA and snorkel excursions, and sport fishing at an additional cost. Here you’ll find a dive shop, mini market, 120 boat slips, and a sport fishing fleet.

If you are interested in booking an off-resort excursion, third-party tour and transport operator Pronatours does have an on-site location to make booking a breeze.

Vibe & Demographics

I was really surprised to see that the vast majority of guests at El Cid were retiree aged! This could very well be due to the fact that there are timeshares available. From what I have heard, many of the guests have been coming to the resort year after year.

Of course, since El Cid is family friendly with kid amenities, we saw many families with school-aged children as well. Personally, of the three El Cid resorts, I think Hotel Marina El Cid is the best option for families. Families may find Ventus Ha’ far too quiet and spa-like, and Ventus to be more suited to a vibrant young adult crowd.

If you are looking for a more modern, chic, and adult-focused resort, I recommend either staying at Ventus at Marina El Cid instead, or atleast spending more of your time on that side of the resort. Either way, you still have full access to both properties. You also have access to the brand new, boutique resort Ventus Ha at Marina El Cid which is a great option for an intimate, spa-like retreat.

Overall Thoughts & Cost of a Trip to El Cid

Overall, Hotel Marina El Cid is an excellent choice for families on a budget. Rates are very reasonable, starting around $315/night during off season – which includes all of your food and drink.

The slightly older hotel is starting to show its age and appear a bit dated, guests do have full access to enjoy its two newer sister resorts. The sister resorts are adjacent, so no buggies are required to get to them. In fact, sometimes it’s hard to tell where Hotel Marina El Cid ends and Ventus begins.

Additionally, note that the resort is a timeshare. That means you may have to dodge timeshare presentations. However, we did not encounter any salespeople during our two stays at the El Cid resort complex.

Video Walkthrough

Check out our quick five minute walkthrough of the resort grounds! And don’t miss our YouTube channel, where we have more El Cids resorts content and vlog. Like and subscribe to follow along!