Estero Beach Resort

Estero Beach Resort was the perfect place to stay! Friends and I made the quick drive down from Orange County, California for a wedding. We enjoyed the beautiful pool and jacuzzi. The restaurant had exquisite food and phenomenal customer service. All the staff is very friendly and helpful. Also, Estero is super close to downtown Ensenada so we hung out there as well one night. As for the rooms, they were extremely comfortable, spacious, and clean! Our oceanfront views were amazing. The second morning I woke up to a seal swimming in the water between the beach and island right off show. It was awesome. I would come back in a heartbeat :) Thanks Estero!

First thing to remember is that this is Ensenada Mexico. Yes Mexico! It’s not Beverly Hills or the Ritz. So if you are a high maintenance or pain in the ass picky person then go back to the U.S. This hotel is in the far south part of Ensenada and away from the downtown action. If you want a nice place to get away and relax then this is the place. It’s a guarded resort on the waters edge and the views are great. You are only with the other people in the resort and no outsiders. We had one of the ocean view rooms and it felt like we were in Hawaii with a view of Diamond Head. It had palm trees with the birds singing and the view of the point at La Bufadora looked like Diamond Head. The grounds were nice, but it does need maintenance and they are working on areas. It is an old property but a lot has been remodeled and it looks like they are expanding. They only have one restaurant and all of our meals were great. The view from the restaurant patio is wonderful. Your morning breakfast with the view and the sound of the ocean and the birds singing. It was great. One review I read complained about a steak she had. Sometimes a big steak in Mexico is not very popular like it is in the U.S. and the quality is not the best. One night, at the restaurant here, I took a chance and had the rib-​eye steak and it was fantastic. My wife had the white fish and her meal was great also. The prices on the meals were very reasonable. Service from all of the staff was great, booking the reservation, arrival, maids, and all of the restaurant staff were very nice. English is well spoken here. If you want a place to get away and be away from a lot of the people then this is a great place. You can always drive into town for all of the riffraff. Leave this place to us who want to relax. Great get away!

Stayed here for a night should of stayed longer with so many things to do… It’s it’s own little town… It Had a SECURITY GATE AND THEN YOU HAVE A 4 MIN DRIVE TO GET YOUR KEYES THEN THERE IS ANOTHER SECURITY GATE. …It’s a large hotel with a restaurant and bar real nice place Wil be coming back for more days

I can not wait to go back to this hotel! The rooms were extremely clean and comfortable. The towels were soft, bed was nice and cozy.
The pool area is amazing with 2 huge jacuzzi’s. Service was great at the wet bar, margaritas were delicious!
I highly recommend brunch at the restaurant! Everything I tried was authentic to the region and very tasty.
Great stay, can’t wait to come back!

This is my first time staying at Estero Beach Hotel. It was recommended to me about two years ago and every time I try tried to book a room including last week, it was booked solid. That was a good sign. I was finally able to stay her for two night Sunday to Tuesday.
The resort is kind of on the way out of Ensenada and a few minutes drive to the bar/​club scene in the main part of town. It is well worth it. After reviewing the types of rooms they offered I selected the Maya Suite which is beach front. I currently have a great view of the garden and 30 yards from my porch is the beautiful Pacific Ocean.
I’ve enjoyed every minute of my stay here. The staff is very friendly from the guards at both gates which makes you feel very secure to the cleaning staff who delivered extra beach towels for the pool area within 2 minutes even at 8:30pm at night.
I’m definitely staying here again. The pool is really big and clean although not heated. The hot tubs were roomy and clean too. I have insomnia so I’ve sat out on the porch of my room for about an hour or two a night enjoying the breeze, ocean waves and a few beers with my music low. Security patrols on foot and on bicycles about every 10 min which is very impressive. Definitely the kind of place you want to stay at if you’re American and believe the bs hype of Mexico crime.
Ensenada is a beautiful peaceful town. I enjoy scuba diving here as well as the great food in town and at the resort restaurant. The price is the same for a modern room twice as nice and nearly twice as big as what I stayed at last week at Corona in the main hotel strip.
You definitely get that Cancun resort feel which is what I was looking for all this time. It’s worth the extra few minutes drive. The sunrises and sunsets are amazing here and only a short 20 min drive to La Bufadora.

I have been coming to Estero Beach since the mid 70’s and have always loved it, the staff, the grounds and the resturant. The food is very good now but the waiter staff is really untrained. I have really never experienced such a comedy of errors as I did tonight. when we spoke to the man that said he was the manager his answer was, yes we know they are bad! Really? that was not what I wanted to hear.
so… food good, staff sucks with the exception of one, Moses, I give him a 10 because he really tried to take care of us but the waiter, Ceasar was clueless. my suggestion would be have them reverse jobs!

This place was ok although I thought it was a bit too far from all the action in downtown Ensenada, and the décor was like going back to the early 90’s. The room was big and the pool was nice, but for that money I expected a lot more.

I was a bit disappointed in this place mostly because the water was salty. My husband didn’t believe me until he took a shower and experienced the same thing. Then the toilet had a difficult time flushing. There was also a big yellow stain in the bathtub. Somehow there was also tons and tons of Mosquitos. It was only by the hotel, pool and restaurant because once we moved away from that area, it was much better. I want to be relaxed when I’m on vacation and being able to have a bathroom that works well is super important. This was my first time here and I would never go back. You can do much better elsewhere in Ensenada for your money. I told the receptionist but they didn’t do anything to make it up to us.

This is like it’s own little resort away from downtown Ensenada. It has amenities and activities that you can do within grounds.
The pool area is beautiful and the boardwalk is romantic. It’s incredibly affordable and the king room is HUGE with a great view. Very well kept with a HUGE bathroom.

Such a beautiful resort! A perfect getaway! Loved the swimming pool and the gorgeous private beach! It’s nice to simply walk around the grounds and take everything in. There are so many activities available that you can’t just accomplish all of them in a day! I would definitely return if I had the chance.

While down with friends on vacation in Ensenada, it occurred to me that one of my companions had never seen the beautiful beach front property of Estero Beach Hotel and Resort. In the area already I decided that I would make a short stop and give a brief tour of the resort to my friends. Little did I know that I wouldn’t even make it past the outer most entry gate. I was stopped, as always, by the guard that was standing post at the entryway. The gentleman was middle aged, thin and spoke excellent English, however he told me and my friends that we would have to pay a $ 10.00 (American) entrance fee to even take a quick tour of the grounds. I was shocked as not even 2 months before I had been allowed entry free of charge and with no hassle. The gentleman then explained that a voucher would be given to take $ 10.00 dollars off anything we bought inside Estero Beach. I felt like this was a scam, so I left without paying the supposed fee. I have been going to Estero Beach for over 30 years and not once have I been asked to pay a fee. Wanting clarification I called the hotel and was told that this policy has been in effect since March. I will no longer be going to this hotel and was extremely disappointed with this news. Apparently this policy will remain in effect until September, fair warning to anyone interested in even just visiting.

I have been coming here since I was about 10 years old, first just to ride my bike when I used to spend my summers in the area, and now as my go to shore fishing spot when I am in town visiting relatives.
They have a nice pool (must have a wrist band to use), a small beach that is perfect for laying out or far letting the little ones play about. The views are fantastic from their beach, on the boardwalk or even in the outdoor patio area by the restaurant. It can get breezy in the late afternoon.
I haven’t stayed in the rooms themselves, but I have been all over the property. There are some that live on the property in small mobile homes as well. They have definitely began to spruce up the property a bit, as I did notice it was a lot cleaner and kept up from last year. The plants and grass looked very well manicured when I was here the past weekend.
They have an onsite restaurant, Las Terrazas that caters to American tastes, but has a great Mexican buffet on Sundays. If you are using the property without staying as a guest, you will have to pay $ 10 US dollars to stay, but can use that voucher to eat at the restaurant. I do this all the time, and the food is very good.
Great resort to visit 15 minutes past the downtown Ensenada area.

I have been coming here since I was a little kid. I just visited again a couple months ago while on a road trip. Didn’t stay here this time as we were camping out in casa de Tacoma truck bed.
We did eat at the restaurant and also used their «private» beach. It was super beautiful and relaxing. There was no one at that spot for hours! Time to get a REAL tan heehee.
You can also go horseback riding and rent jetskis. The restaurant is awesome and surprisingly under priced for a resort!
I will continue to come here.

We visited this resort as our Carnival Cruise excursion. Our day at the resort was honestly the best part about the cruise and I can’t wait to go back to this resort for my next vacation.
This family owned resort is amazingly beautiful. I didn’t know a place like this existed in Baja Mexico. It is situated directly on the beach. The staff and management are friendly and speak English very well. We met the owner and he introduced us to his «#1 waitress» who had worked at the resort 47 years! The authentic Mexican lunch buffet was delicious and fresh. The highlight of my visit was renting a kayak and exploring the waters and peninsula, sea shells and sand dollars littered the sand. So exciting to see seals and sea lions up close.

2 stars — Cleanliness … Kind of No Bueno.
You know when you view a flipped home & the co. That renovated it is the one that has over saturated the market with their cheap and quick remedies & its actually shotty work when you pay attention to the details? Yah. Same goes for Esteros cleanliness.
— When I laid on the bed to let everything seep in — I looked over and there was hair on the bed next to me. Gross. On the pillow there was a disgusting bright pink lipstick stain. Gags.
— we ordered breakfast the next day and it arrived promptly. The cloth napkin that was provided had someone’s mouth particles on it. :-|
The thing that really deserves ZERO stars is whomever is managing the restaurant. I ordered filet minon — out. So than I was recommended a flank steak instead — it came out and was GRAY. I asked for medium well done and it was so freezer burned that I couldn’t even cut it with my knife because it was SO CHEWY. I tried to take a bite but couldn’t get the meat to cut. I sent it back. And ordered a seared tuna instead = huge mistake. Tuna was fishy — as in it was bad fish. The people next to us even commented that if it was that difficult to cut than its really not a good idea to eat. Sigh. So than the waiter tells me the manager looked at the steak I sent back and said it was ok and I would have to pay for it anyway. WHAT. ??!
Whatever — I paid for both meals didn’t care but was disgusted that I would have to pay for such travesty of the «meat plate». After paying for it I told the waiter to gift it to the manager because I wasn’t interested in taking it home. Wtf.
My hubs quail came out great btw.
Our waiter was great.
Bartender Vic is awesome also — makes the best mojito’s. Oh I have to mention that the table next to us found a price of metal in their meal.
Grounds people and security are amazing individuals.
We got the Jr Mayan suite which was AWESOME. The sliding glass door was a view of the water — stunning views — huge room. It looked nice like renovated by your mothers designer friend that is not with modern times but her taste is … Baby boomer era /​classic. It was nice.
We arrived on Monday so no one was there — I like that. The property is beautiful. The landscape is flawless! Love it.
1. Conclusion — bring your own pillow covers.
2. Don’t order meat or fish at their restaurant.
3. If their chef sends out food that would make you sick and is obviously past its expiration date — they will still make you pay for it even though you didn’t eat any of it.

The Spanish word estero relates to the English word estuary, which is a tidal channel inlet. Estero beach is aptly named because it is at the estuary of the magnificent Todos Santos Bahia (All Saints Bay) of Ensenada (pop. 250,000).
Built in the 1950’s, this huge resort has a dramatic view of the bay, which in itself is worth a visit. I didn’t plan to write a review, or I would have taken some « Unilocal» pictures in addition to our personal pictures. We just wanted to check out this famous resort for a possible future stay and to satisfy wanderlust. But when I discovered that no Unilocaler has boldly gone before, I thought I should do a good First Review (ta-​daaa!).
To reach the resort from Ensenada Centro, you take Reforma /​Highway 1 south for 6 miles (10 km) and you will pass the El Cipres military base on the right side of the road. Go another 2 miles and pass the AM/​PM PEMEX gas station and on the right and you will turn right at the next traffic light, at Lazaro Cardenas street. There’s a little green sign saying Estero Beach. You go through this rundown section of town (reminds me of Imperial Beach, CA) to the end of the street, then you turn left on Lupita Novelo street which takes you to the guard gate at the resort entrance.
Although the resort is gated with 24-​hour security, your apprehension from the area will remain as you see the lesser side of the resort, which frankly looks a little neglected like a tradesman’s entrance. Go through the second guard gate and the resort buildings are on the left.
Estero Beach Resort has a southern Mexico Yucatan — Riviera Maya theme, with the buildings named for places like Maya, Tikal, Palenque, Uxmal and Akumal. You’ll also see the museum of Mayan and Aztec artifacts (which we will be sure to visit next time).
It looks like the lobby and check-​in is in the building on the right of the second guard gate, which is separate from the residential buildings.
The pool area is a showcase! Palm trees, a lovely big pool with a swim-​up bar, two spas and a snack bar. All with a dramatic view of the bay. I believe the pool is only heated when the number of guests justify it. We came in the late afternoon and the two large spas were crowded; the next morning the spas were cold and of course empty, which was a shame cause we were going to partake like naughty teenagers. I hear that cruise ship people come on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and the pool and swim-​up bar are working. Live entertainment sometimes.
The bay side has a magnificent boardwalk past the small private beach to the magnificent Playa Ensenada which stretches almost 12 miles (15 km) to Ensenada. The estuary has a large sandbar where seals come to play. The restaurant patio of course has the great view. I hear the Sunday brunch is very good for about $ 13, and with a crêpe station and omelet station.
You can go for a great ocean beach walk and the grounds have beautiful mature landscaping. Locals are fishing along the shore. Amenities include tennis courts and table tennis (rent rackets and balls), jet skis, kayaks and bike rentals ($ 10 per hour). I wonder what the jet skis cost as the protected bay is ideal. Sometimes beach horse rides are available.
The room choices are Ocean View, Pool View and Parking Lot View (haha). We checked out some rooms from outside. They looked spacious and rustic. Usually two queen size beds and a 21-​inch cable TV. The bathrooms have a shower-​bathtub and there is a vanity area. There is a fridge and some have a kitchenette. You can get a good room for less than $ 100, which is great value. In the U. S you would pay 3 or 4 times the price. Check out the multi-​night packages with dinner or breakfast.
Estero Resort is adequate for a family pool vacation or a romantic getaway on a budget. You can also pay $ 500 per night for an Uxmal Suite or an Akumal Suite.
Looks like some renovations in progress!