Sandcastle Villa Private Beach Front Resort at Emerald Bay

• Living in a Work of Art

  Living in a Work of Art

  • Guest Juanita
  • Date of stay 04/06/13
  • Review Submitted 04/16/13
  We searched carefully for just the right house because our entire family (ages 3 to 71) would be with us. Last year we stayed in the Palm Springs "Tracy/Hepburn" house, which was fabulous. The Sandcastle was even better. I have never seen a house remotely like it except in Gaudi's Barcelona architecture. All that curvy exterior isn't the camera lens; it's the real house! The architect must have disliked right angles because they are hard to find. I recommend the Sandcastle on every dimension of a vacation experience. LUXURY AND VISUAL APPEAL: Look at the photographs. They hardly do the house and grounds justice. This is four levels of amazing architecture enveloping decor you have to see to believe. Wonderful paintings and art show the care the owners have given to perfecting a beautiful style. The furniture is comfortable as well as elegant and there is plenty of it. We tried to experience every feature of the house and grounds and I don't think it is possible in just a week. The landscaping includes functional as well as whimsical planters, sculptures, and little nooks for lounging around inside and out. The detached "gazebo" is gorgeous. FUN: The swimming pool was in constant use. The ocean is the front yard. The outside grill with its own enclosed area for food preparation, serving, and and seating was great. All the decks provide privacy for reading, drinking in the views, and luxuriating in the spirits of Mexico. (e.g. margaritas). And then there was... THE FOOD: The services of a chef were an optional feature and worth every peso. Gilberto prepared three of our dinners - Mexican, Italian, and Surf 'n Turf - each one an amazing creation devoured with gusto. We not only ate the dinners, we photographed them. Beautiful! Two recommendations: 1. Stop at the supermercado on your way to the Sandcastle or plan on a major shopping expedition early in the trip if your group is large and you like casual dining. Unless you have a rental car, trips to town are a bit cumbersome. 2. Visit Leanne's "Surf's Up" cafe next door for some breakfasts and lunches. STAFF and OWNERS: Silvia and Pieter gave us SO MUCH help before and during our stay. They are wonderful hosts. Rafael and Cindy were fantastic. THE TRUE TEST: I believe that our once-a-year vacation with the people we love most in the world should be something we will remember happily forever. The Sandcastle met every expectation and we will never forget it.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, pet owners, families with teenagers, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, families with young children, sightseeing.

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• Wow. Just...wow....

  Wow. Just...wow....

  • Guest J and J
  • Date of stay 03/16/13
  • Review Submitted 03/29/13
  It would be easy to just leave it at "wow" but that really wouldn't do the house (facility really) or the wonderful hospitality provided by both Silvia and her staff justice. I will try to spare you the swooping hyperbole and try to limit myself to the fundamentals but....wow....just wow....:-) The house: The pictures honestly do not do it justice, heck, sitting in the hot tub under a blazing full moon sipping beer and experiencing it in person barely does. This house should be featured on the travel channel, truly inspired (and a little Salvador Dali-ish) architecture. Must be seen to be appreciated. The grounds: Extremely well taken care of by Rafael and team Silvia, each days walk uncovers another great place to sit and enjoy the abundant wildlife of geckos, iguanas (Gary was our fave), birds and possums. Wonderful design - I recommend viewing Silvia and Pieter's wedding photos on FB too, very nice! The Decor: Absolutely first rate, the house is not an easy design to compete with as far as decor but Silvia and her designer Michael pulled it off. Warm, comfortable, different and interesting in every room. Awesome. The Madonna and Romantico were top two for sure but the other rooms all were top rate :-) The Beach: Very private, almost yours alone and simply one step through the gate and you are on it. Magical about sums this up...rough inside breaking surf is good for play but if you want to get on a board you will need to take a short trip south to the beach at Cerritos. I am pretty sure that you could walk all the way to San Diego when you head north, the beach just goes on forever. The staff: Rafael and Cindy were wonderful with each request fulfilled immediately and with a smile. Great folks! The Host: Silvia was kind enough to take some of her own time to play hostess with us and show us around. Our group had shrunk from the original 5 to only 3 on short notice but Silvia took it upon herself to offer personal tours and shopping for the girls. I really can not say enough for how kind and welcoming Silvia was from her willingness to make our trip more enjoyable each day to her gracious and tactful handling of what is now only demurely referred to as "the Tequila incident", we truly have a friend for life in Silvia - thank you very much! We are looking forward to many family vacations here in the future as this was kind of a pre-trip to see if the house would be as great as it looks. It is and you should experience it too, you will not regret it

  Recommended for: Age 55+, pet owners, families with teenagers, girls getaway, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, families with young children, sightseeing.

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• Memorable Sandcastle Getaway!

  Memorable Sandcastle Getaway!

  • Guest Jenna
  • Date of stay 11/23/12
  • Review Submitted 01/27/13
  My husband and I would highly reccommend the Sandcastle for a wonderful vacation getaway. We stayed for one week with a group of friends and enjoyed every moment! This property is perfect for an adult-only vacation or a family with children. The property is meticulously maintained and very private. We enjoyed the pool as well as the private beach. There is a restaurant two houses down that we visited once a day for an amazing meal! The staff at the house (housekeeper, groundskeeper) were friendly and professional. The owners made us feel at home and were wonderful sources of information for site-seeing advice. We will definetely return to the Sandcastle again for another memorable vacation!!

  Recommended for: Age 55+, pet owners, families with teenagers, girls getaway, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, families with young children, sightseeing, tourists without a car.

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• Bad Weather but FABULOUS Property

  Bad Weather but FABULOUS Property

  • Guest cooleen
  • Date of stay 01/09/13
  • Review Submitted 01/25/13
  This property lived up to the photos posted online and more! We were extremely pleased with the property upon arrival and really can't say enough nice things about it. You definitely feel like a bit of a rock star when you are staying in a house/compound like this. All of the bedrooms and bathrooms have been beautifully renovated and were all good sized as well. The pool and hot tub were fabulous, though we unfortunately had to use the hot tub more than the pool because of the cloudy and windy weather we got during our stay. The outside bar and blender helped keep up our spirits! Having housekeeping staff at the house full time was a definite plus and they took great care of us and were able to answer any questions we had about the house and Mazatlan itself. Rafael and Cindy were fabulous! The house was cleaned and towels (inside and out) restocked daily. I would say the only drawbacks to this property would be the kitchen set up/size and there is quite a steep staircase. The kitchen was definitely on the small side and it made cooking meals for a group a little challenging. The main staircase was quite steep and caution needed to be taken when going up and down. All in all, FABULOUS house!

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, families with young children.

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• No need to keep looking!!

  No need to keep looking!!

  • Guest lino
  • Date of stay 12/26/12
  • Review Submitted 01/16/13
  Our family of 10 visited the castle for 2 weeks in January. Upon arrival Pieter and Silivia (the wonderful owners) greeted us and welcomed us to their amazing home. They gave us a tour of the large home and showed us the basics (very helpful learning about all the gadgets!) Once we had things figured out they left us in peace (have rented houses where owners are breathing down your backs the entire time....very annoying!) Pieter and Silivia were just the right combination!! First off the home is just beautiful. Tons of room for large groups, and never a lack of new things to see. Very comfortable beds, satellite t.v's, outside grill, heated pool, and best of all an actual HOT spa!! Hard to find in many Mexico homes. Rafeal and Cindy (staff) were out of this world! Rafeal speaks great english and was VERY helpful to us during our stay. From cleaning, makiing delicious margaritas, getting my sick mom medicine, he is one in a million!! Have rented many homes and we have never seen such wonderful, hardworking staff with never ending enthusiasm . The Sandcastle is in a great location. Beautiful beach steps away, and no vendors bugging you. Quiet and peaceful yet only 20 min away from shopping and restaurants. I could go on and on about the Castle but overall we all had an amazing time and really enjoyed our stay. This is definitely a home you want to rent when travelling to Mazatlan. 10/10!! Thanks again Pieter, Silvia, Rafeal, and Cindy!! We will be back!!

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, girls getaway, families with young children.

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• Seven guys on a bachelor party

  Seven guys on a bachelor party

  • Guest Dennis
  • Date of stay 02/09/12
  • Review Submitted 02/15/12
  First and foremost, no review and none of the pictures on this website will do the Sandcastle justice. This is something that you must experience in person. So in my review, I'll do my best to share with you all the pros and cons. The Pros: 1) This was the first Mexico trip that I didn't get sick after coming back (ie. no Montezuma's revenge). The owners did some heavy investing and put in a RO filter, and if that wasn't good enough, they also zap the water with UV light. If you're still not satisfied, there is bottled water available. 2) The mattress and bedding it top notch. I slept like a baby each night and woke up each morning to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach. 3) The attention to detail is unmatched. The owners brought the resort experience to this vacation home. We had flower shaped toilet paper, beds perfectly made, the usual hotel toiletry, fantastic coffee, soft towels....the list is too long. 4) Service! The guys and I were slobs; the owners and the 2 staff members kept the place is pefect condition as if we arrived to an untouched facility each day. Thank you Silvia, Pieter, Rafael and our house keeper for picking up after grown men behaving like boys. :) 5) The owners suggested having our food catered each evening. At first I thought the price was steep for being Mexico. What I didn't know is that a professional chef would be cooking for us. The food was phenominal and well worth the money. Thank you Chef Gilberto! 6) About the beach, city, etc. The beach is awesome and wonderful to look at on the beach chairs Rafael set up for us each morning. The city is less touristy compared to Cancun, Puerto Vallarta or Cabo...which I liked. I would recommend renting a car as driving around was easy and everything was withing 15 miles. Cons: I have to get some cons in here, otherwise this review won't be believable. 1) Pillows were a little flat but I think these types of pillows are necessary for the humidity during the summers. 2) You can only heat the hot tub or the pool, not both. So 5 guys in the hot tub makes the water spill over fast. 3) Night life is driving distance but there was a great little cafe next door to Sandcastle. Wish I could write more but running out of space. Finally, Pieter you're a rock star and I have a whole new respect for your kayaking skills. Silvia, you're a absolute sweet heart and we enjoyed getting to know you and taking some shots with you. Thank you both.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, families with young children, sightseeing.

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• Amazing!

  Amazing!

  • Guest Mathew
  • Date of stay 02/09/12
  • Review Submitted 02/13/12
  Some friends and I went to the Sandcastle for a weekend getaway and we were blown away by everything. The house is in a safe, secluded area just south of the Golden Zone. The few properties that surrounded the area were not even close to comparison of the architecture and spaciousness of the Sandcastle. We had planned on doing more but enjoyed the property so much we didn't have to go anywhere. The pool, hot tub, bar, kayaking, cafe next door, surround sound system, privacy, amazing views from all floors and the beach front just steps away from us made it impossible to leave. The owners also were very helpful and accommodating even before we landed. They had many options on things to do from deep sea fishing, horseback riding, golfing, snorkeling, etc... They also recommended a private chef for a night but his food was so delicious and in abundance we ended up using him for all three nights while we were there. They also had daily maid service and other staff to help you with anything you needed at all times. By the end of the trip, we were all very relaxed and couldn't say enough about the place. I would recommend staying at this property over any hotel in the area.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, pet owners, families with teenagers, girls getaway, adventure seekers, romantic getaway, families with young children, sightseeing, tourists without a car.

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• Amazing Vacation

  Amazing Vacation

  • Guest Aby
  • Date of stay 02/09/12
  • Review Submitted 02/13/12
  My friends and I spent 4 days at the Sandcastle Villa. All i can say is that we couldn't have asked for anything more. We were lucky enough to be there while the owners of the property were in town. They were very accomodating and hospitable. The villa had all the comforts of a 5 star resort. The place is very well kept and they have a staff that comes in to clean it daily. It sits right on the beach so we were able to enjoy the ocean and the pool everyday. There is a cafe right next door which would be great for breakfast or lunch. The villa is not far from the airport and a 10 minute drive to bars, restaurants, and shopping. We rented a van on our trip so we were able to come and go as we pleased. I would highly recommend this Villa to anyone looking for a luxurious stay and some R&R. We will definitely be coming back.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, adventure seekers, families with young children.

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• Beyond our belief! Absolutely fantastic!!

  Beyond our belief! Absolutely fantastic!!

  • Guest Tom
  • Date of stay 11/23/11
  • Review Submitted 01/20/12
  When good friends invited us to vacation with them in Mazatlan, we were a little inquisitive, not having been there in several years. With a little research we agreed to join them in what we believed was a quaint little place on the beach. WELL, much to our most pleasant surprise, we arrived to not only what looked like a mansion but a castle, a "Sand Castle". Each room, each floor brought wonderment to our eyes, we were at awe with the architecture, the setting (right on the Ocean), the pool and total set up. Each room we used had a bathroom with a shower, an Apple TV, airconditioning and a wonderful view. The pool area was fabulous for all our activities, which included at times the use of outdoor bar....ok maybe more than just at times lol. We would definitely go back!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with young children.

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• A Private Oasis to Watch the Sunset!

  A Private Oasis to Watch the Sunset!

  • Guest Brijo
  • Date of stay 10/09/11
  • Review Submitted 01/17/12
  On our first visit to Mazatlan we stayed at the Sandcastle - it was like we never imagined! Overlooking the Sea of Cortez, we were in awe of how beautiful and absolutely private the property was. It is just like the name; a "castle" with gorgeous gardens and beautiful rooms, each with its own personality! The beach is right outside the gate and you can walk, fish or just throw down a towel and watch the waves. Oh yeah, and the most amazing sunsets you will ever see while you are BBQing or enjoying that nice cold cerveza! Another nice thing is you are away from the hustle and bustle of the "all inclusive", but you are not far from the Golden Zone- maybe a 10 minute drive or cab ride. This is the perfect spot for a special gathering, like a family reunion, wedding or a corporate retreat - or if you just want to feel like you have your own private resort! I highly recommend the Sandcastle to anyone who is looking to get a way at a truly unique and beautiful location!

  Recommended for: Age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, families with young children, sightseeing.

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5 bedrooms & 4 1/2 baths sleeps 12 adults Rate $500.00 per night
Minimum stay 3 nights
Includes Daily Maid Service,Caretaker/Concierge on the propery Monday to Saturday
Check In Time 3:00PM, Check Out Time 11:00AM
Payments Made Via Paypal, Canadians May Pay with Personal Check
50% Deposit required to confirm booking balance payable 30 days prior to arrival
Additional Guests $25.00 per night per person
CHRISTMAS & NEW YEARS WEEK 7 DAY MINIMUM STAY $4000.00 CAD PER WEEK

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.