Mazatlan Sandcastle Villa am Meer

Marketed differently, the Sandcastle could be a tourism attraction on it's own right - an architectural passion project of an eccentric millionaire. Let me just say that the photos - which are great - simply don't do the actual property justice. This is a place you need to actually see to believe. For starters, they don't begin to capture the scale of the building and the grounds. It's huge. We were at guest capacity and never felt crowded. Between gazebos, nooks and patios there were plenty of places to get away. The grounds themselves were huge and wonderfully maintained. Secondly, the photos don't give a sense of the functionality. For a unique property like this, form can often come at the expense of usability, but here everything from the kitchen to the stairs and pool deck just made sense. Third, the staff and crew were great. We were welcomed with a bottle of tequila (a great surprise after a long day of travel), and our property manager. At all times there was on-site security at the gatehouse and walking the grounds. Maintenance and hospitality were also present at various times to turn things over and make sure everything was working. Even with them there, we always felt private. Overall, a great experience. Everyone felt very safe and really loved the Sandcastle. Wonderful memories. If there was one nitpick, the cost difference for additional guests is pretty high - the difference between, say 14 guests and 16 or 18 shouldn't add as much as it does.

IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE OR THE LIVES OF YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHO ARE STAYING WITH YOU DO NOT RENT THIS HOUSE! We were on a family vacation and woke up to a robber in our bedroom at 2:00 am. I chased him out but found out that he had been in all six bedrooms and stole the cash from each bedroom. In addition, he stole an I-pad. The issues are: 1. The house is very remote with only one other residence being occupied within 1 kilometer. 2. The storm last year took out the side wall and the back wall. They were around 10 feet in height and prevented access to the property. 3. The owner replaced them with minimal walls that provide absolutely no security. Anyone can walk onto the property at any time, even stray dogs. There was no thought given to the safety of the guests. 4. Recently there have been robberies at the closed Surfs Up Restaurant and homes further down the beach. Note: The pictures on the VRBO website are old and do not show the actual situation. In addition, the pictures show a covered bar area that we were looking forward to but is no longer there. I recommend that VRBO updates their website to reflect the reality of the area around the pool. Until the owner resolves the security issue, I do not recommend that anyone stays here.