We hab been at elcano three consecutive years at the end of the 90's and at this moment. we loved this place.
This year, we just returned and discovered that the food is not good, all is cold..... you have to fight to have wine or beer or toast in the morning.... you are always waiting...
The rooms are really good and clean. But we think that good food is an implrtant element of good vacaiton....
We were very deceived....

My friend and I spent two amazing weeks at the El Cano and I must admit it was awsome! We stayed in what they describe as a regular room but we found it above average. Very clean, beautifully decorated, especially the bathroom. The towels were changed more often than we needed, but, hey, that's OK. The beds were a bit too firm for me, but obviously excellent quality. We sat on our private balcony every morning to soak up the quiet morning air and watch the sun rise over the hills around the bay. Evening, we were treated to spectacular sunsets from the same balcony. The framed prints painted by a mexican artist and displayed in the room and throughout the hotel are unique, beautiful and quite the conversation pieces. The food is top quality and the selection vast! The pool has lots of room for the guests and there were always enough loungers for us sun worshippers! We had a brief problem with the air conditioning in our room, but they sent a repairman up within minutes to fix it! We were within walking distance to the market area, Walmart, bank, bars, dancing and convenience stores. And the staff ... well, we can't say enough good things about the staff, especially the serving staff for the outdoor dining and bar areas! So very, very friendly although a bit slow sometimes (it was quite busy). They made you feel welcome and appreciated. I daresay the recent reports of killings made the staff work harder to win you over. Why, toward the end of our stay, they even had one of the bartenders sing a farewell song to us, accompanied by the mariachi band that frequented the hotel. Simply unforgettable!

The hotel was lovely, clean and housed all the amenities, however, I found the staff was a bit cold and unfriendly. I'm speculating that it may have something to do with the shooting reports being highlighted by North American media recently (making Mexico seem like a scary place, and perhaps angering the Mexican people?), but the staff truly gave the impression that they were forcing themselves to be polite. At many times, they were often neglectful and we'd sit for long periods of time waiting for the wait staff to return with our drink orders or to refill our coffee. On many occassions they just simply forgot to return and we'd either seek out what we wanted or leave. They made us feel that our business (and the fact that they're asked to be nice to us) was actually injuring their pride.

Friendly staff is incredibly important to the stay. You want to feel comfortable when away on vacation, and not uneasy or tense. It's just as important as having a clean and safe place to stay.

This hotel is very nice. There are 180 rooms, they have either two queens, with a balcony, or a king with not balcony, all ocean view. The food is buffet, or a la carte, very good food, prepared well, never got sick. The drinks are premium brand, bottled beer no draft, lots of taste, and never hot, drinks are always cold. There are lots of chairs by the pool, and lots of palapas, no need to go down early to reserve. The only disadvantage is there is hardly any shade after 11am. The staff is very friendly, and the maids are very clean, and have your rooms cleaned before 2pm.
I only have nice things to say about this hotel, and would recommend it to anyone. Had a great time there.