Sandos Playacar Beach Resort & Spa All Inclusive - Playa del Carmen

The facility was nice, but the room smelled really musty/moldy. This food was not very good, and it is hard to get a reservation at the restaurants. The beach was beautiful!

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Limited entertainment, incompetent reception staff, some waiting and hospitality staff not very friendly, some rooms are smaller for the same price, hotel is too spread out and many rooms are very far from the ocean

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

While Sandos Playacar is a mediocre resort, if asked, I would direct friends to a different resort (we've also visited Moon Palace which was much better). We stayed in the adults only section which is quite a ways from the "hot spot" where the buffets/pool/bar is. While there is a shuttle, it runs far less frequently than we were told and often times, […] it was full by the time it got to us. In addition, the shuttle stops running at 11pm, so anytime after that prepare to walk. As a woman, I would not have felt comfortable walking to the adults only section, from the main area, alone at night. The food was mediocre as it tends to be at all all-inclusive resorts. The Mediterranean restaurant was good as was the Brazilian. We were told upon check in that being in the adults only section (gold bracelet) entitled us to 15% off spa services but when we went to check out, the staff claimed they knew nothing of it. This happened to three of the four people we went with, so make sure you get any and all spa discounts in writing, otherwise it appears they will not be honored. The beds were INCREDIBLY hard - although some people like a firmer bed. Overall, you're in Mexico and having a great time so you often overlook some of the negative things - while I had a great vacation, I wouldn't return to Sandos Playacar again. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

our room was in the nicer VIP adult only section and those rooms were barely tolerable, i had friends in the beach front rooms that resembled run down motel 6's. as for us we were about a 15 min walk away from the beach about .5-1 mile away from any food or entertainment, resort is way to spread out and segragated by ridiculous wrist bands. by far the […] most expensive resort we have been too and by far the wosrt. almost all restraunts were reservation only and are booked about 3 days out and usually only half full. food is great if you can get in but chances are slim, you will likely be eating at something around the quality of a home town buffet. spend half the money and go to a palace resort, or a dreams resort, anything but this place. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

the beach is beautiful and the food very good, the location is very pretty, close to the shopping area of Playa del Carmen town named 5th avenue, but without the pressure of peddlers.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Terrific Place! Best in Mexico I ever used. Lots of things for their 'elite' members, however, the accomodations were great. Everything worked, everything fit. Nothing came undone, or over used. Staff was great, always friendly, never acting like they expected a tip. Watered down drinks? Anytime one asked for a double or triple got all the booze they […] wanted. Beach was wide and spectacular. Food was way above average. Don't fall for the timeshare presentation. They say its not a timeshare, but it is. the supposed 90 minute presentation took 2 and a half hours. One guy told me he held out for $100 dollars U.S. to hear the spiel instead of the 'free gifts'. And he got it. I would love to go back. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

The best hotel ever! The best location! Very friendly service and people. Thank you so much!

Genuine Expedia guest review

GREAT VACATION. PERFECT FOR FAMILIES. KIDS CLUB WAS GREAT. BEACH WAS BEAUTIFUL. DECENT TENNIS COURTS. FOOD WAS AVERAGE BUT DID NOT TAKE AWAY FROM GREAT EXPERIENCE. WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Friendly staff; competent at handling minor issues that arose with our stay such as a quirky room safe and thermostat.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Really nice hotel with very good service. Room was clean and furnitures confortable for 5 persons, however the room we got was probably with insufficient air circulation and humidity in the bathroom generated a strong smell of mould/mold.

Genuine Expedia guest review

amazing service and accomodations. we spent there 8 days, including New Year. best party ever away from home. traveling with 3 kids can be a challenge but not at sandos. between beach, kids club, and pools, everyone was busy, happy, realaxed. the best place for family vacation. make sure you reserve your dinners in advance. they were booked full 2-3 […] days in advance. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

We staied at this place for one week. The beach was wonderful. Good food and very good entertainment. The place is very big and if you like the beach and have kids I will recommend a room close to the beach and near the main pool even though these rooms have no Internet connection and are small. The rooms in the new area are very nice and have internet […] but are too far from the beach and the entertainment are (15 min). Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

We cannot say enough good things about our stay at Sandos Playacar. This was our second stay at Sandos. The first was so good that we never considered another hotel. They were even better the second time. The staff was very friendly and could not do enough for you. The food was excellent, the room was well kept and the overall condition of the resort […] was beautiful. We have been telling everyone we know and meet to visit the Sandos Playacar Resort and to have no fear, we never felt in any danger. If you plan to visit the Riviera Maya, you must do it at least once in your life, consider Sandos. You will love it and the people that work so hard to please. We will return within the next two years and plan to stay at Sandos. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

This all-inclusive resort is one of the best in Riviera Maya in terms of the beach, food, staff and management.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Myself & my family had a great time and food was great and excellent service

Genuine Expedia guest review

Loved our 5 days there with 2 and 4 year old. Can't wait to go back.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Pros: Great hotel, friendly staff, wiling to help any time. Food is very good. Very good entertainment team. Very good beach. Very clean water,Great place for kids - playground, and a lot of different animals around: monkeys, lizards, coati , donkeys. Pretty close to Playa del Carmen.Nice neighborhood. Cons: Very uncomfortable beds. No access to internet […] in the room. Limited set of TV channels. But if you are not planning to spend all time in the room - it's ok. Rental bikes in poor condition.Designated area for "Special" people (with Royal membership) makes you feel like the second sort human. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

disappointed, I was moved three times to differents rooms, they did not give what u paid for, this is more two stars hotel, I dont recommend it

Genuine Expedia guest review

All Inclusive package- Rooms were clean, bathrooms and common areas were very clean plus maintenance of the resort was very well. Fitness center was excellent with good equipment and a variety of machines. The food was decent quality for buffet style- no complaints and enough choices to satisfy anyone. My only complaint is minor and personal in that […] the drink/alcohol selection for the basic all inclusive was limited and lower quality alcohol, but what they did make was OK. I would have at least like to have Johnnie Walker Red label or some decent Tequila to choose from. Most drinks were rum based. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

We have been to Sandos four years now, for varying lengths of stay. It is fun - lots of activities, easy to get around, and the beach is great. We have had some frustration with check-in: this time it took almost an hour, and then we were assigned to location which we had not reserved. After more time at the check in, we finally got to the proper area […] of the resort. It is a smaller resort, well laid out, and has some great evening entertainment in their courtyard. Their a la carte restaurants are at times exceptional. The rooms are smaller than other resorts in the area, but practical and modern. It does not have the spacious shaded beach and larger pools of other areas, but a lot less walking. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Playa del Carmen was a great first choice, for a beach vacation. We were very comfortable and pleased with what the hotel provided. I would like to try out other resorts, but I will definitely come back to this one.

Genuine Expedia guest review

The sports and entertainment team were great. They sure knew how to dance and keep people entertained. i would definately come back here adn wish I would have spent more time here. The rooms weren't 5 star, but were definately clean. The food was excellent. Better than the resort Melia where I stayed in Cozumel. It was quiet at night in our area.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Great resort. Room was fine. Service was excellent with plenty of activities. Food was ok, but certainly nothing special.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Had a great experience at the Sandos. First and foremost, you come here for the beach. I've seen better pools but few comparable beaches. Beautiful water with no rocks and, being the last resort structure on the main Playa strip, you can easily walk down the beach along completely undeveloped coastline. The staff was friendly and generous, and I found […] myself tipping folks for the superb treatment, even though that's not what I usually do when I've already paid for an all-inclusive experience. We had a romantic package included in our Expedia reservation (very possibly is something available to everybody though), which meant a number of very nice perks/touches, including delivery of champagne to our room, which contrasted nicely with the hot water in our in-room jacuzzi :) Food was pretty food but not amazing. Our room had a noisy AC system but we never bothered to ask about it since we like to sleep with white noise anyway...this was a little more than that though. I'd read in other reviews about the VIP breakfast being anything but and was almost aggressive with the concierge lady when she tried to market it. Probably unnecessary, but it made it a brief conversation, which is the what I wanted, so that was fine by me. We still qualified for more perks than we could take advantage of through our romantic package, so nothing missed there. We were in the newer adult section which meant very nice room. Only issue is that it's rather far from the beach, nice walk tho. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

I have stayed at this resort before.The staff from the housekeeping to the bartenders and entertainment are wonderful.There is so much to do you never get bored.the food id outstanding,All over a great trip!

Genuine Expedia guest review

Staffs are very friendly and professional. Kids programs are well organized.

Genuine Expedia guest review

I needed shuttle service, due to the time differene I found it difficult to contact hotel. I understand that the prodical is to make arrangements 3 days in advance but by the time I actually was in contact with the resort I was told that unfortunatly nothing was available. I indipendantly contacted a shuttle service my husband and I used for a previouse […] trip and made arrangements myself. At the desk I requested a room close to water or pools and was assured that that was already the case. The room was not as they had said, I would have gladly paid fo an upgrade had I been offered. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

While the hotel says all inclusive, it's really all inclusive but unavailable. There are multiple restaurants on the resort, but they are all booked even if you try and make a reservation the same morning but you can see many of the restaurants are not even full. There is a buffet and Mexican restaurant you can go to without reservations, but they told […] us Mexican restaurant was full as well (even though we could see it was almost empty) and the buffet was dreadful. This is defintely not a value for the price you pay. Much better to go to a non-all inclusive and find your own dinner. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

This is a great hotel. I was in the adult section and loved it. There was never a wait of more then a few minutes to shuttle to the beach & buffet. The other restaurants were great. I loved the Brazilian & the Asian. The staff were all friendly and so helpful. The room was kept spotless & the fridge full of soda, beer & water. The beach is the best […] I have ever been to. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

I had a great time at Sandos Playacar! The beach is beautiful, the pool area is beautiful....really the entire resort is gorgeous and easy to get around. There is nightly entertainment in a few spots: on the plaza, at the theater, and at the disco. The Avenue Bar has ping pong, pool, and a TV with sports. There is always something fun to do at night […] there! The room was very nice, not premium, but clean and had all the basics, including a mini-bar that gets restocked daily (part of all-inclusive!) The staff is very polite, and most speak English fluently or somewhat fluently. The food at the Festival Buffet is very good and it's all you can eat. Same goes for drinks (including alcoholic beverages). It's a good 45 minute drive from Cancun Airport, so your best bet is to rent a car. There is very little parking, however, and no valet service. When you arrive and get your room, they'll take you aside and tell you they have a "free gift" for you. What it actually is, is a time-share sales pitch and it will take 90 minutes of your precious time. What I got in return was a 30% off coupon for a massage. The massage was very relaxing, but I'm not sure it was worth giving up my time for the sales presentation. My only complaints are that the bed was pretty hard, and the TV was kind of old...but who cares, you're not there to watch TV, right? The line at the reception desk moved slowly, but they bring you drinks while you wait! Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

I love this place, this is my second time in this hotel and I was afraid that my expectations would not be met given that I had a baseline already. To the contrary, this time the place was even better than the first time around. The staff is amazing, super friendly and hard-workers. The beach is a paradise. The accommodations are a great value for the […] money. My recommendation is for families to stay by the main pool/beach. The Suites near the lobby are more upscale but takes some effort to go to the beach, shows, etc. Being close to the room, pool, buffets and beach was the best decision we've made this time. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!!! Good luck! Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

The hotel was nice and most of the restaurants were wonderful. However the beds were so hard in our room that everyone in our party had trouble sleeping on them. Also, don't be mislead by the "4 pools" or "swim up bar" or "adults only pool" because you have to be a resort member to use them (you only have access to one pool and one part of the beach). On […] the upside, the beach and resort facility is very well kept and clean. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

The shows were really great. The food was okay. The kids club was a bit boring for our kids aged 7, 9 & 10.

Genuine Expedia guest review

We had a horrible experience. The room next door was occupied with a disgusting heavy smoker. The smoke impregnated our room and the staff failed to address the issue.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

I went with my two daughters for 9 days in july/august. Overall we had a great time. The food and restaurants where good not great. The only issue was no wireless in the rooms. We needed to go to the lobby to get connected to family, friends and unfortunately work.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The comforters and pillows had an unpleasant odor. We had to "throw" the throw the throw pillows away from the bed because they also had the scent of sweat and mildew. If you bring your own pillow you should be fine. Other than that, we had a great time. We hardly spent any time in the room because of all the activities at the resort. The staff was […] amazing. Bartenders were quick. Food was great. Atmosphere was fun. The adults only section was a perfect place to have fun without kids running around. The main pool area was full of action and good music. The beach was a perfect blend of relaxation and excitement. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

The all-inclusive experience that will make us watch more carefully where we stay: * Overcrowded main pool with no swim-up bar (we were there in July - need that) * Tiny kid's pool with no slides or fountains for the little ones * No A/C in the main buffet - again, in July, this made for a pretty disgusting experience. Breakfast became a continental […] 'room-service' affair, as overheating from the 1/4 mile walk from the riviera section to the buffet -- then sweltering with the central cooking areas in no A/C buffet was unpleasant. * Undrinkable margaritias. Too sweet and no ability to increase the amount of lime, even in the 'premium club.' Some positives * Nice clean spa, with good workout facility * Reservation restaurants for dinner had decent food - avoid the one that has no A/C in the heat! * Room itself - riviera section - was nice with cold AC, comfy beds and clean, modern amenities * Beach is gorgeous and the sand is beautiful * The beach bar was the same as the rest, not a scaled-down liquor selection * Check-in staff, bell staff, room service staff were all pretty good. Bartenders were hit-or-miss Tip of the day: Really, 'premium club' only gets you Don Julio instead of El Jimador tequilia. Not worth much fuss to obtain. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

I truly enjoyed my six night stay at Sandos Playacar Resort this summer. The resort grounds are beautifully landscaped; the pools and pool activities are great and the beach is awesome. The staff were very friendly and helpful. I would absolutely recommend this hotel to my friends and family.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Had a Disappointing experience at Sandos PlayaCar.Checked into the room only to find out that we were given 2 Full beds when promised a King-staff told us we would be able to move in next day-that did not happen.They tried to sell me into there timeshare and would call every am at 9am, the lady offered me a week free stay just if I went..I said really? […] Sounds a little to good to be ture..When I asked more questions she said "Sorry senor my english is not very good" so that made sense.The Room Service was terrible-quality and portions.Also (No Joke) every time we ordered something from Room Service they would miss an item.Also ordered the Romantic dinner in which I was proposing to my girlfriend on the beach and they said it got cancelled.They ended up making it work but things were more of a hassle than anything. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Overall I was pleased with my experience. It was a large resort, however, so the pool and game room were crowded to capacity everyday with children and families. This stay definitely made me consider adult-only resorts in the future. Food was generally good, however room service took forever and the tv remote broke and was never repaced even after two […] calls. I was also disappointed that there was no drink service on the beach and they very rarely came to collect cups and garbage. The bar service was also very slow. I enjoyed my stay, but would not return to this specific resort. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

I found the staff very accommodating. We changed our rooms on the second day because we wanted my elderly parents (86) closer to us. They were so helpful and understanding. Our children had a great time and enjoyed ordering room service every afternoon. This was my third time staying at the Sandos Playacar and they did not disappoint.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Our 4th time in the resort, good value for the money, great beach, good food and drinks, very accommodating and pleasant staff. My Dad lost his towel card in the Spa, he was given another one straightway with a smile and no threat whatsoever of the possible $50 penalty, little things like that make the difference. I got in a lot of sailing in the catamarans […] so I was a happy camper. Eleven of us went this time, some for the first time to Mexico and all of us had a fantastic time. The espresso was pretty good, an improvement over the last visit, we are not foodies but everything we ate was fresh and well prepared to our taste, I dare say that was the case with most everyone we spoke to. We plan to go back again, feel comfortable there. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

I have stayed at several all inclusive hotels in Mexico and the Caribbean and this was by far the worst one we have stayed at. The service by the staff was very poor, the wait to check in and out was long, the food was average which is to be expected at this type of resort, the drinks were bad, the bars closed early, the walk from the adult section […] of the resort to the beach was far, and for a 6 night stay we were only allowed to make two reservations at the restaurants. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

sorry, but I was less than impressed! Too many guest and not enough places to eat!

Genuine Expedia guest review

This was our first vacation in an all-inclusive hotel in Mexico and we were very very pleased. 3 adults and two small children (6 and 4) shared an hacienda room. This is a great hotel for families with small children. The beach is gorgeous though the waves are sometimes too strong. The two swimming pools are great. There are always entertaining activities […] going on one of them and the other is just to relax. We went in July and the hotel did not seem crowded at all. All the staff is super friendly. The nighttime entertainment is awesome! Each night there is a different show and dancing involved which my kids loved because they were able to participate. There is a game room by the main plaza where the shows are.. so if the kids get bored, they can hang out there. The resort grounds are lovely and even though it is big from end to end, the walk is very pleasant. There are a couple of resident iguanas which my kids loved spotting as well as a couple of racoons, donkeys and another rodent which we could not identify. My kids loved spotting all the animals. The food was above average in the buffets. There was always something really good we could find for everyone. The Mediterranean restaurant was our favorite with the Asian one close second. If I have to dig around for bad things to say.. I would agree with the other reviews that the beds and pillows were very hard, WI-FI was a luxury only in hot spots and never consistent, DO NOT GO INTO THE GIFT SHOP -- extremely expensive!! Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Great location, beautiful beach, clean room, entertaintment activities. The staff was ok. The only thing I didn't like is the firm (LIKE A ROCK) mattress.

Genuine Expedia guest review

This hotel is average.The pools & beach are beautiful and the night life was very entertaining. We never had a problem finding chairs on the beach. The clearest blue water around. Breakfast & lunch options are buffet only. Room service has very limited options, around 10.They are the same options that are available at the pool bar & buffets.If you choose […] AI for food usually then this is NOT the place for you.Make sure to get a reservation, they can only be made TR and SUN nights. The cups are dunked in a water basin to be ‘cleaned’ & then reused. This hotel does not believe in straws, so you have no choice but to put your mouth on the water dunked ‘clean’ cup. The drinks were just fine & they would pour stronger when you asked. The maids are wonderful & do a great job. Make sure to leave them a tip because they definitely deserve it. The walk to the beach is fine & not as long as others complain about. The shuttle is fast. We waited an average of 5 minutes.The rooms are quiet except when cleaning begins, you can hear the chairs being moved & it is loud! The staff is friendly when you need something, but not eagerly waiting to see if you need anything. We still had a great time because we are not high maintenance travelers. Overall we would not go back because we go AI for food more than drinks & we definitely did not get enough variety to justify what we paid. If food is not your thing, then this hotel will meet your expectations for a great room, beach, pool, and nightlife. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

This hotel was FANTASTIC!!! There aren't enough positive adjectives to describe my experience at the Sandos Playacar. The food was excellent, the staff was friendly and genuinely cared about your well-being. There were several servers that we wanted to bring home with us because of their great, bubbly personalities. The rooms were always cool, to […] the point of cold, which is awesome considering it is hot down there. The rooms were always clean, and fresh drinks, (alcohol and water) were always replenished. Fresh flowers from the grounds were left on the nightstands, tables, etc. The hotel entertainment staff were EXCELLENT! They had fun games for kids all throughout the day. They put on great shows every night for kids, adults, families, etc. Their was a musical band one night, they sang many popular English songs (Rock, pop, classic rock, 80's, etc.) They also sang a lot of fun up-beat Latin styles of music. The next night there was a DJ and he incorporated the public in his songs and brought kids, teens and adults on stage. FUN! The third night of our stay there was a fire show...INCREDIBLE! The fourth night there was a dance group. The staff had activities for the kids in the recreational/game room while the adults sat outside and enjoyed other activities. The SPA was MARVELOUS! Ask for Lidia....she is an ANGEL! The beach was clean and relaxing. The staff incorporated the Iguana, Coati, birds and monkey species into everything they could. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

This was a beautiful resort last one on the stretch of beach. It was clean and the staff was friendly. Our only problem was room service and the quality of food. Room service took way too long, was wrong and very poor when and if you did get it. One morning we ordered breakfast and never received it. After 2 1/2 hours we left the room. The places you […] have to make reservations to eat were pretty good. We put a tip on the table in our room, expecting it to be cleaned and stocked, and we left. I came back in and the money was gone but the room wasn't clean and the fridge wasn't stocked. So be sure to put out your do not disturb sign out after your room is cleaned and stocked and put all your important items in the safe, because obviously they come and go as they please. We are good tippers at the bar so the bar staff was great! This is an eco-friendly place so the plastic cups that you are served in are washed and used over and over again. (Which is something I didn't like and may be the reason I was sick to my stomach the entire week.) Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review