Wonderful Family Vacation

We were a family of 7, 4 adults and 3 children, aged 11,10 and 8. Check in took a little time, however the lovely young lady checking us in was friendly and accommodating. She changed our King Family suites so that we could be on the same floor. We didn't get the pool view as originally requested, but the garden view was actually quieter and more private, plus we saw monkeys from our balcony one morning! Our suites were gorgeous with a huge bathroom with jacuzzi tub, separate shower and sepa [... read more]rate toilet. The suite was spacious, clean and well appointed. It was perfect! We were in the 9000 building. The location is close to the smaller breakfast buffet (Steakhouse) and close to three a la carte restaurants, Steakhouse, Indian and Brazilian, two minute walking to each, plus minutes from the large family pool with small water slide, swim up bar and lunch bbq area and this is the family pool with lots of activities. We spent most of our days at the family pool closest to the ocean so that we could go back and forth to the ocean or pool. This is where the larger water slide is (for children) and they have a covered outdoor restaurant with a variety of lunch choices. The shuttles were at the 9000 building, and they ran every 15 minutes. We never waited long at all. From the 9000 building you could walk to the beach and family pool in about 10-15 minutes. It is a beautiful walkway! Very scenic and lush well kept grounds. Our maid and water/coffee person kept our room spotless and if we ever asked for extra coffee or facecloths or water bottles they were more than happy to bring them. Our grandkids enjoyed the family pools and mini golf the best, and the older boys enjoyed the teen club after a day in the sun, or while the adults watched the shows at night. The main buffet was huge! There were SO many choices for our family! We tried all the a la cartes, the kids enjoying the Brazilian best because of the buffet type choices that went along with your meal. We didn't go to the French or Mexican a la carte with the kids. My husband and I had exceptional service and meal at the Mexican (this would be our favourite!). so personal, they brought the chef out and took a photo, we loved the young lady who made guacamole at our table, it was a perfect evening! They made us feel special! My husband and I loved the food at the French, but found the waiters were not warm or friendly. The food at the Italian was delicious, but again the waiters were not as friendly. Service in all the other a la cartes was fabulous, just not at the Italian or French. They were professional, just a bit cool. I am afraid I did not get the names of many staff like I usually do because we were with a busy family. The nightly shows were fantastic! The resort is beautiful and clean. The beach is lovely for long walks. It was windy and there is sargassum in the water, some days more than others, but we still got into the ocean! The pools are clean and staff were terrific. We never ran out of things to do. The kids were never bored. We needed more time here!! The location of this resort is over an hour from the Cancun Airport. We took a private transfer rather than wait for the provided shuttle (included with our package). We didn't want to waste time waiting to load a bus and stop at other resorts to drop people off. If you want to go off the resort to shop, there is a Plaza Playacar about fifteen minutes or so walk from the resort. We found many beautiful items. The resort also has a market, but I am unsure of how often it happens. It is huge and again has many vendors. There are very few vendors on the beach, which disappointed our grandkids. We never had any issues getting loungers by the pools or beach, and they offer lots of shade. Above the lobby there is a quiet bar you can go to and my husband and I went a couple of evenings before heading back to our room. We all had fun watching the monkeys, the coatis, the capybaras and animals around the resort. The kids sure enjoyed the Cupcake Cafe! We honestly needed more time here to explore more. We would definitely recommend and would return to this resort! Thank you for an amazing time!

Fun for the whole family

Went on a couples trip in the adults only club. Definitely a family friendly resort, but nice secluded areas for adults only. Good for the older crowds.. not quite what we we're looking for as younger adults but lovely nonetheless! Great food, staff, beach, pools.

Great time!

My family of 5 just got back from our stay at Sandos Playacar in Riviera Maya. When we arrived at the hotel we were given a room with a broken toilet. We were told that we wouldnt get a new room until the following day. We were very disappointed but after they realized the toilet couldnt be fixed, the offered us another room. That rooms air conditioning was broken. We went back to the front desk and were assisted by a lovely lady who then upgraded us to a King suite. The upgrade made us very hap [... read more]py and made up for the hiccups at the beginning of our stay. The food at the buffets was good but the a la carte restaurants were amazing, particularly the Brazillian steakhouse. We really enjoyed the picanha. The Mexican restaurant that doesnt require reservations is absolutely amazing as well...we were sad to have only discovered it on our last day. Its beside the cupcake café. The cupcake cafe made delicious strawberry smoothies and nice cappucinos. The pools were nice however we were disappointed that the swim up bar closed at 6pm. The shows were entertaining and well done. We particularly enjoyed the 80's show, the Beauty and the Beast show and the Michael Jackson show. The hotel is very big and could use some more trains...we were often waiting more than 20 minutes for a train and ended up walking most of the time...which is not a bad thing but would be disappointing for people with mobility issues. The monkeys and iguanas were a highlight for our children. They loved watching the monkeys swinging through the trees and seeing all the wildlife around the resort. The staff was great and worked very hard to keep the resort running smoothly. The beach was beautiful! White sandy beach with turquoise waters. Absolutely lovely. The water park was fun but my kids said it was really cold so they didnt stay there for too long which was a bit disappointing. Overall, it was a really nice family vacation and we made some great memories at Sandos!

Overall Disappointing

This resort was just okay. I didn’t feel it was good value for what we paid. The good parts: food at the buffet was quite good with good variety. Service & drink quality at the select bar was great. The grounds were mature and well kept. Housekeeping was very efficient. The beach was fantastic. Lots of loungers in the sun and shade all day. The bad parts: I would qualify Royal Elite sales as harassment. These people will not take no for an answer and will stop at nothing to ruin your d [... read more]ay. For the most part À la carte reservations are available through an extortion scheme. They can’t fit you in unless you agree to spend big money on wine even when the restaurant is nearly empty. Reservations can be made in the app if you’re willing to spent your entire vacation refreshing the app hoping for a miracle. So - it’s not really all inclusive. Information provided (re checkout times & access to late checkout) at the lobby customer services desk was completely different when the same questions were asked at the Meeting Point lobby. It feels like everyone has an agenda and that seems to include misinformation. I’m not sure if this was poor training or staff looking to pocket cash for favours. The rooms and facilities are dated and not well laid out. Eg: crooked artwork & light fixtures - hand towel racks that were 4ft from the sink… not offensive but really bizarre. We had no hot water in our room. We had to report it twice before it was resolved after 2 days.

Great Family Vacation

The resort itself was clean, a little difficult to navigate around, we got lost a few times. Figured it out by the time it was time to go. Buffet food was ok, we were very disappointed with the resort when it came to booking restaurants. We were told many different things.. 1. booking opens 8am daily to reserve a spot first come first serve. 2. bookings open at midnight 3. You need to book 1 week in advance from your trip only if you are elite. So we were very board with having buffet food the [... read more] entire trip. The pools were nice, staff were very friendly. The shuttle could have been more consistent. Sometimes you only waited 5 mins other times you had to wait 20 mins. Most of our group could walk but we did have 2 with some mobility issues and walking wasn't always an option. The spa was amazing! The couples massage was far beyond what we expected and would do it again. The gym was very nice, but get there early or you won't be able to do a proper work out due to the lack of equipment. The beach was beautiful! Soft white sand and clear warm water. We would come back again, knowing what we know now about the restaurants we will be more prepared.

Had an amazing time!

This hotel was huge but the grounds were so beautiful and full of wildlife that walking it wasn’t bad at all! The food was amazing at the buffet and the à la carte restaurants were even better! Drinks were super good! Staff was all very friendly and accommodating! Nothing bad to say about this resort! I will definitely be back!

Below expectations!

Very nice resort. Nice beach .Clean , quiet .Food was a huge disappointment,about as Mexican as Taco Bell on a bad day . Staff were below what I expected. Communication was a huge problem, language barriers.

Family centred place

Very roomy property. There were so many lounge chairs with lots of access to shade. Only drawback was the water system in the rooms for showers. I am sure things will get updated but no warm water in the mornings and poor water pressure. One other detail. The lights outside our rooms turned off during the night so it was pitch black when we had early departures. Maybe safety lights in the staircases would be an improvement. The children enjoyed the kids and teen areas and we liked the sho [... read more]ws

Overall an amazing gem in Playacar

This is our first all inclusive experience and Sandos Playacar definitely put a high bar for us. Food - great selections from buffet to ala carte options. If you could book the ala carte restaurant right after you get your room number please do so as they booked up pretty fast. We are lucky to have been able to try all of their ala carte restaurants by booking them in their Sandos App and walk in on others as they were fully booked when we get there. Walk in aren’t guaranteed but its worth the s [... read more]hot, just be genuine and polite to the staff. Pools were great, just a little cold than what you would expect. Beach were great especially if you come when there’s not much wind as these brings huge waves and seaweeds on the shore. Entertainment - the best!!! Theres a night show every night, daily activities by the adults pool and family area. Not to add that there’s multiple food and beverages sections around the beach area. We got the select superior room which gave us a gold bracelet that allows us to have premium liquors and access to places that other tier such as Blue bracelet can’t get into. Service - we really enjoyed our experiences in all of the ala carte as they are more fine dining than your normal buffet. We find that service is much better and amazing ambiance overall. Thank you Isaac, Hermelindo and Pedro for giving us the most memorable experience at Le Gourmet. Spa - we got treated poorly by the front desk staff Sebastian just because we change our treatment from full Body to Relaxing treatment. The massage for my partner was great but the person did mine wasn’t relaxing at all, it was way softer than anything Ive experienced. Booked our tours through seek and go! Thank you Cristobal for going above and beyond and making sure we got our transport sorted even after your shift! Another shoutout to Lorraine for being sweet, and calm. Called midnight to ask for a cream for sunburn and she made sure we got them on time. Overall great experience except for the room quality and spa desk staff experience.

Fine but wouldn’t return

Our stay was ok but I wouldn’t return or recommend it. The hotel/property was massive and poorly run. We weren’t able to get any dinner reservations during our week long stay. Most parts of the resort felt dated and needed repairs desperately. It was on a gorgeous strip of beach.

Lovely resort, some issues around the service

Overall the resort was great, but the check in and front desk staff weren’t very welcoming or helpful, while servers and many staff were lovely it felt like other staff didn’t provide needed information and weren’t helpful. I’d also say that booking transport to and from the airport separately would have improved the experience since we waited over an hour to leave the airport while they organized the transport provided and then spent longer dropping off other guests in other areas

Overall good experience

Review of My Stay My vacation started off on a stressful note. The ride from the airport was supposed to take around 50 minutes, but the driver took us through random neighborhood areas, which felt unsafe and uncomfortable. The trip ended up taking about 2 hour and a half, and we didn’t arrive at the resort until around 11:45 PM. Check-in was smooth and the resort representative was very nice, providing all the necessary information quickly. However, when we got to the room, things took an [... read more]other disappointing turn. The room was extremely outdated, and after a long day of traveling, I was shocked to discover there was no water at all. I couldn’t take a shower or even brush my teeth before going to bed, which was unacceptable. During the stay, Maurio (from Chile) stood out in the best way — always smiling, kind, and ready to help with anything. Thank you, Mario, for your excellent service. The restaurants were wonderful every night — great service and great food. The resort grounds were beautiful with lots of walking paths, plenty of shade, and gorgeous palm trees and landscaping. Those were truly highlights of the trip. Room service cleaned the room daily, but for some reason we constantly had to request coffee or fridge refills. Even though we repeatedly asked, water was never restocked, and we ended up having to buy it from the plaza (which fortunately was inexpensive at 20 pesos). One major downside was the constant presence of salespeople around the resort, which became very annoying. I come on vacation to relax, not to be bothered repeatedly or deal with rude responses. I especially want to mention the young Asian photographer in the evenings — he was unprofessional, bullying, and even made rude comments in his language. I don’t understand how someone like that represents the resort. Overall, the experience had its good points — great food, beautiful grounds, and a few exceptional staff members — but the resort really needs to improve staff politeness and address room issues, especially the inconsistent water supply. Hot water was on and off throughout the stay, which was frustrating. With a few important improvements, this could have been a much better vacation.

First time in Mexico

The resort was nice long drive from the airport. Rooms are a little dated but still nice. Buffet was really good lots of options. The sales pitch to join their vacation club was long and we were not interested. We enjoyed ourselves and would try Mexico again.

Meh!

If you want full access to the resort, you will need to upgrade to the premium club membership. We spent most of the week being told “you’re not allowed here”. We decided to upgrade to the premium but they would not speak to us about it unless we sat through a 1.5 hour presentation of them trying to sell you a Sandos membership. We decided to make the best of it however the straw that broke the camels back was when we were told we couldn’t sit on the beach even though 95% of the chairs were empt [... read more]y and that we’d have to move further down. Will never book at a Sandos again and would not recommend it to anyone. That being said, although the guest services were horrible, the service staff (waiters, waitresses, bartenders, etc) were very good and if not for them, this stay would have been unbearable.

Amazing Family Resort

The hotel exceeded our expectation. I was very scared and not knowing what to expect when booking but I am glad I followed my guts. when we got to the Resort it's was screaming cleanliness, good vibe, the front desk guy was amazing. The atmosphere was very comforting especially when the temperature was over bearing (oven). By the time we were done checking in, we were shown our room and getting in, the bedroom and bathroom was immaculately clean (if there is a better word to describe our room it [... read more] would be it). The food was exceptional, there was food for everyone even the picky eater like myself and the kids lol. The beach and swimming pool was neva crowded and there was games and drinks available. Public washrooms were in very good condition and was always smelling nice. Basically myself and my family did have a blast. The boys still talk about the fun they had. The only negative thing I would say about the Resort was the wait time on getting a mini cart to drive you to the main buffet or the beach and and it does not run 24hrs. With little ones, we had to take the mini cart ( my kids call it Gertrude the train) because its takes about 20mins to walk to the main buffet and another 10mins to the beach, and it was a rush in when it comes due to other families waiting on the mini cart. Overall our stay was fantastic and I would visit again.

Not what I expected

I recently stayed at this hotel and had a mixed experience. On the positive side, the hotel was impeccably clean, the room accommodations were large and inviting which made for a comfortable stay. However, the food was disappointing and didn’t meet our expectations. The only restaurant that was good was the French. We have been to Mexico many times and we chose to go back because their food was always great. Not this time. The staff were pleasant but not particularly engaging, only if they are t [... read more]rying to sell you the upgrades. The family section lacked entertainment. You only had the music from the pool and that’s it. Most of the entertainment staff seemed to be focused on the Elite areas of the resort, and unless you pay extra for “Elite” status, you miss out on a lot. The layout of the resort is another drawback. The family section is located at the far end of the property, a good 10–15 minute walk from the beach — longer if you’re carrying all your beach gear under the scorching sun. While trolleys are available, they run every 30 minutes and fill up fast. If you’re not assertive, you may not get a seat. All in all, I found this hotel to be overpriced for the quality of accommodations and food offered. My family and I had higher expectations and unfortunately, we will not be returning.

Great time.

The resort is very nice and expansive, the grounds beautifully kept. The room we had was incredibly quiet. The staff was super friendly, helpful and attentive. There was an issue with our room phone and someone was there within minutes to fix it. Everything was very clean. Fridge was restocked daily. The beach was gorgeous and well maintained with plenty of seating. Mauro at guest services was absolutely lovely. The Mexican cultural evening was amazing, especially the Maya portion. It was fun to [... read more] see all sorts of animals wandering the resort like monkeys, iguanas, coati and agouti. Overall we enjoyed the food and they seemed to have something for just about everyone. Most small annoyances we had were with other guests, not the hotel. (ie people putting towels out at 8am to 'reserve' pool loungers all day, loud drunks in the pool, people smoking in nonsmoking areas). A couple of small points: check out time is noon but house keeping kicked us out of our room at 11, wifi/mobile in the room was awful (probably because the walls are incredibly thick), you will be asked repeatedly and frequently if you want add on services like massages/spa, we were in a ground level room and there was no way to lock the door leading outside. The lack of a lock wasn't an issue for us, but may make some guests feel unsafe. Overall it was an amazing stay in a beautiful setting and I'd absolutely return.

Sandos Playacar

The beach and grounds were absolutely lovely! There were always enough chairs available by the beach and at all the pools. The rooms were great with a pool and a hot tub behind each hacienda. We had a few water issues...one day only cold water, and one day only hot water. Also the hot tub was not hot for a few days. Repairs were carried out fairly quickly after a service request was made. One of our group required medical services, which was prompt and excellent quality. We fou [... read more]nd that food which should have been hot was sometimes only luke warm. Cold foods were consistently cold. Food was tasty with the exception of the Mexican restaurant which was, with the exception of the appetizer, quite bland and served luke warm. The beach lunch buffet was particularly good. We used room service twice which was also good.

Quite the opposite of an amazing resort

The hotel was extremely outdated where the elevators were under maintenance for the duration of our trip. Definitely a good hike to the third floor everyday. From the lack of care in the public washrooms and having one vehicle for transport shuttle for an entire resort, this was absolutely disappointing. Having to walk 20 min towards lunch and dinner daily. The pools were bone chilling cold as if they never plan on heating them. The activities are free including the kayaks. "Almost free [... read more]" while tapping on his tip jar felt concerning and insulting. Didn't even feel like using the equipment after those types of comments. Many more to list however nothing nice would be added.

The great family Resort

Overall, this resort is a great place for all ages, but especially for families. The beach and nature were amazing. Cleanliness and service are the most successful points of this resort, which through the wonderful and very kind staff make the stay at the resort even more desirable. We sincerely thank agent Sandra De Faria for suggesting this resort.