Unique Experience

I wanted to try this hotel as it seemed different from other all inclusive. The resort is beautifully landscaped and has lots of trails for walking and cenote for swimming. The bad part was beach as it was very rocky and small lagoon too small to swim. Food was fine just big lineups at buffet. Overall nice but not for beach and swim lovers.

Amazing resort

It was our 7th time going to this resort. So that tells you, that we love it. We were a group of 14 family members. Everything was amazing for us all. Many of us, it was their first time, and all wants to return

Very beautiful resort!

There is a lot to see and do here, from swimming in the cenote to sliding down water slides or dancing with the staff at the pool, this resort is great for kids! I was disappointed about the bed, it was broken and our door did not lock, but I still rate this a 9/10 resort, especially for nature and animal lovers

Average Resort - Good for families with young children

Overall, my stay at the resort was average. While there were some positive aspects, several issues negatively affected the experience. Check-in & Service: The website advertised concierge check-in, a fruit basket, a bottle of wine in the room, and assistance with booking à la carte restaurants for the Select Club Adults section; however, none of these inclusions were provided. I raised this with staff during check-in, but unfortunately, no action was taken. Some front desk interactions also  [... read more]felt less friendly than expected. That said, most of the wait staff throughout the resort were very friendly and helpful. Food & Dining: The à la carte restaurant food was underwhelming, and I ultimately preferred the buffet. Desserts across all restaurants were particularly disappointing, with very limited appealing options. Facilities: Some areas near the buildings had a strong and unpleasant odor. The adults-only pool area was very quiet and relaxing, which was a plus, but the restaurant service there was extremely slow, with long waits for orders. My room was clean but very dated. The balcony was quite small, with space for only one chair and no table. Two chairs were provided, but if both were used, there was very little legroom, making it uncomfortable for two people to sit at the same time. Entertainment: There was no engaging entertainment specifically offered for the adults-only section in the day, except a DJ on the beach from 1-4 which was not that great. The entertainment available in the family section was largely geared toward families with children.

Three Star Resort ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

My wife and I have travelled quite a bit, so we know what to expect at resorts. Here is our honest review of our recent seven-night stay at Sandos Caracol Eco Resort. The resort gets ⭐️⭐️⭐️ The resort is large and visually impressive, with a wide range of activities geared toward families. While it is clearly family oriented, there are several well-designed adults-only areas throughout the property, which helps balance the atmosphere. Our check-in was quick due to our late arrival, alth [... read more]ough during our stay we frequently observed very long check-in lines in the lobby. Dining was mixed overall. Some options were enjoyable, while others were disappointing. The buffet by the bridge overlooking the water was particularly poor, with long food lines and unappealing conditions. In contrast, the buffet across from Nido in the red building was consistently excellent. The adults-only KIIN beach area stood out as one of the best features of the resort. It offered beachside food service delivered by a waiter, the food quality was excellent, and it also provided an air-conditioned indoor area to relax, enjoy drinks, play pool, and have snacks, including bite-sized sandwiches, pretzels, peanuts, and cookies. The Sandos app was functional and made it easy to book à la carte restaurants. We were able to secure five reservations during our seven-night stay. However, only the Japanese restaurant and Los Lirios were truly good. Late-night dining options were extremely limited, with Nido being the only venue open after 11 p.m. The menu there is restricted to beef and chicken tacos or burritos, and the quality was poor. On one occasion, I observed uncovered cooked chicken and beef in the kitchen sitting in stainless steel hot pans with insects buzzing about, which was very concerning. Bar service was another weak point. Many bars appeared understaffed, often with only one bartender, resulting in long lineups. Several bartenders seemed disengaged, with little friendliness or enthusiasm. While drink quality was generally decent and some higher-end brands were available, cleanliness in the bars, restrooms, seating areas, and other common spaces could be significantly improved. Some of the food safety and handling practices, along with the lack of cleanliness, could be why many people report getting sick. However, we never got sick, as we were careful about where and what we ate. The beach itself was well maintained, though guests should expect frequent approaches from vendors attempting to sell items. While not aggressive, the interruptions were constant. The main pool area was very crowded, and the water was dirty, with noticeable sand accumulation on the pool floor. Wi-Fi coverage across the resort was generally reliable, with only minor issues on parts of the beach. The live entertainment was excellent, with the Michael Jackson show being a highlight. The resort’s location is convenient, situated about ten minutes from Walmart and Fifth Avenue, with access to taxis, Uber, InDrive, or a low-cost shuttle that runs twice daily. Our one-bedroom pool-view suite was quite worn and in need of renovation. The television was outdated, the floors were cracked, and there was broken furniture and damaged electrical outlets. Paint was peeling, and the air-conditioning filters were extremely dirty, appearing not to have been cleaned in a long time. The layout was also problematic, with no door separating the bedroom from the living room and no doors on the bathrooms. While the toilet is enclosed in a small separate room, the overall design felt impractical. This suite is not well suited for families, and housekeeping was below expectations. The water park was clean and well maintained, but food options were very limited and of poor quality. If you plan to drink alcohol at the water park, make sure to bring a reusable cup, as alcohol is not served there. Overall, while there were several positive aspects to our stay, the experience was not strong enough for me to consider returning or recommending to others.

An honest review

The resort is big and beautiful, and there are lots of activities for families. The restaurants are pretty good overall, although a few are nasty. The Sandos app is decent but could be better. It was easy for us to book à la carte restaurants through the app, and we were able to book five during our seven-night stay. The only two à la cartes that were actually good were the Japanese restaurant and Los Lirios. Check-in was quick for us because we arrived late, but we often saw very long check- [... read more]in lines when walking through the lobby. Staff could have more positive attitudes. The resort is definitely family oriented, but there are nice adults-only sections throughout the property. It is very hard to get smaller peso bills, so it’s best to get them before you arrive. The beach was really well kept, but be prepared for someone trying to sell you something every couple of minutes. They are not aggressive sellers, though. The large pool area where most people swim was quite crowded and the water was dirty, with a lot of sand on the floor. Drink quality was pretty decent and they do have some good high-quality brands. The Wi-Fi throughout the resort was pretty good, with only a few spotty patches on the beach. The live shows were amazing, especially the Michael Jackson one. The resort is only ten minutes from Walmart and Fifth Avenue. You can take a taxi, Uber, InDrive, or the shuttle that runs twice a day for a couple of dollars. There is a lack of staff at the bars, which causes big lineups because most bars only had one bartender. The resort could have much better cleaning practices in the bars, sitting areas, and other common spaces. Housekeeping was subpar. You can’t get any good food on the resort past 11 p.m. The only place open after that is Nido, and they only serve beef and chicken tacos or burritos, and they are not great. The one-bedroom pool view suite we stayed in was pretty run down. The TV was old, the floors had cracks, and there was broken furniture and broken electrical outlets. The paint was peeling on the walls, and the air-conditioning filters were disgusting, looking like they had never been cleaned. There is no door separating the bedroom from the living room, and there are no doors on the bathrooms, which seemed very odd. The toilet is in a separate little room with a door, which is also strange. This suite is definitely not ideal for families. The water park is nice and clean. The food there is terrible and there are not many options. The ice cream is okay. You can’t get alcohol there, and if you want to smoke there is no smoking hut nearby. All in all, the experience was positive, but not enough for me to consider coming back.

Family trip to Sandos

This resort is well laid out with beautiful shaded pathways getting you anywhere you need to be with the feel of a jungle adventure. Lots of wildlife to see including Monkeys and Coatis , Iguanas and even some friendly cats make for a great time for everyone especially the kids. The animation team did a great job keeping kids happy with daily activities and the resort has so many natural features to explore there is something for everyone. The disappointing part which is mentioned on all rev [... read more]iew platforms is the check in process and the inability to reserve Al La Carte restaurants. Check in was extremely long ( it took honestly 1 hour and 50mins start to finish) , and quite frustrating. Travel days aren't fun for anyone, and after the 1 hr 40 min bus ride from the airport... standing in another line and being told repeatedly that if we bought an upgrade we wouldn't have to wait in line isn't well received. We finally got our family of 4 checked in and our bracelets, then told we needed to line up at the Concierge desk to have the room number assigned and the bracelets programmed. Frustrating ? Absolutely!!! We have traveled to several Caribbean countries , to many different resorts... this was absolutely the worst check in we have have experienced. We were informed of the Sandos App, and that's how we were instructed to book the Al La Carte's throughout our stay. Once we logged in with our room number, we could see NO availability ... for any restaurant ... ALL WEEK ! Great.... This resort could be great, with some changes to the administrative section. The maid staff, gardeners, wait staff and cooks... all amazing and deserve our thanks. The food was as expected, ok resort food with the usual buffet selection. The beach was ok , definitely rocky with one small section behind a barrier that was safe for kids. Lot of shade and we could always find a lounge chair so no issues there. The pools were dirty unfortunately, especially the main pool with the swim up bar. It had tons of sand in the bottom and we honestly didn't see any staff cleaning like other resorts do in the evening or early morning. Would we go back? Maybe if we knew they had resolved the restaurant reservation system and the check in process with some additional staffing for bars. Only having one bar to serve the entire beach as well as the pool area just doesn't work. Always long lines unfortunately.

Fun resort for kids but comes with food poisoning

The hotel had a lot to see and do. It’s really great if you have children. However, 5 out of the 10 people in our group experienced food poisoning and because of that we wouldn’t return. Also, our room phone was called numerous times by hotel staff trying to sell us something at 9am. I had to unplug our phone mid trip. The housecleaning person also would knock on our door at 9am. Coming from BC that is 6am our home time. It was really frustrating to have our family woken up so early while on vac [... read more]ation.

Great Family Resort

We loved this hotel from our arrival to departure. The beach, pool, and waterpark was beautiful and well maintained. The food was excellent and so much variety. There was great activities and entertainment. We loved the wildlife and the overall experience of the Sandos Caracol Nature Resort.

Fifth time was not a charm...disappointed!

So this is the 5th time my husband & I stayed here and will not be going back. We purchased Select Club and there was no Select Club check in, you waited with everyone else, took 3 trips back to get our room as it wasn't ready. The service was very slow anywhere, concierge, restaurants, room issue. We waited for breakfast or lunch in the select club restaurant for 30-40 minutes at each service, our app still says we are waiting for the hot water to be fixed and we left the resort 5 days ago w [... read more]hich there were water issues daily with most rooms resulting in water shut off. The a la carte restaurants were great, if you could get a reservation. Best restaurant was El Nido - fast service and hot food. They closed the Mexican buffet for dinner which only left the International and Italian open. If you weren't there when they opened, you could wait up to an hour just to get a table! Resort was kept clean, beach was ok, adult pool was great and snacks in adult section (when the monkeys didn't get them). Not the same resort as previously and was disappointing...won't be back!

Some good some not so good

Grounds - very interesting, cenotes, water slides, etc., however: terrible to get around for anyone with mobility issues, spoke to several people, all said the imitation cobble walkways were difficult to get around on Rooms - okay nothing special Dining - poorly organized, on line in buffet, food not well organized as compared to other resorts eg. bacon and sausages at one end of buffet eggs and omelets at the other they should be together, one line for buffet they should have several stations [... read more], one for desserts, one for salads, etc. In general the resort is okay but lacking in some ways, roof over buffet leaks like a sieve Service - poor at the front desk especially when compared to other resorts, however; once you get away from the front desk they have some amazing people that really helped Note: while I am older my comments are based on the fact that the trip was a gift to my children and grand children and I would not recommend this resort to someone planning a similar trip

Never bored!

This resort offered so much to do over our stay - shows, water park, pool, beach, trails, and cenotes. We attended the circus, Disney and fire shows and they were all amazing. The food at the buffet was good, although the set up leads to a lot of waiting in line. Getting reservations at the a la carte restaurants was difficult especially with the mixed messages on how far in advance you were able to book. Each restaurant is different, and is booked through the app. You likely will not be abl [... read more]e to get a reservation anywhere for your first 3 nights. The water park was so much fun for my children (aged 7 & 5), double check height requirements for the slides so your children aren't disappointed. My children also enjoyed kids club, and asked to go back every day - they played video games, watched movies, did crafts, played on the indoor playground. The staff were super friendly and I felt very comfortable leaving my children in their care. The wildlife seen on resort was amazing, and we all enjoyed seeing the monkeys from our rooms balcony. Keeping in mind that this resort has many natural bodies of water throughout, the mosquitos were to be expected.

Great resort for kids

The front desk was not great service The service would get better rating if they improve this not enough staff when there is a large line plus takes took long to check and not helpful when wanting to be close together Plus they should have small amount of pecos to exchange the rest was great

Great resort

Beach was great pools also Food was really good especially at the special restaurants loved the steak house buffets a lot of variety The front desk needs improvement takes too long to check in and we wanted rooms together said they would and would need to wait we waited a hour snd then said could not be together but yet they gave the room to people that came in later

Beautiful resort

Just returned home. Had a wonderful time. We happened to be there for the Day of the Dead celebration. You do feel like you’re in the jungle, gorgeous scenery, lots of coatis and spider monkeys. Cenotes right in the resorts. It is a large resort so be prepared to walk.

Amazing place ?

Loved this resort. The wildlife is amazing! The food was fantastic, our only complaint was the portions were too big, hate wasting. A lot of walking but the beautiful grounds and nature made up for it. The beach was awesome for snorkeling, with some sandy areas to swim. I definitely recommend this resort, we will return!

Family vacation

We decided to go on a last minute vacation with the family. We chose this resort based off of reviews online. We have never been to Mexico and didn’t know what to expect. What a fantastic resort! There is a lot of walking as the resort is large but worth it and when needed they have golf carts to take you where you need to go! The staff was absolutely friendly and a ton of activities to do on the resort alone! We opted for the family eco penthouse and was so worth it! We had 5 of us 2 kids and 3 [... read more] adults. The room was massive and came with a king bed, double bunk bed with a trundle under it and 2 bathrooms. We had monkeys on our balcony every morning the kids loved it! Lots of wild life through the resort including a rescue spot with donkeys, pigs, bunnies and sheep and you can even feed them each day! The food was great and each a la cart was fantastic! They have a store on site in case you need anything. The beach was beautiful and protected with what looks like a man made wall to help with seaweed on the beach. We did a day excursion with the hotels booking company and honestly it was worth it and the staff was fantastic! I honestly have nothing bad to say about this resort and will definitely be visiting again! Pleasantly surprised!

Tons of fun & great food

I was slightly skeptical going in, but I'm glad we chose this place. The hotel, amenities, and facilities are good. The restaurants are very good. Staff was friendly. It's a perfect resort for a young family - the kids will love the water park, theater shows, beach, pools, and of course, the variety of animals that we don't see in Canada. I definitely would go back again.

Nice Resort to commune with nature with lots of animals and green spaces

We enjoyed out vacation , 2 adults and 2 children. There are several cenotes but only 1 you are allowed to swim in, and it has to be with life jackets during the open hours. They really could use a couple more pools. The main pool was a little cloudy and very hot. Tortuga pool was very clean and had some shaded areas so is the best choice. The adult only areas are great but if you have kids you wont be using those. The service was very good. Most of the staff is very friendly and helpful. Fo [... read more]od - Was good, but not great. The only a la carte restaurant we liked was the brazillian one. That was great but the others were just OK. Maybe the chef was having a bad day, but we didnt really enjoy the other restaurants we tried. The buffet is open very long hours , and the taco/pizza place in the center, el nido is open long hours as well so no realy trouble getting food at any time. The beach was great. we were there during the seaweed rotting season, mid july... Normally the beackes here would be a disaster with rotting seaweed but they made a breakwater of stones that blocked most of it and they cleaned it every morning. We used it many days and it was great. nice temp, good sand and pretty clean water. The kids club is great if you have young ones. they did a great job. The resort shops have reasonable prices for most things.... In playa carmen you will pay more at 5th avenue. Maybe you can find better deals off the beaten path but we found the store in the resort was the most reasonable of any we saw. There are lots of animals around which we thought was great for us. we saw lots of monkeys, coati, racoons, and some other ones. Riding the segueways around the resort was fun and they are pretty cheap at 25$ for half hour. The staff there were great, friendly and helpful.

Will Return

We loved the resort -- the staff were absolutely amazing, especially our maid Sebastian who went above and beyond to decorate our room for my daughter's birthday - he made things really special for us. The entertainment was the best we've seen and we have been to a lot of all inclusive's. We loved our room and we loved the monkeys and wildlife on the resort. The food could be better but there was always something to have.