Great Vacation!

Had an amazing time at this resort. We are big into checking into other reviews before booking and this won our vote. We spent a week in the Sandos Select Club Adult Only area. We absolutely loved the extras we got including access to the premium club bars, the adult only section of rooms, adult only pool and an exclusive breakfast buffet. I would definitely upgrade to this again. As we had read in a few reviews before booking this area was furthest from the beach and quite a walk but that didnt [... read more] bother us at all. If you mind the walking(we didnt we actually enjoyed the daily strolls) they had golf carts that ran frequently. We jumped on a couple times during our stay for a quick tour and never waited more than 5 min to catch one. The food was fabulous, the steakhouse was amazing- we enjoyed it so much we returned a second night. Drinks were great and for the most part service was incredible. Find Jose at the Premium Club bar located in the main lobby- he was fantastic! By far the best bar tender we have encounter in numerous years of travel to different all inclusives throughout the Caribbean- he went above and beyond. The only downfall we encountered at the resort was the lack of consistency between bars. Many of the bartenders didn't have good English and you didn't always get what you requested and sometimes weren't sure exactly what you did get served. We found ourselves avoiding the bars around the main pool and the one located in the plaza and ducking into the premium club bars even if we had to walk by another bar to get there. However, in my opinion if that's the only negative to come up with - its still a great vacation! Grounds were well maintained and the rooms were fabulous. I believe our section of the resort had been recently renovated and it showed like a new resort! We also visited the spa for a couple of services and were very very pleased. The massages were very well priced and far superior to those you receive around home. They made it a real experience. And the pool located within the spa was a great way to unwind! The area, Playacar, in which the resort is located was fabulous as well. We walked it, and walked to the little strip wall area. We also travelled to 5th Ave in playa Del Carmen, only about a 35 minute walk from the resort. All in all- I would definitely recommend.

Fantastic for family's with children!!

Returned from a week's stay at Sandos Playacar on March 18th. The food was fabulous. There was a wide assortment for every taste, including fresh baked breads and pastries. They also had lots of kid friendly options. The a la carte restaurant's were very good as well. There are four pools, however if you are looking for a swim up bar...you need a special bracelet for that which is an upgraded price, as is several other areas throughout the resort, including some areas on the beach. The fancier r [... read more]ooms are far from the beach and main dining and entertainment areas but there is shuttle service, but the unrenovated rooms are comfortable, clean, and convenient, and you're there to enjoy the sun and fun! I have never been to a resort that has had sooo many family's with kids under 10 and they really cater to that as well as teens there was plenty of activities for all ages of children and teens. Location was good too. Quite close to Playa del Carmen. So I had a great vacation but I wouldn't go back as I don't have children but if you do definitely check it out!

Amazing staff and resort

Great resort! beautiful grounds, amazing staff, great food! Loved the cupcake cafe, this is a lively resort but at the same time, easy to find quiet spot. Only minus was the amount of seaweed on the beach but the staff did try to clean it up. Apparently this was due to the season. Weren't for the seaweed the beach would have been spectacular. Thanks to Mrs Delgado for getting us an mazing location for our pool, thanks to Idris at reception for his wonderful help nand for going beyond the call of [... read more] duty.

Perfect Playacar!

Our recent stay at Sandos Playacar Beach Resort was nothing short of amazing. The beach was white sand, the water Caribbean blue, the food excellent and the staff wonderful. We have nothing negative to say about our stay. We were ocean front so our room was a bit smaller than the Hacienda suites, as expected. Our Sunwing Rep was thorough, knowledgeable and helpful. We took in the Kitchen Tour (thanks Erika), cooking demonstration (thanks Charlie) and Mayan purification. We rode bikes into Playa  [... read more]Del Carmen and walked the beautiful beaches. The entertainment staff were great (thanks Jaime) and a wide variety seemed to please all. From the buffet to the gourmet, from the cupcake cafe to the bars - everything was great! We found the entire resort from the kitchen, dining areas, grounds and rooms, to be extremely clean. The final touches of surprise champagne and chocolate covered strawberries in our room topped it all off.

Fabulous Resort!

We stayed for 2 weeks from Feb. 5 - 19, 2015. This was my first trip to Mexico in 25 years but my girlfriend has been many times. To be quick, I'd come back in a heartbeat. The food was amazing. There are 7 ala carte restaurants, and we went to all of them. The Brazilian Rodizio is a must for meat eaters (and the only one you have to make a reservation for, which in our case had to be the next day). They slice the meat off these huge skewers right at your table, so go hungry and help yourself. [... read more] The Steak House and the Asiana are in the main lobby area as well as the Brazilian place, and those were both delicious. Down in the centre square is the Il Piemonte Italian Restaurant which is great for pasta lovers, and our 2 favourites, the Mexican and the French Restaurants. We ate at the Mexican twice and the French 3 times (order the Filet Mignon, it melts in your mouth, and the baked Alaska for dessert where they flambe it at your table). The Festival House is there too for a different themed buffett every night, and the Iztalapala down by the beach serves Mediterranean each night. The staff were absolutely wonderful. There were so many who's names we have forgotten who deserved a shout out, but just know that we were treated with the utmost courtesy by 100% of those we interacted with. In the main square is a stage for a different themed live show every night. Wednesday nights are Mexican nights and the decorations are vivid, and local vendors set up in rows for all your trinkets. Our only complaint were the beds. Not very comfortable at all, so if you find the mattress too hard, call for a mattress softener which although not great, will help a little bit. The higher end rooms have better mattresses but they are further from the beach. And the beach, wow! Huge beach with soft sand and the water goes out quite a way before it gets deep. They have beach volleyball, Zumba classes every day and assorted other activites at regular intervals along the beach. All the lounge chairs are set up amongst the palm trees so you can catch a bit of shade there are take them out in the open. There is snorkeling and kayaks which I believe are free, and also jet skis and various excursions for a cost. There's plenty of room around the main pool and a smaller section for the little kids. They have aerobic classes and Bingo everyday (I won a T-shirt!) All in all a fabulous resort which I would heartily recommend to anyone.

Great, family friendly resort

A great resort. We stayed close to the beach, and thus everything was close-by. The food, service, and beach were all great. The rooms close to the beach need an update - they aren't great, but are fine. The resort has great amenities that are all very well executed (i.e. Cupcake cafe, crepe bar, smoothie bar). We travelled with a 10 month old, and found the staff very accommodating to our needs. The food was generally good, and they always had a Mexican option which was nice (at the buffet). A  [... read more]great stay, and we would go back!

Excellent resort

Stayed at Sandos with my wife from 6/01/15 thru 13/01/15. Overall I would say it was a very pleasant first time experience. Food: The buffets were constantly being replenished with food. The food was well prepared and there was always chicken, fish, beef, pork so something for everyone. To avoid getting bored with the food we rotated the 8 restaurants each day; the French restaurant is remarkable for Mexico, and we recommend the sea bass at the beach. Amenities: spacious & cleaned every day. Bea [... read more]ch: large, well maintained. Shows: many for kids. But what I remember most is the exquisite Espresso in the morning, lunch and dinner. Good value for money, especially if you come with kids.

Great hotel

Great food and friendly staff and lots of activities for the kids. The resort was perfect for our family group of 15. The only recomendation I woudl have is that they need better transportation to and from the rooms near the lobby and and pool/beach. The walk was nice but a little long.

Great Stay!

Loved this resort - Great food, beautiful beach and cold drinks. What more can you ask for in a holiday! We chose the adult section and while it was the farthest from the beach we enjoyed the peace and quiet. There is a golf cart or van that will take you to the meeting point which is near the beach. The beds are very hard, ask for a mattress pad if they are available. Would definitely return.

Sandos Playacar

This was our first all-inclusive experience so I really don't have anything to compare it with. We went as a couple and decided against going to an "adults only" as we didn't think it really mattered. The problem was that everywhere we were at Sandos Playacar we were thinking about how much the kids would enjoy everything they have to offer. The crepe station, the animals, the beach and pools, the biking, the cupcake shop, the games…We would love to return just to see our three kids enjoy it.  [... read more]The service was so genuinely friendly, everyone was wonderful. The pools were great but the beach was gorgeous and much nicer than the section which is closer to Playa del Carmen (we know because we walked the whole beach to town). The food selection was amazing at the buffets and the fish in particular was outstanding. I wouldn't bother with the reservations for the a la carte restaurants again. Really, I didn't think it was worth the effort and in many cases I thought the food was better at the buffet (which I did not expect). Service of course was still fantastic. Our room was in the section farther from the beach but it was nice and I preferred to have to walk a bit although they did have a shuttle. It was on the ground floor, very clean but it did smell a bit musty. I didn't bother saying anything to the staff though as we just opened the doors and turned on the fan and it was fine. I might try a floor up next time to see if there's a difference. There was also a quieter pool just outside our door with another bar and food station. There are many options here for you to do whatever you like which should make a larger family very happy.

Best yet resort

well we visited 2 weeks in nov 2013 with significant concerns with the resort , room issues which were not all taken care of, & mainly my family was flying in from out west, staying at another resort. the telephone was not working, yet no employee informed me, despite numerous visits to desk., & etc other maintenance concerns. Covered expenses to get to their resort and visit for the day, which was greatly appreciated. Booked for Feb 2014 for 2 weeks, thou unexpected heart issues, prevented me a [... read more]nd partner from our vacation well deserved. Told the day before I could not go. So with no cancellation insurance & 2 persons severely upset. Continued for 2 weeks of health tests. Now I am trying again, will hope to be going back to Sandos Nov 14th for 2 weeks with partner. & given a second chance to this amazing resort despite issues. We are counting the days, and hope all goes well. Like beach, shade areas, water, different evening activities, mini golf, entertainment at theatre, staff so happy, helpful, no negativity, warm & relaxing atmosphere, reception available day or night for concerns, meals, private adult section & private adult breakfasts, the rooms are gorgeous when working. Marco Salvai & Giovanna Barberai did make an offer to upgrade our room, & bracelet within 1 year of Nov 2013 visit. Looking forward. Yes I would not hesitate to go back and tell others, in which I have done. Thank Lawrence S. at Trip C. for assisting us each trip , and has recommended other resorts & his choices were great & satisfying. He answers all calls, and meets our needs beyond expectations. I do rely on him for his work and opinions. Will call you soon Lawrence for Nov 14th trip!!!!

Excellent holiday!

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Sandos Playacar. The staff treated us royally, the facilities were clean and comfortable, the food was great. Did not enjoy people smoking in and around the family swimming pool.