Sandos Caracol Nature Resort and Water Park: Falls Well Below Mexico Expectations

Let me start by saying that in no way are my expectations from a Mexico trip excessive--I completely understand what a 4 star Mexico rating means--that being said, while there are some good components, overall this resort falls well, well, well below the Mexican average. If you are looking for great rooms, great beach, great ocean and great service then go elsewhere. On the other hand, if you are looking for a great kids club then you would be hard pressed to find a better one. SERVICE -- Extre [... read more]mely poor service right across the board (kids club is the exception) Being a large resort it takes a little to get use too but there is no explanation as to how the restaurants work, where they are, things to do. In fact in order to get a pocket map of the resort, which you absolutely need, you have to meet with the Timeshare reps--Are you kidding me? Essentially you are left to figure it out yourself and/or deal with the timeshare pitch. Make no mistake here, you are not a guest but instead just another number that has money to spend, and spend they want you to do from the $12 bag of potato chips in the onsite shop to $200 massages in their spa. TIP--walk down the beach 5 mins and get a massage right on the beach from the outside vendors for $35--ITS UNBELIEVABLE ROOMS -- We booked the simply "family room" and after checking in had to return to the front counter to request a different room as the one they sent us to had a mold/mildew problem which I was not going to subject my 4 year old to. We were being overly polite with this request but the treatment we received back was deplorable, by first stating that we were wrong in our mold statement that it was simply the humidity--ahh NO--I know what humidity is and this was not that, in any event, after a very unpleasant ordeal they did move us to a different room, same set up but no mold. Now we did not want a ground floor room, had put that request in our booking, had emailed the resort directly ahead of our arrival specifically to request a non-ground floor room and received a reply back but yet both the original and new room-Ground Floor! However after the treatment on the first change request there was no way I was going back a second time. Once bitten, twice shy--at least the mold was gone. The room itself is in a desperate and I mean desperate need of upgrade, we were told there was a pull out sofa but there was no sofa so we slept 3 to a bed in what I can only say is the hardest bed Ive ever slept in (had to check to make sure it wasn't just a box spring). The balconies are virtually pointless in these family rooms as they are the size of an average bathtub (no joke) and most overlook their ECO system (which is a polite was of saying the swamp came right up to the foot of the balcony) no matter because the bugs are so bad you don't want to step onto the balcony or open the patio door anyway. We had a small closet and 3 small shelves to accommodate our family in their "family room" no dresser and no where to unpack. A family of 3 living out of a suitcase for a week is miserable. Bathroom was a one sink with a very very small counter space affair, again, very difficult for a family. AC unit broke down twice and was repaired twice during our week which also matched the number of times the room was not made up in the week. Drinking water in the room consisted of a big jug dispenser that could not be plugged in so it was always warm--couldn't be plugged in because other then the tv, there was only one other plug within the whole room--Come on Sandos, family rooms need to charge portable devices you know. lastly, the walls are paper thin, you can hear everything from simple conversations to a cough or sneeze, pray you dont end up with a crying baby at night because that will keep the entire complex awake, what do they build these walls out of--its crazy. In any event, we made the best of it but be warned--a Sandos Family Room--does not offer much comfort for a family, and if your someone who likes to wake up and step onto the balcony to breath in the ocean--FORGET ABOUT IT--it won't happen here. BEACH ---all the other reviews are accurate--its basically huge rocks with small sand patches in between, as an adult I navigated them slowly up to my chest once but as it was unswimable for the kids we ended up at the pool for the week--which is PACKED--because the beach is unswimable FOOD -- its Mexico so your not going to get gourmet meals but the buffet was decent and what you would expect. The restaurants were substantially better and I liked them both. So as far as food--perfectly fine but you should also expect average to below average food service, which didnt matter to me but might to some. I should point out that although I was fine, two other members of our party did get very ill (I dont know if it was the food or something else but it was a first for us) ECO -- I'm all for eco so no straws and no water bottles etc was fine with me--but keep in mind that when they say ECO, what they actually mean is FINANCIALLY ECO. Because not spending money on straws and water and linen service for some reason is acceptable when they say ECO, but cutting down the jungle to add a 100,000 gallon water park expansion is also acceptable when they can charge more per person. I have no problem with it but I mention it only because they pound ECO down your throat and I thought it was funny from a hypocritically point of view. Might be why they have a Silver Eco rating and not Gold. KIDS CLUB -- Ok now for the good--actually now for the great, exceptional, blew me away. The Kids Club is by far the best best Kids Club Ive ever seen. Not only do they have a great facility (and of course the ECO water park lol) but the staff was out of this world. The kids could and did sign up for the various entertainment shows at night and were incorporated into them. We always felt safe leaving the kids there and they always wanted to go which was great as it gave us some adult time. The staff--ohh those Kids Club staff--UNBELIEVABLE--INCREDIBLE--AWESOME. If you have kids--they will love it and it will be a memory for a long long time. In summary--if you are looking for good rooms, good beach/ocean and good service then look elsewhere and don't second guess yourself as I'm doing you a huge favor- otherwise upgrade your room to the best they have but it obviously will add to the cost of your vacation and Im not sure this resort it worth that extra. However, if the rooms, beach/ocean don't mean that much to you and its a vacation all about the kids..well they will have a good time for sure. As for me..I think the only way I would go back would be if the cost was half of what we paid--which would be just about the appropriate cost for this resort.

Catalonia Yucatan: Lovely casual resort

Loved the resort. Clean and staff are amazing. Food was great and I really liked that it was casual. No need to worry about dressing up! Beach isn't great, but what is there is very nicely kept. Value for money is really really good. Not a party resort, but lots to do. Added plus is location in Puerto Aventuras

Secrets Huatulco: Unlimited Paradise!

Secrets Hualtuco is a hidden gem! The ambiance, staff, food presentation and quality, the cleanliness , the tennis pro ( Victor) and the most spectacular views ! Wealth is within the walls! Staff is well trained and 'Most 'accommodating ! Imagine .... 5 pools / 6 restaurants / a Spa / maid service / unlimited drinks and food! But most important great PEOPLE ! From staff to clients! Mucho gracias Secrets ! This was an unforgettable vacation! See you next December ! Retired Professor

Bahia Principe Explore Tulum: Great resort

great place .good food and its huge..seaweed problem but cant be helped .friendly staff and great service.sol beer on draught and taquila is help yourself .theres carts always on the go to give you a ride but 8 times out of ten they were always going in other direction.one and a half hour bus ride from airport but nice bus and they sell beer on it .....enjoy

Decameron Los Cocos Guayabitos Ramada: Great food and service

Don`t normally go to 3 star resorts but took a chance on this place because of good reviews and low price. Only our room was 3 star; food, service, entertainment were all as good or better than 4 star resorts we have visited. Town is very quaint. Would definitely return.

Grand Palladium Vallarta: WOW! What a PLEASANT SURPRISE!

Our 2 Sons picked this venue for our 1st Family Reunion and it couldn't have been More Perfect. My wife Sherry and I have been retired for 8 years and have traveled extensively, so we were happy to let the Boys make all the Arrangements and we'd just Show Up not knowing what to expect. After this experience - I think we'll let our Sons make ALL our Travel Arrangements because this was ABSOLUTELY the Best Holiday we have Ever Had. On a scale of 1-10 our stay at the Grand Palladium was Definitely  [... read more]a 10+. We were 3 Families traveling - 2 couples and and the 3rd Family had 2 little ones aged 2 years old and 6 months old. When we all arrived at the Grand Palladium we were disappointed to find that we were housed in 2 separate buildings so we went to the Front Desk and explained that we were a Canadian Family, that Lives Far Apart in Canada, and we had come to the Palladium resort in Mexico for a Family Reunion so we had hoped to be closer together during our stay at the resort. I can't remember the name of the young man we spoke to at Reception but he was AMAZING and within 24 hours we had 3 Rooms Close together which made our 2 week stay truly Memorable. Our 3 Families are in Total Agreement that we will DEFINITELY Return to this Grand Palladium Resort for our 2nd Annual Family Gathering Next Year and hopefully for many years to come. Throughout our stay we found the Facilities and Amenities to be Excellent and by the end of our 2 weeks we were on a first name basis with many of the staff - ALL of whom contributed to make our 1st Family Reunion a HUGE Success.

Secrets Huatulco: Beautiful Location

We would recommend this hotel to anyone. It is the second time we have been there and enjoy it. The grounds , staff, rooms, and service is very good. Everyone is pleasant and helpful. The view from your room is well worth it.

Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas: Beautiful resort!

Gorgeous hotel and grounds. Extremely well kept and clean. Food was wonderful. Big downside for us was the noise during the night. We had trouble sleeping due to doors slamming, conversations and yelling all through the night.

Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya: Fun And Relaxing!

This is a big resort with big rooms it has cleaners on go non stop. Great Service and friendly workers. There is always something going on for entertainment I would do this trip again and recommend it to others!

Las Palmas by the Sea: Amazing holiday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Staff were awesome,helpful,kind and fun.I will stay there next time I go.Close to shopp[ng and places of interest.I will encourage all my friends to go with me next time.I will enjoy many more adventures next time.

Grand Sirenis Mayan Beach: Excellent service mostly with other issues

Nice grounds, large rooms, uncomfortable beds, outdated furniture, most employees went above and beyond to help. Good food selection at buffet with a bit of repetition. A la carte restaurants reservations start only at 6:30 so my young kids fell asleep or were cranky before getting main course. Best was Japanese and Brasilian (service and food). Felt rushed out of Mediterranean and Cajun. Nice beach in a cove without waves but lots of coral rocks. Bring water shoes. Pools were very nice and good [... read more] temperature. Show very late at 9:30 but they have a pre-show for kids at 8:30 (non advertised). Check in and check out was fast and efficient. Concierge service was great to have in our building. Overall nice place but I don't recommend with kids under 8 unless they're used to late dinner or you don't go to a la carte. We will not go back for at least a few years.

Platinum Yucatan Princess: I am a fussy! but this one met my standards!

Everything is as the pictures shows, gorges resort excellent service, rooms are amazing, but if you are looking for sandy beaches not here, you will have to swim over some rocks and sea weed before you get to a nice white sand and blue water, doable but unappealing. Rooms, large and modern, great balcony and room service is well maintained, mini bar full every day beds are comfortable and showers/toilet/bathtub are as per pictures (better than at home). Resort, it's large but not too large, we [... read more] were there when they had full occupancy, and it seemed as if we are the only ones there, staff are friendly, everything is clean and well taken care of, if you like to be in peaceful and quiet resort this is it as we had no trouble finding sun beds at the pool or the beach. Food is good but we were there for a wedding so ate at the buffet only as we were there for only 3 days however no reservation for restaurants is a major plus.

Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel: Lovely but not 5 star.

With this resort it had the show appeal but not the goods to back it up in most situations...private pool in each room could only be filled with cold water, staff did not pick up cushions when it rained and with the humid climate one bout of rain equalled wet seats for a week...closures to the roof top patio based on weather conditions even long after it had stopped raining, kind of a scape goat from management and left you with no where to have a drink! Common bathrooms were typically found in  [... read more]ill condition. All inclusive didn't mean what it appeared to - as in only C grade drinks were available in the minibar and room service was $20 US per order. Wine at the dinner sittings were an extra charge and cheap bottles we are familiar with were overpriced. All in all, the class level of the resort left us wanting...definitely not a 5 star resort. On the plus side, they were able to give us bicycles to ride to the beach/restaurants, the staff attempted to be friendly although tips were a huge motivator for kindness. Lunches and Dinner options were plentiful and the food on the whole was fairly good.

Playa Los Arcos: Magical

I love the friendliness of the hotel staff, the pure magic of being in the heart of Mexico, the rooms were always clean, bright and cheery. We were never without someone making sure we had a drink or something to do, everything we asked for came the reply "Of course" Absolutely wonderful and I will be going back for sure…..

Samba Vallarta: GOOD RESORT

Overall good resort. Compact design. Easy to get around. Clean grounds. Room was somewhat dated but very functional. Not all rooms have a balcony if you are looking for one. Food was good and always fresh. But small resort=selection limits. Staff super friendly and helpful. Super beach to walk on and easy walk to Bucerias. Resort was all full when we there and combined with alcohol made for very noisy nights. Don't plan on sleeping thru the night. Tile floors. Hollow doors. Young people. Booze.  [... read more]Loud voices. Door slamming. Only draw backs. Would go back But with ear plugs. Good ones only

Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya: Amazing resort!

The whole experience was awesome from start to finish! Grounds were exceptional, staff were friendly and helpful, rooms were great and the food was so good! We were there to celebrate special occasion and the staff definitely made it a great experience!

Bahia Principe Explore Coba: All my wishes came true

Absolutely fabulous, from the service, food, accomodations, entertainment and the wonderful helpful staff. The hotel had everything to offer and more we had a wonderful time and I felt like a Kardashian:)

Iberostar Waves Cozumel: Terrific Resort

This resort was beautiful and wonderfully maintained. The food was great with lots of choices. The Steak House by the beach served the most tender steaks. All of the staff was supper friendly and eager to assist with anything. Really enjoyed our time. The only problem was the weather, as we had five days of rain.

Dreams Puerto Morelos Resort and Spa: Secrets Silversands

Perfect, is the only word I can use for this resort and the service with Trip Central the pool, the service, food was excellent, entertainment was also EXCELLENT at night, room is very clean ! I would go back right now if I could !

Catalonia Yucatan: A1 Resort

One of the nicer resorts we've gone to in the Mayan Riviera and we've been to the MR about 10 times. Staff was fantastic. Food and restaurants excellent. Pools , grounds and rooms were all very well taken care of. The beach where you sunbath and lay on was nice and sandy but step into the water and it becomes very rocky but pretty good for snorkeling with plenty of fish. One irritating thing were the people trying to get you into a "meeting" for Executive Club Travel , apparently "not interested [... read more]" means nothing to them. Every day they would try to get you to a meeting. A short walk and you can explore Puerta Aventuras which is pretty interesting.