Sandos Playacar - All Inclusive

“The wait staff was the best part of our experience. Thank you Karen and David.”

Karen and David were very attentive to our family needs. They kept replenishing our drinks and were patient with the kids. The food was adequate but nothing extra special. It was a nice experience to sit and eat rather than go to a buffet so we will try it again at Restaurante Frances.

“Great service at sit down restaurant.”

Service at Sandos is excellent. Frances am Meserus, Juiv Yumibet, and Cupitan Maria always provided an excellent experience at breakfast. Highly recommend if you are not into the large buffet breakfast. Simple ordering, food arrives hot. (By the time you get to your table at the buffett, your foo… more

Service at Sandos is excellent. Frances am Meserus, Juiv Yumibet, and Cupitan Maria always provided an excellent experience at breakfast. Highly recommend if you are not into the large buffet breakfast. Simple ordering, food arrives hot. (By the time you get to your table at the buffett, your food is cold).

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“Great Resort - Detailed Travel Agent Review”

Stayed here for a few days on a work trip, here is my travel agent review (my 4th all inclusive in Mexico) If you're looking for the perfect beach, pool, and nature/tree feel, this is it. Our room was in the adult only side, so less than 2 minute walk to both the adult only pool/beach but the lobb… more

Stayed here for a few days on a work trip, here is my travel agent review (my 4th all inclusive in Mexico) If you're looking for the perfect beach, pool, and nature/tree feel, this is it. Our room was in the adult only side, so less than 2 minute walk to both the adult only pool/beach but the lobby and buffet as well. I would consider coming back with kiddos, as there's lots to do, and the food was great. WONDERFUL beach... lovely white sand, lots of space to walk, and swimmable water. Although end of October isn't high season, there were lots of open chairs all day, which are both under trees and not, so you can easily seek shade if needed. Location: The Playacar is in a gated community with a long list of other resorts, and vacation rentals. About a 20 minute (HOT) walk to 5th Avenue. We took a cab, which cost $15 USD, and was about a 3 minute drive. Check In/Staff: One key feature as a Canadian that I LOVED - AC in the lobby lol When you're getting off that transfer bus and walk into a nice and cold lobby, win for me! (Please note we had a private check in, as we are travel agents) but this process was super smooth, the lineup at the regular desk seemed to move very fast, and they were organized with the bag method. They get you your room number and bracelet, and you write your room number on the tags for your luggage for the bell boys. We had a group of 11, so it took about an hour for all of us to get into our rooms and luggage delivered. I made sure to tip these guys, they don't stop and were so kind! Food 8/10. Buffet had the best selection of the Sandos resorts that we went to, (Eco, and Cancun), plenty of options, multiple cook to order stations, crepes, eggs, meats, fish etc, lots of kid items, fresh fruit, pastas, desserts, ice cream station, and a gluten free section. We ate at a few different restaurants, split into groups. I enjoyed the French restaurant, the apple tart was one of the best desserts I've ever had! Overall I'd say we all enjoyed the meals. We had a few allergies in the group, and this resort was very on top of asking as soon as we entered, as well as the servers asking again when taking drink orders. We also enjoyed the Mexican restaurant as a group, and the fajitas were super yummy! We did find service in the a la cart restaurants very slow. So if you're looking for a speedy dinner, head to the buffet ;) The cupcake/coffee bar was a big win for me. Sometimes it's hard to get cold coffees down south, and this place was so cute. Not super consistent or perfect for orders, but a nice list of cold slushy coffee/chocolate options to work with! Rooms: (Select Club Adults only section, Select Superior room 1318 for reference, no balcony but could see the ocean!) - this section is the last to be renovated. Definitely outdated, but was totally fine. No large concerns, other than the outlets weren't the best. I had to test a few to find one that my plugs would stay in, as they were quite loose. This was a trend at all 3 Sandos resorts, so possibly just resort electrical in general :) This section has a beautiful green area in the center of the building, (photo added), and lots of monkeys hanging around! Literally! I loved opening my door to hear the leaves blowing and the water feature below. Working safe, AC nice and cold, personal water dispenser, daily housekeeping, hot water, awesome pressure, super comfy large bed, and overall clean. Additional rooms: We toured the property, and saw both the Family Section: Riviera Family King Jr, and Queen suites. As well as the Hacienda Junior, and 1 bedroom suites. These are newly renovated sections, and they are beautiful. These rooms are further towards the entrance of the resort, so a bit of a walk to the beach. The Hacienda are 6 unit buildings, with a shared pool area surrounded by trees. Looking like a small backyard, these are a great option for families! They give a condo feel, and would allow parents to get some outdoor time while babe naps inside just a few feet away! Entertainment: We had the pleasure of seeing 2 evenings of shows. Night 1 - Beauty and The Beast - just amazing! There was lots of seating, with a bar next to the large stage, and these dancers were great. The kids up front loved the show, as well as all of us adults. Night - Lady Gaga Tribute. This woman could SING. This was our favourite, as the dancers, main singer, costumes, and band were just incredible... bravo to them! Size & Grounds: This resort is quite large, so if you have little children, or accessibility issues, it's a bit of a walk from the Hacienda/Family rooms to the main buffet/lobby/and beach if this is what you're here for! There is a small golf cart style shuttle that runs constantly to help. We never waited more than 5 minutes for one, but they do fill up quickly! The grounds are well taken care of, with lots of beautiful greenery and plants. There are staff to be seen everywhere cleaning or landscaping etc. We even got to see them taking some coconuts off of trees for safety, which was a cool process! There are many cats, monkeys, and agouti on the resort which were awesome to see. We had no issues with them stealing our food or on our tables etc, but just use common sense and don't feed them. Additional: They have a Kids Club, pickle ball and tennis courts, a mini golf course, and water park. There is an arcade style place for kids as well, which turns into a kids night club until 11pm, next to the cupcake shop. CONS: (Please note I am being nit-picky) Outdated rooms: I noted above, the rooms we stayed in are the last to be renovated, which again, I was fine with. If you are looking for top of the line, these are not it. The newer section that I also noted above would be better suited. Outlets not consistent Other guests in our section had little to no wifi (you are in the jungle folks) No balcony (although my room had a bit of an ocean view, I could care less lol) Leak by my window NO SWIM UP BAR IN ADULT POOL - I know this can be a deal breaker for some, so thought I'd note. There is one in the family pool... sort of backwards to me but that's the setup! Slow service at buffet tables, depending on time of day, and a la carts. Clear weather damage in buffet ceiling needing repair (some large visible holes) Overall comments: I would 100% return here with my husband in the adult only section, or as a family with our kids with so much for them to do! The location, grounds, lush greenery, STUNNING beach and food are enough for me. The staff was lovely, and overall I had a great stay here. I would definitely recommend it to others!

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