All You Need to Know About the Tennis Court
at Sandos Caracol Eco Resort
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Tennis Court review highlights
... were were there so the waves were fun to play in. The tennis courts are set up with a kids area on some nights with bouncy...
... it work fine". Also, one time we walked past the tennis courts and one of them was free. We went to reception to ask...
... Wed and Fri nights they set up bouncy castles on the tennis courts. Sports bar Ping pong tables, fuz ball and pool tables....
Most popular question about the tennis court
Can you bring your own snorkeling gear? does it cost anything to play tennis on tennis courts? Can you play pickleball on the tennis courts?
Answer from Mark
Feb 2020 |
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Reviews that mention tennis court
Write a reviewWe spent 9 nights at Sandos Caracol from March 23rd to April 1st - family of 3 with a 10 yr old boy.
We booked a Signature Eco Superior Suite. The room was located in the 27 block close to the water slides. The room had been newly renovated - the king bed and bunk beds were comfortable and the wide selection of pillows made everyone happy. The patio was great and the collapsable clothes drying rack attached to the wall was brilliant! We arrived to a fruit plate, champagne and a bottle of tequila and a fully-stocked mini bar. Antonio looked after our room and always left creative towel creations and made sure we had all we needed.
The wildlife was awesome - always entertaining. There are many paths throughout the resort - walk around and explore. The free bikes are a great way to spend an hour or so exploring the ruins, suspension bridge, cenotes, watching wildlife etc.
The international and Mexican buffets (great Mexican coffee) had lots of selection. We enjoyed the steak and seafood (kids before 8pm), vegetarian and Mediterranean a la carte restaurants. The Italian was just ok. We didn’t try the Japanese restaurant (by choice) and didn’t get to try the Brazilian as they don’t allow kids until after 8pm (??) this would have been nice to know ahead of time as we really wanted to try it.
There are adult only nights at the a la carte restaurants, and they offer lunch and snacks at various places throughout the week - they do give you a sheet with the days/times etc when you check in.
The water slides are a blast! Many excitement levels from moderate to extreme. Fun for everyone.
We did the Jade River tour with Carla, She was awesome!
Elmer Bacab at the Tortuga pool bar was fantastic and Rogelio at El Manglar (behind the Mexican restaurant) - great spot for a beverage - was also wonderful. You cannot take a bottle of wine to your room, but there are ways around that :)
The El Nido has slurpees and soft serve ice cream. The swing chairs are a nice place to chill and people watch.
The beach is lovely. It is rocky, but water shoes help. It was windy when were were there so the waves were fun to play in.
The tennis courts are set up with a kids area on some nights with bouncy castle, snacks, ride toys etc. They also have soccer - our son had tonnes of fun!
Overall, the staff was always very friendly and helpful. The room was comfortable and you could always snag a couple extra beers for the minibar. Room service was a nice touch as well when our son had a bit of a fever and we stayed in.
You can visit the sister resort (Beach club) but there was so much to do we didn’t make it.
Check in was fast and friendly. Every group is assigned a personal concierge. Alfredo was ours - he was very friendly and full of information.
They do try to get you to attend a "Select Club" presentation and offer you all kinds of incentives. As it was our first time there we decided we wanted to experience the resort as we booked it and would consider the presentation on our next visit. We advised the next morning that we would not be attending. They did follow-up the next day via telephone and we explained we just wanted family time - they understood and that was that!
Remember you are in a foreign country. Things are done differently than what you may be used to. Chill out, enjoy the experience and relax. After all, you are on vacation!
We booked a Signature Eco Superior Suite. The room was located in the 27 block close to the water slides. The room had been newly renovated - the king bed and bunk beds were comfortable and the wide selection of pillows made everyone happy. The patio was great and the collapsable clothes drying rack attached to the wall was brilliant! We arrived to a fruit plate, champagne and a bottle of tequila and a fully-stocked mini bar. Antonio looked after our room and always left creative towel creations and made sure we had all we needed.
The wildlife was awesome - always entertaining. There are many paths throughout the resort - walk around and explore. The free bikes are a great way to spend an hour or so exploring the ruins, suspension bridge, cenotes, watching wildlife etc.
The international and Mexican buffets (great Mexican coffee) had lots of selection. We enjoyed the steak and seafood (kids before 8pm), vegetarian and Mediterranean a la carte restaurants. The Italian was just ok. We didn’t try the Japanese restaurant (by choice) and didn’t get to try the Brazilian as they don’t allow kids until after 8pm (??) this would have been nice to know ahead of time as we really wanted to try it.
There are adult only nights at the a la carte restaurants, and they offer lunch and snacks at various places throughout the week - they do give you a sheet with the days/times etc when you check in.
The water slides are a blast! Many excitement levels from moderate to extreme. Fun for everyone.
We did the Jade River tour with Carla, She was awesome!
Elmer Bacab at the Tortuga pool bar was fantastic and Rogelio at El Manglar (behind the Mexican restaurant) - great spot for a beverage - was also wonderful. You cannot take a bottle of wine to your room, but there are ways around that :)
The El Nido has slurpees and soft serve ice cream. The swing chairs are a nice place to chill and people watch.
The beach is lovely. It is rocky, but water shoes help. It was windy when were were there so the waves were fun to play in.
The tennis courts are set up with a kids area on some nights with bouncy castle, snacks, ride toys etc. They also have soccer - our son had tonnes of fun!
Overall, the staff was always very friendly and helpful. The room was comfortable and you could always snag a couple extra beers for the minibar. Room service was a nice touch as well when our son had a bit of a fever and we stayed in.
You can visit the sister resort (Beach club) but there was so much to do we didn’t make it.
Check in was fast and friendly. Every group is assigned a personal concierge. Alfredo was ours - he was very friendly and full of information.
They do try to get you to attend a "Select Club" presentation and offer you all kinds of incentives. As it was our first time there we decided we wanted to experience the resort as we booked it and would consider the presentation on our next visit. We advised the next morning that we would not be attending. They did follow-up the next day via telephone and we explained we just wanted family time - they understood and that was that!
Remember you are in a foreign country. Things are done differently than what you may be used to. Chill out, enjoy the experience and relax. After all, you are on vacation!
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Web_Sandos, Director de Relaciones con Clientes at Sandos Caracol Eco Resort
Responded Apr 12, 2018
Dear Me-5150, Wow! We would like to thank you for choosing Sandos Caracol as your holiday destination, and for your kind and detailed review about the resort. Our guests play a key role in helping us to improve our services and we truly appreciate your feedback. We would like to thank you for taking the time to highlight our hotel features down to the detail. We are absolutely delighted to read that you enjoyed your stay, and appreciate the proactivity and kindness of our staff. At Sandos Caracol will never get bored, since we offer an endless list of activities that let you experience Mayan tradiditions and the area’s unbelievable jungle and mangrove setting. We have taken all your feedback on board and this will be used constructively to perfect our future guest´s experience. We do our very best to ensure our guests are taken care of, from the moment they arrive until the time of departure. We hope to serve you again and exceed your expectations completely Sincerely,
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Where to begin?
On the first day we arrived, we thought, "this is nice", as inside the complex it looks quite nice. It was downhill from there I'm afraid.
We were without electricity one night and it was pitch black walking to the room and even worse trying to get inside the room, underessed, cleaning teeth etc and into bed. We had to use the light from a mobile phone to guide us. However, before this we returned to reception to ask for a light or candle and they guy just shrugged his shoulders saying he hasn't got any lights.
Also, we were without hot water intermittently and for one day without cold water too. I was unable to shower that day, which wasn't pleasant. We complained to the Thomson rep and to be fair they negotiated a £75 per person compensation, which we received before we went home. I would tell others that were in a similar situation to definitely pursue the compensation claim.
One time we had been left no towels by the maid. Her only mistake of the week I must say - the room was kept spotless. However, when we rang reception and said we have no towels, they said they will get some sent to our room. My partner asked "will that be soon ,as we are getting ready to go out". The reply was "we'll try". Luckily the Thomson rep called a little bit later to discuss our compensation claim mentioned above so when we told him he agreed it wasn't good enough and organised towels to be brought straight to us. If he hadn't called, I think we would still be waiting for them.
There is a stench of sewage on some parts of the hotel, even next to restaurants and bars. Not pleasant.
The food is terrible. Luke warm at best in the buffet restaurants. I got food poisoning on the last night, which made my 13 hour journey home unbearable, as I was vomitting all morning and had chronic diarrhoea. I even vomitted in Cancun airport before boarding the plane. In the a la carte restaurants, be prepared for very little choice and poor drinks service.
This was my first experience of an all-inclusive resort and I must say, if this is the norm, I will not be doing it again. The drinks are served in paper cups, there are hefty queues at the bars, the crisps and snacks are just left out in bowls going soft and being handled by all and sundry. Added to this there are people getting drunk all day long in the pool.
The sea is full of rocks and I cut the bottom of my feet on the first day. We went for a walk along the beach and outside of the hotel grounds, I would be very wary of walking there, as there are stray dogs on the beach.
I visited the gym and the bikes, steppers and skiiers were either not plugged in or had no computers on them, so you cannot see how many calories you have burned, how long you have worked out for or how far you would have travelled. Maybe it's just me but I need that motivation or I get bored. I asked the attendant who said "you can use without electric, it work fine". Also, one time we walked past the tennis courts and one of them was free. We went to reception to ask if we could use it and were told it was booked out. Bookings started on the hour and this was 20 minutes past. We walked past again 10 minutes later and nobody was there still.
The entertainment was terrible, unless you are a fan of Spanish karaoke.
All in all, I would say to avoid this place like the plague and I will never stay in a Sandos resort again.
On the first day we arrived, we thought, "this is nice", as inside the complex it looks quite nice. It was downhill from there I'm afraid.
We were without electricity one night and it was pitch black walking to the room and even worse trying to get inside the room, underessed, cleaning teeth etc and into bed. We had to use the light from a mobile phone to guide us. However, before this we returned to reception to ask for a light or candle and they guy just shrugged his shoulders saying he hasn't got any lights.
Also, we were without hot water intermittently and for one day without cold water too. I was unable to shower that day, which wasn't pleasant. We complained to the Thomson rep and to be fair they negotiated a £75 per person compensation, which we received before we went home. I would tell others that were in a similar situation to definitely pursue the compensation claim.
One time we had been left no towels by the maid. Her only mistake of the week I must say - the room was kept spotless. However, when we rang reception and said we have no towels, they said they will get some sent to our room. My partner asked "will that be soon ,as we are getting ready to go out". The reply was "we'll try". Luckily the Thomson rep called a little bit later to discuss our compensation claim mentioned above so when we told him he agreed it wasn't good enough and organised towels to be brought straight to us. If he hadn't called, I think we would still be waiting for them.
There is a stench of sewage on some parts of the hotel, even next to restaurants and bars. Not pleasant.
The food is terrible. Luke warm at best in the buffet restaurants. I got food poisoning on the last night, which made my 13 hour journey home unbearable, as I was vomitting all morning and had chronic diarrhoea. I even vomitted in Cancun airport before boarding the plane. In the a la carte restaurants, be prepared for very little choice and poor drinks service.
This was my first experience of an all-inclusive resort and I must say, if this is the norm, I will not be doing it again. The drinks are served in paper cups, there are hefty queues at the bars, the crisps and snacks are just left out in bowls going soft and being handled by all and sundry. Added to this there are people getting drunk all day long in the pool.
The sea is full of rocks and I cut the bottom of my feet on the first day. We went for a walk along the beach and outside of the hotel grounds, I would be very wary of walking there, as there are stray dogs on the beach.
I visited the gym and the bikes, steppers and skiiers were either not plugged in or had no computers on them, so you cannot see how many calories you have burned, how long you have worked out for or how far you would have travelled. Maybe it's just me but I need that motivation or I get bored. I asked the attendant who said "you can use without electric, it work fine". Also, one time we walked past the tennis courts and one of them was free. We went to reception to ask if we could use it and were told it was booked out. Bookings started on the hour and this was 20 minutes past. We walked past again 10 minutes later and nobody was there still.
The entertainment was terrible, unless you are a fan of Spanish karaoke.
All in all, I would say to avoid this place like the plague and I will never stay in a Sandos resort again.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Helpful
We stayed at this resort from Dec 9 - Dec 16, 2017. We had a good time and found the resort to be really unique compared to other places we have been. Lots to do and the staff are hard working and friendly.
Check in
Be aware. The reception staff may direct you to time share/royal elite staff under the pretense they will give you an overview of resort making it seem like a legitimate part of the check in process. This totally ticked us off and was not a good way to start our holiday.
Mosquitoes
Definitely in the jungly areas..the rest of the resort not too bad.
Food
Pretty good. We ate at all the a la cartes which we enjoyed (deserts are much better than at buffets)
Shows
Really good. They go above and beyond with the costumes, lights and quality of the performers. They also serve drinks at the shows that are not taking place at the theatre which is a nice touch.
Waterpark
My 9 year old son enjoyed it. Not huge but a change from pool or beach.
Beach
Not good. Lots of seaweed and rocks. I would not allow my son to go in as he would definitely get hurt. Lots of chairs and shade though if you just want to sit and relax. However, lovely public beach a 5 -10 min walk to your left surrounded by man made reef. Good for swimming and snorkeling.
Pools
Lots of activities going on at main pool. This resort and staff try hard to entertain. Again lots of chairs.
Activities
We did the boat ride, cenote, hung out at the spa, the eco tour and bike ride. Would recommend all.
Kids Club
My son really liked this and he normally doesn’t. Has a big jungle gym and a secure sign in system . (Must have socks) Also lots of extra activities you can sign up for. On Mon, Wed and Fri nights they set up bouncy castles on the tennis courts.
Sports bar
Ping pong tables, fuz ball and pool tables. All in not too bad shape.
Visiting sister resort Sandos Playacar
Super easy to do. Taxi stand at lobbies of both hotels. We paid 14 US there and 16 US back. Playacar is fancier and has a beautiful beach. (Not much shade though) The food at the restaurants is also a step up from the Carocol. We ate at the buffet there, the taco place (amazing) and visited the cupcake cafe for some yummy treats. Not sure we were allowed to do that but no one said otherwise. We also played a round of mini golf.
Sunwing/Nexus shopping trip to Playa del Carmen (10 US)
A van picks you up at hotel (and i think they just pick up one family at a time) you stop at a jewellery store and your driver immediately leaves. You are than given a clip on number by the jewelery store people and walked through the store with a personal shopper (you aren’t leaving here without buying something!) once you make your purchase you jump on the trolley out front and are driven to the tequila “factory”. Actually just a store 2 mins away. Again you are assigned another personal shopper. You will not be picked up again until at least 2 hours after you were originally dropped off. Vans stop occasionally to pick up people but if you aren’t on the list you don’t get on the van. You are than driven to Playa del Carrmen for 2 hrs of free time. (Van lets you off in taxi/van parking across from Playa Mart? I think it was called. Cheapest and nicest place for souvenirs.) There is a small fish/ taco restaurant 5 mins down the street from van parking. To your left before you cross street to Playa Mart and 5th ave shopping. Looks like a dive but great tacos! Owner really nice. Right by the pizza places. The beach and ferries are also a 5 min walk from 5th Ave.
Was this resort perfect? No but what resort is? We stayed in a Smile Econo room and it was nothing special but roomy. However bar/restaurant staff are customer service oriented and there was so much to do on-site that we would consider staying again.
Check in
Be aware. The reception staff may direct you to time share/royal elite staff under the pretense they will give you an overview of resort making it seem like a legitimate part of the check in process. This totally ticked us off and was not a good way to start our holiday.
Mosquitoes
Definitely in the jungly areas..the rest of the resort not too bad.
Food
Pretty good. We ate at all the a la cartes which we enjoyed (deserts are much better than at buffets)
Shows
Really good. They go above and beyond with the costumes, lights and quality of the performers. They also serve drinks at the shows that are not taking place at the theatre which is a nice touch.
Waterpark
My 9 year old son enjoyed it. Not huge but a change from pool or beach.
Beach
Not good. Lots of seaweed and rocks. I would not allow my son to go in as he would definitely get hurt. Lots of chairs and shade though if you just want to sit and relax. However, lovely public beach a 5 -10 min walk to your left surrounded by man made reef. Good for swimming and snorkeling.
Pools
Lots of activities going on at main pool. This resort and staff try hard to entertain. Again lots of chairs.
Activities
We did the boat ride, cenote, hung out at the spa, the eco tour and bike ride. Would recommend all.
Kids Club
My son really liked this and he normally doesn’t. Has a big jungle gym and a secure sign in system . (Must have socks) Also lots of extra activities you can sign up for. On Mon, Wed and Fri nights they set up bouncy castles on the tennis courts.
Sports bar
Ping pong tables, fuz ball and pool tables. All in not too bad shape.
Visiting sister resort Sandos Playacar
Super easy to do. Taxi stand at lobbies of both hotels. We paid 14 US there and 16 US back. Playacar is fancier and has a beautiful beach. (Not much shade though) The food at the restaurants is also a step up from the Carocol. We ate at the buffet there, the taco place (amazing) and visited the cupcake cafe for some yummy treats. Not sure we were allowed to do that but no one said otherwise. We also played a round of mini golf.
Sunwing/Nexus shopping trip to Playa del Carmen (10 US)
A van picks you up at hotel (and i think they just pick up one family at a time) you stop at a jewellery store and your driver immediately leaves. You are than given a clip on number by the jewelery store people and walked through the store with a personal shopper (you aren’t leaving here without buying something!) once you make your purchase you jump on the trolley out front and are driven to the tequila “factory”. Actually just a store 2 mins away. Again you are assigned another personal shopper. You will not be picked up again until at least 2 hours after you were originally dropped off. Vans stop occasionally to pick up people but if you aren’t on the list you don’t get on the van. You are than driven to Playa del Carrmen for 2 hrs of free time. (Van lets you off in taxi/van parking across from Playa Mart? I think it was called. Cheapest and nicest place for souvenirs.) There is a small fish/ taco restaurant 5 mins down the street from van parking. To your left before you cross street to Playa Mart and 5th ave shopping. Looks like a dive but great tacos! Owner really nice. Right by the pizza places. The beach and ferries are also a 5 min walk from 5th Ave.
Was this resort perfect? No but what resort is? We stayed in a Smile Econo room and it was nothing special but roomy. However bar/restaurant staff are customer service oriented and there was so much to do on-site that we would consider staying again.
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Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Web_Sandos, Director de Relaciones con Clientes at Sandos Caracol Eco Resort
Responded Jan 2, 2018
We are glad to know that you had a great time staying at SandosCaracol. We would like to thank you for taking your time to write such a nice review on Trip Advisor. All our guest’s comments are valuable for us, as this always help us to improve and you can be certain that we will be working on the details you mentioned. Once again thank you very much, we truly hope to have you back soon. Sincerely,
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
Everything u need to know, but if i miss anything out just email me at kezza_marie@hotmail.com or PM me on here. ill be happy to help and answer what ever u need 2 know.
first off we never chose this holiday we had it swapped from Cuba to Mexico due to the hurricane Ike. and im sooo glad this happened as this has turned out to be mine and my boyfriends best holiday ever as its absolute gorg place.
TRANSFERS: bout 30 - 45mins away from airport.
FOOD: amazing never had a prob, its just like eng/ american food, always huge choice, sometimes have themed night. also has Chinese/Japanese, Mediterranean, Mexican, Steak House restaurants which u had to book a table like day before (they say 1 booking per rest a week but we went a couple times, fave was steak house). and a 24 hour snack bar with fajitas, burgers, chips, pizzas etc. in the main buffet places La Laguna, if there is a main food on such as meats, fish, omelets etc they will always cook it there while you wait and in front of you, so u can see it is fresh.
DRINKS: as much as you want, ask for a large they give you a large. ask for imported alcohol they will give it you, if you don't ask for it then u get local....which is just as good! there are no measurements they d it all themselves so drinks are always stronger and u get drunk quicker! there are also fab range of cocktails.
BEACH: omg the most stunning beach ive ever seen. white and very very clean. its private to the hotel, so only hotel guest use it. u will always get a bed. the sea is spotless. 1 day we were stood in see and around 30 angel fish were round our feet. you dont get bothered either from staff, u occasionally get asked if u want your photos taken if u say no they wont ask again but i advise you to get them done, there amazing. SAnd bags are out in sea so u dont get any waves while in the sea, which is great as i hate sea waves!
if you have a deluxe room then you also get your own section on beach with 4 poster double beds (on the beach!), comfy loungers and your own bar. there is also a beach barbecue at 12pm everyday. and a beach party once a week at night.
ROOMS: rooms are a fab size, ours was huge with 1 queen size bed, 2 bed side cabinets, you get a dressing table with mirror/stool, wardrobe, tv (with eng channels), fridge (stocked up for free every other day) and a huge bathroom. the family rooms are the same but bigger with 2 queen size beds. the rooms are set in little blocks , so there 8 rooms to a block, 4 upstairs and 4 downstairs. We found out while we were there u can upgrade your room for free on there official website if there available, the upgraded rooms are little big bigger (not that you need it) but also have your own Jacuzzi in the rooms. these rooms are near reception which is the back of the resort. we didnt upgrade because we had an ideal location for our room, pretty much on the beach! and no problems with the room. they were cleaned everyday and sheets/towels where changed every other day.
POOLS: there are 3/4 pools outside. we stayed round pool 1 as that was closest to our room, this 1 has a swim u bar 1 side and all animation on other end. animation is fab for all ages. we are 20/22 and we loved it!
SPA: the spa section is great hot jacuzzi as well as a cold refreshing pool, the spa also has an open room with sun loungers so u can still catch the sun. sometimes they give out free 5 min back massages...which are great! there is also a second jacuzzi in a bath outside room. There is also a fully fitted gym there with huge glass windows to watch the people in the jacuzzi!
BARS: there 6 bars altogether that i can think of. the sports bar is where the show are at night as well as screen for when football etc is on, here are also a couple of pool tables, this is facing the 2 large tennis courts next to the spa. there are also pool bars and a huge lounge bar. in 1 bar at 7am very morn there is a little meeting for amercians who are after time sharing. sometime u can get woke up by the load cheers....this can be a great alarm clock for breakfast!!
OTHER STUFF: as u know will be the American adapter plugs. if u have straighteners i found that the electric there wasn't strong enough to heat them up as much as they get heated up in UK, so i wore my hair up every night. when i go back i wont be taking them. but i haven't got GHDs as most people have these days so i don't know what they'll be like there. they still got hot just not as hot as i need for my hair!! mosquitos are everywhere so make sure u bring enough stuff incase you get bitten, room window to have nets on to stop them coming in, but sometime do make there way in because cleaner leaves door open when cleaning rooms! If you are a gold fan here are a few golf hotels around the same strip ad also a golf course in playa del carmen city centre.
SHOPPING: on the resort. there is a 'photoshop' which is where you go and check out the professional pictures u had taken. also there is a huge shop selling everything from sun creams, medical stuff, sweets, clothing, souvenirs etc. and next door is a jewelery shop. twice a week a market is brought into the resort at the night with around 20 stalls.
EXCURSIONS: we did a couple of excursions. swimming with dolphins/manatees/sea lions. we though it was expensive but when we had had finished it we new it was money well spent. just don't but all the pics and vids, maybe 1 or 2, as we bought them all and realized it was like another £70 just for photos!!! we did 'the big night out' i advise any1 with no children to do this. its a bar crawl in cancan and it was amazing. ended up in the famous coco bongos! we also heard the Xcelha was 1 to do if you like water parks and snorkeling. Chitzenitza (how ever way u spell it) i didn't go but my boyfriend has been Mexico before and did this excursion, when he went you could climb it but now they have stopped it and u can only visit it now. he says its worth going to see as its amazing. i didn't go because we couldn't afford all the excursions, so we picked something that would be new to us both.
PLAYA DEL CARMEN: theres a free shuttle bus three times a day there and back to the centre of playa del carmen. this is worth going as there loads of little boutique/souvenier shops as well as a huge duty free store called Liverpool! there are a few places to eat like burger kind and johnny rockets. if u get chance to go johnny rockets...go! its an amazing american diner! (similar to eddie rockets in ireland!) the malts there are fab!
ANYONE who has a bad word to say about this place is completely mad! you can get this 4 star hotel for fab prices at the right time of year and who ever has a moan about that then i really dont know what u want to expect....people with fans are your service 24/7!!!! lol this place is gorg and the beach is prob what makes it so if your a beach person this is defo the place to be.......
first off we never chose this holiday we had it swapped from Cuba to Mexico due to the hurricane Ike. and im sooo glad this happened as this has turned out to be mine and my boyfriends best holiday ever as its absolute gorg place.
TRANSFERS: bout 30 - 45mins away from airport.
FOOD: amazing never had a prob, its just like eng/ american food, always huge choice, sometimes have themed night. also has Chinese/Japanese, Mediterranean, Mexican, Steak House restaurants which u had to book a table like day before (they say 1 booking per rest a week but we went a couple times, fave was steak house). and a 24 hour snack bar with fajitas, burgers, chips, pizzas etc. in the main buffet places La Laguna, if there is a main food on such as meats, fish, omelets etc they will always cook it there while you wait and in front of you, so u can see it is fresh.
DRINKS: as much as you want, ask for a large they give you a large. ask for imported alcohol they will give it you, if you don't ask for it then u get local....which is just as good! there are no measurements they d it all themselves so drinks are always stronger and u get drunk quicker! there are also fab range of cocktails.
BEACH: omg the most stunning beach ive ever seen. white and very very clean. its private to the hotel, so only hotel guest use it. u will always get a bed. the sea is spotless. 1 day we were stood in see and around 30 angel fish were round our feet. you dont get bothered either from staff, u occasionally get asked if u want your photos taken if u say no they wont ask again but i advise you to get them done, there amazing. SAnd bags are out in sea so u dont get any waves while in the sea, which is great as i hate sea waves!
if you have a deluxe room then you also get your own section on beach with 4 poster double beds (on the beach!), comfy loungers and your own bar. there is also a beach barbecue at 12pm everyday. and a beach party once a week at night.
ROOMS: rooms are a fab size, ours was huge with 1 queen size bed, 2 bed side cabinets, you get a dressing table with mirror/stool, wardrobe, tv (with eng channels), fridge (stocked up for free every other day) and a huge bathroom. the family rooms are the same but bigger with 2 queen size beds. the rooms are set in little blocks , so there 8 rooms to a block, 4 upstairs and 4 downstairs. We found out while we were there u can upgrade your room for free on there official website if there available, the upgraded rooms are little big bigger (not that you need it) but also have your own Jacuzzi in the rooms. these rooms are near reception which is the back of the resort. we didnt upgrade because we had an ideal location for our room, pretty much on the beach! and no problems with the room. they were cleaned everyday and sheets/towels where changed every other day.
POOLS: there are 3/4 pools outside. we stayed round pool 1 as that was closest to our room, this 1 has a swim u bar 1 side and all animation on other end. animation is fab for all ages. we are 20/22 and we loved it!
SPA: the spa section is great hot jacuzzi as well as a cold refreshing pool, the spa also has an open room with sun loungers so u can still catch the sun. sometimes they give out free 5 min back massages...which are great! there is also a second jacuzzi in a bath outside room. There is also a fully fitted gym there with huge glass windows to watch the people in the jacuzzi!
BARS: there 6 bars altogether that i can think of. the sports bar is where the show are at night as well as screen for when football etc is on, here are also a couple of pool tables, this is facing the 2 large tennis courts next to the spa. there are also pool bars and a huge lounge bar. in 1 bar at 7am very morn there is a little meeting for amercians who are after time sharing. sometime u can get woke up by the load cheers....this can be a great alarm clock for breakfast!!
OTHER STUFF: as u know will be the American adapter plugs. if u have straighteners i found that the electric there wasn't strong enough to heat them up as much as they get heated up in UK, so i wore my hair up every night. when i go back i wont be taking them. but i haven't got GHDs as most people have these days so i don't know what they'll be like there. they still got hot just not as hot as i need for my hair!! mosquitos are everywhere so make sure u bring enough stuff incase you get bitten, room window to have nets on to stop them coming in, but sometime do make there way in because cleaner leaves door open when cleaning rooms! If you are a gold fan here are a few golf hotels around the same strip ad also a golf course in playa del carmen city centre.
SHOPPING: on the resort. there is a 'photoshop' which is where you go and check out the professional pictures u had taken. also there is a huge shop selling everything from sun creams, medical stuff, sweets, clothing, souvenirs etc. and next door is a jewelery shop. twice a week a market is brought into the resort at the night with around 20 stalls.
EXCURSIONS: we did a couple of excursions. swimming with dolphins/manatees/sea lions. we though it was expensive but when we had had finished it we new it was money well spent. just don't but all the pics and vids, maybe 1 or 2, as we bought them all and realized it was like another £70 just for photos!!! we did 'the big night out' i advise any1 with no children to do this. its a bar crawl in cancan and it was amazing. ended up in the famous coco bongos! we also heard the Xcelha was 1 to do if you like water parks and snorkeling. Chitzenitza (how ever way u spell it) i didn't go but my boyfriend has been Mexico before and did this excursion, when he went you could climb it but now they have stopped it and u can only visit it now. he says its worth going to see as its amazing. i didn't go because we couldn't afford all the excursions, so we picked something that would be new to us both.
PLAYA DEL CARMEN: theres a free shuttle bus three times a day there and back to the centre of playa del carmen. this is worth going as there loads of little boutique/souvenier shops as well as a huge duty free store called Liverpool! there are a few places to eat like burger kind and johnny rockets. if u get chance to go johnny rockets...go! its an amazing american diner! (similar to eddie rockets in ireland!) the malts there are fab!
ANYONE who has a bad word to say about this place is completely mad! you can get this 4 star hotel for fab prices at the right time of year and who ever has a moan about that then i really dont know what u want to expect....people with fans are your service 24/7!!!! lol this place is gorg and the beach is prob what makes it so if your a beach person this is defo the place to be.......
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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We stayed at the Sandos Caracol from 17 Feb to 2 March 2008. Overall we had a great time and lovely weather, and put on quite a lot of weight with all the delicious food!
ROOM
We had a standard room in block 44, which was probably one of the furthest from anywhere, but nowhere within the complex was more than about 10 minutes walk away, and we actually enjoyed walking about. Lazy people could request a golf-buggy type cart to transport them around.
The room had a huge bed, a minibar (which was restocked with beer, water & soft drinks every day or two), TV, air conditioning, ceiling fan, 2 washbasins, a large shower, and separate WC.
The water was always very hot.
There was a FREE electronic safe inside the wardrobe - you set your own digital code, so there's no key to lose.
A hairdryer was provided, as were face cloths and numerous towels, together with shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, body lotion and soap which were generously restocked every day.
On the downside, the lighting in the bedroom/living area was very poor (no good for reading) and there were no in-room tea/coffee making facilities.
RESTAURANTS
We ate in all 6 restaurants and loved them all. There's such a lot of variety within each one. 3 of them are buffet-style, the busiest by far being the main buffet, and even just after its 7am breakfast opening time it's really packed. The others are the Mexican and the Italian. If you find the main buffet too busy at lunchtime, the Italian has most of the same food, not just pizza and pasta. During the day, there is also a snack bar next to the beach, and a barbecue on the beach.
The 3 a la carte restaurants (Oriental, Mediterranean and Steakhouse) all need to be booked in advance. You're allowed to use each of them once per week. The booking desk in reception is only open in the mornings, so head straight there on your first morning as the Steakhouse gets booked up nearly a week in advance. We managed to get into all 3 during the first week, so then booked all again at the start of our second week.
In all of the restaurants, men are allowed to wear shorts, unlike in most other hotels - maybe not as smart, but at least it's more comfortable when it's hot.
DRINKS
There's a great choice of all-inclusive drinks and cocktails. Bottled water can be obtained from the lobby bar only. You can get tea and coffee from the lobby, piano bar and central snack bar, but at certain times of day you have to make it yourself from a water flask, which isn't very hot. And I'd advise taking your own teabags as theirs are very weak and they often don't have normal teabags, only herbal ones!! At breakfast it seems to confuse the waitressess when you ask for tea rather than coffee, then confuses them even more when you ask for milk in it!!
There's a great coffee bar behind the Mexican which is only open in the evenings and, as it's quite hidden away, not many people seemed to use it. They prepare delicious flambeed liqueur coffees in front of you - and, if you're lucky, at certain times of the evening you'll see the wild raccoons foraging in the adjacent trees.
One negative point - plastic glasses are used too frequently. I fully support their use around the pool areas, but it doesn't seem quite right drinking a Baileys in the lobby bar late at night out of a plastic tumbler. Somehow it spoils the luxury.
ENTERTAINMENT
We thought the entertainment was terrible for a complex of this size and calibre. There's supposed to be a fortnightly programme, but most of what we saw the first week was repeated the second week. Most of it is done by the in-house animation team - daft things like "Mister" contests, and there were very few guest acts. Most disappointing, as we'd expected Mexican singers, musicians, dancers, etc. The evening entertainment only lasts from between about 9.30 to 10.30 pm, and there's not much else to do other than sit and drink.
There's a nice relaxing "piano bar" - but strangely there is no piano in it!!!
The advertised table tennis is only available in the kids' club.
In the spa area, the jacuzzis and sauna are free of charge, as is the gym, and luckily they didn't get as busy as I'd expected. We didn't use any of the payable facilities in the health spa, nor the tennis courts or any watersports.
Daytime activities were held around the fun pool area, though a few times we went along for scheduled events, only to find they'd changed the programme and were doing a different activity instead. Despite my best efforts, not once did I manage to get to play bingo or join a Spanish class!
Some evenings, stalls were set up in the centre with artists painting pictures. These were more entertaining to watch than the propert entertainment.
POOLS/SUNBEDS
Beach towels are provided - 1 per person, which can be exchanged as often as you like - but I'd still recommend also taking one of your own as otherwise they all look the same.
Being early-risers, we normally have no trouble getting a sunbed after breakfast. However, going down to breakfast at 7 am, we were horrified to notice that most of the sunbeds had been "reserved" by people putting their hotel-provided towels on them. So I'm afraid to admit that we had to join them and do the same.
The number of sunbeds around the pools was very lacking, and they could easily have fitted twice as many around them without it being overcrowded. However, you could normally manage to get a sunbed on the beach until mid-morning.
Each of the 4 pools has its own bar.
BEACH
We'd read reviews before we went, so knew the beach would be rocky, and it certainly was! The sand itself is very nice, but the rocks are all at the water's edge, so it's really difficult walking along it, and even more so venturing further in. We took shoes for walking in the sea, but even with those on it wasn't very safe underfoot. Some of the rocks were quite slippery, and the water wasn't too clear, so you couldn't really see where you were going. A man was constantly clearing debris from the shoreline, but it was a never-ending job as more seaweed kept being washed up, and as you walked further along the beach past the hotel, there was an awful lot of rubbish on the sand.
HOTEL GROUNDS
The whole complex was very clean, with the exception of the toilets near the beach. These served the largest "fun" pool, the beach snack bar, and the entire beach area, yet there were only 3 ladies' toilets which were always quite wet and dirty. I'm told the men's were disgusting and smelly!
In other areas, the toilet facilities were very clean.
There were always very many security guards wandering around the complex.
We didn't see any mosquitoes at all, though we did both get a few bites. We're not sure what they were from - possibly sand flies as they appeared after we'd been for a walk along the beach.
Other than walking along the beach, there is nowhere within walking distance outside the main gates of the hotel.
PLAYA DEL CARMEN
The hotel provides a bus into Playa Del Carmen, but it only takes about 40 people and you have to queue up about 30-40 minutes early to ensure you get a place. It only goes about 4 times a day, and the last one back is late afternoon, so it's no good if you want to go in the evening. But a taxi is only US$10 each way, so some couples got together to share one and save the hassle of the bus.
MISCELLANEOUS
Other reviewers have commented on the annoying timeshare people. We didn't get bothered once by these people - I think they identified us as being English, and it was the Americans/Canadians they were after.
On arrival, you are provided with a map of the complex.
If you like wildlife-spotting, look out for the blue crabs popping out of the holes along the perimeter fence behind the beach Select Club area. There are several information boards around the grounds to help you identify the various birds and lizards you will see.
That's all I can think of for now.
Hope you have a great time there!
ROOM
We had a standard room in block 44, which was probably one of the furthest from anywhere, but nowhere within the complex was more than about 10 minutes walk away, and we actually enjoyed walking about. Lazy people could request a golf-buggy type cart to transport them around.
The room had a huge bed, a minibar (which was restocked with beer, water & soft drinks every day or two), TV, air conditioning, ceiling fan, 2 washbasins, a large shower, and separate WC.
The water was always very hot.
There was a FREE electronic safe inside the wardrobe - you set your own digital code, so there's no key to lose.
A hairdryer was provided, as were face cloths and numerous towels, together with shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, body lotion and soap which were generously restocked every day.
On the downside, the lighting in the bedroom/living area was very poor (no good for reading) and there were no in-room tea/coffee making facilities.
RESTAURANTS
We ate in all 6 restaurants and loved them all. There's such a lot of variety within each one. 3 of them are buffet-style, the busiest by far being the main buffet, and even just after its 7am breakfast opening time it's really packed. The others are the Mexican and the Italian. If you find the main buffet too busy at lunchtime, the Italian has most of the same food, not just pizza and pasta. During the day, there is also a snack bar next to the beach, and a barbecue on the beach.
The 3 a la carte restaurants (Oriental, Mediterranean and Steakhouse) all need to be booked in advance. You're allowed to use each of them once per week. The booking desk in reception is only open in the mornings, so head straight there on your first morning as the Steakhouse gets booked up nearly a week in advance. We managed to get into all 3 during the first week, so then booked all again at the start of our second week.
In all of the restaurants, men are allowed to wear shorts, unlike in most other hotels - maybe not as smart, but at least it's more comfortable when it's hot.
DRINKS
There's a great choice of all-inclusive drinks and cocktails. Bottled water can be obtained from the lobby bar only. You can get tea and coffee from the lobby, piano bar and central snack bar, but at certain times of day you have to make it yourself from a water flask, which isn't very hot. And I'd advise taking your own teabags as theirs are very weak and they often don't have normal teabags, only herbal ones!! At breakfast it seems to confuse the waitressess when you ask for tea rather than coffee, then confuses them even more when you ask for milk in it!!
There's a great coffee bar behind the Mexican which is only open in the evenings and, as it's quite hidden away, not many people seemed to use it. They prepare delicious flambeed liqueur coffees in front of you - and, if you're lucky, at certain times of the evening you'll see the wild raccoons foraging in the adjacent trees.
One negative point - plastic glasses are used too frequently. I fully support their use around the pool areas, but it doesn't seem quite right drinking a Baileys in the lobby bar late at night out of a plastic tumbler. Somehow it spoils the luxury.
ENTERTAINMENT
We thought the entertainment was terrible for a complex of this size and calibre. There's supposed to be a fortnightly programme, but most of what we saw the first week was repeated the second week. Most of it is done by the in-house animation team - daft things like "Mister" contests, and there were very few guest acts. Most disappointing, as we'd expected Mexican singers, musicians, dancers, etc. The evening entertainment only lasts from between about 9.30 to 10.30 pm, and there's not much else to do other than sit and drink.
There's a nice relaxing "piano bar" - but strangely there is no piano in it!!!
The advertised table tennis is only available in the kids' club.
In the spa area, the jacuzzis and sauna are free of charge, as is the gym, and luckily they didn't get as busy as I'd expected. We didn't use any of the payable facilities in the health spa, nor the tennis courts or any watersports.
Daytime activities were held around the fun pool area, though a few times we went along for scheduled events, only to find they'd changed the programme and were doing a different activity instead. Despite my best efforts, not once did I manage to get to play bingo or join a Spanish class!
Some evenings, stalls were set up in the centre with artists painting pictures. These were more entertaining to watch than the propert entertainment.
POOLS/SUNBEDS
Beach towels are provided - 1 per person, which can be exchanged as often as you like - but I'd still recommend also taking one of your own as otherwise they all look the same.
Being early-risers, we normally have no trouble getting a sunbed after breakfast. However, going down to breakfast at 7 am, we were horrified to notice that most of the sunbeds had been "reserved" by people putting their hotel-provided towels on them. So I'm afraid to admit that we had to join them and do the same.
The number of sunbeds around the pools was very lacking, and they could easily have fitted twice as many around them without it being overcrowded. However, you could normally manage to get a sunbed on the beach until mid-morning.
Each of the 4 pools has its own bar.
BEACH
We'd read reviews before we went, so knew the beach would be rocky, and it certainly was! The sand itself is very nice, but the rocks are all at the water's edge, so it's really difficult walking along it, and even more so venturing further in. We took shoes for walking in the sea, but even with those on it wasn't very safe underfoot. Some of the rocks were quite slippery, and the water wasn't too clear, so you couldn't really see where you were going. A man was constantly clearing debris from the shoreline, but it was a never-ending job as more seaweed kept being washed up, and as you walked further along the beach past the hotel, there was an awful lot of rubbish on the sand.
HOTEL GROUNDS
The whole complex was very clean, with the exception of the toilets near the beach. These served the largest "fun" pool, the beach snack bar, and the entire beach area, yet there were only 3 ladies' toilets which were always quite wet and dirty. I'm told the men's were disgusting and smelly!
In other areas, the toilet facilities were very clean.
There were always very many security guards wandering around the complex.
We didn't see any mosquitoes at all, though we did both get a few bites. We're not sure what they were from - possibly sand flies as they appeared after we'd been for a walk along the beach.
Other than walking along the beach, there is nowhere within walking distance outside the main gates of the hotel.
PLAYA DEL CARMEN
The hotel provides a bus into Playa Del Carmen, but it only takes about 40 people and you have to queue up about 30-40 minutes early to ensure you get a place. It only goes about 4 times a day, and the last one back is late afternoon, so it's no good if you want to go in the evening. But a taxi is only US$10 each way, so some couples got together to share one and save the hassle of the bus.
MISCELLANEOUS
Other reviewers have commented on the annoying timeshare people. We didn't get bothered once by these people - I think they identified us as being English, and it was the Americans/Canadians they were after.
On arrival, you are provided with a map of the complex.
If you like wildlife-spotting, look out for the blue crabs popping out of the holes along the perimeter fence behind the beach Select Club area. There are several information boards around the grounds to help you identify the various birds and lizards you will see.
That's all I can think of for now.
Hope you have a great time there!
Read more
Read less
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Check-in / front desk
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Helpful
Questions & answers about the tennis court
Venture34689597774 asked a question Feb 2020
Answer from Mark
Feb 2020 |
Yes, You bring your own snorkeling gear (in fact, you probably should - the stuff they have is adequate, but not great). I didn't see anyone play anything on the tennis quarts (or basketball/soccer area) all week. It doesn't cost money to use the courts. My guess is you could do whatever you wanted on them.
Answer from Web_Sandos
Nov 2014 |
Hello!
We do indeed have tennis courts and equipment available for our guests!
Best regards,
1