Sandos Playacar - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

25019 reviews

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  Sandos Playacar, not what the star rating makes it our to be!

  I would like to share our experience and my opinion about this all inclusive, also this is the fourth all-inclusive resort we have been to in Mexico and it was the worst experience we had traveling to the Yucatan The only reason I gave it a 2 star was the setting is beautiful, the beach was great and the employees were awesome. We had a birthday celebration at Sando Playacar and we were very excited. After saying all of that, we all got SO sick. I spent 2 days out of our 4 days in bed not knowing when I needed the toilet. I was scared to eat, especially the Brazilian restaurant. The steaks were like a piece of rubber. We had to cancel 2 booked dinners because of being ill. Our two grandchildren were so sick that they did not leave their room for 3 of the 4 days, We arrived home yesterday and my wife is still sick and had a very long, tough flight home. There was a wedding party that was celebrating their vows and half of the guests could not make it to the reception because they were so sick. Another family we spoke to were so sick they left to go home early. We were very disappointed in this resort and I would not recommend it.

  Feb 20, 2025
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  Do your research

  I’m writing this review on day 2 of a 5 day stay. Having read a ton of good and bad reviews before arriving, I was definitely worried. Like other people said, you will be talked to about meeting up with a person and taking a tour, which we assumed was the time share people. That happened immediately after check in, which took almost no time. We arrived around 6pm, so maybe less people checking in. You will also need to walk through the meeting area to get to most restaurants and the beach, which is where the sellers all hang out. We just walked through and said no thank you. Didn’t feel pressured or accosted in any way, like others have said. We are in the 8000 wing and have zero issues with the room. It’s big enough for a family of 5, and housekeeping has been in everyday so far. I would highly recommend booking restaurants for each day of your trip. They fill up fast. The buffet was fine. Some food better than others, but a wide range of choices. The staff were super prompt with bringing us drinks whenever we needed them. The Mexican restaurant was great, and highly recommended it. Looking forward to trying the other spots. My biggest gripes are that people run to the beach pool crazy early and put stuff on all the chairs. We walked to the beach to watch the sunrise and every chair in the pool area was marked taken, even though no one was actually in the pool area. There is a beach side adult pool, but the other one is strictly for royal elite people that bought into the time share. Kind of sucks when we’ve paid a ton for this trip, but what can you do. The beach is absolutely beautiful. Plenty of spots to sit, but again, a lot of the choice seating is for people who bought into the upgrades. As a bunch of people have recently written, there is definitely some type of stomach thing going around. We are seasoned travelers and have never had any issues annywhere in the world until this trip. 2 of our 5 have been puking and have diarrhea. We’ve also met 3 other families, one of them with a wedding party of 40, who have all said that most of the people in their parties are also sick. Food handling, water quality, sewage in the bath water like others have stated, not sure. But be aware and bring some zofran for when it happens. There is a pharmacy (Playacar pharmacy) about a half a mile from the resort that sells stuff a lot cheaper than you’ll be able to get in the resort. Our room also has a giant water bottle to use, but we swapped to bottled that we bought because we can’t be sure the kids didn’t get sick from the water. Also bring small bills for tips. We made the mistake of thinking we could just do it down here. I’ve attempted to change my larger bills everywhere on the resort and not one place has been able to change my bills. So all in all not an awful place like some reviews. Minus the stomach issues, everything else is very similar to other resorts. The pool behind the 8000 wing is great and there have been plenty of seats for us, regardless of the time. The bartender at the Riviera Blue at the pool is great and makes great drinks.

  Feb 20, 2025
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  Beware high probability of getting sick!

  Two of the four of us got extremely ill beginning on February 12 until our departure date of the 16th. To date we are still suffering stomach issues from this Resort and it is not from overindulging or too much sun. You will notice when you go into the shop how many bottles they have of electrolytes for sale and there is definitely a reason for this you're going to need it. We talked to so many people that had loved ones back in the hotel room sick and I have never heard of so many people suffering at a resort before it was literally like the bridesmaids movie coming out from all ends

  Feb 19, 2025
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  A Nightmare from Check-in to Check-out.....Avoid This Resort!

  We visited this resort based on my sister’s glowing recommendation from last year. Our group of 14 included my girlfriend, our two kids, and my parents (in their 70s). Unfortunately, our experience was anything but enjoyable. *Check-in Disaster & Room Nightmares* Our troubles started the moment we arrived. Due to a flight delay, we checked in late only to be told that the hotel was *oversold* and our *prepaid Hacienda rooms* were unavailable. Despite booking almost a year in advance and paying for upgrades, they only had one Hacienda available and attempted to split our family across the massive resort (which takes nearly 20 minutes to walk from end to end). Furious, we were told they would “try to make it right” but couldn’t guarantee anything by the next day. After pushing back, they eventually found two Hacienda rooms *somewhat* close together and an “upgraded” ocean room for my parents. However, the issues didn’t stop there: - Both rooms had double beds instead of the king-size beds we requested. - One room had a massive AC leak streaming into the bathroom. - The “upgraded” Hacienda rooms were *dark, outdated, and smelled musty, like a cheap motel from the ‘80s. - There were cockroaches and a massive pile of dirty sheets outside the Hacienda rooms, for the 12 hours we had to stay there. - A dangerous step-down between the beds and “living” area caused me to trip twice within the short time we were in the room. At 1 AM, we returned to the front desk hoping to resolve the leak issue. We were assured a technician was “right outside our door.” Of course, when we got back, there was no one. *A Desperate Fix & Manipulative Tactics* Frustrated, we reached out to our amazing travel agent, who got in touch with the hotel management. The next day, the concierge, Eyter, helped us relocate to rooms in the "Family Section", which were a major improvement over the disastrous Hacienda rooms. However, before allowing us to move, the resort forced us to sign a waiver stating we would not request a refund. Additionally, the waiver also stated that we would not leave a negative review. Huge red flag. I crossed out the review clause; it was only Day One, and I was already regretting the trip. We accepted the loss on our expensive Hacienda upgrades and settled into the Family Section, which, while better, had its own issues. *Resort Layout & Amenities* The resort is HUGE and appears to have been built in phases. The Family Section is tucked at the back, requiring a 15-minute walk to the beach. There are shuttle carts, but they are inconsistent, so walking is often faster. - The Beach is stunning: wide, white sand, pleasant ocean entry, and minimal seaweed. Easily the highlight of the resort. - Pools are plentiful, and despite the resort being full, we never felt overcrowded. - Rooms in the Family Section are unique with bunk beds, but lack basic storage (no dresser drawers, etc.). - Food options near Family Section are extremely limited. The steakhouse operates as a breakfast buffet, but otherwise, you must trek to the main buffet. *Dining Experience – Hit or Miss* - Best meals: The French and Italian restaurants were quite good. - Worst meal: The Steak House was a major letdown. My mom and girlfriend ordered ribs, they were so bad they might as well have been tree bark. - Buffets: Decent, but selection was noticeably smaller than other resorts we've visited. - Service: Inconsistent at best. Some servers were fantastic; others were disorganized, inattentive, or downright rude. It often took multiple requests just to get coffee at breakfast. *Widespread Illness & Broken Facilities* Of our group of 14, ten people suffered some form of food poisoning or severe stomach issues. My nephew was hospitalized for dehydration after being sick for four days. Our rooms were plagued with maintenance issues: - Toilets ran constantly unless flushed/re-flushed a very specific way. - Our Shower leaked into the toilet stall. - Our Fridge didn’t work. - Phones weren’t plugged in, and didn't work when they were. - Many electrical outlets were dead. - The AC barely functioned. - No nightlights or conveniently placed lighting for nighttime bathroom trips. Despite multiple service requests, nothing was ever fixed. *Final Verdict – Never Again* This resort certainly has potential, with its lush grounds and beautiful beach. Sadly, but that potential is completely squandered by mismanagement, poor maintenance, and terrible service. We will NEVER return, and I strongly DO NOT recommend this resort. There are far better options available. If you do go, despite the above warnings, bring duct tape to fix things yourself and make a game out of it—maybe even print “I Survived Sandos” T-shirts and see who's does not get eliminated due to getting sick.

  Feb 19, 2025
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  NOROVIRUS or FOOD POISONING

  NOROVIRUS or FOOD POISONING- DO NOT GO HERE This is the second time we have been here. We loved the first time we came 7 years ago but it has gone down hill since. The positives- great beach, lots of pools, spacious rooms The negatives - 1. The new RE pool has no markings of where steps are so you stub your toes constantly. 2. The room had a sewage smell that was terrible. The people we traveled with also experienced the same smell. It is a very toxic smell. Seems to be in the family room areas. 3. 6 out of 9 of our two families got norovirus or food poisoning. I am talking throwing up so bad that you broke blood vessels in your face. I am talking have stuff come out of both ends at the same time. 4. Guest services laughed when I called to ask for housekeeping to come clean and get new sheets. Like they thought it was funny that we were so sick we crapped the sheets. 5. The food is not good. We waited 1.5 hours for dinner at Asiana restaurant and It came cold. We ate at el Gaucho and the steaks were so overcooked it was gross. 6. Alcoholic drinks are watered down. When we were able to drink before we got norovirus, we weren’t able to even get a slight buzz. We noticed that the majority of their alcohol is clear so it can be easily topped off with water. 7. Poor food handling/unsafe food handling. I witnessed first hand an employee cleaning our table and removing silverware we hadn’t used. They brought it over to where they keep the clean/unused silverware where I witnessed them checking with their hands by rubbing the tongs of the fork if it was still clean and then wrapping it back up to be used by someone else. This was in the family snack bar pool area. No wonder we got norovirus or food poisoning! We had none of these issues the first time we came. I WOULD NOT recommend this resort anymore. It’s a waste of money and you’ll spend your whole vacation sick.

  Feb 18, 2025