Sandos Caracol Nature Resort & Water Park

We stayed as a couple here for a cheeky 10 night break, booked as a package from the UK with TUI. Pulling up to the reception, we were impressed by the appearance of the entrance and the elephant lobby. Check in speed wasn't the quickest after all those hours of travelling, but then you are taken to your room on a cart and the bus boys carry your cases and show you in. We were in a family room which was perfect for the 2 of us, but if we had taken our kids, the room definitely wouldn't have been big enough as there was no additional seating inside, or enough storage/hanging rails etc for everybodys clothing. This is something to keep in mind, but not a complaint because we weren't planning on being inside the room all that much. Plus we enjoyed having all of the space and ended up using the bunk beds as additional hanging space. Toilet and shower were ok - no issues re plumbing or cleanliness. His and hers sinks were lovely, towels changed every day, mini bar filled every day with cans of coke, fanta, sprite, water and beer. There was also a large water dispenser in the room but we didn't use this. The location is naturally stunning with lots of lovely trails - and so much wildlife!! You will see monkeys, racoons, coatis, muscovy ducks, iguanas, geckos, agouti, super large fish and turtles.When eating at the main buffet, you can sit outside on the decked area and watch the turtles swimming about which is super lovely and some cheeky coatis looking for a crumb here and there. We thoroughly enjoyed walking around the paths, as they were very well maintained and there's so much to see and spot throughout. There are cenotes, some ruins, some tunnels and even an Indiana Jones style bridge. PS. take some mozzy spray with you if you are prone to being bit - it is in a jungle afterall. There is a proper water park on site - although we didn't go to this because we didn't have our kids with us but it looked decent. There is a romantic boat cruise for couples that you can do and also free bike hire. The onsite shops are expensive, however I feel this is the case for every resort and just ensures you pack better for next time. The white sandy beach was lovely and stretches quite far. Bigger than where we have previously stayed in Mexico before. Take hard bottomed pool shoes for the sea! We were impressed by the efforts of the beach cleaners in regards to the sargassum. When travelling to the caribbean, you should expect there to be sargassum - it is not the hotels fault and they deal with it as best as they can. During our stay, we saw a designated team with barrows, raking it up daily, and it honestly wasn't an issue at all. On one day out of our 10 it was pretty bad - but it was the very last day so not an issue for us. There are lots of people offering massages and selling things - again politely declined and left to get on with our holiday. Food in the main buffet was varied and we actually preferred eating there than the midnight battle for the reservations. We did go to the Japanese restaurant which is always a great show, but ultimately is the same food/tricks no matter where you go in the world. Personally, we just enjoyed having the variation of the buffet more than restrictive set restuarant menus because it is nice to be able to have a little bit of whatever you fancy. There was a fresh pizza area, fresh pasta section, grilled fish and meat, sushi, cheeses, salads etc. The only thing I would say that could be improved is more ice cream machines throughout the site because the buffet only had 1 and it was in constant use so often wouldn't have time to refreeze. We weren't aware of any other ice cream stations anywhere else on site to just visit. Evening entertainment - as you would expect, a variety of family shows. We saw the Michael Jackson one - that was entertaining. Drinks are ok, again as you would expect for all inclusive - brands are included such as Jim beam, malibu, smirnoff etc. Seen some reviews saying that the barmen favoured other guests/couldn't be bothered to make certain drinks - we never witnessed any of this. Some guests do lack manners though. There were lots of variety of street markets, food stands and artistic works throughout our stay in the evenings. Currency - we used pesos for tipping as staff prefer it due to the exchange rate that is required on usd. There is an atm onsite but I would recommend taking currency with you, because it only gives out large notes of 500s which are difficult to get changed to smaller currency amounts. Loved the juice bar next to the beach - Kaboom all the way! We noted that the pool bars didn't open until 10am (at beach) and 11am at the smaller pool so we would take a couple of the cans from the room just so that we had a drink with us. We saw the pools being cleaned every day/water tested. On day 3 we were invited to a meeting regarding the use of adults only sections (beach club I think it was called), the obvious upselling of the timeshare scheme which is incentivised by a nice breakfast and gifts. We politely declined this right from the start and wasn't bothered again about it. For us, we would simply have booked an adults only hotel if we wanted an adults only environment, and if we had of upgraded, to a degree, it still would have meant seeing and hearing peoples kids anyway. Overall, we had a wonderful stay, we usually never go back to the same resort twice because there is so much of the world to see and experience, but here is one place I would definitely return to. We absolutely loved the wildlife and the natural beauty of the surroundings were one of the most picturesque we have seen. Alot of the bad reviews that are left by people do seem very nit picky and come across as entitled. Don't let them put you off - holidays are what you make of them, and often bad experiences are by opinionated people seeing the worst and thinking the world should revolve round them. The only negative things I would comment on are other guests and their lack of watching their own kids/letting them run wild and ruining other peoples peace.

We arrived at Sandos Caracol Eco on 30th April and looked forward to our 2 week stay. All the staff have been very friendly. Especially if you try out your Spanish with them. (Even it's not very good!). Our room was on the top (3rd storey) of the block. It was roomy with excellent Aircon (which was definitely needed!) lots of little extras like an iron and ironing board, and 2 umbrellas in case of rain. Safe was free and easy to use. Hairdryer was not very powerful but not really an issue. (It did stop working on the next to last day but was replaced with a 'normal' hairdryer. We tried all the restaurants and enjoyed them all. The teppanyaki, in our opinion, was the best as it was fun and delicious. Even the buffet restaurant had a wide selection of foods for all tastes. The bars were all great with lots of different drinks available. Even premium brands. We stayed in the Select area which was adults only. It was nice to have a rest from children. But also lovely to see them enjoying themselves in the other areas. The jungler was the adult restaurant for breakfast and lunch and it was near the pool. You could go in and eat or have snacks by the poolside. Waitresses/waiters would come around the pool to take orders. There was an adults only beach bar, with sun loungers and beds available on the beach, also very relaxing with waiter/waitress service. There is an abundance of animals around the complex. Spider monkeys, coatis, agoutis, raccoons, squirrels, small lizards and much bigger Iguanas. All amazing to see. Just remember to close your bags when by the pool as the monkeys and coatis will explore to find food. Also in your rooms, don't leave an open door unguarded, they'll be in like a shot. Lots of water sports available on the beach. We went snorkeling and saw Rays and Turtles as well as many fish varieties. It was amazing. We also had massages on the beach. Very thorough and very relaxing with the sound of the sea. We would like to thank all the staff for making our stay memorable but some stood out more than others. Diego and Gael in La Jungla, very friendly and entertaining. We had a laugh and learned new Spanish phrases. Kiin beach bar we were looked after by Omiara (Omi to friends) who we have unofficially adopted. Clara provided massage on the beach accompanied by her daughter and Valentino. I would definitely recommend Clara, and they are so much cheaper than the resorts spa. Just a couple of negatives, the holiday was chosen partly because of the activities available. We were looking forward to kayaking down the river in the resort, this was no longer an option also not available was swimming in the cenotes in the resort. They were closed to allow nature to restore. I understand, but was upset that we only found out during our stay and not before. You can go kayaking in the sea but it was a bit choppy at times. Towards the end of our holiday, the buffet restaurant and the Brazilian rodizio restaurant were closed to refurbish. Although there were plenty of alternatives available. We had a great time.

While the location is favorable, we have encountered some challenges with the local clientele, particularly during long weekends, which has led to a situation reminiscent of past experiences in other regions. We previously offered an adults-only section, which has since been discontinued, along with several bookable restaurants. Although the TUI representative was pleasant, their ability to assist was limited due to restrictions on their movement within the resort. The adults-only pool, unfortunately, was not maintained to an acceptable standard. We are currently still on-site and would not consider a return visit. The natural surroundings and wildlife are indeed remarkable, but they do not compensate for the hotel's other shortcomings. The food quality is acceptable, but the closure of several restaurants should have been communicated in advance. It is also important to note that this property operates as a timeshare, granting priority to its members, and the advertised rooftop bar is exclusively for wedding bookings. Timeshare members also receive preferential treatment when booking restaurants. We strongly advise careful consideration before making a reservation.

Every year we plan a "girl's" trip........every year I look for a nice, adults only resort. We were really looking forward to our trip this year at the Sandos Caracol Resort. Must say it was a huge disappointment. First off, the pros....... the resort is quite picturesque and everything is fairly close. You can request a shuttle to take you to the beach where one restaurant is located. The lobby bar is about the only central bar, they have a sports bar (looks like a cafeteria with a pool table), and there is a bar by the "theatre". Our air conditioning was great and we had, for the most part, warm if not hot water. The lighting in the bathroom (which does have a makeup mirror) is awful......... so dark. The place is literally falling apart. Roofs of restaurants with holes in them over which monkeys run..... debris falling onto tables, palapas that have holes in them and whenever a monkey climbs on them (every afternoon), all the debris falls onto the lounges and the people laying there.... not very sanitary and certainly not nice. Several mornings (we were there 10 days) there was no bacon, but they didn't tell you ........ you just received a plate of 2 eggs, 2 mini potatoes and no bacon when you ordered the bacon and 2 eggs off the menu. Quality control by management seems to be lacking. They also ran out of various liquors.... some days they had it, some days they didn't, and there certainly wasn't any "high end" liquor. On the Westjet website it stated that there would be 24 hour room service.... well no, but the hotel said 10 - 10, except if you ordered after 9:30, you were out of luck. In the adults only area they said we could enjoy our "own private pool allowing you to enjoy the quiet surroundings"........... not with the foam party going on and music played loudly over the loudspeakers. We were to have bathrobes, nope not there. Iron and ironing board.... yes to the board, no to the iron............ Again, most of the things lacking I feel are due to lax management....... they don't seem to care.

Spa services by Hania were awesome! The nails turned out beautifully. She is very professional and corteous. Highly recommend the services here.