Sandos Caracol Nature Resort & Water Park

Having looked at a number of reviews about the hotel before going, I wouldn’t be lying if I said I was a little nervous about whether the hotel would meet our expectations - especially as we’ve set the bar pretty high for holidays! However I couldn’t have been more wrong and can’t say enough how much we loved the hotel. Firstly the staff in every part of the hotel were very friendly and accommodating. Every member of staff would say hello as you walked past them, they were great with our kids, high fiving every time we went into las mascaras, and our room maid jessica always seemed to go out of her way to add a little extra touch like tuck our childrens teddy’s into their bed - little touches which made them smile. One of the main things I was concerned at before arriving was the restaurant booking system which people had reviewed being hard to get bookings and waking at 12am to get a place. On top of this the la laguna and brazilian restaurant were shut during our time here for renovations - which further compounded my worries. However I can honestly say we never had an issue with booking and I never set my alarm at midnight to book (and I was booking for 4 people). The ala carte restaurants were of great quality, our favourite being el templo. The experience alone was brilliant and ended up going 4 times during our stay - hugo and hector were standout. The buffet restaurants were also good and had a big range of food to cater for everyone. Rarely had to wait at any of the bars during the day and service was always quick. I’m personally not much of a theatre fan, and thought the shows would make the resort feel a bit tacky. However again I was proved very wrong. One thing we were blown away by was the cultural side of mexico and the shows were amazing at demonstrating this, the sacred cenote and the fire ceremony were great and even Michael Jackson - which to us initially seemed random to have, was actually very good. The main pool was well laid out, it seemed one half was more party ish and the other more family friendly so catered for everyone. We did use the smaller pool more out of convenience as it was close to our room but also generally quieter. One of the only negatives of the hotel was the water park. The park itself was brilliant. However Tuesdays it closed for maintenance, but we found frequently the smaller tube slides were closed more than they were open - which was frustrating as our children found the toddler pool too small and they weren’t allowed on the big slides. the bigger pool area in the centre was shut a couple of times while we visited it. It wasn’t a huge inconvenience as we didn’t go often (we could have been unlucky) but whenever we did, something was closed. Our room was very nice, and spacious for 2 adults and 2 children. The only negative was there wasn't much hanging space for a family of 4. Your mini bar is complimentary and stocked daily which was great! If you like nature, in particular animals, you will love this resort. There is so much to see and it doesnt ever get boring. The monkeys you could watch all day, and we were lucky enough to see on two occasions turtles laying eggs. I’d highly recommend to just go exploring the resort as you’ll see different animals and hidden features every day. I think it’s highly unfair to criticise the hotel for the seaweed/sargassum problem. Its not unique to the resort, its a problem over quintana roo. There were literally guys shovelling wheelbarrows all day every day and you could see barriers at sea to hold it back. It was disappointing not to be able to swim in the cenote or the jade river etc, but we were told it was a result of peoples suncreams washing off affecting the balance of them. So with a positive spin on it, it did fill me with confidence that the resort genuinely does care about the local ecosystem. The other activities made up for not being able to swim in the cenotes, the segway tour was great fun and we did do a snorkelling trip with the diving hut on the beach which was brilliant. Our children also enjoyed the animal keepers experience. As a summary, You certainly won’t be disappointed if you want a fully inclusive family friendly holiday which caters for all ages. We stayed for 2 weeks and we found there was lots to do even with some things closed. I would look past the majority of the negative reviews here…any I had were proved wrong as soon as I got there. I would highly recommend this resort to any family and friends and we are genuinely considering going back next year with friends! Thank you again for a wonderful holiday

This resort has average service, food and pools. I knew I could encounter some seaweed, but other hotels do a better job clearing it! Was impossible to get in the water! And after asking the cenotes had been out of service for over a year and they don’t even know when will open! Stay somewhere else!

David M G the restaurant manager at Sandos resort was incredible. He took excellent attention to my family. we have a family with six kids. He was very friendly! Five stars overall. Staff was incredibly attentive. Highly recommend!!! The staff at a resort is very hard-working

The beautiful grounds and wildlife were my favourite parts of this resort. The beach was nice, but unfortunately there was a lot of seaweed. They did do what they could do clear it. The food and drinks were good, the pools were great, and the room was comfortable. Great place to visit with kids.

My husband and I took our two kids (3 and 1) to the Sandos last week, and it was a great experience. We booked the hotel solely based on reviews and the kids' waterpark, and it did not disappoint. Check-in and rooms: The transfer from Cancun airport is relatively quick (45 minutes), and the check-in process was seamless. We arrived around 1 pm, so our room was not ready, but we were told to check back at 2 pm (it was ready then). Rooms were clean, a decent size, and had a king bed and a bunk bed. My booking papers said we had an eco family superior room with a trundle bed, but I was later told those rooms don't exist, which was disappointing, as I was hoping to have my 1-year-old sleep there (she ended up in our bed, which was not ideal). I have no complaints about the rooms, apart from the fact that the storage isn't terrific for a family of 4 if you don't want to live out of your suitcase. The location we had was terrific. It was just on the other side of the lobby cenote. A bit of a walk from the beach and main pool, but super close to the kids' aquapark. Restaurants: The main buffet restaurant was closed for renos during our stay, so we had the option of going to the Italian or Mexican buffets. I personally don't think the food was terrific (I have had better at other hotels in Mexico), but they offered a good selection of choices for adults and kids at every meal. We often went to the Mexican because it had more options that my kids liked. Service at both restaurants was always excellent, though we usually went at times when it wasn't super busy (10am seemed to be insane for breakfast). We also tried the Tapenyaki restaurant. We couldn't get a reservation ahead of time, but walked up at 6 pm and were able to get a table. My 3-year-old LOVED the experience, and the food was great, so I highly recommend. Pool/beach: The beach is really lovely apart from all the sargassum in the water. If you don't care about seaweed, it's a great spot to be. We split our time between the kids' waterpark and the main pool, both of which are great. The main pool on the side with the bar was pretty packed by the end of our stay, but we were always able to get chairs regardless of what time we went. One thing to note about the waterpark - it's closed on Tuesdays for maintenance, and the large slides also do not accommodate adults AND kids. There are some for kids only and some for adults only, which was disappointing for my son, who was too nervous to go down the kids' ones alone and couldn't go down the adult ones with my husband. Gym: I took advantage of the on-site gym and went every day. It's clean and has a decent selection of equipment (treadmills, an elliptical, and machines). There are free weights, but only one of each up to 45 lbs, I think, so if someone is using the one you need, you're out of luck. It opens at 7 am, which was later than I expected, but it worked. Grounds: The hotel grounds are beautiful and a really great place for kids looking to explore nature. My son always wanted to "walk through the jungle," and he saw coatis, iguanas, lizards, and monkeys pretty much every day. The cenotes are beautiful, but you couldn't swim in them while we were there. For anyone booking with small kids, there is a LOT of walking, so a stroller is a must. The other thing that I loved/hated was the animal keepers' area. It's great for kids to be able to pet farm animals (sheep, pigs, bunnies, chickens), and the enclosures are really well kept, but I question their quality of life and honestly feel really bad for them. The pigs are kept on concrete floors, and the sheep are on sand with really nothing to do; they kind of just lie in the corner all day; kind of sad to see. As a side note, be prepared to pay $$$$$ if you want to buy anything from the stores. I got burnt and needed some hydrocortisone, and what she offered me was $55 USD (I am Canadian, so I think that was roughly $80)! We ended up taking a taxi to Playa, and I got some at a pharmacy for 300 pesos. I also saw a sign for 2 bags of chips for $20 USD, which is outrageous. If you need to buy anything and don't want to spend all your money, definitely head into downtown Playa instead. Overall, it was a great trip that my kids loved (it was their first time on a plane and in Mexico), and I would definitely recommend it for families looking for a unique and exciting resort with lots of activities for kids. Its proximity to downtown Playa is also great, especially if you need to pop into town for anything.