Positive Sandos Caracol report

windsorite4fun · 03-26-2006

This is our trip report on our Sandos Caracol stay Mar 15-22. I will only mention things that happened to our family and there will be no second hand accounts...no "here's what I heard at dinner"...no "someone told me this or that". First, this was our first trip to Mexico but have stayed at AI's in Jamacia and St. Martin so we have a bit of experiance to compare too. We are a family of 3 - 2 adults and one 13 year old daughter.
We got to the resort at 11:30 am and were told our room would be ready at 1:30. We hit the pool and had a bite to eat and at 1:30 went back to the lobby and we're lead to a very nice room ..7412...close to the lobby but a long walk to the beach. Wed and Thur were great days...we had no issues at all with our room or the resort. On Friday we did a great Cat cruise to Isla Mujeres...this is a great trip and very much worth the money. When we got back to the resort..7pm.. we had no hot water....this means nothing coming out of the hot water taps...turn on the cold tap...lots of water...turn on the hot taps...nothing. We called the front desk and were told there was a problem and they were trying to fix it. When we got up Sat morning we had no water at all. We went down to the lobby and talked to the Apple rep on duty and told him our problem. He told us to give him a couple of hours and come back and see him and he would find out the problem. At 4pm we went back to see the Apple rep and he told us there was a water pipe broke going to our block of rooms and we would be moved. The resort manager came to us and told us he would show us a few rooms and we could check them out and decide which one we would like. The first room he showed us was 2221 which was a suite ...2 rooms ...nice balcony with a jacuzzi tub on it and very close to the beach. We told him this would be great and within an hour we were in our new room. That is the only room problem we had all week. Our doors locked..our safe locked...we got towels and wash cloths...had no sewage problems...nothing else. The rest of the week went great.

Food- Food was Ok...not the best we have had but not the worst. It was a little repetitive and sometimes you didnt know what was on the buffet.maybe some signs saying what the dish was might help. There was always something we liked and the pasta was always being made fresh. It was hard to get resrvations at the other restaurants but on Monday the 20th they changed the system so you could only book for that nights dinner so maybe that will help the situation.

While we were there the Spa and Gym opened ...the disco was open and we went once and it seemed nice. On the last night the second buffet opened. Didn't know it was open until after we ate so we didn't get to try it. Not sure if it has the same food as the main buffet or not. The large pool area near the front of the resort opened while we were there but the bar was not ready yet. There were 3 pools opened and the fourth had water in it and looked like it was very close to being ready.

Beach - Not the nicest we have been on but not too bad either...there was a bit of debris and we did find a piece of glass one day but still a nice beach for sitting on and ok for walking on. The water is pretty rocky with only a couple of areas clear for swimming but we saw lots of people in the water so I guess its usable. We are not a big ocean family so this was not a big issue for us.

Staff - The entertainment staff worked hard to get everyone involved. They were always upbeat and seemed to enjoy themselves. Bar staff were good as were the dining room staff. House keeping staff kept our room in great shape but never saw them the whole week.

Activities - Our daughter was too old for the kids club but it looked like they were kept very busy with lots of activities. The pool and beach events were going on all day but we were more watcher's than do'ers. The night activities were a little lacking. There was a long gap between dinner and the evening show (9:30) and once showtime was over there was nothing going on except the disco. Maybe a place with a small band playing or piano lounge would be good.

Overall - We had a great week. The couple of small issues we had were handled quickly and professionally by the manager. I guess the best indicater of a resort is whether you would go back and we would head back to Sandos Caracol anytime.

Dean, Patti & Erin

babs31 · 03-26-2006

Thanks for posting. I know those who are embarking on their vacation will be happy to read your report. Sounds like you had a wonderful time and kudos to the management for getting you moved!

Wisconsin67 · 03-26-2006

My family stayed at the Caracol Mar 20-24. (We got a really good deal from Apple's website, and in a moment of January-in-Wisconsin-will-this-never-end? weakness, booked the deal.)

If we had stayed any longer we definately would have done more offsite excursions, there wasn't that much to do for a 15 and 12 year old. Lots for the younger set and the 18+, but that age group needs to bring a friend.

<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

ROOM - We always had polite service, our housekeeper was very nice and there was nothing ever missing from our room. Rooms were basic, the A/C worked, the water pressure was minimal, hot water worked during the off peak times - I think the building shared the hot water heater. The only time our water didn't work was during the blackout on Thursday night, caused by the storm. The showers are designed to NOT have curtains, the wall acts as the curtain -easier to clean and less mildew, I"m sure. The setup worked fine. TV satellite was intermittent. Our door keys would stop working after two or three uses, we'd just go get new ones at the lobby desk. We told them at the end but it wasn't enough of a problem to want to hang around the room while they tore our door apart. Buildings 1-16 seemed to have the fewest problems.

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POOLS - Much progress is being made at the resort, the pool by builidngs 29-34 opened on Tuesday. (The juice/soda gun wasn't working on Wednesay, so I went to the pool bar on my way for fresh towels and got some drinks there. Four drinks and four towels and two hands. One of the bartenders grabbed a tray and the drinks and walked with me all the way to our spot - about 2-3 blocks. Gracias, Guery!) The little pool behind buildings 13-15 was almost deserted and had a beer tap but no full service bar. It also had a shallow ledge along the edge of the pool that was great for sunning and staying cool.

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The big pool by the beach has all the activities and was crowded by <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:time Minute="30" Hour="8">8:30 am</st1:time>. The pool by buildings 30-34 had more private partiers, and had a nice kiddie pool.

By the time we left the only pool not open was the one way back by the lobby, and those rooms weren't open either.
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FOOD - The buffet has good variety, but it's not the Golden Corral. Most Americans aren't going to be thrilled with cheese and coldcuts for breakfast, but there's clientele from all around the world. They did make a great omelette, pancakes and french toast. Pasta and hamburgers were available for lunch, and supper had always at least three meat entrees. Or you could survive on french fries and pineapple like my 12 year old did one day. The second buffet opened on Wednesday, but dinner only. It is much smaller than the primary buffet, and has the more attentive service like the Italian buffet(which I think had the most American, kid-friendly foods.)

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THE LUXURIES - The spa also opened while we were there, but the spa pools were still works in progress. The spa lobby pool was open but the pump motors in the chair jets and fountains were too strong and the right one was being ordered. Massage prices looked to be comparable to what you pay here. - 50-90 USD for 50 minute treatments.

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The alacarte restaurants take limited reservations so get in line early - <st1:time Minute="30" Hour="8">8:30</st1:time> or so. The menus are very limited, one chicken one pork one seafood choice, but the atmosphere is fun to see. I thought the Chinese restuarant was more Japanese, with the sushi, teriyaki, and seaweed everything, but it was good. we liked the italian buffet better for our family though. The restaurants look empty even though they're "booked" I think they offer seatings in proportion to the fullness of the hotel to keep costs in line.

<o:p></o:p>

The tennis courts are a strange combination of astroturf and sand, and have not been updated since the hurricane. They're in rough shape, and surrounded by the jungle, it's a great place to get bit by no-see-ums at night. The lights work fine, you need to turn them on yourself.

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The boutique stores were not open, but Playa del Carmen is a free shuttle ride, and we took a taxi back after dinner for 12USD with tip- about 10 minutes.

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THE JUNGLE - The resort has lots of areas that are left natural, with mangroves filled with calling birds, ponds and streams teaming with turtles and fish. And where there are turtles, fish and birds, there are insects. Biting insects. (Not bedbugs, as some stated.) Bring spray or an itch cream if you're out at night. Especially playing tennis. Lots of trees are still downed in this area after the hurricane too, so they're not as scenic as they once were/will be.

<o:p></o:p>

THE BEACH - is not pristine, there's seaweed, rocks, and huge sandbags along the shore. However, if you go north, you can tell they've certainly been busy picking up debris. Offsite it's cluttered with plastic bottles, cans, old carpet, broom heads, and downed trees. The effects of the hurricane are very evident. The resort part of the beach is nice - there are enough lounge chairs and palapas for everyone, and toward the north end of the beach it's more private, we saw some more agressive suntanning going on that end, so if you're easily offended, walk south.

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THE REST - Buildings 44-78 are still being finished. I was told they'd be ready "in a week, maybe two". I'd guess more like May. Areas around the rest of the place are also being worked on, like landscaping by the spa, sign posts, and path lighting and rails. The workers are always very polite. The most construction noise I heard was the heavy construction going on offsite, behind builidngs 25-31.

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SUMMARY - We had a nice time, but not a great time. The staff was very nice, but the resort was not at the rating listed on the Apple website. We tend to travel to new places, but if we did return to the Riviera Maya, we'd only come back here to see the improvements, and then go back to our other resort.

mackem_lass · 03-27-2006

Thanks for those reviews. They were really balanced and give a good idea of how things are at the moment

SandraM · 03-27-2006

Hi...Can you please tell me how much taxi fare was to Playa? I know the hotel has a shuttle but we might want to take a taxi instead? Thank you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by windsorite4fun

This is our trip report on our Sandos Caracol stay Mar 15-22. I will only mention things that happened to our family and there will be no second hand accounts...no "here's what I heard at dinner"...no "someone told me this or that". First, this was our first trip to Mexico but have stayed at AI's in Jamacia and St. Martin so we have a bit of experiance to compare too. We are a family of 3 - 2 adults and one 13 year old daughter.
We got to the resort at 11:30 am and were told our room would be ready at 1:30. We hit the pool and had a bite to eat and at 1:30 went back to the lobby and we're lead to a very nice room ..7412...close to the lobby but a long walk to the beach. Wed and Thur were great days...we had no issues at all with our room or the resort. On Friday we did a great Cat cruise to Isla Mujeres...this is a great trip and very much worth the money. When we got back to the resort..7pm.. we had no hot water....this means nothing coming out of the hot water taps...turn on the cold tap...lots of water...turn on the hot taps...nothing. We called the front desk and were told there was a problem and they were trying to fix it. When we got up Sat morning we had no water at all. We went down to the lobby and talked to the Apple rep on duty and told him our problem. He told us to give him a couple of hours and come back and see him and he would find out the problem. At 4pm we went back to see the Apple rep and he told us there was a water pipe broke going to our block of rooms and we would be moved. The resort manager came to us and told us he would show us a few rooms and we could check them out and decide which one we would like. The first room he showed us was 2221 which was a suite ...2 rooms ...nice balcony with a jacuzzi tub on it and very close to the beach. We told him this would be great and within an hour we were in our new room. That is the only room problem we had all week. Our doors locked..our safe locked...we got towels and wash cloths...had no sewage problems...nothing else. The rest of the week went great.

Food- Food was Ok...not the best we have had but not the worst. It was a little repetitive and sometimes you didnt know what was on the buffet.maybe some signs saying what the dish was might help. There was always something we liked and the pasta was always being made fresh. It was hard to get resrvations at the other restaurants but on Monday the 20th they changed the system so you could only book for that nights dinner so maybe that will help the situation.

While we were there the Spa and Gym opened ...the disco was open and we went once and it seemed nice. On the last night the second buffet opened. Didn't know it was open until after we ate so we didn't get to try it. Not sure if it has the same food as the main buffet or not. The large pool area near the front of the resort opened while we were there but the bar was not ready yet. There were 3 pools opened and the fourth had water in it and looked like it was very close to being ready.

Beach - Not the nicest we have been on but not too bad either...there was a bit of debris and we did find a piece of glass one day but still a nice beach for sitting on and ok for walking on. The water is pretty rocky with only a couple of areas clear for swimming but we saw lots of people in the water so I guess its usable. We are not a big ocean family so this was not a big issue for us.

Staff - The entertainment staff worked hard to get everyone involved. They were always upbeat and seemed to enjoy themselves. Bar staff were good as were the dining room staff. House keeping staff kept our room in great shape but never saw them the whole week.

Activities - Our daughter was too old for the kids club but it looked like they were kept very busy with lots of activities. The pool and beach events were going on all day but we were more watcher's than do'ers. The night activities were a little lacking. There was a long gap between dinner and the evening show (9:30) and once showtime was over there was nothing going on except the disco. Maybe a place with a small band playing or piano lounge would be good.

Overall - We had a great week. The couple of small issues we had were handled quickly and professionally by the manager. I guess the best indicater of a resort is whether you would go back and we would head back to Sandos Caracol anytime.

Dean, Patti & Erin

windsorite4fun · 03-27-2006

The cab fare is $9.00 US. That is a set rate and you should get that price from any taxi around 5th Ave.

03-26-2006	#1 (permalink)
windsorite4fun sandflea Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Windsor, Ontario Posts: 4	Positive Sandos Caracol report This is our trip report on our Sandos Caracol stay Mar 15-22. I will only mention things that happened to our family and there will be no second hand accounts...no "here's what I heard at dinner"...no "someone told me this or that". First, this was our first trip to Mexico but have stayed at AI's in Jamacia and St. Martin so we have a bit of experiance to compare too. We are a family of 3 - 2 adults and one 13 year old daughter. We got to the resort at 11:30 am and were told our room would be ready at 1:30. We hit the pool and had a bite to eat and at 1:30 went back to the lobby and we're lead to a very nice room ..7412...close to the lobby but a long walk to the beach. Wed and Thur were great days...we had no issues at all with our room or the resort. On Friday we did a great Cat cruise to Isla Mujeres...this is a great trip and very much worth the money. When we got back to the resort..7pm.. we had no hot water....this means nothing coming out of the hot water taps...turn on the cold tap...lots of water...turn on the hot taps...nothing. We called the front desk and were told there was a problem and they were trying to fix it. When we got up Sat morning we had no water at all. We went down to the lobby and talked to the Apple rep on duty and told him our problem. He told us to give him a couple of hours and come back and see him and he would find out the problem. At 4pm we went back to see the Apple rep and he told us there was a water pipe broke going to our block of rooms and we would be moved. The resort manager came to us and told us he would show us a few rooms and we could check them out and decide which one we would like. The first room he showed us was 2221 which was a suite ...2 rooms ...nice balcony with a jacuzzi tub on it and very close to the beach. We told him this would be great and within an hour we were in our new room. That is the only room problem we had all week. Our doors locked..our safe locked...we got towels and wash cloths...had no sewage problems...nothing else. The rest of the week went great. Food- Food was Ok...not the best we have had but not the worst. It was a little repetitive and sometimes you didnt know what was on the buffet.maybe some signs saying what the dish was might help. There was always something we liked and the pasta was always being made fresh. It was hard to get resrvations at the other restaurants but on Monday the 20th they changed the system so you could only book for that nights dinner so maybe that will help the situation. While we were there the Spa and Gym opened ...the disco was open and we went once and it seemed nice. On the last night the second buffet opened. Didn't know it was open until after we ate so we didn't get to try it. Not sure if it has the same food as the main buffet or not. The large pool area near the front of the resort opened while we were there but the bar was not ready yet. There were 3 pools opened and the fourth had water in it and looked like it was very close to being ready. Beach - Not the nicest we have been on but not too bad either...there was a bit of debris and we did find a piece of glass one day but still a nice beach for sitting on and ok for walking on. The water is pretty rocky with only a couple of areas clear for swimming but we saw lots of people in the water so I guess its usable. We are not a big ocean family so this was not a big issue for us. Staff - The entertainment staff worked hard to get everyone involved. They were always upbeat and seemed to enjoy themselves. Bar staff were good as were the dining room staff. House keeping staff kept our room in great shape but never saw them the whole week. Activities - Our daughter was too old for the kids club but it looked like they were kept very busy with lots of activities. The pool and beach events were going on all day but we were more watcher's than do'ers. The night activities were a little lacking. There was a long gap between dinner and the evening show (9:30) and once showtime was over there was nothing going on except the disco. Maybe a place with a small band playing or piano lounge would be good. Overall - We had a great week. The couple of small issues we had were handled quickly and professionally by the manager. I guess the best indicater of a resort is whether you would go back and we would head back to Sandos Caracol anytime. Dean, Patti & Erin

03-26-2006	#3 (permalink)
Wisconsin67 sandflea Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 4	We were there 20-24 March- Okay. My family stayed at the Caracol Mar 20-24. (We got a really good deal from Apple's website, and in a moment of January-in-Wisconsin-will-this-never-end? weakness, booked the deal.) If we had stayed any longer we definately would have done more offsite excursions, there wasn't that much to do for a 15 and 12 year old. Lots for the younger set and the 18+, but that age group needs to bring a friend. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> ROOM - We always had polite service, our housekeeper was very nice and there was nothing ever missing from our room. Rooms were basic, the A/C worked, the water pressure was minimal, hot water worked during the off peak times - I think the building shared the hot water heater. The only time our water didn't work was during the blackout on Thursday night, caused by the storm. The showers are designed to NOT have curtains, the wall acts as the curtain -easier to clean and less mildew, I"m sure. The setup worked fine. TV satellite was intermittent. Our door keys would stop working after two or three uses, we'd just go get new ones at the lobby desk. We told them at the end but it wasn't enough of a problem to want to hang around the room while they tore our door apart. Buildings 1-16 seemed to have the fewest problems. <o:p></o:p> POOLS - Much progress is being made at the resort, the pool by builidngs 29-34 opened on Tuesday. (The juice/soda gun wasn't working on Wednesay, so I went to the pool bar on my way for fresh towels and got some drinks there. Four drinks and four towels and two hands. One of the bartenders grabbed a tray and the drinks and walked with me all the way to our spot - about 2-3 blocks. Gracias, Guery!) The little pool behind buildings 13-15 was almost deserted and had a beer tap but no full service bar. It also had a shallow ledge along the edge of the pool that was great for sunning and staying cool. <o:p></o:p> The big pool by the beach has all the activities and was crowded by <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:time Minute="30" Hour="8">8:30 am</st1:time>. The pool by buildings 30-34 had more private partiers, and had a nice kiddie pool. By the time we left the only pool not open was the one way back by the lobby, and those rooms weren't open either. <o:p></o:p> FOOD - The buffet has good variety, but it's not the Golden Corral. Most Americans aren't going to be thrilled with cheese and coldcuts for breakfast, but there's clientele from all around the world. They did make a great omelette, pancakes and french toast. Pasta and hamburgers were available for lunch, and supper had always at least three meat entrees. Or you could survive on french fries and pineapple like my 12 year old did one day. The second buffet opened on Wednesday, but dinner only. It is much smaller than the primary buffet, and has the more attentive service like the Italian buffet(which I think had the most American, kid-friendly foods.) <o:p></o:p> THE LUXURIES - The spa also opened while we were there, but the spa pools were still works in progress. The spa lobby pool was open but the pump motors in the chair jets and fountains were too strong and the right one was being ordered. Massage prices looked to be comparable to what you pay here. - 50-90 USD for 50 minute treatments. <o:p></o:p> The alacarte restaurants take limited reservations so get in line early - <st1:time Minute="30" Hour="8">8:30</st1:time> or so. The menus are very limited, one chicken one pork one seafood choice, but the atmosphere is fun to see. I thought the Chinese restuarant was more Japanese, with the sushi, teriyaki, and seaweed everything, but it was good. we liked the italian buffet better for our family though. The restaurants look empty even though they're "booked" I think they offer seatings in proportion to the fullness of the hotel to keep costs in line. <o:p></o:p> The tennis courts are a strange combination of astroturf and sand, and have not been updated since the hurricane. They're in rough shape, and surrounded by the jungle, it's a great place to get bit by no-see-ums at night. The lights work fine, you need to turn them on yourself. <o:p></o:p> The boutique stores were not open, but Playa del Carmen is a free shuttle ride, and we took a taxi back after dinner for 12USD with tip- about 10 minutes. <o:p></o:p> THE JUNGLE - The resort has lots of areas that are left natural, with mangroves filled with calling birds, ponds and streams teaming with turtles and fish. And where there are turtles, fish and birds, there are insects. Biting insects. (Not bedbugs, as some stated.) Bring spray or an itch cream if you're out at night. Especially playing tennis. Lots of trees are still downed in this area after the hurricane too, so they're not as scenic as they once were/will be. <o:p></o:p> THE BEACH - is not pristine, there's seaweed, rocks, and huge sandbags along the shore. However, if you go north, you can tell they've certainly been busy picking up debris. Offsite it's cluttered with plastic bottles, cans, old carpet, broom heads, and downed trees. The effects of the hurricane are very evident. The resort part of the beach is nice - there are enough lounge chairs and palapas for everyone, and toward the north end of the beach it's more private, we saw some more agressive suntanning going on that end, so if you're easily offended, walk south. <o:p></o:p> THE REST - Buildings 44-78 are still being finished. I was told they'd be ready "in a week, maybe two". I'd guess more like May. Areas around the rest of the place are also being worked on, like landscaping by the spa, sign posts, and path lighting and rails. The workers are always very polite. The most construction noise I heard was the heavy construction going on offsite, behind builidngs 25-31. <o:p></o:p> SUMMARY - We had a nice time, but not a great time. The staff was very nice, but the resort was not at the rating listed on the Apple website. We tend to travel to new places, but if we did return to the Riviera Maya, we'd only come back here to see the improvements, and then go back to our other resort.

03-26-2006	#2 (permalink)
babs31 life=playa Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: south of Green Bay Posts: 849	Thanks for posting. I know those who are embarking on their vacation will be happy to read your report. Sounds like you had a wonderful time and kudos to the management for getting you moved!

03-27-2006	#4 (permalink)
mackem_lass into ruins Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Durham, UK Posts: 73	Thanks for those reviews. They were really balanced and give a good idea of how things are at the moment

03-27-2006	#6 (permalink)
windsorite4fun sandflea Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Windsor, Ontario Posts: 4	The cab fare is $9.00 US. That is a set rate and you should get that price from any taxi around 5th Ave.

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