Sandos Playacar Beach Resort

The Sandos Playacar Beach Resort & Spa is really four distinct properties, which together make it a massive resort.
The lobby is vast and not very intimate, with a marble mosaic floor, high wood ceilings, and a central rotunda, with leather couches scattered around the edges. The area is mostly empty space, but there is a lobby bar off to one side that's decorated in a bright, nearly neon, shade of green that makes the space feel more like a generic hotel bar than something specific to the Mayan Riviera.
The decor and design of buildings and common areas seem a little mall-like, rather than rustic or Mexican traditional. The grounds and landscaping, however, are lush and tropical, with wildlife and native birds roaming freely; howler monkeys are also known to make cameo appearances on some guest room balconies. The hallways and outdoor paths feature fountains and mosaic pools with Buddhas. As the resort is enormous, there are detailed maps of the property at handy points around the grounds, as well as a friendly group of house cats with their own adorably tiny palapas throughout the property.
However, it's the spectacular beach, rather than the grounds, that really stands out. The Sandos is the last hotel on the strip of Caribbean shoreline, and thus there are nearly three miles of unspoiled white sand along with water sports, lounge chairs, palapas, beach bars, and inviting Balinese sun beds (for adults only). Fish swim in the surf, and the snorkeling and swimming off the beach are both fantastic thanks to clear waters and the presence of tropical fish. There's also a PADI dive center on-site that offers off-shore excursions for an additional fee.

The Sandos Playacar Beach Resort & Spa is in a fabulous location in the community of Playacar, near Mayan ruins, beaches, and plenty of biking and jogging paths. The Sandos is the last hotel on Playacar’s southern edge, with nearly three miles of unspoiled white-sand beach available to guests. A lovely 35-minute walk (or 10-minute bike ride) down the beach brings guests to the center of Playa del Carmen, with its high-end shops, restaurants, cafes, and fantastic people-watching. From there, guests can catch a ferry to the island of Cozumel, known for its spectacular scuba diving.
Other day trips include the Mayan ruins at Tulum, a 50-minute drive away, Coba, an hour and 40 minutes away, and Chichen Itza, two hours and 15 minutes from the resort. Xcaret Eco Park, a 15-minute drive from the resort, has huge zipline courses, wildlife adventures, and cenote swimming. The Xaman Ha Aviary, 15 minutes away in the opposite direction, is a tropical bird sanctuary with flamingos, toucans, snowy egrets, and parrots that visitors can hand-feed. Next door to the resort is an 18-hole golf course designed by Robert Von Hagge. The Cancun Airport is a 50-minute drive away.

Rooms at the Sandos Playacar Beach Resort & Spa are all suites with separate sitting areas and private terraces or balconies, some of which are visited by resident wildlife, including mischievous howler monkeys. The rooms are all bright and clean, with basic decor that's livened up a bit with tropical print curtains and photographs of Mayan ruins. Beds have pillow-top mattresses. There are large water coolers in the rooms, an eco-friendly substitute for bottled water.
All rooms also have coffeemakers, minibars, and flat-screen TVs -- the higher the room category, the bigger the screen. Room service is available 24-hours. Bathrooms are spacious, with separate tubs and walk-in showers, free toiletries, and modern double vessel sinks. Some rooms have frosted glass retractable windows between bedrooms and bathrooms, by the jetted tubs, which can be interpreted as romantic or as lacking privacy depending on your view.
Standard rooms in the Beach Resort area are closest to the beach and pool. The Royal Elite Haciendas are suite villas, each with a small private pool, a solarium, and an outdoor hot tub. Haciendas are furnished with carved wood furniture and large Mexican-themed paintings. Rooms in the Riviera Family section have garden or pool views, but unlike rooms in other sections of the resort, don't have ocean view options available.

The Sandos Playacar Beach Resort & Spa is located on its own private stretch of gorgeous white-sand beach with a volleyball area and the occasional sandcastle building competition. Lounge chairs, shady palapas, hammocks, and Balinese sunbeds with breezy blue-striped mattresses dot the sand, and there's a separate area reserved for the over-21 crowd. Just off the beach, guests can swim, canoe, sail, windsurf, kite-surf, waterski, or practice their standup paddle-boarding skills, and lessons are available for a fee. The on-site PADI dive center offers dive courses, ocean, cenote, and Cozumel diving expeditions, and deep-sea fishing trips. Guests receive one free basic scuba lesson in the pool per stay, as well as one hour of free snorkel equipment use per day. There are also nine different freeform pools, some with islands for sunning in the center, others in a jungle-like setting ringed with plants. The adults-only pool has elegant cabana beds where guests can lounge all day, as well as a swim-up bar.
The resort spa is huge, with 22 treatment rooms, each with a private shower. A full menu of spa treatments is available, including hot stone and Thai massage, reflexology, aromatherapy, and the Temazcal Experience, which includes a stint in a sweat lodge. There's also a beauty salon with mani-pedis, hair braiding, and a full range of beauty treatments.
The fitness center is bright and spacious and feels more like a high-end gym than a hotel exercise room. There are spinning and yoga classes, and personal trainers are available for private sessions. The gym has plenty of cardio and weight machines as well as free weights. There are two tennis courts -- one hard and one grass -- which are are lit for night play. Racquets and balls are free to borrow, but proper attire is required. Other features include a miniature golf course, a small farm with three resident burros, and a small eco-park with monkeys, coatimundi, and peacocks. There are supervised clubs for babies, kids, and teens, each with tons of activities including movies, video and arcade games, air-hockey, and separate pools.

The Sandos has ten restaurants, including three buffets. The main restaurant, Festival Buffet, has a wide variety of options, including a grill station with food cooked to order. The a la carte restaurants include Asian, Mediterranean, Mexican, and Italian cuisine. There's also a steakhouse and a rodizio, or Brazilian steakhouse, called Fogo de Janeiro. Le Gourmet is a romantic, elegant French restaurant for guests in the adults-only section, with gorgeous decor including baroque paintings, lovely silvery-gray velvet chairs, and pretty white checkerboard floors. A sports bar shows soccer and NFL games. Finally, the CupCake Cafe is an adorable coffee shop with exposed brick, sherbet-colored chairs, outdoor seating, and fun, funky decor. La Mision nightclub stays open until the wee hours.