4 Negative Things About Our Week at SANDOS CARACOL Eco Resort

We visited Sandos Caracol Eco Resort for a week of all inclusive fun. The resort was getting mixed reviews and a lot of negative comments in groups and reviews I was reading.
During our entire week there were only 4 negative things I experienced - and I wanted to share more about them with a little context. Also - as I say in the video, these are all subjective and based on my time there - they may be better (or not a problem at all) for you if you visit.
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below!
4 Negative Things About our Week at Sandos Caracol Eco Resort:
0:00 Intro
1:20 ✔️ 1. Our Room
2:25 ✔️ 2. The Food
4:05 ✔️ 3. People Eating & Spilling Food in the Pool
5:13 ✔️ 4. Check-In
6:01 Closing
#sandoscaracolecoresort #sandoscaracol #sandoscaracolecoresort
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Check out my other Sandos Caracol Videos:
15 Things I Liked About Sandos Caracol: • 15 Things I Liked Abou...
Sandos Caracol Eco Resort Tour: • SANDOS CARACOL ECO RES...
Sandos Caracol Eco Resort Room Tour: • SANDOS CARACOL Eco Res...
Sandos Caracol Eco Resort Food Guide: • SANDOS CARACOL Eco Res...
Sandos Caracol Jade River Boat Ride: • Sandos Caracol Eco Res...
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Check out my travel blog: www.theaveragetourist.com
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Sandos Caracol Eco Resort Overview (from: www.sandos.com/sandos-caracol...)
Immerse yourself in nature and ancient Maya history at our truly unique all inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Here at Sandos Caracol Eco Resort, you can swim in the crystal-clear waters of a ancient jungle cenote, lounge on the beach surrounded by palm trees, or spend an adrenaline-filled day at the full-size water park. When you have the best water park in Mexico, multiple swimming pools, non-stop fun and entertainment, along with a white sand beach what more do you need.

[@TheAverageTourist]

These are just a few minor negative things from my experience, and they are not deal breakers at all! We still had a fun week away - and I'd go back (but now I'd be armed with firsthand experience and know exactly what room/section to stay in and where to book all my dinner reservations) Let me know if you have any questions about our stay!

[@jeramease89]

Hi jamie from wales uk ,hope you enjoyer your stay ,i go in 10 days ,where is the best section ,as many tips for a novice as you can would be grateful thanks

[@natalievanengelen4660]

Thank you for this video! As well as your other videos about this resort. I always appreciate to hear both sides to be prepared and have realistic expectations. My hubby and I are going there in a few days and we're excited! Our first vacation in years..

[@SapphireBlueTravelExplores]

Hi Sarah, These may seem like small issues, but they can affect your stay and even if it is just a few things they add up. I love that you also shared how you worked around the issues as well as you could, sometimes you just have to change your mindset and lower your expectations. thanks for being honest and showing us it was even the annoyances.

[@TravelInteresante]

It's nice you mentioned that you also loved many qualities if the resort separately. Food is very important so if it's not great it can impact your perspective while traveling for sure! Wow that's a very long wait for a check in, it's crazy 🤔

[@BeingBedingfield]

Always good to share the good and the bad, and you shared the negatives in a really nice way. It’s very helpful to know the full picture when booking at a resort. Can’t believe you waited so long to check in though 😱

[@TheAverageTourist]

The check in was awful! I really did like the resort overall, but there were a few things I didn't enjoy - so wanted to share it as nicely as possible :)

[@dellbank7696]

Was there 12 years ago 2 half hour check in 😂

[@romanandfizah]

We are back ! Well this is part of our traveling life’s Same goes to us, hardly to find perfect but at least enjoy the moment Full supporting from us ,hope your day is wonderful

[@ophiralevy2263]

I've stayed here 3 times, and the rooms have always been great, but they were all in the family section. Modern, clean, spacious, and comfortable beds.

[@TheAverageTourist]

Yeah I wouldn't ever pay to upgrade to the rooms they gave us ever again. Not worth it even for the convenience

[@AdamCzap]

AGREE WITH ALL OF THIS!! This place honestly was horrible. Went there, family of 4 (wife, dad, kids 8 and 9). We arrived at 3 for on-time check in, but couldn't get into our room until 4 because the room "wasn't ready yet". Also, I grabbed a clean plastic cup from the lobby bar water station.... aaaaand it smelled like someone dumped out a pina colada and rinsed the glass with water and put it back. Gross. We stayed in a Royal Elite room with the separate bedroom. Room had moldy shower, and the shower door wouldn't even open all the way due to hitting the ceiling drywall (!!!). Screen leading to balcony was ripped and let in ants and bugs. Smoke detector was falling off the ceiling. Electronic device plug fell out of the outlet next to the bed. Bed was ROCK hard, like this person mentions. But the room did have 2 showers and 2 toilets, so that's nice I guess. I've stayed in more comfortable beds at a Super 8. How about that food. Food everywhere, including the a la carte restaurants, was sub-par, often served room-temp, and our meals came at all different times throughout the evenings at multiple places (as opposed to all at the same time so we could eat together). My wife got food poisoning one night which lasted a full 24 hours. My son unfortunately has food allergies, and the amount of cross-contamination in the buffets was also unnerving. If this resort operated in the United States it would be shut down for multiple critical food code violations. Pools. Lots of choices here. We also saw people eating in the pool. There are no staff telling guests how to behave, so people just do whatever they want. The pool water was cloudy in the main pool. Like... I can't see the steps when I walk out of the pool type of cloudy. GROSS. Grounds. Hope you enjoy bouncing back and forth between feeling like you're in a jungle, on a farm, or driving past a sewage dump. Seaweed problem on the beach make the actual beach unusable. Facts. We ended up going to Playa for all our food after my wife got sick. Complained to management and we ended up being reimbursed for 1 day of our all-inclusive. Manager was very cool about it, but obviously felt super embarrassed when I showed him photos of each thing I mentioned here. Sorry I'm not making my own video about this, maybe some time I will find the time to do that.

[@TheAverageTourist]

Luckily while we were there the seaweed wasn't that bad. But it still made the beach area smelly and not ideal swimming conditions. The grossest thing to me was the floating soggy food in the pool. Still grosses me out thinking about it. I did like the property - the jungle vibes were cool and I liked that there were actually things to do around the hotel. But I compared this experience to some of my trips to Cuba - it did not compare to any of our other Mexico vacays. Sorry you also had a poor experience. Hope you wrote a review on TripAdvisor or Google!

[@LucasWorldTravel]

Food in the pool is a deal breaker for me. That is super gross! And an hour to check-in is ridiculous as well. Glad you enjoyed the resort despite the negatives. It really did look like you had a great vacation despite the negatives!

[@TheAverageTourist]

I know - soggy pool food was so gross. I was so glad they had an adults only pool and no one was eating there. We did really enjoy it - these were just a few minor things.

[@jamesnaabye5752]

Same it took me 3 hours to check in

[@TheForexo]

I'm going in a couple weeks, thank you for the tour

[@TheAverageTourist]

Glad you enjoyed.

[@reelhappytravellers2691]

This is such a powerful wanderlust video. When I was working in an unfulfilling corporate job, I would sometimes travel just to escape the grind and distract myself from it. It was when I quit that job when I began traveling with purpose. Thank you once again for amazing explores!!!!

[@MMP0303tv]

hello madam very nice video new friend from ITALY 🇮🇹 thanks for sharing sending my big support 👍🔔

[@EdwardTravels]

Thanks for doing the review. That hairdryer in the bathroom was really old school. The food is important for hotels as that’s what brings people back and they should keep the people from eating in the pool. Ewwww Another great video. Keep traveling

[@TheAverageTourist]

Yes that hair dryer was something I'd never seen before. It took me a few minutes to figure out how to work it but it barely blew air 😂 Yeah not a fan of the pool food either... yuck

[@tonyliedl5591]

We had the penthouse suite, and even that bed was hard as a rock. It was tough to sleep every night. Food wasn't good either. Other than that, I LOVED everything else about the resort, especially the animals!

[@TheAverageTourist]

Oh man, I thought the penthouse bed looked more comfortable but it could have just had a fluffier blanket. I agree - bed and food weren't good but the rest of the resort was awesome.

[@smiley1960]

I went there in 2010 and the food was so good back then this place is amazing and UNIQUE.

[@TheAverageTourist]

Definitely one of the most unique resorts I've been to.

[@MrSujano]

Fully agree on all fronts. After lunch, the main pool kinda looked like soup.

[@TheAverageTourist]

That's one way to put it!!

[@captainmacoy]

Looks your negative reviews agreeable, the worst is eating food in the pool, I hope the management make some rules.

[@quantumquestions5849]

Thank you for the heads up. I really do love to try out buffets it sucs when they suc.

[@TheAverageTourist]

It could be better now! We were there in early October and I've been seeing mixed reviews on the buffet recently. Also, you may love the food - depends on your preferences 😊

[@peterarsenault6010]

I'm staying here now, I totally agree about the food-- it's either bland or bad. But I will try La Riviera and Los Lirios based on your recommendation.

[@TheAverageTourist]

Hope you enjoy them! We thought they were pretty good.

[@KitatheExplorer]

I love that you started out saying these are based on your travel preferences and the current health situation. But oh no I do not like that people were eating in the pool. That’s disgusting. And that sucks it took so long to check in. Hopefully it’s because they are short staffed.

[@Explorcation]

Thank goodness for being able to drink at the bar while waiting to check in 🍻 The eating in the pool would be annoying though, no one wants to swim next to soggy food 🤮 The honest review is so helpful, it isn't always perfect when traveling, even at all inclusives. Overall your series was done very well 👏

[@TheAverageTourist]

Thanks! It's hard to share the negatives without offending anyone - because I'm sure there are travellers that wouldn't care about these at all. But from my experiences, I wanted to share the realities instead of painting a picture of "perfection" which would be misleading. 😊

[@Explorcation]

@@TheAverageTourist I am sure those who are considering booking are very appreciative of hearing about the good and the bad!

[@smiley1960]

One thing I've noticed about traveling in general: if you book a super super cheap place and I'm talking cheaper than this resort, your going to encounter trashier behavior from the guests. The cheaper you go, the trashier the guests are. I encountered trash up in cancun the most

[@BanshanMarwein]

Thus is so pretty cool and lovely travel vlog 😍😍

[@TheAverageTourist]

Thanks very much!

[@outdoorsummiteer399]

Hi, i have just come back from this resort apart from the room totally agree, rooms i thought was awesome asked for a free upgrade and i give u a tip gave him 50 dollars well worth it, Yes the food in lagunna and everywhere on the complex is disgusting it's horrible, if you like your food this is definitely not the place for you.

[@TheAverageTourist]

Thanks for sharing! Glad you had a nicer room 👌

[@joea400]

Will be there 3 weeks from today. I'll let you know how the food is lol... Hoping it was just the time that you went during the pandemic, like you said...

[@TheAverageTourist]

Hope you have a great time. Would be interested to hear a recent food review 👌

[@renanedenis2848]

How was it? I’m going in a month. I’m second guessing it now 😫

[@joea400]

@@renanedenis2848 food isn't bad, but don't go expecting it to be 5 star gourmet meals. And if you want to get dinner reservations at the a la carte restaurants, you need to be up and reserve at midnight to ensure you get a reservation. Beach is all rocks, almost impossible to swim. Other then that, the resort was great. Despite the mediocre food and Rocky beach, my wife and I have no regrets. If you want a prestine beach, you can go to their sister resort for free for the day. Just need to pay for a taxi.

[@CG-qx3yc]

I just came back this week and I thought the food was great everywhere. Ill take them over any Las Vegas buffet. This an all inclusive hotel and based on this review I expected it poor but my family and I loved it. I do agree on the check in needs to be improved.

[@TheAverageTourist]

Glad you had a better experience. When we went there were supply chain shortages and issues so we think that probably had something to do with the food quality.

[@jeannearc9879]

I knew it when i saw your other video i already ĥave an idea that the room n food might be kind of bad because the resort is too big n hard to maintain. I do like the idea of having a big resort, but for me room has to be nice and clean.. They're a big deal for me😅. However, i do want to try n checkout this resort so ill probably book 2 resort 😂😂 lol.

[@TheAverageTourist]

Yeah I agree about the rooms. The grounds here are great though 👍

[@TideKnotTravellers]

Mushy food floating towards you in the pool would really put us off swimming too. Hopefully the long check in line was due to low staff as 1.5 hours to check in shouldn’t be the norm, that’s not a good way to welcome any guests to a resort.

[@TheAverageTourist]

Yeah I was not a fan of the mushy food in the pool. I think that was specific to the people there at the same time as us... it seemed like a big group, or they became friends... but that just made more people eat in the pool because they saw them doing it. I was glad they had an adult only pool where we started to spend more of our time. The check-in was awful. So long.

[@smiley1960]

Someone told me the beds were hard to keep the bugs and mold at bay, since you are in a jungle type of setting... they use harder material for their bedding

[@alanpoole1387]

I'm here now, we are in the ECO section and the rooms are really nice tbf, high up in the trees and feed the monkeys bananas daily. I don't know if the rectified the pool issue but never saw anyone with a table in the pool. Must have got lucky with the check in.. only 10 minutes. haha Food was ok and agreed, lucky enough I'm not not fussy. Best food place was Rivera and teppanyaki.

[@TheAverageTourist]

Sounds like you hit the vacay jackpot then!! Enjoy 🙌

[@alanpoole1387]

@@TheAverageTourist haha yea, definitely. I watched all your videos prior to booking to make sure I made the right decision on where to book, so thank you for your in-depth videos. I couldn't complain really.

[@DeviousLaura]

The food quality must be due to supply shortages. What you showed in the video is shockingly different from my experience there in 2017. I think they are in financial trouble too, judging by all the "come back! Book now for 50% off!" emails I've been getting.

[@TheAverageTourist]

Yeah that's what we thought too about supply chain issues and shortages. The food wasn't all bad, but it definitely wasn't what we were used to in Mexico.

[@smiley1960]

Every resort does that, and the travel industry has been hit hard since covid in 2020

[@DeviousLaura]

@@smiley1960 yeah, I made that comment a year ago, I see what you're talking about now.

[@Svenywhere]

The room indeed looks very dated. Luckily there were some alternative places to eat. Buffet in my experience isn't normally that great. That check in process seems indeed not great with such a long queue. Price wise for those negative things, are they justified or is the resort in a price range you shouldn't expect this?

[@TheAverageTourist]

Yeah we aren't normally fans of buffets, but we have had some really good ones in Mexico. So we were glad to have alternative restaurant options. The resort prices were actually on par with some of the other higher rated resorts in the area. We tried this one because (at the time of booking) it was getting good reviews and we wanted to try the Eco Resort experience. Now we've tried it, and don't need to again! But the grounds and activities were some of the best we've ever seen at an all inclusive.

[@chrisstone6960]

We arrived late 10 pm, 2hr wait to check in for us, they gave us the wrong wrist bands and had to wait another hr the next day. The maps look like six flags theme park maps. Not very clear how to get around. There is no elevator to get to third floor. When you leave your room six times in a day it gets tuff on the knees… service is very slow or most time not even there. Don’t expect refills often

[@GoTravelOnTheCheap]

It is sometimes nice to touch on those things that are not "always sunshine and roses" about a trip... Ugh, no bueno with the mold and the horrible mattress! What exactly is that at 4:02? We would not like having a check-in process like that...unless maybe the drinks were free & unlimited? 😉

[@Mayra-ui9jx]

Yes they are

[@GoTravelOnTheCheap]

@@Mayra-ui9jx Good deal!

[@StoneCold0x0]

I am in Santos right now 😎

[@TheAverageTourist]

How are you enjoying it?

[@StoneCold0x0]

It is really very beautiful there. Especially because of the nature and the many animals that you otherwise only see in zoos. I come from Germany. I chose this hotel because of your videos about it.

[@carloleocabate3924]

Hi thank you for the indepth look into the resort. I am planning on going to mexico with my family. My wife and 4 yr old is looking for a place that has a waterpark. This resort came up but we also have a 1 year old. So im worried about the walking portion and the food selection as my family is a big foodie. Is there another resort you would reccomend? Thanks

[@TheAverageTourist]

This resort has quote a good waterpark and lots of other attractions as well for kids. The food isn't great for foodies though. Royalton Cancun or maybe the Ocean Riviera Paradise might be good alternatives

[@carloleocabate3924]

@@TheAverageTourist thank you for the recommendation. We have been a big fan of royalton and has gone to punta cana and negril locations. We have been looking into mexico but has noticed that resorts are usually smaller in terms of exploring. Thats why i was intrigued by caracol. Xcaret would be best but not with a 1 year old.

[@TheAverageTourist]

We did Ocean Riviera Paradise in 2019 with our 2.5 year old nephew. Had a decent water park playground area and the food was good. I posted videos on that one too if you're interested. Happy vacationing!!

[@TheAverageTourist]

We staued at Hotel Xcaret Mexico and it was amazing, and has access to so many parks included. But with a small child I don't think it's worth it. A lot of travelling from the resort.

[@marmondrafer]

how do you get the adults select club bracelet? thank you

[@TheAverageTourist]

You can pay to upgrade at the resort or even before you travel if you've used a travel agent or a booking site that allows upgrades.

[@marmondrafer]

@@TheAverageTourist thank you so much. I love your videos 💖

[@bruce5823]

What room did you have? There are lots of complaints about the food in the reviews. Have you stayed at any other resort in this area? True is people behave badly and I agree food in a pool area is gross. We have upgraded to select club and eco family areas, does it make a difference?

[@TheAverageTourist]

We had room 503 which was in one of the Royal Elite buildings. We stayed at the Ocean Riviera Paradise, Grand Sunset Princess, Grand Riviera Princess, and I toured Petit Lafitte and Mvngata hotels (not all inclusive but 3* and 5* in comparison). Select Club will definitely make a difference food wise - you can east breakfast and lunch at the Select Club restaurants (adult only) and order off the menu. We really enjoyed breakfast and lunches. Dinner wise, anyone can make reservations at any of the restaurants. My favourite was La Riviera and Los Lirios. The Mexican and Italian ones were pretty good too. The Brazilian was closed when we were there for dinner.

[@As18884]

@@TheAverageTourist Did you like your experience at Ocean Riviera Paradise?

[@OJC5048]

I think the food is really good

[@TheAverageTourist]

Maybe it was not great due to the pandemic

[@man12301982]

After searching for a resort that has wildlife, and many activities, we found your video on this resort and we were ready to book. But, having an hour and half+ wait to check in, tells me the guests arent valued. This mixed with the possibility of a worn down room with mold, is probably a deal breaker for us. do you or anyone else know of a resort with a wildlife environment with plenty of activities?

[@amandalush76]

I would love recommendations as well!

[@TheAverageTourist]

This is the first resort I've stayed at like this. I've also stayed at Hotel Xcaret Mexico, but it's in a completely different category and doesn't have the animal/jungle vibes. But it has a lot of activities and also excursions included.

[@man12301982]

@@TheAverageTourist Understood. We have stayed at a few resorts in cancun area, a few in Dominican Republic, and a couple in Jamaica. But, they all have been pretty much the same; big pools, decent beaches, decent food, pretty god shows, and some had a water park. But they all had about the same vibe. We are looking for resorts with someone different to offer such as wildlife, jungle vibes, but still want to have good customer service and nice rooms. I think we may have to start looking into central america. We still may go to this Sandos Carracol Eco resort and get the higher tier rooms and do a short stay, maybe 2-3 nights just to check out the pros that you've mentioned, thank you.

[@brunovaldez1038]

iberostar selection maya

[@Nothern_King]

I've seen check-in being an issue on a few reviews, it seems check-in is insanely slow

[@TheAverageTourist]

I saw lots of issues on it, but others have said they didn't experience it. Maybe depends on when and how you arrive. We were on a shuttle so a private transfer might get you there without a crowd.

[@lauraespinosa3300]

When were you there?

[@TheAverageTourist]

End of September into October.

[@OJC5048]

For me to check, it only took 20 minutes

[@TheAverageTourist]

Lucky!

[@5bellaful]

When we went there was no air conditioning in eating area's the food was ok not great. We were able to eat a sister resort sandos playacar quality of food so much better and air conditioning. The beach was no Rock's this resort so many rocks no one in water

[@TheAverageTourist]

Didn't make it to Playacar... maybe next time

[@ryanbell4952]

Im here right now. Very disappointed - food is absolutely awful

[@TheAverageTourist]

Yeah the food was not great. Are you select club or Royal Elite? that was our saving grace because we were able to eat at a better spot for breakfast and lunch.

[@ryanbell4952]

@@TheAverageTourist not but have tried both of those restaurants for diner and we are not impressed unfortunately

[@user-zc1ws1dj7r]

I will keep short family vacation for 9 people i went on and was a horriable stay could not get any al a cart reservations and service was crap i DO NOT RECOMEND THIS RESORT ! UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE PISSED AND STRESSED on your vacation rated out of 10 i give it 1,5 cause the weather was awesome thats it !!!!!

[@jackryan2502]

I don't know why you're being so apologetic for these resort shortcomings. I think reviews definitely need the good, bad and the ugly so people can gauge what's pertains to their most important requirements. It's expensive bring a family of 4 (from Toronto). I want to know what I'm in store for.

[@TheAverageTourist]

Very true, always sensitive to share bad experiences as everyone has their own perspective and option on what they think is good and bad. But I think we are fairly balanced travellers in our experiences and opinions. It wasn't the worst, but it definitely wasn't the best. The food at the buffet reminded me of food we had in Cuba (at a nice Cuban resort) but we also had better experiences at the Select Club restaurant for breakfast and lunches. We got an amazingly good deal on this resort, and I thought the grounds and property were amazing, but if I were to have to pay full price I'd probably pass.

[@maryvelga]

No recomiendo el hotel muy sucio dentro de los cuartos ,no tienen seguridad, la comida de buffet muy mala. El restaurante brasileño muy bueno

[@TheAverageTourist]

agree about the rooms - ours was not great. And the buffet was not good either. We didn't get to eat dinner at the Brazilian restaurant only breakfast.

[@maryvelga]

I don’t recommend sandos caracol,we had a bad experience

[@TheAverageTourist]

It's definitely not the best resort I've been to. But not the worst either.

[@IvansBikesBmws]

Disaster. Thnx

[@edithvasquez2601]

Si no te gusto nada Xq te quedaste te huvieras largado de donde vienes y si tienes más dinero que hacias ahí solo haces quedar mal alos que si nos gusta