Sandos Playacar

My wife and I spent our honeymoon at Sandos Playacar. Surreal experience. Such a beautiful spot, awesome food. And even better service. Will definitely be coming back to this spot.

Also want to add a special thank you to the beach service. Magali served us all week and was such a sweetheart. She has top notch service.

We recently spent a week at Sandos Playacar as a family of four, with two adults and children aged 15 and 10, and overall we had a really lovely holiday.

The staff are what truly make this resort. Every member of the team we encountered was warm, welcoming and professional. It was lovely to be greeted by staff as we walked around the resort, and that consistent friendliness made us feel welcome throughout our stay.

Rooms and housekeeping

Our room was a fantastic size, with comfortable beds and everything kept spotlessly clean. Housekeeping did a brilliant job, and we returned to a beautifully clean room every day. The minibar was always well stocked and replenished, too.

The rooms are a little dated in appearance, but this didn't bother us at all. The resort is well maintained, and cleanliness is clearly a priority. We did have a minor issue with the shower draining, but the maintenance team dealt with it quickly and efficiently.

Food and restaurants

The buffet offered plenty of choice. Although the selection could become repetitive over the course of a week, we always found the food enjoyable. The omelette, smoothie, taco, pasta and stir-fry stations were all great additions, and it was reassuring to see staff continually cleaning surfaces, keeping the dining areas tidy and replenishing the dishes.

We also ate at the à la carte restaurants, which operated on a first-come, first-served basis during our stay. We tried the steakhouse, Asian and Italian restaurants, and the food was excellent across all three.

Service at the steakhouse was a little slow, and the experience didn't flow quite as smoothly as we would have liked. However, the Asian restaurant was a much better experience, thanks in particular to Gloria, who went out of her way to make sure our 10-year-old daughter found something she would enjoy eating. That extra care really stood out.

The Italian restaurant was so good that we went twice!

The beachside snack bar was another highlight, offering a lovely range of food in a self-service buffet. It was a great option when we wanted something to eat without leaving the beach.

Bars and entertainment

The bars never seemed particularly busy when we visited, and the staff were consistently excellent. Drinks were always well prepared, and we never had any complaints about the service.

The entertainment team were fantastic. We had a lovely chat with Nicolas from Belgium, and the whole team helped create a fun, welcoming atmosphere. For the first time ever on a holiday, I actually joined in with aqua aerobics and the pool games! The evening entertainment was excellent, too, and something the whole family enjoyed.

The wildlife – a real bonus!

One of the things that makes Sandos Playacar special is the wildlife throughout the resort. We spotted coatis, monkeys, agoutis, iguanas, geckos and plenty of birds. We even managed to spot the resort's turtles. For us, seeing the animals in the grounds added something extra to the whole experience and was a real highlight of our stay.

Would we recommend Sandos Playacar?

Absolutely. For our family, with children aged 10 and 15, it was a great choice. The resort was spotlessly clean, the grounds were well maintained, the food was enjoyable, the entertainment was excellent and the staff were outstanding.

Is it the most modern or polished resort? No. Some areas and rooms are a little dated, and there are occasional small service niggles. However, everything we experienced was clean and well cared for, and we felt the overall experience reflected the price we paid for our holiday.

We came away feeling that we had enjoyed a fantastic family break, and the warmth and professionalism of the staff played a huge part in that.

Thank you, Sandos Playacar, for a lovely holiday. We would happily recommend it to other families looking for a welcoming, clean and enjoyable all-inclusive resort.