I had my family and my fiance stay at the Sandos Caracol for my wedding in Mexico. The resort has nice facilities, it is kid friendly, has lots of food options (though unfortunately several of my family members had some stomach issues after returning home so it is too many to call coincidence). The nightlife was good and staff was friendly. The rooms were cleaned daily though there were some issues with some of the rooms during the check in stage which were taken care of , though it took several phone calls to the front desk to get them resolved. It is a large resort which is understaffed and under construction. And as several guests have stated, you do get what you pay for, however, when it is completed, it will be a 3-4 star resort. Not a bad resort by any means, but, for now, it is a 2.5 star resort.

We just came back from Sandos and stayed 3/25-3/30, we had 3 kids and 2 adults, it was awesome. I was so nervous with all the bad reviews but we never had a problem with anything.
Our room was on the first floor, 10 feet from the pool and 15 feet from the beach. Rooms had all working parts and were very clean. Beach and pools were very clean as well.
The food was in abundance and was very good. Even the picky kids had enough to eat. I do not drink so to me the drinks were fine. You can make reservations in any of the speciality restaurants in one day for the rest of your stay. So what you wait in line for 10-20 minutes, big deal.
There are many activities at the resort, so you never have to leave. The staff, even construction crews are extremely friendly. The staff goes out of their way to please you. Our safe worked and nothing was taken from my room. Hot water, electricity, a/c, fridge, room keys, all worked.
Everything the resort lists is available. My daughter went scuba diving,(cost extra) and her friend got certified. My youngest and I went on a snorkeling trip( 3 hours) $30 each. It was amazing. We went into Playa Del carmen and had a great time(free shuttle). We also went to Dolphin City and swam with the dolphins and snorkeled with the sharks.
I would go back anytime to this resort. I felt we were treated extremely well, the kids learned some spanish from the staff and we all did not want to leave.
Always remember, when you go into another country, they do not provide the US for you, you are there to enjoy their country.
Relax and do not worry, you will have an outstanding time.

My husband and I have saved for many years for this suppose to be once in a life time trip, celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. We had nothing but misery from the time we got there. No hot water for 2 days, then hot water for 2 days but the flow of the water was minimal. NO WATER for 2 days (which means not being able to flush the toilet). My husband was in the middle of a shower and the water just stopped flowing. Food at one and only buffet on the whole resort was always cold, tables were wobbly and uneven. The food was always the same and believe me, by day number 4 you are tired of eating that same stuff. Trouble with key cards. One day we had no electricity which in return meant no air conditioning. There was only 1 pool open till the day before we left then they opened the other one. The nightly entertainment is not that great. You also need to stand in a line to make dinner reservations, which can take up to 45 minutes everyday. One day my husband stood in line for 20 minutes only to find out that they were not taking any more reservations until NEXT WEEK because they were booked solid. The beach is never cleaned properly, if I didn't see that big piece of glass in the sand, my husband would have cut his foot. This resort should not be opened and running until they work out all the problems that they are having with this place. Other tourists were having more major problems then we were,which resulted in everyday having to hear what someone else was having to go through. No phone,televisions in room but not working, people with jack hammers working in rooms above theirs, ceilings in bathrooms falling in. People having raw sewage coming through their shower heads. We went there to relax and enjoy and get away from the stress. We ended up having more stress, always wondering what was going to break down next. We spent majority of our time at the front desk, standing in line, or waiting to speak with our representative.This is suppose to be a 4 star resort and hotel, far from it. I have better service at the camp grounds we go every year. At least they have clean running hot water.The only two good things about this resort is the coffee and the hard working staff Save your money and go somewhere else.
Frustrated and in need of a holiday.

My husband, 16-yr old son and I just returned from a 3-day weekend at the Sandos Caracol Resort. The hotel management must have responded to recent complaints. We had no problems other than a fridge that didn't work. We purchased an on-line package with no upgrades, however we were located in the heart of all the action. They are still working to get the resort ready for the high season, but the construction did not keep us from enjoying the open-air restaurants and common areas with new furniture, fresh paint, etc. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Only one warning for those traveling with teenagers-there is no drinking age limit observed in that area, including the town of Playa del Carmen. I didn't observe any of the bars turning away teenagers who were ordering drinks, however I think they "lightened" the drinks significantly. Another word of advice--don't take a lot of cash or valuables unless you plan to keep them on you at all times. We did talk to a couple of people who had money taken from their rooms. They did not use the safe and had carried several hundred dollars with them. The hotel management has no way of knowing for sure who took the money, so the guests could not recover their stolen money. There are many people with master keys so you have to use common sense and not leave valuables out, even hidden in luggage. The resort is all-inclusive, there are atm machines in Playa, and most major credit cards are honored in town as well. There are room safes. Make sure you don't use your room number as the code for your safe and make sure it is locked before you leave your room.