Sandos Playacar Planning & Tips

The full-service spa with relaxing pool and hot tub offers an array of massages, facials and wraps. Beauty salon offerings include haircuts, up-dos and braids, nail service and waxing. Next-door fitness center has cardio-vascular machines such as stationary bikes, treadmills and stair-steppers, plus strength-training equipment and free weights.

Resort babysitters can be hired for an initial $15 per hour fee, then $10 per hour up to four children, any age.

Wireless Internet for use with your own laptop is available in the two lobbies for $5 per hour, but not in the guest rooms. Or, log onto the Internet at the three computers in the business center/Internet cafe for $5 for 30 minutes.

Mayan ruins have been preserved on the property, on a hill next to the activity pool and also near the Teen Club. These ancient stone buildings are marked with informative plaques, and they are not roped off, so kids can actually touch them and walk inside.

The Sandos Playacar Resort & Spa has a primo location right on the white sand beach. Note that in recent years, however, that the beach has eroded. Humongous sandbags that look like giant beached whales are set in the water to prevent further erosion (these are found all up and down the beach, in front of other resorts, too). Kids love sliding down them or jumping from them into the ocean. I highly recommend an adult supervise play on these "whales."

A doctor is at the on-site medical clinic from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. until 7 p.m., and on call 24 hours a day.

Getting to Sandos Playacar
The resort is located on Paseo Xaman-Ha in Playacar, about an hour's taxi ride from the Cancun International Airport. While the hotel does not offer complimentary transfers to and from the airport, some vacation packages include them (these may be large buses that drop off at several different hotels) or you can book your van or taxi transfers via an independent transportation company online prior to your visit. Rough estimate ofcost? A one-way private van ride for up to seven people ranges from $65 to $85. For our large group of 14, we hired two vans round-trip for only $240 from Entertainment-Plus.net.

From the resort, it is a $5, five-minute taxi ride into town, or about a 35-minute walk for adults (factor a bit more time in if you have little legs in tow).

The resort is open year-round, but is most crowded with families over the Christmas holidays, spring break periods and summer vacation. In general, the low season for Playa del Carmen is April to June and September to mid-November - this is when you should find the least expensive rates. Remember that hurricane season runs from June to December.

The Advantage of All-Inclusives
In general, an all-inclusive vacation at the Sandos Playacar Resort & Spa is a great deal. Because your lodging, meals, drinks and activities are all included in the room rate, you know the price of your vacation up front (excluding off-property excursions). For families, especially, all-inclusive resorts such as this one make ultra-convenient vacations, too. Kids can always find something to eat at the plentiful buffet restaurants, and you don't have to spend time researching a bunch of kid-friendly eateries before you get there.

Once you arrive at the all-inclusive resort, there's very little cash you'll need. Exceptions include pottery painting, gift-shop purchases, professional printed photography, spa treatments and gratuities. We typically tip a dollar or two for good service in the restaurants (although it is not encouraged) and for daily housekeeping in our guest room. Small tips for bellmen or shuttle drivers are not expected, but certainly appreciated.

Note that the resort often runs "one child per family stays, eats and plays for free" or "children under five stay free" promotions. Be sure to ask about these discounts when you are booking to take advantage of great savings. Blackout dates may include Christmas week.

For Mom and Dad
With built-in child care, in the form of the complimentary Baby Club and Kids' Club or hired babysitters, parents have no excuse not to escape one afternoon or evening for some grownups-only time. You could enjoy a kid-free meal at one of the on-site restaurants (you've paid for it already!), but I'd also recommend hopping in a taxi to Playa del Carmen and strolling along Fifth Avenue. Do some souvenir shopping or peek into some of the chic boutiques, and then choose from any number of restaurants in the pedestrian-friendly area.

Other child-free recommendations: Borrow one of the hotel bicycles and ride to town; book massages at the spa; workout in the spacious fitness center; attend one of the nighttime theme parties (toga party, casino night, etc.); dance in the late-night disco -- it doesn't get going until midnight, so you'd need to be a night owl.