Sandos Playacar Rooms

Room configurations in the three different sections of the resort are varied. But the most ideal rooms for families feature two double beds and a pull-out sofa, which allows for two adults and up to three children in one room. These "junior suites" can be found in the new Riviera section.

Again, the newest Riviera section is furthest from the activity pool and the beach with balconies overlooking the "quiet" pool or the jungle. The junior suites here are spacious, with huge bathrooms with double sinks, separate shower and commode areas, and two-person Jacuzzi tub, plus a flat-screen television. The decor is modern and sophisticated with dark wood and warm beige accents.

Junior suites in the middle Hacienda section can also accommodate five guests (two adults and three children) with two double beds and a pull-out sofa bed. While some of the junior suites here have been updated to reflect the new modern decor and amenities of the Riviera section, most resemble the decor in the older Beach section (see below). One nifty thing about the quiet Hacienda section is that each of the 16 free-standing buildings has its own small, private, four-foot-deep pool and deck area with table and chairs. The Hacienda section features a lot of greenery, from the many shrubs and bushes to the rolling green lawn.

The standard Beach rooms are smaller than the Riviera rooms. Although some of the room configurations here have two double beds and one day bed/couch that together could technically accommodate two adults and three children, the official word is that they are limited to two adults and two children. The decor in our royal-blue and yellow room could be described as "Caribbean floral." The bathroom with shower only was not near as spacious as the bathrooms in the new Riviera rooms.

All resort rooms have a stocked mini-fridge, air-conditioning, balcony or terrace, in-room safe and hair dryer. Irons and ironing boards are only included in the Riviera section; you can ask for one to be delivered to your room. Complimentary cribs are available on request; there are no bedrails.

There are some adjoining rooms available, but the front-desk staff admitted to me that they are very hard to get, even if you request them in advance. In other words, definitely don't plan on having adjoining rooms to make into a sort of ad hoc suite for a large family.

Master Suites, with a separate living room and bedroom are available in the Riviera and Beach sections, but the quantity is limited (only two total in the entire Riviera section). If you book this type of room (a definite upgrade from the junior suite and more expensive, plus ocean facing in the Beach section), make sure you indeed get what you pay for!

Personally, we loved our standard room in the Beach section of the resort. The Riviera section was too quiet and staid for our boisterous group. With a Beach section room, you're close to the activity pool and the beach, making it easy to toggle between the two. And if you forget to bring something to the pool, it's not an epic trek back to the room to get it.

Golf-cart trams take guests from the Riviera section to the Meeting Point lobby area in the Beach section about every five minutes; it's a two-minute trip by tram car. Otherwise, to walk from the furthest room in the Riviera section to the ocean it's at least a 10-minute walk. It's a slightly shorter walk from the Riviera lobby to the activity pool.