8/10 Good
Treena
Feb 19, 2026
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities
A bright, clean room just a 5 minute walk from 5th Avenue with a fantastic rooftop pool.
We stayed for 10 days in February 2026. We were supposed to stay somewhere else but I switched gears last minute as we wanted a kitchenette. I wish I had done a bit more research as this area is definitely outside the tourist zone and while we never felt unsafe, the neighbourhood isn’t as clean or quiet as we’d have liked. Check the property on Google Maps and you’ll see what I mean. The listing says the balconies have a “city view” but you’re basically looking into other people’s windows.
The host could have also been more communicative. We didn’t get our access codes until we were literally in the car on the way from the airport. I needed to contact the 3rd party booker twice before I heard back. When we checked in we had two half-roles of toilet paper. I asked for more, and two days later one roll showed up in our room. We ended up buying our own. That being said, we asked for and got a later checkout.
The wifi was spotty at best but we didn’t bother reaching out about that, that could just be what to expect in Playa.
On the positive side, we walked everywhere given the central location and really enjoyed the pool every day - the rooftop is quiet and well landscaped, and many days we were the only ones there.
I don’t think we’ll go back to The Sands, but if you’re looking for a good value room with many amenities and don’t mind the location, this is a great spot to consider.
Treena
Stayed 10 nights in Feb 2026
