Avenida Costera Miguel Aleman 178, Frac. Magallanes, Acapulco, Mexico | (888) 604-6432
Tidy rooms include
terraces and large bathrooms
Free breakfast includes hot items and coffee
Convenient
location, within a five-minute walk of Acapulco Bay, dining, and
entertainment options
Large outdoor pool
with slides
Open-air
restaurant serves above-average food
Multiple playgrounds include mini-golf, trampolines, and zip-lines
Free Wi-Fi throughout
Free coffee in the lobby
No direct
beach access
Guest room
decor is dated
Charge for parking
Sands Acapulco Hotel & Bungalows is a two-and-a-half
pearl hotel located in the tourist heavy Golden Zone. The hotel’s 59 guest rooms and
bungalows are clean, but their decor is drab and needs updating. Geared towards
families with young children, the hotel offers three playgrounds, mini-golf, a lovely outdoor pool, and an inviting open-air restaurant. There are dozens of shops, bars, and
restaurants found within a five-minute walk of the hotel, and Playa Condesa is located across the street. For a slightly higher rate, Alba Suites
offers direct access to a small beach but its location is farther from
downtown.
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
Scene
Low-key, budget hotel caters to families with young children
With its
utilitarian rooms and aging facade, there’s no denying that Sands Acapulco
is a budget hotel. At the same time, there’s a certain well-intentioned charm
exuded by its landscaped grounds and thoughtful, family-friendly amenities. The
lobby is bright and welcoming with marble floors and cheerful plants. A big
thermos of self-serve coffee is set on a table near the front desk. Couches
feature the same style of ugly patterned fabrics found in the guest rooms. Non-Spanish
speakers should keep in mind that signs are written only in Spanish and staff
speaks limited English.The
extensive play equipment makes the hotel’s target market of families with young
kids quite clear. This definitely isn’t a place for couples or groups of adults;
however, the atmosphere isn’t as chaotic as you might expect for a hotel
accommodating a lot of young kids -- in fact, it was surprisingly quiet during
our visit, with kids spotted contentedly climbing on the play equipment and swimming in the pool.
Location
Central location in Acapulco’s Golden Zone, across the street from Playa Condesa
The hotel is located along buzzing Avenida Costera Miguel
Aleman, Acapulco’s main tourist road. It’s busy and overdeveloped, but shops,
restaurants, and bars line the street in both directions. Papagayo Adventure
amusement park and the shops of Galerias Diana can be reached in less than 10 minutes on foot. A walk across the
Costera will bring you to Acapulco Bay and popular Playa Condesa. The Fort of San Diego, the Zocalo, and La Quebrada are all
located about three miles away. Acapulco International Airport can be reached
in a 40-minute drive. Covered outdoor parking is offered for a surcharge at the hotel.
Rooms
No-frills rooms offer large bathrooms and furnished terraces
Guest rooms
at Sands Acapulco are clean but the decor is in need of an update. Bedspreads
and matching curtains feature unattractive floral or striped designs, and
bedside tables are topped with tacky seashell lamps. Walls are decorated with
impressionist-style paintings, some of which are unexpectedly pretty. Some
rooms offer wall-mounted flat-screen TVs, while others include tube-style TVs set on
simple, light-colored dressers. Terraces are furnished with plastic or metal
tables and chairs; some offer views of the garden or pool. Bungalows provide additional space and are located towards the back of the property. Bathrooms
are large but basic, with drab white or beige tile. A dip in floor elevation and thin white shower
curtains are all that separate the shower from the rest of the room. Round
sinks include old-fashioned fixtures and free bars of soap.
Features
Multiple children’s playgrounds, appealing pool, and open-air restaurant with free breakfast
The large
Sandslandia playground is set within the hotel’s green, landscaped grounds. The
playground features a variety of colorful slides, swings, climbing equipment,
and seesaws, as well as a few trampolines. A small mini-golf course called
Golfito is found alongside Sandslandia. There's also a kid-size bungee jump
area. A large bouncy castle is sometimes inflated, but not always. None of these areas look
polished or flashy -- the mini-golf greens are faded and the play equipment has
an old-fashioned feel, but there’s a lot here to keep younger kids entertained.The hotel
also features an attractive outdoor pool, with a tall, twisting slide, in addition to a
round wading pool. The main pool is surrounded by white plastic lounge chairs
and umbrellas. The hotel’s restaurant faces towards the pool. It’s
unfussy and pleasant, with a mix of palapas, umbrellas, and tents that shelter plastic tables adorned with bright yellow tablecloths. Free breakfast is included in
the room rates, and the food is remarkably good. It consists of eggs, toast, coffee, and juice. There’s another tiny play area
found near the restaurant that offers more slides and climbing areas. A third
play area called Brinco Aventura opens up off the lobby. It features additional
swings, slides, and climbing equipment, along with a little zip line course.
Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel.
