Where to Stay in Cozumel?

[AshleyJones1978]

We have visited Cozumel twice while cruising, and this year we are trying to decide whether to take another cruise or just fly down there for a week. Does anyone have suggestions about all-inclusive hotels? ALso, is Cozumel safe right now? Last year we rented a jeep and drove all over the island, but I've heard some negative things in the last few months!

[bruce-r]

If you are a diver, then you will want to stay south of town so the dive operator of your choice will pick you up from the resort rather than you having to take a taxi to the marina.

 

From what I have read, the Occidental Grand is probably the nicest All Inclusive on the island. It is quite a ways south of town so taxi fare there is something to consider, unless you are renting a car.

 

We stayed at the Fiesta Americana in December and had a really good time. We did the AI package there. It is optional there, unlike the Occidental properties, the Grand and the Allegro.

 

Some other AI resorts are Iberostar (not recommended if you are a diver) Reef Club, El Cozumeleno and there may be others I am not aware of. The nicest resort on the island doesn't offer the AI option, the El Presidente Intercontental. Be sure to do your research before booking. Tripadvisor.com is a good place to start.

 

Personally, I would pick a week is Cozumel over a cruise without a second thought.

 

.... is Cozumel safe right now? Last year we rented a jeep and drove all over the island, but I've heard some negative things in the last few months!

Safe as ever. What did you hear and where did you hear it?

[AshleyJones1978]

Wow! Thanks for the information. We are not divers; we both love to snorkel & want more beach time than the 7-8 hours we're given with the cruise. Last year we purchased a Cozumel map from cancunmaps.com, and it was very helpful. We spent some time at Duzl Ha and then went to Paradise Beach. WE loved it, but hated the fact that we had to keep checking our watch! :)

 

How was the Fiesta Americana? Was it on or close to the beach? I will definately check out that website. We are planning our trip for this December. My husband & I both work & will be in school full-time, so it's the only time we can go! And it's nice to come back tan & refreshed right before Christmas!

 

The things I've heard are mostly about Cancun & the corrupt police officers, but I didn't think that Cancun was very far away from Cozumel, so I didn't know how things were there. Vacationing is to get a way and relax, and we don't want to have to worry about corrupt officers!

[ScubaMare]

Cancun, since it is on the mainland and is more popular with Americans and American college kids, is really a world apart from Cozumel. Yes, the US State Dept. has issued statements cautioning American tourists about possible police scams in Cancun. But, what goes on in Cancun and what goes on in Cozumel are completely different. Cozumel also has a new mayor that has absolutely NO TOLERANCE for police corruption. In fact, some officers have been fired in the last several weeks.

 

You can't completely appreciate Cozumel unless you spend more than a day there. It's a very safe and very friendly island. The people that reside there are far more conservative, in general, than those in the resort towns of Cancun and Playa del Carmen.

 

Fiesta American is, I believe, right across the street from the ocean but has ocean access via a walkway. El Cozumeleno is also a nice AI resort -- north end of the island. Even if you go AI, be sure to eat dinner in town. There are many fabulous restaurants that are price around the Chili's pricing, and some cheaper.

 

We're pretty regular visitors to Cozumel and wee're going back in a few months for 10 days and can hardly wait!

[CozInsiderJacq]

Moon Palace or Palace Resort- bought Plaza las Glorias and has been doing renovations since last summer. It is looking more and more like a hotel again so I'm sure it will be finished up soon, definitely before Christmas. They are located very close to downtown - and right across the street from the movie theater and our version of Super Wal-Mart- Chedraui grocery store.

 

I have never heard anything bad about the Occidental or Allegro - only drawback would be the $15-$20 taxi ride to town (each way)

 

Fiesta Americana is nice and it's in walking distance to Dzul Ha area and only about a 10 minute taxi ride to the Sandy Beaches like Paradise.

 

I'm sure there are some nice AI's on the North end of the island and chances are it has little if any effect inside the hotel, but it seems like everytime I drive down there it smells bad. Especially if it has rained recently- it gets worse- El Cozumeleno/Melia/Coral Princess/Sol Cabanas and probably a few others are on the North side.

[bruce-r]

How was the Fiesta Americana? Was it on or close to the beach?

I thought it was an excellent value for what we got. The room was always clean. I thought the buffet food was fine, and the food I ordered from the menu was really good. It is across the non-busy street from the ocean. I could tell you about the sandy beach-type area, but a photo would be better.

and this one: http://www.toolcube.com/interest/travel/cozumel_2001/16280209.jpg You can see all the photos I found online here: http://brobertson.org/FAgalleryphotos.html The snorkeling was worth the time to do, and as mentioned already, it is really close to Dzul Ha. Actually, the thing to do is walk up to Dzul Ha to get in the water and drift snorkel back to FA. I'll probably go back there if I travel with my family to Cozumel.

 

The things I've heard are mostly about Cancun & the corrupt police officers, but I didn't think that Cancun was very far away from Cozumel, so I didn't know how things were there. Vacationing is to get a way and relax, and we don't want to have to worry about corrupt officers!

Cancun might be physically close to Cozumel, but in reality, it is a world away. The description I read of Cancun was this, it was a mexican version of Miami, all big hotels, with a bit of beach.

 

If you go, you'll have a great time. You already have an idea of what Cozumel has to offer.

[AshleyJones1978]

Thanks for the help, and the pictures are great!

[adatappstate]

We just got back from a week's stay at the Iberostar in Cozumel. We first visited Cozumel last March as a cruise port. We spent the day at Paradise Beach and enjoyed it so much that we decided to go back for a week. We stayed at the Iberostar for a week in October, and again just a few weeks ago.

 

The grounds are beautiful...like a tropical jungle, with flamingos, peacocks, iguanas, macaws, and flowers. The rooms are more like thatched-roof villas, with 8 rooms to a house. Therefore, you don't the highrise hotel, but a bunch of villas spread out all over the grounds.

 

The food was good in October, but we thought it was much better in April. It may have been because Oct is low season, and they don't fix as many different foods then. However, we felt that the staff was a little busier in April, so we didn't get as much one-on-one attention. Don't get me wrong, they were still awesome in April, but they just had more people to entertain.

 

The rooms were clean, and the minifridge stayed stocked with water and sodas/beer.

 

The beach area is a little rocky, but that makes for better snorkling. Granted, it's not as good as Dzul Ha, so we stopped there on our way to town.

 

As far as diving, there were many people using the dive shop (Dressel Divers) on the resort. This is very convenient because you are only about 5 minutes from the reef. We did the Discover Scuba course, and our service was excellent. I've talked to several people who prefer to use Dressel versus other companies in town. I do know that Iberostar is funny about letting other dive operators pick you up at their pier. Sometimes they allow it, and sometimes they don't.

 

Overall, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this resort for a week's stay. The only drawback is the distance/cost from town. $17 each way. But we just planned a day to go to town and did everything we wanted to while we were in town. We spent one day diving, and the rest of the time we spent at the pool watching/participating in the various activities around the pool/beach area (water volleyball, water polo, water aerobics, water basketball, beach volleyball, yoga, darts, rifle shooting, Spanish lessons, Salsa lessons, etc.).