Del Mar Latino Beach Club

[travelguy2009]

Has anyone been to this all inclusive beach break? I'm confused with the website. I know drinks are included in the $39 price but is food included or do you pay a la carte?

[c-leg5]

2 hours ago, travelguy2009 said:

Has anyone been to this all inclusive beach break? I'm confused with the website. I know drinks are included in the $39 price but is food included or do you pay a la carte?

Food and drink included. They are affiliated to Nachi Cocom, and at least a couple of hotels, so recently they added prices to the menu (presumably for hotel guests like Nachi Cocom does).They weren’t there on original menu, which was more extensive.

 

https://delmarlatinobeachclubcozumel.com/menu/

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2692879-del-mar-latino-beach-club/page/2/#comment-62169692

This is a fairly up to date review although unfortunately I think the Club Sandwich may have been removed. - used to be one of my husbands favorite . (Also maybe wine and liquors). The food is small plates and can be ordered all day long for grazing although the hours for food start something like an hour after opening and finish an hour before closing approximately- they do come round and ask you.

 

Food and service are very good, facilities are clean but they are suffering with the economy like everywhere else.

 

It is aduly-only. We have been going since it opened and it is getting much busier now.

Edited July 18, 2022 by c-leg5

[travelguy2009]

Thank you so very much for a quick reply. We have been to Cozumel many times like everyone else and I thought it was time to do an all inclusive. This answers questions 😃

[carbon]

Can you walk to this club from RCCL pier?

[c-leg5]

37 minutes ago, carbon said:

Can you walk to this club from RCCL pier?

Yes providing you are relatively mobile. It is beyond ElCid which you can see from your ship.

 

https://delmarlatinobeachclubcozumel.com/frequently-asked-questions/

 

(incidentally El Cid and Park Royal also have AI day passes at a higher price but bigger with more facilities).

Edited July 18, 2022 by c-leg5

[1Texansgo]

We will be there Monday July 25th; it will be our 3rd or 4th time; so far our correspondence indicates the menu we are used to and wine and plenty of brands of booze. It is a pretty chill atmosphere and no real beach but we have always had an enjoyable time there. Well worth the $29 pp special. Will report back after we return.

[c-leg5]

25 minutes ago, 1Texansgo said:

We will be there Monday July 25th; it will be our 3rd or 4th time; so far our correspondence indicates the menu we are used to and wine and plenty of brands of booze. It is a pretty chill atmosphere and no real beach but we have always had an enjoyable time there. Well worth the $29 pp special. Will report back after we return.

Let us know how it goes. We have been three times this year so far and several times before that! I believe you were one of the first people to visit when it first opened too so you will know the current menu isn’t the original one?
 

I don’t drink wine at a beach club during the day so I wasn’t sure about that but I do know when you are handed the menu, as shown in above link, they told us that everything is included down to the last one or two items - nothing that has really affected our day time drinking, with the exception that I wanted to try León Negra and they were out of that! On our last visit Club Sandwich was removed - not sure if that is a permanent cutback.

 

I will say we have visited a couple of times on a Sunday (unusual for cruise ships) and the vibe is completely different with many locals/hotel guests who come for brunch and then stay on for the afternoon. They may PAYG the listed prices - I am not sure.

 

Agree $29 rate can’t be beat but not sure that can still be booked unless you have already reserved it.

Edited July 19, 2022 by c-leg5

[travelguy2009]

21 hours ago, 1Texansgo said:

We will be there Monday July 25th; it will be our 3rd or 4th time; so far our correspondence indicates the menu we are used to and wine and plenty of brands of booze. It is a pretty chill atmosphere and no real beach but we have always had an enjoyable time there. Well worth the $29 pp special. Will report back after we return.

Looking forward to hearing of your experience

[sun bum]

We were there in February this year. The pool is very small. No beach. They sell a number of limited day passes.. The food was just OK. Mixed drinks are a little on the  weak side. The property is older and does show it's age. The walking distance, price and view is what you go for. No food or drinks served after 4 PM.

[c-leg5]

2 hours ago, sun bum said:

We were there in February this year. The pool is very small. No beach. They sell a number of limited day passes.. The food was just OK. Mixed drinks are a little on the  weak side. The property is older and does show it's age. The walking distance, price and view is what you go for. No food or drinks served after 4 PM.

I have always stated in my reviews that it is not a place for everyone but I do think that, unlike many places,  they do a good job of accurately portraying the beach club, both advantages and limitations, on their website so people can decide if it is right for them.

 

Most of your observations are fairly accurate. Unfortunately the food at the moment is good but  “limited in choice” compared to when they first opened, as I have said before. We hope when the economy improves they will be able to resume their previous standards and choices. Drinks are notoriously weak at AI that is why they are unlimited however, believe me I have been there often enough to see plenty of people that have managed to consume “enough” alcohol during the course of the day. And then there is always beer - its safer, and full strength!

 

You are correct that food is not served during the whole time the club is open - (kitchen opens maybe an hour after opening and closes an hour before closing?- just like its sister property Nachi Cocom) but we have never had a problem getting drinks almost up to closing. They always come round and give a warning for last orders and will willingly double up if necessary. 
 

The one observation I do question is why you think the property is old, unless you are referring to the hotel across the road? The beach club opened as a separate entity in probably early 2019. We saw it gutted and being refurbished on one visit - it used to be all part of the hotel area like the pier area for guests and I think our first visit was later that year. 
 

I think it serves a convenient, budget-friendly niche for cruisers, serving drinks, small plates and included Wi-Fi. I haven’t discovered if it is open for events in an evening yet but certainly the Saturday/Sunday brunch is popular.

 

Selfishly we preferred it in its early days when it was less popular but I am glad it is presumably making money for them now. We have never had a problem with service or cleanliness, (maybe ants, if you aren’t careful), and certainly for $29 pp it has been a no-brainer.

[sun bum]

My comments were based on the experience and observations we had on our visit. As I said the location , price and view is great.

 

Just a 10 minute walk from our ship, Celebrity Edge. When we arrived, we were the only ones there for about 2 hours. A couple from Michigan came down from the El Cid Resort where they were honeymooning. No one else showed up while we were there. We left at 4 PM.

 

Maybe "old " was the incorrect way to describe it. Unkept might be a better word. The white lounges cushions were soiled and had not been wiped off for the day. No problem, we just asked a worker to take care of it for us. The other couple pointed out the dirty grout and missing/broken pool tiles. There was an issue with no toilet paper in the stall. Again taken care of by asking a worker. We guess we just expected these small issues to be addresses "before" letting in paying customers.

 

As a travel agent, I have stayed a lot of A/I resort. Some not ALL are very stingy with the alcohol. Problem easily solved by ordering a shot on the side to add the the drink. When in the Caribbean, "full strength" beer is not an option. I want my boat drinks and frozen concoctions. 

 

We will be back to Cozumel in a couple weeks on the Celebrity Equinox. Still trying to decide what to do. It may be the Del Mar Latino Beach Club again or maybe a new place ( El Cid or Grand Park Royal).

I recommend DMLBC to all my clients who want a quite place to just chill, close to the port. I always suggest they read reviews/ videos to decide if it is something they would like.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[c-leg5]

@sun bum

Thanks for the clarifications.

 

You were lucky there were so few people - we haven’t had that few for a long time! I wonder if because they had so few bookings they had reduced staff for the day.

 

I agree padded cushions do get soiled and are not my favorite - they also retain the wet from overnight showers, or wet swimsuits. I have never been a fan of cabanas that have that type of bedding although i know they  are popular. I prefer the material type loungers. You are correct the loungers may be a hangover from the previous hotel “beach” area. No excuse for no TP. I guess I am either not too picky or observant - I have never noticed problems with the pool, although having once inherited a house with a tiled hot tub and I do know that loose tiles and grout are a hassle. As I said the pool is definitely only a few years old.

 

Please report back if you try El Cid or Park Royal, would love a recent report. We have had day passes to both in the past, El Cid a long time ago. We were going to revisit El Cid on one visit this year, just because we were ready for a change, but couldn’t justify the prices - the AI there has always been overpriced in my opinion but we used to do the reduced pass. That has also increased now ($25 with $10 F&B credit) and just didn’t  seem like good value compared to $29 AI at Del Mar! Our preference of the two hotels for a more expensive day pass used to be Park Royal but after staying there for a week last June we were not impressed. Park Royal definitely had issues with maintenance, lack of staff and drinks that weren’t just weak, but plain nasty! I got to the point where I struggled to find something palatable to drink and I am not a fussy drinker, rarely tequila but anything else goes! Hopefully in 12 months the situation has improved.

 

 

[1Texansgo]

Just returned; there were 14 of us the entire day; 10, including DW and me, from Grandeur and 2 from Breeze and 2 from Mardi Gras. When we arrived they told us wi-fi not working so a bit of a downer. Since there were only 14 we all talked and I believe everyone had a good time. For us DW said pina coladas were excellent and for me beer was cold./ I did have a “skinny” mojito and it was awful. For food guacamole, nachos and coconut shrimp were good and  chicken tacos not so good. They have removed the club sandwich from the menu. Still hard to beat the proximity to port, price and inclusions. Hope they can survive on the crowds they are getting!

[molly361]

On 7/18/2022 at 1:47 PM, c-leg5 said:

Yes providing you are relatively mobile. It is beyond ElCid which you can see from your ship.

 

https://delmarlatinobeachclubcozumel.com/frequently-asked-questions/

 

(incidentally El Cid and Park Royal also have AI day passes at a higher price but bigger with more facilities).

Thanks for this  Do you know how much Park Royal charges?  I have been to Coz countless times and never tried a AI  DH was not into beaches and now that he is gone I just might try one.  One in walking distance sounds great

Edited August 1, 2022 by molly361

[molly361]

On 7/26/2022 at 11:27 AM, c-leg5 said:

@sun bum

Thanks for the clarifications.

 

You were lucky there were so few people - we haven’t had that few for a long time! I wonder if because they had so few bookings they had reduced staff for the day.

 

I agree padded cushions do get soiled and are not my favorite - they also retain the wet from overnight showers, or wet swimsuits. I have never been a fan of cabanas that have that type of bedding although i know they  are popular. I prefer the material type loungers. You are correct the loungers may be a hangover from the previous hotel “beach” area. No excuse for no TP. I guess I am either not too picky or observant - I have never noticed problems with the pool, although having once inherited a house with a tiled hot tub and I do know that loose tiles and grout are a hassle. As I said the pool is definitely only a few years old.

 

Please report back if you try El Cid or Park Royal, would love a recent report. We have had day passes to both in the past, El Cid a long time ago. We were going to revisit El Cid on one visit this year, just because we were ready for a change, but couldn’t justify the prices - the AI there has always been overpriced in my opinion but we used to do the reduced pass. That has also increased now ($25 with $10 F&B credit) and just didn’t  seem like good value compared to $29 AI at Del Mar! Our preference of the two hotels for a more expensive day pass used to be Park Royal but after staying there for a week last June we were not impressed. Park Royal definitely had issues with maintenance, lack of staff and drinks that weren’t just weak, but plain nasty! I got to the point where I struggled to find something palatable to drink and I am not a fussy drinker, rarely tequila but anything else goes! Hopefully in 12 months the situation has improved.

 

 

Isn't the Del Mar $39  I think that's what I just saw on the link above

[c-leg5]

58 minutes ago, molly361 said:

Isn't the Del Mar $39  I think that's what I just saw on the link above

 

It is now but they re-introduced the introductory promotional rate for this year for people who booked before a certain date - (maybe Dec 2021?).

 

The regular rate is $39pp.

Edited August 1, 2022 by c-leg5

[molly361]

Just now, c-leg5 said:

 

It is now but they re-introduced the introductory promotional rate for this year for people who booked before a certain date - (maybe Dec 2021?).

 

The regular rate is $39pp.

Have you been to El Cid and/or Park Royal?  Can you use their pool area or is is just the beach?

[c-leg5]

2 hours ago, molly361 said:

Thanks for this  Do you know how much Park Royal charges?  I have been to Coz countless times and never tried a AI  DH was not into beaches and now that he is gone I just might try one.  One in walking distance sounds great

 

1 hour ago, molly361 said:

Have you been to El Cid and/or Park Royal?  Can you use their pool area or is is just the beach?

 

Park Royal tends to alter its rate according to demand and season.  You have to be careful with Park Royal you don’t get dragged into a timeshare offer. I have done a day pass a couple of times with my daughter and grandson. It is very convenient being walking distance of International. It has been a few years since our last visit and I would estimate it was about $55 AI. All the facilities are available- two pools ocean side of the road, (reached via a tunnel under the road from lobby side) and main pool on the hotel side. There are one or two snack bar areas but main buffet is hotel side - we appreciated A/C for a while with a toddler. There are several bars. There is a small sheltered beach although loungers and shade are a little difficult if it is busy. We enjoyed the beach area for some of the time and the main pool for the rest. Unfortunately Park Royal was definitely struggling last June when my husband and I stayed for a few days while waiting for our rental property. Maintenance, supplies and staffing were all reduced. Hopefully they have managed to improve things in 12 months.

 

I have done day passes to El Cid but haven’t been in a long time. They used to offer three passes - basic, that included wifi and food and beverage credit (maybe $20 with $10 credit?). I am not sure if you could use pool and other amenities with that pass.  An AI day pass used to be slightly more than Park Royal and then there was an afternoon/evening pass for late visitors.  I always felt the AI was overpriced since the facilities are smaller than Park Royal. I didn’t like their small buffet and always ordered from the menu. We only bought the cheap pass or PAYG.

 

Park Royal doesn’t really have a plated lunch menu, (only burgers and hot dogs by the beach) but they do have a much more extensive indoor lunch buffet, with hot and cold choices. Since it is a bigger property I suppose there is more walking at Park Royal over uneven paths if that is an issue. Park Royal also has a coffee/sandwich/ice cream shop hidden near the lobby!

 

https://www.parkroyalcozumel.com/all_inclusive.asp

 

 

https://www.parkroyalcozumel.com/restaurants_bars.asp

 

 

Prior to our stay at Park Royal last summer, I preferred day passes to Park Royal over El Cid, if I was going the AI route, because I prefer the choice of pools, loungers on an actual beach and it is quieter. I still think for a few hours off the ship it would be fine. 

 

Our go-to choice on recent cruises has been Del Mar for convenience and price. Del Mar is adult only so we can’t go if we have family with us.

 

For hotels I suggest you write directly to reservations of the hotels for current pricing so you have something in writing when you are at the lobby. Most hotels in Cozumel offer day passes or you can book through a third party broker.

[molly361]

29 minutes ago, c-leg5 said:

 

 

Park Royal tends to alter its rate according to demand and season.  You have to be careful with Park Royal you don’t get dragged into a timeshare offer. I have done a day pass a couple of times with my daughter and grandson. It is very convenient being walking distance of International. It has been a few years since our last visit and I would estimate it was about $55 AI. All the facilities are available- two pools ocean side of the road, (reached via a tunnel under the road from lobby side) and main pool on the hotel side. There are one or two snack bar areas but main buffet is hotel side - we appreciated A/C for a while with a toddler. There are several bars. There is a small sheltered beach although loungers and shade are a little difficult if it is busy. We enjoyed the beach area for some of the time and the main pool for the rest. Unfortunately Park Royal was definitely struggling last June when my husband and I stayed for a few days while waiting for our rental property. Maintenance, supplies and staffing were all reduced. Hopefully they have managed to improve things in 12 months.

 

I have done day passes to El Cid but haven’t been in a long time. They used to offer three passes - basic, that included wifi and food and beverage credit (maybe $20 with $10 credit?). I am not sure if you could use pool and other amenities with that pass.  An AI day pass used to be slightly more than Park Royal and then there was an afternoon/evening pass for late visitors.  I always felt the AI was overpriced since the facilities are smaller than Park Royal. I didn’t like their small buffet and always ordered from the menu. We only bought the cheap pass or PAYG.

 

Park Royal doesn’t really have a plated lunch menu, (only burgers and hot dogs by the beach) but they do have a much more extensive indoor lunch buffet, with hot and cold choices. Since it is a bigger property I suppose there is more walking at Park Royal over uneven paths if that is an issue. Park Royal also has a coffee/sandwich/ice cream shop hidden near the lobby!

 

https://www.parkroyalcozumel.com/all_inclusive.asp

 

 

https://www.parkroyalcozumel.com/restaurants_bars.asp

 

 

Prior to our stay at Park Royal last summer, I preferred day passes to Park Royal over El Cid, if I was going the AI route, because I prefer the choice of pools, loungers on an actual beach and it is quieter. I still think for a few hours off the ship it would be fine. 

 

Our go-to choice on recent cruises has been Del Mar for convenience and price. Del Mar is adult only so we can’t go if we have family with us.

 

For hotels I suggest you write directly to reservations of the hotels for current pricing so you have something in writing when you are at the lobby. Most hotels in Cozumel offer day passes or you can book through a third party broker.

Thanks  I just looked at a map.  We walked down to the Sunset Bar once and that's further than the Del Mar so I will check that one out.  Not going until the end of the year.  I'd only spend a couple of hours so $39 sounds good.  I think the ones that you take a cab to are a lot more than that

[c-leg5]

1 hour ago, molly361 said:

Thanks  I just looked at a map.  We walked down to the Sunset Bar once and that's further than the Del Mar so I will check that one out.  Not going until the end of the year.  I'd only spend a couple of hours so $39 sounds good.  I think the ones that you take a cab to are a lot more than that

We rarely do AI when cruising but at that price it really can’t be beat. We just consider one persons charge is what we would have paid on a return taxi fare to anywhere.

 

I am sorry for your loss but I will add that I would be quite comfortable going to Del Mar as a single lady. You pay a deposit online to reserve and we have never had any problems paying the balance by cash or credit card. We tip in cash at the end. I like that it is straightforward. 90% of guests are cruisers from various ships (so long as it isn’t a Sunday).

 

I miss the original menu, but never leave thirsty or hungry!

[sun bum]

Just back from the Celebrity Equinox. Planned on doing a day pass at the Grand Park Royal. We inquired there about their day passes. We were told we would need to give them our ID's ( drivers license, passport or sea passes) for them to hold until we left and turned in our wristbands...HELL NO! We went back to Del Mar Latino. The price was $39 per person with unlimited drinks but this time they limited the food to 3 food items total for the two of us. We shared the chicken fingers( 3 very small pieces) and the wings, which were a joke. I swear I think they killed one of the local birds because they were no bigger then a birds leg. The place was packed with very loud and drunk locals. I gave a prior review of Del Mar Latino earlier when we visited in January. Wanted to give it a second chance but this will be the last time we go.

 

[c-leg5]

2 hours ago, sun bum said:

Just back from the Celebrity Equinox. Planned on doing a day pass at the Grand Park Royal. We inquired there about their day passes. We were told we would need to give them our ID's ( drivers license, passport or sea passes) for them to hold until we left and turned in our wristbands...HELL NO! We went back to Del Mar Latino. The price was $39 per person with unlimited drinks but this time they limited the food to 3 food items total for the two of us. We shared the chicken fingers( 3 very small pieces) and the wings, which were a joke. I swear I think they killed one of the local birds because they were no bigger then a birds leg. The place was packed with very loud and drunk locals. I gave a prior review of Del Mar Latino earlier when we visited in January. Wanted to give it a second chance but this will be the last time we go.

 

Really sorry to read this review and very surprised to hear they were limiting the snacks. Did they tell you this when you arrived? Not sure I understand the three items for two of you - do you mean three items total or per person, what if there was only one person? This just seems very strange compared to our previous experiences. I know Nachi Cocom, (sister property) limits  choices to one item from each section per person. Del Mar offers a much more “small plate menu” - not items to be shared.
 

I am also very surprised to hear that it was packed with loud, drunk locals - were you visiting on a Sunday? I have never seen ANY locals at Del Mar, other than on a Sunday.  I have seen some loud/drunk cruisers on occasions, but that can happen anywhere. On a Sunday, locals do go for the Sunday brunch and it is a totally different vibe because there are usually many cruise ships in port and there is often a live band in the afternoon. It isn’t really the type of place I would expect locals to frequent normally in the week, so I am surprised. Perhaps by “locals” you mean Mexicans, possibly vacationing at one of the hotels?

 

With regards to Park Royal did you manage to find out the current rate for day passes before you declined? Incidentally it isn’t really unusual for hotels to ask for some sort of ID to be left at the lobby to ensure that you return their towels and for them to cut off the wristband to end your privileges.

Edited August 15, 2022 by c-leg5

[sun bum]

We were not told when we checked in that the food would be limited. It was 3 items for the both of us, NOT 3 items each. We were there on Thursday. There was 3 cruising couples including us. Two couples, both from TX, that was staying at a small hotel and the rest were locals, confirmed by my husband who had a very long conversation with some of them while sitting in the pool in the shade. I did not expect the dishes to be shareable in size but I did expect them to be the same as they were in January when we were there. 

[c-leg5]

10 minutes ago, sun bum said:

We were not told when we checked in that the food would be limited. It was 3 items for the both of us, NOT 3 items each. We were there on Thursday. There was 3 cruising couples including us. Two couples, both from TX, that was staying at a small hotel and the rest were locals, confirmed by my husband who had a very long conversation with some of them while sitting in the pool in the shade. I did not expect the dishes to be shareable in size but I did expect them to be the same as they were in January when we were there. 

Thanks. That certainly sounds disappointing. I will certainly check on their updated policies before I book again. Not sure how I would order 1 and a half items as a solo guest. When they added prices to the menu and didn’t allow certain drinks from AI list  they made sure to tell us at check-in. I wonder if they are going to go to PAYG. 

 

Did you get a price for Park Royal? It used to be about $50 but I have heard that can be seasonal.

[sun bum]

Park Royal was $60 pp  but they would drop it to $20 if you let them try to sell you a timeshare for 1 hour.. Free if you let them try to sell it for 2 hours