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Holiday Village White Sands: Traveler Reviews


Holiday Village White Sands
Carretera Sur Cozumel Km 16.5 | El Cedral, San Francisco Palancar, Cozumel 77666, Mexico
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Traveler Reviews

66% Recommend
3.5 of 5 stars 867 reviews
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Just What We Needed Once We Got There

Holiday Village White Sands

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4 of 5 stars
A TripAdvisor Member
Oakville
Apr 8, 2006
41/41 found this review helpful

We decided to do a last minute family vacation and decided to try the package called the "Occidental Roulette". Our travel agent had no clue about it so we called Nolitours directly. We came to the conclusion based on other travellors that there was no "real" roulette as everyone who purchased this package went to the same resort which was the Allegro Cozumel. There was my husband, 18 month old child & myself travelling.

The trip to the airport was very cumbersome as we landed in Cancun airport then took a bus for approximately 45 minutes had to walk approx 15 minutes carrying our own luggage to get in line to board a local ferry which took about 25 minutes then went to the port in Cozmel only to have to wait for a taxi to go to the actual resort which was about 20 minutes away. The trip back was about the same and the only issues we had were with the Nolitours representative as he showed up late. He was suppose to be there waiting for us to get off the ferry to load us in the bus to take us to the airport. I wouldn't have been so annoyed about this if we packed for it (ie less luggage) & if we didn't have my 18month old baby with us. I would recommend a direct flight to Cozumel less could go wrong and you wouldn't lose 2 days travelling!!

As for the resort it was great the staff was amazing & were extremely helpful & friendly. There was something for everyone. I would highly recommend this resort for those with families as we felt very comfortable having our child with us. For anyone that is looking for a resort where they would be more pampered I would recommend them going to the resort next door called the Grand Occidental Cozumel.

Can't really comment on the kids club as our little boy was too young to utilize the daily events but they had a pool (converted hot tub) for them to use & the staff were great with all their dealings with the kids.

The rooms were clean, nothing special, but who goes down south to stay in their room??? We tipped the maid the 1st day & she took good care of us. We left a tip for the maid in the middle of the week but instead of putting the money on the pillow my husband left it on the ledge behind the bed & she never touched it which showed their honesty. There was a safe in every room & there was no cost. We had an abundance of clean towels & bottled water in our room every day, the air conditioning was cold however you controlled it in your room and we had an abundance of hot water (you may have to run the water for a few seconds before it comes) The bottom of the tub had a tectured non-slip surface which was great for our son.

Their are guys located at a desk that called themselves "concierge" who are looking to get you involved with the timeshares. If you are not interested just be direct & say NO we didn't see too many people getting hounded however they only get paid if you attend the meeting. My husband & I heard from another couple that it was worth going to get the "presents" they offer as we recieved $30 of coupons towards renting a jeep (the YJ not the tracker). So it was definately worth it for us & I would highly recommend renting the jeep to tour the island. We were even able to get a car seat for the jeep to make us more comfortable about driving arond with our son.

The beach was still a little rocky & had a lot of shells on it from Wilma so I would recommend water socks or sandles when on parts of the beach but closer to the resort the sands were beautiful.

The pools & the hot tub were gorgeous & we had absolutely no problem getting seats around at least the quiet pool. There were actually 2 pools the one closer to the resort was a quitier one & the one located directly in front of the activities booth was the louder one which had the swim up bar & had all the activities take place in it. So if you want "Quiet Time" don't go there!!! Seats here may be harder to find as the day goes on so put your towel on it when you get there to reserve it.

The food was overall good make sure you book your 2 nights to eat in the Italian as well as the Mexican restaurants as the food was amazing. The rest of the time you eat buffet style & there was a pretty good variety of food for the most part. You eat lunch by the pools & there was a smoothy bar & they made amazing smoothies!!! If you are looking for above average food & lots of variety then you can either look at eating at some of the restaurants down the beach or in town or just go to a different resort.

The nightly entertainment was good we enjoyed it. If you frequent all inclusive resorts they have the same sort of entertainment as most resorts would have.

During the day you with have the pleasure of seeing a number of Igunas throughout the resort. Take a cup of fruit with you & feed the Iguanas just watch out for the dominent male who will scare the baby Iguanas away from getting any fruit. Also take bread down to the dock & feed the fish. We also saw a number of baby Jelly Fish floating in the water.

The only excursion we were able to attend was the glass bottom boat tour which included snorkelling & I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the water. The views are beautiful!! & we had the pleasure of seeing a sea turtle in the water. This excursion was about $30US per person. More than worth it!!!

Overall we really enjoyed our time at the resort & would recommend if you are able to get a direct flight to Cozumel it is definatly worth going to this resort or if you get a good deal on it as the weather was 30 to 32 degrees every day but it wasn't too hot as you got a nice breeze off the ocean. I would definately go back to this resort if we went back to Cozumel!!!

Hope this helps anyone that is contimplating whether or not to go.

  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
  • Date of stay March 2006
  • Member since April 08, 2006
  • I recommend this hotel for Families with young children, Families with teenagers
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Allegro is ready for you!

Holiday Village White Sands

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3 of 5 stars
CozyMel 1 contribution
Naperville, Illinois
Apr 7, 2006
33/33 found this review helpful

We just got back from the Allegro on April 5,'06. We had been there last February '05, so we knew what it used to be like before the hurricane. We were apprehensive, because of other reviews, but figured let's give it a try and help these people get back on their feet. I say congratulations to the Allegro people for putting it back together. Sure, the vegetation still is depressing compared to before, but give it a couple years. The grounds were spotless, the buildings clean, the staff very friendly and the beach and water awesome. The food was good (not great), and could have used a little more variety. No one starved to death and I think we all gained a few pounds. Drinks were excellent! They are a little under staffed compared to before, but the resort was only half full. The staff there gave it 110%, though, and were very energetic. With me were my wife and two daughters, ages 11 and 18. There's activities during the day, but limited activity at night. If you want night life you have to take a cab to town. This is a great place for relaxing. We travel to Mexico and Carribean locations about three times a year, so we aren't rookies. You get what you are looking for and willing to pay for. It's that simple. Everyone has different expectations. What makes a difference can be your attitude and how you treat the people. They are not aggressive tourists, so a friendly smile and a kind word gets you a little extra touch. Spread a few bucks around, as well (and not just to the bar tenders. They already get most of the tips). These people only make a few dollars a day. To sum up, if you want a nice, relaxing vacation with some activities, decent accomadations, average food, friendly people, and a lower cost, this is a good choice. If you expect a lot more, there are plenty of other places to try.

  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
  • Date of stay April 2006
  • Member since February 08, 2005
  • I recommend this hotel for Older travelers, Families with young children
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Average price*: $252 (year-round)
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Had a ball

Holiday Village White Sands

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4 of 5 stars
MinnesotaMrClean 2 contributions
Blaine, MN
Apr 5, 2006
15/15 found this review helpful

We were at the Allegro from March 4- 11, 2006 for our third time. We were very suprised to see all the work that had been done since "Wilma". In talking to Raul from the activities staff, he showed us pictures and a CD of the devastation. Another couple went with us, so were not sure what to expect. We were very impressed with the work that has been done. They are re-building the whole property beautifully. The dining room had only been opened for a couple of weeks, so the bugs needed to be worked out. The selection of food for dinner was smaller than usual and not always hot. Breakfast was great, lunch at the snack bar was fun. The rooms were redecorated very nicely, but why spend time in your room, there is always so much to do or just plain relax.
My husband is a diver, and enjoyed diving with "Pingo" a divemaster who is very knowledgable and he went on to tell us how he personally survived the hurricane with his family. We really enjoyed ourselves to the point our friends are bringing more friends next year.

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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We loved Allegro

Holiday Village White Sands

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4 of 5 stars
jhart 4 contributions
minneapolis
Mar 31, 2006
21/21 found this review helpful

We vacationed at Allegro 3/22-3/29. We were brought our kids ages 6, 9 & 12. It was absolutly beautiful! All the palm's are replanted and starting to bloom. The grounds are spotless and the beach and ocean are wonderful. Ask for a room by the quiet pool if you have kids. The food was good...mostly buffet style. If you don't like the main dishes offered there is lots of fresh fruit & steamed vegetables, salad, bread. Our kids always found something to fill them up! Make your reservations for the special restaurant's right away. The people who are complaining are big babies. The Mexican people working at the resort are very nice, very helpful once you get past the front desk. Armundo at the front desk is rude, however everyone else was overly nice. Go snorkeling with a guide if your not a diver...it was the highlight of our trip. The guys at the dive shop are great!

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Poor accomodations, great diving.

Holiday Village White Sands

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2 of 5 stars
A TripAdvisor Member
Alberta
Mar 30, 2006
3/13 found this review helpful

We just spent 2 fabulous weeks diving in Cozumel, however we recommend to stay away from the occidental resorts, been the Grand or the Allegro. I wound't give a 2.5 star rating to any of them. The food was terrible, only a cafetaria and an open air restaurant at the Allegro, we understand they were renovating but if I were to serve that quality to my dogs, they'd bite me. The Grand was better, with three open restaurants but one could feel the employes stress. From Management lies to un-ethical time share salesman/woman this is the place where Cozumel Island gets its shame and bad taste. We've been time share owners at the Allegro for 3 years and it is for sale now to bargain hunters "as is"!
But the Island, the reefs and people of Cozumel... One word: Paradise!

  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
  • Date of stay March 2006
  • Member since March 30, 2006
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates ABS:HotelCheckRates-d1061015?ext=true&src=ShowUserReviewsHotels&fromServlet=ShowUserReviews&Action=QC_Button_Reviews
Average price*: $252 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-45-HOTEL from hotels.com
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Holiday Village White Sands Address

Carretera Sur Cozumel Km 16.5 | El Cedral, San Francisco Palancar, Cozumel 77666, Mexico