We were there for a wedding in the beginning-mid December 07. It's really hard to find something to complain about this hotel. It's a beautiful resort, with pretty anything you need right on the property. Food is a bit expensive but not outrageous. It's not bad for the quality. I did get pretty bored of the breakfast buffet, which at $23/pp is quite costly after 6 days. I do suggest to get up early one or two days and try hitting centro for some breakfast. It's quite in town at that hour and you won't see too many tourists on the street.

We found out about happy hour (5-7pm everyday) the day before we left, so we didn't really get to take advantage of it. There's not that much of a beach so I wasn't as impressed with Cozumel beachwise as I was with Cancun across the waterway.

We had a beautiful oceanfront room. The door opened to the beach and the sand was at our feet within a few feet from our stepping out the door. The best thing about our room was the space and our outdoor shower. Our bathroom was beautiful and huge, with an outdoor shower, an indoor shower and a separate jacuzzi bathtub. due to the fact that we were there for a wedding, we got to see many different rooms because of the guests staying there. Each room has it's own unique charm, so it's hard to go wrong. I did get bored after awhile, maybe after day 2 or 3. It's famous for its diving, but hubby and I aren't big divers. So it's very little to do for people who aren't into water activities like that.

The staff were really pleasant and everyone spoke english. I wanted to try my Spanish, but I was surprised at how little I had to use it.

We used the spa for a massage one day. It was relaxing and a good experience for the trip. I'd definitely reocmmend this hotel to couples and families. Not so much for singles. Have a great time

This is an amazing hotel with some unique features. It is really the best in Cozumel for access to the water, snorkeling, beach, but still luxury amenities and great staff. The pools are relaxed and easily accessible. It is not a "singles" spot , but also avoids the loud family setting even though it has many families. Great restaurants. A wonderful time. We have been there several times. The reef is gradually coming back from the hurricane. Not as good as before the storm - but better than last year. Anyone who complains about this place is nuts!

Each year for Christmas, my wife and I treat ourselves to a winter getaway vacation. This year (2007), while it snowed at home, we decided to enjoy the warm sun and waters of Cozumel, Mexico. For our hotel, we selected Presidente. Although more expensive than many of the other Cozumel hotels, nearly everyone on the TA forum agreed it's the best hotel on the island... and our experience supports that.

High points: Excellent sandy beach, great snorkeling/diving from the beach, top-rated dive shop/services, excellent restrurants, great service, friendly staff, complete facilities, beautiful and professionally staffed spa, spaceous and comfortable suites.

We were able to walk out of our room directly to the beach. There, we snorkeled several times a day. We saw a large variety of fish, and often were surrounded by hundreds at a time. There was even an octopus hanging out in the sunken boat.

Food was excellent, and the friendly servers pampered us with a complementary appitizer and/or desert at every dinner. After stuffing ourselves silly, the very nice fittness center was just the thing. We also treated ourselves to the "Mayan Lovers" package at the Spa, which includes a couples massage on the beach and a flower'-filled soaking tub. Ahhh..... it doesn't get better than this.

My husband and I stayed from Nov. 29th through Dec.3rd, 'When we left Austin, it was cold. By the time we landed it was nice warm weather. When you land, you get off the plane outside and are directed to follow a path inside to the airport. It was a little uncomfortable to see their police walking around with their guns. It would be nice if they could smile instead of just looking at you. Be sure to fill out and sign the forms they give you on the plane. The flight attendant just told us to fill it out and then once inside they told us all to make sure we signed the back. After the dog sniffed our luggage we made our way through a security gate. Try to follow someone who has been here before or they will direct you to the left where they will tell you they are trying to tell you about the island but they are basically trying to sign you up for tours and get your committment to see a new hotel or something. You're better off going to the right and paying for your ticket to take a van to your hotel. Apparently they don't let taxi's pick you up right outside the airport (you have to walk) a short distance. There are plenty of van's to take you so get your ticket and load up. We were surprised to see how much better Cozumel is after the hurricane. Alot of new places since our last visit 13 yrs ago. The hotel was even prettier than we remembered it and the staff are just exceptional. They always greet you in some way. We have never had such wonderful treatment. We did have a problem with the shower in our 1st room (#3105). It was a beautiful room with a patio facing the water. The only problem was the shower door did not keep the water in. and no place to hang your towel. When we took showers the water would flood the bathroom, hallway, and the neighbors entry into their room. They did try to correct the problem but after a 2nd flooding we asked if we could switch rooms. We were very happy to get room # 2133 which is a suite with two bathrooms, breakfast table, and living room area. Very spacious. It was amazing. They moved all of our things for us and made sure that we were happy with the move. Boy were we. No problems with the shower in this one and the tub was much bigger. The tub in 3105 is a one person tub. In 2133 you have alot more room. The beds are very comfortable. I took my own pillow but found that their pillows were soft enough. They give you plenty of towels to use and have really good soap, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion. The brand is Elemis. They do have qtips, cotton balls, tissues, and blow dryers in the room. There is an iron, ironing board, safe, and laundry bag, and mini fridge in each room. We never felt our valuables were in jeaopordy. In fact, I had left my husbands PDA phone under a hand towel on a beach table and when I reported it they must have misunderstood and thought I said it was stolen because the concierge and security came to the room to check everything out. I made sure to tell them that it was my fault entirely but I was hoping someone on the staff had found it. No one had turned it in at that time but once they checked laundry, it was returned in about 20 minutes. Great service. We were close to the adult pool which serves drinks and hardly ever had anyone there. We never layed out there because the beach area was too nice and they bring whatever you want straight to you. The pina coladas are very good and ask for a Michelada is you are a beer drinker. Very good. We had the best food at Del Caribe. Try the Lime soup. It is fantastic. I had it every chance I could. We did eat at Alfredo's one night and it is very nice but a heavier meal. Again, great service. Be sure to ask for a receipt for everything. It just makes it easier to check your bill. We wrote a note on each of ours (ex: breakfast, lunch, etc). It really helped to cross reference. The staff always seemed very appreciative of tips. Since the hurricane they have not had as many tourist so they rely heavily on their tips. I heard that the staff at this hotel is better paid than other hotels. It is seen in the level of service BUT they still rely on tips. We had Jorge as our Concierge on our arrival and he made sure we had everything we needed. I asked him to track down a few things for me (including some candle jars that I purchased) and he didn't miss a beat. He brought me three sizes to look at. We were also very impressed by Julio who works at both restaurants and waits on the beach area at times. He was so nice. Most everyone spoke pretty good english. Some advice, look up the name of a not so great hotel in town so when you are shopping and they ask where you are staying, say you are staying at a cheap place. If you mention El Presidente, they will say "Oh, you are rich" and then you might not get the best deal. We were advised to shop later in the day (after all the cruise people went back to ship). Apparently they raise the price for the cruisers. All the stores have basically the same stuff. I would suggest Pama as a very nice store to visit. It has above par items and not the trinkets that the majority of stores have. You almost have to be rude when walking the shop area because they will do their best to talk you into their store. We ate at a couple of places in town that werent near as good as at the hotel. One of them was recommended by the hotel (La Choza). We weren't impressed. Margaritaville was good (just really loud). Oh, before I forget, they don't have sweet-n-low (for tea or coffee). Luckily I always carry some in my purse. Ask Julio to make you a Toasted Almond if you want a great after dinner drink. We did not rent a vehicle to site see even though I really wish now that we would have. It would have been nice to drive through town and look at the homes. I'm pretty leary of going into places I'm not familiar with but I would be comfortable driving around during the day in town (just not in the main shopping areas). There are so many taxis, horse drawn buggies, and people on mopeds (with little kids) that it just looks like an accident waiting to happen. There is a nice grocery store in town called "Chedraui". If you get a chance, check it out. If you take a cab, it is always $5 dollars back an forth from the hotel to town. We only had one person tell us $6. We always gave about $7 for each trip. I know this post is kinda all over the board with info but I just want to include information that I feel would have been helpful to me. Remember to take an extra bag with you for all those items you purchase. The hotel will ship items for you (if needed). They have a nice gift shop with sun tan lotion, books, gifts, etc. There is also some nice gift shops at the airport so if you miss picking up something in town, you will have another opportunity before bording the plane. The food and drinks at the hotel seemed to be a little higher than norm but we had no complaints. We rented snorkeling gear from Scuba Du for $10 a day. We saw plenty of fish and even saw about 8 to 10 dolphins out in the distance. Watch out for the black birds on the beach. They will happily share your food when you are away from your table and go thru your things looking for food. We only saw a few kids during our visit. There is a play area for kids that is close to the tennis courts and outside ping pong tables. Be sure to walk back behind the tennis courts to the place where the Iguanas are. They take all their old plants back there and are working to make a really nice area back there. There is one huge orange Iquana there. I did go to the Spa for a mani pedi. Carmen did a good job but she looked so unhappy. I think I was an unexpected appointment at the end of a long day for her. She really didn't speak any english so it was a quite time. The spa looked very nice from what I could see. I don't know what else to write about but hopefully you get the big picture, El Presidente is a fantastic place to stay and Cozumel is more beautfiul than ever. We had a rain forecast for 3 days and only saw a few rain drops. So don't let a bad forecast get you down. We had beautiful weather and a wonderful time. I would HIGHLY recommend it.