I initially picked the Presidente based upon the good reviews written on TripAdvisor. Well, all the good things written about the resort were true. We just got back from staying six days at the Presidente. We were greeted upon arrival with champaign. When we were checking in they asked us if we wanted to purchase an upgrade for our room. I had booked a garden room. I declined the upgrade, but they gave me one anyway. We ended up with a beautiful ocean view on the 4th floor. The room had great air conditioning and excellent water pressure. The only negative I have about the resort is that water in the bathroom is not purified. They give you a large bottle of water a day, but I still felt like I needed more. The food was good and priced about the same as any other resort. The drinks were a little pricey, but the margaritas were very powerful. I recommend going to the grocery store in town and buying beer. A six pack will cost you $4. A beer at the Presidente cost $4. The beach was great. Even though the resort was almost full, it seemed like my husband and I had the beach to ourselves the first couple of days. It got a little more crowded by the weekend. The water is absolutely beautiful. The snorkling was great. We only snorkled at the resort, but that was fine. We saw tons of fish. A taxi ride to town costs about $5. We never had any problem with the taxis. Don't rent a car. A car is just a hassle and costs a lot of money. The resort is great, but don't expect 5 star luxury. I stayed at a 4 star resort in Hawaii and the Presidente was a lot better.

We just returned from a wonderful stay in Cozumel. We have been to the island many times since the early 90’s each time staying in a different hotel. During previous visits we have stayed at the Barracuda, Casa Del Mar, Fiesta Americana, and the Melia (the rest of this hotel's name has changed several times over the years). This trip we decided to pull out all of the stops and booked the El Presidente Inter-continental.

I read the reviews on this board and others and was disappointed to see the complaints. I’ve decided that they are more a result of expectations that a reflections of the facilities and service. Unless money becomes an issue, we will never stay anywhere else.

Check-in - It was great. The trip from the airport was about fifteen minutes. We arrived at the hotel around 11:00 AM, much earlier than in the past. We were politely offered the opportunity to upgrade which we had already agreed not to accept. We wanted to see what the lower end was like. Because we wanted a king sized bed, we had to wait 30 minutes for a room to be ready. Remember this was 11:00AM. We were in the room at 11:30. We were offered a Champaign welcome which we didn’t drink because we were ready to do a quick beach dive.

Accommodations – I’ve heard people complaining about the hotel’s rating. “It’s not five stars!” This is Cozumel; somewhat primitive by US standards. I would venture to say that any additional amenities would be hard to maintain under the circumstances. Our gardenview room was very nice, and the hard bed… yes it was hard… kept my back from being sore. I’m told that you can request padding to soften it up. The support was great. Otherwise the room was very nice; huge superior towels, decorative flowers, soaps, etc., mini-bar (I stay out of those), cable TV and patio. The room was quiet. The AC was quiet and I had to turn the digital thermostat down. Room service is available 24 hour. I heard it was superb. We only ordered coffee in the mornings before going to the breakfast buffet.

Restaurant & Bar – Excellent Our breakfast was included in the package. We had lunch around the pool, which was relaxing. The restaurant can get expensive, but there are more economical selections on the menu. We ate dinner one night in the hotel. It was excellent. We have always enjoyed going to town, but after this trip we have decided to eat at the hotel. HAPPY HOUR IS GREAT; the usual two for one, including guacamole and chips.

Diving - While we were waiting for the room, we visited the on premises dive shop, ScubaDu. Everyone was very nice and the registration and scheduling process was without any problems. A pleasant surprise was the equipment storage arrangement. I took my equipment bags out to the dive shop where a couple of men help me unload the gear. For a gratuity, they took care of our gear the entire trip. They delivered everything to the dive boat. Picked it up when you were done. Inventoried and rinsed the gear for the next dive. If you wanted to go on a shore dive, they got everything together, including the tank and weights. This was a great service that made the vacation extra enjoyable. We have been used to a small dive shop so ScubaDu’s program was a little more regimented that we like. The dive masters were very professional, thorough and safe. They were very patient and able to assist the newer divers. Maximum depth was 80 ft. Even though the best sights are really above 80 ft., being an experienced diver, I like to go deeper from time to time. I didn’t let this impact my enjoyment. They have a set schedule for the sights they dive which can be viewed on their website. Surface intervals were on board while moving to the next sight. Special dives are available. They did a good job. All in all ScubaDu was a good choice and very convenient.

You need to make sure Cozumel is the right place for your vacation. The diving is some of the best in the world. If you’re looking for miles and miles of white sandy beaches, you might want to select another destination. There are plenty of activities to keep you busy. Cozumel has great restaurants and several night spots including the famed Carlos and Charlie’s. The people in Cozumel are wonderful, and I have always felt safe whether in a taxi or walking the streets. You can rent a car and a scooter. I would personally stay away from the latter.

We can’t wait to get back to Cozumel and The El Presidente. With Cozumel being just a two hour flight from Houston it's hard to go anywhere else.

You are greeted with champagne and the bell boys are very attentive when u check in. The hotel I've been told is the best on the island....however it is by far not a 5 star hotel by any means...in the states it would rate a 3-4 star....So if the 5 star rating is in context to what's on the island then maybe it's a fair rating....The beach is excellent...decent snorkeling close by and the sands are well kept by the staff....the food is average.....but one gripe I had was the bar closed at 11 PM at nite....I'm not a party animal but I do like to drink on my vacation and it was a bummer I had to raid my room fridge for drinks.....The wait staff....let's just say they make you wait...The on site dive operation Scuba-Du...well it didn't Du nuthing for me...they're average I suppose, their boats are small and their equipment is mediocre if you rent BCD's and regs...I ended up diving with DiveCozumel with Rolando...and by far his boat (12-20 person boat) and his trips were WAY better and he speaks perfect english....In short, I might stay at Presidente again only becuz the taxi drivers say its' one of the best hotels there but if money is an issue it might be on the pricey side.

Stayed nights in May. 1st time in Cozumel, so I have nothing to compare it to, but since so many reviewers said the Mex. hotels aren't as nice as US, I decided to stay in a 5 star to be safe. Agree it's not the same as US, but still very nice. The public areas are top notch (beaches, gardens, views, etc. but the rooms (stayed on 4th floor) are just OK. I agree with everyone that said the beds are hard. However, it's very clean, with adequate amenities, and I felt safe there. Staff is wonderful. Restaurants: the beach restaurant is OK. Good selection, and there's always a wide selection buffet for bkft or dinner, but both are pricey ($17USD for bkfst?!) and the service for menu items is slow. Arrecife: very, very nice. Excellent food, well prepared, excellent service. For appetizers, drinks and dinner, was $60 for two - a better value, considering the food and service. Snorkeling is good - beach is uncrowded and pretty. Would stay there again.