My family and I just returned from 5 nites at this resort and here goes my report.

I had booked an superior ocean view room, however it was not what we had expected. Upon check in the cashier was immediately trying to sell me an upgrade which I declined, when we got to our room it was certainly not the room I had viewed on their website, it was pretty weak !!! We immediately went back to the front desk and started discussing our options, We finally wound up with an OCEAN Front REEF ROOM for an ADDITIONAL $150.00 per nite, We had no choice !!! Our experience was pretty good after this one hour BS session. It turned out many folks had gone thru the EXACT same excercise. And were all pretty bitter about it.
Food was pretty good at the restaurant however do try to get away from the hotel at night for dinner, there are several great placescto eat, our favorite was Guidos, Aquaria and Panchos back yard and El Moro. The dive shop is pretty fair and GREAT snorkeling right there at the resort.
The towel policy is a complete joke, I have never felt so compelled to have to try to keep up with the beach towels, THEY WILL charge you if you fail to returnit and get your towel card. Cheeseburgers out on the beach at the hut were pretty AWESOME!!!! You MUST get a REEF ROOM around the 3100 number ODD only or Im afraid you will be very dissapointed. (even numbers are garden view and thats terrible )

Good Luck and feel free to e-mail me at BMWWADE@AOL.COM if you have any specific questions. If you go to Cozumel its probably your best bet.

Just returned from a dive trip to Cozumel. Stayed at the El Presidente this time.

- Staff is very friendly and nice (same as in most of Mexico/Latin America). Thorough and detailed maid service.

- Free Purified water is a nice plus.

- Only 2 restaurants. We didn't bother with the Italian place (too formal/stuffy looking). The other one (forgot the name -- the open-air one by the water) was good. Nice open atmosphere. Really good food for a resort. Very expensive, though.

- Snorkelling right off the beach/shore is fantastic. Very convenient too.

- Didn't use the onsite diveshop - went with one in-town that picked us up from the pier. Very convenient!

- Room was spacious and room - nice balcony and chairs. Bathroom was a bit odd (the doors on the shower and WC had a 1-2 inch gap around the border - very little privacy!)

- Bed was fine - comfortable with plenty of pillows. Very large bathtowels & robes.

- Rinse area by pool for scuba equipment was convenient.

- A bit far from town - only a $5 taxicab ride, but not walking distance. No stores/restaurants/bars within walking distance.

- Quiet resort - best for families/couples/those looking for r&r (bar/restaurnat shuts down by 10ish). It was not overrun with loud kids and tacky group activities.

Pros:
- Convenient to dive spots (only 5-20 minute boat ride versus those in town). Most dive shops will pick you up at the pier.
- Great beach-area and snorkelling onsite
- Easy reach to town
- Nice pool
- Very safe

Cons:
- Bathroom was odd (no privacy for WC and shower)
- Style is a bit out-dated (but then, so is the rest of Cozumel!)
- Limited restaurant/bar choices.
- No stores/restaurants/bars within walking distance

El Presidente , We stayed there for one week, the room was very nice and the people nice.
I got sick from some shrimp I had eaten at their restaruant , I had to go to the hospital because I was that sick and they kept me there 4 hours with IV fluids and antibiotics. I had been vomiting and had diarrhea which made me dehydrated.
My bill was 1,000 US dollars.
I asked the hotel to help me pay the bill since I had gotten sick from their food but they did not help me.
The manager said next time I come back he would do something special for me and up grade my room etc... I did not find that very comforting.
I lost 2 days of diving and 3 days of my vacation.
I was not too happy when I left there.
You would think that a nice hotel like that one would have helped with the bill , but I guess not.
I do not think I will return there again.

Loved the Presedente, was a little concerned before I left because I knew absolutely nothing about the resort. I thought it was beautiful. SO relaxing!! Did some diving and enjoyed myself, saw eels, rays, squid, lobster, many fish, and the water was SO nice and warm. My hubby and I where looking for a resort to unwind from our busy work lives at home, and this did the trick. It was so quiet, no phones, pagers, traffic... The resort had a certain calmness to it. Hard to find. The food was really good at the restaurant on the property. We ate there quite a bit. Happy hour from 5-7 daily. Watched the sunset every night at happy hour. Will miss the presidente, the wonderful blue water, and the laid back, casual lifestyle. Hope to visit again someday soon!