Muy Bueno, Excelente, Fabuloso!
Viva Mexico! We had the privilege of visiting Cozumel during Mexico’s independence celebration that included a spectacular fireworks display right out side our hotel room. Tripadvisor postings are right on. We thought the hotel was great. For those of you who visited several years ago, the Plazas Las Glories has been remodeled to the Cozumel Palace- a diving lodge transformed into an all-inclusive palace. The staff was hard working, attentive and always courteous. Some of the food was good and some was alright—but there’s always an alternative:
Morning room service food was never delivered hot, but the breakfast buffet was great.
Burgers and fries by the pool were ok but we loved the lunch buffet inside.
We did not like the sashimi but loved the other sushi.
We never found a great bottle of wine (some was OK) but keep the mixed drinks coming.
Loved the ceviche and fondue but could not swallow the soups.
If you don’t see it on the menu or want it prepared a different way –ask the staff they are very accommodating.
Cozumel was one of the most enjoyable resorts we have visited!

Here’s a few tips not listed on Tripadvisor:
1. Book your hotel with Dave from Cancun Fun 2005 on ebay. I was skeptic at first, emailed numerous other ebay sellers and found Dave’s feedback the best. Dave delivers on what he says- no “odd” payments, fast to respond to emails and the transaction went as planned. Pay him $139. (We used paypal on ebay), he sends you the confirmation number with instructions, you call a 800 number to book your dates, pay them via credit card (we paid $1,520 for 7 nights with Am Ex), give them your flight information and then enjoy the great service at Cozumel Palace. You not only pay less for your room than advertised on Palace resorts web site ($280/night, or total cost of $1,960.) but you get the member freebees and discounts which enclude:
Coba tour $80 /person, on Thursday
Tulum tour $90 /person, on Tuesday
Manicure $22 /person
Pedicure $26 /person
25 minute massage $39. /person
Round trip airport/hotel transfers
Total freebees: $500. +

Plus:
20% discount in spa
10% discount in gift shop
Golf & spa credits

2. The spa was so great we each had 3 messages. My husband traded his manicure & pedicure into a deluxe spa pedicure for a minimal fee. His feet have never looked better & that is a major feet.

3. We purchased numerous items in the hotel gift shop because their prices are better than in town. We receive the members discount and they gladly take credit cards. If you find something in another store they might be able to get the item for you. Bargain with all other stores in town on price. They will give you better pricing for cash vs. credit card. We bargained by telling them we could get it cheaper at the Palace and found them coming down by as much as half, plus free resizing on a ring.


Muchas gracias Dave & Cozumel Place staff for a wonderful vacation.

Saw some recent negative-ish reviews here, so I thought I'd post. Our stay at the Palace was absolutely relaxing, and the crisp, immaculate hotel and pool area were a delight to come back to after walking or driving around, or hitting other snorkel spots or taking excursions. We were thrilled with our stay and came back feeling like a million bucks.

The room was a generous comfortable size, the jacuzzi tub was great, loved the balcony for fresh breezes and a lovely view, and the bed was very comfortable. Any request we made -- towels, toiletries, etc. -- was responded to in a hot minute. We had massages at the spa that were as good as any I've had at home in New York.

The food was really quite good, especially considering it's an all-inclusive. As people spoiled to great food, we don't really head to an island expecting the pinnacle of ethnic variety or award-winning cooking. So in that regard, we were perfectly satisfied with the huge breakfast buffet and grill, were happy with the lunch options (more than happy to have a burger and fries or club sandwich at lunch!), and the dinner options were quite good if you picked simple items. My boyfriend raved about the freshness of the shrimp in any dish he had.

We actually went back and forth on choosing the Palace because the lack of beach, but we honestly didn't miss it a bit. There are beach-like areas with palapas, but we didn't even use them in favor of being closer to the very relaxing infinity pool. As for the sea, being able to just jump in the water and snorkel was fantastic, too, and in our several tours along the hotel reef, we saw tons of great fish -- even two squid and a little octopus!

Regarding the service at meals and whatnot, I will say that it bordered on excessive at times for my preference. I'm not a fussy person, so all the extravagance of it and extreme courteousness could be exhausting. But we found that if we treated the waiters and hosts like people, and engaged them about the food or the island or asked for their suggestions on things to do, it became much more comfortable and natural. One tip: Request a Mexican coffee -- tequila or sambuca with coffee -- and they do quite a show with flaming liquer, pouring it from metal cup to metal cup to heat it. It's not on the menu -- no idea why!

As for another person's comment that the people probably didn't like their jobs at all, and it's all for show, a waiter at a nearby restaurant told us that working at the Cozumel Palace was far and away the best hospitality job on the island. The management is very good to the staff, and they pool all tips and divide among the folks working, so everyone goes home with a handsome check. So tip away!

Oh, and a final note: I read some complaints about unruly children, etc. There was actually not one kid at the resort while we were there. I asked a staffer about this in conversation, and he said that the resort is heavy with kids right after school gets out, right before school starts, and Xmas. I guess just a couple of weeks before our trip there were kids running everywhere. So plan accordingly if you have a preference!

All told: A highly recommended resort that truly feels like a crisp, relaxing oasis!

The hotel and the staff were great overall! Stayed Aug. 28 - Sept. 2

The Hotel:
The rooms and all of the facilities were top notch. The rooms were very clean and all of the products in the bathroom were great. (Biosilk) We had a great room on the 5Th floor and for the most part it was quiet. There is no hotel on the planet that can keep people from making noise in the hallway.

The staff:
The staff was great and the really were happy to be working there. When they said, "it's my pleasure", they meant it! My wife and I spoke to many of the staff members and ask about their daily lives, they are very pleased that we vacation in Cozumel.

The food:
The food was good , it wasn't great, but I have great food in Houston. I was not expecting 5 star food to begin with. Personally, I did not have any bad food while I was there. I have eaten at plenty of AI's and I have never had any food that was fantastic. Just remember, TIM "this is Mexico". The food is just going to taste different than it does in the U.S. The beef taste different all over the world, because the animals eat different things. As far as Mexican food being authentic, different parts of Mexico have different food. This is why they call the "Mexican" food in Texas, "Tex-Mex". The food is different than even Northern Mexican food, you are in the Yucatan. Just like food differs from state to state in the U.S. This was my 5Th time in the Yucatan region, I have never eaten at any restaurants that I would call outstanding.
The food was just fine. At breakfast you could have freshly made French toast, pancakes, Belgian waffles, and omelets, along with fresh fruit and all kinds of breads and cereals.
At lunch they would grill you anything you could think of even burgers, the burger tasted fine to me, if you wanted crispy fries order room service. We did and they were nice and crispy.
Dinner at the Mexican food restaurant was fine, I had the Northern grill, (getting the dishes name from the region of Mexico) it was more of what we Americans call Mexican food.
My wife and I both agree that the food was good to very good.

Of course I could go through the 5 days we spent at the hotel and pick out the 1 or 2 things that were not perfect, but I was on vacation and I try not to dwell on the negative. Especially, when 99% of the time the hotel and the staff were great. In five days we had a great time at the Palace.

Don't let the few negative reviews effect your decision to stay at the hotel. Unless of course you are one of those people who dwells on negativity and enjoys complaining about every little thing under the sun. I much prefer to look at the glass as half full and enjoy my vacation, I have enough to complain about at home!

I just have one thing to say to all of the people who have negative reviews of this place! "I feel for their husbands."

Everything was squeaky clean. The food, for the all-inclusive price, was great. Everything the Cozumel Palace website says is true and is honored. The entire hotel is beautiful. The bed is extremely comfortable, and clean. The drinks were great. The pool is huge with comfy lounge chairs and the swim-up bar was great. The BEST PART was the people. I truly felt that the staff was glad to have us there. I was on a first name basis with many of the staff members before we left. We hesitated because we had seen SOME negative reviews of this hotel, but I truly could NOT find fault with this place. We missed our first night because we were grounded in the US due to weather, so they offered to tack a night on to the end of our stay for no extra charge. This hotel was all about making you happy in any way they could. I highly recommend this place, particularly for honeymooners- it was an absolute dream come true. I was amazed that everything that the website said would be available to us, and would be included in the cost of our stay, was actually included. BOOK IT NOW!!