I was part of a group of nine people who stayed at El Coz from 3/3/07 to 3/10/07. I found the resort almost exactly as I expected due to readings all the reviews and postings on the forum.

Antonio at the dive shop took care of us all week. He strongly recommended that we take the snorknel trip on Sunday because a weather front was moving in. He was right on the money! We took his advice and had a great time. One of the guys in my group took the free scuba lesson in the pool and then took the assisted dive trip from the hotel. He really enjoyed that too!!

Antonio also hooked us up with a taxi and driver for a trip to the eastern side of the island where we visited Coconuts and Chen Rio. If you go to Chen Rio, check out the seafood platter they have. Lobster, shrimp, red snapper and a few other things on it!! Very tasty!!! We had a good time seeing the island!!

We did our downtown shopping trip on Wednesday - lots of stores that sell t-shirts and silver. I did get to Camillo's for lunch, which I enjoyed - try the shrimp and/or fish tacos! I actually took my lunch to the plaza and sat there and viewed the sights while I ate. Very nice!!

We also went to Casa Dennis for dinner one night. I wanted authentic Mexican and I got it!!! Try the lime soup - it was very good! I also had a red snapper dish that was quite tasty!

I can't say enough about how nice the staff was at El Coz. Everyone works so hard to keep things neat and clean and guests happy. I was impressed with everyone. Our group took a particular liking to Jose, the waiter at the small beach bar. He took very good care of us all week!!!

As for the food, I never went hungry! Breakfast was fine, the normal AI choices. Lunch offered an awesome fajita bar at the buffet restaurant which was really good. There was always a hot buffet as well as burgers, hot dogs, etc. at the beach bar. Dinner at the buffet was OK - nothing great but I always found something to eat. The sit down restaurant was much better. My group ate there two nights and found everything thing to be just fine.

I found that drinks depended on who was making them. Sometimes they were strong, sometimes they weren't! Either way, it wasn't a big issue for me!!

It seems that the biggest negative on the hotel all week was the beds. The mattresses are hard and several guys in my group were complaining about their backs by the end of the week!! My personal wish is that El Coz would upgrade their gym equipment as well. They do not have a good selection and what is there, is outdated.

All in all, it was a good week and I wouldn't hesitate to stay at El Coz again. By all means, visit Antonio in the dive shop. He is extremely knowlegeable about the island and will not steer you wrong!

Before going I asked, jokingly, in the Tripadvisor forum if there were two El Cozumelenos because of the highly polarized reviews people were offering of that resort. Having just returned on March 3 from our vacation I think that must be the case. The resort we stayed at was fine, just as we expected.
The accomodations were comfortable and clean, the food was varied and good - at least to our simple tastes - , the staff was friendly and hard working, the grounds were well maintained, the shows were entertaining. Plus, it was fun on a February evening to enjoy a dinner show or watch a movie or just sit on the beach -- all under the stars--, while munching on popcorn or nachos and cheese or the Coke floats we made ourselves.
While we were not able to avail ourselves of her official
services we were grateful for the assistance we got from Theresa, who works in the lobby, and, also, Manuel of Fiesta Holidays who both helped us with a couple of problems not related to our stay at the resort.
We took the "family" sunset cruise on the Manta catamaran; got a close up look at the cruise ships docked at the San Miguel pier, passed by one of the island lighthouses and just plain enjoyed being on the water. The fire dancer was also fun to watch.
The only other excursions we took were two taxi trips to town, $6.00 for three people each way. The shopkeepers were friendly; we did not feel pressured or intimidated by anyone. During one of these trips we visited the Cozumel Island museum. It is pretty interesting for the price, $3.00 per person, especially the recreation of the Mayan living quarters and the very patient docents who staff it.
El Cozumeleno is a great place for families; there is a "Kid's
Club" where our grandson could spend some time out of the sun with his new found pals. The pool area is extensive, with waterfalls, bridges, an island (!) and different depth levels. There is a surprisingly challenging miniature golf course on the grounds: we played several times - at no extra charge, of course.
If I were asked to suggest any improvements I might recommend some shady areas around the pool. There are shaded hammocks and a limited number of thatched huts on the beach, but nothing around the pool.
Because of the tropical climate everything is open to the outdoors so you might encounter the occasional insect and, yes, once in a while a bird will fly through the dining palapa; it was no big deal to us. On the other hand, at night, after around 10:00 PM, when the resort quieted down we could lie in our beds with the slider open, using the sheer curtains as screens, and listen to the surf pound the shore - - Priceless !

My husband and I just returned from the El Cozumeleno. After reading just about all of the posts here, I was expecting "average," and that's exactly what I would rate it. Here is our report:

Rooms: We were in the South Tower (7th Floor), View was great. Room was clean and large enough. Beds were extra firm (not a plus). Nightly activities at the pool (shows, etc.) were noisy but ended around 9 or so each night. No plumbing issues.

Food: Breakfast is definitely the best food of the day. Lunch and dinner were edible, but certainly nothing I would pay for if it wasn't already included. The food tasted bland to me and after a few days becomes really boring. NOTE: We ate at the Veranda (specialty restaurant) one night. We had the filet mignon, and it was tough - as small as it was, I didn't finish mine. The icing on the cake though was the house wine -- I ordered 2 glasses of the house red, and the 2nd glass had 2 dead flies in it that I discovered only after I pratically swallowed the first fly. After I called it to their attention, they offered me another glass of "fly-free" wine (hello???). If anyone at the El Coz is reading this, PLEASE keep your wine corked between servings -- they make special corks for that!

Drinks: WEAK - even when you request a double shot. We tipped generously, but still had a hard time getting what we asked for (especially shots on the side - they kept "forgetting").

Pool: OK; appeared very clean -- no evidence of any "sewage issues" as mentioned in previous posts. Water was very cold though, and I had to be really hot to get in even for a second. Several people seemed to stay in it a lot, so maybe it's just me, but I found the ocean to be much warmer and more comfortable.

Beach: Probably about as good as it gets for Cozumel. Very rocky, but great for snorkeling right off the beach!! That was the best part of our stay. There is a small sandy area at the north end where you can enter the water.

Staff: Very friendly, no problems there.

Overall, this is really just a 3-star family resort, but a solid 3-star. If you're on a budget, this may be the place for you. If you have more to spend and like higher end resorts, I would definitely recommend spending the difference. In that case, you might want to avoid the all inclusive route too.

First of all, the food at times was blah but there were also some dishes that were very good, you definitely won't go hungry. The restaurant that you need reservations for is definitely worth it, very upscale and the food and service was outstanding. There is a lot of choices; everything we tried was excellent. We only wish we could have eaten there more than the three times we did.

The service as far as drinks and food, maid service... was phenominal. The facility was very beautiful and clean with a breathtaking vew of the ocean. There were plenty of activities to do with the sunset cruise being one of those to partake in. It was lots of fun with a great view and great cocktails.

We can't say enough good about the staff. They were very helpful and friendly at all times.

If you are a golfer the golf course across the street was nice but definitely not the caliber of a high dollar course (which their green fees and dress codes suggest). It is a tough course but don't expect it to be an elite tour course.

One of the downsides of the resort was the fitness room. The only equipment that they had was a bike and a few other things that were very outdated and therefore I didn't use. I wish they were a little more up to date on that.

Don't bother to bring a laptop because they don't have internet access at the hotel, another option we wish they would invest in getting for those of us who like to keep in touch with our loved ones via internet.

All and all the resort was very nice and we would definitely consider going back again.