Hotel Cozumel & Resort has my stamp of approval, I spent five nights with my 2 sons ages 8 & 12. With the exception of the staff at the front desk, all waiters, bartenders,and activity staff were more than friendly.
Although we were on the all inclusive plan, we thought it was a good idea to tip the waiters, bartenders, and the maids, what a difference it makes in how you were treated. Although a dollar may not seem like much to us, the average bartender makes less than 40 dollars a day. We ate most of our meals in the restaurant, or snacked by the pool, the menu was nothing special by the pool, but remeber people this is for snacking, not a meal! We thought the food was good, not great but hey I wasnt paying $60 to $100 a meal either. They have nightly shows, all with different themes, and the only thing I have to say is that some of the content is not suitable for children, but overall entertaining.
I also went diving for the first time with paridise diving (just across the street)and had a wonderfull experience. My instructors name was Jordon and he can really make you feel at ease with any questions or concerns you may have. I highly recommend giving it a try if you have any iterest at all in diving...I will be back for more!
Overall we had a great and unforgetable vacation..loved every minute of it...hated to leave...and plan to go back next year!!!

We stayed here May 18-23. It was a very clean hotel. We were disappointed because the pool didn't have a swim up bar. There were no shows at all during our stay. We read in the property notes that there were shows every night. The guests there were all divers and if you weren't a diver you didn't fit in. I'm 30 yrs old and the crowd was 50 and older, so no one even bothered to talk with us. The food, well I would rate it a 2! No variety at all. I like Mexican food and all they served us was rice, potatoes and pasta. Every night we would go down to eat the buffet. There were no meat dishes served and the pasta every night was noodles and sauce. We expected some seafood dishes, but only grilled fish was served. The drinks were not much to talk about either. No alcohol at all and watery. Last year I stayed at the El Coz and next year I will go back and stay there again. I thought I would try a new place, but you get more bang for the buck at El Coz!

Overall, we had a fabulous vacation. However, I do think that had we not been focused on diving, I would have been disappointed, and the hotel would get only a 2-rating from me. We got a great air/all-inclusive/dive package through Bay Adventures.

The major plus of the resort is that the dive shop is literally across the street. You come off the boat after your 2-tank morning dive and the lunch restaurant is right there. The food is not fabulous, although I didn't grow tired of it over the course of the week. I did a lot of ordering whatever they had available at the grill, so the fresh fish (especially the grouper) was great. We did go into town for some dinners. It's a pleasant 15-20 minute walk or $3 cab ride.

The staff was really friendly. We weren't happy with our room (they gave us 2 double beds rather than a king) and were immediately moved. We still weren't happy (we had a king but had a lame view of the dive shop and the street) and were then taken to 2 rooms to choose from. Two days in a row we got sheets that were worn and pilling, and after communicating (my Spanish is limited, but we got through it) with the housekeeper, we never had that problem the rest of the week.

Overall, I would say that the staff was very accomodating.

Complaints: The bathrooms needed more space, venilation and a general upgrade. Some areas of the resort still haven't been repaired (post hurricane), so when it stormed one night the lack of windows in the hallway meant water came in under our door. Nothing major, but a little annoying.

Everyone I met was either a) a diver or b) a family member of a diver. It sounds like this place is a nice compromise for families in which not everyone dives. I heard more than one time- "it's a decent place, and you can put more money towards your dives." I met one couple that has come back each year for 8 years and plans to continue the tradition.

I'm not convinced I will go back. However, my husband chatted it up with one staff member so much that we were offered another night. I'm saying all this to say, I would consider going back if other places are way more expensive (limiting our dive budget), but I would definitely stay there for free! I am one who usually likes more creature comforts- a little more towards "luxury," but I made it through the week and had a great vacation :)

for an all-inclusive resort and you will have a much better trip. If you have no expectations about the resort, you won't be disappointed. The diving was great but my room smelled of urine and so did my clothing. The AC was wonderful but did'nt help the odor. I lost about 5 lbs. on the trip because I was leary of the food. The guacomole and pico de gallo were the best food they had but you had to ask for it becase it was not usually on the buffet bar. The draft beer was always cold and the bar staff was great. By the end of your vacation, you wlll want to venture out to a restaurant to eat. I highly recommend Primas downtown. Next trip, I will surely try a more upscale resort on the island.