Stayed at Occidental Grande Cozumel from Nov. 8th to Nov. 15th in Royal Club. My husband and I are both in our 30s stayed at resort as gift from my mother. I will list pros and cons of resort. I have been coming to Cozumel since 1985 (have not been in last 11 years, a little lapse there!) The island has changed significantly since I last saw it approx. 11 years ago, a lot more touristy, but if you get off the main strip of San Miguel still some great Mexican character to it...
Pros:
1. Beautiful grounds and architecture. Well kept and very clean. Had a wonderful Spanish feel to it. Loved how they lit the domes at night...
2. Staff was exceptionally nice (except for a few, but that happens almost everywhere)
3. Above average food (not gourmet), but good variety. With a few exceptions of some stale desserts (maybe because it was slow season and they tried to preserve the food a little longer!)
4. In Royal Club beautiful bathrooms with jacuzzi tub (small) and walk in frameless shower with marble? finish or some type of native stone to area...
5. Free movies for Royal Club (about 50 to choose from in concierge area for the Royal Club)
6. Georgous beach and water!
7. Nice pool (but very cold, not heated - it was November though)
8. Royal Club has small private pool for its own guests. I imagine this would be esp. nice during busy season!
9. Royal Club has extra private restaurant, good food (again,not gourmet)
10. Nightly entertainment (Mariachis -spelling? -the night we ventured out, not sure about other nights - they were very good though
11. Loved the location and view of the Beach Club (place where lunch is available daily). Our waiter, Rodrigo was esp. helpful to our group with crying kids....

CONS:
1. My brother and his wife brought their 18 mo. old and 3 1/2 year old. I do not have kids but here were their complaints: Crib collapsed (yes collapsed!) about 3-4 times. They finally found one that did not. Staff tried very hard to fix problem, not their fault of course, but they seemed shaken by incident. Just a wierd thing to happen to an 18 mo. old!
2. My brother and his wife thought the kids club had too many kids and not enough adult vision, so they did not take their kids to club (again personal preference on parent ), but staff was very friendly from what I observed...
3. They state you have free wireless internet service, which is not entirely true. In the Royal Club you have 1 computer for 2 buildings and they were occupied quite frequently for the slow season and yes it was free. However, if you want it in your room, you have to pay $25 per day (I think that is expensive, but maybe I'm clueless). In the other part of the resort I heard you have to pay $6 per 30 min. on community computer - again quite expensive. Also it was very slow, not high speed as should be for those prices...Again it is Mexico so maybe it was expensive for them to put in...???and they are compensating their costs???
4. Complimentary airport shuttle was a little confusing, but worked out in end. Have to have them fill out voucher for way back to airport. When you pick up return voucher, you have salesman try to sell you excursions. The salesman was nice, but we were not interested. Again, it is personal preference...
5. Beds were hard, but I am very picky about beds. I think some of the US chains beat them on this such as Wyndham, but I know good beds are hard to come by in Mexico. Sheets/pillows were average.
6. Alcoholic drinks were weak, but maybe they did this for our safety so we would not pass out from alcohol poisoning, as so many Americans suffer in Mexico!
7. Private pool in Royal Club is actually a giant hot tub and they did not heat it except by request. Even when we requested to heat it, it did not seem to warm up - this might be a slow season issue?
Overall, it was a GREAT place to stay. I would probably return again, my brother and his wife with their kids, maybe not.

I've stayed at the Occidental Grand the last five times I've been to Cozumel. The reason I keep staying there is the quality of the accommodations, very luxurious. The food is very good with quite a lot of selections each meal. The specialty restaurants have excellent fare.
Everyone there are always asking if there is anything they can do to make your stay more enjoyable. The staff are very friendly.
I highly recommend this resort to anyone going to Cozumel, you won't be disappointed.

We wavered between this all inclusive and Cozumel Palace and we're glad we picked the former. It was a fairly short ride from town and the seclusion was appreciated. We also liked smaller separate residences as opposed to the high rise Miami atmosphere.
The room was fine but for an A/C system nosier than most.
Grounds were well kept and pool and beach areas lovely.
Even though the two formal restaurants were open on alternate nights, the always available buffet restaurant was our favorite. We even passed on the third of three reservations allowed, for the seafood buffet before we left.
Staff was friendly and usually stayed a step ahead of our needs.
Our only complaint (minor), was numerous attempts to arrange for sales tour in exchange for discounted car, tour, etc. This began right when we got of fthe plane and continued at the hotel.
After we informed them we weren't interested, all attempts ceased.
All in all it was a relaxing stay and one of the few good deals left for the sad american dollar.

My Husband and I went to the Occidental Grand with friends of ours (another married couple). We could not find one thing wrong with this resort, except for the murky water the first few days, which we found out was due to the direction of the wind.
While the hotel beach waters were murky, we decided to rent a car and do a little exploring. We found a beautiful beach, Playa Bonita, which is only about a 15 minute drive, but on the other side of the Island. There is a little restaurant on the beach with $1. Coronas and great Ceviche and Guacamole-paradise! We called Hertz from our room and got a rate of $20 per day, (they drop off the car to the hotel). If you book through the hotel it is quite a bit more, and they try to make you go on the dreaded "tour" to get a cheaper rate, but we stayed clear of that!
We also took a day trip to Playa del Carmen on the ferry. It is quite beautiful there, but the shop keepers are so aggressive, we felt that if they could physically drag us into their shops they would! This made us so thankful that we were staying at the peaceful and non-aggressive Occicdental where you are far away from the hustlers!
Our third day there, the beach at the hotel completely transformed! What a difference that shift in wind made!! Once this happened we stopped exploring and stayed put.
You will not want for anyhting at the Occidental Grand, just ask and you will receive, with a SMILE! I had been in the service industry for many years, and I must say that the service at the Occidental is very impressive. They really get the fact that it is your vacation, and they seem to really want to make you comfortable, relaxed and happy! You never see any staff member complain, or see any rude looks or bad attitudes- sooooo refreshing! We did leave modest tips while we were there, and it was our pleasure to do so, but it is not expected.

The food was very good for an all inclusive, and they did have a pretty good variety. Breakfasts were our favorite, omlettes and eggs cooked to order, all sorts of pastries, fresh baked breads, fresh fruits, french toast etc.........
The drinks were very nice, not very strong, but that is good when you are in the Sun all day! The bartenders will make any drink you wish, and they know how to make everything from Martinis to Mojitos to Manhattans to Margaritas!!


We had a lot of fun in the little disco...the DJ was great, and the other vacationers were a lot of fun- especially those crazy Canadians! They are NOT gay.

I would highly recommend the Occidental. I think it would be impossible to have a bad time here!! Go, RELAX, UNWIND, HAVE FUN!!
Barbara and Dave Brown