09/26/2003 This was our first time in Cozumel. Our room was very clean, a little damp, but because of high humidity it was not suprising. We just put a towel on each side of the bed and dried our feet before we got in. The front desk staff was very friendly. The food is a little bland. We just added hot sauce to help. The buffets are good. The desserts looked wonderful, but 1 bit was it for me. We rented a car with Fiesta at the hotel, Brenda the girl who helped us was very sweet and friendly. Getting a taxi is no problem. We rented a car to drive around the Island. It was worth the $. Melia has a very nice beach with nice lounge chairs. We will probably not stay here when we go down next summer. Its too far north of town.If you want a nice, quiet, clean hotel Melia is a good one.

Perhaps I'm spoiled...but I cannot in good conscience recommend the Melia, unless you are used to Motel6-ish accomodations. __________________________________________________My husband and I stayed 8 days and 7 nights at the Melia, August 23-30th. The Melia is the farthest hotel North in the zone, which translates to a five-dollar cab ride each direction.The grounds are very nicely kept and clean (other than the beach), and at initial impression, I thought we were going to have our expectations fulfilled. (The Melia in Cabo is excellent) Almost immediately, however, the negatives began to pile up. The floors are polished marble - pretty to look at, but as slippery as ice when wet - which in Cozumel, is most of the time.We had some "interesting" difficulties at check-in; the gentleman who assisted us told us that we would not be allowed to stay there (we were prepaid) unless we also purchased the All Inclusive program, which is untrue. AI is an option, not a mandatory here. I raised an eyebrow at him, pulled out my online confirmation/reservation forms, and asked him if he could kindly point out where in all of it, it states that the AI is mandatory.He quickly changed his tune. We actually did purchase the 'drinks only' optional program, which was $117 per person, and worth it. (Thankfully, we refused the food)We were given the wrong room, on the 12th floor; we are Timeshare owners, and as such, are supposed to have the 1/2 kitchen, refrigerator, etc. What we got, was a basic hotel room - bed plus bathroom. It took two days to get the room changed to the correct type.Only one time, did we eat the resort's food; we had been in Playa Del Carmen all day, and were tired, so we purchased two entries to the buffet ($20 pp). Hands-down, the worst food I've eaten at any buffet, ever. Both my husband and I were apalled at the quality - it reminded me of school lunch fare, but worse. The desserts had been brought in from outside, so after cringing my way through 7-8 regular buffet items, none of which were good, I decided to give up and just go for the desserts, thinking they HAD to be better.Sadly, I was mistaken. Somehow, water had gotten inside the cakes themselves, so that when you cut into them with a fork, moisture began to ooze out. It tasted as though they had been dipped in dirty dish-water. I tried all 5 dessert varieties offered, hoping it was a one-time thing...alas, it wasn't.The beach in front of the resort is dirty, and the water befouled with grime and weeds. Just South, at the next resort, they have a concrete pier built as a divider between the resorts, and it also acts to trap the gook from heading South into their waters, which are bright turquoise, clean, and clear. The Melia would do well to take a cue from them, and build their own pier...asap.We also had problems with the maid on our floor, once we were moved to the correct room. Three days in a row, I placed the "No Molestar!" sign on the door...and three days in a row, she entered anyway. Finally, I went to the front desk and complained. The desk manager called housekeeping and found out who was responsible for our room, then spoke to her (while I was there) and asked her to please honor the sign. I thanked him and went back to the room, once again hanging the "No Molestar!" sign on the outside. In the morning when I went downstairs to get coffee, I checked the sign - it was still there when I got back to the room, so I figured we were okay.At precisely 11:00, the maid tried to get in. I heard her, and went to the door, telling her we didn't need anything, thanks. She stayed there for a minute, asking item by item if we needed anything, which I replied no to. Finally, she departed. As soon as she left, I opened the door and checked - sure enough, the sign was still hanging from the latch.Go figure.There were no cocktail servers anywhere in the resort - if you wanted a drink, you had to go to the bar to get one. Same thing at the palapas on the beach - need a drink? Hike up to the bar and get it yourself. This really caught me by surprise, and I was shocked to find it was the same even inside the resort's main disco/show room. There is one bar inside, against the back wall, and not a single waiter/waitress to cover the floor, even when it is packed.The shows were amusingly presented, and the staff went to a lot of trouble to make sure each night there was a little something different. Kudos for that, since there really is no nightlife on Cozumel, once the sun goes down.All in all, we were very disappointed with the Melia. I suppose it would be fine if you didn't have any true four and five star hotel/resort experiences to compare it to, but we do. I would never stay here again, even if I was comped the room.

We did an exchange and it was the worst we have ever had. The first room we refused as the bedroom had no window. The dirty sofa was opposite the kitchen area and only about 8 foot away. The room smelt musty and damp. The balcony had a brick wall rather than glass as most of the other balconies. We went for the diving as we were told it was on site. It was not. You had to take a $10 taxi ride each way as no diving on site. The second room we had was much better but was not a one bedroom apartment with kitchen facilities but just a hotel room which they put a fridge and microwave in but said there was not room for plates and cutlery and glasses! Evenutally we got them. Most of the staff at the hotel were fabulous - no complaints there. The beach was awful - full of seaweed and you could not swim in the sea. It also smelt so sitting on the beach was not pleasant. We did not want the all inclusive as we like to visit different restaurants at night you could not even get a drink or a snack. BEWARE! We changed hotels at great expense after 3 days as we could not face a full 2 weeks there but at least we had a great holiday after that and we did save on the taxis for the diving.

There are no wonderful hotels in Cozumel, but this one is close. The desk staff is a little stuffy, but everyone else is really nice. We stayed from 8/15/03 - 8/18/03 and the place was clean, and our Jr. Suite room was tiled with Travertine floors and the bathtub was large enough for 2 people with some wiggle room remaining. The view was great, as we were on the 9th floor, and we experienced no problems at all with the hotel. With regard to food, the breakfasts were good, the lunches were OK and the dinners were terrible. Even the nice restaurants that require reservations were not that good. Don't expect any authentic mexican food, either, as they try to stay somewhat continental. The drinks are OK, but if you ask for anything other than a beer or a marguerita, don't expect it to taste very good. As with any other all-inclusive place, tipping gets you better service. I saw bartenders walk away from people when someone who tips them walks or swims up. With regard to the beach, walk to the hotel next door (sister property) and use thier beach. It is larger and the water is clearer (but colder) thanks to a jetty blocking the current. In summary, I would go back to this hotel because it is one of the best available on the island. I am a pretty laid back guy, though, so if you are expecting to be pampered, you will be disappointed with any hotel on the island.