Well, I am a pretty blunt person so here it goes: The island and hotel were nice. The beach was beautiful; however, the hotel had a few things that were a bit annoying. For example, the food was repetitive and made us sick by the end of the week, the beds were incredibly lumpy and uncomfortable, and some of the hotel staff will hound you over and over again. I was happy to find that you really don't get hounded to buy stuff on the beach, but you would think the hotel would shy away from that. They constantly bug you to rent cars and they won't let up. BE WARNED about the airport. They try to sell you trips and they are 100% lying to you and totally overcharging you. Anyway, back to the hotel....the staff was really nice for the most part. You would have a rude person here or there, but overall they treated you very nicely. The hotel was big with two pools and right on the beach. It was nice, but the rooms were moderate in my opinion. Aside from the lumpy beds, our rooms were made up very slowly and sometimes the maids would just barge in without even knocking and we happened to be in the room. We had to ask for more soap to shower with which was a little annoying.

I probably would try this resort again because it was a good deal for the price, but I would definitely go in with a more cautious attitude and try to avoid the hassling. I am just not sure I can deal with those beds. Also, I asked for a king and got two double beds so for couples trying to be close and romantic, be prepared to fight for a king bed. One couple was on their honeymoon and had double beds and they had to fight with the staff for two days before getting a king.

We stayed at the Melia from March 28th - April 4th and less a few minor hiccups, we loved it!

Arrived for check in and were told that our room wasn't ready. No problem as we knew we were arriving at noon and rooms generally aren't ready that early so we always pack a Bathing Suit in our Carry On. They told us to come back at 3pm to get a room so we explored the resort, got a few drinks and even tried out the Snack Bar (which turned out to be a real life saver some days). Finally at three, we went to the Front Desk and inquired about upgrading to one of the Jacuzzi suites, at which time we were told their were none available. We were fine with that and started up to our room... When we got there, we walked into someone else's room! There were people's clothes everywhere, money, all sorts of things! I phoned the front desk from that room to tell them that they had sent us to somebody else's room and they apologized profusely and sent us to a Jacuzzi Suite to make up for it... So they did have one available!

I should skip ahead here for you people who just browse these and don't read them in full that when we went to check out, they tried to charge us for the room. When we reminded them of their little mistake, they tried to tell us that they only meant that they would take care of us the one night and that all other nights were at our own charge. But there was no way I was paying because they never called us or came looking for us to tell us that, or we would have moved. They couldn't argue with that and did not charge us.

The Food is average. The best was Breakfast in my opinion however, I soon learned that the menu does not change for Breakfast - so while it was excellent, it got very repititous. We never once went for lunch as the snack bar was excellent and convenient and went a few times for dinner. We are pretty picky eaters so we spent most nights eating out. We did go for International Night which was pretty good and then went for Caribbean Night but it wasn't good at all. The only other night I would have ventured to is Italian Night but we just happened to be out that night. The rest was Mexican Night, Spanish Night and Oriental Night.

The drinks are alright. I've had better, I've had worse. You have to ask if you want them to use top shelf liquor and the frozen drinks are runny at best so I had to always ask them for extra ice in the Blender. Better yet, bring a Travel Mug for them to put your drink in, it will keep it cold because it is HOT there. We have never gone down south so late in the year and couldn't believe the difference between January and April down there.

Hence my next point. If you're the type that doesn't normally wear sunscreen (like us), please wear it. We got so burnt that I was in actual tears and had to sit under a Palapa all day. My own fault of course and learnt my lesson quickly!

The resort beach is mediocre but just fine for what it's worth. We ventured in a few times but it was very seaweedy (although I will say they had men working from 6am on to clear it), and lots of rocks (stubbed my toe a couple hundred times). If you walk 2 minutes to the El Coz, the difference is pretty astounding.

The water is noteably clearer and this is where I chose to make my first venture in snorkeling. There are SO many fish over at the pier there (on both sides but mostly on the El Coz side) and wouldn't you believe, as we swam there, we encountered a Barracuda! Luckily for us, he wasn't hungry! But pretty cool I thought, for free and unguided snorkeling at a Resort.

Staff was WONDERFUL and accomodating. I have zero complaints and only compliments. Such hardworking people. Our room maid was fabulous and we left her tons of gifts that we brought over from home in Canada.

Rented a Jet Ski and that was pretty awesome. Tried to Parasail but the guy told me they were "off" that day so instead I went into Playa Del Carmen and did it.

Tons of stuff to do and see in both Cozumel and Playa Del Carmen. Went to Primo's for Lobster and it was just that, Primo. Went to Margaritaville a few times and Paradise Beach is a must see for all those visiting Cozumel. Did a Famous Fury Catamaran Tour and it was amazing and well priced.

All in all, I would come back to the Melia if I got a great deal again. They had some really good childrens activities and even had the Spa come out and do free ten minute massages! The resort is spacious and well maintained and even though the food wasn't the greatest, I can admit that we're not the best for trying new things. I will say that when they put food out for every meal, there was TONS of it and the selection was pretty incredible. I wondered what they did with all the leftovers (although I was a little dismayed to see them serving peas and carrots in the morning and then remembered that that had been the veggie from the night before - yuck).

I guess this is the jist of it. This happened to be the best vacation of my life. So while the resort was good but not the greatest, it really is what you make it. There is so much to do in the Mayan Riviera that you could never be bored...

Take everything with a grain of salt and enjoy!

My husband and I stayed at Melia Cozumel 3/25 to 4/5/2008 and had a wonderful vacation. The reviews I read prior to our departure were very helpful. I hope some of our commentary is helpful to you, too.

Room: The ocean view room was most definitely worth the extra money -- waking each morning with spectacular views of the Caribbean was incredible. We were on the 10th floor and booked an M-Experience reservation. With M-Experience you have access to a 'travel assistant' at nearly all times. Your 'travel assistant' will assure you have whatever you need during your stay. Veronica made dinner reservations and expedited our check-in and out process. She was great! The room was always impecably clean (thanks and kudos to Lorena). The bath towels were some of the finest I have experienced ay any hotel. We also had wireless internet connection included in our room

Food: I have read several other reviews mentioning the food -- I would say the buffet dinners were mediocre at best. There was plenty of variety so you could always find something pleasing to your palate. However, there were a couple of nights I saw children eating cold cereal -- there were not often alot of kid-friendly choices on the buffet, especially true for picky eaters. Good news, the hotel is willing to accomodate any special request within reason. The food was often cool to slightly warm at service from the buffet.. Unfortunately and somewhat ironically, the worst meal was the mexican buffet. We found the reservation restaurants to have higher quality meals with exceptional service. That said, we did venture into town for several dinners for some variety and to sample the local cuisine. I'd recommend Guido's, and Prima has an exceptional wine list but only average food.

Water: The hotel advised NOT to drink the tap water. We found the quantity of bottled water supplied by the hotel was inadequate and in such small portions (11oz bottles). We requested 'extra' water, but did not regularly receive it. We found it more convenient to go to the grocery store and purchase larger bottles of water (5 liters = $1.25). Chedraui, the large grocery store, was only a $15 cab round trip and well worth the effort.

Currency: We have travelled many times to other destinations in Mexico but have never encountered a destination where using American currency was not only easy but preferred. We did not exchange any money and did not find it necessary to use the ATM (located on hotel grounds). There did not to seem to be much advantage to exchange rate as in our other Mexican vacations. Bring American currency in various denominations, especially smaller bills, and you'll be fine.

Bars: We met MANY exceptional bar staff during our stay. David was among the finest. He provided top quality service and spoke excellent English. Enrique and Felipe were also top quality. We did bring our own insulated travel-style tumblers as recommended in previous reviews. The drinks stayed much cooler and were filled to capacity. If you wish a brand-label liquor, just ask -- it will be poured if it is available.

Beach: I've read reviews of 'murky water' in front of hotel, but it was exceptionally clear during our stay. The staff is up very early to clear the beach of washed-up sea weed/grasses. The beach is cleaned and tidied every evening. The hotel next door has better waters for snorkeling with greater variety of sea life. In front of Melia, we found more seashells and saw an adequate range of sea life. About 15 minute walk down the beach (toward El Cozumeleno) is an exceptional bay for snorkeling, too. Next year we plan to return and do some scuba diving -- hear the reefs are amazing. For this year, we found the snorkeling to be amazing! I swam next to a few barracuda which kind of frightened me until I learned that they RARELY harm humans. What I did learn is that they are attracted to shiny items, like jewelry. I also read reviews of 'sand fleas' -- though we did have a couple of insect bites, it was not a significant problem for us.

Tipping: The resort information on internet indicated tipping is included in fees. HOWEVER, even small tipping is MOST appreciated and well deserved. We generally tipped $1 to $2 dollars at the bars, $2 at meals, $5 for baggage handlers and a couple of dollars/day for housekeeping. For our 12 day stay, we brought about $100/person in $1 bills -- it was sufficient. I can not stress enough how meaningful tipping is to the staff and they certainly earn it. PLEASE, offer gratuities -- it is a reflection on the appreciation of the attention and services of the dedicated staff. TIP, for heavens sake, when the service is deserving (which it almost always is).

Overall: Melia was a fantastic vacation for us. We were looking for a restful and relaxing stay with activities as we desired. Our room was great and the entire staff is pleasant and most helpful. They really desire your stay to be everything you wish. A little Spanish knowledge goes a long way in Cozumel -- seemingly more so than in other Mexican resorts we've visited. We will be planning a return trip next year and already looking forward to it.

We returned a week ago from a weeks stay at the Melia. The service was wonderful and the resort was very clean. We had a junior suite oceanview room with remarkable views. There are three buildings of rooms. The "tower" held the suites with oceanviews and one building had ocean views and the other had garden views. I highly recommend an ocean view. The resort was full but never seemed to be overcrowded. There was an adult pool that was never crowded, and an activities pool that was a bit more crowded, but never crazy. The breakfast buffet was wonderful, with fresh fruit and made to order omelets every morning. During the lunch hours, the grill was perfect for hamburgers, fries, and quesadillas while the buffet offered many choices. The dinner buffet had themed nights with the best being the Italian night and the Oriental night. If you want to eat in the restaurants that require a reservation, you will need to get up early and make your reservations. I was down and in line by 6:45am to do that. The service and food in La Paraiso was wonderful. The grounds were kept very clean. The beach offered wonderful, soft sand, but there was a little bit of kelp that washed in. This was raked up each morning, but still existed somewhat during the day. If you like snorkeling, you can walk next door to the resort and snorkel out front of that hotel. The resort was the perfect size. Spread out enough that you could get away, but not so large that you couldn't find someone. The resort is a 5 minute taxi ride to town costing about $5-8. For the price we paid, this resort was perfect for what we were looking for.