We just returned from a week long stay at Melia, Cozumel. We had a excellent time there. The staff was above and beyond what we had expected. They go out of there way to make your vacation memorable. The rooms and the view were also very nice. The beds however weren't the greatest , but not the worst either. We were in the building overlooking the kiddie pool which also had a great view of the ocean. The cafe Paradisa was good and well presented. The food at the grill got pretty monatonous, but was good for a quick snack. The buffet had many options to chose from, but some of it was unidentifiable. The service in all the resteraunts was great. There are quite a few rocks about 20 feet into the water all the way towards the shore. We chose to snorkel on the other side of the pier which was great. We plan on going back again for another trip when the time comes.

Just got back from a fantastic trip to the Melia Cozumel April 17-24. For comparison, we've been to Punta Cana twice (4 star and 5 star) and Santa Lucia Cuba (3.5 star). We are 40 years of age. Overall, this trip was absolutely wonderful. There is no need for anyone to worry about their stay here. The details:
Flew in on Air Canada ($2200 for two from Halifax), and the resort is a 10-minute drive from the airport. Was easy as pie.
We arrived on a thursday morning, and within 20 minutes we had our room. The front desk girls (Betty and GEnny) were very accomodating to my request to change our room a couple of times, until we found a king size bed on a lower floor. Within minutes, we were able to explore, drink, sunbathe, eat, whatever suits ya best.
The layout of this resort follows the beach, so you are literally never more than a 2-minute walk from room to beach. Its a smallish resort, but is very comfortable, and easy to get around. You won't walk a whole lot if you dont want to. HAving said that, the resort is also big enough for comfort. The layout is great for getting to the bar, getting food, getting back to your room for whatever you need.
My favourite things:
- The Beach. Not as breathtaking as BAvaro Beach Punta Cana, but pretty darn nice. Soft white sand, lots of shade for protection in the VERY hot sun. Warm waters. You will need swim shoes though. There are larger rocks in the waters. One great thing is that you dont need to get up at 5am (like Punta Cana) to get your hut. They do get used up, but I went out at 8-9 am and still got a hut. The whole thing about "murky water" I read in these reviews bugged me before I went. Guess what? It wasnt an issue. Yes, sometimes seaweed came in, but big deal, a 5-minute walk to the left gave you amazing clear water with the best snorkling I've ever experienced right off the beach at a resort. Stuff an empty water bottle with bread crumbs and put the cap back on. While underwater, open and squeeze some of the crumbs out. Hundreds and hundreds of fish will be around you in seconds. Pretty cool! The water is fine, and the blues of the ocean are very tropical.
- the swim up bar. Yes, the water is pretty cold in the pool, but it takes 60 seconds to get used to. The best part is that the swim-up bar looks over the beach. You are literally 10 seconds from pool to beach. Its rated low in the ratings, but it's because its not one of these huge, endless flowing pools that stretch for acres. I had that in Punta Cana last year. Guess what...never ended up using it there. Sometimes smaller is better, as it allows you to mingle more and meet interesting people. Bartendar Fredy is a real gem. He is just so nice. He even hooked up the beer tap after he had shut down and cleaned out one night for us. We tipped him the best of course. The swim-up bar is a great place to meet people. We had 6 fun nights of closing the bar there and hanging out with new friends from Toronto, Illinois, Iowa, Texas, Michigan, Massachusettes, etc....Anyone remember the Bucaneers?
- COZUMEL itself. What a beautiful easy going island. We rented a jeep, drove around the island (not far-takes a bit over an hour) and saw amazing coastline. Its so easy to navigate, and safe. The town is a 5-10 minte drive via cab ($7 for 4 persons) away from the resort. It's safe to wander around in, and the shopping is endless. You have the typical souvenir, tshirt-type shops, and on the other end, you have high end rolex storefronts.
My advice, stroll around first and see what prices are. There are stores that give you very high prices expecting that lots of negotiations will occur; then there are stores that have all prices set (sort of like a department store where we are from). You'll easily notice the difference. Best time to visit is Sundays and after 5-6pm during the week. THis is when the crusie ships are not around. Wednesday is the worst. There are 8 crusie ships in port, and thousands of people milling baout.
Off the resort, we ate and experienced the Carlos & Charlies/Senor Frogs bar/grill right downtown Good food, and alot of fun. You should experience this place. Its not cheap though, it would compare to a moderate restaraunt here in Canada. I was surprised to find Mcdonalds, burger King, Pizza hut, Dominos, and even Blockbuster in Cozumel. Not places I ventured, but someone told me that McD's tasted the same as in the states. Why go all the way to Cozumel and eat McD's, I'll never understand, but to each his own....
We also stopped at the Punta Sur beach area (southern most tip of the island) to see the crocodiles, and took a beer stop at Coconuts beach bar while on our island tour. Enjoyed both visits. Coconuts is quite the sight. They give the gals free margaritas IF you agree to have your picture taken topless! There are photo albums of hundreds of willing participants if you like that sorta thing ....

- Food: I've read about some people not liking it. I really had no issues. Breakfast was the best. The lunch snack bar fit our needs, and the thematic dinner buffets served up enough to keep us all happy for the week. We did one a la carte (la paraisol? Cant remember the spelling). It was good, and a change. Unless you are REALLY picky, you'll do fine. Personally, I didnt really enjoy spanish night for the buffet, but that's my taste.
I recommend doig an a la carte, eating in town one night, and you'll be fine with the selection everywhere. If you go to the buffet, eat three plates full every night, trying everything in sight, well, then yes, you might find it a bit repetitious.

The only thing that we didn't like at all was the vacation club sales people. The towel guys entice you with free gifts (Like a jeep rental and admittance into Punta Sur parc) if you agree to a 90-minute sales presentation with their "Vacation club reps". We agreed to it to save the $100 on the things we wanted to do anyway. It ran into a 150 minute presentation, and it was high-pressure sales, basically trying to push us into signing for a 50-year vacation deal. We didn't accept of course, but it was a bit stressful dealing with the sales pitches. We especially did not like Racquel, who was incredibly pushy. Our first guy, Jorge, was a nice guy, just trying to make a living like all of us. Anyway, it got us the free jeep, so it ended up being ok. Be forwarned though.

All in all though, a VERY good experience at the Melia Cozumel. Rooms were clean, facilities all worked well, and we had lots of fun in the sun. I cant see anyone not liking this (unless you have the Sandals-type expectations).

What a wonderful place. Everything was clean (unlike Puerto Vallarta), the staff was friendly and helpful, and the value was outstanding. Went with our kids, 18 & 20, and all agreed it was the best vacation we've ever had. Can't wait to go back.

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.