My wife and two kids just returned from Cozumel, Mexico where we spent eight days. We have stayed at other all inclusives resorts and found my stay at the Melia to be a little better than expected. Most of the reviews that I have read have been accurate as far as the food and the water conditions. The staff is friendly and courteous. The nightly shows were above average. Not much for my teenage son to do at the resort during the evening hours. The game room was below average and not user friendly. The food at the the Isla Restuarant was average and on two occasions we ate out. The Parariso Resturant was ok. We found that the excusions were a bit pricey, however, we took the jungle jeep tour, reef snorkling and scuba diving. i highly recommend that you rent a car and explore the island it is worth the money and may be a better chosice than the resort excursions.There were several beachside restuarants that were very affordable with swimming areas to keeps the kids busy while we downed the ice cold Coronas and good seafood. I felt safe at all times anywhere that i went on the island. If you want to know more you can e-mail me.

We stayed at the Melia Aug 1-5 and had the best vacation! I hadn't read many reviews pertaining to children, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect (this was our first trip to Mexico, and our first experience with an all-inclusive). Our children are ages 6 and 4, and had a total blast. If you are bringing your kids, don't waste space packing toys--the activities desk had sand toys, balls, etc! The beach towel we brought from home was only good for wrapping up my Mexican vanilla we brought back as souveniers. I brought a few snacks from home, which we used when we went out on excursions...but the ice cream machine and endless supply of nachos and french fries kept everyone happy!!!! Maybe I'm easy to please, or maybe I was just so thrilled to not have to cook for 5 days, but we thought the food was fantastic. Fresh omelets for breakfast, burgers for lunch, and a nice variety for dinner. We took a glass bottom boat ride, which is perfect if you have kids (our 6 yr old snorkeled while the 4 yr old watched thru the glass). We did bring all our own snorkeling gear for us and the kids. We also rented a jeep and went around the island/shopped in town. We enjoyed it but the kids weren't into it. Bring water with you if you go--it is hot and humid there. We asked the maids for extra water and they left us a generous supply. We also brought along and used alot of our "liquid band-aid" for all the little scrapes and cuts we got. (It works as an antiseptic so we didn't have to worry about band-aids coming off in the water or infections). Take alot of $1's with you and tip the staff. The staff is WONDERFUL...they worked non-stop, and met every request we made with a smile. PLEASE be polite and patient. When we checked in we heard another man complaining that his arm band itched at night--puhleez! The Melia has the best beach of any of the resorts. The snorkeling wasn't the best we've seen, but all the other beaches are very rocky, and the Melia's is big and sandy...great for kids. Overall it was the most fun our kids have ever had on vacation(we've been to Grand Cayman, Florida,and San Diego)...and us grown-ups as well. All you moms with young children will really enjoy the break.

The Melia Cozumel was a great place to stay. Everyone was friendly and helpful.
Great food and drinks all for free, what more can you ask for. I read a review where the guy ate at Mc Donalds instead, I don't know what he is thinking, or smoking, my girlfriend and I thought the burgers at the outside snack bar were delicious. The nachos there were great too. I live in Nevada the "home" of the Buffet, and their buffet is delicious. The desserts are excellent, the flan being the best anywhere. If you want to eat in the fine dining Cafe Parisio, or the outdoor Iguana grill, make sure you go to the front desk by 8 am (each morning) to insure a reservation. No phone resv. are accepted.
A very nice adult pool with a swim up bar and fun bartenders, and what a view! The maids leave a nice towel creation with flowers each day. The variety shows at 9pm every night were very enjoyable. (one of my favorite moments was when the room went dark during a transition from the 50's music to the 60's music. They played a little bit of the Beatle's "Yellow Submarine" and everyone in the room started singing along (on their own) even after the music stopped for almost a full minute. They left the lights off the whole time before their "Beatle's" came on stage and went into "Can't buy me Love" I loved it.) We saw 5 out of the 7 different shows while we were there. They have a Very talented staff.
My advise is to rent a car for only a one day and drive around the Island. Similar to Oahu, you only need to drive around it once. Taxis are only 5 bucks to town so buy your tours and sightseeing trips there, a lot less than paying the rental fee plus the extra 20 bucks a day for the car insurance (or make sure your U.S. Insurance is valid in Mexico)
We did read the other reviews and brought our own snorkel gear, but next time I will take one of those “single use” underwater cameras too.
A few minor complaints were the internet room, only one out of five were working until the last day of our stay. Lots of mosquitos around especially at night so don't forget the repellent like I did. If you don't like climbing stairs there are no elevators in the 4 and 3 floor hotel units. This is a family resort, so if you don't like kids, beware. I saw a lot of people not even leaving a tip in the restaurants. Hey guys everything is free so at least leave the staff a buck or two in the buffets and five or more in the the Iguana grill and El Paraiso. The service is great by anyones standards and the wages in Mexico suck, so be generous. Don't forget the maids, they deserve it. I would go back again anytime. We had a great time and wish we would have stayed for 14 nights instead of 7.

Just returned from 1 week stay at Melia Cozumel. After a nightmare trip from St. Louis to Cozumel (courtesy of American Airlines), we arrived at midnight. Had booked a Jr. Ocean Suite and received one on first floor. The view...yes, you could see the ocean through the palm trees...not what I paid extra for. Plus, the A/C wasn't working in that room. Demanded a different room with A/C and a view and received an excellent location on the 10th floor. The view was awesome; spent alot of time on the balcony. Great for watching cruise ships sail by. Very pleased with our room. Staff is very friendly although not very fluent in English. I usually travel to Puerto Vallarta, where hotel staffs are extremely fluent in English. I have also had better food at other all inclusives, but no one will starve. A trip to Cafe Paradiso is recommended, but not so good that you'd want to go back. Avoid other reservation restaurant. I ordered grilled chicken and got a chicken back! Gross. Food was better in buffet (plus no biting insects). From previous reports of "murky" water, I was expecting brown water. What it was is an olive green, but it is still clear and very swimmable. Definitely not as great as down by the pier, but doable. The beach area in front of the Melia is great; not that crowded and plenty of shade. Drinks were wonderful. We took big insulated drink mugs, as previously suggested. Bartenders provided us with a smirk everytime we asked for our drinks in them. But they did it. (Yes, we tipped all the time). Lobby bar has Corona beer. Disco was a disappointment....too much rap-type. Visited two show productions and walked out of both. Probably hit the wrong nights. If spacious rooms and good ocean views are your thing, this is the place. It is worth the extra for a junior suite....section A.