If Cozumel is your destination then I highly recommend the Melia of Cozumel Resort.

We (group of 4 adults ranging in age from 51 to 56 yrs old) just returned from our stay at the Melia Cozumel Resort from 3/25/06 to 4/01/06 and could not have been more pleasantly surprised. The Service, Food, grounds, rooms, pools, beach, snorkeling and Sponsored Activites were all excellent. In fact, the Service and Food at all three restuarants was better than the many Gold Crown Resorts we have stayed at in the past.

One would never know this resort went through a huricain. Everything is brand new and immaculately kept grounds and housekeeping. Studio Rooms are adequately furnished with plenty of linens, etc., In-room safe at no additional cost, refrigerator stocked with bottled water, veranda with oceanview to sit out on and watch the cruise ships come and go daily and beautiful sunsets.

Their active staff is very friendly and hard working to make your stay enjoyable. They have an abundant amount of sponsored activities for all age groups. There is a separate quite adult only pool w/swim up bar and a family pool and area where all the happening traditional activities are done, music, etc.

They have Night Time Beach Parties, Mexican Fiesta and Casino Night in addition to their nightly shows which was a lot of fun at no additional cost.

There is awesome snorkeling right out front from their beautiful white sand beach in addition to snorkeling, kyakas, boogie boards, wind surfing, sail boats all included with the all inclusive fee, which is well worth it, for the Food and Service alone.

We were also pleasantly surprised that twice a week one of the sponsored activities at no additional cost was a golf tour. They took you by mountain bike (less than one mile) over to the golf course to shoot a bucket of balls. We saw a crocodile sunbathing by one of the ponds at the golf course and a wild boar rustling through the brush in addition to some beautiful foilage and birds while enroute to the club house. (I would highly recommend a cart on this course - unless you can run real fast!).

We also took their new mountain bikes that had cable locks for a spin up to town, San Migel, 4 miles away. There was a lot to see along the route, a marina and many other resorts, it is so sad to see all the damage from the huricain, many resorts were completly destoryed.

We were most fortunate that we picked the Melia to stay at. The Melia is like a brand new resort and in our opinion and from what we saw the best on the entire island.

We also rented a car for a day and toured the entire island. Some areas of Cozumel really took hard hits from the huricain but they are bouncing back fast, to business as usual. We spoke to a store owner who said they were only without power for three days downtown then back up and running and servicing the cruise ships.

The Melia (Loud in Color but traditional Spanish Colors) was the best looking resort on the island. The service, food, drinks and ammenities were the best we have ever experienced and we could not have been more pleasantly surprised. We highly recommend this awesome resort to any age group.

PS - See Oscar at the adult pool bar, he makes a mean Miami Vice! (1/2 Pinacolata and 1/2 Strawberry Dackery-Yum-Yum!).

We had a group of 6 from the Midwest,USA ages 39-50...everyone had a super time. The reason that we chose the MELIA is because of the photos in antonios cozumel album. When I received the email special from my local travel agent on great prices to the MELIA just a week after they opened I have to admit I was reluctant to jump at the good/low price because #1) I had never been to Cozumel and #2) it was the first week open after H-Wilma. Well we did some web searches and couldn't be happier.

The beach is in great condition , lots of sunbeds. If you are a pool person that is in great condition too. Great snorkeling is available by walking three minutes to your left to the EL COZ.

We found our room 317 to be very nice. The best perk of the entire vacation was each night you would hand a little coffee pot card on your outside door handle and the next a.m. a carafe of coffee w/ cups and a couple of scones would be delivered to your room. Each day we would sit on our lovely balconey and watch the a.m. cruise ships headed to town. The room was so new and clean that I actually took the plastic shrink wrap off of the lamp shades. The drapery, lines, towels etc...all brand new. Everything is freshly painted and stained it felt like we were at a new resort. The hard work since October's hurricane is very obvious.

Be sure to tip here and there even tho it's not required. Everyone is very friendly, hardworking and appreciative.

You are just 3.5 miles from town and it's a $5.00 US cab fare one way. All of the shops, restaraunts etc...are open and very much alive!

Even tho at this time the vegatation has not quite returned and it's not a tropical "lush" that you are probably used to if you travel but trust me...You will get a great value for your travel dollars in Cozumel right now.

The food was plentiful my only complaint was it wasn't always "hot"...but I did put that on my comment card when we departed so who knows it may be improved by this time.

The above review was correct the bath towels really are HUGE!! Almost too big if that's possible but new, fluffy none the less. There are hairdryers in the room as well as Iron and Ironing board.

A handy "safe" is in the closet of your room and you program the "code" there was no additional charge for the safe.

You can purchase an "internet" card at the front desk 30 minutes for $5.00 US and use the internet at any time it's open 24/7. The only thing that I would recommend is to use it early a.m. or Late p.m. when the connection is much faster. There are internet cafes in town that are much cheaper like 50 cents for 15 minutes etc...if you are headed to town you can always go that option too.

There are two gift shops available on site. As well as a few Jewelry stands, typical knick knack kiosks etc..on the property as well.

Phone cards are available from the gift shops that work the same way as US phone cards...

Have a super vacation! Coz is back! and very much worth traveling too again. They could use your tourist dollars if you are looking for a great vacation that's as laid back or busy as you would like...

One last note there a few a.m's that we saw watched the Dolphins right in front of the Melia.

Having stayed at just about every resort on the island over the last 30 years My wife and I were very skeptical about going back to Cozumel so soon after Hurricane Wilma. Thanks to Antonio's Wilma Album we decided this couldn't be that bad..not only was it not that bad..it was the best ever. The Melia has done an unbelieveable job in a short period of time. Just prior to the Hurricane the hotel sent employees from the mainland and other places over to Cozumel so immediately after the hurricane they started rebuilding. Many other hotels to date are either still not open or are way behind in rebuilding because of lag time in receiving insurance money. The Melia said, let's get this rebuit and open and we'll worry about the insurance later..they did and it's just perfect. The Melia Hotel Chains have deep pockets, and no expense was spared. The beach is beautiful, yes there are some rocks close to shore but a 3 minute walk to the north and it is completely rock free as far out as you want to walk or swim, nothing but sand. Melia's beach is clean, well maintained, trash and litter free and a totally unexpected and welcome surprise. Batenders would come to the beach take drink orders and then return with your drink. There was even an attendant who came around and wiped the sand off unused lounges.The hotel has undergone major rebuilding of the beach bar and restaurant, the indoor restaurant, La Isla is brand new and the nicest place to eat of any place I've stayed at in a long time. The food was always fresh, tasty..yes tasty, non-smoking, superbly staffed and a real pleasure. The first night we were having dinner one of the waiters leaned over to me and said he would go back in the kitchen and get me some ice cream if I wanted some. The melia has taken the AI concept and really improved on it. I never saw any employee not smiling or willing to help with anything you needed. Their policy of 100% Complete Guest Satisfaction wasn't only a motto, it was their only job. We had a delux room, which was described as garden view, and upon checking in I asked if it was possible to be upgraded to an ocean view, their response was "Would you like smoking or non smoking and do you have a preference on which floor you would like to stay?" $20 a night more is a no brainer. Again, what ever you want consider it done. The room was immaculate, the bath towels weighed about 4 pounds each, like something you find at the Ritz, and the HOT water was abundant. This is the only place I've ever stayed at on Cozumel where there was almost TOO much water pressure in the shower, you gotta trust me on this one, I was in awe. The rooms also have bathtubs. The bed was firm but not rock hard. The hotels south of Melia are in my estimation in a world of hurt. The Sol Calbanas is totaled and nothing has been done to it, the Playa Azul has no Beach, The Coral Princess is a joke and the Cozumeleno again has no beach, forget about them trucking in sand..if they did it wasn't even close to being enough to cover the limestone. For those of you who have stayed at the Melia before and are reluctant to return because you don't know if it will be the same, all I can say is it won't be the same..it is be much better than anything you could possibly imagine. For those of you who are loooking for a total complete pleasure shock, get on the phone to your travel agent and book the Melia. My wife and I left the 28th after a week stay and are sorry we didn't stay our usual 2 weeks, but you never know, but now we do, and so do you.

This was my third visit to The Melia Cozumel and the first visit since Wilma came by and may I say it is still a great place to stay. The rooms in the main building are big and clean and the all inclusive part of the stay is above average. If you are looking to get in the water, the seaweed still invades the beach every morning and the hotel has an army out on the beach trying to get it cleaned up. The pool areas were perfect as usual, and I believe they haved turned the volume down on the music around the pool. Arturo at the front desk aims to please. Watch for time-share people, apparently they were out in force at the hotel. Just tell them to get lost. The island is in great shape, downtown is 100% and the drive around the island to Mescalitos, Coconuts,Senor Iguanas, and Playa Bonito is a normal drive. I highly suggest dinner at Casa Denis and La Mission during your stay. If you do rent a car to tour the other side of the island make sure and have some Quesadillas at Senor Iguanas next to Mescalitos, they are the best in the world and the beer and food are priced great. Do not hesitate to head to Cozumel, it is a great place with great people.