We just got back 7/21 from a one week stay at Vista Del Mar. I booked through Sky Auction and got the whole week for $210. We lucked out because a father and daughter were rode the cab with us. If they hadn't I might not have figured out how to get up to the front desk. It is located on the 2nd floor but the main sign is on the front of the building and the stairs are on the sign.

When we got to the lobby area we were greeted immediately with a hug and 'welcome' along with champagne glasses filled with a little grenadine and ice cold orange juice. We were made not only to feel welcomed but treated like family our entire stay.

Our room was on the 2nd floor overlooking the plaza area. I wanted to upgrade to ocean front but after looking at the other rooms my daughter wanted to keep the room we had. There seems to be about 4 different type rooms out of the 20 total. Our room was really a suite, the main room had a king size bed, and the other room had a full size. There is a wall dividing the rooms but has just a doorway, no door.

We had a safe in our room but they require a credit card imprint for the key. When we checked out they gave me all the credit card papers. We had a small fridge that was already turned on along with the window air conditioner. There's a dressing table and chair along with a good size closet as well. The bathroom has a shower but no tub. The room was very nice and decorated well. My teenage daughter was even impressed with the room.

We had a nice size balcony with table and chairs overlooking the plaza. It appeared only the end rooms on the back side of the hotel have balconies. The others have a sliding door but you can't really step outside. I sat outside during the day and even though it was noisy down below it was really nice and not disturbing. You couldn't hear the noise inside because of the air conditioner. The shops close at 6 so we never had a problem at night.

Each evening the staff came to turn down the beds and would leave a little basket with candy and a card that had an inspirational saying on it. They would ask each night what time we wanted breakfast in the morning. Breakfast consisted of coffee or tea, sweet bread with jam, and juice. Each day the cleaning lady left a new 1 liter bottle of water. If you ran out before she brought more you could go over to the employee room and refill from their 5 gallon dispenser. Also, they have a microwave in there that you can use.

The staff are what makes this hotel so exceptional. I only dealt with Martin and Eva for the most part but they were so kind and helpful. They greeted us every time we walked by and were more than willing to answer any questions. They even made calls for me to get information on tours, etc. I needed to call someone's cell phone in Cozumel but couldn't call from my room. They let me use their phone to make the call so I wouldn't have to go off somewhere to do it.

We rented a car one day from Smart and got what I thought was a very good deal. Eva suggested we park over at the post office so we wouldn't have trouble getting a parking spot out on the street, I wouldn't have known otherwise. We went around the island on the east side and the views were breathtaking. Stop at Coconuts for a drink or food. They have one of the best views on the island.

The resort is affiliated with Mr Sancho's beach club. You get a 15% discount on food and one free horseback ride if you show your room key. It was nice there but I thought the food was expensive. A few days later we went to Paradise Beach Club with some friends that came in on a cruise ship. Paradise was a LOT more expensive than Mr. Sancho's which I thought was pretty high. We spent a ton of money that day. A regular size bottle of water was $2.50 and hamburgers were $10.

The hotel is 4 blocks from the town square so we walked there every evening for dinner and usually for lunch as well. Mcdonalds is 2 doors down if you need something quick.

One evening I wanted to watch the sunset and asked if I could go in one of the empty oceanfront rooms to sit on the balcony. Martin took me to one of the rooms that had a better view and I sat there for 1/2 hour at least just watching the crowds and the sunset which was beautiful.

The pool is on the 2nd floor but you walk up a set of stairs to get to it. It's not real big but was plenty big for the two of us. I rarely saw anyone out there unless they were sitting at the tables. They do have a couple of tables and a bench but unfortunately no loungers.

We felt more than safe staying at the hotel and Cozumel without having a male with us. This was a girls only trip and we had no problems at all. The only thing the hotel should really do is add deadbolts on the room doors. I didn't really mind since there is a security guard there at night after the staff leaves.

This was a very relaxing trip and I would love to go and stay there again. Martin asked me when I was coming back and if I would stay there again as we were checking out. I would definitely stay there again whether alone or with others.

The key to having a satisfying experience, wherever you go, is to have the right expectations. The Vista del Mar (lovingly referred to as the Bista del Mar in my family) is a hotel for those who care more about diving than having a luxury hotel experience. Do not go there expecting any of the following: a beach at your doorstep, really hot water, soft beds, an activity coordinator (or any supervised group snorkeling activities the cruse boat crowds are so fond of), an all-inclusive meal package, or those cute little drinks served in a pineapple with a colorful umbrella. You want those things, catch a cab to the El Presidente or the Cozumeleno, they'll fix you up. If you want a clean room, a great close-to-it-all location and can fend for yourself when it comes to finding restaurants or a good beach to enjoy the fruity drinks, then the Vista is your place. As for the noise level in the rooms facing the busy city street: ear plugs (it's good idea to bring these anywhere you go, just in case). FYI: if you want to really liven up your evenings (and you don't mind a bit of juvenile humor), fill up some water balloons and drop them off the balcony down to unsuspecting tourists. The balcony railings are solid walls, so just duck behind there to avoid being seen.

Stayed 5 nights starting June 17th. This Hotel was very positive experience.

Right location if you want to stay in the city centre. Less than 10 min walk to/from ferry pier. Excellent price/quality ratio. We had an ocean view room with great seaview from the balcony. Very clean and comfortable. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Breakfast was served to the room every morning exactly the time asked. There was even a safe parking to our rental scooter.

Few minor complaints
There was some construction going on the first floor of building. However it caused only minimal noise. There was also some noise from the street. No safe in room and a little bit low water pressure in shower.

Conclusion: highly recommended, great value for money

My boyfriend and I absolutely loved this hotel. When we first checked in, there was loud construction right under our room. I really didn't want to wake up to that noise every morning. The very friendly lady at the desk showed us 3 different rooms that we could move to if we thought the noise was going to be too much. After considering a different room, we decided on the original one (203). The view was amazing. We never had a problem with noise at night from the street below. The showers are huge!! And the breakfast of juice, sweet rolls, and coffee was amazing. You have to request the breakfast everyday to get it, or request it for your entire stay when you check in. The breakfast was never more than 10 minutes late, and the rolls were always hot. The staff was extremely friendly. We asked them to suggest places to eat (Costa Brava is amazing!) and places to snorkel. The were always happy to help. We never did check out the pool, but who needs a pool when the ocean is literally across the street!!