I recently returned fom Cozumel and I was very relieved to find that the place I had booked not only met my expectations but far exceeded them. I had never been to Mexico before and I do not speak Spanish, so I was a little nervous. I wanted an AMERICAN owned place so I could communicate with the staff at least. I found the Coral Reef Inn and communicated with them via e-mail. Their rates were extremly reasonable and they seemed to be on the ball so I booked a week there. I was worried that I might be disappointed for one reason or another, thinking I would regret going with a smaller, less expensive place but my fears disappeared the moment I arrived. The place is very clean, close to the beach, beautifully decorated, and the staff made me feel right at home. My room had a nice king size bed, cable TV, AC, and the nicest hot shower I've had in years. The place offers many different dive packages, but I'm only a snorkler. Well the first day, the staff directed me to a sweet ocean front restaurant a couple of blocks away where I could have lunch and do some snorkling. I had a great time, not only did they tell me where to go but they also enlightened me as to what is good to order as well as what the cost should be and what I should tip. I was so happy with the advice I received, I followed their suggestions all week. Each night I had a fabulous dinner in a different restaurant, and I saw some really great sites. I wasn't really planning on buying many souvinirs but as the week went by I saw many things I wanted to take home with me to decorate my dude ranch in CO. Once again the staff pointed me in the right direction, they sent me to a little lady with a road side stand that had all the items I had been wanting. Only difference, the prices were at least 50% cheaper! I wound up taking 3 suitcases home with me, full of beautiful Mayan rugs, pottery ect... The way I see it, the money I saved on decorations offset my travel costs! The staff even helped me with packing it all and informed me of customs regulations. Cozumel is absolutely beautiful and I hope to get back soon to the Coral Reef Inn. Next time though I intend to get certified in diving while there and take advantage of Coral Reef's diving packages. A1.

This was really a pleasant surprise for me! Double thumbs up! As I told the owners Scott and Cindy, the Coral Reef Inn was like home away from home for me. I stayed over a week here from Aug 26 to Sep 2 in one of the king bedrooms on the second floor.

The room was really spacious, clean and the bed was very comfy - much appreciated after a hard day's diving with Dive Paradise. Airconditioning is a must in the 90 deg weather of Cozumel...haha!

The fully equipped kitchen, plus Chedraui supermarket just 5 minutes stroll away was a good plus for me coz I could prepare simple meals for breakfast and some dinners too. I had the house pretty much to myself for the entire stay during this low season so that was great! The other resort Barracuda where the dive shop was located was a little too noisy for me.

The dive shop is a good 7-10 minutes walk from the house so it got a little tiring especially with me doing 3 boat dives a day. Went late for a few dives but thankfully the other divers were really nice to wait:) A great asset would be some bikes for the guests to zip in and out from the hotel to the dive shop and back. The alternative is to take the local cabs for 20 pesos or about $2 each way.

Another plus was a small park just across the house where there was a local music and dance performance. Good way to mingle with the locals and watch them having fun dancing away too!

I highly recommend this place if you wish to stay in an "un-hotel" place and prefer a more homely environment at an unbeatable value during your vacation.

-Andy Tan-

Cindy and Scott made us feel at home right away. Our room was large and comfortable. The package for diving and accomodations was a great deal. The refrigerator in the room was a great surprise asset. After a morning of diving it was great to come back and hang out and dry off on one of the patios or up on the rooftop common area. The dive gear sinks were a great plus! The inn is down the street from a large supercenter/mall and was very convient for groceries and supplies. The dive shop which Cindy and Scott work with was nice and a short walk from the inn. We had several great mornings of diving. At the inn there were all sorts of magazines, books and games you could borrow to relax and unwind. Cindy & Scott's restaurant suggestions and coupons helped us to find a couple of nice reasonable meals and a few free drinks! I would definately stay again at the Coral Reef Inn on another trip to Cozumel.

I was looking online for a budget hotel in Cozumel and came across a dive package (hotel and diving) from the Coral Reef Inn. Since it was one of the lowest priced packages that I could find, I wasn't expecting much. Before making a reservation, Scott (one of the owners) replied back to my email questions within minutes of me sending them. Other hotels replied back in about a day.

One of my bags that I needed for diving did not arrive with me in Mexico the day that I arrived and I was scheduled to dive early the next morning. Scott had arranged the dive package for me and contacted the dive company right away about my situation to make sure that my package could be adjusted. He also called the airport many times on the night of my arrival to inquire about my bag that I needed.

Scott was also able to find a budget solution that would allow me to make it to the airport for a flight out of Cancun that left in the wee hours of the morning.

But what I was most impressed with was the quality of my stay at the hotel. It is brand new and very clean. The owners (Scott and Cindy) developed and built the hotel to their own personal standards and did not go cheap (budget) on anything. I loved everything clear down to the toilet paper holders. The airconditioning even has a remote control! I am always fearful of thin mattresses at budget locations in latin america but the bed that I slept in was kingsized and comfy. The third floor is an open rooftop deck complete with a full kitchen which makes food preparation a snap. It also has a place to wash and dry dive gear. There is absolutely nothing about this hotel that leads me to believe that it could be considered a budget hotel.

The hotel is located a few blocks off of the water front (which means less traffic and noise) and a few blocks from the downtown area, but everything is within walking distance.

I highly recommend the Coral Reef Inn to adults who are looking to dive in Cozumel. The hotel is small enough that the owners (went above and beyond the call of duty) are willing to cater to your needs just to make your stay more pleasurable.