It is the intent of this section to try to give a first time visitor a general overview of what the hotel or resort can supply as far as location and general placement relative to town, beaches, diving & snorkeling etc. The general rating system that TA forum users have more or less established as reasonable is used here, not necessarily the star rating in travel guides. In the town core there are many hotels, but no resorts, and it is fair to get an idea of what they have to offer by reading the reviews on Trip Advisor keeping in mind that you can't please everyone, so some bad reviews always get written by people. There is no beach in town, and swimming is not allowed in the area due to boat traffic. The closest beach to the town core is about 1 km south of the core, and it is very small, but popular with the residents, especially on Sundays. It is called Playa Caletita, and is beside the lighthouse. There is also a small beach just North of town, across from the military base. It also is a locals favorite.
The real beach that is commonly used by people staying at a resort or hotel that is not located along it is well south of town, starting approximately 14 kilometers (8 1/2 miles) south of the International pier area and it stretches for many kilometers south of where the Iberostar is located. There is a lot of debate whether to choose all inclusive or to rely on the local restaurants for a better variety of meals, but not many consider that almost all of the resorts that are located on what can be considered a real beach are all inclusives, so if you want the best of beaches right at your resort you are pretty much forced to pay for the all inclusive option. That doesn't mean that you have to eat all your meals at the resort, but since the resorts are not that close to town you can't just walk to a selection of different restaurants, you will need to go by car or use a taxi. You can also go by car or taxi to see & use several sections of beach on the east side of the island, but you need to be aware to the fact that most have unpredictable undercurrents & rip tides due to the powerful waves along that side of the island.
There is also a beach at the north end of the northern hotel zone, which has the El Cozumelino and the Melia along it. Some of it is man made and generally speaking it is mainly used by guests of the resorts and it doesn't have any beach clubs along it. There is another beach in that area (Playa Azul) which is located by the Playa Azul Hotel and is a public beach popular with the locals but all are welcome to use it, but not the facilities of the hotel.
Cozumel Palace
Located just a bit south of the town core, a short walk. It is on the water and all rooms face the water, and the sunset. (According to the web site all rooms are ocean view, BUT they have added a few rooms that have a street view, but don't seem willing to mention it even when contacted by Trip Advisor members). It has no beach, the waterfront deck area is about 6 feet above the water, with ladders going down to it. It is an all exclusive, and the rooms are a reasonable size. It was supposed to be the first 5 star All Inclusive resort in Cozumel, but without a beach it doesn't get that high a rating. There is good snorkeling right there, and a very good dive operator is on site. It is hard to rate this place as it had not been open long under the new name before Wilma caused it to close again. Photos and the few reviews out there are very positive.
Hotel Cozumel and Resort
Located 3 blocks south of the Chedroui store, (and the Cozumel Palace) across the road from the waterfront. It has some ocean view rooms, which may be acceptable, but they also face the very busy main roadway along the waterfront, and most of the ocean view is blocked by buildings. It does have a waterfront area (beach club) with a sandy area (part of the deck area), and stairs into the water. You get from the lobby area to the beach club using a hallway under the road, with stairs at either end (not wheelchair friendly). The facility has a very large pool with a constant depth of about 48 inches. The rooms were not large, but not cramped either, and as of Feb 05, the actual rooms matched the photos on their web site. It has an All Inclusive option, which many feel is not good value, but is often discounted which should affect the value. The resort is well kept in general, and within walking distance of the town core. There is an in house dive operator, snorkeling was not all that good in it's vicinity. The general feeling is that this hotel deserves a 2 1/2 to 3 star rating. It is close to town, helping it to be a good mid price range place to stay, not luxurious, but clean & comfortable.
The Park Royal
The Park Royal has reopened after a rather extensive remodelling. This resort consists of 2 buildings located across the road from the water, but has a tunnel connecting the resort property to their beach area. The resort is about 4 Km (2.5 miles) from the town core, near the International pier. It is an all inclusive with 4 restaurants, a large pool in the main complex, and 2 small ones as part of the beach section, along with hot tubs there too. There is a small cove with a man made beach that would be a safe place for kids to play, and can be used to swim out into the ocean. There is an on site dive operation, as well as a kids club. The area surrounding the beach is great for snorkeling, and if you use the current you can drift to the north along an area that several snorkeling companies bring paying customers to see. Be advised that if you choose to drift north it is best to swim to shore & walk back rather than try to swim against the current.
The Presidente
Likely the highest rated hotel on the island. Situated about 7 km south of the downtown core, and having it's own beach, plus being located on the waterfront, and in general being a well run establishment that keeps it's appeal means it will continue to hold that title. It is not an all inclusive, and unfortunately there are not many restaurants close by, so going out in general means a taxi ride or the need for a rental car. It has some of the best snorkeling areas located on either side of it, plus an in house dive operation. It has it's own beach, but it is not much longer than the resort property, so if going for nice relaxing walks along the beach is what you want, this place will fall short on that one issue. Highly rated, year after year, close to a 5 star facility.
The Fiesta Americanna
Located about 10 Km from the downtown core, and about 2 Km from Chankanaab Park the Fiesta Americanna sits across the old road the follows the coastline. It has a beach like area, but no actual beach. It has long been popular with divers looking for a clean & reasonably priced place to stay that doesn't require lengthy boat rides to & from the dive sites. There are a few restaurants in the general area, but getting into town requires either a rental car or using the taxi service.
Wyndham Cozumel Resort and Spa / Reef Regency / Sabor Resort complex
Situated at the northern end of the rather long beach that runs along the south west coastline of Cozumel. The Reef Club opened in late 97 as the second All Inclusive on that beach. It started off as a very nice resort with 2 pools, a main outdoor or open air restaurant and a specialty restaurant, plus what was referred to as a snack bar beside the main pool. They have added more rooms, and some areas of it have become time share rooms. From available information, in recent years the facility has not added more pools, and more importantly more eating areas. The beach is OK, but of soft sand which makes long walks possible, but really gives the toes and ankles a workout. (This is the same for the other resorts along the same beach) Pre Wilma this resort was getting reviews that would have put at about 2 to 31/2 stars, although now with the Wyndham hotels taking over, the resort ratings have gone up, and food, activities, and staff have ALL been greatly improved. The on-site dive shop Sand Dollar sports offers many great snorkeling, diving, and parasailing opportunities. Many people liked the resort if not for anything els, for the dive shop.According to a new post on the forum pages this complex consists of three different levels of resort, the basic one being the Wyndham, then the Reef Regency, who also can use the Reef Club amenities, and the Sabor Resort, which uses all the amenities of both the others, BUT the reverse is not allowed. That means whatever is popular to Reef Club guests will also be popular to all the other guests, and you must share with them. It was also pointed out that the swim up bar no longer exists as such, but has been replaced by a toned down substitute. Too many guests for the restaurant facilities is regularly mentioned, and was again in the post, although this problem will be solved with Wyndham in control.
The Occidental Allegro
The Occidental Grand
The Iberostar
The southernmost resort on the beach. All Inclusive, with only 2 rooms in one building which are beach front. Some other rooms (not many) can be called ocean view. The property is made up of quite a few one and two story buildings, some near the beach and pool, some up to around 200 meters from there. The rooms are not very big, but can be considered comfortable for 2 adults plus one child but will be a bit tight if a second child is expected to be in it too. The thatched roofs were known to leak in years gone by but are now over a concrete roof, giving a thatched look that fits the scene, but being weatherproof. The grounds were a cross between tropical jungle and garden and very well maintained. There are 3 eating areas, the main restaurant is just off the lobby, then nearby is the Mexican specialty restaurant, used only for dinner (free reservations needed) and beside the pool is the other eating area. That one provides lunch and in the evening is used as the steak house (free reservation required). The main restaurant served all 3 meals, and had a very good quantity & variety at each meal. The pool restaurant is totally casual and bathing suits can be worn when using it during the day. The setting is jungle and as such you may find a lizard in your room (bug control) but it is a very nice place to stay. The staff always seemed friendly & helpful. There is a medical office on site with a nurse on duty during the day, and a doctor on call that has office hours on some days on site. The beach is the same as shared with the other southern resorts, but has more rocks below the surface. There is an in house dive shop, and snorkeling is well below averagedue to the sandy bottom. Trips to the popular dive sites are short from the Iberostar, so less time is spent on the boats. This resort is far from town, and taxi fare is considerable; making trips to town costly. A rental car is priced close to what taxi fare can get to. Some careful thinking on which is best for your needs may be in order. The resort has a small but well stocked little store in the lobby, an Internet cafe and also a photo shop. Generally this resort can be considered a 3 1/2 to 4 star.
Besides all of the regular rooms there are now 2 buildings on the south side of the resort and by the beach that are special rental units, one is the presidential suite, and the other is just refered to as the suite.
Nah Ha Condominiums
Nah Ha Condominiums is located in the North Hotel Zone. The North Zone is basically on a dead end street that extends about 2 miles north of town. Nah Ha is about 1.2 miles north of the airport road/edge of town. It is away from the hustle and bustle of the traffic, but only a 3 minute drive to town. Completed in 2006, Nah Ha is very modern and looks like something out of South Beach, Miami. It was designed by the same award winning architect, Carlos Zoreda, that designed Casa Mexicana.
Nah Ha offers 2500 SF of living space, 3 master bedrooms, 3.5 baths with spectacular ocean views for just a bit more than a hotel room's cost. When traveling with another couple or children, the large size and cost per person is an exceptional bargain The counters in the baths and kitchen are granite. The kitchen is huge and equipped with stainless steel appliances, including a dishwasher. Most units have a washer/dryer.
Two bedrooms are directly oceanfront and have floor to ceiling windows with unobstructed views of the ocean and mainland. The third bedroom is ocean view and set back about 25' from the other two bedrooms. There is a large, covered 12'x31' balcony facing the ocean to the west that offers spectacular sunset views.
Some units have secured ground floor storage rooms for dive gear and bikes. There is a great view of the mainland from anywhere in the condo and one can see the cruise ships and docks of San Miguel. Nah Ha also has an infinity pool, jacuzzi, and great snorkeling.
Cab rides are easy to obtain and only a $4 ride to el Centro. It is a 10 minute walk to the edge of town and a 5 minute walk to Puerto Abrigo, the largest marina on the island.
