While I remember the name El Cozumeleno, I can’t claim to be familiar with it. My husband and I stayed at the Playa Azul, which we loved – small, personal, not all-inclusive (but with a restaurant and a beach bar and pool – many of the features of a bigger hotel). We met at least one couple who had stayed there several years running, they liked it so much. We liked having a quiet “home base” that was very relaxing, and would stay there again. Good luck on your search and enjoy your trip! (Go to Tulum – it’s great!)

Hi Lunar! I visited Cozumel via cruise ship, so I didn’t experience the local hotel experience. I will say this: Coz is very relaxed; a flip-flop kinda place. I enjoyed my trip and would definitely consider going back again for a longer stay. We scuba dived, toured the ruins and then shopped for gifts.

I hope you have a great time! let us know how the experience was when you return.

We originally booked 3 weeks at a small resort called “Sol Cabanas Del Caribe”, which has only a handful of cabanas on the beach. It was very cute but the bed was uncomfortable & the service was TERRIBLE! We ended up switching hotels to an all inclusive resort “The Paradisus” for the remaining two weeks. The service was excellent, the food was great, VERY comfortable rooms & beds, great pool with swim-up bar & all you want activities were included: sailing, kayaking, surfing, jet skiis, horseback riding, shows – all free. I really can’t think of one thing that wasn’t great. I do not remember seeing the hotel that you referred to. Good Luck! :)

My husband and I stayed in several sizes and types of accomodation while exploring Cozumel. Depending on what you are looking for, we loved Hotel Flamingo. It is small and CHEAP with an American owner (at least it was 2 years ago) a restaurant/bar in the lobby and hammock/lounge out door areas on one of the top floors (there are only 3 or 4.)The rooms were clean and had A/C. It is just a few blocks off the main strip and just around the corner from the museum which has a wonderful and fairly priced breakfast on it’s roof level overlooking the water/harbor. We also stayed in El Cid which was too touristy for our taste however it was reasonably priced given it’s more resort status. Never stayed at the hotel you mentioned however most of the tourist guides will give a fair estimate of the accomodations. Best of luck and Bon Voyage!

Um, we STAYED in the Cozumeleno! I still have a little bar of soap I kept from it-displayed w/all the other pretty soaps in my bathroom. This was 10 years ago and at that time, there were a lot of new hotels being built and a lot of old ones being remodeled. I would call El Cozumeleno an old one but it was very clean and very neat. Our room looked right out on the beach and was huge and had our own balcony. Yes, it was air-conditioned, too and very cold which was welcomed in that heat. There seemed to be a lot of programs we could take advantage of while there-we listened to the time-share spiel and got a gree breakfast and a free jeep to ride around the island in for a day. (Make sure you get to the other side of the island-small bars and restaurants-didn’t go in any-and deserted white sand beaches. Surf is too rough for swimming but lovely to see…) We signed up for a day trip to the mainland. We were there in September so it was quiet and peaceful-our pool was always empty. There was a palapas-hut bar there on the beach, too. I guess the bad thing about El Cozumeleno was that it was a 5 minute taxi ride into the town, not at all walkable. But, if you want seclusion, it works. Go into the village for seafood in the evening, walk around and when you are ready to come “home” there are always taxis lined up…
I loved Cozumel and I’d go back in an instant… have fun!

Yes Lunar…
we loved our time on Cozumel. We were only there via a cruise but stayed on island for 13 hours. We spent the afternoon at the “Fiesta Americana Cozumel” We had a wonderful lunch and a great snorkeling experience right from the beach. If we were to go back we would like to stay at the Fiesta Americana. We looked at the rooms and thought the whole package was excellent!