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The Ritz Carlton it’s not…
But, then again, I probably won’t ever stay at the Ritz Carlton. Nothing personal… they have lovely properties. They are just very expensive!
My husband likes higher-end hotels. Me? As long as it’s clean, safe and in a good location, that’s good enough for me. After all, I’m never in my room except to sleep! My money is better spent on enjoying the location.
As my son and I decided to venture out to Cozumel at the last minute, we had minimal time to make hotel arrangements. Finding a few properties that were all-inclusive and at great rates, was a bonus! Trouble was, I didn’t quite remember how Cozumel was laid out. With the clock ticking, we had to make a decision. Having narrowed our list down to five properties, we began to compare them…number of bars and restaurants, location of the room type, available wi-fi (and if for a charge), beach size, number of pools, etc.
Eventually, we decided on the El Cozumeleño for its ocean front room, balcony and free wi-fi…and more importantly, the price.
After our arrival into Cozumel, we hired one of the shared buses to take us to our hotel in the north zone. As we traveled to this end of the island, one of the things I noticed was that other hotels and a couple of restaurants were nearby, but nothing else. This did not present a problem with meals as we were staying at an all-inclusive property, however, there was not going to be a quick walk into town and it did not appear that there was any kind of bus system.
Our first impression of the hotel was that it was neat, clean and well presented. The lobby areas had plenty of seating and a large check-in desk.
The hotel staff was extremely pleasant and our room was ready at check-in. Our room was far from luxurious and a little dated, but extremely clean and one of the largest I have stayed in, with a balcony, sitting area with a pull-out couch and bathroom divided into two parts, toilet and shower and sink/vanity area.
During check-in, I was informed that the restaurant behind the lobby bar, La Veranda, required reservations (which we had just missed making), but there was one other restaurant, El Cocal, the buffet, which was located outside between the two pools as well as the availability of room service and a snack bar adjacent to the poolside bar. We decided to try El Cocal, that evening and made reservations for La Veranda for the next.
Over the course of our trip, we never did get to try room service, however, we much preferred La Veranda for dinner. Breakfast at this locale was very good, however, the service was slow, so for the other two mornings, we dined at the buffet and also had lunch there and at the snack bar near the poolside bar. Overall, our opinion is that breakfast and lunch should be taken at the buffet unless time is not of the essence. Dinner should definitely be taken at La Veranda.
A full list of activities (ping pong tournament, exercise classes, etc) for each day was located at the towel exchange and snorkel equipment (free for 1 hour of use each day or for a daily charge) and golf clubs were available for the on-site mini-golf…an entire 18 holes, which we played a few times…a very challenging course! There was also a large-scale chess set located near the pool.
The pools were spacious and clean and a there was plenty of seating, however, the beach chairs that were not under the few thatched umbrellas were of a strange shape and collected rainwater. A nice row of hammocks lay between the main pool and the beach and two jacuzzis were situated near the pools. The beach area was a bit rocky and it would be best to wear water shoes to enter and exit the water. We did attempt to snorkel, however, although there were quite a few fish, the remaining reef was not in good shape.
Three bars were located on the premises, one in the lobby, one in the pool as a swim-up bar and one adjacent to the pool and the buffet. The servers were always very friendly and eager to recommend new, delicious drinks.
Overall, the resort was good, though in desperate need of evening entertainment and activities. Our main complaints, however, were concerning the location, wi-fi and the hotels elevators.
For those who prefer to always remain on the resort, its seclusion may be a plus, however, I enjoy having the ability to take public transportation to other areas of the city that we are staying in for shopping and sightseeing. Yes, there were cabs, however, one-way cab fare to town, was about $10 and there was always a discrepancy between being quoted in pesos and dollars. If we were quoted 100 pesos and you checked the daily conversion rate in U.S. dollars, that would have been about $6.00. If you asked what the rate was in dollars, you would be told $10.00.
Another issue was the on-site car rental. They realize that they have a captive audience. Deciding to rent a car so that we could check out the island and some of the attractions, I was a shocked to hear that the car rental price was about $74.00 (after taxes for automatic transmission and about $10 less for manual transmission). After checking out prices on line, I found that rental rates from the airport were about half that price. Had I given this some forethought, it would have been about the same price to rent the car at the airport and keep it for the three days, as we also paid $17 each way to and from the airport. With that option, we could have had a little more freedom.
Wi-fi was one of the the deciding factors for us. Remembering our resort in Punta Cana and the high daily rate they charged for slow service, we decided that we did not want to be cut off from our family and friends. What we learned, however, was that while wi-fi was advertised as complimentary, it was only available in the lobby and it was extremely slow. We could text and look up information on the internet, however, we could not upload pictures to Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.
The other major problem with this hotel was that while we were there, a tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico was causing massive amounts of rain. This was not the resort’s fault. El Cozumeleño’s fault is that the elevators faced the outside and were subject to the elements. Many times we found the elevators inoperable and were directed to the service elevator, which sometimes was also not working. Being on the eighth floor, it was not always an option to be running up and down the stairs of which parts were open to the outside and were extremely wet.
A friend recently asked me for recommendations for all-inclusive hotels on Cozumel. Would I recommend El Cozumeleño? Overall, we had a nice time and for the price, it was a good deal as well as safe and clean. Personally though, I think maybe I would try something a little different on a future trip, possibly on a different part of the island. But, if you like seclusion and to be cut off from the world…this is your place! If not, rent a car at the airport.
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El Cozumeleño
- http://www.elcozumeleno.com/default.cfm
- Address: Playa Santa Pilar KM 4.5 Zona Hotelera Norte, 77600 San Miguel de Cozumel, Mexico
- Shared ride service from the airport: $17.00 US (for two persons)
- Cab service from the hotel to the airport: $17.00
The site’s entrance is well-marked on Transversal Road, but once turning from the main road, the drive is long and narrow and marked with a speed limit that I think the iguanas could outrun.
When entering the complex and paying your entrance fee of $4.50, you will first encounter a courtyard, with a few souvenir shops. Since, I only had a rain slicker, we were trying to purchase a small umbrella for my son. The shops only carried the long, curved handle type, for $10, which would have been impossible to bring home. One of the shop owners, offered to lend us one, for a tip…actually a good deal for us and a smart move on her part. How many times has this umbrella paid for itself?
After a long and drizzly walk through the jungle, complete with massive puddles blocking the path, we soon arrived at Murciélagos y Pet Nah. The Muciélagos and Round House Structures were the most important buildings in the Late Classic period in San Gervasio. The principal center of the site was located here and it was also here that the Overlord resided. The Round House was named as such due to the unusual rounded platforms and its altar which is also round. Again, we were able to climb to the top of the rounded platforms giving us a different perspective of Murciélagos.
After another long and muddy walk through the jungle, we soon arrived at the final area of San Gervasio, complete with four distinct structures. The Palace Structure contained colonnaded halls most of which can still be seen standing on the foundation. Though you were not prohibited from climbing the other structures, here, signs inform you that it is not allowed.
A central plaza spread before us with a large, covered pavilion, lined with brightly covered flags. A nearby covered structure contained a large number of inscribed benches and there were a few vendor’s storefronts as well as the Hacienda Tequila Museum, which offers tequila tastings.
After renting a Jeep Patriot (great for driving through floodwaters) we headed out. Navigating the narrow streets, we drove slowly, through the pouring rain until we reached the main highway that cuts through the middle of the island (Transversal de Cozumel). The rain had slowed and we were soon arriving at San Gervasio archaeological site. Thankfully, the rain soon tapered off and we were able to spend some time investigating these interesting ruins.
