Hotel/Dive Shop Recommendation in Coz?

[jcole]

My wife and I are planning a trip to Cozumel, June 13-16th - and plan on doing a couple of days of diving.

We're considering staying at the Fiesta Americana or El Cozumeleno, but are open to other possibilities.

Any recommendations? We've been staying down south at the Iberostar for the last couple of trip since we've had our kids with us, but it looks like we'll have more options on our own this trip.

We're looking to balance price with nice surroundings and easy access to good diving and food.

John

 

[Scott Riemer]

I just returned from Cozumel Palace for 8 days. We enjoyed everything about it. Plus, it's close enough to town to go out to eat for something different. Although, I thought Coz Palace's food was very good for an AI.

We did our diving with Deep Blue. They picked us up at the Palace dock.

 

[NancyLynn]

My wife and I are planning a trip to Cozumel, June 13-16th - and plan on doing a couple of days of diving.

We're considering staying at the Fiesta Americana or El Cozumeleno, but are open to other possibilities.

Any recommendations? We've been staying down south at the Iberostar for the last couple of trip since we've had our kids with us, but it looks like we'll have more options on our own this trip.

We're looking to balance price with nice surroundings and easy access to good diving and food.

John

I like Scuba Club Cozumel. I've been to both FA and SCC and prefer SCC. Packages are similar for price.

SCC is smaller and more family-like. Staff recognizes return visitors (of which there are many), and greets newcomers like old friends. Food is (or was, when we were there in spring 2006) authentic local food, plentiful and good. The on-site dive shop was reliable and shore diving was easy to come by. Town is an easy walk for food variety, shopping, and other entertainment. No negatives, as far as I was concerned.

FA is bigger and more impersonal. The hotel doesn't know much about the captive dive shop, and the dive shop's hours were not reliable. That made check-out dives ahead of the first day of diving and shore diving a challenge (although we eventually just decided to dive right after the boat dives, solving that problem). Food was mediocre, at best. You have to take a taxi (or rent a scooter or car) to get to town.

On the other hand, the Dive House crew at (the captive dive shop at FA) on our boat was VERY responsive to our requests to dive specific sites - we had a group of us who were competent divers with good buoyancy and air consumption. They pretty much let us call the shots - we did Devil's Throat and the wreck as included dives. I can't compare that aspect to SCC, since I was by myself there. Shore diving is gentler at FA than SCC (shallower, less chop and current). The swimming pools are fantastic at FA (if you like that sort of thing), and booze is included in the all-inclusive at FA (it isn't - or wasn't in 2006 - at SCC).

Both were good - my preference between the two is SCC.

 

[djanni]

My wife and I are planning a trip to Cozumel, June 13-16th - and plan on doing a couple of days of diving.

We're considering staying at the Fiesta Americana or El Cozumeleno, but are open to other possibilities.

Any recommendations? We've been staying down south at the Iberostar for the last couple of trip since we've had our kids with us, but it looks like we'll have more options on our own this trip.

We're looking to balance price with nice surroundings and easy access to good diving and food.

John

We're in Coz again this July and we're staying at the Wyndham (Reef Club). It'll be our first stay there but all we've heard has been good.

We've stayed at Fiesta Americana and it's aa nice place. Like Reef Club it's a considerable distance to town. The Hotel is across the street from the beach but they have a resturant on the beach side along with the dive shop and they have a nice big pier. I don't think the Fiesta's all-inclusive is required but you'll have a cab ride to any other.

We've also stayed at El Cid. Close to town and its probably on par with the Fiesta in terms of facilities and amenities. The cruise ships dock near El Cid. They have a pretty interesting area for shore diving too.

A friend recently stayed at the Palace and liked it a lot.

Dive operator... Blue XT~Sea.

 

[NancyLynn]

I don't think the Fiesta's all-inclusive is required but you'll have a cab ride to any other.

It's not, but even if all you do is drink water and eat breakfast it pays for itself. The add-on costs virtually nothing.

 

[jcole]

Thanks for the input everyone. It looks like my choices may be also limited by the packages offered through Expedia for the Charter flight we're planning on taking.

Here is what has been suggested for hotels so far:

Wyndham (Reef Club) - available
Fiesta Americana - available
El Cid - available
Scuba Club Cozumel - not on the Expedia
Cozumel Palace - appears to be booked for time we are there
El Cozumeleno - available

For dive shops:

Blue XT~Sea
Deep Blue

 

[Christi]

Thanks for the input everyone. It looks like my choices may be also limited by the packages offered through Expedia for the Charter flight we're planning on taking.

Here is what has been suggested for hotels so far:

Wyndham (Reef Club) - available
Fiesta Americana - available
El Cid - available
Scuba Club Cozumel - not on the Expedia
Cozumel Palace - appears to be booked for time we are there
El Cozumeleno - available

For dive shops:

Blue XT~Sea
Deep Blue

Just to help you narrow your hotel choices, I'll give you some extra input:

Wyndam - I personally wouldn't recommend this hotel. It is far enough south of town to limit your dive site options...basically any sites north of your hotel are out unless you are willing to taxi back after a dive. Most dive ops won't pick you up for a night dive there either, so you will have to taxi to the marina for a night dive. There will also be a $3 per day/diver fee charged by the hotel to access the pier...and dive shops are not going to pay this fee.

Fiesta Americana - Much closer to town ($6 cab ride vs. $15); AI optional, and it's location will not limit your dive site options. Any dive op can pick you up at the pier. Good choice.

El Cid - Another good choice. Close enough to town to walk if you are a walker, no limitations on dive sites, newly renovated. Any dive ops can pick you up at the pier.

Scuba Club - This is truly an all-inclusive. You would have to dive with their onsite operation because their package includes the diving, meals, and lodging.

Cozumel Palace - The nicest of all of the hotels and in fact, aside from the Presidente...the nicest hotel on the island. Great location, All-inclusive (not something I recommend because Cozumel has so many great and inexpensive diving options), no dive site limitations, and any dive op can pick you up at the pier. Good choice except for the obligatory AI (meaning you have to pay for it whether you use it or not).

Cozemeleno - Not recommended for divers because of it's northern location. Dive ops do not provide pick-up service at the northern hotels, so you would have to taxi to town or wherever your boat departs from each morning to catch the boat. Otherwise, it is a nice hotel, but again is obligatory AI and I've heard the food is horrible...as are MOST AI's.

I hope this helps!

 

[mwhities]

My family and I just booked at Hotel Cozumel with AI. We are still trying to decide what op we want to use. I am leaning toward BlueXTSeaDiving as I dove with them on a cruise one time. Pedro was a champion DM.

Since we booked for Oct 11th through the 18th, we'll have a couple of months to decide who we will book through for diving.

If you have any questions about Hotel Cozumel, please feel free to PM me.

(Christi, what good/bad things might you have for Hotel Cozumel? PM me please.. )

 

[Christi]

My family and I just booked at Hotel Cozumel with AI. We are still trying to decide what op we want to use. I am leaning toward BlueXTSeaDiving as I dove with them on a cruise one time. Pedro was a champion DM.

Since we booked for Oct 11th through the 18th, we'll have a couple of months to decide who we will book through for diving.

If you have any questions about Hotel Cozumel, please feel free to PM me.

(Christi, what good/bad things might you have for Hotel Cozumel? PM me please.. )

No restrictions with HOtel Cozumel, just major traffic jams in the mornings with all the Dive Paradise boats since that's one of their bases. I am now offering packages with Hotel Cozumel as well.

 

[mwhities]

No restrictions with HOtel Cozumel, just major traffic jams in the mornings with all the Dive Paradise boats since that's one of their bases. I am now offering packages with Hotel Cozumel as well.

Very cool. I'll get in contact with you shortly....