Recent Papa Hogs Experiences?

[Dan G]

We've been to Cozumel many times, but have never used or stayed with Papa Hogs. I know they've been around a long time, but do not see any recent trip reports mentioning them. Does anyone have any recent experience diving with them? How about staying at their hotel? Rooms at Hog Town Hotel look basic yet diver friendly. I know some folks stay at Villa Blanca when diving with them. We stayed there many years ago. How was that experience?

Thanks!

 

[DandyDon]

We stayed in the superior rooms upstairs once. Very roomy overlooking the lawn with a side view of the ocean. My room had a dining table and full-sized refrigerator. Pretty nice.

 

[Dan G]

We stayed in the superior rooms upstairs once. Very roomy overlooking the lawn with a side view of the ocean. My room had a dining table and full-sized refrigerator. Pretty nice.

Was that Villa Blanca?

 

[DandyDon]

Was that Villa Blanca?

Yes. I checked Hotels.com for a random date to compare rates and their Superior rooms are only $7/night higher than the regular rooms half the size, so I could certainly go with Superior if I were to stay there again even tho they are upstairs.

I do not know anything about the Hog Town hotel. I have a hunch that it's a cheaper hotel out back, but I really don't know.

 

[rick00001967]

almost never hear anything mentioned about papa hogs online.

were the original owners not canadians?

only experience i ever had with them was trying to rent tanks to go shore diving. they would only rent them to us if we were diving right across form the shop, we had to have them back before the end of the day, and i believe they asked for our ID and a large deposit. that was quite a long time ago though. we went elsewhere.

 

[DiverN2H2O]

Only my experience, but when the owner was standing in front of the shop cursing ( screaming) at his employees across the street that was enough to not return.
I dove with them 6 trips in 3 years, my wife and I ate breakfast everyday at the cafe. The DM’s knew me on-site, the office guy knew me but the owners , nope never.
This led me to go to Scuba Mau and 11 years later that’s who I still dive with.

 

[Karloss]

This is the first of me even hearing they had a hotel.

 

[Rob9876]

Papa Hogs seems to have good reviews on their Facebook page and on TripAdvisor, but some reviews mention a big fee (something like 16%) to use a credit card, which I don't see on their website -- so you might want to check on that if paying by card.

 

[ggunn]

Only my experience, but when the owner was standing in front of the shop cursing ( screaming) at his employees across the street that was enough to not return.

He had a reputation for being somewhat of a curmudgeon. I don't think he is there any more, though.

 

[Mark IV]

"Curmudgeon". Yeah, sure, I guess that'll suffice, LOL!! Years ago, the owner of one shop I worked for was good buddies with Mike ( the curmudgeonly owner), but he (Mike) always seemed to barely tolerate me, (and pretty much everyone else), though I always stepped gingerly around him, and we never had any actual issues, we just werent BFFs or anything, and I even divemastered a couple trips for Papa Hogs when they needed a last minute DM. Mike's wife Margret on the other hand, was always a sweetheart, and we got on fine. If I was short a piece of gear while I was working with students on Villa Blanca, I'd always ask her rather than Mike, if possible.