Ms. Ann Thrope
Contributor
This is definitely not a thread for those of you who stay at the Palace or El Presidente or any AI on the island.
There's a good chance we'll end up in Cozumel again late this summer. And though we plan on mostly staying at our preferred mid-range waterfront dive hotel, we might do something we've done beforespend the first couple of days inexpensively in town to relax and enjoy San Miguel pleasures without being on a dive schedule. I was okay with our previous town hotel choice (I in fact had been intrigued with the idea of staying there since our first island visit 20 years ago!) but might be open to others. I know people have their favorites (Pepita comes up a lot), but I'm hoping a few of you who sleep cheap in town will offer a few semi-objective opinions/impressions of the places you've stayed.
I'll offer up mine to start:
Hotel Mary Carmen. Pluses: Posted rate of about $30 a night (was it 350 pesos? I forget...), at least as of a year ago, semi-cute decor, charming courtyard with turtles that they feed (and, sometimes, gory local tabloid newspapers left on a table), great location half a block off the main square, free wi-fi, clean floor, no bugs that I saw, AC plus fan, television with a few English channels, water hot enough in shower. Minuses: no refrigerator in room or tanks of drinking water on premises; no pool; shabby sheets; not so clean in higher-up spots; not the greatest plumbing; only one three-pronged outlet in room; could generally use a coat of paint (as of a year ago, anyhow). Neutral: We had a room safe but couldn't get it to work; I have no idea if the AC would hold up to rigors of summer; beds were mattresses on slabs. Front desk seemed pleasant and friendly enough, though my poor Spanish limited communication to basic greetings and transactions.
I'm not in it entirely for rock-bottom prices, but cheap does have its appeal, and value counts. It's entirely possible that spending a couple more bucks elsewhere might be worth it, depending on mix of comfort and amenities. (Wi-fi is important, refrigerator and/or on-premises water cooler is a huge plus. A pool could be nice, especially if it's not as warm as a lobster pot, given that it will be the hottest time of year.)
So any contributions to what could be a nice, comprehensive town hotel roundup thread?
There's a good chance we'll end up in Cozumel again late this summer. And though we plan on mostly staying at our preferred mid-range waterfront dive hotel, we might do something we've done beforespend the first couple of days inexpensively in town to relax and enjoy San Miguel pleasures without being on a dive schedule. I was okay with our previous town hotel choice (I in fact had been intrigued with the idea of staying there since our first island visit 20 years ago!) but might be open to others. I know people have their favorites (Pepita comes up a lot), but I'm hoping a few of you who sleep cheap in town will offer a few semi-objective opinions/impressions of the places you've stayed.
I'll offer up mine to start:
Hotel Mary Carmen. Pluses: Posted rate of about $30 a night (was it 350 pesos? I forget...), at least as of a year ago, semi-cute decor, charming courtyard with turtles that they feed (and, sometimes, gory local tabloid newspapers left on a table), great location half a block off the main square, free wi-fi, clean floor, no bugs that I saw, AC plus fan, television with a few English channels, water hot enough in shower. Minuses: no refrigerator in room or tanks of drinking water on premises; no pool; shabby sheets; not so clean in higher-up spots; not the greatest plumbing; only one three-pronged outlet in room; could generally use a coat of paint (as of a year ago, anyhow). Neutral: We had a room safe but couldn't get it to work; I have no idea if the AC would hold up to rigors of summer; beds were mattresses on slabs. Front desk seemed pleasant and friendly enough, though my poor Spanish limited communication to basic greetings and transactions.
I'm not in it entirely for rock-bottom prices, but cheap does have its appeal, and value counts. It's entirely possible that spending a couple more bucks elsewhere might be worth it, depending on mix of comfort and amenities. (Wi-fi is important, refrigerator and/or on-premises water cooler is a huge plus. A pool could be nice, especially if it's not as warm as a lobster pot, given that it will be the hottest time of year.)
So any contributions to what could be a nice, comprehensive town hotel roundup thread?