First off, thanks to all the other reviews and traveler photos, as it helped us make our decision. Now we would like to help others as well. We're sorry for the long review but we wanted to share our positive and memorable experience with all. Hotel: The service staff at this hotel made our stay amazing...we stayed for 2 weeks from June 28th to July 12th, 2008. The El Cozumeleno exceeded all of our expectations due to the fact that the hotel prides itself on quality, cleanliness and service. The grounds are well kept. The bartenders (in resturants, at beach and lobby bar) were always attentive ensuring you were happy and enjoying yourself. The waiters in the buffet were friendly and attentive to everyones needs. The waiters in La Veranda resturant were what we like to call the Dream Team of waiters as they complimented each other. Where one waiter left off the other waiter would pick up without a glitch. The whole resturant ran smoothly and efficiently because they all worked very well together. The Manager, Benjamin, hostess, Helen and waiters, Edgar, Fernando, Ricardo 1, Ricardo 2, Santiago and Jose really made our stay here an amazing experience because of their welcoming and friendly nature. Room service is available for breakfast, lunch, dinner or just a snack until 11pm with a set menu. The hotel room was always clean with a fresh smell...there were no musty smells like rooms we've stayed in, the Dominician/Cuba/Mayan. There were lots of TV channels but how much time do you spend in the room. The hotel restrooms were alway clean, tidy and fresh smelling. La Veranda Restruant: This is the a la carte restruant and we have nothing but excellent things to say about it. This is where we ate every night except for the first night we arrived and when we went to town for dinner. We never ate at the buffet after that...why eat "ok" food when you can eat excellent food every night and be treated like family. The manager, Benjamin was excellent...he was very personable, friendly, accommodating and courteous always making us feel welcomed and like family. As mentioned before, the waiters in this restraunt were fantastic always making us feel welcomed and like a part of their family while maintaining their professionalism. They were always friendly, courteous and accommodating. If you like garlic you will love the appitizer they serve first (a puffed up pita bread with a butter garlic sauce poured on top) and the rest of the menu is delicious. The pasta dishes, pizza, steak, fish and seafood and all delicious. The desserts being served were also excellent. We really have no idea why people would be complaining about the food here as this restruant is excellent...but we have heard the buffet dinner is just OK. The buffet breakfast and lunch is very good with lots of choices and if you don't like what's at the buffet then you can order off of a set lunch menu and the food on it is very good. The beer is always cold, the coldest that we've had at any all inclusive. The liquior is high quality, Crown Royal being served along with some other primium brands, unlike any other all inclusive we've been at. Beach: There is a waiter on the beach serving you at all times. The beach is absolutely beautiful. There were plenty of beach chairs and pool chairs, we never had a problem getting one. Beach huts are not as plentiful but we were always up early enough to get a hut. When going into the water enter by the steps closer to the longer pier, as this area is sandy with a few large rocks. As for water shoes...totally up to the individual but we didn't bring any or need any as the sandy area is perfectly fine for entering and exiting the water. Once your in the water it is very sandy with some large rocks about but the water is so clear that you can easily avoid the rocks. Do go snorkeling in front of the hotel, there are many colourful fish right there. We took some amazing pictures right off of the pier/all along the pier in the water while snorkeling. The fish will swim all around you while you are in the water and they will follow you as you swim...this was amazing! You can ask the waiters to get you some bread for the fish...my boyfriend fed the fish from the pier while I was in the water (water camera in hand) and we have some excellent pictures. For of you who like to collect shells...there are plenty. If you go for a walk to the right of the hotel (5-10 min) you will easily find large Shells on the beach and in the water. If you go for a walk to the left of the hotel there are plenty of smaller shells. If you walk to the left be sure to bring your shoes with you as the shells are all over the sand and make it difficult to walk in bare feet. We were so happy that we picked the El Cozumeleno instead of the melia which is right next door to the right due to the fact that the water on our side of the long pier was the most beautiful clear shades of blue while the water on the right side of the pier, in front of the Melia, was dark, merky and full of soot. We felt sorry for those people staying at the melia as they would venture over to our beach every day to enjoy the beautiful beach/water we had. Pools: The pools are very nice, 1 very large, 1 medium and 1 very small. They are clean and the smaller pool is for young children with a mushroom waterfall. There is a waiter always serving around the pool. There is not a lot of shade coverge but you can always go under the building where the waterfall is in the large pool if you need shade as there are always chairs available there. There is also a swim up bar in the large pool. There are 2 hot tubs & the water is very warm in them. There are always chairs available around the pool. Town: The town was a $5.00 cab ride each way. There is lots of shopping and restruants but they tend to busier during day when the cruise ships are in and a lot quiter during the night. For dancing and dinning there were clubs such as Senior Frog's, Carlo's & Charlie's, Tiki Tok and Neptune's. All of these places were fairly quit when we were there but it is their down season right now. For better shopping walk further into the markets (away from the water). Restruants: Try Prima (italitan), La Choza (mexican), Casa Mission (mexican). We ate at La Mission (next to Viva Mexico store-Prima/La Choza are on this street as well) and the food was very good and reasonable. We had the Surf & Turf (came with nacho/quacamole, garlic bread, soup and dessert) along with 2 beers for $40.00 us. Do rent a jeep and take a drive around the island as this is and unforgetable experience. We rented the jeep right from the guy in the hotel for $66.00us for 24 hours. You can get insurance but we did not as it jacks the price up to $99.00. Make sure you stop at Palancar beach, there is a long driveway to get to the beach but it is breathtaking. Food and cold drinks are there to purchase and tons of larget shells to collect. Also stop at Punta Sur...$10.00 per person to get into the park but lots to see, stop at Bob Marley's bar which is right there before you enter Punta Sur, stop at Chen Rio Beach for a drink...beautiful beach as well and food and drinks to purchase if you like. The last and best place to stop is at Coconuts bar, it is at the highest pioint of the island and overlooks the ocean...the most beautiful sight you'll see! You can eat and drink there as well, we had nachos and 2 beers for $15.00us. It's not cheap but it is a great experience. Scuba Diving: Yes, definately do it, even if your not a certified diver. They have guided dives for those of us that are not certified and you won't regret it. Make sure you go through the hotel as their staff there is amazing. We went for a beach dive with Javier Francisco, who is a divemaster, and he was excellent. We loved it so much that we went on a boat dive for non-certified divers and we loved that so much that we actually took the certification course while we were there. We never felt overwhelmed or unsafe as Javier Francisco walked us through step by step and he was always safety concious, checking that we were ok, keeping an eye on our air supply and pointing out interesting creatures for us to look at (eels, stingrays, fish). Entertainment: There are shows each night on the 2nd floor of the hotel that begin at 8pm and there is also a Karoke Bar on the 2nd floor. We are non-smokers and found the Karoke Bar very smoky as a lot of people smoke and the bar is not that big. We tended to hang out at the lobby bar which closed at 12midnight as there was no one smoking in the lobby or in La Veranda Resturant. The hotel supplies finger foods in the late evening (11pm to 1am) in the lobby (pizza, nachos with cheese, finger sandwiches) and drinks (water & juice). This hotel catered to all, families, couples, singles and large groups...there is something for everyone and lots of activities for the children or as much or as little as you want to do. As the locals say "it;s paradise" and they are absolutely right. We found that there were a lot of people that have been returning to this hotel year after year...now we know why!

We stayed three nights beginning the 14th and left on the 17th. I had actually done research through expedia, mlt vacations, and funjet. I found the best price through funjet (atusa.com) and then called my travel agent to see if she could beat the price. She was able to match it but got a better accomodating flight schedule for us. So it worked out nicely. The hotel was highly recommended by close friends who visit yearly and are avid divers. This was our third trip to Cozumel. However, the first two were via cruise ship so we were interested in getting to know the island a bit better. Upon our arrival we were greated promptly by the bellhops. These guys go above and beyond. They are amazing. I didn't have to touch my luggage, they pulled it to the side, stored it for us, and delivered it to our rooms. There were four in our party and two bellhops jumped on our luggage for us. I tipped each of them three bucks. The rest of the week, they remembered me and were friendly and always jumped at the chance to get a cab for us. Our first experience with the front desk staff could have been a lot worse. The reservations were lost but, Martha at the front desk kept saying, "I don't have reservations but, no worry". We were given our fruit punch drinks and they were great. Martha got our wristbands and told us "No worry, go eat lunch." I wasn't worried, I knew it would be taken care of. So we went to each lunch at the buffett and then came back. We filled out some paperwork, checked in, got our keys and headed up to our room. Bellhops in tow with our luggage. Yes, they waited a good thirty minutes for us to get our room and then took our luggage up. We were in two rooms on the fourth floor of the old tower. 401 & 409. Upon entering our room, I figured there had to have been a mistake somewhere. We were booked for an oceanview room with king sized beds. We walked into a 700sqft room with a couch, tv, coffee table and king sized bed. The room was enormous! More room than what is actually reasonable. It took the sting off of having the tense moment at the desk during check in. Martha took care of us. She's such a sweetheart. The food was above average. We ate the buffet for each meal except dinner one evening downtown at Palmera's. The breakfast was great each morning. Lunch was pretty good, and dinner as well. The buffet changed a few things through our visit but, was mostly the same "type" of food. Hamburgers, hot dogs, and nacho fixings were always available by the south pool. We kept a fluid schedule so we didn't tie ourselves down to reservations in the main dinning hall. Besides, the buffet was good enough that we didn't care that we didn't get to eat at the main. I read several reviews about the beds being hard. They are. We had an egg crate on ours and it was still hard as a rock. I personally was so tired/tipsy by the end of the night that I still slept like a baby. I had read some complaints about the drinks being weak. I ordered a margarita on the rocks at lunch upon arrival and the bartender filled a glass with ice, tequila, tripple sec, and had enough room for a little more than a splash of lime juice. I knew that if I drank like this the whole week I was going to be worthless. So, I switched to beer for the week. They serve dos xx on tap and that made me happy. We booked our excursions through lomas travel at the hotel. Juan was great. He did more for us than just book excursions. He spent extra time with us answering questions and even helped us with the front desk during check out. Juan Kuk is his name. Go see him to book your excursions. He's very very helpful and not there just to sell you something. He's a good guy. We did the royal swim with the dolphins at Chakuunaab. Highly recommended. I'm no small man by any stretch and was glad to see the dolphins actually get me out of the water during the "foot push". We also did the helmet dive at Jeannie's next to the Barracuda hotel. Those guys were excellent as well. Great dive. We were the last group of the day (3pm) so it was just the four of us and they really took thier time with us. I'm not sure how long we were down but, it was a long time. I ordered room service one morning while the rest of our group went on the canopy tour at Sky High. They loved the tour and I loved breakfast despite it was twenty minutes late. It was still hot and good and the waiter was vary appologetic for his tardiness. I tipped him a few bucks and I got more thank you's and sorry's. I learned a few things on this trip that I actually was prepared for and was glad that I did. I've learned that the opinion of Americans in general is very low in countries like Mexico and Jamaica. Calling anyone "sir, ma'am, senior, or seniorita" goes a long way in earning respect. You get a better price when shopping the smaller stores when you are courteous. Also, take lots of one dollar bills with you. Tip your bellhops, waiters, bartenders, housekeepers, and cab drivers. You get better service across the board. A few dollars certainly can make your trip much much better. Also, you will find that you take at least two showers a day. It is hard on your skin. Take lots of lotion to rehydrate. (this was a recommendation from my wife that she wanted me to throw in). I also learned that if you attempt to speak the language or use as much of it as you know, they are much more receptive. I took the approach that I expect them to speak my language when they are in my country, I should be respectful and make an attempt at theirs when in their country. It makes them laugh and they help you along when you try to communicate. Again, it makes the mood better for everyone. Go shopping when the cruise ships leave. The prices magically come down at the "mom & pop" stores and haggling prices is much more well received. I bought a pair of silver earrings for my mother with (fake) tanzinite. I liked them and new my mother would like them so I don't care that they are fake tanzinite. The store owner started at $90. By the time it was all said and done, I had the earrings for $35. For the ladies wanting to get their hair braided: go downtown. There is a street on the north side of Palmera's that runs east and west. Go down the street just a 1/2 block. On the southside of the street is a lady who has a stand on the side of the street. She does an amazing job braiding hair. She's fast, has a great price, and sings the whole time she does hair and has a smile on her face. My girls have their har braded each time we go to Mexico. This, by far, was the best job they had had done on their hair.

We have been to the El Coz three times now and we want be coming back. The food was horrible and uneventful. My biggest problem was with the management staff in the hotel. We had family members who bought a bottle of wine in the town and wanted to drink on their balcony. They took the bottle downstairs to the bar to have them open it. The bartender told our family members that they had to talk to the restaurant manager. He told them he would have to charge them 10 dollars to open the bottle. The hotel has one restaurant on site and have very specific rules for you to eat at the restaurant. It was virtually empty everynight (I believe they do this on purpose to push people to the nasty buffett) The beds were hard and uncomfortable. After three times, we will not return to the EL Coz. Stay away and maybe lack of business will bring some quality back to the hotel. I blame most of our frustration on the restaurant manager (Employee's were making fun of him behind his back) Beware of this hotel!!!

Back in Oct 2005, my My boyfriend and I stayed at El Cozumeleno Resort. We had a great time, they treated us like royalty, it was like staying a 5 star hotel. It was our first time visiting the Island and we was very impressed by the hospitality. The hotel staff was wonderful, "Ana" in the front desk was very helpful. I became ill during our stay and the front desk staff called for a taxi driver they were familiar with. The driver me to the doctor, sat with me, then drove around to different pharmaciesuntil he found the medications I needed, he then took me back to the hotel and delivered me to the staff. The staff followed up with me to make sure I was feeling better. The food was excellent, the beach was so pretty. I we would go snorkle on the beach and feed fish. In this section (next to the sea wall) the water was crystal clear and you could see everything. We had the cleanest, prettiest beach in the area. We went scuba diving twice and our first dive guide "Pablo" was awesome. He really looked after us. Down town was very nice, no one hounded tourists or harrassed anyone to buy stuff. There was plenty of police presence and everyone was friendly. We really didn't have a need to eat outside of the hotel (since it was all inclusive), but we gave it a try. Downtown restaurants were all right in quality and for a regular mexican dinner it was about $35.00 for the two of us, but the hotel food was better. The bars were WAY over priced though. I am definately returning. I was very pleased with the trip and highly recommend this resort. I hope nothing has changed since.