Any info on Reef Club Isla Cozumel?

[Divedoggie]

Our travel agent said that Reef Club is a great way to go in Coz. She says:
Great Beach.
Away from the big crowds in San Miguel.
Close to reefs.
Inexpensive.
I have heard some mixed reviews. Has anyone been there lately?

 

[HammerNoMore]

Our travel agent said that Reef Club is a great way to go in Coz. She says:
Great Beach.
Away from the big crowds in San Miguel.
Close to reefs.
Inexpensive.
I have heard some mixed reviews. Has anyone been there lately?

I've never stayed at the Reef Club, but I've eaten there, and I'd have to say I was not impressed. But to address your points:

Great Beach: Yep, I'd hasve to agree.
Away from the big crowds in San Miguel: That's not necissarily a good thing. Yea, when there are 6 cruise ships in town there are a fair number of people there. But Cozumel is not Jamaica. Even with the cruise ships there is still something quaint about it. Also, IMHO, Cozumel is one of the best eating destinations I've found. There are some truely wonderfull restraunts there and they are cheap. I think it's a good thing to be within walking distance from town and if you go AI, you're cheating yourself.
Close to reefs: No doubt about that. They are a very short boat ride from good reefs. But I like fast boats so for me we're talking about a difference between 15 minutes and 5.
Inexpensive: I can't comment on that I've never stayed there. If you're doing a funjet/apple thing then maybe they are when you factor in the cheaper charter air. My place charges $65-$75 a nite...

James

 

[Jim Baldwin]

My wife and I stayed at the Reef Club two years. The food was fine and the nightly entertainment was good. We thought we paid more not less.

Yes you are close to the reefs. Just a short boat ride. If you use the onsite dive shop it will be Sand Dollar Sports.

Be prepared to spend about $12 to $15 one way for a trip to town. You will be on the southern end of the island. If you don't like the food you feel like you're stuck.

We normally stayed closer in to town at places like Villa Blanca or Hotel Cozumel or just north of the square at Hacienda San Miguel. They were only about $5 to town. Hotel Cozumel does a good All Inclusive while the other two are not. Hacienda San Miguel has nice kitchenettes in each room. Cook in or eat out your choice.

After 14 trips we decided to start paying taxes so we bought a house.

Jim

 

[plongeursousmarin]

My wife and I just came back a week ago and we had a blast there. We have a baby that we were able to get a baby sitter for (not cheap but available) and dive with Living Underwater from 8:30am to 3pm. We would come back to the room (they upgraded us from a standard room to a suite - we can't figure out why but did not argue!) and we would be able to still get lunch since the buffet closes at 3:30pm. The area where we were was quiet, more towards the condos/timeshares, but even the first night when we were in the standard room closer to the center of the resort I was not aware of the place being noisy, although my wife did.
Anyway bottom line is it's a great place for kids and families and for divers as you're close to the reefs. I don't drink alcohol or party so I can't attest to that aspect but saw plenty of obnoxious people throughout the day that I'm sure were having a great time. The food is exciting for a couple of meals and after that it's monotonous but compared to the alternatives of being in a sexy part of town and rushing around with a baby, we were glad to have everything right there. The place was clean, and everywhere you go you can see that the hotel personnel is working their @ss off to keep the place neat and the guests happy. I'd go back there in a minute (and I used to be the guy who did not even want to hear about an all-inclusive).

 

[Divedoggie]

Thanks James, Jim, and Plonge...I hope some of you others out there will voice opinions as well. I am booking tomorrow by 1:00pm.
Here is the plan. We love Akumal, so we will stay there for 6 days. We'll do a few cenotes and a few dives off Akumal. Mostly just relax and be tourists. That part of the trip is all set.
Then we'll take the ferry to Coz and stay for another 6 days with lots of diving, and then fly out of Coz.
Here are a few hotel prices for 6 days. Reef Club AI 396.$pp, Presidente EP $570.pp, and Iberostar AI $624. pp. I am still working on prices at Fiesta Americana and Hotel Cozumel. As you can see, Reef Club seems to be quite a few taxi rides and dinners out, cheaper than the others. Should that scare me? or is it a good thing?

 

[DiverMo]

My place charges $65-$75 a nite...

James

And where would that be (for future reference)?

Caribe Blu?

 

[Divedoggie]

I checked out your countdown. Are you going to be in Akumal on May 7th? We will be there on May 9th. Will be at Akumal Beach Resort. I may need a dive buddy on a couple of occasions. Also, my experience is that the dive operators offer a better deal for a group of 4 than for just a couple.

I've never stayed at the Reef Club, but I've eaten there, and I'd have to say I was not impressed. But to address your points:

Great Beach: Yep, I'd hasve to agree.
Away from the big crowds in San Miguel: That's not necissarily a good thing. Yea, when there are 6 cruise ships in town there are a fair number of people there. But Cozumel is not Jamaica. Even with the cruise ships there is still something quaint about it. Also, IMHO, Cozumel is one of the best eating destinations I've found. There are some truely wonderfull restraunts there and they are cheap. I think it's a good thing to be within walking distance from town and if you go AI, you're cheating yourself.
Close to reefs: No doubt about that. They are a very short boat ride from good reefs. But I like fast boats so for me we're talking about a difference between 15 minutes and 5.
Inexpensive: I can't comment on that I've never stayed there. If you're doing a funjet/apple thing then maybe they are when you factor in the cheaper charter air. My place charges $65-$75 a nite...

James

 

[HammerNoMore]

I checked out your countdown. Are you going to be in Akumal on May 7th? We will be there on May 9th. Will be at Akumal Beach Resort. I may need a dive buddy on a couple of occasions. Also, my experience is that the dive operators offer a better deal for a group of 4 than for just a couple.

Yes, I will be there from the 7th-14th. Would be happy to hook up. My wife will not be diving this trip as we'll be traveling with a 7 month old and she's a little consumed at the the moment.

I've already booked my dives with "The Original Akumal Dive Shop" http://www.akumal.com/. I'm planning at least 2 days in the Cenote's and the rest in the ocean.

James

 

[Divedoggie]

Yes, I will be there from the 7th-14th. Would be happy to hook up. My wife will not be diving this trip as we'll be traveling with a 7 month old and she's a little consumed at the the moment.

I've already booked my dives with "The Original Akumal Dive Shop" http://www.akumal.com/. I'm planning at least 2 days in the Cenote's and the rest in the ocean.

James

I checked out the website and I am familier with that shop. Its a good one. My girlfriend's parents will be there for a few days, so she wants to entertain them. She will dive when it doesn't inconvenience the folks. I would like to get a few more dives in, esp. cenotes before we continue to Cozumel on the 14th. I look forward to seeing you there.
Kent

 

[Scuba_Steve]

Be prepared to spend about $12 to $15 one way for a trip to town. You will be on the southern end of the island. If you don't like the food you feel like you're stuck.
Jim

There's a nice little "shack" that sells a chicken sandwich (Hot) and a coke for $2.00,and it's just ouside the Reef club grounds. They don'r speak english, but you can point and say a lot of "pollo" and "coka's"

There's a "closed for health violation" sticker on the front, but I didn't get sick I even went back the next day!

True Story!!! Great sandwich!