Budget All inclusive stays Cozumel

[Shawn C]

I've stayed at seven different AIs on the island now. Occidental is what you are after if you are looking for an inexpensive AI that also has a beach. We typically stay at Fiesta Americana or Explorean (Palace is also good) but none of those places are budget friendly these days. I would look into the Royal level upgrade at Occidental, if budget allows. This upgrade allows you to always eat a la carte (otherwise you will be in the buffet line 3 or 4 nights and the food at the buffet isn't great imo). It puts you in a separate section of the resort with separate check in/out and a concierge (we used only to book the a la carte reservations). You also get access to the best a la carte restaurant that they have and you can eat all your meals there if you choose.

 

[Streydog]

One justification of the expense that I have seen Aldora fans use in here is a calculation of the cost per minute of bottom time because of the larger tanks, but are you sure you have the pricing correct?

I priced Aldora out from their site.
2 tanks- $110 + Nitrox $22 +Tax $21 + marine park $12=$165 (10 tanks- $825)

I compared this to the cost of another shop that has a much lower cost/
2 tanks $85.5 + Nitrox (only one tank) $10+ Tax $15.28 = $110.78 ( I think the shop stated the marine park fee was included in the price.)

One thing to consider is Aldora will also go to Maricaibo and Punta Sur often without extra fees.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I'm in Canada so pricing may be different for the US but for us the best bang for the buck is Hotel Cozumel (by Wyndham) It allows most dive ops to pick up from their pier, can be bought as AI or Bed & breakfast & is a relatively easy walk into town or to the south. This is my photo tour. (it has a new restaurant manager who is improving many things food related too.)

The NEW Hotel Cozumel Photo tour album (updated 2025)

A photo tour that uses many new photos along with many older ones. I have tried to help people who want a room with a view by taking photos from around the pool showing which areas of the resort can be seen or showing the view of the ocean from the 2nd and 3rd floor. It really is necessary to...

flic.kr

I was at Hotel Cozumel last month. The food was meh. Very bland.
Service pool side was slow, and sometimes faster going to the bar for your own drinks.
Diving, nitrox is extra. 32 or 36. pay for the 5 days, its a slight discount. No 02 analyzer on boat. beach dives are $10 tank. Dive shop closes at 7:30. No early morning or night diving.

 

[nodakdive]

One justification of the expense that I have seen Aldora fans use in here is a calculation of the cost per minute of bottom time because of the larger tanks, but are you sure you have the pricing correct?

No, I'm not sure. I have no idea of the room type etc., of ncitro's trip.

I just now checked again on Expedia. Sat to Sat, Dec 6-13. $1,119.96 for one person in a room. $1,340.18 for 2 people in one room. I don't remember where I looked a day or two ago when I posted about the price.

I was shocked when I did the quick math regarding cost of diving, but there's probably some reason. I looked at the garden view rooms, maybe ncitro was in a much nicer room.

 

[Billg68bg]

When I was diving with Dressel, I would stay at the Occidental and walk down the beach each day. I was very happy at the Occidental. It isn't as big as most AIs, and the food was good (and I am picky.) There are separate three story buildings that are open in the middle with palm trees growing through the ceiling. There are perhaps 8 rooms on each floor. Each room has a small balocony, and a refrigerator stocked with water, sodas and beer. You get a large bathroom with both a bathtub and big shower. There is a buffet, and three sitdown restaurants-2 of which are open each night. You must have reservations, and you get 2-3 reservations per week. There is a seafood, Mediterrenean, and a Mexican. There is a big pool, and adult pool, and the ocean, but the beach is very small, but very sandy-as is the ocean there. The staff is friendly, and I found the food good to very good. There was a decent variety, too. You could dive with dressel, or other operations will pick you up there. There is a dive shop there-I can't tell you aything about it as I never dove with them.

Occidental used to have a really nice beach, but I stayed at the Allegro last August and, when we went past the Occidental on a dive boat, it looked like the beach was completely wiped out just about up to the wall Something to, perhaps, think about and look further into. Occidental also had a bee issue around the pool bar when we stayed there. Other than that, I liked the resort. Overall, I liked the Allegro.

 

[Shawn C]

Occidental used to have a really nice beach, but I stayed at the Allegro last August and, when we went past the Occidental on a dive boat, it looked like the beach was completely wiped out just about up to the wall Something to, perhaps, think about and look further into. Occidental also had a bee issue around the pool bar when we stayed there. Other than that, I liked the resort. Overall, I liked the Allegro.

Yup. A few years back a storm took most of beach away and deposited it elsewhere. So much so that they have had to shore up the pool walls on the beach side as they've lost most of the supporting sand. But you just walk less than a hundred feet north and you have beach again. There's only about 1200' between Allago and Occidental on the beach. Most people don't care for the food at Allegro and the price delta to move up to Occidental isn't that much.

 

[ggunn]

One thing to consider is Aldora will also go to Maricaibo and Punta Sur often without extra fees.

FWIW some other ops will do that as well.

 

[cicopo]

I was at Hotel Cozumel last month. The food was meh. Very bland.
Service pool side was slow, and sometimes faster going to the bar for your own drinks.

The thing about food is we all have different opinions on decent, bad or just terrible food. I and several friends find it more than acceptable relative to what we pay. That said restaurants are not that far away. Over the years when I started going to Cozumel on a regular basis I stayed at far more expensive AI's and in one case thought going for dinner was no fun at all. Breakfast is pretty much the same at all of them & lunch can be decent at the beach club restaurant but there is the choice of using the snack bar if you don't like what's offered at the beach club. Did you try any of the specialty meals? They are included in the AI package.

 

[Streydog]

FWIW some other ops will do that as well.

I am aware of that. Many ops that do go, charge extra. I brought this up since price was being discussed.

 

[gmountai]

Dove with Blue Angel back at the end of March. Seven nights with 5 days of 2 tank diving was about $1100 each for my buddy and I. It's not full AI, but they do include breakfast, EAN at no extra cost, and they take care of your gear and have it on the boat the next morning for you. Restaurant on-site, nice pool, and shore diving. Only complaint would be road noise at night, but that's why I always travel with ear plugs. I plan on staying with them again the next trip to Coz.