Budget All inclusive stays Cozumel

[ncitro]

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.

Just back from our trip and I would say you hit it spot on. The food was all fine, plenty of it and it was hot, but very bland and "meh". We ate dinner out one night and had amazing Lionfish. We had only been to Cozumel before on a cruise and were unsure how easy getting food would be, especially around potential night dives and early boat departures, so opted for the all inclusive route. Having done it now I think next time we will plan to eat in town.

Aldora was amazing, it had been probably 15-20 since I have dove with them (back when they serviced cruise passengers) and I considered going with a different op, but we had an amazing experience. Fast boats, long bottom times and steel tanks made for a great combo. My buddy had some gear issues (was diving a new BP/W setup that we thought was squared away with a few quarry trips before we went) and we went back to the shop to address. They helped us the best they could but he needed some parts and they called around until they found a place with them in stock, sent us there and they knew we were coming. Got him all squared away and we were in business. A great trip with a great operation.

 

[Bookworm11]

A nice upgrade option is the Casa Mexicana. Great buffet breakfast, and a 1 minute walk to the Aldora dock. The shop is around the corner. You are closer to town, so its easier to find good lunch/dinner options. Ask at the Aldora desk and they can give you very cheap local options. I stayed at the Casa Mexicana, and its lovely. The staff is great, the bed very comfortable-and I find it a great option to stay at in town. Not the cheapest option, but fair for what you get.
Also, I always when staying at the Occidental hung around the adult pool. Never saw a bee issue at all. And yes, to the left of the dock, the beach is beautiful. Now, mind you, the beach is very sandy when you walk into the ocean at the Occidental, there just is almost no beach in front of it. But at the Iberostar, its all rocks to walk in the beach, unless you go up the pier and then go down the stairs. I cant comment on the food at the Iberostar since I never stayed there- I just used the dive shop.