Casa Mexicana or Villa Escondida?

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Janie88

Contributor
Messages
284
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212
Location
Columbus OH
# of dives
200 - 499
My husband and I are tentatively going to Cozumel July 18-25. I was almost set to book Casa Mexicana and then saw some nice reviews on this B&B Villa Escondida.

Anybody stay at both, have a comparison? Thoughts on the B&B? Looks like it is also located in town very close to several dive ops.

We are booking with either Aldora or possibly one of the other recommended ops like Blue XT Sea or Tres Pelicanos.


We've been diving for almost 20 years but only went to Cozumel last year for the first time. Stayed for 5 days with friends who were renting a house. Did 3 day dive with Aldora. They were good, although I'm looking at a couple of the other recommended dive ops. My husband and I are not "air hogs" and usually come up with plenty of air diving the 80 tanks.

Thanks!
 
Truthfully i havent stayed at either one but i would choose the villas just for the pool area. I like to have a nice outdoor area around a pool to relax after diving. Casa mexicana has a dip pool i guess they call it but not a area i would call relaxing to me. When i stay at places with no outside areas to relax we end up at a bar or beach club running a tab just to have somewhere to hang out.
 
I haven't stayed at Villa Escondida, but I have stayed at Casa Mexicana several times. They do have a poolside deck with a bar, which we did enjoy in the evenings. The breakfast at the Casa Mex is great. I also like that a lot of divers stay there, so we get to meet other people with similar interests and have good conversations as well. The location is excellent, and you are close to Aldora. We dive with Salty Endeavors, and highly recommend them, but I haven't heard anything bad about Aldora. Salty is a smaller op with two boats, one that holds 6 or so divers, and another slightly larger boat. I always love Cozumel, and never regret staying at Casa Mex.
 
My wife and I have stayed at both. Casa Mexicana was our go to place for downtown stays until we found Villa Escondida. Magda and David are terrific hosts. Both locations are about the same distance from the pier. The Villa is across the street from La Choza, our favorite lunch stop. The Villa is quieter, and has a small pool and hammocks for afternoon siestas. Magda will prepare different types of breakfasts, and will have them ready based on your morning dive time. We will be staying at the Villa in April.
 
Here too we have done both. :) Its like the difference of a small resort verses a more standard hotel.

Magda and David are wonderful and although it is a B&B the guest area is separate and private. The courtyard/garden area is truly lovely. The beds are comfortable and the showers spacious and water hot. They do provide a small area to hang clothes. If it matters to you there is no TV in the bedrooms and no separate sitting area in your room. There is a separate common area with a refrigerator for guests, microwave and seating. And a drinking water dispenser.

Magda’s breakfast are exceptional and she takes her crusine seriously. She even has a special grind of coffee. But I understand that she no longer offers the full breakfast to early risers so diving each morning you may not get the full benefit of her breakfasts.

Casa Mexicana is a hotel. Here you do have the option of ocean front and is the main reason we switched (and Villa Escondida was often full). The breakfast buffet is good and very plentiful. It is very clean and also comfortable. As a hotel it is obviously less private and less quiet. Staff is very efficient and very friendly.

Honestly its more a matter of what you are looking for this trip.
 
Casa Mexicana is my preferred place to stay on my annual trips to Cozumel. The location is excellent, the rooms are clean if outdated, the balconies are great for drying gear at the end of the trip, the breakfast buffet is as good as it gets on the island, and the price is right.
 
Thanks everyone - both places sound like a great fit. I was leaning a little more towards the Villa, but hearing that we may not get the benefit of breakfast due to early rise and diving will probably put us at Casa Mexicana. I will check with the Villa and try to find out more details on breakfast and times.

The Villa is $733 including taxes. Tres P quoted $1387 for 7 nights at CM and 5 days/2 tank diving including nitrox (or $1787 for 6 days diving). Separate pricing for diving at Tres P is $350pp according to website.

If my calculations are correct, it'd be $1433 to stay at the Villa (breakfast? per another op you may miss breakfast if getting up early) versus $1387 to stay at CM, both with 5 days diving with Tres P. Does not appear to be a big difference, and both places are close to Tres P, Aldora, etc.

Appreciate everyone's input :)
 
I was leaning a little more towards the Villa, but hearing that we may not get the benefit of breakfast due to early rise and diving will probably put us at Casa Mexicana. I will check with the Villa and try to find out more details on breakfast and times.
Please do check with Magda first. My info on that is second hand. Her breakfast really is that good.
 
I think @uncfnp has pretty much nailed it in her original post! Regarding the breakfast situation at Villa Escondida, I may be her second hand reference- in addition to others? My wife and I dive with Blue XT Sea and our departure time from the downtown Aldora pier is promptly at 8am. Magda does an abbreviated breakfast beginning at 7am for those that have an early departure time in the morning. This breakfast is still excellent and enough for us, but her full blown "Mexican" inspired dishes don't start until 8am- which would put you outside of both Aldora and Blue XT Sea departure times. Here is my most recent trip report from a couple of months ago that covers some of your questions: Trip Report: Cozumel-- November 17-25, 2019
 
By the way, the Casa Mexicana buffet breakfast starts at 7am and if I am not mistaken, Aldora wants you down at their pier by 7:30am-- I have only done 2 dives with them a few years back, but I believe that is their departure time from downtown, so that would be a pretty hurried breakfast for you. Something to consider in all of this.
 
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