Cozumel - any experience staying at Residencias Reef?

[ggunn]

We were just there in Oct. We have been booking there for the past 12 years. A couple of times I have tried other places, closer to town, but end up regretting the decision. The complex never disappoints. In full disclosure, I don't know if your sons will enjoy the peace and tranquility versus being close to town. Basically every dive op will pick up from the Secrets Pier. Every day, like clockwork, there was an employee there to collect $5 per person to use the pier. This seemed to be enforced much more than on previous visits.

Mixing divers who are staying close to town with divers staying far south presents a logistical challenge to a dive op. For the first dive it doesn't make much difference, but for the second dive it's unlikely that the op will want to go, for example, to Tormentos, unless the divers staying south have another way to get back to their hotel. It's not just the op; if I were on such a boat I wouldn't want to have to ride all the way south from a mid island dive site to drop off divers before going back to where I am staying.

 

[morecowbells]

Mixing divers who are staying close to town with divers staying far south presents a logistical challenge to a dive op. For the first dive it doesn't make much difference, but for the second dive it's unlikely that the op will want to go, for example, to Tormentos, unless the divers staying south have another way to get back to their hotel. It's not just the op; if I were on such a boat I wouldn't want to have to ride all the way south from a mid island dive site to drop off divers before going back to where I am staying.

I have never heard a dive op complaining about the north versus south mixing of divers. I am grateful that Bottom Time Divers takes us to both mid and south dive sites without making a stink about spending an additional time on the boat. Neither have I heard any other divers air grievances about this issue. Perhaps there are operators out there that will select and divide divers by the location of their accommodations, glad mine doesn't.

 

[ggunn]

I have never heard a dive op complaining about the north versus south mixing of divers. I am grateful that Bottom Time Divers takes us to both mid and south dive sites without making a stink about spending an additional time on the boat. Neither have I heard any other divers air grievances about this issue. Perhaps there are operators out there that will select and divide divers by the location of their accommodations, glad mine doesn't.

I have been on boats with mixed divers where when the DM asked where we want to go on the second dive, he nixed going to reefs like Tormentos because we had divers to return to a southern resort. That was fine with me; a boat ride from Tormentos to a southern resort and then back to (in my case) Blue Angel after the second dive would have made me an hour later getting back than if we just went from Tormentos to the hotel.

 

[flyboy08]

HA, we use the same father son team when were on island. They are very nice people...

Emmanual in cab 238

 

[SusanMarie]

We've stayed at RR in 2018 and 2019. The condo we rent is great, but I've heard that other condos there are not always in great condition. Make sure to check reviews of the apartment itself before you rent.

 

[Janice L]

I am also looking to book at Residencias Reef. Does anyone have experience booking through rm oceanfront rentals? It's the site that comes up with a google search but I can't tell if it's a real site.

 

[ggunn]

I am also looking to book at Residencias Reef. Does anyone have experience booking through rm oceanfront rentals? It's the site that comes up with a google search but I can't tell if it's a real site.

Beware of sites that come up when you google a hotel looking to book a stay that will try to make it look like you are dealing with the hotel directly. One of those got me to overpay by more than $200 for a two night stay in Boston a few months ago. The site had the hotel logo, photos of the hotel inside and out, list of amenities, etc. and it popped up ahead of the real hotel site on my google search. If I had looked closely at the domain name I would have seen that it was different than the hotel, but otherwise it was an effective masquerade.

 

[Shawn C]

Beware of sites that come up when you google a hotel looking to book a stay that will try to make it look like you are dealing with the hotel directly. One of those got me to overpay by more than $200 for a two night stay in Boston a few months ago. The site had the hotel logo, photos of the hotel inside and out, list of amenities, etc. and it popped up ahead of the real hotel site on my google search. If I had looked closely at the domain name I would have seen that it was different than the hotel, but otherwise it was an effective masquerade.

Here's an example, on the mainland, of what Gordon is saying:

Paradisus Playa del Carmen – Riviera Maya - Paradisus by Melia All Inclusive Resort (not the official website)

Paradisus Playa del Carmen - Riviera Maya, Mexico | Melia.com (real website)

 

[DandyDon]

If I had looked closely at the domain name I would have seen that it was different than the hotel

That's a detail that I am good about checking, but Shawn's example would have fooled me.

Here's an example, on the mainland, of what Gordon is saying:

Paradisus Playa del Carmen – Riviera Maya - Paradisus by Melia All Inclusive Resort (not the official website)

Paradisus Playa del Carmen - Riviera Maya, Mexico | Melia.com (real website)

 

[NDL_Diver]

I am also looking to book at Residencias Reef. Does anyone have experience booking through rm oceanfront rentals? It's the site that comes up with a google search but I can't tell if it's a real site.

Use VRBO or Airbnb.