Did Hotel Cozumel just TRIPLE their rates??

[jd62]

This is our mode of operation. We typically pay between $10 and $15 per person each night. Then we find our own beach with our rental car. And our dive gear.

Yup!!

 

[jd62]

I live here in Cozumel. My friends own Blue Project, very friendly valet dive op.

I sent you a PM

So much for Paco and Blanca!

 

[ChuckP]

So much for Paco and Blanca!

Hunh??

 

[Big Tank 58]

We just booked this week at Hotel Cozumel on Expedia for a week in mid February. We did the AI, refundable options with non-stop air out of Minneapolis for $912.48 per person includes all taxes and fees. I will agree its not the best AI but the Breakfasts are good, and we can get a nice snack after diving. Then most nights we go out for dinner.

 

[kelemvor]

Prices have definitely gone up but nowhere close to triple or even double. I can only hope that the "sale" is one of those that is ongoing although the sale reason always changes. I don't like it when businesses that do this but it seems to be more and more the norm (at least inside the US). I'd never consider paying the "regular" price. As others have said, there are way too many options in Cozumel to put up with that nonsense.

I just looked at my invoice for past trips with hotel Coz.

2015: Standard $1,186.00 for double occupancy for 7 nights (2x queen). Diving with Dive Paradise was $860 for 28 dives + unlimited shore diving (14 dives/diver@30.71/dive).

Tough to judge the change here. I got married in 2016 and switched to a room with king beds. $300/week difference but it's a better room...
2018: Jr. Suite was $1,490 for double occupancy for 7 nights (1x king). Diving with Dive Paradise was $780 for 20 dives + unlimited shore diving (10 dives/diver@$39/dive).

That same room next year is $209 more.
2021:Jr. Suite $1699.36 Room: $1428.00 plus Taxes (used to be included I guess) $271.36 = $1699.36. Can't get a price for diving because it's no longer an option on the hotel coz site - which just forwards to the Wyndham site for any attempt to garner prices. "Diving packages" are still listed on the menu but they forward to the regular Wyndham site and the prices don't include any diving. Maybe Hotel Coz doesn't have an in-house diving operation anymore and diving is completely separate now?

$200 increase in 3 years isn't the end of the world. The diving situation is concerning. I liked the people at Dive Paradise. Apple (the owner, first name - unrelated to the computer company) passed a few years ago, but I thought someone else was running the op with most of the staff remaining the same.

I kind of like the change to Wyndham. Although I generally stay at Marriott hotels when I travel domestically, we often go to the Safety Harbor Spa for weekend stay-cations. The spa was also bought by Wyndham a couple years ago so we've been accruing points with them. Too bad Marriott hadn't picked up those two properties instead of Wyndham, that change would definitely be worth $200 a week increase since I've got a few hundred thousand Marriott points to burn...

One thing the spa and hotel coz have in common is bad food. Maybe Wyndham is trying to make bad food part of their brand .

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

May I suggest that you skip the resorts and hotels and go for an apartment with a kitchen or kitchenette? I will be staying at a new complex called Casa Cocoa Cozumel. The owner, Patrick, used to rent out a large room at his house, but COVID killed that. His email is pmdonald@hotmail.com. While I haven't seen his new property personally, I trust Patrick completely.

Lately I've rented a car from Rentadora Isis and have enjoyed the island even more. When an apartment with be less than $50/night, your budget can handle all sorts of things.

Agreed. I am renting a 3-bedroom home on 20th and 5th for $60 per night. kitchen, backyard, parking all included. short walk to Mega or Chedraui (sp?). I pay $80 for a two-tank dive with Pelagic Ventures. Less if I buy a package (I think a 10-tank package is around $350 or something). Fourteen nights in the house came to $1,000 total. I've seen one bedrooms and studios right in San Miguel close to the plaza go for $35 per night. I have a place a little further into centro when I travel alone that I get for $20.

 

[ChuckP]

For the new traveler here, it's more than likely the normal list of hotels that show up on travelocity or whatever search engine and I think that's fine for most folks - gets them a taste for what's here. You new travelers though - I would highly suggest spending an afternoon looking at where you might stay next time and that should include houses condos etc... I would also suggest seriously rethinking your vacation duration - 7 days ehh, 10 days ehh - 14-30 days yeah,

There is an overwhelming variety of places to stay - from backpackers to families of 20. There are super nice condos here that for a 30 day rental, you're paying just a tad bit more than an AI for a week. Everyone's wants and needs are different but extended vacations here are cheap!!! You have to get some value out of that airfare cost, the longer you stay, the better the value....

 

[jd62]

Agreed. I am renting a 3-bedroom home on 20th and 5th for $60 per night. kitchen, backyard, parking all included. short walk to Mega or Chedraui (sp?). I pay $80 for a two-tank dive with Pelagic Ventures. Less if I buy a package (I think a 10-tank package is around $350 or something). Fourteen nights in the house came to $1,000 total. I've seen one bedrooms and studios right in San Miguel close to the plaza go for $35 per night. I have a place a little further into centro when I travel alone that I get for $20.

Exactly! (You realize that we risk messing up our strategy by blabbing about it, don't you?) In addition to saving lots of money, one gets to interact more with the locals. Local small businesses get your apartment/home renting dollars. Getting groceries at Chedraui is a breeze, and its ATM doesn't charge whopping fees to pull out pesos. One can easily take advantage of the restaurants and shop fronts in San Miguel.

This reminds me that Christmas/New Year's offers Chedraui hams that, if I remember correctly, are just crazy good.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

For the new traveler here, it's more than likely the normal list of hotels that show up on travelocity or whatever search engine and I think that's fine for most folks - gets them a taste for what's here. You new travelers though - I would highly suggest spending an afternoon looking at where you might stay next time and that should include houses condos etc... I would also suggest seriously rethinking your vacation duration - 7 days ehh, 10 days ehh - 14-30 days yeah,

There is an overwhelming variety of places to stay - from backpackers to families of 20. There are super nice condos here that for a 30 day rental, you're paying just a tad bit more than an AI for a week. Everyone's wants and needs are different but extended vacations here are cheap!!! You have to get some value out of that airfare cost, the longer you stay, the better the value....

airfare is pretty cheap now, too. RT NYC to CUN on American was only $238 in main cabin. Totally lucked out on that one.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

uff. i want to be in Coz already.

My office just announced we are boarding up our building and will be closed the day after election day because of possible civil unrest. I just want this year to be over.