Looking for diver friendly budget accommodations

[blue steal]

Well just looking at some other options right now. I don't mind the walk into town for dinner, good exercise.
Not sure I want to drag my gear around, do like to have rinse tanks and a place to dry out stuff after diving.
One thing I have enjoyed is those afternoon shore dives. I know it is not as good as the reefs further out, but still very enjoyable to me, as I can really take my time and see all kinds of critters.

 

[Gdog]

Have stayed at Casa Mexicana many times, we love it. Very good breakfast, no walking from a different hotel to get it, easy to eat and grab dive gear to meet the boat! Great staff, location right in town so walking anywhere is easy. It is our preferred place to stay.
Hotel Coz is nice, just a bit of a walk. Great pool, if you are the type who prefers to hang at the hotel in the afternoons and evenings. Food is so so.
Havent stayed at Bahia, tho I have considered it as it is a sister hotel to Casa Mexicana. Just dont want to walk further than from my room to the lobby for breakfast!!
Villablanca, no experience as we prefer closer to town for the afternoon and evening activities.
Good luck!

 

[MMM]

Keep in mind that if you stay in town, there are a limited number of ops who pick up at the Aldora pier. (Living Underwater, Aldora, Blue XTC are 3 that I regularly see doing so but there are probably others). And the only op that can use the Aqua Safari (the other pier in town) is Aqua Safari. Casa Mexicana is the closest to these 2 piers of your selections. As others have said, Barracuda is an option but only if you are staying there. it is loud in the daytime at the bar but it empties out by about 3.

 

[macado]

I have been staying at Suites Bahia for at least the last 8 years and am always happy with them. Location is very convenient and breakfast at Casa Mexicana can't be beat.

My only suggestion would be to request a room with a balcony (preferably on side street) you will get much more natural light and a much better breeze. If you book through Orbitz you can usually get pretty cheap rate (~45/night) or even cheaper if you use the TRAVEL100 coupon to save 100 bucks. I find the rooms without the balcony to be too dark and stuffy but if you're for saving money it doesnt matter that much.

Don't also forget about Suites Colonial, sister hotel of Bahia and Casa Mexicana. Still a good location, just not on the water, also includes the Casa Mexicana Breakfast and i've gotten rooms around (~35-40night). I dont kow if the rooms are traditionally bigger but the 3-4 times I stayed at Colonial I was upgraded to a room that also had a living room and much bigger kitchen than Bahia.

 

[Ron G.]

BS,

I spent two weeks at BA last year and, like you, I loved the view. At the time, I decided that I was willing to pay a bit of a premium to get the whole experience: view, on-site op, nice (and reasonable) restaurant, and the option to shore dive.

I'm disappointed to hear that they've raised their prices this year. Last year I seriously considered some of the places you're looking at because of the (often) great prices on Orbitz. This year, flights are considerably higher. I guess (for me) it will depend on whether I go as a single, or my wife joins me. If I'm going alone, I feel like I want to hold down the cost. Last year, she had significant ear problems, so I'm not sure if she'll go again this year.

If I can't stay at BA, I'd like to be somewhere where there's a good op on the premises (or, maybe next door), so that I'm not lugging my stuff around. Also, I'm not crazy about having to be picked up at a pier. I've always stayed at places with their own dive ops, so I've never had to wait on a pier. (I've also never had to be on a boat that needed to make side trips to pick up other divers). Finally, I like to putter around with shore dives, so that's another factor.

I'll be watching this thread. Thanks for starting it.

Ron

 

[annlaur]

I have been staying at Suites Bahia for at least the last 8 years and am always happy with them. Location is very convenient and breakfast at Casa Mexicana can't be beat.

My only suggestion would be to request a room with a balcony (preferably on side street) you will get much more natural light and a much better breeze. If you book through Orbitz you can usually get pretty cheap rate (~45/night) or even cheaper if you use the TRAVEL100 coupon to save 100 bucks. I find the rooms without the balcony to be too dark and stuffy but if you're for saving money it doesnt matter that much.

Don't also forget about Suites Colonial, sister hotel of Bahia and Casa Mexicana. Still a good location, just not on the water, also includes the Casa Mexicana Breakfast and i've gotten rooms around (~35-40night). I dont kow if the rooms are traditionally bigger but the 3-4 times I stayed at Colonial I was upgraded to a room that also had a living room and much bigger kitchen than Bahia.

Any issue with noise at Suites Bahia ? I rented an appartment last year on Rosado Salas, I could see the hotel 1 block South and wondered if the nuisance from the karaoke bars on Rosado Salas could be heard from the side-street rooms facing North…
I've never stayed at the hotel but the location is great, close to everything in town and almost across the street from the Aldora and Aqua Safari piers. I would however only recommand it if the OP is willing to pay extra for an oceanview room. Otherwise, there are cheaper options in town, as njones259 mentionned :

[…]
I really like the downtown hotels Suites Vima,Casona Real,Hotel Posada Edem and Hotel Esmeralda,and pepita all mexican owned and can be had between $20.00 and 38.00 per night.Have fun as you won't go wrong wherever you decide to stay and I think you will be happy in town,nice to walk around at night and eat at all the great restaurants off the beaten path.

I like the Pepita (Avenida 15 near Calle 1, just behing the main plaza), it's clean, inexpensive, friendly, rather quiet and a pleasant 5 block walk to the Aldora pier. No breakfast but free coffee and plenty of cheap places to eat nearby. There's a fridge in each room too (as well as AC, free wifi).

 

[njones259]

I never had an issue with any noise at the Bahia.I did have an issue with noise at Colonial Suites and left a review on tripadvisor.The night club next door used to have a live band that played thurs.-thru sunday nights midnight to 3am,but I believe it has closed since.There was no sleeping when the band played but the rooms at colonial were very nice.

 

[vlkr]

to answer your question about if the casa mex is quiet, the answer is yes. that is the only one of the four i have stayed at. have stayed there many times and would go back.

 

[diverken374]

I have stayed at both the Bahia and the Mexicana. The Bahia was excellent with a large room and a full kitchen that I did not use. At that time they had a small breakfast in the lobby. There was some concern about which room you were in and the air condition unit on the roof that could be noisy however I did not experince this.
I stay at the Mexicana now as it is convenient to breakfast as I often have to be at the dive pier by 7:30. It is very clean and friendly.
Noise has been a bit of a concern as when Carlos and Charlies is rockin it can be heard if on the south side. I was on the south side in November and it was not an issue.
The Mexicana has good internet service in the lobby however I have had not much luck with their wireless sevice in the rooms or otherwise. The Bahia had one computer in the lobby when I was there.
IMO I would try the Bahia first. It is cheaper and it sounds as if it would address your concerns. If you can negotiate a good rate at the Mexicana then that is also a good option but no kitchen just a small fridge if cooking is an issue.

 

[Basscat]

I have stayed at Bahia a couple of times, and enjoyed it. Very clean, breakfast at Casa Mexicana, about a block and a half south, was great, and my dive op picked me up at the Aldora pier, pretty much across the street from Bahia. Noise was a bit of a problem when I had an ocean view room, got a little tired of hearing the taxistas calls, as they congregate on Melgar in front of the Hotel. But no worries on the street view room another trip. I would definitely upgrade to a balcony room, street or ocean. Last trip I stayed at Hotel Plaza Cozumel, on Calle 2, half a block off Melgar. It was also very nice and very reasonable, $30ish a night for a week with the Orbitz discount. Good breakfast at the hotel, some days on the roof next to the pool Nice way to start the day... Had to walk a few blocks to the Aldora pier to catch the boat in the morning, but really enjoyed the central location, and the shower and AC were adequate for rinsing and drying gear.