Nice Non-AI Hotel

[old gaffer]

Looking for help! My non-diving spouse and I have stayed at the Cozumel Palace for a week each of the past two years. We really like the place. Ocean view rooms are beautiful and the food is quite good for an AI. Pool area is real nice and they have had tours included as part of the package price, for example when I am away diving my wife has been able to go to a beach club or Chakanaab park etc with transportation provided and admission covered. Problem is we would like to dine at the many great restaurants in town. Also the price at the Palace has gone up. I paid $2800 last year for 8 nights air included from Minneapolis for the two of us. Checking online it is running around $3500 for May of 2011.

We are looking for a nice Hotel that my non-diving spouse would enjoy with cost of eating local factored in that would put us in the $2500 - $2800 range. I checked into the Presidente but with the cost of dining factored in I think we will be breaking the bank!

Appreciate any suggestions!

Tom

 

[Zman96]

Have you thought about El Cantil condos right next door to the Palace?
We have stayed at Hotel Coz a couple of times after staying at the Palace the first trip. It is a very nice hotel with a great pool, it is across the street from the ocean, but your dive op can still pick you up at their pier. We are now trying Casa Mexicana for a few days on our upcoming trip before moving to a house.

 

[WOODMAN]

Oh God, there are soooo many options for you... I assume you want to stay near town in order to reach most of the restaurants easily? What level of accomodations are you looking for? The Casa Mexicana is pretty nice, is located right downtown, and their breakfast buffet has to be seen to be believed. Their pool is something of a joke, however, and their escalator from the street up to their lobby was never working when I stayed there. The place is a little expensive, I think, but then I am basically a tightwad. Have you asked your dive operator what they recommend? Often they have deals with various hotels and such in the area. My operator set me up with a rental house up by the hospital that nicely accomodated 4 people last year. See what your op can do for you. Woody

 

[DandyDon]

Also the price at the Palace has gone up. I paid $2800 last year for 8 nights air included from Minneapolis for the two of us. Checking online it is running around $3500 for May of 2011.

When in May? Well, let's play with cheaper travel days in the first week for discussion. Air fares have gone up on many routes so flying to CZM May 2-10 starts at $506 each. Cancun can be done for $396 but that's not saving enough for me to add bus, ferry, and additional waiting times. So there is $1,012 for air...

Some packages are not competing well when I have tried to help others look lately, but let's see what I can do. I am going to use the 200entertain discount code to knock $200 off of Orbitz packages and uncheck the overpriced ground transfers option as it's simpler to do that there for half as much.

There's Presidente with air for $2,635.93 USD with taxes, $100 Resort Credit no food for both of you. Booked separately, $350/night with taxes. :shocked2: Yeah looks like the package discount works well on all of these.

Occidental Grand AI, with air, so you can eat what you want, go to town when you want: $2,317.04 USD for both of you (Taxes and fees included)

Iberostar AI with air : $2,200.72 USD for 2 (Taxes and fees included)

And several others rated the same. Hotel Coz is in the same rating, free breakfast, $50 credit, with air for 2 $1,304.08 USD with taxes.

We are looking for a nice Hotel that my non-diving spouse would enjoy with cost of eating local factored in that would put us in the $2500 - $2800 range.

Well, at that price on 8 days, air, hotel, food, you may have to mix AI with town trips, or go with Hotel Coz - nice place I've heard, 322 sq ft rooms, close to town, $10 RT taxi if you don't want to walk, or something in between. You could do the Occi, Iber, or similar AI, do breakfasts and lunches, and some dinners with budget left to do dinner in town most nights. Air, 4 star hotel, and good food for 2 for 8 nights for $2800 is a challenge, cheap dreaming really, but doable with good shopping.

I use Sidestep.com/Kayak.com (same site) for initial shopping, check Cozumel only, uncheck lower ratings, watch for Orbitz packages that seem competitive with others listed, then apply the $200 discount and again - uncheck the ground transfers.

 

[weaponeer]

Since 2005 my wife and I have been staying at Hotel Flamingo Cozumel Boutique Hotels | Vacations To Cozumel | Dive Resorts Cozumel during our annual Coz trips. Very nice rooms, American breakfast included, short walk to main square but far enough away so it's quiet at night. The owner is American and the staff are very friendly and ready to assist. Wouldn't think of staying at any other non-AI hotel in Coz.

 

[DandyDon]

Since 2005 my wife and I have been staying at Hotel Flamingo Cozumel Boutique Hotels | Vacations To Cozumel | Dive Resorts Cozumel during our annual Coz trips. Very nice rooms, American breakfast included, short walk to main square but far enough away so it's quiet at night. The owner is American and the staff are very friendly and ready to assist. Wouldn't think of staying at any other non-AI hotel in Coz.

Which reminds me, sometimes Sidestep misses one. Flamingo does not show up on air & hotel packages, but does show up on hotel only @ $78/night including taxes - yet when you double check Orbitz packages, yeah it's available: $1,465 Total air & hotel for 2 before discount. The $200 discount did not click for some reason, altho it should; sometimes you have to call Orbitz. That would get it down to $1265.

 

[richhagelin]

My vote for El Cantil or Casa Mexicana. I have stayed at both and both are first class operations for a reasonable price; close enough to town to make dining easy and enjoyable.

Rich Hagelin

 

[parrotheaddiver]

mis-read post sorry

 

[budaman]

One of the few larger Hotels that is not mandatory AI is El Cid La Cieba. We stayed there in August when we came down to buy our condo. The rooms are large & nice & have a mini kitchen. We would eat breakfast at the hotel, fix our own snack for lunch & then go into town for dinner. Cab is around $7. If you can handle a timeshare presentation, you can wrangle two days rental car out of them.

The dive shop at the hotel is Babieca. They only have one boat & usually only take out 6. They also leave a little latter in the morning, so there is no rush for breakfast & will enable you to spend a little more morning time with your wife.

Nice pool & beach area with hammocks & palapas. Only drawback is it is located by the Intl. Pier. Nice views of the cruise ships & pod people Noise didn't seem to be an issue.

Mike

 

[rebelrph]

My wife and I are staying at the Villa Aldora May 8-25th. It's a mile North of town - $3 cab ride or nice walk. rates reasonable , but must dive with Aldora , which I do anyway. My wife is non-diver and enjoys longing by the ocean and reading a book. I have found some threads and links on this board about a cooking class/school that she might do this time. This is our 9th trip to Coz, but first time to stay at Villa Aldora. We've done El Cid (beach gets really crowded with cruise ship crew members enjoying their day off), FA, El Presidente, Occidental (twice last year), Wyndham Aura at Christmas and a few years ago we rented a condo when several other couples were scheduled to go.

Villa Aldora