Reef Club Cozumel, good or bad?

[melfox26]

I'm planning my first trip to Cozumel this May, one place I've got a decent quote from is the Reef Club Cozumel. Has anyone on here stayed there, or dived with Sand Dollar Sports? If so, can you let me know what you think of either of them? Thanks for your help.

Mel
PADI Rescue Diver

 

[barb]

I was there in October 2003. The food (dessert excluded) was not very good. Breakfast was fine, lunch (you could always get a hamburger) but dinner was cold. Unfortunately, taxi to town is very expensive. They were just reopening the main buffet restaurant when we were leaving so maybe the food will have improved.
The rooms were fine (we changed ours for one on the beach) beds are hard (but they're hard all over Cozumel). I fold the bedspread in half and put it under the sheet for a bit more cushionning.
The dive shop is a bit of a walk from the rooms but after eating all those desserts I did'nt mind. I dove with Papa Hogs in the morning and Sand Dollar in the afternoons and night dives. Sand Dollar was a fine operator for me - they let me do my own thing without a problem. I'd stay a Reef Club again if the price was good. So far, I prefer Iberostar. I'm leaving next Sat. but staying at Fiesta Americana this time ??? I like to try something different.
Good Luck and you'll have so much fun diving the hotel won't matter.
Oh yes, if you like to snorkel, the rocky area near the dive shop has some wonderful sites - look in under the shelf of rock (I saw a big barracuda sleeping there) and many other nice specimens of fish.
Barb

 

[crispos]

I was just down at the Reef Club today looking at some condos they are developing next door. And I asked about the hotel dive concession operator (Sand Dollar Sports) with a local scuba instructor. It wasnt a particularly response, if you are an experienced diver. I would say the Reef Club looked like what you are paying for it, too. However, the weather here was spectacular and their beach looks very nice.

It is very difficult to respond to your question, it is so vague, and your profile has nothing to show who you are. In the old SB, we could view a questioner profile, see their foto, and their interests, etc. Not in this one.

 

[DandyDon]

It is very difficult to respond to your question, it is so vague, and your profile has nothing to show who you are. In the old SB, we could view a questioner profile, see their foto, and their interests, etc. Not in this one.

CRISPOS: We can view the poster's profile. He just doesn't post anything in it...

About the Reef Club: I'm not too picky about food when I'm on a dive trip, but I hated their's. :fire:
(1) Early breakfast by the pool was totally insufficient;
(2) Regular breakfast was good, but I wanted to eat early and by the pool;
(3) Snackbar lunch by the pool was covered in flys!! :sick: There was some in a closed cabinet, but it was room temp.
(4) Dinner was unimpressive.

For my detailed dislike: http://www.scubaboard.com/t42394.html

If you want isolation and all-inclusive with a nice beach, go to Allegro.

I'm going back in a couple of weeks, but I'm staying at a cheaper place just south of town, and eating where I want to...

good luck, don

 

[dnhill]

Reef Club is pretty much like Don explained it. I went there because of a package deal that was very inexpensive. The food was not very good at all as compared to the downtown establishments and the Iberostar. I preferred the Iberostar for accomodations, food, beach, and personnel. I much prefer staying close to town when I go without the non-divers in the family. When they go, they like the all-inclusive places. My college boys like the free XX beer. If given the choice of Iberostar and Reef Club I would have to weigh the cost savings. If I saved enough, I would stay at Reef Club and take a taxi into town to eat. The trek to the dock is too far.

dnhill

 

[DandyDon]

If given the choice of Iberostar and Reef Club I would have to weigh the cost savings. If I saved enough, I would stay at Reef Club and take a taxi into town to eat. The trek to the dock is too far. dnhill

From reading on SB, I knew to ask for a downstairs room - top floors have thatch roofs that leak when it rains, I'm told, and close to the boat dock and dive shop, but you still have to hike around the timeshare area. We tresspassed thru it a few times; there's no good way around.

If you dive with Sand Dollar, you get a free locker; take a lock with spare two keys. If you dive with someone else, they can pick you up there, but all the gear goes back to your room, even for lunch - when you're going back out. All my wet gear, my pony bottle, all my scuba toys, and I like too many toys.

You might rent a vehicle and drive yourself to and from town. Hotel Baracuda has jeeps for $50 a day, Safaris for $30, or so their ad says. I'm trying them this trip. Be sure to ask where the easy to get to gas station is! There's only two, and one has a long wait, I've read.

I was a solo in a room with 2 beds, so I used the 5 pillows to soften the hard bed. This time, I'm going into town and by a foam "egg-crate."

Reef Club sent me an email survey, and I blasted them. They then sent me a email Christmas card, and I blasted them, again; this time, they said their manager would get back to me, but - nada. :realmad:

don

 

[crispos]

CRISPOS: We can view the poster's profile. He just doesn't post anything in it...

I didnt have time to phrase it properly, of course I can see Profiles, it just SEEMS like there is nothing in peoples profiles compared to the old SB. They used to be much richer, maybe people havent had time to update them enough, I will try to get on mine and add some colour, but then, I have a web site which I have lined. I tried to upload my foto to the Profile area many times and gave up, I cant seem to compress my fotos that small.

As to Reef Club, our boat stopped there and I got out and swam, right into Jelly Fish. It is true what Dave says in the Aldora website about the beach having alot of weeds. I browsed into the Sand Dollar Sports area and they certainly have a nice installation there, with a fresh water pool (I jumped in).

Saw a 4 foot maybe 60-70 kilo Giant Grouper today (he/she was not that fat) at Palancar Horeshoe in the shallows at 45 feet. Actually, I snuck up on him (Im an ex spearchucker) and actually managed to get two hands around him and pet him before he took off! DM Alessandro very friendly once he gets to know you. Other good DMs were Gabriel and Gustavo borrowed from Aldora.

Back to Deep Blue, Mathew and Kevin were very helpful and also they got the accounting for my dives right on the nose and done very quickly so I didt have to wait. They add over the $57 US-2 tank dive 10$ for EANx (always on the boat as requested) and also abit for going to the farther out sites, and they rebated me no questions asked, because I did only the one tank dive early today as I am flying). They also produce a nifty dive guide
www.cozumeldiveguide.com
with beautiful maps (if somewhat vague on the signposts, after all, we dont want to put the DMs out of biz!) of the different dive sites around Cozumel.

All in all a good trip to Coz. Great weather, place is relatively clean and well taken care of compared to SAI where I have been going alot. Eating out IS expensive unless you get away....30 MP for a half chicken up on 30th avenida, and Los Seras is on 30th as well across the street from it is a great Tacqueria. Had a nice Chicken Mole and 2 beers for Lunch at La Choza and although it is touristy looking, it was 93MP not too bad. Anywhere downtown is expensive, you pay 200 MP almost $20 US to eat. Adios amigos....back to TO tonight!

 

[DandyDon]

There's been lot of changes to the new SB. Lots of improvements, but a few frustrations. A lot of members don't put their Agency & Level in their Profiles, much less Experience Level.

Photos are a real challenge for many. I gave up, emailed mine to a friend, got him to reduce it in size, email it back to me, then loaded. He's a good sport; send him your's - and tell him I sent you: GotAir

Sounds like you're having fun. I wouldn't blame the Reef club for the jellyfish. I did a giant stride into a sea nettle - right on my forhead - off of NC in Octobrer. Wow! :scared: Really smarted after I got out, but then - I do carry vinegar, calamine, and sudafed in my dive bag, so I had the right stuff. Now, I wear a beanie! :369:

don

 

[DocVikingo]

I don't recommend either the resort or the dive op. Simply too many better choices.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[DandyDon]

I don't recommend either the resort or the dive op. Simply too many better choices.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

And I think that he's the closest thing we've got to a Cozumel Visitor Expert!!