Reef Club or Hotel Cozumel?

[flyerfan22]

Hi all,
My husband and I have wanted to spend a week in Cozumel for quite some time. Our LDS sponsors several trips a year, and we’ve been telling them – have one in Cozumel, and we’ll be there. Well, they finally did it. The problem? They are staying at the Reef Club. We investigated on this forum and many others, and it seems like the consensus is – don’t do it. Now we’re debating – should we go with our LDS to the Reef Club, or stay someplace else?
We decided that if we were booking on our own, we’d stay at Hotel Cozumel. So the question is, SB, Reef Club, or Hotel Coz (Brisas). Here are the pros/cons.

Reef Club (Junior Suite)
Pros
• Support LDS (and our favorite instructor is leading the group)
• Jacuzzi in suite
• closer to reefs
• Group to eat meals with
Cons
• availability of water
• food quality
• far from town ($15 - $20 taxi each way)
• Sand Dollar dive only dive op

Hotel Cozumel
Pros
• close to town
• $500 cheaper
• choice of dive ops
Cons
• on our own vice with group
• basic room (no fridge, Jacuzzi)

So, what would you do … Reef Club or Hotel Cozumel? Why? Thanks for all your input!

 

[fda483]

Can’t comment on Hotel Cozumel, but stayed at Reef Club in April. The place is a pit! I went in knowing from all the posts that the food was lousy so that did not surprise me at all, after all I was going for the reef not the food. What surprised me was the arrogant attitude of the staff. Across the board they gave the impression that anything you asked for was an imposition. You talk about having your group to eat with. Well try to put a few tables together to eat and see what happens!!! On three occasions we had major run-ins with the staff when our group of 12 wanted to eat together. This went all the way up to top management and they still would not give in and put some tables together.

On the positive side Sand Dollar was GREAT. I did 24 dives in 6 days and they were great. Will be back to Coz for the diving for sure but the Reef Club will not see any more of my $$$.

 

[No Fish]

I have stayed at the reef club. Too far out of town and I think it is substandard. (and filthy too) I will never go back.


I have also stayed at the Hotel Cozumel. I will return. It was clean, you can walk to town and overall a great value. We used the onsite dive op. It worked out fine and everyone was friendly. You will like the variety the main square offers.... also there is some of the best food that you can find right there. Shopping is great too (if you like that). The food at the hotel was good too. Ther are a few shows etc that are neat too.

To me there is no question whatsoever.

 

[clockradio]

i stayed at the hotel cozumel last dec. i thought it was fine. close to downtown,and everything was fine with me. i'll stay there again. dove with dive paradise for the second time. will do the hotel and the dive shop again. have fun, geo.

 

[Fin59]

We have stayed at Hotel Cozumel the last 5 times and we love it. Close town, friendly staff, clean hotel/rooms, close enough to walk to town and Chedraui. There is locker storage for your gear.
We have never stayed at Reef Club, but have looked around there a few times when we have pulled up at their dock to do our surface intervals. We walked around and it looked ok, but I really think Hotel Cozumel is a lot prettier and the staff is friendlier.

$500 cheaper to stay at Hotel Cozumel...hey, that is $500 towards your next trip back! Have fun!

 

[flyerfan22]

As expected, you guys are awesome! Thank you for all the replies. We will be a little disappointed at missing out on our LDS trip, but we will definitely be staying in/close to town. Now we are deciding btw Hotel Coz and Casa Mexicana. I am sure we will be happy at either... so many choices, so little time.

Is anyone else going to be there Nov. 5-12?

Thanks again for your advice.

 

[J75]

Flyerfan,

I satyed at the Reef Club back in October with my dive club and was afraid after what I had read here about the resort. But I had a great time. The place was clean, the staff was friendly and the food was decent (although much better at the onsite Italian restuarant, which requires reservations in advance). Granted, it wasn't a 5 star resort, but I had no complaints. It's not going to be as swanky as a resort in the US. Water was readily available. Bottles were left in our rooms each day, and these could be refilled using one of many bottled water coolers on the property. Also used SDS for our dives and had no complaints. There were only about 8 people on our boat at any given time. Can rides into town cost us about $10 each way, regardless of the number of people. I'm planning on going again.

 

[el ridgeo]

I've stayed at the Reef Club and didn't have a bad experience, although I've stayed in nicer resorts. The food wasn't spectacular but it wasn't bad. I thought the staff was okay, no complaints there. Sand Dollar Sports was a decent dive operation. I would dive with them again. The nice thing about the Reef Club's location is it's proximity to some really good dive sites. On the down side there's no shore diving because of the boat traffic(you can get a tank, but you'll need to go back up the Island to Chankanab (sp?) park.
I've never stayed at the Hotel Cozumel, but did stay at the old Plaza Las Glorias on my first trip to Coz. It was a simpler hotel but I liked it a lot. I dove with Dive Paradise then. They were also a good outfit to dive with. All things considered I'd probably choose the Hotel Cozumel. I liked being closer to town.

 

[mstevens]

Is this the Melia Hotel Cozumel to which people are referring? Or some other Hotel Cozumel?

 

[flyerfan22]

http://www.hotelcozumel.com.mx/
is the website for Hotel Cozumel. It has changed names a few times, but I don't know that it was ever called Melia.