Where to stay in Cozumel

[alexthsong]

hello ScubaBoard,
I have decided that I want to dive with Aldora in Cozumel but I am undecided on where to stay. I need and would greatly appreciate hotel recommendations. I am traveling with non-divers, and if Aldora can pick me up right from my hotel that would be great.

Edit: must have dock pickups, be on the water, and under $4,000 USD. Currently leaning towards Grand Park Royal Cozumel.

 

[nodakdive]

You could stay at Villa Aldora, north of the square, you could stay downtown and walk to the pier they leave from downtown, or you could stay just about anywhere south of town and they can probably pick you up from the hotel's dock. Some hotels will charge your for using their dock to get on a boat.

It really depends on what you and your non-divers are looking for in a place to stay.

 

[Blackheart12A]

Hi Alex,

I got back from Cozumel very late last night. I stayed at the Westin which is a nice hotel but for your purposes wouldn’t make sense since it’s so far North and Aldora may not want to pick you up at the pier there each day as many of the “better” dive sites in the waters of Cozumel are in the South. The Aldora Pier puts you in a nice central location for pick up and drop off. I made some friends on this trip that stayed at the Villas Segovia Hotel and Suites. They said they were quite happy and had a 10-15 min walk each day to and from the pier. It looks pretty reasonable as well price wise and they said it was a very friendly staff with a great breakfast each day. Hope this helps and have a blast.

 

[scubaNYC16]

So many options. I dive with Aldora and have stayed in town and outside town but my favorite location is near Villa Aldora. You could stay there or within walking distance, check out Cantamar condos. Suites Turqueza looks good but the beds are really hard. It’s nice and chill up there but close to town, you can walk, ride a bike or take a quick cab ride. Your friends can chill by the pool during the day or go snorkeling. If you want to stay a little bit further north, check out Miramar condos, super nice and some of the owners will throw in bikes or arrange them for you.

 

[cozcharlie]

You need to be much more specific regarding budget and the age and priorities of the non-divers. You can spend probably anywhere from $40-$1,000+ on lodging per day depending upon what floats your boat, with most divers usually paying in the $100-$400 range for accommodations. If you stay in town it easy to stay at or below the bottom end of that range , if you want a resort you are probably looking at the middle or upper end of that range depending upon season and other factors. I and most of the other people on this board don’t particularly like the all inclusive resorts because of the plethora of good dining options in town , but for families with children sometimes those are a good option . Obviously staying somewhere where food ( and booze for adults ) is included can add to the sticker price but isn’t really driving up the cost of the vacation


The big question is are the non-divers looking to stay on the water or in town? Yes, there are waterfront hotels in town , but they aren’t generally that great for swimming in ocean etc. Generally speaking , if you want more of a classic sandy beach hotel you are looking well south of town, closer to town the shore like tends to be rockier (hotels will have water access , but perhaps with just a deck or artificial sandy area ) in the true center of town the waterfront is too busy for swimming. Southern beach hotels have gotten more and more restrictive about non-affiliated dive ops picking up divers at their piers , but if you are diving alone but staying with a family it might make sense for you to just pay a slightly exorbitant daily pier-access fee given you are just paying for one person and not several.

 

[Trailboss123]

As mentioned by others, we need a bit more info on what you and the non-divers are looking for. There are a ton of options. Aldora has its own downtown pier where it departs and returns from. But they can also pick you up from a number of other resort piers that are waterfront.

If you want to stay downtown and a short walking distance to the Aldora dive shop and their pier and don't want to break the bank, you might want to consider Casa Mexicana, Bahia Suites, Suites Colonial (All 3 of these are owned by the same people and are a family of hotels). Also, Quinta Suites is in the same neighborhood and good value.

 

[alexthsong]

For people wanting more details, let’s say a ballpark max price is $4,000 USD for 3 adults 1 kid. Either being within walking distance from where Aldora departs or being able to have Aldora pick up from wherever we are staying. The non-divers would heavily prefer to be on the water where they can swim.
I am leaning towards Grand Park Royal Cozumel.
Also, thank you everyone who is responding.

 

[Trailboss123]

For people wanting more details, let’s say a ballpark max price is $4,000 USD for 3 adults 1 kid. Either being within walking distance from where Aldora departs or being able to have Aldora pick up from wherever we are staying. The non-divers would heavily prefer to be on the water where they can swim.

Also, thank you everyone who is responding.

You might want to check out El Cantil Condominiums: El Cantil - Luxury Condominiums
Aldora can pick you up from there. It is on the waterfront and downtown. Everyone can access the ocean and swim/snorkel, from the pier, but there is no "beach". Great swimming pool.
There really isn't anyplace downtown that has a beach and sand. You have to head further south for that and well away from downtown and all of the great restaurants and nightlife.

 

[alexthsong]

You might want to check out El Cantil Condominiums: El Cantil - Luxury Condominiums
Aldora can pick you up from there. It is on the waterfront and downtown. Everyone can access the ocean and swim/snorkel, from the pier, but there is no "beach". Great swimming pool.
There really isn't anyplace downtown that has a beach and sand. You have to head further south for that and well away from downtown and all of the great restaurants and nightlife.

Beach is preferred, but not a must have. Thank you for the recommendation.

 

[Trailboss123]

Beach is preferred, but not a must have. Thank you for the recommendation.

El Cantil does have a man made beach of sorts with lounge chairs and shaded palapas adjacent tot he pool.