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    Secrets Resort

    2.3 (34 reviews)
    ModerateRest Stops

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    Recommended Reviews - Secrets Resort

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    Nice day at the office!
    Geoff M.

    I came to Secrets Aura to SCUBA dive with a friend of mine, I booked my dives through Palancar divers, there are two onsite dive counters, Palancar and Light House, I found Palancar to be less money and very good. Now onto the hotel: The hotel is advertised as an "adult only hotel," this simply means no kids, there is no nudity or freaky stuff going on...go to Cancun for that. The grounds of the hotel are very well kept, immaculate, the staff is great and always there to help. Secrets is an all inclusive hotel and sits on a very long beautiful white sand beach however the water is very shallow and rocky, you need to swim out some distance to get into deeper water. There are two great pools at the hotel if you're not into the ocean. My room 1224 was very large, the bed was comfortable, AC worked great, lots of American channels and even free porn (definitely a great shock factor when flipping through channels)! My room had great blackout shades, it kept the room really dark in the morning. The bathroom was great, big shower HOWEVER the shower head was broken and was spraying all over the place, and the shower control did not work properly. I told the front desk however it was never fixed. The other issue I had was the door that separated the bathroom from the hallway was glass, I was sharing the room with my friend, kinda awkward not having privacy from the room when in the shower. Secrets has many different food options from casual to fancy-ish however, the food is mediocre at best. The buffet at the Sunscape Hotel which is connected to Secrets (you can use their restaurants) is really bad, they really need to work on the food quality and how they prepare the food. A lot of items that should be hot are either cold or overcooked. I am not going to blame the hotel BUT I did have ceviche and had an upset stomach for several days pretty much started right after eating it. If you're looking for an all inclusive hotel, it's very low-key and relaxing, don't expect too much from the food. The free WIFI works really good all over the hotel. Secrets is about 15 minutes away from city life (not too much action) if you're looking to escape for an evening, expect to pay about $15.00 each way for taxi.

    Great resort! Relaxing and fun. French restaurant is delicious. Clean and great views.
    Lauren R.

    For what I paid for this resort, I felt it was well worth it!!! The staff was great, breakfast was a good highlight, room had a fabulous view and balcony, snorkeling was right off the dock and colorful. We saw sting rays, blow fish, barracuda and lots of other sea creatures. Bring your own snorkeling gear if you have it! French restaurant was Devine. Definitely try it. Take a cab to Albertos for the best lobster tail you have ever had! All in all, this place is great for romance or friends. No kids and lots of space to explore. I'd go back!

    The pier
    Clara G.

    This place is a solid 3 stars. The staff was amazing that is the only reason I didn't rate it a 2. Especially Carlos in the preferred pool, he memorized our drinks and names and as soon as we started walking over had them ready. And when we walked by to the beach he delivered them to us out there. Amazing service. The downside was that our first room had mold on the pillows! So disgusting. They eventually moved us to another room but it was so gross. They failed to move our bottle of tequila and welcome champagne which was a bummer but not a big loss at this all inclusive. The restaurants are sub par compared to other secrets resorts like Maroma Beach or wild Orchid. We were shocked to come from those facilities into this one which Agnes at the Preferred Lounge stated was still "in transition" The lounge was a nice spot but the food or snacks they had in there were disgusting. Especially the sushi that is left out in a warm room from 11am until 4pm. Not sure how that meets any sort of food guidelines. Overall disappointed in the price for what we received but the staff and activities added 1 more star to the review.

    Wonderful dessert
    Karin H.

    I adore this place. The check in was fast, the staff incredibly friendly. The food is delicious. Truly better than i expected. It wasnt until day 3 that a few things hindered my enjoyment of this stunning resort. My neighbouring guests apparently would go out drinking and return after 3 am without their key, and felt the need to yell and kick the door until their apparently hearing impaired friends would get up and let them in. Not the hotels fault. I should have called the front desk but i didnt. The next day, i was sitting in my rooftop pool (glorious!) and smelled cigarette smoke. Yuck. My neighbours were smoking. I had thought it was a non-smoking facility. I could be wrong. But WE were threatened with a 300$ USD room cleaning fee if our room was deemed to smell like smoke. Ok then. The next day, while on the beach, we noticed people walking across the roofs going in to different rooftop pools. They didnt go to ours, but went to the others. It made me very uncomfortable and I felt like i needed to return to the room. Again, not the hotels fault. I should have called the front desk about it. Positives: The food is simply amazing. Its always hot, fresh and wonderfully plated. Art. The staff is wonderful. Very helpful and sweet. The pools are gorgeous. The large beach area is clean and attractive. The free drinks are quality, not bottom shelf liquor. On day 4 I had finally had enough of the neighbour idiots. I went to the lobby, told them about the smoking, the pool/roof jumping, and the early morning, 3 am percussion sessions. They quickly offered my husband and i massages. I grudgingly accepted, im so glad i did. They were both talented massage therapists. Very good. I will go back, but if something problematic happens i will call the front desk and get it handled instead of stewing about it. They were happy to try to fix things once i did tell them there was a problem. Great place.

    Sunscapes room
    Chrissy J.

    We went here for our honeymoon and hit some snags that ordinarily would've left us very disenchanted and unwilling to return. However, the resort as a whole is so incredible and the staff so amazing that we would not only come back, but we are already planning our next trip back. The all inclusive feature is stellar. We ate and drank our little hearts out and everything- even tip- is included. Tips are welcome and the staff is super appreciative. There were some definite annoyances on this trip, but I think the majority of it was that the resort was VERY busy while we were there. Pros: * Two words- ALL INCLUSIVE. * The restaurants were great, with the exception of one experience which I will list in the cons. * The staff is absolutely incredible. They will do anything you need and are genuinely friendly. It was so nice to see REAL smiles. Anyone you ask clearly loved their job. * For all the snags we hit, they made up for it greatly. We were given a discounted rate to upgrade, a free continental breakfast with a bottle of champagne and 2 free massages * the upgraded room was ahhhhhhmazing. To die for. My apartment is slum in comparison. * the resort is SO CLEAN. They maintain it pristinely. * ADULTS ONLY! No screamy children. YASSSSS. * TRY THE JUNE BUG DRINK. THEN TRY IT FROZEN. YOURE WELCOME. * After requesting that our mini bar get restocked, because they had apparently skipped us that day, they not only double stocked it, but left us a tray with a full bottle of tequila, shot glasses, limes and salt. SCORE! * the staff. Yes, I know I mentioned them already but it deserves mentioning again. They were so personable that we actually went around before our flight saying goodbye to them!! Cons: * STAY AWAY FROM SUNSCAPES. DONT DO IT. It sounds like a good deal but oh my god- don't. It's smaller, dingier, LOUD. You don't get access to the whole resort the way you do on the Secrets side, even though they advertise as such. The rooms are literally one room and a bathroom, and that's not a big room. * be very careful when you book. We booked a honeymoon package and king room with a view and we got a crap room, no package and 2 twin beds....on our honeymoon. STAY AWAY FROM SUNSCAPES! * request a specific time for the nightly turn down service or they'll come...whenever. 10:30? 7:00? 9:45? It varied daily and became an annoyance. * Same for maid service. They will pound and pound and pound on the door at weird hours during the day....even when you're yelling to go away. * Bordeaux, a French restaurant on the Secrets side, is always packed and busy, but the food is tasty. It's the "fancy" place to go for dinner. However, it was so slammed one night that after putting our names in at 8:15, we didn't eat until 10:30. 75% of the way through my chicken cordon bleu, I discovered that it was raw on one end. Guess who was loving the toilet the next day? * The spa is excellent- seriously excellent- but skip the gel manicure. Overpriced and all around not good. It took 2 hours! * The shopping sucks. They have 6 small shops and they're wicked overpriced. We paid $26 for a bottle of sunscreen!! Apparently you have to go into town for the good shopping, but we were kind of lazy and didn't want to leave the pool and free drinks. Why pay to leave when you're all inclusive?! More shopping would definitely be awesome, though. All in all- fantastic place. We WILL be back! If it hadn't been for the crap check in and the food poisoning, it would've easily been 5 stars! (shout out to Mariana, Jose and Isabel. WE LOVE YOU!)

    Looking out to sea

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    Review Highlights - Secrets Resort

    It wasn't the season for sea turtles but we got super lucky and saw one!!

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    Secrets Aura Cozumel - View from one of the buffet restaurants.

    Secrets Aura Cozumel

    (188 reviews)

    $$$

    "Always read the reviews first" -- good advice for anyone considering this place. Search "food" in…read morethe reviews and you'll find 100+ mentions, almost all bad -- and for good reason. It's bad. But more on that later. My wife and I spent four days here for our 3rd anniversary. We had a good time overall, and there were some positives. Our preferred-level room was nicely upgraded, though not without issues -- the biggest being that there was no bathroom door, only the sliding track where one was clearly meant to go. Combine that with an extremely slow-filling bathtub, and there went our plans for romantic baths. The shower, thankfully, worked fine and met our needs. The king bed was very comfortable, and our section was quiet except for the two mini-split A/C units. They kept things cool but never completely silent. The couch, on the other hand, was awful -- low, flat, and basically unusable without a pile of pillows. The ocean views were great, the beach was lovely, and the pools were expansive and well-maintained. Towels, oddly, were a bit of a scavenger hunt. The common areas and shops were clean and attractive, as were the restaurants and bars, but once seated inside, that's where the cracks showed. In a word: bad. And not just occasionally bad -- systemically bad. This was our first (and likely last) all-inclusive resort, and the economics show. We paid nearly $3,000 for four days, and once they've got your money, food becomes a cost center, not a highlight. Oceana (dinner and breakfast): fishy fish, meager calamari, a crab cake heavy on "cake," and a dessert so forgettable I truly forgot it. Breakfast's waffle was so bad I almost spit it out. My enfrijoladas were the best thing we ate there -- and even they were skimpy on chorizo and egg. Bordeaux (dinner): the best meal of the trip, though that's faint praise. My wife's fish was still a bit fishy but edible; my braised beef was plentiful but dry and under-seasoned. The French onion soup had two tiny bread slices barely covered in cheese. Dessert? Forgettable again. Room service (final night): a "children's menu" chicken quesadilla with fries -- amusing at an adults-only resort -- and a sad burger with a pre-cooked, reheated patty. My dessert was what I dubbed "sin leches cake" -- dry sponge, foamy topping, not a drop of leche in sight. Market Café breakfast buffet (departure morning): nice setting, huge spread, but flavorless food. The main dish, discada, looked like last night's leftovers -- bits of hot dog, mystery beef, and caramelized vegetables. Tasted about how it looked. A bright spot: the coffee shop, which served espresso drinks roughly Starbucks-level (not my thing, but acceptable) and had a pleasant vibe and decent pastries. Outside that café, coffee quality dropped fast -- Nespresso in the rooms, and near-tasteless "coffee" at the restaurants. If you care about coffee, bring your own. There's a heavy upsell push right at check-in. You'll be invited to a "breakfast presentation" -- actually a vacation club pitch -- in exchange for a discounted massage or similar perk. Don't bite. A polite "no thank you" is enough, though they may try again later. You'll also get offers for "romantic beach dinners" and other extras. Given the food quality, I'd pass. Then there are "resort credits" -- a bundle of coupons that sound useful but aren't. Most are tiny discounts on overpriced add-ons, like $10 off a $150 bottle of wine. In the end, we made the best of it and enjoyed our time together. The grounds are lovely, the staff generally pleasant, and the weather perfect, but the core experience -- food and value -- just isn't there. If you come expecting fine dining or even competent cuisine, you'll be disappointed. We left feeling like the resort itself could be great -- but right now, it's coasting on its scenery and bar menu. If all-inclusive food that tastes inclusive of everything but flavor doesn't bother you, you might love it. Otherwise, take the advice I wish I'd taken: always read the reviews first.

    This is a hard review to write, as it wasn't 100% bad or good…read more You arrive and check in and the desk area is actually beautiful! Then you get taken to their lounge area so they can upsell you their packages. I'm not interested in a pitch the minute I got there, as well as, I wasn't there for a timeshare type presentation. I paid in full for my room! Mind you the resort was only at 65% capacity, which made for doing a lot easier! You won't get your keys until you are done and that's just an immediate turnoff. You get a map area (many areas are off limits unless you have upgraded your package). Many restaurants are also only for the upgraded guests. It's very odd for an all inclusive! Finally in my room and it's massive! The balcony looked onto the lazy river and then onto the sea, perfect! It was clean and comfortable. The hot water in the shower did not work, but the hot water in the bathtub did work, so I had to improvise for showering. The balcony slider did not close all the way, which caused steam and fog to enter the room, making the floors super slippery, be careful! The buffet for breakfast was pretty limited, but it does the job! Try the Mexican coffee, it's very lovely! I guess there was a coffee shop there, but it was only for those that upgraded as well, which makes no sense! The French restaurant was incredible and I really enjoyed my meal! Room service is offered for free all the time (cash for tip). There are multiple pools (again you can't go to all if you didn't upgrade). The towels are in basket type bins around each pool, but don't have many towels available. Grab them when you can! They aren't marked so it's a bit difficult to find! You have servers at the pool by the beach that will bring you cocktails (bring your own yeti or Stanley for less refill times). Everyone expects a tip for every exchange, so bring your dollars. There were a few shows on the beach, the fire show was cool, although, there was only about 25 people that went to watch it! There are many bars that do have more premium liquors, so that was never a problem. I walked to Paradise Beach Club one day and I really enjoyed that day, all inclusive day pass (no hotel) and it's worth it! All in all, it's no frills, but it's not terrible.

    Intercontinental Presidente Cozumel Resort - Guest room

    Intercontinental Presidente Cozumel Resort

    (75 reviews)

    $$$

    This is a beautiful resort, on the lovely island of Cozumel. My friend and I came here for a week,…read moreand we enjoyed our stay very much. The location is close enough to the main town area that it's easy to get back and forth via a quick cab ride or on bike. The food on the resort is fine. We really enjoyed the breakfast buffet which is typically included in room rates. The other restaurants were okay, typically a little underwhelming for how excellent the food in this part of the country is. The sushi, for example, had a very strong vinegar taste as if the sushi rice had been over-seasoned with vinegar and mirin. One exception is the passion fruit ceviche at one of the beach restaurants, which was excellent and we ordered it two separate times. Overall though, I would encourage you to visit some of the many wonderful and affordable restaurants all over the island. My room was extremely comfortable and well appointed, with one exception. The TV was so old that we were unable to access any apps or even connect my computer for streaming. This isn't a big deal generally, but because we had some rainy days this was a bit disappointing. At this price point and prestige level, I would expect the TVs to be more updated. My guess is that these were 10 or more years old. I want to specifically commend this hotel for their excellent staff. The staff were consistently so friendly and helpful, and proactive for whatever was needed. Truly some of the nicest hospitality staff I have ever encountered, and so professional. The facilities are excellent and we particularly enjoyed our day at the spa, which was a real treat. The dive shop on site has a lot of great services as well. I would definitely stay here again and would recommend others to stay here as well. It's a special place on a beautiful island, what's not to like?

    I've stayed here a few times for work, and it's one of those hotels that keeps growing on you…read more The Setting The hotel sits about 15 minutes from the main town, in a quieter part of the island. That distance works in its favor. It feels calm, removed, and much more relaxed than staying closer to the cruise crowds. Architecturally, it leans retro, but in a good way. The bones are older, but the interiors have been updated with smart design choices that make everything feel current and polished without losing character. The Rooms The rooms are a strong point. Spacious, comfortable, and designed to take full advantage of the ocean views. Most rooms have some version of a water-facing angle, which makes a difference. If you're on the ground floor, you might get one of the outdoor rain showers. Fully private, surprisingly great, and one of those features you didn't know you needed until you have it. There's also a large indoor shower, so you're covered either way. The bathrooms are especially well stocked. Beyond the usual amenities, you get after-sun lotion, Evian facial spray, bug repellent, mouthwash, and pretty much every small item you might need but usually forget. Add in a Nespresso machine and blackout shades, and the rooms feel thoughtfully set up. Service Service is consistently excellent. Friendly, polite, and always willing to help. Nothing feels forced, just genuinely good hospitality. Food & Dining Breakfast is served under a large thatched roof right by the water, which sets the tone nicely. The buffet has a wide mix of Mexican and American options, and at around $30, it feels worth it for both the setting and the variety. Dinner was more hit or miss. I tried one of the oceanfront restaurants with a Mediterranean feel. Beautiful setting, disappointing food. The guacamole lacked flavor, and the picanha was overcooked and tough. Definitely not on par with the rest of the hotel. The Spa The spa is a highlight. Great setting, excellent treatments, and a nice bonus: when you book a massage, you get access to the spa facilities for two days. That includes steam room, sauna, plunge pools, and other amenities that make it easy to spend a full afternoon there. Overall Presidente InterContinental Cozumel Resort & Spa is a strong choice if you're looking for a relaxed, well-appointed stay on the island. Great rooms, great service, and a setting that makes it easy to unwind. Just be selective about where you eat on property.

    Iberostar Waves Cozumel - Sunset view

    Iberostar Waves Cozumel

    (93 reviews)

    $$

    So we've stayed at this resort before and other Iberostars around the world. And we keep coming…read moreback because of several factors. First of all, the service cannot be beat. From the hosts to the wait staff to the cleaners, everyone is friendly and truly makes you feel like they're happy you are there. The food is pretty good and plentiful and there's something for everyone. There are always vegetarian and vegan options and never a shortage of fresh fruit. There's always a breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffet, a beach side snack bar that has hotdog hamburgers that kind of food as well. As well as Several restaurants where you can get more specialty cuisine. The rojo poblano's are my favorite every time. One of the major reasons that we choose,m Ibarostars is that they are making a true effort for wheelchair accessibility. I'll include some pictures below to demonstrate what I'm talking about but there are paved or planked paths almost everywhere in the resort that are accessible. We are staying in an accessible room with zero entry doors a zero entry shower pull down grab bars for the bathroom and large path of travel throughout the room. There are even accessible spots on the beach with a planked spot very close to the water. Sometimes some of the larger public bathrooms are not as accessible, but there's always an accessible bathroom close by. In general, they do make an amazing effort to make the resort accessible to an individual in a wheelchair or scooter, etc.

    This is my 5th visit here I think. I have always found the people friendly, the atmosphere relaxed…read moreand the food good particularly at the buffet where there are so many choices. The beach is nice this time of the year, the ocean temp wonderful at 84. There are activities for the kids to keep them occupied. The rooms are not fancy but the beds are comfortable, the water hot when taking a shower and the air conditioning works well.

    Sunscape Sabor - Sunset

    Sunscape Sabor

    (14 reviews)

    Our first trip to Cozumel was researched for about two months prior to booking hotel. We settled on…read moreSunscape due to the room having a jetted tub and the price seemed unbeatable. We noticed the negative reviews describing the renovation throughout the property but figured that's why the price point was so good. Arriving to the airport to locate shuttle service we were met with what felt to be a time share pitch and I continued asking if that's what it was only to be told that it's a 90 minute presentation about their membership club. Looking back we wished we would've just booked the shuttle and skipped the presentation which included scooter rental for us for "free". The presentation the next day caused a stressful morning of the first day of our vacation trying to hurry to meet in the lobby and receiving phone calls checking to make sure we were still coming. (Eye roll!) We were brought next door to Secrets resort and had brunch with the sales guy at one of the restaurants. He was great and friendly but we were beyond annoyed and what was supposed to be 90 minutes turned into 3 hours with the whole "let's go meet my manager and he can explain the prices". I received calls from home so I was no longer interested in being polite to get through it. We knew we weren't buying anything so we asked them to wrap it up. Lesson learned! The spa which serves Secrets and Sunscape was amazing and beautiful! My massage included hydrotherapy which was super relaxing and my husband and I actually booked just a hydrotherapy session the next day which is 50 minutes. The Italian restaurant was only open in the weekend and it was great! We would've dined there multiple nights had it been open. I did not care for Portofino for dinner. It was just lacking on seasoning and selection. Although breakfast was much better there with stellar views! El Patio was a great choice for Mexican food and as we ordered a bottle of wine, a special dessert drink made table-side accompanied. The restaurant near the pool (can't remember the name) offered a small menu of hamburgers and sandwiches for lunch. Dinner was great there as well with a view of evening events at the pool. All of the menus were small with only a few selections at each restaurant. Every employee we encountered went above and beyond with the exception of the front desk staff. They were very bland and not very friendly. Marco in luggage is very friendly and was always very helpful! There's no elevator anywhere on the property. Marco carried all of our bags up three flights of stairs! It forces you to exercise but by the end of the day, those stairs are a trek that's no fun! The pools were both relaxing and not overcrowded. Our room was basic but comfortable and clean. Definitely needs an update with faucets and fixtures but didn't matter all that much for our stay. Overall we had an amazing time! Although, we will stay elsewhere on our next trip.

    Day 3, 3 stars Went…read morefor the famous 3 reef snorkeling tour operated by chacchoctours. They are Cielo, colombia shallow and famous palancar reef. This is a must do for those who are not dive. Chac Choc tours advertises on their website with beautiful colorful pictures of coral, sponges, sea fans etc., this is not true. The reefs are in poor shape with very few fish, no turtles, sting rays, eels etc. Two of the locations on our three reef tour were right next to each other, basically the same reef. The shallow reef are not recovered from Hurricane Wilma 11 years ago, the Columbia shallow has more color as it's only 20 feet, the other deeper reef can't see any color, it's really only good for divers not snorkeling, everything is gray! There are plenty reef heads but not much color on them. Even the Columbia shallow is a far cry compares to the reef we snorkeled back in 2004 Tulum, before Wilma. The deeper reef color might have returned & color may show up close, which is fine for divers, but good Coral snorkeling requires very shallow reef, so the 3 reef snorkeling tour was disappointing! Day 4, 3 stars No activities, got cold, so just resting In the hotel & ended up needing more Diet Cokes. This turned into an ordeal. First I asked front desk for it last night & was told that they can't reach the beverage dept., they gave me water & promised Diet Coke for tomorrow. I waited until 10:30 still nothing, so called front desk again, was promised 8 in 30 min. An hour goes by still nothing, I ended up complaining to the front desk supervisor. She was nice and apologized on behalf of the beverage dept. & asked how many I need? Eight, I said, so I don't have to bother the beverage dept. again. They delivered to the room shortly but something was still lost in translation, we got 4 instead of 8. Oh boy, that means I'll have to deal with the beverage dept. again tomorrow :(. While the drink situation deserves 1-2 stars, the Christmas dinner buffet feast made up to it at the last minute, check out the pictures!

    Hilton Playa Del Carmen Resort - Meeting Room

    Hilton Playa Del Carmen Resort

    (365 reviews)

    $$$

    Gonzalo Guerrero

    We had a really good time at this adults-only resort. There are plenty of activities where you can…read morebe busy or choose to relax and enjoy your time. I was not approached by anyone offering to sell me anything or attend presentations. Staff were super friendly and helpful during our stay. There's a main pool and a quiet pool. So you have an option where you want to be based on your interest. Night shows were great with some fantastic performers. I wish that there was more Mexican themed shows or music but I guess they try to accommodate that the majority of guests were from Canada and USA. Some of the restaurants rotate being open for dinner. Your best bet is to make reservations ahead of time. You can always show up but might have to wait depending on the time. Overall food was good. Drinks were ok but as a social drinker, I wasn't impressed with my 1-2 drinks/day during my stay. I think I had one drink that I found really good. Beach area is not private and you might have people approach you to sell you stuff or services. A polite "no, thank you" works great. Location and proximity to 5th Avenue made it a great place to explore the area. Although filled with tourists, you also get some local interactions. I would come back to this resort in the future.

    Ownership has changed, and this property is now known as Hyatt Vivid Playa del Carmen…read more My boyfriend planned the trip, and my only request was an all-inclusive resort. While the property has a lot of potential, it ultimately missed the mark, especially for a resort of this size. The biggest issue was the constant selling. I understand upselling is part of the business, but having to say no repeatedly throughout the stay was exhausting. Even after interacting with the same staff members multiple times, nearly every conversation felt like a sales pitch. We also received early morning calls to the room for non-urgent matters and promotions, which was disruptive and frustrating. Despite being advertised as all-inclusive, there were frequent pushes to upgrade to higher-end alcohol, exclusive experiences, and add-ons. I would much rather pay more upfront for a truly inclusive experience than feel harassed during my vacation. It really affected the overall vibe of the trip. The food was average and not memorable. The highlight was the coffee shop, which was open most of the day and consistently good. Poolside dining is very limited. You cannot casually order snacks like chips and guacamole while at the pool and instead have to go to one of the restaurants. Also be cautious with food near the pool, as wildlife grabbed my pizza while I was sitting there. Overall, this resort could be great, but the aggressive upselling, average food, and limited poolside service made it disappointing for an all-inclusive experience.

    Hotel Villa las Anclas - living area

    Hotel Villa las Anclas

    (3 reviews)

    $

    Overall a pretty good stay, location being one of the best features of this hotel…read more Pros: - literally right next to Tres Pelicanos, couldn't of been more convenient to work out dive details or talk to Pony or Willie - Karla was so sweet, so easy and pleasant to communicate with - love the security system with the gates, it feels very safe - nice that they have free water stations for every 2-3 rooms - AC is GREAT!! Holy moly, it can get stuffy and humid in Cozumel, AC is saving grace - multi-level unit was fun and different - kitchen with a mini-fridge was great, kept our drinks nice and cold - close to everything, walk outside and you can find many shops and restaurants within 5-10 minutes (super close by - Burger house, La Cozumelena, Los Otates, Girasoles) - about a 15 minute walk from the Ferry Terminal - decently priced (we paid about $82/night) - free wifi is always a plus! Very good connection too - free DVDs to watch, BBQ to use and pool Cons: - bed is tiny! It was more like a full size bed rather than a queen....needless to say, it was a little bit of a squeeze - bathroom is also tiny. Not that I need a gigantic bathroom on vacation, the shower, sink and toilet were literally right next to each other. If you're using the sink, you can't really close the door because it's just way too cramp. Shower and shower pressure was okay though - soap/shampoo products were minimal, could have used maybe a bottle of lotion or something - housekeeping gave us two bottles of water on the first day and never gave us bottles of water after that......I guess you're expected to refill the water bottle at the water stations outside I would definitely stay here again. $82/night was not a bad deal at all though I have heard from other divers that there are great deals for hotels on this island. It worked out great for us because we were diving the whole week with Tres Pelicanos and when they dropped us off after a day of diving, we just walked next door to our rooms!

    This place is rated #1 on Tripadvisor for a reason. Jim took over the Hotel a year or so ago and…read morealthough this was my first time here, it looks like he is pleasing the repeat guests. The place is downtown, only one block back from the waterfront and two blocks from the main square. Most importantly, the Hotel is close to many dive shops and only one block to Aldora Dive Shop. There is also a dive shop attached called Tres Pelicanos. There are only 7 villas, so book early! It is very nice to have space to spread out while on vacation, especially when you have dive gear. There is even space to hang up your dive gear in the pretty courtyard and a grill to cook food if you want to eat in. Every villa has a kitchenette which we found useful to keep drinks cold as well as the pastries we bought around the corner at La Cozumeleña. The new owner put in a pool and it is big enough to relax in and there is a waterfall and some chaise lounges as well. The privacy of this hotel is superb and the peace you get is great. There are high walls around the hotel and your back windows overlook gardens and some have statues.The bed is a little harder than I would like but I slept well with all the diving. There are also two big closets where you can hang up your clothes and the bathroom is well done and has great shower pressure. Karla is a good manager and she will help you arrange taxi rides, car rentals, and give other recommendations. I could easily stay here for a month if I could! Their couches downstairs are very comfy and great to lounge around if you have time to relax. It is so easy to walk from this hotel to many of the surrounding restaurants like Casa Restaurant Cuzamil (fancy sports bar with tvs and high quality food and moderate prices) and Del Sur (Argentinian restaurant with good food but pricey). And if you are worried about security downtown - don't be. I never felt unsafe in downtown and there is also an electric gate to this property and you have an electronic key to the gate, along with your villa key. And another highlight- the a/c works very well! I wish my own a/c wall unit at home was this good. It's also the little touches that count here - they have bottled water stations outside which you can put in your water bottle and put in the fridge in your villa which will save you some money.

    Casa Mexicana

    Casa Mexicana

    (22 reviews)

    $$

    During our short time in Cozumel, we stayed at Casa Mexicana. Location wise, it was very convenient…read moreand walkable to everything - restaurants, the Mega Supermarket, and many meet up spots for excursions. Every morning, there was a delicious spread of complimentary breakfast buffet, consisting of freshly made omelets and eggs prepared the way you like, waffles, french toast, freshly cut fruits, yogurt, sausage, roasted potatoes, juices, coffee, etc. Everything was delicious. The quality and execution of breakfast was great too. Food was laid out behind a glass counter, and you just let the staff know what you wanted, and they would grab/make it for you. All the staff members wore masks and abided by COVID guidelines. Our room was immaculate. The bed was firm but comfortable. The water in the bathtub did not pool. Customer service was great. Everything we asked for, we got it. There are some noises around 6am every morning, but nothing you can't tune out. We really enjoyed our stay at Casa Mexicana.

    My hubby and I just spent a week at Casa Mexicana and we were overall very happy with our stay. We…read morewere in town for a scuba diving, so some of my review is skewed towards dive friendliness of the hotel... The staff is all very friendly and helpful. We were greeted upon check in with a tasty beverage. Our bags were brought up to our room for us. The employees are kind and helpful. The lobby is very pretty with a pool that overlooks the ocean. There are bikes you can borrow to head into town. The location is great, and easily walkable to the downtown square and lots of restaurants. We dove with a highly rated dive operator that's located less than a block away, so our pickup location was across the street which was SO convenient. There is an included breakfast buffet. While this is convenient if diving, the buffet opens at 7am, and our dive boat pickup is 7:30. While this seems like plenty of time given that you just have to walk across the street to the boat, this is not a serve-yourself buffet (at least post-COVID). There are a couple of staff that serve the food. At 6:58am, there is already a line of divers at the buffet. If you're having anything prepared fresh (eggs or pancakes), you have to be one of the first ~5 people in line in order to get your food made, eat, and get to the boat. I wish the buffet opened a bit earlier to accommodate the number of divers who stay here. If you're not diving, this is not an issue at all. The food itself was just okay. I was expecting a lot more from it given the previous reviews. There is so much fantastic food on the island, but the food here was just a little underwhelming. The hotel rooms are large and cozy, and the beds comfortable. The AC works well in the rooms, which is a must during the summers here! There is a desk area with 2 interior chairs, and a little patio area for each room with 2 exterior chairs. Next time I'll ask for additional exterior chairs, as that is the only place to really hang dry your scuba attire. We often had both chairs covered in swim suits/rash guards/etc as well as the shower curtain rod, hand towel rack (and were were only 2 divers in the room). We really liked the soap, shampoo, and conditioner that the hotel provided. They all smelled nice. There was always coffee downstairs in the morning, and fruit infused cold water in the afternoons which was nice to come back to. I know this is not a "dive hotel", hence only losing 1 star for all of my negatives, as I know they are all specific for the purpose of my trip, but given how many people stay here to dive given the proximity to the dock of one of the main dive operators, I just wish there were some more dive friendly updates. Regardless of this, I would gladly stay here again, even for a dive trip, and strongly recommend this hotel. Oh, and the price per night here is fantastic!

    Secrets Resort - reststops - Updated May 2026

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