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Lodging & Accomodations Overview |
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| What Sort of Accommodations are Available? |
Similar to the variety of the sea life that can be found in the crystal blue waters of Cozumel, the lodging and accommodations alternatives of Cozumel come in every size, shape, and color.
With everything from hotels, all-inclusive resorts, boutique inns and hostels to B&B's, condos and vacation home rentals, travelers are sure to find a lodging option to suit their vacation needs.
The hotels tend offer a more "touristy" view of the island simply because vacationers do not have to venture far from the hotel for anything. The flip side would be vacation rentals and condos which tend to encourge visitors to explore Cozumel beyond the tourist zone for restaurants, shopping and activities.
| Where are Accommodations Located? |
Cozumel's vacation accomodation choices are located in various sectors of the island but in general, these sectors break down into 5 areas:
Southern zone
Northern zone
Downtown area
Midtown (San Miguel) area
Corpus Christi area
It goes without saying that there is a good selection of lodging options in the Downtown area which is excellent if travelers want to be near the main shopping and dining and nighlife areas. However accommodations in downtown are not large, spreadout, resort type properties but rather 3 - 6 story facilities with limited (if any) garden / outdoor areas.
Both the Northern and Southern zones have an excellent variety of lodging to choose from but both areas suffer the dilemma of their relative isolation from Cozumel's main downtown district. It turns out the majority of leisure activities including shopping, dining, and nightlife can be as much as a $10-$20 cab ride away one way.
The Corpus Christi area (located between downtown and the southern district) while closer to downtown still involves a taxi ride to get there since it's a good distance from the main plaza where everything tends to happen. This added distance doesn't offer the ability to leisurely stroll among the many daily and nightly activities typical of the Cozumel experience. In addition, this area is subject to some zoning laws that prohibit the location of shopping, restaurants, and many other types of tourist driven businesses. That being said, the Corpus neighborhood is home to one of the largest supermarket and shopping plazas on the island: Chedraui and visitors can easily walk to this commercial center from anywhere in Corpus.
The Midtown district of Cozumel is now one of the most desirable locations for travelers wanting to immerse themselves more into Cozumel's culture. Because of the growth and expansion of the city over the last 5 - 10 years, Midtown doesn't seem as "far back" as it used to seem to some vacationers. Since the city developed the historical district downtown in 2007 and eliminated all streetside parking in the main downtown area, folks are venturing farther back into town looking for restaurants, shopping and such where parking is FREE and not such an issue. Because of this, Cozumel's midtown area is emerging as the islands best value in terms of accommodations and restaurants which don't sport "tourist zone" pricing. It is possible to reach Cozumel's main plaza from anywhere in the midtown area with a quick 10 - 15 minute walk through some of the safest streets on the planet.
For the best deals in lodging look to venture to Cozumel in the off-season. Mid-August to mid-November, and then again during the months of May through July offer the best prices for accommodations. Don’t be surprised by the 12% hotel tax.
| Vacation Home Rentals, Condos & Guest Houses |
 The many beautiful vacation villas, condominiums, and guesthouse that line Cozumel's streets offer an excellent alternative to the commercial area hotels and resorts. Fortunately for visitors, vacation properties are scattered throughout most of the zones described above. Some are beachfront properties while others are located in town in regular neighborhoods to allow for a more "island living" experience. There is such a variety of options available in fact that travelers typically have little difficulty finding a property within their budget. Many of these vacation properties offer their own swimming pools, jacuzzi's and meal plans and are definitely worth considering for those travelers anxious to move beyond the tourist zone hotels and really get to know the island better.
Check out our complete list of Excellent Value vacation rentals!
Vacation Rentals
And don't forget Sherri has places to stay, too!!
IslaMar Vacation Villas
Of course we can't end this section without asking you to consider staying with Sherri at IslaMar Villas! After all, Cozumel Insider was originally built to help Sherri's IslaMar Guests find their way around Cozumel!!
Two of the most popular all-inclusive resorts include Allegro Occidental Grand (southern
district) and Melia Maya (northern district). Both of these self-contained
resorts offer meals and beverages within the all inclusive price
in the restaurants located on their property. In addition, they
offer daily activities both in and out of the water including scuba,
snorkeling, and tennis amongst other activities. Beyond that, the
all-inclusive resorts have nightly entertainment with local talent and
staff members. Remember, all of this falls under the umbrella of
one convenient price.
All Inclusive properties are an excellent choice for first time travelers not familiar with the area enought to want to venture beyond the hotel and they are also great value options for vacationing families. Some folks just like the convenience of not having to worry about anything once they arrive ~ everything is already paid for and ready for use!
The hotels of Cozumel have something to suit every type of guest possible.
Whether you're looking for a romantic getaway, 5 star luxury inn, small
bed and breakfast, or proximity to entertainment and shopping, you can
find something to suite your needs. All districts have a variety
of hotels to choose from as well.
Review & Print Cozumel Insider's Handy Hotel Reference Chart!
If considering an "all-inclusive" resort, remember that to fully take advantage of your dollar you should never leave the resort. Unfortunately, with the convenience of one price comes the lack of exposure to the many wonders (entertainment, restaurants, shopping, and culture) that Cozumel has to offer. With the location of each resort being roughly a $15-$20 cab ride away from town when staying at a southern island resort ($5-10 from northern resorts), your dollar might be better served by staying closer to the heart of Cozumel if you truly want to experience the island culture.
The hotels of the northern and southern districts face the same issue as the resorts. With a variety of accommodations available, you are still a $15-$20 cab ride away from any form of cultural activity in town. In addition, with the best beaches located on the southern end of the island, plan on renting a car if staying in a hotel in the northern zone.
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Just wanted to sayThank You for your webcam. We Love Cozumel and miss it so much. It is nice to be able to look at the webcam every day and see what is happening and the beautiful water. Your website has also been very helpful when planning our trips. Keep up the good work. amy ~ southern Utah
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We are not ready to leave! Never have we visited such a place. Staying mid-town has been such a privilege. Lisa said it best when describing resort hotels as pretending you are not there. IslaMar Villas has opened up Cozumel to us. The warmth of the people, the AMAZING foods, the idea we can get whatever we need without a car and sometimes just a smile if we've run out of pesos. Our suite was PERFECT, Zuri is on top of everything and happy about it! Mauricio entertained us with his English lessons and stories of home. Thank to both Lisa & Sherri for the hospitality and happily sharing this amazing part of Mexico with us. I am sure we will be back before 2010 is over! Corey R. & Kimberly G. ~ Seattle, WA
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Great value for the money! After looking at Dalia Apartments and Colonial Suites which are right in town, we decided to come to IslaMar Villas! More private, more room, convenient parking, courtyard for sunning and a POOL! Diane & Bill K. ~ New York City, NY
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What a great Experience!!! We booked our excursions through this website with a slight bit of apprehension. We figured it would be safer to book through our cruise ship since this was our first time going to Cozumel. Boy am I so thankful we didn't. Our cruise ship (which we thoroughly enjoyed) had many excursions organized with tons of people in each excursion. By booking through INSIDER we were definitely given smaller groups to be with. We did the Atlantis Submarine excursion and we saved almost 100 dollars right there!!! We also booked a Resort Scuba with Eagle Ray Divers. We had 1-on-1 attention with Antonio (the owner), our own boat to go out on, and got personalized attention with the lesson/dive. I know if we had booked on the cruise ship there probably would've been many other people ...
Also, we originally booked a car rental for that Saturday morning. Jacqueline @ Cozumel Insider, called us at home prior to our cruise to inform us of some minor scheduling changes. She then suggested that the rental car may not be neccessary due to our number of excursions and our limited time. Due to her advice we cancelled our car rental which was the wise thing to do. This shows that this company has a lot of integrity and is not out there just to make a buck on the unsuspecting tourist. Next year we will definitely book through Cozumel Insider, we will recommend this company to all our friends, and we plan on booking with Antonio for more scuba next time!!!! Dr. Marvin Carson ~ Tullahoma, Tennesseee
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IslaMar was a wonderful refuge from Nebraska snow and ice. We thought about a larger, all-inclusive hotel, but after considering the crowds, noise and extra expense, we decided this met “our all-inclusive needs” much better. Privacy, warm hospitality, personalize attention, resident cats, relative quiet, in-room catering (for those who cook) and convenient location. Thanks to Sherri, Zuir and Lisa. Phyllis & Gary L. ~ Nebraska, USA
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