Best vacation we have ever had!

Char and John Hoxter, Needed to relax Nov 19, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

We arrived to a friendly waiting staff with champain in hand. Our room was available early. Room was always clean, with turn ... down,kisses on bed with copy of the next days events. Beach was blue took a snorkeling trip/ next time will dive.Cannot say enough about the staff, buffet was good different theme every night. Ate at one of the finer restaraunts, needed reservation no problem. Sonora grill was wonferful. We are already planning our next trip. to Occidental Grand Cozumel.

2nd visit

n/a Nov 19, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

In November of 2008,we stayed for two weeks at the Occidental Grand and decided to do the same this year. We had another ... wonderful time. The beach, pools, bars, restaurants, rooms, and over-all setting is wonderful. The best feature, though, is the staff. Waiters, waitresses, and bartenders are terrific. They work so hard to serve, and do it with pleasure. They are the best. Bring bug spray, however. Mosquitoes will be a problem without it during the beautiful sunsets.

Cozumel 2009

Bea Nov 18, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

The staff was lovely and ensured my stay was comfortable and enjoyable. The hotel was amazing and beautiful. ...

Not so Grand..........

BigJer Nov 9, 2009

This was my wife's and mine first real vacation in 20 years. While we had never gone to an all exclusive resort before, with ... the price we paid we did have some expectations. None of those were even remotely met. About the only thing we were really impressed with was the landscaping of the grounds. It was really beautiful and well kept up. The 6 Restaurants that are listed on their website were non-existent. There were 2 Ala Carte that you had to make reservations for, and 2 buffets. I am not to sure if this was because of the economy or not but I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on that. In addition, at their buffets, we saw plenty of foods were recycled between buffets for lunch and dinner. To top that off, who serves hot dogs, just plain hotdogs heated and cut up as a choice from a buffet, not to mention they made pizza with hot dogs on it. Most of the food was very dry and if you wanted to get any decent dessert you had to be one of the first ones in for lunch or dinner. The buffet options were often empty and very slow to be refilled. The rooms, at least ours, smelt of mildew. Once again, I can understand the climate being damp but the rooms in my opinion should not smell. The beds... we expected a king and received two fulls, were put on a list to get into a King room but never received a call, were hard as rocks. My wife and I will be going back to Cozumel again, however, we will not be staying at the Occidental Grand Cozumel.

An Honest review for the Average Joe

Dallas Cowboy Oct 29, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

OK, here is an honest review of this hotel, and one the "Average Joe" like me needed to read. This was my second trip to ... Mexico and the first to Cozumel. The things to do like snorkeling, dolphin swim, restaurants, etc were all great. The hotel was as described. I would, however, throw out the "very bad" reviews and the "Awesome" reviews. The room and grounds were very nice and clean, but the beds sucked. I thought the food was good, and much better than my last "all inclusive" in Playa Del Carmen. The fire show was great; the music and dance floor at the club were OK, but not spectacular. The free use of the water sports equipment was also very nice to have on the beach, and it was in good shape and plentyful. All in all, I liked this place. My ONLY gripe was the none stop barrage of the hotel "Concierge" trying to get you signed up to buy a time share in the hotel. In fact, the concierge was not helpful at all, and everything they tried to help you with was only a means to get you into a time share. Only the front desk people seemed to be of any help. I would definitely stay here again, but now I know to tell the concierge to get lost!!!!!!!!

Good weather & people - food iffy

San Fran Diver Oct 14, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

Location to Cozumel dive sites is excellent. Service was very friendly, but they did seem understaffed at times as I ... sometimes had to get up and get things myself at the restaurants. The speciality restaurant's food was terrible. Bar and disco were very good. Pool activities were excellent.

Won't be back

Marybeth Super Mom Oct 13, 2009

We went diving. The hotel is right at the reef so it is the perfect location. We won't be back to the Occidental. We ... experienced a 45 minute delay in getting our baggage delivered to the room and had to go back to the office and complain to finally get the bags delivered. The lunch selection was really bad .The room was as expected. We go to Cozumel every year. Next time we decide to use an all inclusive it will be the Aura. Regular resort will be the Intercontinental. Big no to the Occidental Not So Grand as they are not competitve

Beautiful resort, disgusting food...

Jay P. Sep 30, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

I went to Cozumel to go diving so I didnt plan on spending too much time doing activities at the resort. When I arrived ... there were no king size beds available, yet the resort seemed to be empty... The food is not good! I went to the steak restaurant that you have to make reservations for, and I ordered my steak medium... I got seared!! The entire steak was cold and raw, we just got up and left.

If you are looking to relax...

Michael J Sep 13, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

Exceptionally manicured grounds, great pools and a nice beach. Room was clean, cool and more than adequate. Would suggest ... upgrading to the rooms closet to the pool and beach as we did. Saved a lot of walking + we had our own semi-private jacuzzi that was great for making new friends from around the world. Occupancy was very low which suited us fine, but dining choices were limited as a result. The food was good though. Since this place is so remote, would suggest a rental car as we had to explore the entire island, especially the eastside beaches. They were beautiful. Although the crew was great, we were disappointed with our snorkle trip on a catamarran to the reefs. They were deep, dull and had very few fish to see. I did however, hear great reviews from divers who were able to go down 50 feet or more.

Very nice hotel

Timothy Sep 4, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

The hotel was very nice and the people were nice. At the hotel there is a little night club that is pretty fun. Also just ... about anything you want to do you can reserve at the hotel.

disappointed

Peggy Aug 28, 2009

Great dive location, great dive shop. Being unfamiliar with the way their restaurants require reservations, which you can ... only make between certain hours, we ended up eating at the buffet 2 of 2 nights. Not what I expected. The buffet was good, but it was a buffet. Breakfast and lunch were excellent. the room's air conditioning barely worked. The cable system was terrible; the 20" TV made it worse. The room always smelled faintly of urine; never figured out why as it appeared clean. Not much to do in the evening. La Posada staff was great. Check-in, check out people a little aloof.

Another wonderful week in Cozumel

Cozumel Sal Aug 21, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

Occidental Grand Cozumel is a relaxing get away with beautiful clear water, lazy beaches, and wonderful drinks. ...

Awesome-- no complaints at all

sherpa Aug 11, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

Great place to dive, eat and relax. ...

Anniversary celebration

Favre Foe Aug 2, 2009

My wife and I stayed here to celebtate our silver anniversary. We were given a room with 2 double beds and when we asked to ... change to a room with a king bed, we were told we had to wait 2 days. We were also told a bottle of champaigne would be delivered to our room after we checked in. What we got instead was someone trying to get us to sit through a 2 1/2 hour presentation on buying into a timeshare the next morning with the promise of discounts on some activities (snorkeling, etc). We never did get the champaigne (probably because we said we weren't interesed in the presentation). For the next four days, basically every time we walked through the lobby, we were asked what activity we were going to do and told how we could get discount tickets. It got to the point where we tried to avoid going through the lobby to get to the front desk, shop, or lobby bar. We felt almost harassed. The grounds are beautiful and very well kept. I also thought the food was very good. Our room was okay except for the tarantula on the patio door. I would also say the beach was okay. Overall the staff was very friendly. Some of the bartenders would get a little cranky I thought and would not mix the drinks very well leaving lots of chunks of ice in the drinks (even after leaving a buck or two). I don't think I would stay there again.

Occidental Grand

Recent Traveler Jul 19, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

Our time at the Occidental Grand Hotel in Cozumel was fun for the most part. The rooms were clean, the hotel was beautifully ... landscaped, and the staff was friendly. We spent a lot of time at the pools and beach, and went snorkeling, para-sailing, and deep sea fishing. There only real down-side that I saw with the hotel was the food. It was difficult to make reservations for a large group at the restaurants, and the buffet was not much better than a school cafeteria. Our group of friends ate out most nights for dinner. I would definitely recommend upgrading to the Royal Club if you are planning to stay at the Occidental Grand. The Royal Club Restaurant was good for breakfast and lunch. My only complaint about the Royal Club Restaurant is that there are only a few entrees to chose from on the menu for lunch and breakfast.

Nice place!

Fussy Jul 14, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

The hotel rooms were clean and pleasant. It was nice that there was another pool for relaxation other than the noisy ... activities pool. Staff was very helpful and courteous. Buffet were extensive but after a few days it seemed that all the dishes seemed to taste the same. The food in their mediterranean restaurant was wonderful. The food at the sonora grill was awful. The night time "entertainment" looked like a middle school play. Would recommend going into town if you are looking for nightlife. Since when eating at the restaurant rather than buffet reservations are mandatory and fill up fast perhaps this could be arranged before you get there. Make sure you take a trip to the deserted side of the island. The beaches were beautiful and untouched. Alcohol beverages were probably overly generous if anything Skip the ruins on the island!

Restful spot

former expat Jul 13, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

We went to relax, sit on the beach with a book in one hand and a drink in the other. Mission accomplished! Friendly staff, ... open bar, and uncrowded beach made the day. For breakfast get the omelet - very good. Lunch and dinner buffets are average, but have lots to choose from. Specialty dinners are very good, but limited. Snorkling at the beach was better than the reefs we paid to go to - make sure to go out to the far bouys! Don't expect to go off property without a car or a boat. It's pretty much at the end of the line. But if you're there to relax, there's no reason to leave.

relaxing dive vacation in Cozumel

c mohin Jul 9, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

We booked the Occidental Grand Cozumel as part of a scuba diving vacation over July 4th weekend. Beautiful property and we ... liked our room. Grounds are meticulously kept, staff is nearly 100% friendly and kind. We would come here again, most definitely. Nice pool, great bartenders, though we missed the swim up pool they used to have at Iberostar. No wrist bands here, so if you have friends in town who want to visit as we did, expect to do some ground work to get them on the grounds. Food, well, we did not think it was that great. Having said this, everyone else seemed to be chowing down. Breakfast omelets gave us a bad stomach ache. Lunch was, oh, sort of better. Dinner at the mediterranean restaurant was only ok; appetizer was so-so, main dishes we had were fish and were well prepared. Dinner at the Royal Club (friends staying in this pricier part of the hotel invited us to the exclusive restaurant) was definitely much better. The maitre d' at the med place berated us for being late, saying we might have lost our reservation. Luckily the rest of the staff made us feel welcome there, cause we felt like leaving after that. but get this- meanwhile, the place was e-m-p-t-y! Wine by the bottle costs extra at this all inclusive and was very expensive. Only real complaints: at check-in, the woman we got, Margarita, raced through her presentation and was just not up to the usual standard of everyone we met. She seemed like she couldn't wait to get rid of us. Luckily the champagne they give you at check-in softened the blow. Subsequent visits to the front desk (guest services) were much more congenial. Got a call from guest services to take a survey at 4 PM one day. This might sound reasonable, but it is not what i want to do on my vacation. Plus, we were napping after a hard day diving (ha ha) and so were not too happy at being wakened. Also, the Orbitz rep woke us at 8AM to schedule an appointment to pick up our return cab voucher. Not cool. and we were diving while he was available all 3 days. it was nearly impossible to get the voucher. He finally ran it over on our last night. It would be easier to print this directly from the orbitz site, but they want you to sit down with them so they can sell you tour packages. We had the diving pre-arranged so we just were not interested. I'm sure they sell fun stuff to do though. Also, if you have problems with an orbitz or with [@] reservation, expect to fight for help. They will want you to call these companies on your own. you will have to push hard for resolution. The front desk dialed orbitz for me and handed the phone to me. And guess what happened when i introduced myself and said that we needed our voucher? they said "one moment", put me on hold, never returned. draw your own conclusions. Keep this in mind. Our friends who booked the Royal Club at Occidental had quite a time with a mixup booking from the ex pedia.com site, then a/c out, then leaking sink. The staff, while friendly, seemed to always say "no", then kind of back into finding a way to help. I think the hotel is working on this, but be firm about any issues and don't back down. At one point, the head of guest services was verging on rude, and her superior came out and took control, thank goodness. All was resolved and it turned out really well.

Nice relaxing getaway!

Alicia Jul 6, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

The Occidental Grande was a beautful hotel to visit. The staff was very friendly, the rooms were kept clean, and there were ... plenty of activities. Dining was good - but food was only available for breakfast, lunch and dinner - so make sure to fill up. There wasn't anything available between meals to snack on (except margaritas). The only difficulty we had was, as we call it, the "hustling." We were asked by our "concierge" (as he called himself) about activities we might enjoy while on the island, and he had a few to suggest as well. He told us he would help organize anything we might need - Wonderful!! Yet after some explanation, we ended up listening to a timeshare presentation the next day (taking up all of our first morning on vacation), then got a lot of run around when we tried to cash in on the discounted activities we were offered. That, my friends (as they say in Mexico), was the only downfall of the resort. Once we were able to get our vehicle for the day, and go on our snorkeling adventure, we had a blast. The food was good, the grounds were beautiful, nice quiet and relaxing enviornment most of the time, with some activities in the "activities pool." That was one of our favorite aspects - 1 pool for relaxing, and a little farther away (and overlooking the beach) was another pool for activities - with a great 3 inch deep section you could relax and get a tan in. Overall, it was a very nice vacation! Cozumel is a great island to see (namely if you want to snorkel or dive!)

Beautiful hotel, boring nightlife

pens Jun 30, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

This is a beautiful hotel, the staff is very friendly, and it is very relaxing. We were there as a couple and while it's a ... romantic getaway, we could have used more entertainment. After a day of diving, swimming, playing games in the pool or on the beach, and enjoying all that beautiful Cozumel has to offer, it was disappointing that the only on-resort option after dark basically was to drink. There were a few short performances but it was probably due to the economy that there was nothing more than occasionally a terrible DJ playing the macarena, electric slide, and other bland tunes in the lobby. There are always three dinner options for restaurants, but after a few days it gets very repetitive. The food is good quality and the staff aims to please, so no complaints there. If you are looking to hide away, isolated from downtown but near the beautiful reef for amazing diving, I recommend this hotel. If you are looking for something with more activity, go for the Allegro or one of the hotels nearer to town. The rooms are comfortable, clean, and quite attractive. Maybe when the hotel is more full (economy, epidemic fears, etc) it's more fun, I don't know. Some people complained about the check-in procedure, we opted for the $14 upgrade to the Royal Club and had excellent service.