Very nice place

Just returned from a week at the Palace with my husband and 2 kids (10 yrs. and 17 yrs.). We arrived one week after Hurricane Emily and were thrilled to be there as our original hotel was inoperable due to hurricane damage. This was our 4th trip to Coz and our first time to stay all-inclusive there. The property is beautiful. The pictures on the internet are completely representative.

The plusses: Luxurious rooms (absolutely the best I've ever seen in Cozumel), impeccable service...the staff would do anything to make you happy, very good snorkeling in front of the resort, beautiful pool, fun activities staff (the kids loved all the activities by the pool), good snack bar, good breakfast and lunch buffet, all-night room service included, excellent location...very convenient to town.

The minuses: The beach is quite small (man-made...no water entrance). At night they offer three restaurants...Mexican, Oriental, and Italian. We did not like the Italian restaurant at all...very bland. The Mexican restaurant was okay, but not what you want every night. We did not try the Oriental, but all three offer very limited selections. We usually went out at night and ate at some of the awesome restaurants on the island. Also, the hotel was very noisy at night. The marble floors echo in the hallways and many times at 2:00 in the morning I could still hear doors shutting, people walking and talking in the hall, and room service carts rolling along the marble floors. There is not much shade at all around the pool area. What few umbrellas were there were usually claimed by 8:00 in the morning. This could easily be fixed with more umbrellas and palapas.

All-in-all we were very pleased with the resort. The resort is still very new, and at the time we were there they were packed due to people being moved there from other hurricane-damaged resorts. While all-inclusive isn't usually our choice in Cozumel, we would consider returning there again.

Beautiful Resort, Disorganized Management

Like many of the other recent postings, we were also there until Sunday morning, hours before Hurricane Emily hit the island.

The pictures of the hotel are accurately displayed on the company and other travel websites. Each room had a two person jacuzzi tub, hammock, robes, Biosilk toiletries, walk in shower, flat screen television, fully stocked bar, an electronic wall safe, and many other items that made you feel like you truly were at a resort. The hotel also offered excursions with tour groups on the island-- we went snorkeling on a glass bottom boat. The spa offers a wide variety of services- we had excellent massages.

The hotel employees are all incredibly nice and work their hardest to make sure the patrons are enjoying their stay. The bellboy who took our luggage up to our rooms the first day remembered our names throughout our stay.

My only complaint of the hotel relates to the disorganization of hotel management. I think anytime there is a hurricane evacuation you would expect some disorganization, but I felt management could have handled the situation in a more professional manner. In the days leading up to the hurricane, each hotel staff had a different answer regarding the hurricane preparation and evacuation procedures. We didn't even know for sure whether the hotel was being evacuated until 530pm the day of the evacuation. It was then we were presented with the decision of going across to Moon Palace in Cancun or hopefully leaving on a flight scheduled for Sunday morning. Saturday night we stayed at Cozumel Palace with about 20 other brave soles!

I also felt meal time was another example of disorganization. It seemed three or four waiters would be assigned to an area of the restaurant because sometimes you would be asked multiple times what you wanted to drink or the appetizer would come out following the entrée. It was never the kind of service that would have been rewarded with a generous tip.

In summary, I would definitely go back to Cozumel Palace. As the hotel has only been open for a month or two, I feel the inefficiencies at mealtime and with the hotel management will be remedied through experience.

Beautiful hotel and will come back

We too were there for Emily. Arrived on Friday morning, pre Hurricane Emily. We had a room on the third floor and the view was beautiful from our balcony. We were worried because we have 2 boys that love the beach and the Palace really has no beach. However, the pool was very nice, and the boys were able to snorkel right in front of the hotel. We rented a jeep and went around to the other side of the island for their beaches which are awesome!! The room was fantastic, you will not be disappointed. The service was very good. We had never been to Cancun until this trip when we were transferred by Ferry to Playa Del Carmen and then taken by bus to the Moon Palace. Even during this very difficult time, I think the Palace resorts did a very good job getting us transferred. We had no idea what to expect and what kind of hotel we were being transferred too. The Moon Palace was a lovely surprise. For families, I would suggest if you want a nice place to stay and don't mind venturing out to explore, this is the place to stay.

Loved the Palace; hated Hurricane Emily!

Well, it's taken a few days to recover from the trip; but here is my review:

I do feel the need to make several points regarding this wonderful property. For those of you that have been to this resort before when it was Plaza las Glorias, you will not be disappointed. This is still essentially the same place, but with a major face lift! They did much more than slap a coat of paint on the place. With that said, the marble floors, stairways and terrace remain the same and look so nice with all the updates! But remember what always made this place special is the LOCATION!

The rooms are very nice and really updated; with a lovely bathroom with standing shower and granite vanity! The bed is by far the most comfortable we have ever slept on anywhere in Mexico, with wonderful pillows as well. Each room still has a balcony and now with a hammack. However, there are no chairs. It would be nice to sit out there as well. Also, make sure you request at least a 2nd floor room to have a true balcony. The first floor balconies are a little small. Each room has a mini bar, with soft drinks and bottled water. There is also a liquor dispenser holding Tequila, Rum, Whiskey, etc. We ordered room service one night for dessert and it arrived within minutes! The server even set it up on the small table located in the living area of the spacious jr. suite.

The restaurants are good; but the staff; while very accommodating; still needs some training. Service was a bit slow and sporadic; but everyone was so nice and seemed to truly appreciate our business. These are very hard working people. Please tip them a little each day. I'm sure it's very much appreciated. We still went into town, as we enjoy this very much each time we visit, and have our favorite restaurants there. No trip to Cozumel would be complete without a visit to Casa Denis!

Our trip had to be cut short due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Emily. The hotel did a great job of keeping us informed and letting us know what the plans would be. Saturday morning, it became obvious that Emily was on her way and at that time, the hotel's primary focus was making sure their guests were safe. As we were scheduled to depart from Cancun, we were transferred to Moon Palace on Saturday, as the ferry service was planning to shut down that day to move their boats to safety. The hotel staff was very accommodating and worked diligently to get everyone's documents transferred and all their information into the Palace computer system to allow an easy transfer. We checked out and took the ferry to Playa and transferred to Moon Palace, leaving safely on Sunday. Our flight was one of the last ones out before the airport closed on Sunday! We talked to a few folks at Moon Palace who were staying. Arrangements were made for them to move to the convention center/theater there for safety as the storm passed. We are told there was no serious damage to either Moon Palace or Cozumel Palace. These folks worked very hard to accommodate every person at their resorts; probably to the detriment of their own families as I'm sure they would have much rather been with their families than taking care of a bunch of strangers!

For those of you that have stayed at a Palace resort before; please don't expect Cozumel Palace to be as lavish as the much larger Moon or Aventura Palace. Your experience on Cozumel will be much different. Cozumel is our favorite place to be and Cozumel Palace will be our choice, just as Plaza las Glorias has been for several years!

p.s. sorry I can't post pictures; the file size is too large for tripadvisor to post. I just got a new 8 MP camera! Please e-mail me at dianahburton@yahoo.com and I will be glad to send them to you.

GOOD FOOD AND SERVICE - NOT A LOT TO DO

We went to the Cozumel Palace with the intention of scuba diving. When we got there we had a cold and were not able to scuba dive at all. That left us with finding other things to do.....

After we shopped and drove a rental car around the island - neither was all that exciting - there was nothing to do at the hotel. The pool is small with little to not shade. The whole lobby is a smoking section.

Nothing at the Cozumel Palace happens on time - just plan on 15-30 minutes later than posted times. Your room may not get made until 6PM. They had a list of nightly activities that never took place. You have to rent snorkeling gear if you want to snorkel.

Last year we stayed at the Aventura Spa Palace on the mainland. They have much more to offer - as I am sure all of the other larger Palace resorts do. They have nightly activities that actually take place. Snorkeling gear as well as kayaks are included and there is a lot more shade at the pool.

The good for the Cozumel Palace is that the staff is very friendly and the restaurants have excellent food. We especially liked the Mexican restaurant. They rooms are very nice as well.

Don't forget there are kids at this resort (we have some of our own-but didn't bring them on this trip). That means they will be doing cannonballs in the pool and running in the halls.

If we had been able to scuba dive our time would have been completely different as we would not have looked to the hotel to provide any entertainment. Without the scuba all that is left at the Cozumel Palace is the pool. My recommendation would be to stay at one of the bigger mainland resorts and just day-trip to Cozumel if you are not going to scuba dive a lot.

The Cozumel Palace is now my favorite resort in MX

We returned last Friday from Cozumel after a wonderful week at the Cozumel Palace. I hate to share my experience because everyone will want to go there! I have to say that this was one of the nicest places I have EVER stayed. When we arrived at the hotel, we were greeted at the door with ice cold, rolled wash cloths and champagne. Check in was a breeze. We were taken to our room and shown how to operate the jacuzzi, tv, phone, safe, A/C and mini bar. The room was very clean and everything was new. It appears that all rooms are ocean view and most have pool and ocean view. Room service is available 24/7, and they are speedy. The rooms have a very large, glass front shower complete with complimentary "Bio silk" shampoo, conditioner, lotion, oil...etc. Plenty of oversized towels for the bath and jacuzzi. The beds are not as hard as a rock as most are in Mexico. They are very comfortable. The sleeping area steps down to a sitting area with two large chairs, table for two to dine, small couch, coffee table and of course the jacuzzi. The lighting can be varied throughout the room leaving the sleeping area dark...sitting area lit or other combinations. The TV is placed on an entertainment unit that also has a few drawers for clothing. The mini bar is also within the unit. On each side compartment next to the TV, there were slide out vertical drawers that held large bottles of Taquila, rum, Whisky and vodka with a spout to place a glass under. There were plenty of mixers in the mini bar, beer, soda and water. The closet has room for lots of hanging clothes and drawers as well. The hangers are removable unlike most hotel hangers. The safe is electronic, so no key to mess with. If anything is needed, a phone call with have someone at your door in less than five minutes, which is then followed up by a phone call to make certain everything is in order. The safe locked me out once, the kids used all of the towels and we ran out of bottled water...all which was fixed in a matter of minutes. The balcony has a hammock, but no table or chairs..which I would have like to have had.

There are three restaurants and a poolside grill. Breakfast and lunch are only available in one buffet restaurant, but it was good. At night, there is a Japanese restaurant serving a variety of things including very good sushi. A mexican restuarant (we didn't eat there) and an italian restaurant which was very good. They say "no shorts or beach sandals are allowed." We dressed for dinner (went to town and bought some things) only to see lots of folks in shorts, beach sandals and such. That was ok with me. We just tried to follow the dress code as we thought it would be enforced. Guess not. Tipping probably isn't "required" but they really deserve a good tip.

The pool is actually two different pools connected by steps with water flowing down them. It is hard to explain. The pool has a swim up bar and a shallow area with beach chairs so you can lay in the water. The pool is surrounded by a very large pool deck with more than enough chairs. Poolside food and bar service is wonderful. You can snorkel in the ocean in front of the pool by just walking down a few steps right into the caribbean! They have the equipment free at poolside, or take your own. Beach towel are provided.

The staff is absolutely wonderful. They act as thought they were put on earth just to serve the guests. I wish I had employees so dedicated to pleasing the customer. I saw people who never tipped for a drink or meal, and they were treated the same..very well.

I am very pleased with our stay and overall vacation. It was the best I have ever had. I just lost my father a few weeks ago and needed a break from reality. I must say, the Cozumel Palace more than gave me that. I didn't want to come home. Please email me if you have questions that I might help to answer.

Nice hotel, nice staff, good location

The rooms were spacious, up-to-date, comfortable and clean. The staff was very attentive and helpful. The food was not amazing but was a good value and how can you really screw up breakfast. The morning buffet was plentiful. The OJ a little watered...but such is most found in Cozumel. You can't eat to American standards in a foreign country and I think a lot of places in cozumel are good by their standards. So the food was average. The dive shop was nice and accomodating although we used another dive operation which picked us up at PLG dock. The outside seating for breakfast was nice and it's right on the beach. The location was perfect, just a hop skip and a jump from town, but not right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of cruise boat madness. It was nice. The lobby is huge, well a/c'd and has a pool table and nice bar. There didn't appear to be smoking inside the lobby but not sure if that was just timing. There are elevators up to the rooms. They have storage lockers for your dive stuff and a washing sink to rinse your equipment. Very nice set up for a dive trip or tourist vacation.

THIS WAS THE BEST VACATION EVER!!!!!

You are pampered. There are great people there, and it is small so you know everyone. I have friends from there I am talking to right now. The staff is INCREDIBLE. Friendly, and nice they make you feel right at home. Every night they play cards with the kids until 11. I have a lot of good memories from there!

Great place to be

My husband and I just returned from the Cozumel Palace. June 13-16. What a wonderful trip. The hotel is just as it looks in the pictures. The rooms are beautiful. The view from the room is perfect. The food is wonderful. Linen table clothes and 5 course meals served so beautifully. The staff is very attentive. Most everyone is bilingual. The pools are beautiful. Snorkeling at the hotel is great. I can't say anything but good about this place. If you are trying to find the perfect spot ,this is it in my opinion. There is a man made sand beach and plenty of lounge chairs. It was a very relaxing place. It is within walking distance to down town and shopping. I will definately go back to this one.

It would be hard to top Cozumel Palace Resort!!!

If you like to be pampered, you will love Cozumel Palace Resort. The staff is incredibly attentive and prompt. We have enjoyed all inclusive stays before, but there were always downsides. At Cozumel Palace, the service was unbelievable, the food was great and the drinks were strong. They offered top shelf everytime. There were even a few times the drinks were TOO strong.

When you walk into your room, you know that you are officially in paradise. You enter and see the neatly made room, that is spotless and right beside the bed is a HUGE whirlpool bath tub for two very close to your bed. (--- go here to see pictures that actually do justice to the resort) The maid service always leaves the towels in shapes of animals for a little extra treat. There is a hammock on the balcony to hang out in whenever! They even pamper you with the shampoo and body products. (All Biosilk / Farouk brand) Incredible!!!

There isn't a "beach" per se at the resort, but every room is an ocean view. We were able to snorkel at the resort, and it was nice and convenient. Of course, we still ventured out. For lobster, you can't beat the Lobster House. (La Cabana del Pescador) They don't have menus, and only serve lobster, but it is the absolute best I have had hands down. I was skeptical at first, because it was lit mainly by candle light, and they don't broil the lobster. But it was the tastiest most tender lobster EVER! It was served with veggies and rice (both very tasty as well) ice cold Sol and I added a bowl of Conch Chowder to my order, which was spicy and wonderful. FYI they don't take credit cards. If you are in Cozumel, it is a must have! Breakfast at Jennies Waffles is a must as well. After breakfast, they will give you waffles to take snorkeling and there is a ladder right behind the restaurant for easy ocean access. Speaking of food, for the best shrimp quesadillas, you have to visit Paradise Cafe (aka the Bob Marley Bar). You have to go in the afternoon, as they close early and don't have electricity. There are hammocks to chill and take a siesta while reggae music plays in the background with waves crashing on the rocks. I will be going back very soon!!!