Occidental Cozumel

Crystal

Not sure how or when this resort was designated a 5 star. The rooms are cleaned well and spacious but mildew on the ceilings and water dripping from the roof. The food at the buffet...edible but barely, half the time it's cold. If they ran out of something it's like they just chose not to refill it if it's the main dishes everyone actually wants, like steak for the tacos. The specialty restaurants were good. The pool closes at 8 but best not to get there past 5pm or you aren't getting a towel because they close the stand. If you need any extra blankets for the room, be prepared to call multiple times and wait half a day. The front desk doesn't tell you at check in that in order to use room service you have to open up a credit so when you try to order, they tell you to come to the front to open the credit. I'm literally ordering room service because I don't want to get up and go anywhere. The lunch buffet is at the pool, but you better walk back to your room for a pair of shorts if they don't like the cover up you're wearing, even though the Services guide on the QR you scan says nothing about dress code for the buffet. Essentially, the place sucks and if I had the means I would have left and went to a resort elsewhere nearby. The beach and pool are nice at least, allows myself time to forget I'm here. The servers and staff are also very nice, but maybe understaffed with the time it takes to get just get your drink at the buffet. To no fault of the resort, but taxis cost $20 to go anywhere and back. So if you like excursions it's going to cost you $40 round trip so I'd get a rental if you dare to brave this place.

Tara Latham

We have had yet another amazing 2 week holiday here. All the colleagues we had contact with were helpful and friendly. Karla and Laura at the pool bar do not stop and always have a smile on their face. The rooms are cleaned daily, and are kept spotless by the housekeeping team. The entertainment team were great also. We were fortunate to stay in the Royal Level with access to the Royal Restuarant. The breakfast Lunch and Dinner menu and the quality of the freshly cooked food served is outstanding along with the service. We would like to say a special Thank You to Lupe, Carlos Och, Rogelio, chef Paulo for sharing their knowledge and recommendations on the Mexican food and drink available to us. Also a special thanks to all the guys, Yazmin, Claudia, Armondo please see photos, unfortunately we didn’t get to catch them all on camera and I am sorry if I have missed their names. Thank you for making our holiday very special❤️

Ken Lo

1. The property is very well maintained, with lush grounds everywhere. For those that appreciate the greenery, this property is outstanding. It takes a lot of work to maintain such a place. 2. Our room was big, very strong AC. Strong water pressure. The housekeeper was friendly. We got whatever we asked. 3. Food was great. A lot of variety at the buffet restaurant. Service was always prompt. Some food was replenished slowly but it's understandable. A la carte restaurants had limited selection on the menu, but mostly delicious. TBH I prefer the buffet restaurant. 4. Pools were great. Drink services were great. Overall, everyone who worked there was courteous, and hardworking. I don't understand why some are complaining about this property. NOTE: I did not tip at all, but I still received amazing service. Note on the sales practice of their vacations club: We were intercepted by a salesman when we checked in, and we were to told to go for breakfast with them the next day and learn about how to make vacations more affordable with them in the future. We were told we will get some perks such as a free vacation certificate and some discounted snorkeling excursions. He said the breakfast would take 90 minutes. Next day we went and the breakfast was at the buffet restaurant, accompanied by the salesman. After eating we were asked a bunch of questions, then walked back to their office for more information. There were two packages that were being offered both with high upfront costs. After learning more we decided we could not do it. The whole thing took about 3 hours. And I attached the vacations certificate so you can decide whether it's worth it or not. Hint: the certificate is free, the vacation is not.

Katie

Upon check in after traveling all day and taking the ferry from playa del Carmen, we were given wristbands that do not tie or knot well and consistently came untied during our stay. We were never given a towel card either. When we asked to confirm the morning of transportation for one of the Ironman athletes staying with us they had no idea what we were referring to. We had to show her the email we received from Luis at the Occidental offering a limited number of transportation spots for the race morning for athletes and "getting on the list." We tried to confirm our athlete was on the list but she couldn't confirm this and was very non-chalant in telling us "yeah, sure don't worry." After check in we were supposed to be given a quick tour before going to our room however this turned into a 10min conversation about "getting a free VIP breakfast to get 30% off another Occidental stay." Upon asking questions and showing a possible interest we were then asked for a deposit, after being told it's free, "you'll get it back if you show up to the VIP breakfast." We were not interested in putting a deposit down and we told them multiple times we didnt have any free mornings at that time as the others in this reservation were diving and we'd have to see if they could move dives around. After being drilled for almost 10 minutes and trying to convince us we unfortunately had to get stern and say no. At this point we were very unimpressed so far less than an hour into arriving. After this we had to avoid walking past this desk or we were constantly pestered and pressured "are you ready yet to sign up." The room looked fine upon arrival, had an odd smell and the lights were quite dim. The first night my husband and I awoke to the sound of dripping water, this proceeded all night, soaking the floor and multiple towels we put down. I alerted the front desk the next morning and maintenance was sent right away. When maintenance slightly lifted the board in the ceiling, gallons of water poured out. Water soaking the bathroom and into the bedroom. I had to run around picking up anything on the floor to prevent it from getting saturated. This water dripping occured other nights as well, no offer for changing rooms or any compensation. There was a moldy smell and what appeared to be a crack in the wooden ceiling board, ready to collapse at any moment. The food at the buffets and restaurants were very subpar, lacking seasoning and flavor. All the food was quite cold or lukewarm. We had asked several people at reception and the gift shop if they had change to break a large bill (pesos) and their response to us was "this is a gift shop isn't it, are you going to buy something?" The staff overall were very nice and friendly. The grounds were beautiful and well kept with a nice beach area. However I would not come back to this resort or any Occidental.

Jo Stempien

Loved this resort! We visited Nov22-29 (coincidentally, IronMan race was 23rd) Our check-in was a breeze with Alejandra. She's a delightful woman with true customer service. Our adjoining rooms in Building 18 were spacious, maintained, and clean 🫧 Housekeeping was prompt and professional. The grounds staff are always busy keeping up the property (even after the Thursday night storm). 🌴 We enjoyed the tennis courts with rackets signed out from the front desk. 🎾 Ivis at the pool bar is a friendly gentleman. Brenda & Aaron continuously greeted us with smiles and kindness at the buffets. 🥰 The Mediterranean, Mexican and seafood restaurants all offered quality dishes and service was efficient. 🍽️ The pool had scheduled activities each day for anyone who was interested. 🏐 The beach is clean, chairs are in good repair, towels readily available. 🏊🏻‍♀️ We always felt exceedingly safe in every corner of the resort. My only disappointment occurred when the dress code was NOT enforced at the restaurants. Several guests not wearing the appropriate clothing for dinner, and nothing was said... Unfortunately, we witnessed a few interactions of hostility between other guests & the staff.. (manners go a long way, folks, even on vacation). All in all, this property is a fantastic choice 🫶🏻