11 Best Hotels in Cozumel, Mexico

The luxurious InterContinental has top-notch service, expansive lawns, pristine beaches, and spacious, modern rooms. Situated in a quiet patch of jungle, this property is away from the cruise-ship hustle and bustle, making it the perfect place for those looking to escape. Guest rooms are sleek and creatively utilize wood and earth tones to set the mood. The rooms are enhanced by luxe touches like outdoor rain showers, spacious outdoor lounge furniture areas, or whirlpool tubs with a sea view. The spa is the island's best, and active types can take advantage of the dive shop, tennis courts, 24-hour modern gym, putting greens, and daily roster of activities. There is even an adults-only pool away from the main areas and a dedicated kids' area located at the opposite end of the facility.

The clean and bright guest rooms at this locally owned hotel, a big favorite among hard-core divers, all have balconies or terraces with hammocks and racks for drying dive gear. Outside, you'll find a pool fronted by a small lawn, plus a tiny beach with a pier for dive boats. Snorkeling is good right offshore. The adjacent restaurant of the same name has a menu of tasty dishes and tables on a second-story deck overlooking the water.

Good snorkeling off the rocky shoreline and a relaxed family feel make this resort, which offers both hotel rooms and apartmentlike units, a north-coast favorite. The latter have one or two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a balcony or terrace. Most of the studio-size hotel rooms overlook the jungle; try to get an ocean-facing one on an upper floor for the best views and sea breezes. The hotel has an infinity pool, a small, man-made, sandy beach and its own PADI dive center. 

In high season, guests surround the enormous pool at this bright-orange Wyndham property, while activity directors enliven the crowd with games and loud music. The scene is quieter at the beach club, which is accessed via an under-street tunnel; however, the beach here is a rocky shoreline, not a sandy strand. The large rooms are reminiscent of a moderate chain hotel, with tile floors, comfy beds, and bathtub-shower combos. All-inclusive packages cover not only meals, drinks, taxes, and tips but also a scuba lesson at the hotel's PADI dive center.

Gleaming white in the afternoon sun, the Cozumel Palace seems more like a cruise ship than an upscale all-inclusive hotel, one where the music and flowing drinks in the tight confines of the pool deck area create a lively outdoor atmosphere. In sharp contrast, the romantic, multilevel bedrooms are airy enclaves with whirlpool tubs, luxurious bathrooms, stocked refrigerators, and balcony hammocks. Three top-quality restaurants and an outdoor snack bar offer numerous dining options and the buffet breakfast is not to be missed. The Palace Resorts chain has time-share and club programs, so salespeople are about. The small, man-made beach is a good place to hide from the pool area. The snorkeling along the pool's edge is made easy with several ladder entry locations.

Next door to the Puerta Maya cruise pier and shopping center, this smallish resort, part of a small Mexican hotel chain, is a comfortable choice, with some condo-style rooms that have kitchenettes. Most overlook the ocean, though you may have to crane your neck around the massive cruise ships parked in front to see it. The lobby and pool area separate two buildings, one facing a generous beach and the other above a smaller patch of sand bordering a shallow saltwater lagoon with a waterfall and a temazcal (outdoor sauna).

Jungle greenery surrounds this all-inclusive resort at Cozumel's southernmost point, where bungalow rooms are small but pleasant. Each has wrought-iron details, one king-size or two queen-size beds, and a terrace or patio with hammocks. Rooms with king beds have more space. There isn't much privacy if you are on the ground floor—pathways through the resort wind around the bungalows—but this is the most enjoyable of the reasonably priced all-inclusives on the southern coast. Reservations for dinner are strictly enforced. Significant discounts are available by reserving via the Iberostar website.

One of the first international-class hotels in Cozumel, Meliá continues to satisfy by offering guests a bit of everything, including a wide variety of restaurants and activities, including motorized and nonmotorized water sports. An 18-hole mini-golf course, plus well-equipped kids' club and games room, mean that children and teenagers will be busy and happy; a top-notch spa is available for parents to unwind and disconnect. 

Playa Azul feels like a charming, understated Mexican hacienda—there's elegance in its simplicity, and its spacious rooms overlooking the courtyard pool and ocean are tastefully decorated with Mexican furnishings. Palapas shade the lounge chairs on the sandy beach, and you can arrange snorkeling or diving trips at the hotel's dive shop. An on-site spa offers body and beauty treatments. The all-inclusive option includes the restaurant's à la carte menu, and the adjacent beach club serves lighter fare and live music on Sunday. The hotel offers frequent Web-only specials.

The landscaped grounds here are lovely, as are most rooms, although, as befitting the price, there's a certain budget-hotel sparseness to the place. Several low-rise buildings framing generous lawns house the guest rooms, the largest of which have white Moorish facades and archways separating the living and sleeping areas. All rooms have sunken bathtubs and refrigerators; some have terraces or balconies shaded with red awnings. There are two small restaurants on-site, and many more are within walking distance in this tourist area. The sea is across the street from the rooms, gardens, and pool, and there's a dock for dive boats. Numerous dive shops are nearby.

This sophisticated white tower is one of the island's most luxurious hotels, with ultramodern decor and incredible ocean views. Dine in luxury at the Mayan-named Cuzamil restaurant offering Mexican-Mediterranean-fusion cuisine or enjoy a more casual meal at the water's-edge palapa restaurant. A rooftop bar and pool offer excellent views of the sunset and of the mainland 19 km (12 miles) away. A beachfront pool, kids' club, and small sandy beach complete the ground-floor area. An added bonus are three popular restaurants located directly across the street.