10 Best Hotels in Cozumel, Mexico

Although not on the beach, this distinctive and inexpensive hotel overlooks the water, and its oceanfront rooms, with comfortable balconies from which to enjoy the views, are worth the added cost. Other rooms might face Avenida Rafael E. Melgar, the town's rooftops, or the hotel’s indoor terrace, but all are immaculate and feature bathtubs (a rarity downtown). It all makes for an efficient and pleasant place place to stay in San Miguel, and the rates are surprisingly affordable for all you get—large rooms, free Wi-Fi, and a made-to-order breakfast. It's popular with visitors doing business on the island and those who prefer walking to everything they need.

This newest entry into the San Miguel lodging sweepstakes is this snazzy, sleek, starkly modern hotel that offers an elegance previously unseen downtown. Rooms gleam with white walls and lots of polished woodwork. Deluxe and superior rooms have balconies, and they’re not that much more than the standard option. The building is angled such that all rooms have a view of the ocean. There’s a small on-premises restaurant but you are within easy walking distance to San Miguel’s many dining options.

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.

All rooms at this diver-oriented hotel are enlivened by simple Mexican artwork, but those with sea-facing balconies are lighter, airier, and don't cost that much more. Bilevel cabanas, which sleep three or four, are a good deal. In addition to a trio of diving associates offering a wide range of tours and services, the property has storage areas for your gear. A narrow beach across the street has palapa-shaded hammocks, a wooden sundeck with lounge chairs, and steps leading into the water.

This sleek boutique property has quickly become the lodging of choice for a discerning young crowd. (It's plenty fun, if not quite as hip as the next-door Hotel B Unique.) Service is attentive; with so many areas to hang out around the pool and beach, though, catching the waiter's eye can be a challenge. Each room has clean lines and its own Mexican decor elements. The restaurant and bar are perfect for enjoying sunsets. Thanks to the hotel’s amenities, you can start the morning with a yoga class and then retreat to the spa, or spend the day snorkeling and diving.

This hip adults-only design hotel has a wellness, holistic, and boho attitude overall. The sister property of next-door B Cozumel, Unique features its own infinity swimming pool, spa, restaurant, and a rooftop bar with a plunge pool included. Wellness coach, yoga lessons, and alkaline menu are available upon request. Rooms come with king beds.

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 lights of San Miguel are a distant glow on the horizon when you look west from the windward coast's only lodging, a small rustic inn that's run on generator power and has spacious, simply furnished rooms with patios or balconies. Two-story suites have a bedroom and full bath upstairs plus a living area, half bath, and kitchenette downstairs. Mexican-style meals are served on the open-air deck. Sleeping with the doors and windows open allows you to be lulled by the pounding surf. Sea turtles nest on the long beach beside the hotel in summer, and tropical fish gather by the rocky point.

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.