9 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.

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.

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).

Five blocks south of San Miguel's main plaza, this small inn consists of two-story buildings set around a lush courtyard. Second-floor rooms get far more air and light than those at ground level, but all have coffeemakers, purified water, and bathrobes. There’s also a town house with a full kitchen and two bedrooms. There is no pool, but the ocean is just a block away. Dive packages are offered at a discount.

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.

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.