|
 Cozumel Has Recovered from
Hurricane Wilma
By Tracy Ferguson May 2006
The weekend of May 19-22, 2006, found me
in Cozumel on a site-inspection trip. I was absolutely astonished at the
progress which has been made there in the 7 short months since hurricane Wilma
struck the island in October of 2005.
The only aspect of the island which does not look better than
before the storm is the vegetation. The state and federal governments is
planning to wait a full year before doing any clearing so they can determine
what’s really dead vs. what just looks dead now. Ecology prevails!
The hotels (with a couple of exceptions) are better than ever. Of the 8 we
toured I have selected 3 “favorites” based on the fact that they have no time
shares. At a couple of otherwise lovely resorts I observed their time-share
sales agents literally pouncing on people as they entered the front doors. Not
for me!
 At the top of my list of “favorites” is EL COZUMELENO. It
underwent a multi-million dollar renovation about 6 years ago, which included
the addition of a second tower. And now it has been renovated again to repair
the storm damage and provide further enhancements. I would recommend the Deluxe
rooms in the North (original) tower. They are absolutely huge and beautiful
views of the beach. The rooms in the newer South tower are every bit as nice,
but slightly smaller. The feature I like best about EL COZUMELENO is that you
can dine either buffet-style or a la carte in the same restaurant, which also
has a breath-taking ocean view.
Many of the resorts have specialty a la carte restaurants
available only for dinner by reservation. But they limit the number of
reservations you can have (one for a 3-night stay; two for a 4-5 night stay, and
three for a 6-7 night stay.)
My next “favorite” is the COZUMEL PALACE. It has the
classiest rooms of any we saw. They’re enormous, each with a double Jacuzzi and
a separate sitting area. There’s an aura of romance about them.
The only drawback to this resort is that it has a miniscule
beach. You don’t really realize it due to the vast pool area right by the
water’s edge. There is a wedding gazebo on the second floor overlooking the
pool. The PLUS factor is that a snorkeling area is accessible via a very
gentle slope into the Caribbean right by the pool area.
 My third choice is the IBEROSTAR COZUMEL. While the 2
previous resorts are self-contained in 1 or 2 buildings, the IBEROSTAR is more
hacienda-like. It is really lovely, and the only reason I rank it #3 is that
it’s a 30-minute, $17.00 taxi ride from town. If you don’t have visions of
leaving the resort, don’t let that influence your choice.
The three cruise-ship piers in Cozumel were demolished in the
storm. Two of them have been re-built, but for some reason only one ship is
allowed to dock at any given time. Meanwhile, several ships a day are anchoring
offshore and tendering passengers into the municipal pier.
The numbers of locals speaking English has greatly increased,
and their hospitality is warmer than ever!
I can assure you that COZUMEL is ready for you and that they
will value your business! |
