Hotels near Plaza Barracuda, Cozumel

I was spied on in the shower by a hotel employee, and management tried to cover it up. It wasn’t until we involved the police that they became cooperative. What happened? Look at the photos, and you’ll see a sliding window in the shower that opens to a hallway closet. While I was showering, I looked up and saw a man’s face in the window, watching me. I screamed, grabbed a towel, and ran out to the hallway. When I opened the closet next to my room, I found that same man wearing a hotel uniform, trying to climb down from the window that overlooks my shower. He tried to push past me, but I caught him by the sleeve and took his radio. I shouted for help, and he said over and over, “Please, don’t tell.” Other guests arrived to assist me, and started taking photos and video of the scene. The desk clerk named Angel came upstairs and initially claimed that he’d told the pervert peeping tom named Vicktor to get a broom from that closet. Observe from the photo that this is not a utility closet, and is empty except for pipes. We also found footholds carved into the cinderblock beneath the shower window. Once we pointed out the falsehood of his claim, Angel then said that Vicktor was never in the closet, that it’s his word against mine. Angel refused to call the hotel manager, and then refused to call the police. He took Victor to the office behind the hotel desk, and we saw him on his phone, smiling and laughing. Members of my group called the police and contacted the hotel owner Gilberto, who said he would come in 2 hours because he was not nearby. I give credit to the local police in Cozumel, who responded quickly, and also called their supervisor to the scene, who took our reports and investigated the closet. We discovered that many rooms, on all four floors of the hotel, have these fake utility closets with windows opening to the shower. None of the closets were locked, and only women had been assigned to these rooms by the front desk clerk. When the owner Gilberto arrived, he initially denied everything, then once the police sergeant supervised the interaction, the owner finally conceded that “because it’s bad for business,” he would repair the shower windows and lock the closets, and he also said Vicktor the peeping tom would be terminated. However Gilberto the owner denied that Angel the desk clerk had any part in covering up the incident or funneling female guests to those rooms. I was very concerned about what appeared to be a serious safety and privacy problem—who knows many staff are involved in their peeping tom operation and how long they’ve been doing it? How young are their victims? Are they taking photos and video too? I’ve never felt so violated and disgusted. There are plenty of nice places to stay in Cozumel, go someplace that takes the privacy and safety of their guests seriously.

PROs: Across the street from the ocean and a great shore diving spot. Beautifully landscaped grounds, nice pool, beach club, and open-air restaurant with swim-up bar. Traditional Mexican hotel layout with open courtyards and lanais that have nice views of garden and/or ocean. Peaceful vibe. CONs: Most of the restaurants in the area are overpriced Senor Frog/Hooters-type establishments catering to the drink-and-dive crowd. Restaurants in the north of town and just off Centro are much better quality and value, but require a cab into town. Buffet breakfast was carb-heavy steam table fare which was overpriced at more than $15/person. Restaurants in the US would offer this for free. Front desk staff was not particularly friendly or helpful. When my husband lost his bag in the lobby and they did not find it in lost and found, they did not check for it behind the desk until we asked a second time and they magically ”found” it. A little effort and thought here would have made a difference to us. The beach club is nice but the swimming was much too rough for me (located between two piers and the road, with mostly a view of the cruise ships in front). Net: great place to drink margaritas and dive

We were incredibly disappointed with this hotel, it looks 5 star but the experience isn’t. We stayed July 2024. On check in, the whole process took over an hour because they had put our reservation down for August…not July. This was eventually resolved and we were given a ‘temporary’ room for a few hours. At this point we were understanding- these things happen and they offered a solution. The man on the check in was pleasant but incredibly slow. We stayed for 4 nights and there is no doubt the setting is wonderful and the rooms were lovely- however breakfast (included) was atrocious and lacking the basics. Bread but no butter or jam etc out, we had to ask every time and often more than one member of staff to eventually get it- often taking over 20 mins. One day there was no buffet at all but no one could explain why. You could order 2 out of the 3 remaining dishes on the menu but you were only allowed one per person. I had pancakes but then had the same fiasco that they came with no syrup and I had to ask 2 members of staff and wait 20 mins to eventually get it. On the Saturday night we stayed there, the hotel decided to throw a party until 2am…. Guests unfortunately were not invited or made aware so we were kept awake for several hours in our room. I went to reception to complain and was told a manager would speak with me in the morning..needless to say they didn’t. Reading between the lines, they host a lot of events for the local community (which is great) but the communication around it was poor and not acceptable for hotel guests. If they had invited hotel guests and offered a drink on the house or something along those lines it would make much more sense. The whole experience was completely bizarre and not worth the price they charged. I would expect this kind of service from a cheap local guesthouse, not a 5 star resort. The staff were not unpleasant at all but poorly organised and lacking basic communication.

This hotel was in a great location. We stayed in the non-updated part but only because we wanted a larger room. The hotel offered to upgrade us but we wanted the room with a tub. We loved our stay there and would definitely go again!

Really lovely stay with especially friendly staff in the restaurant. Gorgeous resort with two beaches and nice pools - the food at the hotel restaurant is excellent so we ate there happily every night.

This was my second stay at the Westin Cozumel. The property is beautiful and well-maintained, and in a nice location - just a 5-10 taxi ride into town. There are several restaurants that are excellent and just steps away. The private beach and snorkeling steps away is a real plus. The staff is very pleasant and kind, particularly Damian at the front desk. We also enjoyed a massage at the Zazil spa on-site - excellent services with hydrotherapy and very skilled masseuse. The rooms were clean with comfortable beds and amazing views. Would recommend! The only I thing i foresee needing an update would be the bathroom tile work - it's starting to look a little dated/ragged. It's a short ride from the airport so, traveling from Houston, we can be on the beach with a drink in hand in under 4 hours. Win. win.