Meson San Miguel

clean, sparse but comfortable

I stayed here with my daughter and niece. The room was a bright white with tile floor. The beds were comfortable. The room was sparse and the bathroom too. It was very clean. We loved the location and we are budget travelers so it worked for us. It you are expecting luxury than no. The only major drawback for me was the Ice Scream, Yous Scream guy outside who was so annoying that I felt like screaming myself. He sells ice cream from a cart and every two minutes he yells out "I scream, you scream" which definelty impacts your siesta time. He is usually gone by around five but I could have done without his voice all the time. Otherwise it was lovely to have a balcony overlooking the square and everthing is close by.

Traveler's tip on dining

Loved La Cocay restaraunt. The Hard Rock Cafe was the best for nightlife!

Dreadful

This hotel’s failings are pretty comprehensive: no working elevator; no voice mail; no clock in room; no mini bar; no fridge; a noisy, wall unit a.c.; no t.v. remote; no Internet; an unbelievably hard mattress (actually checked to make sure it wasn’t a row of 2x4’s); street and hallway noise. It is located on the sqaure, so that is convenient.

Traveler's tip on saving a few bucks

Walk three or four blocks into town (perpendicular to the ocean)and restaurant prices are much lower. Penetrate beyond the "cruise ship excursion" zone for best prices.

Really Sucked

This hotel’s failings are pretty comprehensive: no working elevator; no voice mail; no clock in room; no mini bar; no fridge; a noisy, wall unit a.c.; no t.v. remote; no Internet; an unbelievably hard mattress (actually checked to make sure it wasn’t a row of 2x4’s); street and hallway noise. It IS located on the sqaure, so that is convenient.

Traveler's tip on saving a few bucks

Walk directly perpendicular to the ocean just three or four blocks and restaurant prices reduce by half and the food is as good or better.

Another vacation in Cozumel

This is my 5th. vacation in Cozumel and my second stay at the San Miguel. The staff is warm and friendly. We always love to stay because they make you feel at home. It is located in the heart of the town square. So close to almost everything....and a short cab ride from the rest. The hotel itself is an older building but in good shape. There is a nice pool and seating. Lots of balcony rooms. We like to face the square so we can see all the activities. There is a snack bar, but no restaurant.There are many eateries close by.Shopping,too is just steps away.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

Don’t just stay in town. There are beaches at the other end of the island.Great places to visit.(see the Cozumel Blue Book). A must is dining at El Moro:an inexpensive cab ride away. Just ask the driver..he knows where it is. Shop off the main drag for great savings. Eat at Guidos for some great italian.Best fish in town is at Cafe Dennis: just across the square.I love Cozumel...

Location, location, location

That’s the best thing I can say about the hotel. It is in a great location, walking distance from the ferry dock and in the heart of the square. The A/C worked well in our room, but not in our friend’s room next door. There also is an elevator, which can’t be said for a lot of the hotels on Cozumel and was nice not to have to haul luggage up several flights of stairs. It was clean, but for some reason I just felt like the beds weren’t and had trouble sleeping (and not just from the rock hard mattress). It just kind of gave me the heebie-jeebies! The bathroom was pretty worn as well. It was okay for the one night we needed it, but next time I’ll stay somewhere not so convenient and that costs a little more $$ for a better night’s sleep.

Clean-smelling room!

I have stayed in plenty of 2-starred hotels, but this one surprised me when my room actually smelled of bleach (which means clean in my mind) when I first walked in. Each day it had a similar fragrance/was cleaned very well. I was impressed. As one other reviewer wrote about the pool at this hotel--I also found that every time I swam in the clean pool, nobody else was there. I think it is because everyone is exploring the island/mainland or swimming/snorkeling in the ocean. This hotel is also in a terrific location--right on the main square and 1 block from the ferry to the mainland. Of course the room is basic (no refridgerator), I found this hotel to be a great deal and would recommend it to people (who don’t require a 5-star level hotel).

Traveler's tip on local attractions

You can take the ferry to the mainland and then take a public bus (which is just 1 block up and 1 block over from the ferry). These public buses are like Greyhounds in the US. You can take a bus to Cancun (careful not to take the airport bus), or a bus to Tuluum (or elsewhere). Note that the Mayan ruins in Tuluum are good to see over the others, because they did not do human sacrifice, but were a trading post.

Excellent downtown location

Balcony rooms have been renovated since the hurricane. Very clean and friendly staff. Can’t beat the price and location for center of town location.

Great Hotel, Great Location

I was honestly nervous about choosing this hotel considering the price, but I only read one bad review so decided to go with it. I loved the hotel; it was kind of old fashioned but that made it beautiful. Our room had a view of the pool and ocean (quite beautiful), and other rooms had views of the plaza. It was definately a basic place, but really, what more do you need? I have never stayed at a resort because I like to do my own thing, and the Meson is in the perfect location right on the plaza. I could walk to anywhere in town (plaza, restaurants, museum, shops, Senor Frogs, Carlos & Charlie’s), and there are always taxis and mopeds to rent to go to Chankanaab or San Gervasio or wherever. The pier for the ferry (to go to Playa del Carmen) is also a two minute walk away. They also have dollar beers all day in the lounge which was also nice to have right on location!

Traveler's tip on dining

Los Dorados de Villa (in the plaza, amazing pina coladas) El Abuelo Gerardo (near the church, amazing chips and salsa, and the Mexican shrimp with cheese is probably one of the most amazing things I have ever eaten) Camillos Seafood (their scallop ceviche is so good)

Need Renovation

Great price for the location, but the condition, cleaniness, & smell of the Hotel was poor. Hotel services, front desk, was excellent. Bed linen scratchy and itchy, no hand towels for showering, bad odor (had to do some cleaning myself, and the room was very poorly designed and needs a make over.

Traveler's tip on recreational activities

Beaches on the East coast of the island is beautiful and not crowded like the beaches on West Coast with ports of the Cruise Ships.

Great location

We stayed at the hotel for one night, Friday, because we couldn’t get into our villa until Saturday. Check in was great. The front staff person was evidently expecting us and knew our names when we walked into the lobby. It probably took less than 5 minutes to sign in and get to our rooms. Clean rooms, great location, friendly staff. Would definetly stay here again.

Had a good time!

This place is simple. There are no sparkling extras as in a five stare but it is clean, has cable TV, hot water, and everyone was very nice. This place is also directly in town where all the action is. (majority of restaurants, shopping, bars, etc) This hotel is in a good location.

Inexpensive and Nice

Stayed for a week during Christmas with wife and kids. Very clean and in the center of all the action. Staff was friendly and attentive. Great place to stay for location and price.

Best rates in the center of town when you need multiple rooms. Safe location allows for teens to explore the square and downtown area. Local bands and activities in the square provide additional entertainment.

Convenient Local Hotel in San Miguel

This hotel is so convenient as it is only a block from the ferry and overlooks the colorful square of San Miguel and the clocktower. We walked to restaurants and shopping in the village. While the hotel is older, it has the character of Mexico and the staff is always helpful and smiling. It helps knowing some Spanish as not everyone speaks English. Only downside was that we had to either take a taxi or rent a car to get to the beach area. We would stay at Meson San Miguel again for sure.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

Renting a car will definately save you money when you want to go to the many beaches. Be sure to ride all around the island where you will find some excellent beach bars/restaurants on the uninhabited side. Playa Bonito had the best red snapper ever and the view was incredible. Restaurants in San Miguel are all very good and reasonably priced.