The Explorean Cozumel All Inclusive — Hotel in Isla Cozumel

(Not hotel related but the shuttle from the airport to the Explorean was $9/person, paid at the airport. Taxi from the hotel to the airport was $25 total.)

COVID: Words can't capture how disappointed we were that all beach service was discontinued (as of April 2022) - no beach bar, grill, chairs, beds, etc. That was a main perk of the hotel and was not available. Testing for return to the US was super simple. Our appointment was for the day before our flight and we had results within 30 minutes, with all necessary information for the airlines.

Staff: Our first experience was with Rubi at check-in who is super friendly, helpful, speaks great English, and has an incredible memory for names. It is truly special to be greeted by name when passing her at the lobby desk.

Food: Disappointingly, no bar serves alcohol before 10am, even for mimosas. Restaurant reservations at Fiesta Americana begin at 8:30am and were easy to get for 7pm every day. Each restaurant had enough options that we went multiple times without repeating dishes. The Explorean meals were a smaller selection but just as good.

Facilities: The towels are extra large which is perfect for the pool or beach, and there's no hassle with borrowing them. The umbrellas at Fiesta Americana are horrendously worn, missing almost all the pins to keep them open and requiring some kind of knot tying to not snap shut. The umbrella arms have also ripped through most fabric holds so many don't open fully; many are also lacking proper bases so they tilt scarily, especially when windy.

The Explorean is a sister of the Fiesta Americana - everyone staying here has access to the larger hotel, but not vice versa. This allows access to the party atmosphere when desire with an ability to retreat to the secluded forest pool and guest area when needed. The Explorean offers daily activities which I thought would be lame walks in the woods but were genuinely fun outings to see the island. We appreciated the printed sheet showing all of the activities during our stay, including a description and recommended items to bring.

Buggy Tour: Note that you'll be driving so ensure you bring a license. Many cars are stickshift so keep an eye on which you grab. While it was quite an adventure driving the little buggies in Mexico, I'm not sure the stops were entirely worth it. After a highway stretch, first was a "panoramic view" which was just slightly interesting rock formations into the water. There was a little shop setup nearby with a bar and bathrooms. Then was an hour at an east-side beach club, with a better set-up of chairs, umbrellas, hammocks, and tables. Last was a stop at a local tequila shop, where the tour of how agave is grown and harvested lasted 5 minutes and the sales pitch to buy their tequila lasted 20 minutes, though with some tasting samples thrown in. The last bit of driving was more city-like with multiple roundabouts and turns across traffic, which delayed our return with so many different cars but the guides (Edgar and Francisco) were absolutely amazing and pulled to the side after every complicated turn to ensure everyone was together.

Ecological Park: This was a relatively good trip, though the time-spent vs fun-had ratio is low. After a 30 minute bus ride, you arrive at Punta Sur where you may see some crocodiles and fish in a marsh and a very small Mayan ruin, followed by an optional $2/person boat ride that I wouldn't particularly recommend unless you're easily bored at the beach. Otherwise you spend about 1.5 hours at a beach club, with nice enough chairs, umbrellas, and servers with a full menu, as well as a shower and bathrooms. There is a solid shallow snorkeling area but it's mostly grass; despite this, we saw several starfish, a handful of fish, and a turtle. On the way out, you stop by the lighthouse which is a pretty view despite the difficult stair climb. There's a little shopping area at the base and bathrooms. Edgar and Ruben led this activity and they were amazing as always. They also had a cooler of drinks and small...

We stayed at the Explorean which gives you full access to the Fiesta Americana, we spent most of our time at the Fiesta Americana facilities.

Room: We really appreciated that you only have neighbors on one wall because you are in a four-plex. If you have trouble with stairs I would suggest calling to ensure you have a room on the ground floor. It was super quiet and very restful. Appreciated that the bathroom is separate from the rest of the room. Keep in mind the walk in shower is in the main room- it does have privacy glass but might be uncomfortable if friends are sharing a room. There are NO TV's in the rooms, which is fine because the internet is strong.

Daily excursions: You are assigned excursions at check in and you will not have one on check in/out day. We were assigned snorkeling 3 out of the 4 days and asked to substitute some and were told its very hard to do. In short, you have to show up and just hope that other people don't show up to take their spot. The time that would take for a slim chance wasn't worth it so we did not go to half of them. We noticed those who booked directly with the hotel (not a booking site) had better excursions assigned which was disappointing for us. We enjoyed the island tour, especially the stop at the beach on the other side of the Island (bring cash!). Sit on left side of the bus for the best views of the ocean headed back to the hotel.

Food: Do the tasting dinner! Exclusive beach view seating with some amazing courses. Italian food was a clear winner, followed closely by the Mexican restaurant. Steaks/Tuna ask for a level down from the temperature you usually order they tend to over shoot the temperature which is common in Mexico so this gives you usually what you are looking for. The seafood lunch spot was very tasty we had the whole fish almost every day and it was wonderful. Breakfast buffet is run of the mill. If you are staying at the Explorean skip the restaurant there, that was the only meal we left disappointed.

Bar: Good service, mid grade liquor comes standard. Lots of flavored vodka which isn't something we see at other spots. No knock off brands used from what we could see.

Service: Arturo, the dining Captain, is a gem of Fiesta Americanal! He was attentive, quickly grew to know our preferences and ensured our dinning was always excellent. We spoke to several other guests who also mentioned how thoughtful Arturo was.

Coffee shop: We love coffee so having a barista all day was a huge plus for us.

Beach: The beach is closed BUT thats actually great news for people like us who prefer less people. It's a super short walk (2-3 minutes) to the bar/restaurant and bathrooms. We brought lunch down to the beach each day. They maintain the beach lap pool and we never had to share it. BEACH TIP: Because the beach is technically closed there is no service or lounges/mats. Bring 6ft long beach mats to lay out on as well as large beach towel clips to secure when you hop in the pool or ocean. We raided our mini fridge for canned beer and water and then had them fill thermoses with mixed drinks to cut down on trips back to the resort.

Pool: The Fiesta Americana pool is great and service was plentiful. The women who work the day shift (Sophia and Flavia) are very friendly and we joined the kiddos in morning crafts (friendship bracelets, keychains, etc) which was surprisingly fun. The Explorean pool is beat up and the hot tub is not hot. Photos made the pool seem much larger. Not many guests spent time at it which made it easy to lounge there.

Entertainment: Starts at 8 each evening. Smaller productions. We really enjoyed the Karaoke night because the guests were in it to win it.

This was a smaller location than we were used to which turned out to be nice because you can form casual friendships with the other guests. We will return...

Absolutely loved our time at this all-inclusive resort. The place is beautiful. The food was delicious. However, it’s the people of the Explorean Cozumel and its sister resort Fiesta Americana Cozumel that will have you enjoying every moment and looking forward to returning. The scenery is stunning with a tropical jungle feel to it. There is an intimacy that makes this a wonderful place to be romantic. Another plus for the Explorean guests is that you can use the Fiesta Americana hotel’s amenities as well as the ones available at the Explorean. Since they can’t use the Explorean’s amenities, this makes the Explorean very quiet. You will split time between both resorts because at the Fiesta American you have stunning beach and waterfront views and so much more. As for the food, you have the Explorean restaurant and Fiesta Americana restaurants to choose from. Do breakfast at least once at the Explorean, but I recommend enjoying the water views from Fiesta Americana Vina Del Mar while eating breakfast. It is heaven!!! The Grill on the beach is a must do for the Fish Tacos. My wife loved them. I am vegetarian yet at every restaurant they can accommodate any food restrictions you may have. Just ask. Lunch is great at Vina Del Mar also. As for dinner, the Explorean restaurant is great and the Fiesta Americana Mexican & Rosata were very nice also. MUST GET is the Choccolitto, chocolate cake desert at Rosata. Didn’t make it to the Peninsula the Asian food restaurant or the Sushi. There is Room Service, yet with an extra charge. Now to the best part, the people and staff of the Explorean and Fiesta Americana. I’ll start with the excursions crew. Part of the draw of the Explorean is that there are free daily activities and you will get a schedule from your concierge once you check in. As for the excursion crew, they are a group of people who love their job because what they do is deliver activities that are fun, learning and grounded in Mayan culture. You will learn that the Yucatan of Mexico is Mayan and the experiences you get there will be a part of you forever. You will meet most of the staff through excursions or just nice casual conversation around the grounds. Everyone is so friendly. I spoke already about the food, but it is nothing without the wonderful cooks and servers. The concierges are amazing. These people are here to make sure your stay is wonderful, and they really do a great job at it. If you need something, have any issues, want to change something, etc., they are a small walk to the front. What I love most is that they all work together although you are assigned with a concierge upon arrival. We were blessed to have Vanessa work with us. I have special thank you for her at the bottom. Bottom line is that my wife and I loved our stay and will return to the Explorean Cozumel and are looking at staying at the Explorean Kohunlich and other Fiesta Americana resorts as well. What a wonderful vacation!

My personal Thank you list: Excursions: Renata "The Best", Alvaro, Andrea, Luis & Sebastian. Staff: Gloria, Pedro Restaurant: Alfonso and Roberto. Vina del Mar, Isabel, Gabriel, Hector, Manuel, Catalina, Lucinda & My Man, Ruben. Emanuel Grills on the beach Edgar. Concierge: Vanessa, Darwin, Guillermo and Marco are extra special for us. To Vanessa, thank you one million times and I still could not thank you enough. You truly took care of us and we will always thank you and look forward to crossing paths with you again. You are an amazing person and wonderful concierge. Thank you all and I am truly sorry if I missed anyone. Let me know when I get back. Last one. It was truly a pleasure meeting and talking with you, Mirko. We won’t...