When it comes to a tropical island paradise, Cozumel may be one of our favorite islands. It has palm trees, amazing tacos and scuba diving – everything we value in a vacation. Past vacations have brought us to Cozumel on a cruise ship, but on this trip we came to the tranquil oasis of the Hotel B Cozumel for four days and three nights.
Perched on the rocky west coast of Cozumel, the Hotel B could not be more ocean-front. Scuba divers and snorkelers head out into the ocean from the steps immediately beneath the jacuzzi. We brought our own snorkel gear with us and enjoyed checking out the hotel’s reef wall. [We wrote an in-depth guide about good snorkel gear here, which may help you.]
There is also a wooden verandah that sits immediately above the water where we did morning yoga. As it turns out, we’re not yoga people. We sweated like you wouldn’t believe. We worked muscles we didn’t know we had. The instructor and other participants were all very polite in tolerating us, but it was really unpleasant and the mats offered little in the way of comfort (we recently learned there are actually some comfortable yoga mats). We don’t see yoga being a regular for us, but we do feel like we need to give it another chance.
But the most iconic feature of the hotel is the bright red chairs on the small pier jutting out into the ocean. One of our favorite things was watching the sun set over the chairs, the pier, and the ocean every night. It’s picture perfect!
The Hotel B Cozumel took over the property of the former Fontan hotel. Renovated and remodeled in 2012, it is obvious the new owners put an incredible amount of TLC in renovating the property. It’s just breathtaking. It’s also easy to see why this hotel is a distinguished member of Mexico Boutique Hotels. From the moment of arrival, you can just tell it is going to be a special experience.
I wish we could say that we did a lot of things while at staying at the property. Yes, we did morning yoga – the first time either of us had tried this form of exercise. Yes, we did the very cool ceviche demonstration with the hotel’s chef, which also doubled as a delicious al fresco lunch (and we highly recommend doing it). Yes, we enjoyed the on-property restaurant several nights. And, of course we went scuba diving in Cozumel. But our focus while at the property was on the motto tiled at the bottom of the pool: “JUST BE!” And that’s exactly what we did.
The Hotel B Cozumel
The Restaurant: The Hotel B Cozumel’s restaurant, Costeñito Bistro, offers a blend of Mexican and Mediterranean favorites, along with quick bites throughout the day. Our personal highlights were the Baja shrimp tacos with guacamole for lunch. In the evening, we enjoyed the habanero mango shrimp (they’re spicy and sweet all at the same time) or the steak arrachera. The food is excellent!
The Bar: The pool bar serves drinks throughout the day. In the evenings, the restaurant bar takes over duty. No matter where you are on the property, a friendly employee in white shirt and khaki pants is happy to deliver the beverage of your dreams.
The Spa and Recreational Facilities: The Hotel B Cozumel offers yoga every morning on the terrace overlooking the ocean. On one side of the pool bar is the massage studio, where you can get a number of different massage and body treatments. The spa is open 10:00am-2:00pm and by request.
On the other side of the pool bar is the on-site scuba dive shop, Scuba Du. Cozumel is a world-class dive destination and is on the top of many visitors’ activities lists. Scuba Du is open 8:00am-4:00pm. They run scuba and snorkel excursions by boat from the hotel’s dock. Shore diving is also possible, but we didn’t partake. It is also possible to rent kayaks or paddle surf boards.
The Room
The Rooms: Almost every room at the Hotel B is an ocean-view room, and there’s really no bad choice. With only 40 rooms, the resort embodies the essence of a boutique hotel: small in size, outstanding in service and excellent at intimacy. The minimalistic tiled rooms direct your focus outside on the stunning ocean views and palm trees that you enjoy from your private balcony or terrace. (Note: There is not an elevator, however the staff is happy to carry your bags to your room.)
The Bed: The semi-firm bed relieves your “stress” of the day (as if lounging in paradise is stressful). (Note: If you are a light sleeper, you may want to bring earplugs. The island’s birds can be a little loud in the mornings.)
The WiFi: There is excellent free wifi in the lobby. There is no wifi in the guest rooms.
The Television: The room had a large flat panel TV mounted from the ceiling, although we didn’t turn it on once the entire time we were at the Hotel B Cozumel. The satellite TV offers a number of international channels, including ESPN, Fox Sports, CNN International, Fox News, Cinemax and several movie channels.
The Safe: The room has a safe for valuables.
The Bathroom
The Bathroom: The bathroom consists of a toilet and a giant tiled shower. The sink is in the main room.
The Details
The Cost: We stayed in the Ocean Deluxe Room, which starts at $143 per night.
The Location: The hotel is located on the north end of the island in the Zona Hotelera about 2 miles (3.5 kilometers) from the downtown ferry terminal. It sits directly on the ocean and has stunning views of the sunset over the ocean.
The Transportation: The hotel is best reached via taxi from either the airport or ferry pier. If arriving by private car, there is parking available on the street. Cabs readily patrol the area outside the hotel and there was always a taxi at hand. There are also has a number of bikes on property for you to pedal into town, offering a different and unique way to experience the island.
The Airport Transfer: The nearest airport is the Cozumel International Airport (CZM), which is about 2.5 miles (4.1 kilometers) from the hotel. Many visitors traveling to Cozumel actually arrive via Cancan International Airport (CUN). To get to Cozumel from Cancun, you must first take a bus or taxi to Playa del Carmen (approximately 60 minutes), and then the ferry (another 45-50 minutes). There are three ferry companies and each has hourly crossings. You shouldn’t need to wait more than 30 minutes for the next one. The latter option of coming to Cancun and then taking the ferry is how we came on this trip.
The Address: Carretera Playa San Juan KM 2.5, Zona Hotelera Nte., 77600 Cozumel, Q.R., Mexico
The Phone for Booking: Reservations can be made toll-free from the USA and Canada at 1-855-223-6061.
Book Now: Hotel B Cozumel
The Final Verdict
The Hotel B Cozumel is the perfect home away from home for a relaxing vacation. This is the place for a vacation to go scuba diving or simply to just be in the moment.
We were the guests of Boutique Hotels of Mexico (Hoteles Boutique de Mexico), but extended our stay at the resort at our own expense. All opinions of the relaxing and exceptional are our own.
Lance Longwell is a travel writer and photographer who has published Travel Addicts since 2008, making it one of the oldest travel blogs. He is a life-long traveler, having visited all 50 of the United States by the time he graduated high school. Lance has continued his adventures by visiting 70 countries on 5 continents – all in search of the world’s perfect sausage. He’s a passionate foodie and enjoys hot springs and cultural oddities. When he’s not traveling (or writing about travel), you’ll find him photographing his hometown of Philadelphia.
Toni
Wednesday 2nd of October 2019
Is there a beach swimming access at the hotel? Or do you have to travel to go swimming on the beach?
Lance Longwell
Wednesday 2nd of October 2019
There is direct ocean access, but it is not really a "beach" as we know it. There's a broad sandy area that is elevated about 8 or 9 feet above the water. There are stairs that then go down into the water, which is rather rocky. That said, it's a lovely secluded area with direct ocean access. Hope that helps clarify the Hotel B beach access.
Lukas
Thursday 22nd of August 2019
Does hotel B have day passes?
Lance Longwell
Sunday 25th of August 2019
They used to, although they don't publicize them. While we stayed there, we saw several employees of various cruise ship companies come and use the property on a day pass. We can't guarantee if they still offer them.