Barracuda Hotel

Posted on 05/20/03
Name: Gustafson
State: CA
Traveled: April, 2003
Stayed: Cozumel
Weather: Excellent
Recommended
Value: Good Value

All_Inclusive: No
Children: No
Appearance: 8
Lobby: 10
Beach: 10
Pool: n/a

Rooms: 9
Food: 9
Staff: 9
Amenities: 8
Location: 10

Comments: We loved the very convenient location: two blocks from a large grocery store and 3 blocks from downtown. The rooms come with a mini fridge, so we could have breakfast and lunch fare...worked out great to come back between dives and not have to go out for a meal and a beer. The rooms were very clean, lots of hot water. The place is older but kept up very nicely. The view from the second floor was lovely, the little beach with palm trees was very nice. A forner review had recommended not gettinga room right in front of the restaurant...that's what they gave us, but were very nice about our request to move. And it was a better view, at least from the second floor. Perhaps from higher up it wouldn't matter. The only thing I wish I had brought was a little reading light, since the overhead lighting is not great for before-bed-reading. It's a very basic hotel, nothing fancy...but it worked perfectly for us. They don't provide any free bottled water, we bought la
rge jugs from the nearby grocery store. We dove with Dive Paradise, which was also very convenient, since they have an office on the premises. It was great to just walk downstairs and out to the dock to catch the boat. With all the diving we did, it just couldn't have been easier.

Posted by Jody on 11/13/02

I stayed 2 hours and checked out, my room didn't have alock on it and wasn't very clean. No elevators. Now a friend stayed 1 night before coming home and said the second floor was OK, no 3 star but 2 maybe! Definetly a divers hotel, but GOOD location and nice snorkeling and on the water! So if you aren't expecting great or good this will be ok.

Posted by Ursula on 09/08/02

I stayed at the Barracuda Hotel and used Dive Paradise, on site.The hotel is simple, but clean, 2 minutes to walk to town .

Posted by Marcos on 12/06/01

I haven't been there in a couple of years but we stayed at the Baracuda last time. It was extremely inexpensive, on the beach, close to town, and we had a fridge in the room. All for $50! I wouldn't say the decore is great but it was clean, we had a view of the ocean, mostly divers stayed there.

Posted by Christine on 11/01/01

They book a lot of their rooms with packaged deals for diver groups from the US. If you want to stay there make sure and get your reservations ahead of time. Just showing up and asking for a vacancy did not work for us once. I never saw the rooms but they are on the water, within walking distance of town and have been described as no frills basic but clean. I personally think a mini frig is a nice "frill".

Posted by Jim on 05/30/01

Stayed at the Barracuda for 8 nights during May, 2001. Great location, both to town and for morning pickups from Dive Paradise. Best thing was there were no kids running around yelling. A place for divers! Only down side was you can't use the tap water to brush your teeth, and you must throw used toilet paper in the waste basket. Minor inconveniences!
We found the beds comfortable, and the view was excellent. Except for one guy, the staff is friendly and helpful. I shall return!

Posted by edbro on 03/22/01

We stayed at the Barracuda. Ask for a room not overlooking the restaurant, and you'll be fine. The lobster place next door has good breakfast, but it's also really close to downtown. It's cheap--a "divers' hotel"--nothing fancy. I think some of our co-travelers really missed out with the all-inclusives on San Miguel.

Posted by Watt on 06/15/00

We agree with Peggy. Have stayed for at last 5 trips and never had a bad experience. Doesn't look like much from the street, but it's very nice inside.

Posted by Peggy T. on June 12, 2000

Hi everyone! My husband and I took our first trip to Cozumel May 22 - 29. We stayed at the Hotel Barracuda. If you want to stay in a clean hotel, reasonably priced, stay here. The room was air conditioned and had a ceiling fan, 2 double beds and a refrigerator in the room. We walked about 4 blocks to the local grocery store, Chadrui, (which was like a super Walmart in the US) and bought meat, cheese, bread, peanut butter, etc. to keep in our room for lunches. Also had great pastries for breakfast. Never having been to Cozumel before, we had many new experiences before us. One of these was the fact that you can not find a regular wash cloth on the island. I asked for one at the hotel and they gave me another handtowel! At the store I looked in the houseware section and found nothing smaller than a hand towell! So, bring your own from home! Also discovered that they do not have bottled milk on the island. Milk is made from powder or canned milk. Our hotel provided 2 bottles of purified water daily, but they were small bottles. Considering that you must brush your teeth and rinse your toothbrush with bottled water, it isn't enough! Go to the store and buy more or the hotel will charge you $1.50 US per bottle for extra water. The hotel is located on the beach and has its own pier for dive boat pick up. There is also a dive shop (Dive Paradise) located at the hotel, but more about dive shops next report. (Dive shop was great) The court yard is a great place to relax or meet new people while waiting for your boat or rinsing your gear. There is also an eatery in the courtyard that serves really good chicken tacos. They have dive lockers for your gear by the courtyard, tho we never had any trouble when we left our gear out on the wall during the day. Every room has a small balcony to sit on and enjoy the view. If you stay on the first floor, you will have direct access to the beach from your balcony. We walked to town every nite to eat supper, shop and enjoy the nitelife in Coz. We liked being able to walk most anywhere we wanted to go. We will definately stay there next time we go. I would rather spend my money on other things instead of spending it all on a room I only sleep and shower in. Check in later for part 2. (Please pardon my poor Spanish spelling.)

Posted by Breckguy on May 13, 2000

First time to Cozumel, came to dive morning, afternoon and night, very affordable, walk right to down, comfortable enough rooms. If you want to be pampered and hang out at the pool, not. If you want to meet great professional divers and have fun, it was just right. Dive Paradise was pretty together, lots of experience, most divemasters worked out well. Other info E -Me at sunriver@colorado.net.

Posted by Brad on November 15, 1999

Stayed at the Barracuda a year ago last July.

Its just a place to sleep, no TV, No Phone, No Restaurant or Gift Shop. The room was small although clean. They do have a dive operation on premises and it was great for "Gorilla Diving" as I dove morning, afternoon and night. But if you want to anything else but dive, stay elsewhere.

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