Avalon Reef Club Resort Isla Mujeres

Hmmmmm..... I have quite a bit to say regarding this hotel; some positive, some negative. Actually, in considering what to write, I began to fear (and still do) that I'll end up sounding a bit like Tevye, the main character from Fiddler on the Roof, who, whenever attempting to come to a decision, repeatedly says, "...but on the OTHER hand..."

That being said, let's have a go at it.

First, you have a few basic decisions you need to make:

1. Is it worth staying on Isla Mujeres proper, or should you just make a day trip of it from Cancun? To me, the answer to this section is VERY easy - spend at least a night or so on Isla Mujeres. It works at a far different pace than Cancun, and one that I like quite a bit better. Yes, the ferry is cheap and doesn't take that long, but going back and forth is not the same. Stay on the island, and get a feel for the place.

2. Do you want a hotel or a hostel? There are two quite good hostels on the Island; Urban Hostel, and Pocna. I expect before too long Higton will have a review of Pocna up, and you'll be able to see his take on that. As for Urban Hostel, I'll try to do a mini review of that myself; I didn't stay there, but I spent the better part of two days there when I was awake.

Once you have answered these questions, and IF the answers were that you want to stay on the Island (strongly recommended) and you want a hotel rather than a hostel (up to your taste) then you'll find that most all the hotels are of the higher end variety of one sort or another - and that is how I ended up at Avalon.

Avalon bills itself as a 5 star resort. Personally, I find this billing highly questionable. The location is nice, on the northern tip of the island, easy to walk to from the ferry if you aren't completely overrun with luggage (otherwise the taxi cost 3 dollars total, and that was for three people - not sure if it would have been less otherwise). Once settled, you are always just a few minute walk from wherever you want to go in town on the island - if you can call it a town.

The hotel is well laid out; all rooms have ocean views, and good ones at that. The room itself is fairly utilitarian; plain white all around, but the bed was comfortable and the room was nice and quiet, so you could fall asleep to the sound of the waves and nothing else. While the windows don't open much, they open ENOUGH, and that is always something I appreciate.

The shower was fine, but my toilet was broken. I let them know this the first day, they said they fixed it, but really it was still broken and would never flush for me. 5 Star? Think again.

I requested a wake up call, none arrived.

This hotel is typically used as an "all inclusive"; something I don't see much point in. I'd rather see the main island itself, not eat hotel food and remain in the resort bubble. Because I got the room really last minute, I got a special for just under half price (just under $80 US) for room only - otherwise it would have been over $160 US - Over $80 US a day for hotel food per person? Really? A 5 minute walk into town will buy you the best tostadas of your life - 3 of them no less - for less than $2.50.

Another strange issue with this "all inclusive" game? When you check in, they fit you with a little plastic bracelet. To the best I could gather, it's color coded so employees of the resort know whether to be providing you with free hotel food delights. My color, of course, meant "Give her NOTHING". This was fine for me - I had no issue wearing my bracelet. Here's where things get tricky though - If the band was to break off for whatever reason and I lost it prior to checking out, THEY WOULD CHARGE ME $70.00 US!!!!! Now, I could perhaps understand this if I had the band that meant "Give her whatever she wishes to have for free", because me NOT having that could imply I gave it to someone else, they taped it on, and we were passing around the "free food band"... but again - no matter who had my band, and how well they fashioned it onto their own wrist, it was still going to mean "GIVE THEM ABSOLUTELY NOTHING"; so where was the risk, and in what world did loosing the "I am the lowest level of guest here" band mean I could have cost them a penny?

They tout some nice amenities, such as scuba gear, beach chairs and towels, etc. Again, all geared to keep you on the premises, and have you miss the real experience of the island. Danger, Will Robinson, Danger...

There is a very strange, very long rickety wooden bridge that must be crossed to actually reach the hotel; because this is also a "family hotel" and the adults are not always watching their children, and because this bridge runs right by the main stretch of beach where the beach chairs etc. are, the children are where they should not be, and are not being watched; TWICE in my experience a taxi driver almost ran over a small child who decided it was time for a nap on the edge of the narrow bridge, not really wide enough for a game of "chicken" between an automobile and a horizontal pre-schooler. One of those times, I was in said cab. I can't help but suspect it would have dampened my experience on the island if manslaughter (child-slaughter?) had been involved. (It's also very rough planks - careful if you are walking back from town drunk and barefoot in the middle of the night - proud to say I made it unscathed, however.)

Bottom line? That's a tough one - I'd rather leave you to decide what you're looking for. I suppose I was grateful for a comfortable bed and very quiet room when so much of this short trip was traveling; I needed some sleep where I could get it. At $80 as I got it, it was one of the better deals for "Hotels" on the island.

A working toilet, however, would have been grand. Long live 5 star resorts.