The purpose of our stay was purely to dive, and for that our stay was positive. If you're a non-diver, I don't know why you'd stay here, since it's really catered to divers, not really within walking distance to town, and doesn't have many amenities.

Things we liked:

1. Affordability - the price of the dive package, including hotel stay, was very affordable, and within our budget.

2. Dive shop next door - unbelievably convenient to just wake up and grab your stuff and walk to the jetty. Overall I was happy with Blue Angel dive shop, and talked to other divers who have used them multiple times and said that they run an above average dive operation. As a relatively inexperienced diver, I was disappointed that only one Divemaster was in the water with us (I am used to 2 with other Cozumel dive shops), but the dive groups were smaller, so that was okay. Of the 3 DMs we had, 2 were great, and one was just doing the job, it seems, as he didn't point out a thing. Martin at the dive shop was really great and friendly and runs the place well! Whatever I needed, he was able to answer and was super helpful.

3. Closer to a lot of the dive sites, so less time spent back and forth on the boat.

4. In-room fridge and safe and TV - nice touches!

5. Comfy beds - hard to find in Mexico. Caribe had nice ones.

6. Good pool, sun deck, and hammocks.

What we didn't like:

1. A bit isolated - can't walk to town in that heat, so you need to have your own transport or take a cheap taxi. More of a hassle than anything else. There's an on-site restaurant for breakfast and lunch, but no dinner, so you really need to get into town to eat and have something to do at night.

2. Air conditioning wasn't very cold at all, even on full blast.

3. Noise - we were lucky enough to be on the ground floor, and even with the a/c off, you'd hear the other a/c units running, which are VERY loud and annoying. If you're on the second or higher floors, you'll definitely be hearing a lot of traffic noises as it's right on the main road.

4. Room - basically a painted concrete shell with "rustic" decor, but I wasn't expecting more at this price point. Just letting folks know that it's not luxury by any means, so don't have high expectations. The room is kept clean.

5. Flexibility - can't say that the front desk guy was very accommodating when I asked about the checkout policy (which is 1pm). Given that the boat was bringing us back from our last dive just after noon, and we had to return equipment and get showered up, etc. in under an hour, he just reiterated that we needed to be out of the room by 1pm sharp, no questions asked. Seeing as though this is primarily a hotel for divers, they should have some understanding around this. We basically dumped our gear at the shop and changed into dry clothes, but left un-showered to make the 1pm deadline, as I didn't want to face any unnecessary issues or charges for staying late.

I felt like we really had a love-hate relationship with our stay at the Caribe Blu. It had some really great qualities, but there seemed to be a lot more negatives. Enough so that I would not stay here again on another trip to Cozumel. I think the best way for me to review is do a positives/negatives:

POSITIVES:
Price - The dive/hotel package was a great price
The View - We were on the 3rd floor and the view was amazing! You just cant beet the intimate waterfront hotel atmosphere.
On Site Dive Shop - This was so convenient as you book your dives on site and walk down to the dock to catch the boat. Also Jeannie at the dive shop was incredibly helpful and informative
Pool - The pool was great for lounging around after dives
On Site Restaurant - This made getting breakfast befor dives really convenient and we loved the 2x1 drink deals every day
Housekeeping - They were the friendliest staff at the hotel and kept the rooms very clean
In Room Refrigerator - This was really handy!

NEGATIVES:
Bug Bites - 4 of us stayed in two different rooms and we all had a lot of small bug bites around our ankles and wrists. I was a little concerned it might be bed bugs, but not sure.
Gas Leak - Our bathroom smelled like it had methane gas leaking out of the drain. I got really nauseous in there at one point and my husband had to plug all the drain holes. This was definitely the biggest negative of the place
Some rude staff - There was one guy in particular at the front desk that did the eye roll and huff at me when I asked him a question. I dont think I saw him smile once our whole stay. A bit off putting for someone you walk by all the time. Maybe he needs to take some tips from the housekeeping staff;~)
Restaurant - The onsite restaurant had a pretty limited lunch menu and no fish, which was a bummer right on the water. Also they closed around 5, right about the time you get back from a 1:30 dive and are craving some nachos so that was quite a bummer! It also seemed like at lunch they really catered to cruise ship people.. One day the whole place was dead and we were told there was no where to sit as everything was reserved for the cruise ship people that were coming...huh
Road Noise - I didnt notice this too much (the A/C was so loud it drowned it out) but it is on a busy stretch of road just to forwarn people.

We put up with the negatives and enjoyed the positives and still had a great vacation, but I wouldnt stay here again and I wouldnt recommend it to a friend. It was a bit disapointing with all the positive reviews I had read on here.

Feel free to contact me with any questions!

We just got back from Caribe Blu hotel last night after staying there a week from May 17-24, 2008. We found this hotel/scuba/restaurant combination to be very convenient for our vacation preferences. The fact that you can get up late, walk next door to the dive shop to check in, go upstairs to the nice and casual restaurant for a good, inexpensive breakfast was great for people who work hard all year and don't want to have to work hard on vacation.
The pool is clean and refreshing, the dive operation is friendly and professional, the restaurant food is good and nice to have so close when you come back from a dive hungry at 12:30 and want to eat right away.
The one problem, and it's a big one, is noise from cars on the road right in front of the hotel at all hours of the day and night. Even with the air conditioner on full-blast, and wearing earplugs at night, my wife could not get a good night's sleep for 3 days. We finally had the bright idea to move to a room on the first floor, which has a cinderblock wall between the rooms and the road, for the last two nights of our stay. With the AC on medium speed, we did not need earplugs and were finally able to sleep through the night without hearing the horrendous road noise.
In summary, if you are not a heavy sleeper, and cannot get a room on the first floor (there are only 4 of them), you need better earplugs than we had to sleep here. Otherwise, the place is great for scuba divers on a dive vacation who want convenience and comfort out of the congested downtown region, but not so far away as to feel isolated. The walk to downtown restaurants is about 1.5 miles, which is pretty far in the heat and humidity, especially after a day of diving and not enough sleep. But the taxis are easy to flag down and cost $4 for a one-way ride to town, in which there are many good restaurants to choose for dinner.

Caribe Blu is my proverbial home away from home. My dad discovered this gem in 1981 (it was La Perla then), and my family has been staying there at least once a year ever since. We love the size (very small), the slightly rustic atmosphere, the location (close enough to town to walk or for a cheap cab ride, but far enough away so the the cruise ship crowds aren't a factor), the personal attention given by the personable and competent staff, and the convenience of the onsite dive op (Blue Angel), boat dock, and restaurant.

The rooms are clean and spacious, the beds are comfortable, the pool is well maintained, and the unobscured sunset views from the patio and balconies are stunning. The rooms have televisions (we never turn ours on) and telephones, and most (possibly all by now) have mini-fridges.

I wouldn't consider staying anywhere else on Cozumel.