A few weeks ago, my family weighed the pros and cons of leaving for vacation in Mexico. There were no travel bans and we had no idea where this virus was going. The vacation was paid for and it was something we had been looking forward to for many months. We decided to go forward with the trip.

The destination was Cozumel, Mexico. The resort, Melia Golf. This particular article is going to go in a slightly different direction than my usual entries. I want to give my readers a review, but also explain what the week was like.

When we got on the plane, it was nearly empty. Maybe a quarter full. I was slightly nervous, but we were heading to a place where the heat and sunshine would hopefully be to our advantage. Our arrival went smoothly. The taxi cost five dollars per person and our hotel was only a short distance from the airport.

Upon arriving at the resort, we were quickly checked in and shown to our suite. We chose to stay through RCI and would be located in the tower. Our room had a king-size bed, mini kitchen with a glass-top table for four, a bathroom with a shower, couch, television, and a balcony overlooking the ocean. We were on the twelfth floor and also had two chairs with a small table and a whirlpool located on our balcony. The room was clean and comfortable.

There were two places to eat during regular day-time hours. The buffet, or the grill. At night you could go to the buffet, or one of three restaurants which required a reservation and served Italian, Mexican, or International cuisine. My favorite of the three was the Mexican restaurant. I am gluten-free and it had the safest options and was also delectably satisfying.

The hotel offered two pools. One for adults only and one for families with children. Melia is home to a golf course as well as several other activities such as croquet, mini-golf, shuffleboard, and tennis. There is an arcade, wellness center with spa, and activity center for kids. You have three bars to choose from which include, the lobby bar, the beach bar, or the pool bar. There are quite a few chairs around the pool as well as located on the beach with umbrellas. At night there are plenty of activities to entertain your whole family.

This resort is maintained and clean. I never once felt as if anything was not clean. The food at the buffet is a limited variety, but quite satisfying. You can get ice cream if you know to ask for it. Their coconut ice cream is to die for. The staff is friendly and accommodating.

Now, on the flip-side of things. After we arrived Covid-19 changed rapidly. I barely slept for a few days before the trip and several days into it. We had family and friends messaging us and telling us that there was talk of closing the borders, which quickly became a reality. We needed to leave or risk being trapped in Mexico. The resort became more and more empty each day. We arrived on a Monday and by Thursday people were filing out. On Saturday morning we decided we needed to leave. We booked a flight home for Monday; we couldn’t get out any sooner. I finally slept that night.

The day before we left, the place was desolate. The only dining option was in the buffet, which became a cook to order situation where you were given a menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The grill was still running, but that was it. We heard that the resort would be closing down on Tuesday. My heart goes out to all the workers who were told they would be going on vacation due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Being on an island during such a crazy time was interesting. We had the place nearly to ourselves. I have never seen so many empty beach chairs in my life. We made some new friends and I know I will never forget this trip. I cannot tell my readers how packed this place is during normal circumstances. It is a small resort with limited seating, but it’s beautiful and clean. I hope to return in the future during normal circumstances.

For more information on the Melia Cozumel Golf Resort, please visit: https://www.melia.com/en/hotels/mexico/cozumel/melia-cozumel/index.htm