12/25/23 - 1/1/24 This was my first time staying at an all-inclusive resort and it did not disappoint. My fiancé and I met up with his family at Iberostar Waves Paraiso on Christmas day of 2023. The service is impeccable, it is very clean no matter where you look. The fragrance they use to scent the lobbies and hallways really put you in a relaxing mode. The pools are large, clean and clear of debris. The beach is also clean and so relaxing to watch either the sunset or the sunrise. The property has many restaurants with different cuisines, a shopping area, a pristine gym (you have to pay extra to rent equipment though like tennis and pickleball rackets; and pay extra for certain classes), and there are other resort buildings that you can access as well. The staff are very friendly, polite and will ensure you get the best service possible. They have a huge buffet and room service is available 24 hours a day. There are activities planned all day and during the night as well. Thank you for the hospitality Iberostar! read more

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The breakfast buffet was amazing. I had two, tasty, orange yolked eggs cooked to order. I also ate a hotdog on the beach accompanied by perfect fries. All of this was included with my day pass while on the island during a Carnival Cruise. Unfortunately, it was difficult to find bottles of water- which I expected to happily overpay for. You see, I'm a five star girl and the cranberry juice and ice are just different than I'm used to-not bad- just different. What I mean: The juices aren't Ocean Spray, the coke isn't Coca Cola Classic. It happens. The vodka was Sky or Smirnoff and I couldn't choke it down. I suggest Fire Ball shots and call it a day. There were many fish in the water, a swim up pool bar, and fresh towels if you show your ID. There are bottles of water at the lobby store. Most of the hotel is outdoors like many Iberostar hotels around the world so the lobby store A/C is a nice reprieve. read more

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Love the nice staff, rooms are cleaned daily. Beds are comfortable air conditioning beautiful patio to your room pools around every hotel stay and lol you can eat and drink. I will definitely come to ibero star again all you need is here. read more

Iberostar Waves Paraíso del Mar - Coffee shops all inclusive - Resorts Near Me - Punta Maroma, ROO

This place does some things right but could use improvement. If I could do 3.5 stars I would because overall I enjoyed the place but alas I can't Pros: - the property is beautiful and well maintained -they have all kinds of wildlife and it adds to the experience (peacocks, black swan, flamingos, coatis, etc). -they have some unique vendors at night around the walkways at the lobby -the provide golf cart rides to room, lobby, convention center (the property is HUGE) -lots of activities -most of the staff was very friendly and helpful -shopping center had some cute stores -covid testing was SUPER efficient and stress free -they took USD at the shops, etc.. -provide glass bottles for filtered water which is available in common areas and room buildings Cons: -they try to upsell you on EVERYTHING. They advertise activities/food items/alcohol but don't blatantly tell you it's a cost. -we got things under our door to get us to the concierge promising things like resort credits and free massages but it was really coupons to get you to spend more money NOT a CREDIT. They told us about free massages but then there was some clause about being a couple and/or proof (ID) that you live in same household. -They make you have reservations for dinner at the restaurants (only other option is buffet) but you are limited at the amount of dinners you can have. -They don't have wait staff at the pool/beach which is fine but the lines for drinks can be long and at least one pool only has a swim up bar (you can get drinks but have to stand awkwardly at the side) -the food was just meh and the Brazilian steakhouse was the absolute worst. DO NOT waste a dining credit here. (I LOVE Brazilian steakhouses). Some meat was basically inedible -the checkout process was silly and they make you pay an unexpected tax (it wasn't much but I don't understand why it wasn't charged at check-in). We left a day early due to flights and they expected an in depth explanation as to why. -the beds were terrible Tips: they provide a check out for beach towels so no need to bring one. I didn't see a currency exchange and/or the front desk could only break big bills to $20's so bring small bills and/or exchange currency before if you want to tip. I wish I brought a thermos/travel mug. They will fill it with alcoholic beverages at the pool and the water bottles are wide mouth and awkward to drink from. read more

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We visited just before the rainy/mosquito season. We very much enjoyed our stay. We ate at many of the restaurants on site and the food was a solid 4. I agree with most reviews that the Brazilian Steakhouse and Bbq restaurants are the best, but the buffet is also very good and features some more traditional selections. The service we received was very good and responses to our questions were very prompt. Beware this property does offer timeshare and they will try to get you to purchase. The ambience was family friendly and festive. We are thinking about going back next year, already. What would make this a 5 star visit? Getting a seat near the beach or pool can be challenging, if you aren't out first thing in the morning. While there were lots of food selections, sometimes the quality was very "meh" underwhelming. For example, sometimes desserts seemed like afterthoughts and some entrees were poorly cooked/dry and tough meat, flavorless. This wasn't the norm, but happened frequently enough. The ice cream wasn't great (although crepes were) drinks, often watery/weak. My son thought the lemonade was terrible - watered down sprite + lemon syrup. read more

We've been coming to the Iberostar for over 20 years. Del Mar, Beach, Maya and Lindo. Like most others have stated, things have changed and not for the good. I'll begin and end with the good stuff. *The resort property is beautiful. That's it for the good. Nothing is "top shelf" any longer, not the drink, the food and honestly, the atmosphere. The rooms, we had two, were humid and musty. They only leave one canned water in the mini fridge. If you fall ill and would like a friend to bring you something to eat after dinner, too bad, you'll have to go hungry. The Del Mar has decided to not allow any food be taken away from any of its restaurants. But they will tell you, if you'd stayed at the Maya, they have room service. Not a proper comment to someone in need. Attn: management: this happened at La Plaza on April 18 at approximately 21:30h; you should coach your team! After he said that, a woman said there'd be a $500 fine (US) if we left with the food. We were like, Thanks j/a but that don't help our friend who went without because they do not offer any room service. I truly believe that when IHG took over the entire Iberostar resort worldwide, they caused this downfall. IHG is who owns Holiday Inn and Express. Yes, that's who I want running a resort. The Holiday Inn people. I am an IHG member since I travel so much for work. However, this brand is in decline (see my review of Las Vegas) so I will no longer be staying in the future. I said I'd begin and end with the good. *We don't have to go back. That's the good ending. Just know what you're getting into before you spend $$$. read more

As a Star Prestige Exclusive member i must report we get treated very nice here. We visit an Iberostar in QuintanaRoo every year. We get private transportation from the airport to the resort and when we are ready to go home we once again get private transportation to airport. This particular resort is so large but they do provide shuttle transportation every 10 minutes. Theres bus stops in every building. As exclusive members we get a private shuttle every day at all hours. There's plenty of lounge chairs and palapas all over the beach. As Star prestige members we have our own white linen private area. The treatment is 5 star we have our own waitress and cabana boy. There's no way one is ever hungry. There's food all hours of the day. A cute burger place, crepe place, taqueria and the buffets for breakfast lunch and dinner and food on the beach. They also provide a show every night of every day. Make sure you know the schedule you don't want to miss anything fun like the fire show on the beach. Oh and they have a mall at their neighboring resort. Huge multiple pools. And massage on the beach. Along with parasailing, snorkeling or scuba diving. It's a pretty neat place. read more

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I will start with the positive. The location is beautiful with trees, water, flamingos, and coatis. There is a wide variety of delicious buffets, and the sit down restaurants were also very good. Food alone would get 4 stars. The service from everyone at the restaurants, the lifeguards at the beach, chauffeurs driving golf carts, were all wonderful. We thought our room was nice, the mattress was a little too soft, and the bathtub was spacious. Not luxurious, but still made us happy. The sounds of gorgeous birds chirping, combined with warm tropical air, is the reason why we kept our sliding glass door open most of the time. Now I shall provide the reasons why I will never stay here again. We arrived to find the front desk staff are snobby, rude, and a bunch of engreidos. No warm welcome, and seemed bothered by our presence. We came with several other couples, and we had booked this trip many months in advance. Our rooms were all supposed to be together, and we were in separate buildings, and all spread out. Front desk made no apologies, just shoulder shrugs and dirty looks. Here's another reason why they suck, we were rushing to dinner at the Japanese restaurant, and I somehow dropped my mask. I went to the front desk and told the woman my story and asked if they could please give me a mask. She flatly said "No, we don't have any. You can buy one at the gift shop" and she points toward the shop. Well, they were friendly in the gift shop, but also VERY slow, so we were 15 minutes late to dinner, and almost lost our reservation. I found out later that she was lying, another staff member said they have hundreds of masks, and then my friend (a handsome 6ft4 man) told me the same witch actually gave him a mask just 30 minutes before I asked for one. He was on his way back from golfing and his mask felt sweaty. The front desk people at the spa were also snooty and although my massage and facial were great, we were wet and cold and it was freezing in there. I am fluent in Spanish and the woman who gave us our robes was telling everyone in Spanish, that we needed to hurry up. Hey listen, yo no tengo prisa, spa days are supposed to be relaxing. It's very ignorant to assume you can speak about your guests right in front of them. The worst part is that there was rodent poop around the jacuzzi, that can't be healthy. The outdoor pools aren't heated, and we had two cold rainy days. I've never stayed at a resort with uncomfortably chilly pools. The final disappointment was spending 40 minutes registering our group for Covid tests, only to arrive and need to fill out all of the information again. The rude woman and man who were supposed to be in charge were also talking smack about some of the guests in Spanish. Also: worst Covid test I've ever had it was like a toothbrush to the brain. I liked the scenery, the shops, and the food. I hate the front desk staff, and the night time entertainment deserves ZERO stars, it was so stupid. Cold swimming pools and cold front desk and spa service. Most of the alcoholic beverages were very weak too, we could barely tell that they had alcohol in them. I do not recommend this resort. read more

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We stayed in the penthouse suite over the Thanksgiving holiday and everything that could go wrong did. I will include just SOME of the problems we encountered. The staff was nice but nothing was really "fixed". It was one problem after the next. The jets on the jacuzzi tub on the balcony did it work. Fixed on the 2nd attempt. One of the toilets didn't flush. Fixed on the 2nd attempt. This is now day 3 of our vacation with a broken toilet and hot tub. No nespresso pods so called to ask for them to be delivered to the room. Was told they don't have nespresso machines but could bring coffee pods. I assume I used the wrong verbiage. Filter Coffee pods were brought to the room for our NESPRESSO machine. Called back and decaf nespresso pods were dropped off. Attempted to use the machine. IT WAS BROKEN!!! A new coffee pot was brought up and we finally had coffee on the 2nd day. No place close for coffee, if not made in your room. Lunch not available until 1 except for the beach grill, which is stalked by coatis. The burger I finally got was taken off the table where my family was eating while I went to get water. The next day, my husband was scratched by a coati that jumped off a table at him as he is walking to a table with his food. Claw marks and dripping blood down his hand following the encounter... and no, we were NOT feeding them. (Others were right in front of the sign asking you not to feed them). Contacted the concierge at SP, who went down to look at him... not medic but concierge. We weren't sure if there was a protocol due to it being a wild animal. We were told that we could eat at any restaurant on the large campus (5 different properties in one) due to being RG club beneficiaries and staying in the PH suite. The only exception was the one for adults only but we could go without our kids. The first time we tried, we were rudely told we couldn't bc we weren't in that particular property, in spite of our wristbands. We spoke with the manager and was told the same thing. Contacted star prestige concierge and there was confusion bc they thought we were just not wanting to wait for a table. I explained that I didn't mind waiting but was told we weren't allowed to eat there at all. After 15 minutes or so, we were seated. The waitstaff went above and beyond following the initial encounter. The next night , we walked back to our room after dinner and our keys didn't work AGAIN. The neighbors next door to us came out and apologized bc they said they were likely the reason the keys didn't work. They said their room flooded and were being "upgraded" to compensate and were originally given OUR room. They said they opened the door and saw our stuff in there and turned around and left. They even told us what was right inside our door so no doubt it was true. Contacted SP concierge about it and they pretty much said it never happened. (I have the screenshots of this conversation). Someone finally brought us the new keys. So so so many things went wrong on a trip that should have been total relaxation. The spa was really great as was the SP pool and bar. The concierges in the SP lounge were very nice but there was no attempt to really improve our experience. They apologized for the events but those are just words. I filled out a mid-stay survey and when asked replied that someone should come talk to me about it. The survey asked where I could be located. I supplied the information and no one ever came. The next day someone finally stopped by to chat and "apologize". The night before checkout, a letter of apology was brought to our room with 2 chocolate covered strawberries and 2 truffles, which was nice ... but an apology after so many things went wrong really does not seem adequate. The trip should have been epic but ended up being an overpriced letdown. I can say that I would never go back to this resort and it makes me think twice about trying any of their other properties. I will be happy to amend my review with follow up info, if the company reaches out to discuss and make this right. They can review our chat history to see that everything included in this review actually happened. read more

STAY AWAY! STAY AWAY! STAY AWAY! This place should be shut down! I cant believe people actually stay here. Just a heads up, the pictures they have uploaded online are NOT actual photos. Ill upload some photos for you to actually get a feel of where you would be staying. I was originally planning to stay for 5nights but I ended up canceling my stay here (the very next morning) and went to another hotel! This feels like I am staying at the Motel 6! Not to mention the ants crawling on the walls/floors and getting into my suitcase. Everything is run down, no elevators (3rd story rooms), much needed TLC (interior & exterior), HORRIBLE STAFF, and just a complete waste of money. The bed was the WORST! Felt like I was sleeping on my grandmothers futon, not to mention that the box spring was exposed and looked like they got the bed from a second hand store! I would look at another hotel for sure! This is my first time staying at an Iberostar and will definitely be my last! read more

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Where do I start. Checked in yesterday, get to my room and door doesn't open so I had to get a different room, I reserved for 2 queen Size beds and get 2 full size instead, called guest service and they couldn't accommodate. Today, come back to the room from the beach and room service never came so I've been waiting for last 2hrs for someone to bring us clean towels. It's only day 1 and it's been such a horrible experience. Never again read more

Writing a very honest review here. A beautiful hotel room and hotel. But absolutely HORRIBLE organization. This resort is massive and they provide golf carts to get you around.... But only if you want to wait 15 minutes to get one to go anywhere. OR you just have to walk on foot to the next place. Check in took unbelievably long for no reason. We had the ability to reserve dinner but all the days we were there they were all booked up. Not worth the $$ at all. Dinner service was slow and stressful. Went for my mum's birthday and waited about 45-1hr to get our food. Just wrong. The mask policy was so ridiculous having to carry it around when some workers get on to you for not wearing and some don't. Ordered chocolate covered strawberries for my mum to arrive at 4pm... got a confirmation and everything but didn't get here until 6:45 pm even after I called! Not worth another stay here. read more

Avoid this resort at all cost! Run North to Cancun and save yourself money and a miserable time at this resort! Reception: First time in Riviera Maya region that I had to stand at the reception to check in. How do they decide which people get to sit down or which has to stand to check in and check out? We booked for two queen beds and when someone in our group canceled, they told us at the ​reception that two beds were unavailable and only King Beds was available. Since there are only two of us, we stuck​ with it. Rooms: This is an apartment complex style and like a retirement home style. It reminds me of the college dorms. Depending on which buildings you are staying at, you can experience loudness from the pool, long walking distance to buffets or lobby. What an utter wreck for the housing. Feels like I am at an apartment or quarantined by the government to live in a certain area. Pillows were very hard and not soft. No bathtubs​, stand up shower with no doors so you won't waste their water. The bathroom​ was quite small. Room Service and Cleaning: Room service food is all-inclusive​ as well. But it is nothing to rave about, limited choices, cold and it was not good at all. I don't even understand why they would offer room service when the food was so gross. The only thing worth ordering was the french fries. I tried ordering most stuff thinking it would be better than the last one, but it is all the same mess. Cleaning was fine, but they did not rearrange all the decorative pillows back to its normal spot. Beach: Absolutely disgusting filled with seaweed and the sand was just not even white! Where is the running area? There are just tents and beach chairs. I have been here for the last few days and would not dare swim in that ocean! I would be caught up and filled with seaweed​ and sand in my private regions! The waves are really harsh and the water looks really deep not shallow like Cancun! Dining: Okay, so now it is night time, and you are hungry! Well,​ guess what only 4 available buffets! Unless you have made reservations for one of their restaurants​! And guess what depending on how many nights you are staying, they will allow​ you a certain amount of reservations. For example, we were staying for 3 nights, we were allotted​​d only 1 reservation! That means the rest of the time, we had to eat at the limited buffets! Only the first two buffets in​ the lobby have​ decent food. Everyone wore the same uniforms, how bland. This resort has no character to it, and I had to eat to survive not because I enjoy any of their food. Overfilled​ with salt and this one women chef looked at me with the eyes when I took more than one piece of salmon at TIME. So what? Is it her fish? No,​ I don't think so! Swimming Pools: Swimming pools were so boring, it does not even make any sense. They tried to be a party party hip ​hip resort but it just makes more chaos and noise and very difficult to sleep because our room was by the pool. The drinks by the pool did not taste good and there was no waiter service on the beach. There are lots of kids at this resort. Shopping Village: Shopping village arena looks like a park with dead and ​abandoned stores that no one visits. $44 for a woman's straw hat. Absolutely joking. This resort should close down and sell their land back to the government or sell their land to another company so they can hire a ​better architect to develop a resort that people would like to stay at. They spend more time designing their lobbies then realizing what they are doing wrong overall to be building a retirement home and call it a resort. There are a massive amount of trees, and other stuff so when the wind howls at night, it sways and it brings out the bugs! I was bitten​ on three spots on my right leg and it was swollen for days! Overall, I felt like I was in a prison, my actions were repetitive and so was​ the food. Nothing to do, same food, same walk, same room, same walls. I wanted to go home so bad. It was an utter mistake. This place is not like Cancun. I would recommend​ the Cancun resorts not the southern region of Riviera Maya! Even if you were there to do only excursions and not stay at the ​hotel that much, I would still recommend​ Cancun over this area! Save yourself some time and money! read more

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So sad to have to leave this review. I've been going to the Del Mar for 15 years. The resort keeps making changes...not for the good. We arrived this year to find they have done away with the reservation system for restaurants. At first, I thought this would be a good Idea. Boy, was i wrong. First, if you don't get there at 6 when they open, you won't be seated for well over an hour. You are on vacation, who wants to wait an hour. We did wait an hour for the Mexican Restaurant. It was very busy and when we went up to the appetizer buffet it was empty. Soups were listed on the menu, no soup. So frustrating when you wait that long and there is no food. Also, they keep the restaurants very very cold. Plan ahead. Th beach is beautiful. Keeps us coming back. The resort is showing its age. Most of the lights were out so the walk ways were dark at night. The boats for snorkeling and scuba diving weren't working most of the time and non of the jet skis were working. We are accustomed to the lack of recognition from Iberostar for repeat vacationers, use to the cheap watered down booze but the change in restaurants is a big mistake. I hope they reconsider this. read more

I like the open air lobby with nice decor and lots of ponds throughout the property if you want to go to the beach they have 24 hour golf carts that will take you. The restaurants are really good and plus customer service is 5 Stars everyone is so nice. I'll be back again read more

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This is a beautiful resort. Service was excellent! As far as all inclusive go it's a winner. I didn't like that the pool closed so early or that there was no food or drinks on the beach end but we just had things in our room so not a big deal. The beach bar and burger/taco stand was super convenient. The resort itself and staff was amazing! I didn't like that you couldn't walk to anything but that's on me. We went in November and the first day it rained and was chilly but after that just a couple rain showers at night. Temperature was perfect. read more

The absolute worst family vacation. Everything about this resort is awful. Started with the check in process, the staff, the room, the service, the food, the dirty pool to name a few!!! read more

The facilities are beautiful. The staff is incredibly helpful and nice. The app is helpful- it wasn't until day three we realized the map of shuttles showed their location in real time. The shops are pretty overpriced but we're used to that in tourist areas. If you're a meat eater do not miss the restaurant El Puerto (smokehouse bbq). Best bbq chicken I've ever had. Overall, highly recommend. Don't miss the nightclub that opens at 10. When it closed at 1 we realized more than half the people leaving weren't staying on the resort, they were locals. The club is star wars themed, it's so great to watch locals having pure, happy fun. read more

Be ware of the mosquitos. They'll eat you up a live. I've stayed at other resorts with no issues however Iberostar playa Del Mar is a mosquito nest at is best. They'll try to sell you out to the grand but dont be fooled. If the grand is so grand, why are the people from there coming to our side. Our beach was beautiful but they push all the people from the grand to our side. Let alone the restaurants. They are open with a netting that can only stop a bird but not mosquitos. You only get to choose 1 restaurant for every 3 days and that restaurant may not be acclimated (A/C). Steak house, Italian, buffet are outdoors. The other 4 are indoors but they only open one at a time. Reservations are required. All acclimated restaurants are not formal except French. You gather appetizer and dessert and the server will bring your main entree. You can only order one dish, if you try to get two, they get offended. There is no room service it all. And no food allowed to take out of the buffet. Good luck taking a piece of fruit to eat while you walk. The production show takes place at the grand tether. When the show ends , you'll be escorted out directly to the van , they treat you as if you're a criminal. We wanted to look around and perhaps book at the grand in the future however is not permitted unless you have a "club" staff member selling you out their membership. Who buys without looking? Will not stay here again. Management is absolutely poor. Big thanks to Enrique (server in the buffet) always happy and goes above and beyond to make your dinning experience the best possible. The bell guys were great. Javier (bellboy in paraiso Del Mar) goes above and beyond to make you feel welcome. Always happy , attentive and helpful getting around the resort. read more

Came here to surprise family that was visiting from Germany and was worried about Covid and traveling. But from the time we got in to the hotel to our last day the people working her were so friendly and the place was CLEAN. They were constantly cleaning. Now there are beautiful animals around the resort the Coati were about annoying but just don't feed them they are good. There's 5 hotels in this resort and Maya and another one is a higher end but you know what the people that worked at Del Mar were so accommodating. The entertainment team was funny and entertaining. The only thing I've noticed in Mexican resorts is that the have a variation of restaurants to accommodate the various visitors but people that visit Mexico want Mexican Authentic Food and lot more dance lessons. there's a hidden taco place and crepe place at the hotel in the shopping area. Joe our hotel food cart driver gave us a tour of the facility and man is he such a sweet guy. Like I told Joe you can be at the fanciest resorts but if the employees are not friendly or accommodating, your trip can be ruined. So if you want a clean and safe resort environment come Check out this resort and enjoy your stay. By the way we had a beachfront balcony view though the hurricane damaged some trees bug shout out to the employees cleaning the beach in a hot and humid environment. Just bring a lot of singles to tip the workers you will need it. . read more

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We booked our trip thru Expedia which they did not assist with anything. This hotel is a very nice property. The outdoors very beautiful we did have some issues with the room keys but they were addressed immediately. I had seen some posts on food yes the buffet can get a little old but they staff is amazing and I think it's very hard to please each palette. I loved the service everyone so kind and friendly. The spa was amazing I would recommend doing the appt early so you can enjoy there amenities.Thank you everyone for the excellent service read more

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Surprised my husband with a 4 day birthday getaway. It was great ! He LOVED it! We were very impressed! We had no idea what to expect for our 1st visit to Mexico. The resort is very clean and environmentally friendly. No complaints. Very helpful staff. The staff work very hard to make everyone's stay pleasant. The pool was clean. The beach was clean. ALL the staff work mask. Family friendly. Loved the food options. Will be back in the future! *Bring one dollar bills for tipping. *They provide beach towels *% COVID Compliant *Staff speak English ****They will ask if you would like to attend a presentation to become a member of Iberostar vacation club. They will entice you with a gift for your time - be prepared*** read more

i am absolutely livid, but before i get into the insane amount of cons let me mention that the servers and wait staff were beyond amazing. extremely nice and very hospitable, and were much help if we had any questions or requests. That was probably the only positive experience we had in this resort. Now lets get into all the cons. first things first when we had just arrived and were checking in the man at the desk (skinny had glasses on his face and shortish hair) offered us a "room upgrade" which i had begged my mother not to agree to because off the bat it seemed incredibly suspicious. He claimed our room was too far from the beach or pool and we wouldn't enjoy our vacation if we didn't get the room he offered. He told us it was "only 200$" and we should really consider, when we initially declined he would not take that for an answer and started telling my mother (since she booked the rooms for all of us) that this was a great offer practically begging her to spend the extra 200$. After a while she agreed which was a terrible mistake. There was absolutely no point in getting a room close to the beach when they have golf carts driving everyone around. it's also not as far a walk as he claimed, telling us its 20 minutes to get there ( it was a 5 minute walk IF that) and lets not forget that the rooms near the beach are far from their buffets/lobby. This had us walking in the heat multiple times a day just to eat or ask a simple question. next the golf carts, what can i say except wow. they are there to transport people around the "huge" resort and yet you have to wait 20 minutes for one to actually pick you up. Not only that but be prepared to see empty golf carts just drive right past u because they don't want to stop.now lets talk about their beach.If you wish to actually enjoy your beach day than u will have to walk all the way to the other side of the beach to the OTHER resort because iberostar's beach is unswimmable.it is incredibly dangerous because of the rocks and GAPS in the sand, but its also completely covered in seaweed and coral? My poor mother decided to swim on the beach our first day here, TERRIBLE MISTAKE. The amount of rocks and gaps under the water (which is very hard to see) combined with the unpredictable waves coming from the ski jets made her fall under the water and injure her foot, not only this but she almost drowned due to the amount of rocks on the ocean floor she could barely get up. This left me absolutely livid. She came out bleeding and her leg is bruised. She was in the water for only 5 minutes and now she can barely walk. her toenail came almost completely off, we tried to call for medical help of any sort but they said it would be an additional fee of 150$ or more, the lifeguard did help her by cleaning the wound but thats about as much help as we got. Has anyone at this resort ever considered that maybe some people don't have this much money to just throw away? i understand that everyone needs to make a living but this was absolutely ridiculous considering that she got hurt BECAUSE of this resort's neglect of its beach. Now lets talk about the buffet and the food they offer you. They only have 2-3 buffets that are only open for a few hours, after that you are on your own. the buffet food is quite literally terrible. There is barely any variety, Eating soggy french fries and undercooked pasta for 6 nights in a row is just not how i expected to spend my vacation. I'd also like to add that the food is poor quality, it left me and my family sick. It was either the food or the water because we would all feel nauseous after every meal, They will try to make you pay for absolutely everything and will run up the price aswell. The front desk forced us to purchase overpriced masks that we barely ever used because they were not enforced since all the food places were outdoors. Since the food places are outdoors there is no AC. But there are no other options. You either eat the food they give you or you starve.Fair warning, the toilets will spit out water at you when u try to flush.I'd like to also point out that the restaurants apparently have a dress code which we weren't informed about. you cannot wear open shoes and you must come in formal attire. This is more or a personal complaint but I just found it rude that one of the workers decided to mention that i cannot wear my shorts in the restaurant because its "inappropriate" . Simply saying that formal attire is required would have been more than enough. overall staying here just made me want to cry at the huge waste of money and being scammed at the front desk, also my mother who will have to get her nail removed once we come back, it just made me so sad that her vacation got ruined so quickly over something that couldve easily been prevented have they ever attempted to clean their beaches. read more

All of the buffets are just under shade with no AC, so you're sweating bullets in the brutal humidity and heat. The food is pretty bad. A lot of it tastes like dirty dish water or has the stench of the nearby beach's decomposing kelp/red algae. The beaches are unswimmable and smelly from the said kelp and algae. Paraiso Del Mar is actually a subsection of several other Iberostar resorts that are all closely connected, but it's unclear what parts of the resort you can and can't use until you get denied a drink Bc you're at the wrong swim up bar. Very few facilities of the resort are air conditioned. It's very sprawling wide so you're constantly walking in the heat. The carts are slow for shuttling. The place is understaffed. The lobby has long waits. Alcoholic rinks are also very watered down. Many of the cocktails taste like dirty dish water. I'm giving two stars for the staff who are very kind and helpful and honestly do their best. read more

Loved everything about this ALL-INCLUSIVE resort! We were picked up at the airport by friendly Amstar (Apple Vacations) reps who promptly drove us to the hotel. We were all so impressed and thrilled pulling up to the magestic Iberostar Resort complex...kinda like that vacation commercial with the happy tourists' goofy smiles :) We were greeted with tropical drinks upon check in and welcoming smiles everywhere we went. The lobby was gorgeous! Shiny marble floors throughout, flamingos, water features...it made us feel like royalty! This is truly worthy of a 5 star rating. Our Drama: We booked our stay through my friend who happens to be an Apple Vacations Rep, Bruce Zarlengo. I think Bruce was responsible for getting our room upgraded to a junior suite AND he was there for us every step of the way when we had any questions, like a good friend back home. We missed our connecting flight from Mexico City because AeroMexico Airlines kept changing the gate number (They do this to mess with tourist in the hopes you'll pay the $300 pp fee) Luckily we made it without having to pay the fee (thank you Sharon) but unfortunately missed a day of vacation because we had no choice but to take a later flight (high season). The hotel staff was very much on top of it and mentioned they missed us for our pickup at the airport 9 (!) hours earlier but would get us to the resort asap so we can start enjoying our vacation. Coming into the airport, you are bombarded with tour companies and taxis trying to vie for your attention but once you see the brightly colored Amstar blue shirts, you are in good hands. Back to resort: Iberstar Paraiso Del Mar is so big, you need golf cart attendants to drive you end to end. Our room was only a minute walk from the pools and beach but the opposite side of the lobby. Some days you will be the lucky passengers who get a ride, other times you will be the tired people looking longingly at the lucky passengers whizzing by. Free wifi! We thought we would be cut off for the week but thankfully they offer free wifi so my 18,143 emails I missed while stuck in Mexico City airport with no AP wifi, all came streaming in! And we got to Facebook/Instagram brag posts :) Be on the lookout for hungry coatis (Mexican raccoons). *****Room***** Pros: Spacious, 2 queen beds, very clean, mini bar (included), fresh fruit, safe, balcony with sitting area, coffee maker, room service (also included). Cons: You can hear everything and everyone around you. Some nights trying to sleep, there are always obnoxiously loud neighbors yelling as they stomp up the stairs...you'll want to punch them dead in the head. *****Food***** Pros: It's all included! Including your drinks, cocktails, cervezas, ice cream etc. You don't have to worry about paying for any meals, except tipping, which I encourage because these people work hard & appreciate the gratuities. The buffet is always fresh and accommodates anyone. Servers immediately greet you when you sit down and take your drink orders. Go up as many times as you want, no one will judge you...ok maybe that miserable looking couple in the back will, but who cares?! Cons: None. All your meals, drinks, desserts are included. *****Pools***** Pros: Gorgeous swimming pools with guided activities like volleyball, water aerobics, learn to scuba dive etc. Swim up bars with bartenders that get your blended margaritas or mojitos out in no time. Frozen drinks always taste better on vacation :) Ice cream station with the best coconut ice cream cones you'll ever taste. I think I took advantage of the ice cream more than the drinks. The pool is bath water warm so you won't get that initial chill. Cons: The lounge chairs fill up fast so get there early to throw your towels on your spots. Beware of Chatty Cathy from New York who doesn't shut up and will find the empty spot next to you. *****Beach***** Pros: You are at a white sands, crystal blue water beach in Mexico staying at a 5 star resort..life is good. Cons: Chatty Cathy from New York followed you and brought her loud family. Time to get another margarita. ****Recommendations**** Book your restaurant reservations immediately...they fill up quickly. You still can't go wrong with the regular meal buffets. Book your activities in advance (with Bruce :) before your travel so you can save a little $$. Have the receipt that hotel prints out for you when you check in for your excursion. Some places may try to get more money from you claiming you didn't pay --- fee. Show them the receipt. Bring enough sunscreen...a can at the resort will run you $20+. Buy a waterproof pouch for your cellphone/camera with a lanyard to wear around your neck. This way you can take pictures in the water but also have a place to put your room or towel keys in case you can't find a lounge chair. Amazon has a good one for about $5. They sell them in the gift shops for about $20. Enjoy every moment and take lots of pictures. We can't wait to return! read more

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Johnathon was great!!! The place was beautiful!! Everyone was friendly and fun! Awesome food and a lot of activities! Highly recommend!

The bar and pool staff are very friendly however the "public relations" and"concierge" cannot help if you have any issues. Our dinner plans were scheduled at the incorrect time (off by 30 min) and when we showed up they could not service us due to the type of restaurant. When we went to ask for a new restaurant reservation no one would even look for another location. We could see availability on the app. When we asked for a manager no one would call for a manager. No help. Very poor customer service. Also the breaker box was wide open in our kids room and it would trip off when all the lights were on for longer than 30 min. The outside patio light had exposed wires and our shower head didn't work. They did come "fix" that by screwing in a different used shower head. The restaurant selection is very limited and it is not easy to know where to go at what time for meals. The walk between rooms and all locations if very far. There are 5 Iberostar resorts in one but they are not all rated equally. I tried to like this location but this last night with the inconsiderate dinner issues was more than we could take. Don't pick the place!! read more

Do not even think about to visiting this place. Hotel listed on all websites like 4.5 star, actually this huge place is worth not more than cheap motel on highway with bedbugs. When we arrive at the lobby all the pools in promises was full of dirt, water was so dark you can't see the bottom of the pool and of course there was a huge amount of flying and walking mosquitos and other type of animals in it. We came two families and after check out we find out that they give as rooms in opposite sites very far from each other, no slippers, no iron, no robes, no coffee machine and me and my wife with two twin size beds, HELLLLOOO ? I return to lobby to complain and that took another 3 hours for us waiting for the to find closest rooms for our party and end up with same problems but with king bed. Day end up we arrive in rooms around 6.30PM compare to arriving to the hotel at 11.00AM, so one day of vocation went to the garbage, we don't even see the color of ocean. At the lobby we set up next day morning appointment to discover Iberostar and this way we will have $300 credit for services. In the morning when I went to check breakfast place by myself just to have idea what is goin on person at entrance ask me to put mask, my bad -I forget in room and I ask him to provide me with one, answer was - you must go to the lobby. I went to the lobby and workers make me feel like I am idiot asking them for something FREE and send me to the store to buy when store not even open, how about ALL INCLUSIVE? Most of the staff not just speak but absolutely not familiar with ENGLISH, very hard to explain anything. So we go to the tour and our guide meet us at the lobby of Maya which was looking much better then ours with statues around, after that we go for breakfast at very top place located outside of premises calls Adult only club whatever, breakfast was very good, we see villas for rent also and come back to office for them to convince us to become a club member, nightmare start here. I explain to you how it's work. The premises of this resort is huge, you better don't take walk, there huge amount of golf carts around so you can take drive, so to be short ONE huge place with 4 different entrances, each entrance with different name indicating level of service, this not my tough - that what guide explain to us. So I pay for 4.5 star resort but arrive into maximum 2.5 star. After I explain about what happen with us our guide promise that if we become a member he will immediately move us to Maya resort which is 5 star absolutely FREE with all appliances in rooms, FREE SPA for 4, plus next vocation for 4 people absolutely free in any Iberostar resorts all over the world and many many more amazing FREE staff. Since I am the one who pay for all, my wife & friends was so happy with offer and I just don't want to ruin the sparks in theirs eyes I did sign the papers, BIG MISTAKE. We come to our new FREE luxury 5 star rooms, no robes, no slippers, no coffee machine, no iron, exactly same thing just different building close to beach. I call to the lobby and spend another 30 min to explain what is going on, my friends in room put there belongings to the safe and then can't open, they was waiting for the person to fix another 3.5 hours., I call to lobby about 7 time and every time the person pick up the phone ask me what is my problem. The door to balcony at my 5 star room was closing manually with the chain with stopper on top, so first time I didn't realize that I get stock in balcony and door is close, so I call my wife to open from inside. At spa nothing is free, you got 30% off. I don't drink alcohol but know the different, liquor is very cheap, my friend was so upset about it. Food at all courts EVERY day is absolutely same, vegetables not fresh, all you will eat at lunch and dinner is burgers, pizza, tacos - nothing else. Imagine us coming first time to Mexico and every day eat pizza and burger, no snacks at day time in bars or buffet, restaurant serving dishes with exact same ingredients you have at buffet, I an a chief myself and I perfectly know what I am talking about, forget about any kind of seafood in any way. Beach was full of seaweed all over, you can't even come close to water, take long walk to find the tiny spot to get to ocean at least to feel the water, not to swim- forget it . So next day I come back to management disappointed with almost everything and was surprised when he tell me that nothing is free I just buy 30% discount book for stay for the future, when I ask what about free next vocation he tell me that we don't have that because they use this money to move us to better rooms, how about that guys? If you know 2+2 you must understand, how much cost vocation for 4 people anywhere in world in 5 star club resort compare to replace one cheap room to another. I did cancel my membership right at place and end up loosing $1900 and forced to sign the papers not to dispute charges. read more

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comparing this to other resorts in the area I would say its a good vacation and you won't regret going just a couple cons and is the reason I can't give it more then 3 stars. The Beach was loaded and I do mean loaded with seaweed making it impossible to swim in. I get it. Mother nature. But I have been to resorts that at least try to rake up the beach to make it more useable. There was even a dead sea turtle on the sand... Really can't clean that up at least? Walking, Lots of Walking..... I know what you're thinking, I don't mind walking yes but when your key card sits next to your phone for the first time and makes it unusable with 1 tired kid and 1 sleeping baby in your arms and no way to get into your room.... Believe me you won't like walking back to the lobby after a long day at the beach and finishing dinner. Food was ok at best. But hey it was included and you can't complain about free food..... But again compared to other resorts in the area, the food was really just not that good. Another thing about the food. The restaurants all need reservations totally annoying when you have 2 kids who are tired and just want to eat. I've never been to an all inclusive in Playa that needed reservations. Which brings me to another point. for the week there were only 2 reservations available so we had to go at late hours with our kids sleeping on the tables for food that wasn't that great anyways. Golf cart shuttle buses are really not on any consistent rotation they would be helpful if they were consistent but they aren't last day for the airport the bell boy never showed up to help us pick up the luggage. Again just annoying to have to walk so many bags so far to leave. Air Conditioning or lack there of.... nothing felt air conditioned. Wouldn't have been nice to have an ice cold room at least to go back to but it always felt warm even with the a/c on full strength. The restaurants are all outside and the nicer ones must keep the A/C set to over 80 degrees I was so uncomfortable eating because I was sweating so much. Nice place you won't regret going especially for the price... But there are much much better places in Playa Del Carmen I have been to a few and this one is my least favorite read more

I loved the resort the food was just ok and the workers were sooooooooooo nice and they want there guest to be very satisfied and I loved all of the animals read more

Agustin was our waiter at La plaza buffet and he was beyond great. The food was also very good. They kept a fresh of both steaks and salmon and desserts were to die for. Also the bartender made us a great shots. read more

I'm giving this resort two stars because it was just that-meh. The check in process is long, unorganized and to our luck we had a really unfriendly female tend to our group. VERY unfriendly! The food is mediocre at best and you cannot get a dinner reservation outside your permitted amount of night. We were here 5 nights and were "allowed" two dinner reservations to the resorts restaurants. The other nights the resort gives you two options-1. Buffet-blah 2. Rock Star Cafe-blah as well. We ate at the Japanese restaurant and Italian restaurant which were both good. The drinks were just ok. The rooms were decent and clean. We booked through a travel agent and to my fault I took their word. My mistake. I'll do my own research next time. I had high expectations, sadly I was highly disappointed in our visit. read more

I was extremely disappointed at this hotel. First of all our travel agent misled us by stating that this was a five star hotel but it actually seems more like a 2.5 star hotel. We were extremely disappointed from when we arrived at this hotel. check-in was extremely long . We also had to schedule an appointment for our Covid testing prior to arriving back to the United States, however that took several hours because the person who makes the appointments stepped away from the desk and no one could seem to find this person. The hotel is open as well as a lot of the restaurants, meaning that in the heat it's stifling wherever you go. We were drip sweating every time we had a meal. I understand we are in a tropical country, however, air conditioning is a necessity. There was a lot of confusion as to what food places were open. The staff were not accommodating nor as friendly as they should be. My family and I had to constantly go to the front desk to ask questions. As for the credits, we were able to use our credits to upgrade our stay to the iberostar Maya resort, but had to wait 2 days to move to the other hotel due to availability. For the two days we spent at the hotel, my family and I struggled with everything. I will not be recommending this resort to any family or friends. I had a much better time at the Hard Rock resort in Riviera Maya when I went 2 years ago. read more

All inclusive . Clean , lots of food and drink. Good service. Nightly shows. Shuttles a bit slow but otherwise would definitely come back again read more

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Beautiful all inclusive resort. The hotel rooms have beautiful views and are cleaned daily with cute towel designs placed on the bed. The food is delicious and the buffet offers a big selection ranging from vegetables to pasta to sushi. The service is amazing. Everyone is always smiling and helpful. read more

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The good: All inclusive. Got a great price for 7 nights @ $720.00. Hotel lobby and garden area was wonderful open air environment. We went in the off season when it was slightly cooler and tolerable. Swans, birds, peacocks, flamingos. Hotel staff were wonderful. The concierge was activities staff were delightful. The pool is huge and the gym is better than our gyms here at home. Don't plan to do much shopping at the onsite stores. Very overpriced. Hotel rooms mini fridge stocked with drinks. The bad: Hard pillows (bring your own). No washcloths (bring your own). The rooms could use an upgrade. If you need a room with decent A/C, do NOT come to this hotel. You will NOT be able to make the room any colder than 71.6 F (22 C). The room thermostats are controlled by management and they will NOT allow you to override their programming. Plan to do lots of walking or try to catch one of their electric cart shuttles. The beach offered tons of lounge chairs but they can fill up quickly. Be careful of your food choices. I got food poisoning on day 2. I was sick from day 2 through day 8 and by then I was home. My 3 travel companions also developed 'gastritis' at different stages of the vacation. It concerns me that the food prep is questionable. I had a hamburger and tomato from their beachside grill. 60 minutes later I developed diarrhea. Also, while eating in their Mexican restaurant, to our horror, we spotted a rat descending down one of the drapery panels. It then ran under a table and bench seat. We didn't want to panic the other patrons but we pointed it out to staff members that were seated at a table next to us. They confirmed the sighting and quickly made phone calls. We also quickly left! Next time I go on vacation I will be willing to pay extra to stay at a nicer resort. read more

This resort is beautiful! The lobby is very colorful and there are little ponds/sanctuaries on each side. The flamingos and black as well as white swans are awesome. There are some concerns and issues we had along the way. Most restaurants are outside and it is a very hot climate. Most people will tell you that they don't mind the heat but I'm telling you IT IS HOT! Prepare to sweat when you go out to eat or to see a show. The rooms are a bit outdated and the air conditioner doesn't work well. Now let me tell you about the real issue at this resort. There are 2. 1- They simply do not have enough people working here! You have to wait at least 15 min for a ride to the lobby and when you call they will tell you 5-7 min. This get extremely frustrating in 80-90 degree weather. 2- The Amstar folks are helpful however when you do not buy an excursion from them it gets ugly fast and that should never be a part of your vacation. At the end of the day when you can get service it's great however due to the fact that they are understaffed it can and will be frustrating. The entertainment staff does a great job and you will surely be entertained. There isn't a manager in sight and that is a shame cause many of the employees are sitting around and not taking care of the customer? It wouldn't to hold a daily meeting reminding the employees to say hi and good morning to every guest cause that doesn't happen. I hate to put them on blast and like I said it's a beautiful resort however leadership is at fault for not making this place "World Class"! read more

The trip was overall very good. Food was very tasty, with lots of options for those of us who are pretty picky. Needed to make reservations at restaurants, which is on par with most resorts. Only downside of this resort was you could only eat at the specialty restaurants a certain amount of nights depending on how long your stay was. So we only got 2 restaurants and the rest of the time ate at the buffet. Which was okay with me because the buffet was still very good! Room was clean upon arrival and staff did a good job maintaining it. The resort itself had a lot of wildlife (flamingos, peacocks, swans, coati (looked like raccoon mixed with cat)) roaming around, it was awesome. Loved it. Pool was huge and very relaxing with lots of seating options. Staff at the bars were amazing, took the time to remember our names, it was great. The one thing I do feel was a negative was that upon arrival, they offered a room upgrade. The way they explained it was that the room we originally would be getting was very far away from everything and we would need to be walking 15/20 minutes everywhere. So they said if we paid $120, we would be upgraded to a nicer room, closer to everything, and access to the wet spa. They sold it very well, so we agreed. However, what they didn't say is that we would now be further away from the restaurants, so we would need to be walking the same distance anyway from our new room, multiple times a day. We also feel that anyone had access to the spa, regardless of room, because they never asked for our room number. So overall we were very disappointed in the fact that they sold us a room "upgrade" which was essentially just moving us to a different building with no real benefit. Very disappointing and we feel were ripped off. Overall a good stay otherwise. read more

I am sad to only give this resort 3 stars, as the resort itself is clean, offers many amenities and is beautiful. However, several experiences with the concierge have forced me to give me a much lower rating. To start off with the positive aspects of the trip - the resort is very large, clean and offers a variety of restaurants. The food is extremely fresh and very tasty. The staff at the restaurants and by the pool is kind, attentive and efficient. Moving on to the concierge, which caused me to only give 3 stars. When approaching their desks, you often find several concierge staff sitting and talking and you have to wait to be given any attention despite the fact that they are not helping another customer. Furthermore, after I lost a pair of sunglasses and was attempting to find them, the lady at the concierge desk kept insisting the ones I thought may be it ( based on a picture of the lost and found they keep on their computer) were not. When I simply asked to see them ( after showing them a picture of me wearing them) she was irritated and told me to wait to the side for the minutes. This was also the same woman who attempted to assist us in confirming our return transportation to the airport by telling us to google the number and call from our cell phone. Finally, we requested help with our luggage which never came (we waited over 30 minutes and called twice !). Based on my experience I am not sure I would stay here again, as there are many more resorts we have tried in Mexico with better customer service. read more

My family of four stayed here the last week of March along with another family of four. Our stay was great!! Even though we were there over spring break, there was no loud spring break partying. The resort was full, but spread out enough that we never felt crowded. The staff was all very helpful and friendly. We usually did breakfast at the buffet, which served the same items everyday, but there was a lot of choices so it was easy to find something different each day. The burger bar down at the beach was also good for lunch. We ate dinner at the Rock Cafe. This was a favorite for many in our group. We also ate at the Mexican restaurant and the Mediterranean restaurant (my personal favorite. Our room were well clean, well kept, and well stocked each day. Afternoons at the pool were very enjoyable and relaxing. Make sure to get there early if you want a good spot. While we were there the beach was pretty windy which churned up a lot of seaweed, so that didn't make for the best beach experience, but still nice. Overall, we all had a great time and the staff went out of their way to make sure we were all happy. I highly recommend a stay here. Cheers. read more