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    Iberostar Waves Paraíso Beach

    3.3 (91 reviews)
    PriceyHotels
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    Iberostar Waves Paraíso Beach Photos

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    Bar ...poolside
    Patrice R.

    My first time at resort and it has been very nice Aleknos,had me moving and grooving at the pool it has been a great place, I wish they would have people walking around to ask for drinks, I would definitely come back soon just for Alekos this is great family friendly if you want to bring the family the pools are great the down side is they are all walk up I would get a a first floor or second floor for my next trip

    View from the beach
    Helen G.

    Great resort! Beach was beautiful and everything was very clean. The staff were all so nice and accommodating. There were water stations almost everywhere so you always had water to drink. The hibachi and Brazilian steakhouses were really good! Buffet food definitely got old after a while, especially since the lunches and dinner are similar. Definitely recommend checking out the snack booth on the beach as an option. Was not crowded at all. Was always able to get a spot on the beach or by the pool and hardly ever had to wait for drinks.

    The first thing you see when you arrive - fountain only turned on at night SOMETIMES.
    Rita M.

    We arrived at the resort at check in - it took close to an hour to get checked in because they were busy trying "to put our party of 15 close to one another" - later I realized it was because they wanted to upcharge us to be in the "Junior Suites". Keep in mind the Junior Suite is 3 ft larger and just closer to the pools and beach. The told us they'd give it to us for 50% less - $350 more than our current room. We declined. We walked to our room after sweating profusely for a straight hour because NOWHERE IS AIR CONDITIONED. Room is very outdated, stains on the furniture and is old and dingy, footer on one bed kept falling off. There was dirt on the tub floor. Room was incredibly hot - the "RealFeel" temp outside was 109° and the room was set to 22°C. You can only turn down the temp yourself to 20°C, so after a day and a half of chatting with a the front desk and having a technician who spoke 0 English try to help, we pushed the two beds together and slept at the bottom of the beds to feel the ceiling fan blowing on us. If you leave the room door or balcony door open for even 10 secs, AC shuts off and lights turn off as well. Beds are made each day from housekeeping but you are given a thin scratchy blanket sandwiched between two top sheets - not that it matters because you can't use it from sweating so much. There are 2 outlets only in the room with no USB ports, 2 of our lamps and entryway lights did not work. The balcony is run down and has weeds growing from flower beds. Bathroom is not AC'ed, water pressure is a trickle. Housekeeping do not wipe down counters. Towels are given each day. Room was swept once despite sand on floor. Old food on plate sat on steps to hotel left by another guest for hours. The food is awful. Little choices for Americans - can eat at buffet in the stifling heat where most food is authentic Mexican. The area where food is served is not AC'ed either so there's a food poisoning situation waiting to happen. Food tastes terrible and is just pushed out to the masses. The only edible meal is breakfast. I barely ate. There is a burger, taco place and bakery plus ice cream area in the shopping mall - best bet if you're American. Bar drinks are terrible from both lobby and beach/pool bars, watered down and oversweetened. Bottom shelf liquor. The only beer served is Dos Equis. They claim before your trip you can eat at any of the restaurants, however, once there you are told you may have 3 restaurant reservations only. All but 1 we ate at was AC'ed. Iberostar also markets that you can go to the Mayan and Lindo resorts for pools and restaurants, however, we were asked to leave the Lindo pool. We brought our complaints to the front desk to be met by Joshua who tried to solve our problems by going to his presentation on the timeshare and then they would knock off 50% of the cost to upgrade to an ocean view room in which he said (and I quote) "That room has better air conditioning because we want people to upgrade." I know this is true because other family members were closer to the beach because they needed different accommodations and they said their AC was very cold. Beach chairs are dirty with animal poop and not cleaned. Beach food is burgers, fries, nachos and cold hot dogs. Line at the beach bar is long even for water. Trash cans are slimy with food. Self service soda/water runs out of ice by 330 and don't refill ice so you drink lukewarm soda and water. Lobby area water areas are green algae filled, fountains aren't turned on until nighttime. Resort is big and walking everywhere is a must - golf carts come by but usually are filled. Smoking is allowed all over except rooms. Pool is like a hot bath. No cool water at all. Ocean is better but filled with seaweed. Large rocks in ocean by shoreline. I was knocked over by waves and couldn't get up, my niece and I cut our legs pretty bad. Lifeguards are useless. Very hard to find unoccupied lounge chairs at pool or beach no matter what time you go, one day, we put our towels at the beach and ran back to the room for something. When we returned our towels were removed and chairs taken by others. Beds small and bounce too much when sharing with another person. Extremely uncomfortable. My husband and I couldn't sleep together, because we couldn't fit in he bed. We are not overly large people either. Salespeople constantly trying to sell you the time share and very persistent. They will promise you everything they can do you will go to their 1 hour presentation. Anything you complain about they try to solve your complaint by getting you to spend more money for better amenities. Go somewhere else, it was the worse vacation I've ever taken and I will never return to Mexico again. Other family members have stayed at Mayan, Lindo and the Grand and have had much better experiences. Stay far away from Paraiso Beach and Del Mar.

    The resort at night....beautiful.
    Ebone' W.

    Stayed for 4 nights with a group of 6 in October '16, overall not bad. I've been in better rooms, but the resort itself, pool and beach were great. Food was just ok...thehibachi and the Mediterranean restaurant, excellent; and those tacos, extra-excellent. Wifi was sketchy in areas, but free when you connected. The hot tub was cold and the resort is big...so thanks for the carts. Overall I'd return!

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    Iberostar Waves Paraíso Beach Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Iberostar Waves Paraíso Beach

    It was our second time in Riviera Maya, Mexico but our first time in this resort.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Valentin Imperial Maya - Restaurant seating

    Valentin Imperial Maya

    (210 reviews)

    $$$

    My wife and I travel a lot, and I must say this place is definitely at the top of our list. She's a…read moretravel agent, and I travel around with her, trying the resorts so she can recommend them to her customers. From the time we got here, with the ease of the check-in, to the rooms, the food, the amenities, and just the overall service, this place is run like a well-oiled machine! This is an older resort that still has the older Mexican Hacienda feel, with all of the modern upgrades and additions. You can tell they've put a lot of work into keeping this resort as authentic as possible. There was clearly a lot of thought put into every change and upgrade that was made to this resort. Our room was a corner suite at the end of the resort overlooking the ocean, the Dunas Suites. We thoroughly enjoyed getting up every morning to watch the sunrise, drink our coffee, and start the day! We had our own private pool, which was great to come back to and just soak and talk at the end of each day. The room and accommodations were absolutely top-notch! The food was absolutely amazing! We typically don't do the buffet, but we tried it, and it was the nicest buffet we have ever been to. We tried a variety of the different restaurants, and they were all absolutely amazing! For anyone that is a foodie, this is probably the best food I've ever had at an all-inclusive resort. They have three pools here: the Silver, which is a smaller pool in more of a natural setting; the Golden Pool, which has a lazy river and goes from Building 6 to 8; and then the main pool, which is one of the largest pools we've ever seen at a resort. It's HUGE! What I liked about it is they had two different bars there, and they have rafts available, which is super convenient as we usually bring our own. And yes, they have a lot of high-end booze and make some really good drinks at the pool bars! Each night after dinner, we would end up at the Plaza España! On our way, we would stop and get a churro at the churro cart, which I highly recommend, and then we would finish with a few drinks from the La Plaza Bar and live entertainment, which was usually a DJ or a live band! The later it got, the livelier it became, as the dance floor was a pretty hot attraction! A must-stop is Café Sisal, which offers hot and cold coffee drinks, fruit drinks, a variety of different sandwiches and pastries, and of course, their ice cream! This is a big resort, and if you are staying toward the oceanside, I would strongly recommend utilizing the golf cart services. We would at certain times, but a lot of the time we found a shortcut by the big pool that cut the walk in half. They have so much to offer, with a variety of different daily activities. Overall, this place is absolutely amazing, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone looking for an all-inclusive resort in Riviera Maya.

    It had been many years since I'd stayed at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico, so I wasn't quite…read moresure what to expect at the Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya. I was very pleasantly surprised with everything! From the food to the staff, to the activities and variety of spaces, it was really a wonderful experience. I also LOVED all the wildlife we saw! Especially the coatis. Once you arrive, you are greeted with a welcome drink and they take your luggage to your room. Our rooms weren't quite ready but we were able to head to the buffet and get some food. We had the deluxe junior suite, which was the cheapest room option. It was very spacious, with two double beds, a small couch, table and chairs, and a large bathroom with a jacuzzi tub and separate shower. We loved the location of the building as it was near the pools and all the restaurants. It's a bit further from the beach, but we didn't spend much time there. The resort features several restaurants: French, Italian/Mediterranean, sushi, Mexican, Thai/Asian, a buffet, and a surf & turf restaurant. There is also a coffee shop that's open late, and food trucks at the pool areas. The food was quite good, with lots of options and incredible care when it comes to food allergies. I loved the Petite Alsace experience (a private dining experience at the French restaurant), and at $59 per person extra it was totally worth it. The only food I didn't love was the room service - it was almost always cold. But the wings were tasty! The staff at this resort make it so fun - they were always smiling and friendly, and so entertaining. Sonia at the main pool bars was the best, mixing up all the best drinks! Speaking of drinks... they have everything you could possibly think of (except aperol). The specialty shots are very fun. The afternoon pool events were a blast - we watched the mechanical bull competition, participated in aqua yoga at the pool, learned about Mexican produce at the cooking class, and more. They have nightly entertainment like DJs and karaoke in the courtyard, as well as a show every night. We loved the magic show! We also did a yoga class and the bike tour - I highly recommend the bike tour on your first day as it helps get an overview of the layout of the resort. The Golden pool area is super quiet and calm vs. the main pool area. It was nice to switch it up mid-week with a more restful afternoon on the "lazy river." Tips: -Bring an insulated mug/cup for the pool (and a larger straw for frozen drinks) -A waterproof holder for your phone/tipping money at the swim up bar is nice to have -I went back and forth on bringing inflatable loungers... I didn't pack them but wish I had. You can find the resort's blue floating pads pretty easily but they are not very versatile (I prefer ones where you can sit more upright) -Bring a game/deck of cards to play while waiting for dinner. (There is a lot of entertainment too, but it was nice to have) -Large groups (more than 8) will likely have to split up for dinner at the restaurants I'm so glad I got to experience this resort. Some of the guests we met have been there 20+ times!

    JOIA Paraíso by Iberostar - This the beach in front of the oceanfront rooms

    JOIA Paraíso by Iberostar

    (84 reviews)

    $$$

    This was my first ever all inclusive resort experience. I can honestly say I feel like my life has…read morebeen changed for the better after this vacation. We ventured here with my partner and his family for his 40th birthday celebration, and the entire week didn't disappoint. First, the staff is incredibly kind and hospitable. Each morning you are greeted with smiles and they always make themselves available or attentive to your needs. I barely could open a door during the entirety of my stay. A major shout out to the entertainment team, specifically Bidi Bidi Bum Bum (her nickname), who kept us relaxed and busy during the week. Bidi is incredible. Next, the overall hotel esthetic is quite nice. It certainly has its own unique design decisions, but the accommodations in your room are amazing. Each suite has its own mini fridge stocked with beer and wine that they will refill each day. Every room has a coffee machine and a large bathroom as well. They have three pools, one of which is indoor and the other is a quiet bool. The main pool has a massive bar where cocktails are poured every day from 9 - 7. Not only that, the five restaurants and the buffet have so much food I think I could not eat for a whole week after the large amounts of steak and seafood I ingested. Overall, the price and experience are definitely worth it. I highly recommend this hotel if you're looking for an adults only, vibrant food and drink experience.

    This was remarkable! Unclear how it has been rated this low but I am here to say this was a…read moreworld-class experience. The level of customer service was top notch. As someone that has been to 10+ resort experiences across Mexico, Jamaica, DR, St Marteen and other Caribbean this is up there as one of the best. The price is incredibly reasonable 2 people for 5 days was around $1900 for all inclusive. There was 5+ restaurants, 1 beach restaurants, 1 buffet option on the resort. The Mexican dining restaurant was sensational, the steakhouse was my least favorite. A ton of different bar options around the resort. The liquor options were not bottom shelf, good mid tier options. And direct beach access, the most impressive part was it was seaweed season yet they were pretty clear. The grounds were very pretty and ton nature The room was spacious and the views from the balcony was gorgeous. Be mindful of the nature there are lemurs. They offered shows and night entertainment every night. My favorite was the fireshow and karaoke bar which is open most night. There were various pool options. There was a quiet pool option and a large more lively pool with a swim up bar. It was good vibes and entertainment. BEWARE of the time-share pitch. They will sell you on spending your morning doing this. We got out of it. Its a bit annoying.

    Grand Luxxe Residence Club - This was delicious, I can't remember the name. First meal at the resort in Salum.

    Grand Luxxe Residence Club

    (54 reviews)

    $$$$

    Vidanta World is an expansive resort experience -- nothing my husband and I have ever seen before…read more Like any vacation, there were definite pros and cons. Pros Staff: The staff was kind, hardworking, and really knowledgeable about the resort and nearby cities. I want to shout out Fabian Eustaquio, the first friendly face we met during check-in. He gave us great recommendations, drove us several times, and was just an overall pleasant person to see throughout our trip. Another great experience was with Lydia, who kept our room clean, refreshed, and feeling taken care of. Room: We stayed in the Grand Luxxe Jungle in a very spacious 1-bedroom with two bathrooms, overlooking the literal jungle. Once we checked in, we were greeted by a whole family of animals heading somewhere (lol). The blend of wildlife, nature, and human design is impressive, and I have to applaud what seems like a nice marriage between the two. Food: There are so many options. We didn't make it to every restaurant, but none of the spots we tried disappointed. We kept going back to Salum -- the tacos, cheeseburgers, and guacamole were favorites. Other delicious picks were Burger Custom Made (get the grouper ceviche -- you will thank me) and Havana Moon. Cons Not all-inclusive: You pay for everything. This is not an all-inclusive resort, and they prefer you charge everything to your room. It gets tricky because you really don't know how much you're spending unless you keep track yourself. We did the timeshare/owner presentation and got 10% off our entire bill, which helped. We also left the resort a few days for excursions and local activities. Timeshare presentation: It is NOT 60 minutes. It is the entire day, and it is exhausting. Marríame did a fantastic job, and she recommended amazing local activities. She also put us onto Key Lime Pie Oreos (omg so good). But besides the 10% discount, they weren't selling anything different from what we've seen before. The offer didn't match what we were told, and people online weren't speaking highly of their customer service or some of their products. Size of the resort: This place is huge -- you can get easily lost. Definitely download the app. We had to request our car 30 minutes before, and our transport from the room to the central lobby was about 20 minutes. We stayed in one of the Jungle buildings, which seemed far away from everything. The hustle: Everyone we met on and off the property expected a tip. It got annoying. I understand the hustle, and you gotta do what you gotta do, but geez. The company should pay their staff better or distribute gratuities more clearly. We enjoyed the resort and the very kind staff, but it's an expensive vacation -- and not one we'd want to return to.

    We stayed for a week as guests of a family friend. The…read morejunior villa was more than enjoyable space for me and my husband and we could've easily had another couple stay in the living room / pullout bed. The room was well equipped with toiletries , refrigerator, and microwave. Good ideas to bring your own Nespresso tablets. We used the Vidanta app and walked almost everywhere. We booked 2 excursions before the vacation and they met us in central lobby, which was a shuttle ride away. We went to Joya, I would recommend doing seats only and having dinner at Nektar beforehand because that place was delicious. Loved the Beach Club - free cabana, happy hour special. The best mimosas I've ever had. Platinum guest gets access at 930am.

    Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun - Lobby interior

    Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun

    (209 reviews)

    We had a wonderful time at this resort! I loved every single minute we were here!…read more Beautiful grounds and a wonderful place on earth to be. As long as you are behind the gates that is.... Outside of the gates is a whole different story. It's pretty intense out there with the police being fully militarized. They have machine guns mounted to trucks they stand on and ride around just for the presence, there are tons of people wanting to take advantage of dumb Americans at every turn. Watch yourself if you travel alone in Cozumel. It's designed solely to attract tourists. That draws out some colorful personalities in my experience. Traveled with ease from the oh so lovely Cancun International Airport. Interesting spot to say the least. We were warned not to communicate or accept anything from anyone except our driver. We arrive to the hotel really excited, somewhat cautious, and ready to have some fun. We were greeted at the front door and we handled a little paperwork, and then we were taken to our room by a wonderfully helpful chap. He showed us around the room, gave us a quick run down of the grounds, described the amenities, food situation, and some other pleasantries. He talked about the dining situation and gave us a map tour so we're would know how to navigate the grounds. They have a cool locker system in each room. The service folks just leave your anything in the locker and you don't have to interact with them at all. They just let you know it is there. Nice feature. The grounds themselves are absolutely gorgeous! It is so well kept, the attention to every detail goes so far beyond a normal resort. They comb the beach every morning. I kid you not. They seriously rake the entire shoreline before dawn. They also run a tractor to clear the seaweed from the beach. Insane dedication to making your stay great. The restaurant situation is so fucking rad. They have just about any food you might want covered between the what seemed like a dozen restaurants at the resort. I ate and ate and ate and ate.... I ate between meals, I ate between those meal and snack times. We had so much food!! Every dinner was 5-8 courses. I'm positive I could stay right here forever and never leave. Food heaven!! Spa is great too! It's a lovely relaxing oasis of self care. That's another review, but it's great. Don't take my word for it. Go for yourself! Cold plunges are good for the soul! They have shows every night in the theater and there was some sort of event being held every night in the common area. Some were private, others public. They construct stages, eating areas, weddings, happy hours with bands, and even corporate conferences. It's pretty wild the amount to building and tearing things down the do here. We rented a cabana bed one day and at the end of the day the built and transformed the beach into an elaborate engagement spot with candles everywhere, flowers, and a table for two. Very nice touch! All in all a fantastic experience. My only gripe was that the room smelled of mildew and/or too music moisture. C said something about it when we got there but it wasn't that noticeable to me. When I got home and unpacked my suitcase is when it hit me. There were clothes that I did not wear, just sat in the drawers and repacked, they all had to be washed as they smelled terrible after being packed and transported back home. I would come back monthly if possible. Nice place. '26 - 74

    best all inclusive resort that we have ever stayed at! we had zero complaints about our entire…read morestay. the check in process was smooth and we were greeted with welcome champagne. they then drove us and our bags to our room, which was beautiful. we got the preferred club junior swim out suite and it was phenomenal. the mini bar was stocked with snacks and drinks and they even gave us a bottle of champagne for the room. i would highly recommend getting the preferred club, as you get access to private restaurants, beach club, private lounge, enhanced mini bar, and a free tote bag. the swim out pool was amazing and well maintained. they had complimentary floaties to float on. there was a lot of mosquitos outside so i would just recommend bringing bug spray. each floor has a designated concierge who has a desk on the bottom of each floor. our concierge, marcelo, was phenomenal. he always reached out via text to tell us about activities going on. my fiance also felt sick on the last day of our trip and marcelo sent gatorade, ginger ale, and salty crackers to our room. he provided exceptional customer service. we came during sargassum season, but this resort handled it so well. they had tractors out on the beach every morning to scoop up all the sargassum and take it away. it did not smell at all and we were able to go into the water without a problem. the pools, food, and nightly entertainment were all incredible. we didn't have a meal that we didn't enjoy. we never had to wait for a table and service was always so fast. the activities department put on such amazing shows every night. we will definitely be coming back and i highly recommend this resort to anyone!

    The Grand Mayan - Room

    The Grand Mayan

    (162 reviews)

    We love The Grand Mayan at Vidanta Riviera Maya! The plunge pool on our patio was fabulous. The…read morerestaurant options and outstanding food are one of the many reasons to keep coming back, with Havana Moon, Balche and Cafe Del Lago being our casual favorites. Balche also services the mail pool area with drinks and eats. The entire staff is always friendly and ready to help. The Cirque Du Soleil show, Joya, is wonderful. We recently enjoyed it with dinner, which was a delicious fantasy come to life. Jungala has Latin America's longest lazy river and we had the best day there. It was such a convenience to charge our drinks and food to our room when we landed at the swimup bar. We really enjoyed the Infinity Pool, exclusively for GM members. The Jade Boutique has most everything you might need, from groceries to souvenirs. Be sure to check out the Monoi Coconut Fig lotion sold at Jade. It's the intoxicating lotion samples provided in the suite during your stay to help you relive the memories of your trip. We visited in early May. There were no crowds and the weather was great! We will return soon!

    The Grand Mayan is located at the Vidanta Resort in Riviera Maya (south of Cancun). This is one of…read moremany 'hotels' on the resort. Our room was spacious and even had a small pool plunge on our deck. We ordered room service a lot which was convenient in between meals. The resort is huge. Lots of walking. The staff were so so nice and accommodating. Super clean and so many wild animals and plants call it home, I can see why! The Coatis are the cutest and the iguana / lizards are huge and just hang out by the pool sunbathing. They had a water park on site, a huge PGA golf course, and also cirque's de soleil - "Joya" - the only one on the east coast of Mexico. The show was outstanding and highly recommended doing the dinner before the show! There are shuttles from place to place, but there is still a lot of walking. My favorite was the flamingos, and crocodile tour! The easiest way to navigate around is the Vidanta app. It was fun checking everyday to see the daily activities and where to eat (I also planned ahead before the trip). They had a lot of evening festivities and loved getting dressed up and having all the local food. All the pools have a bar which was so convenient. The main pool was near the beach and easy access to the water! They have a grocery mart with the best crepes, along with a gift shop and some snacks and food and alcohol. We went during Halloween week and they had everything set up for Halloween and also Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). It was gorgeous with the decorations. This resort is for time-share holders only! They had a lot of security to get in and out which made us feel safe that no one was wondering around. Your room key is a wristband which was good because we never lost our room key! Really have to give it up for the staff. Everyone was awesome & great!! Made a great memorable trip!!

    Iberostar Selection Paraíso Maya Suites

    Iberostar Selection Paraíso Maya Suites

    (98 reviews)

    TL:DR - Had a great time at the Maya resort. Service was superb, food was decent but a bit lacking…read morein the sit-down experiences in regards to food quality. Pools were refreshing and beach/pool bar service was great. Wish the entertainment were more Mexico/culture themed vs circus or Addams family, etc. Price gouging onsite was excessive. The rest of the story -- This was our second time ever going to Mexico and the first time to this area/region. On our first trip, we stayed on a much smaller resort, so this was quite a switch, because the Iberostar Paraiso Maya + adjoining resorts is HUGE. Although there were trams, we opted to walk most places and we averaged 18k-20k steps/day. The service was absolutely tremendous. Everyone seemed to go out of their way to make our stay enjoyable... just the little things... nearly every worker would say hi/hola as we passed in the hallways... from the landscapers and housekeepers to the concierge staff. The meals were on point. I will say that, overall, we preferred the buffets options vs the sit-down options. We did 4 sit-down meals during our stay -- L'Etoile (French - first come, first served), La Marina (Seafood - first come, first served), Olivetti (Italian - reservations required), La Geisha (hibachi Japanese - reservations required). Of those, I would say La Geisha was our favorite. The other options were good, but overall fell a bit short. The steaks were often undercooked related to request -- Ie: we would order as medium-well, but steak would be cooked as Rare to Medium rare at best. The rooms (Maya Junior Suite) were great and stayed very cool during the day with 2 ceiling fans and A/C. The pools were great and bar service was on point. The beach was overtaken by sargassum during our stay, but staff worked hard to try to clean it up, but it was just coming in such great quantities to stay ahead of. Nonetheless, the beach was fun to sit at and relax. Only 2 criticisms to address -- 1) the entertainment was sometimes lacking for cultural appeal. There was entertainment every night in the main theater, but of the 5 nights we were there, only one was more of a cultural experience. The others were a Circus-theme, Addams Groove Experience. Those ones were, at best, ok. But we did thoroughly enjoy the Mexico-themed performance. 2) The price-gouging in the onsite shops is extreme. A few examples : $45+ usd for a bottle of regular-sized, Banana Boat sunscreen spray. $50+ usd for a cheapo, waterproof phone pouch, $30+ usd for pepto-bismol. I understand that resorts will scale up their pricing for the convenience, but that level of price gouging for simple items seemed excessive.

    By far the best resort I have ever been to! It's like six resorts in one. So many great food…read moreoptions including hibachi and Italian. A coffee shop open any hour you need it. And gelato!!!! The Lobby Bar was fun and bartenders were great. Entertainment was fun although short. Our room was comfy and perfect size. Bed was probably the most comfortable I've ever slept on in a hotel Highly recommend this resort!!

    Mayan Palace - Double bed room

    Mayan Palace

    (128 reviews)

    $$$

    ITS A TOURIST TRAP!…read more ACCOMODATION: Mayan Palace building 3 has a broken mirror in the elevator, chipping paint in the hallways, and construction noise waking us up at 9am daily. In our room, the TV, lamp, and fan were broken. Bathroom has no vent or window. The room was spacious and clean. ELECTRICITY: With no notice, our power went out for 6 hours while we were in the middle of cooking breakfast, because they were doing maintenance on the elevator. Our metal countertop became electrified if there was water on it. We literally got shocked multiple times a day. Maintenance couldn't figure out/fix the problem. ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE: Took 1.5 hours to check in. Upon check out there are lots of hidden fees & taxes, which we were able to negotiate off. We were promised the shuttle to & from the airport would be paid for. On the last night learned we had to pay our own shuttle back to the airport, $15/person. They make it difficult to leave (20 minute shuttle to the entrance lobby, then 1/2 mile walk to the main road for a normal priced taxi). Or you can pay double for their taxis. FOOD: Food & drinks are as expensive as airports in the USA. Tastes pretty good, not worth the prices. No free water or coffee in the lobby, or in your room. WATER: Drinking water is not provided. You have to buy jugs of over priced drinking water at the main store & haul it yourself back to your room. THE POSSITIVE: the grounds are beautiful and the nature is lovely. The staff are friendly... Honestly so friendly it feels fake. I liked the beach, ocean, pools, and wildlife. If you don't want to leave the tourist trap and you're happy to pay a fortune for subpar services, this is the place for you. I will never be back.

    This resort is completely disorganized and feels like a scam. There are at least five different…read moreentities operating within the property, yet none of the staff seem to know how they connect or how to navigate the endless maze of walkways. Worse, the ticketing is entirely fragmented--buying a ticket to the water park has nothing to do with the hotel, the main park, or the high-pressure timeshare pitches you're forced to dodge. Navigating both the physical property and the customer service is an absolute nightmare. Save your money and avoid this place.

    Grand Bliss - Poolside cabana

    Grand Bliss

    (27 reviews)

    While I had reserved a king bed for the week, getting 2 doubles and just pushing them together must…read morebe something people do regularly because the maids made up the bed for us that way every night after we did it. Room itself was very nice but when staying at a Time Share and not having a kitchenette at least was disappointing. Shower pressure gets 2 out of 10, while there is a soaker tub that looks like it's meant for 2, it's really not. Also, the AC worked at night but I think they turn it off during the day. The biggest let down was exchanging for Mexican $ while there. My experience was bad enough. If your money from other countries isn't PRISTINE, they will not exchange it. I had one $20 with a piece missing smaller than 1/2 a grain of rice and they wouldn't take it. I also had 5 or 6 bills that had a minuscule out of ink on the edge of a bill and it wasn't until the manager could sense my frustration that he stepped in and did exchange those bills for me. Do look up exchange rates before coming to Mexico, I saw the rates anywhere from $15-20 Mexican to American. The airport was the lowest and some retail shops were the best. THE ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE exchange came when my SO tried to get pesos for $400 American. He his $200 under his keyboard and then came back to her and said "here's your $3200 for your $200." She had handed him 4 $100 bills and tried to give her change for just 2 it wasn't until she called him on it and lifted up his keyboard that he said "oh, not sure how that happened". We filed a report with management and left it at that. They may have sent a fruit bowl and chocolate strawberries to apologize but that was not sufficient seeing that Management never even apologized to us. That's all we wanted. They have central parking and a team service here because it's 5 hotels in one resort. Advantages and disadvantages to both but the tram drivers and bellmen were the stars of the shows here. My SO broke her ankle halfway thru our trip and they lent us a wheelchair and they have a special tram to haul them around. The VALET service sucked! While being told to call ahead so they were there when the tram brought is good in theory, we still waited upwards of 30 minutes longer than they said it would take. Not once was our car ready when they said it would be. Also, having the car just sit in the hot sun when not in use makes it very uncomfortable during the summer when you get in. If you're going to the beach club you can't bring food or drink and their prices are very steep. Pro level cheat is to bring a Hydroflask filled with whatever adult beverage you want for the day and just get your water from them. Also, if you want a Cabana at the club and aren't Platinum, go to the reservation booth there at 11am and let them know you'd like to wait for an unclaimed Cabana at noon. Also, the sand on the beach is nice and you can lay there but the shore at the waters edge in all rocks for quite a way and makes it very difficult to enjoy the ocean waters. Overall, this place has some great qualities but I think coming here for just a meal will be the way to go when I come back at Christmas time.

    This place was well worth the trip there is 4 different resorts inside. They offer great food and…read moremy favorite night was the Mexican show night that they had. Let me just say there food was really good but completely different from what I am used to in southern California and Tijuana. The place itself is just magical swimming in the clear coral blue waters is just something amazing.

    Catalonia Playa Maroma - Buffet, pajaro

    Catalonia Playa Maroma

    (43 reviews)

    $$

    Big and spacious hotel. Everything that you need is on site. The staff is extremely friendly and…read morewilling to accommodate all of your needs. Special shout out to Citali, Laura, and Yazmin for all that they did to make our stay special. They constantly checked with us to make sure everything was perfect. Buffet food was good. Better than many I've had. Beloved and The Grill had very good food. The Gold member room was nice and updated. Just minor overlooked details here and there. The spa was great. The staff there are very nice. The facilties are clean and functional. Just beware of the coatis everywhere. Don't leave your food unguarded outside or you won't have any. The beach is nice. Wide with trees and soft sand. The perfect place to relax.

    We had our wedding at this amazing resort and I couldn't be more happy with how everything turned…read moreout. From the moment we walked in to check in, to the moment we checked out, the staff was fantastic. They are the nicest and most accommodating staff ever and that's what drew us to the resort in the first place. I'm also so impressed with how clean everything was. This resort is unique in the sense that there was also wildlife living on the property and despite the number of Coati, raccoons, boars, and other animals, the resort was nearly spotless! The restaurants were also clean and had really delicious food. Big shout out to Karen Baez, Erika Varela, and Alejandra Arceo for helping us finalize the details of our wedding. All three ladies were so great to work with and so accommodating with everything. They were all very communicative, thorough, and helpful to make the planning so easy. There was no pressure or stress at all, even in the day of the wedding. Overall, I would recommend anyone to work with the Hotel Catalonia staff for a wedding or even just to stay for leisure. All the guests for the wedding were so happy with the stay at the resort and cannot wait to come back. I'm grateful for the staff to make this the most unforgettable experience. This truly was a dream wedding!

    Iberostar Waves Paraíso Beach - hotels - Updated August 2026

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