Iberostar Grand Paraiso

We had the best time on our mom/daughter getaway to JOIA last week! The resort was beautiful, the service amazing, restaurants all exceptional, and top shelf alcohol at the bars! The staff went over and above to make our stay extra special. Ruben and Ana were our butlers and they went over and above to make our stay in building 70 the best experience ever! Alma and Hilario from the entertainment team were so funny and kind and kept things fun at the pool each day! Our driver Leonardo was so helpful in helping us to navigate this huge property! Golf carts with drivers are available any time you need them! Joel, our server at the Italian restaurant served us twice and was the best server and kindest person. He made our experience so exceptional that we came back a second time! Lastly, Eli and Ricardo from Bell services were wonderful and made our arrival and departure seamless! We will definitely return!

My husband and I went to JOIA Paraíso by Iberostar in December 2025. Overall we had a great time and definitely recommend it! I just want to point out the one downside up front instead of burying it further down: the average age of guests here is about 65 to 70. So if you are a younger couple looking for a party atmosphere, late night activities, or to make friends with people your age, this may not be the resort for you. Just as an example, my husband and I were at the bar at midnight one night and were the only ones there. But if you are fine with this, then everything else was great! Room: We had a 2nd floor (which is the main level) suite overlooking the quiet pool and the room very nice. Staff come and clean and restock your room every day and then turn down the bed in the evening. Our favorite part was the balcony overlooking the pool with a big swing seat and couch. Food: The JOIA Paraíso has 5 restaurants (Italian, French, Japanese, Mexican, Steak/Seafood) plus a buffet and beach restaurant and bar open for lunch. The food at all of them was great! Don’t expect Michelin star quality but it was very good for a big resort. Honestly the buffet was one of our favorites, they had great food for every meal. The only thing you have to make a reservation for is the hibachi grill in the Japanese restaurant, which was fully booked so we could not make a reservation. You can also go to any restaurant at any of the other connected resorts. Restaurants are only open certain days of the week, so make sure you check the app. Pool and beach: There are two pools at JOIA Paraíso - a quiet pool and an activity pool. Both are very nice! The quiet pool is very peaceful and relaxing, but even the activity pool isn’t crazy (unlike the Lido pool at one of the connected resorts). At the activity pool they play music, have a few activities throughout the day and have a swim up bar. The beach is also very nice with plenty of chairs. Servers come around and take your drink orders on the beach also. However, the best part of the beach is that all the way at the edge of the property, locals have set up two massage stands and you can get a massage right on the beach for less than half of the cost of a massage at the resort spa. Do it!!! Service: All the service was great. I read a lot of complaints about you getting continually bombarded by people trying to sell you a time share. The concierge desk did try to sell us hard on attending a brunch for the time share once, but we said no and then just didn’t go back to the concierge desk and didn’t get bothered again. Shows/Activities: The app is great at showing you all the activities and shows going on each day. You can also see the shows and activities going on at the connected resorts. Our favorite activity we did was a tequila and mezcal tasting and our favorite show was the fire show (get there early for a good seat, it’s the most popular show). There are also lots of group gym classes.

this resort is immaculate and location is beautiful. Staff is top notch and friendly with excellent service. We had an ocean view room and a balcony. Butlers provided great service. Comfortable chairs were provided for the beach and pool areas with plenty of towels, drink service was very good. There were plenty of cuisine choices with high quality food although there were numerous times we noticed items on the buffet were not being kept hot or warm and were at room temperature. We did get solicited several times for the breakfast to learn about the travel club, this became annoying, ask once and then just stop! The resort has an ap with some useful information but it it kind of clunky and needs improvement. There is nightly entertainment at a very nice theater on the property, entertainment was better than what we have typically seen at resorts.

We returned yesterday from a week at Joia Paraiso in Playa. FIRST, THE GOOD: The service was excellent; staff were attentive, responsive, and friendly, with exception to mediocre service one night in Venetia, the Italian restaurant. Restaurants were good, not 5-star across the board, but good. We could definitely tell a difference between this hotel and its cheaper cousin, Waves. It was nice not having kids running around too (we love kids, just not at our vacation). NOW, THE NOT SO GOOD: If you like a pretentious look, this is the place; if you like a hotel styled like a 1960s brothel or a similar place in south Florida, this is your place. We actually preferred the decor and style of the Cozumel Iberostar Waves, which cost a third what this one cost. Had it not been for the discount we were offered, we wouldn't have chosen it to begin with. The constant attempts to upsell us, even though we already plunked down money for the over-rated and overpriced Star Prestige, were annoying. I finally had to demand, in all caps, not to be asked for any further "meetings." It was interesting how no further attempts to assist us in any way were forthcoming after that. Not until you're in the already-overpriced giftshop do you find out that the "discount" supposedly given to Star Prestige members DOES NOT COVER any item that is "on sale." Conveniently, everything we bought seemed to be on sale (funny how that happens.) Get this: $57 for a bottle of suntan lotion. We decided not to buy it. We won't be returning to Joia Paraiso; its style might be to some people's liking, but not us. Every time we were seated in the tacky gold-paint-embossed room used for L'Atelier, we couldn't wait to go elsewhere.

Enjoyed each and every one at this resort Spectacular rooms, views, grounds, maintenance & food, this was a fantastic experience. Fabian Monse and Monserrat, for the entertainment fabulous Johnny Mala Alma y Jules Entertainer was the best and made our stay so enjoyable. Thank you. Date of stay: January 2026 Trip type: Traveled as a couple.