Iberostar Grand Paraiso

Loved the pool, pool bar and the staff there. The pool games and those staff were so much fun. We were a group of 12 (6 couples). We were all on the first floor in room 7102, to the right of the walk through to the beach. Everyone else was on the left side. The other 5 couples had absolutely amazing service with their butlers, turn down service, communication, and offerings of help and service. Our butler was non existent. We had no turn down service, no knocks on the door to check to see if we needed anything, no offering of anything at all. Zero-non existent! Yes, we upgraded and paid extra for this room and the butler service. It was disheartening to hear our friends talking about their service and we didn't have any of that. It took me 2 days to get a blow dryer, and the guy at the desk told me he was working on it for 2 days. Finally my travel agent spoke with someone and Fatima showed up at my door. She was fantastic and we appreciated her. So bottom line is we paid quite a bit for an upgrade including butler, had no butler for 3 days and 1 butler for a day and a half. The room was very clean and the Italian restaurant was our best experience regarding food. They make tableside Tiramisu and it was spectacular

What an absolutely amazing Resort ! We were comparing it to the Joia Bavaro in Dominican, and I can honestly say this is a step up. The food is better the service is better the smiles are bigger, I would say drink quality is very similar and actually might be lower in the rum category, but not a deal breaker at all. The rooms are bigger we just had a standard room as usual.. the service was impeccable and they also have turn down service at both the Dominican and Mexican resort.. Most of the food was borderline Gourmet quality, it was exceptional !! The pool is salt water which was nice. The pool bar does get very busy and I can only imagine how busy it is in the High season. For this reason I would be reluctant to go back in the High season because there is really only the one bar and unless you order from the waitress I think it would be extremely packed in the pool. When you start getting into the afternoon there is not a lot of shade around the pool area and this is a big negative.. They need to have some kind of an awning or something that comes out from that high up circular pool bar area because the Sun comes in there and it's almost impossible to get away from it while you are in the water. The pool concierge will help you find a good spot and make a bed up for you which is really nice. Ivan was great and he even cleaned our sunglasses for us one day ! The gala night buffet was absolutely spectacular, but I would say we were shocked that the service was so lacking. This was on October 7th the day we arrived. There was only a couple of servers running around serving all the tables we ended up with 4 plates stacked up and only received water and wine service again at the end of our meal which was over 20 minutes from our first service. The meal more than made up for this in our opinion as it was so good ! The entertainment team is spectacular and I would give a special shout out to Julio, Mala, and Cassandra, as they truly went out of their way to try to get you into the games and have some fun. The other people were also amazing ! However I cannot remember all their names. The pool games were fun and enjoyable to play. I would say they were better than other Resorts I have been to and even the pool volleyball was fun they even set up Mexican water polo one day which was a blast !! Some of these games took a little bit of setup and I did notice this and compared to some of the resorts I've been to that they simply bring out a dart board which is very simplistic, this team actually went out of their way to bring out games which took 10 or 15 minutes to get set up and even longer... This to me reflects on the quality of this Resort and the fact that they don't want to just get you doing simplistic games they want to actually have you doing games that feel special..... This was not lost on me whatsoever, and we have rated this Resort as the best resort we have ever been to in our 15 years of Caribbean travels, and over 40 Resort vacations. thank you!!

This was our first time to Playa del Carmen and Cancun. We could not ask for a better experience. The facility was amazing and the staff friendly and accommodating. Well maintained grounds and rooms. Exemplary service . We plan to return soon.

Paraiso Joia 2025 review (Long) Let me start off by saying we are not new to this property. We have visited 7x usually 2 week stay. We stood in building 71 oceanfront property. The butlers we had during our stay were all new from last year’s visits. We did find it off from previous visits and are used to a butler coming to the room shortly after we arrive and that did not happen this time around. The next day we still haven’t heard or been approached by any so we walked to the other oceanfront building to see who the butlers were on that end and maybe they could help us because ours we couldn’t find anywhere… It happened to be all of the butlers we were used too and we told them we had arrived yesterday around 2pm but haven’t seen or heard from any of those butlers in that building. They apologized for them and low and behold shortly after I am almost positive that those butlers who knew us contacted them because when we went back to look for one it was like he was waiting for us 😂 But after that incident they became familiar with us and were amazing the rest of the trip. We did not use them much. We are easy, Just for pillows and ice at 4pm. Restaurants: This year we were absolutely amazed by the breakfast and lunch selections at the buffet. I was in love with breakfast. I forgot the kid every morning who would work in the pancake/ waffle and crepe section, but he is so sweet and made our morning everyday with his smile and cheerful attitude. He is a keeper. Don’t forget to tip him he deserves it 😊 Punta Sal: our favorite lunch spot Gala: we were not impressed. It’s a wow factor if you have never seen the previous galas there. A few years back it was a show stopper. I will say I am glad at least they brought back the live music at gala night. Legado: Not our favorite. It was a 1 and done this trip. Food was not what you would expect on a Mexican menu. Ember- we went 3x out of the 3x only 2 were excellent. Our 2nd time the food was not even edible. It was a disappointment. Both plates went back, not the steaks we ordered and ontop of that they were hard as a rock. The lobster was completely raw as well. It was so bad that the manager took our plates and didn’t even ask if we like it or not. A few minutes later he brought out the chef to come talk to us without us even asking. They knew those plates were awful and should have not been served to guests. But the chef and manager made it up to us and begged us to come back and give them another chance. We were hesitant because we have found since the moved Toni’s in door and relocated it and changed the name it has been inconsistent from day 1.. happened last year and happened again this year. But if your steak is cooked properly at ember it is delicious and don’t forget the chocolate cake it’s the BEST there. L’Atelier: AMAZING AMAZING 🙌 let me note that this was my least favorite last year, I absolutely loved it this time around. Service was exceptional, food was Delicious. We went 3x and all 3x it was Exceptional! Haiku-Bistro: Very good! We had delicious sushi always fresh and hand made. The fried rice was actually better this year than last. We enjoyed this restaurant as well. We went 2x and was looking for a 3rd but just didn’t align with our schedule. Venecia: this one was a shock to me. It was my favorite one of all time last year. Unfortunately, this year it lacked a little bit. It wasn’t awful it was just alright. We went 2x and it was enough. The table side pasta was tasteless, there was nothing to it. It’s something new they are trying at least that’s what the manager told us. Not a favorite. The steak was ok but not a favorite. If I had to rate the restaurants, our favorites would be #1 L’Atelier, Ember, Haiku, Venecia and last Legado. Food is very subjective this is just our opinions. I will say this year was a great improvement in food quality from last year. We enjoyed the restaurants more. Here are some of the amazing restaurant staff that shined for us Mr. Willy (William) Manager such a gem Guadalupe (breakfast) Javier (punta sal) Carlos (punta Sal) Venecia- Joel,Eusebio,Leonardo L’Atelier-Emilio, Felix (manager) Ember- Samuel, Yoari (chef) Manuel (manager) Pool waiters:They work so hard all day long back and forth carrying all our drinks. It’s not easy. They are amazing and are always running to cater to us all. Our favorites Leticia, Daniella and Lenin. All 3 are wonderful and made our day. Star Friends: they have the hardest job of all. No matter how bad life is for them they have to put that smile on their face and pretend they are fine. They’re AMAZING and are what makes a lot of guest return especially us. We have a few favorites 🫣 Joia has a good crew and they are the gem of the property. Here is some of our favorites. These kiddos are what makes Joia 💙 Luis, Carlos, Alma, Pedro, Viri, Ximiena ,Marlene, Julio Golf cart drivers: Amazing, always ready to offer a helping hand with a ride anywhere in the property. These guys are funny and easy to talk too, if you take time to get to know them you will see they are the best. Our favorites Ricardo, Asael and Gonzales. Sommelier: Jesus is awesome. He helped us celebrate my dad’s birthday with a special bottle and never left our side. He was actually helping the waiter clear off plates etc off our table. He was a gem. My dad enjoyed conversations with him throughout our dinner and he made his day when he started speaking Portuguese with him and talking about Portugal, he’s Very humble. Bartenders: Awesome! Joia is extremely lucky to have them representing the bar. Here are a few of those gems who made our day. Luis (pool cart, beach bartender) Daniel (lobby) Dario (lobby) Jonathan (rhapsody bar) Gerardo (rhapsody bar) Pool Towel Concierge: They work so hard. They have to lug heavy wet towels left behind from guest who choose to just leave it instead of putting them in the towel basket. This department is over looked for sure and deserves a praise. We were helped by Ivan and Fesh. Ivan is a bubbling kid always smiling and working hard to make your chairs or cabanas perfect. Fesh, she holds a special place in our hearts. She’s humble and doesn’t know her worth. She has potential to be something big a Joia. She’s a gem. Hostess- they’re all wonderful. Always with a smile on their face ready to seat you. I just wished more people actually tipped them 🥺 Gardner- Darvin! This guy has been working for years here. He can spot us a mile away and always runs up to us with a warming hug. He’s deaf but don’t underestimate him he can understand and communicate to get his point across. He is a warrior and hard worker. True inspiration. Live music by the pool: ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. I want more of this. I wish it happened more often and consistent. It was the highlight of my trip. I just hope it continues to grow with the live entertainment by the pool. I loved it so much I wanted it daily 😂 🙌 Ice cream cart and floating fruit tray- I loved the ice cream cart, I found it very refreshing and a special touch to the day. The fruit tray it’s okay but not a fan of floating fruit in pool. But still a nice touch for those who enjoy it. Here is a list of some of the exceptional butlers who try so hard to make everything perfect! Gustavo, Ana, Mauro, Benjamin, Bernardo, Fatima, Gabriel, Mirna, Roberto, Angel, Karolina and Tania… Eli- works at the Joia spa smoothie bar. Such a doll and always made us smile. Management guest relations- Elizabeth and Paulina These 2 ladies are a blessing. They kept checking in on us throughout our stay and made sure all our needs were fulfilled. Our vacation would have not been what it was without these 2 gems. Iberostar is lucky to have them. The time has come to an end but we will 100% return. Not going to lie our experience this year was nothing compared to last year. Last year was a disappointment in many areas and this year we almost did not go back. As much as we love Joia it was hanging by thin thread. We opted to give it another shot and could not be any happier. We ABSOLUTELY had the BEST time this year. Not every resort is perfect but what you make out of it will affect your outcome of your stay. What keeps us coming back is the STAFF. They work so hard and are always smiling. The STAFF is what makes Joia so GREAT. Iberostar Joia should consider themselves very lucky to have the staff they have on that property because they are very hard to find now and days. These folks are the Shining Star and Treasure on this property and we are blessed to have them all as family 💙💜 They are the reason we come back!

Visited in early May 2025. We were in a room close to reception so at first it felt like our room was in reception but we got used to it. Everything about the resort worked for us , restaurants were easily booked , pool bar was good and the service on the beach was great . I wandered through the other resorts which was a good stroll . Had a short visit to the nightclub but being 55 plus we were definitely the wrong demographic. It was fun for an hour though. Main bar and staff were exceptional with great cocktails especially the pistachio martini. Reception very kindly opened up the sports bar for me at 10:30 am to watch my football ( soccer ) team win the league. Quiet pool was nice on the last day and the indoor outdoor spa pool was great after a day at the beach . Would recommend the resort as you can make it the holiday that you want . Everyone is different . We didn’t do the shows as it is not our thing