Lorry Perkins
Writer, Travel Blogger
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Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf & Spa Resort–All-Inclusive Riviera Maya, Mexico
Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf & Spa Resort, located in Puerto Morelos, is approximately 29 miles from the Cancun Airport. This mega-resort is actually five resorts in one. It includes Paraiso Delmar & Beach, Paraiso Lindo & Maya and Paraiso Grand. Because of the proximity to the airport, once you arrive in Cancun, your vacation starts practically immediately. Leaving from Pittsburgh on a charter flight, we are almost guaranteed to arrive at the resort in time to eat lunch in the air conditioner buffet, enjoy a barbeque on the beach, or sit poolside by noon. On the return flight, we usually have time for breakfast before we leave because we are so close to the airport.
This is a large resort, but it is laid out fairly simply. Upon check-in, you are given a map with the location of the villas, restaurants, bars, activities, and other important places in the resort. It’s a good idea to keep this map with you until you get a feel for where everything is located. I have witnessed guests getting lost on their first day after an afternoon of margaritas. All of the villas do look alike, but they are clearly numbered. If you are still deciding whether to stay at a large or small resort. Read this blog post to help you decide.
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When you stay at the Grand, the luxury adults-only area, you have access to all of the other resorts. When staying at the Lindo or Maya, you can access everything except the Grand. Delmar and Beach are limited to their own resort area. We’ve stayed in the Delmar 3 times and never felt like we were limited.
Reasons to Take the Sales Tour
There is so much to see and do at this resort, but if you don’t stay at the Grand and feel you are missing something, you could take the “dreaded” sales tour. If it is still available during your visit, you can sign up to learn about the Iberostar vacation program. This will allow you to have breakfast at the Grand and tour the property. For some reason, the inside of the Grand reminds me of being on a cruise ship in the main areas with wide, bright hallways and lots of marble, and it is more formal than the other areas of the resort. Once you finish the tour, will be given a gift certificate for an excursion or spa treatment for two for your time. We do not normally partake in these types of marketing promotions, but the first time, we received credit for an excursion that we used to go to Isles Mujeres, which was a fantastic experience.
The second time we agreed to the tour, we were helping a nice salesperson who needed to make her quota, so we reluctantly took the tour again. We were told the offering at the tour was different and we could go again because normally you can only take the tour once. It wasn’t high pressure, but they told us they were disappointed that we didn’t buy into the program. Nevertheless, we earned vouchers for a massage at the spa for both of us. It was the first time we had been to their spa, and we were impressed by everything they had to offer and the expertise of the massage therapists.
Iberostar Beach
We love the beach at the Iberostar. There are finer beaches, but this one is great if you like to walk and explore. We usually try to make at least one 3-4 hour hike when we stay here. We have hiked to Maroma Beach, a fabulous beach area south of the Iberostar resort. We’ve seen an abandoned resort and other structures, wild pigs, camels, and an amazing exclusive resort that is built into the sea. We leave right after breakfast and wear a lot of sunscreen to protect our skin from the direct sun. The hike can be rather strenuous with a variety of landscapes, including rocky areas as well as sandy beaches. In some areas, we have to walk out into the water. If you like adventure and exploration, this is for you.
Pools
The large winding pool at Delmar is fantastic. There is a swim-up bar as well as pool bars that are strategically placed throughout. One section of the pool has beds on an island that we have used multiple times. It’s a little quieter at the end of this pool, and the view from the island bed feels like a small piece of paradise. Close to this end of the pool, at the very tip, there is a manmade waterfall with a jacuzzi inside that is a great place to cool off during the afternoon heat. The closer you are to the beach, the more sun loungers and people are around this part of the pool. Here, you will find lots of water activities the entertainment team presents throughout the day. An outdoor ice cream parlor is located in this area for kids and adults alike.
The Lindo has a lazy river, and I must confess we once jumped in for a float when it wasn’t busy. There is also a wave pool and a children’s water playground. The Grand has its own pools that always seem quieter and much more exclusive than the rest of the resort. Even though we couldn’t use the amenities at this resort, I usually start my day by taking a long, fast-paced walk in and around these other resort areas to get my exercise.
Entertainment Team
This must be one of the friendliest and most engaging entertainment teams we’ve ever experienced. They go out of their way to invite you to the pool activities, and on more than one occasion, team members have even asked if they could join us while we were eating lunch. They will mention nighttime activities throughout the day and invite you to attend. We thoroughly enjoyed getting to know these young people, and by the end of the week, we feel like we’ve known them for years.
The resort has different activities practically every hour. There are water activities like a stretching class or Zumba, and more athletic ones like water basketball and volleyball. There are usually trivia games, bingo, and sometimes games of fitness and fun, like a belly flop or a football throwing contest. In the evening, the entertainment team dresses up in themed costumes and dances during the show. There are three theaters for nighttime shows in the resort. You will find one in the Delmar/Beach resort, one in the Lindo/Maya resort area, and the Grand has its own theater too.
Restaurants at the Iberostar
We have had some enjoyable dinners at the Iberostar. The steak house stands out in my mind because when we first traveled to Mexico over a dozen years ago, we didn’t feel the steak was very good, but after talking with other guests, we were told to try the steak house, and it did not disappoint. Great meal with a fresh salad, potatoes, good steak, and delicious cheesecake for dessert. The Japanese Steak House has tables with a “show” or without. We’ve enjoyed eating around the grill at the Japanese Steak House and meeting other travelers. We also recommend the Italian, Mediterranean, Brazillian (which had some of the best meat we have ever tasted), and Gourmet restaurants. You will make reservations for these restaurants shortly after you arrive, or you can eat at the buffets for dinner instead if you choose. If you go to the a la carte restaurants, make sure you check the dress code. Some require long pants for men and no flip-flops.
The Rock Cafe
Since we do not receive an a la carte reservation every night when we stay at the Delmar, we usually have dinner at least one night in the Rock Cafe. It’s a 50s theme cafe with tabletops shaped like large vinyl records. The menu is limited, but we think they have some of the best chicken wings we’ve had in Mexico. I also recommend the bourbon steak, Louisiana salad, and Mexican coffee.
The Shopping Mall
We don’t particularly like to shop on vacation, but this mall has more than clothes and trinkets. If we feel like getting some exercise, we will walk to the mall during the day, but if it is after dinner and we want ice cream, we sometimes hop in the cart or tram that continuously travels through the resort. There is a taco restaurant that we love, a hamburger restaurant that is OK, and a crepe and ice cream shop that is a must-do. The crepes are handmade and filled with an assortment of fruits of your choice. There is also a coffee shop with little sandwiches and desserts. We frequent the mall at least a few times during our stay. Remember, this is all included.
Bike Tour, Tennis, and Golf
If you are like us and love to eat, you may want to work off a few calories by taking the bike tour around the property. It is a great way to get some exercise and the lay of the land. If bikes are not your thing, there are plenty of other sports like tennis or a variety of water sports that are included. One round of golf is included, but there are cart fees and other fees to consider.
Star Camp for Kids Ages 4-17
We have chosen this resort as a possibility for an upcoming family visit because we have observed the wonderful Star Camp for kids ages 4-17. We asked others, who were staying at the resort and had children, their opinion of the Star Camp, so based on their feedback, we feel this would be the best place for our extended family. From 9:30 am to 10:30 pm, Star Camp kids are supervised by a professional and engaging staff. When you arrive at the resort, you will check in at Star Camp, telling them your room number, the length of your stay, contact details, and any important information you need them to know about your child(ren), for example, allergies. Once you are registered, you can have your children participate as much or as little as you choose. You can sign them in and out throughout the day.
The Star Camp headquarters is a beautifully designed space, open and airy inside, filled with everything kids love, and it has an outdoor playground made with recycled plastic. The children are separated into three groups according to age. Inside, there is a room for Monkeys (ages 4-7), Dolphins (ages 8-12), and Eagles (ages 13-17). The Monkey Room has an indoor climbing structure, puzzles, crafts, and more. The Dolphin Room has a mini-trampoline, climbing wall, video games, and an area for making crafts. The teenagers have a designated hammock area, with reading nests and a place where they can enjoy smoothies and juices. There are basketball nets, a ping-pong table, air hockey, and a variety of sports video games. They can even try out their DJ skills or “bust a move” on the dance floor.
The kids are busy all day moving around the resort with smiles on their faces, enjoying the company of other children their age and the exciting activities that the staff cooks up for them. Speaking of cooking, kids can participate in a baking challenge, play capture the flag, float down the lazy river, and explore escape room challenges. Little tykes and teenagers show off their talents in the theater at night by warming up the audience before the live show with a special performance. Each night is a different theme and the kids get to play dress-up with various costumes.
Spa
We’ve only been to the spa once but hope to go back again on a future visit. My husband and I had a fantastic massage, enjoyed freshly made juices at the juice bar in the spa, and relaxed in a beautiful outdoor courtyard with built-in loungers. There were plenty of areas to relax and great water features to enjoy. The massage therapists were excellent at the resort. We only stayed for a couple of hours but would have stayed longer if the pool and beach were not calling our names.
Fitness Center
Before this new fitness center was built, we felt this resort already had one of the nicest fitness centers of all of the resorts in which we have stayed. Now, we feel it is even better. The impressive-looking new fitness center has state-of-the-art equipment and machines, a cycling studio, and multisport rooms for yoga, Zumba, kickboxing, and more. If you want to stay in shape while on vacation, you can do that here.
Isla Mujeres
Because this resort is closer to the northern part of Riviera Maya, we like to visit the Isla Mujeres when we stay here. Read all about the excursions we’ve taken, from sailing on a catamaran to ziplining across the sea.
Iberostar, Final Words
The Iberostar is a great all-around resort with fantastic pools, beach areas, restaurants, and activities. There is something for everyone at all price points. Because it is fairly close to the airport, there is less travel time to the resort and less of a chance of getting stuck in traffic, so your vacation starts almost as soon as you land in Cancun. There are activities for the kids and quiet spaces for adults. The friendly entertainment team will keep you engaged if you choose or you can have peace and solitude in less active areas of the resort. We’ve been to this resort 3 times and plan a fourth with the extended family soon.
Book Your Travel
When traveling to Riviera Maya, we always book with our travel agent, Jim Lucente. Rest assured that you will know the latest COVID protocols and will have the added layer of a professional that you can contact directly with any questions or concerns. I highly recommend contacting Jim Lucente, owner of Lucente Travel, at 412-299-7699 or email him at jim@lucentetravel.com to book your all-inclusive vacation.
If you prefer to book online, you can book here or compare reviews at Tripadvisor. If you prefer, you can make your reservation directly with the Iberostar Resort.
We sure loved our visits to the Riviera Maya in Mexico. An all inclusive resort like the Iberostar Playa Paraiso offers everything we would look for. Certainly when we travelled with kids the Kids Club was a bonus that let us enjoy our time. We would definitely plan to visit Isla Mujeres. It has been on our list for a long time!
I’m not an all-inclusive fan for several reasons. A major part of my travels is getting to know everyday life and getting as close to normality as possible. However, after this long travel diet, a couple of carefree days at a resort might be just what I need – and this resort looks truly grand.
This trip definitely sounds like fun. The only irritating part was the pushing of sales staff and looking at their sullen faces when we refuse to take their offerings. But this happens in many of the places, that’s why we have become vary of most of them. A very well-descriptive article will keep it for future reference.
Somehow I feel like I’ve been here, many years ago when I visited Cancun in college. It looked amazing then and amazing now in the photos. If I remember correctly, their pool area was super impressive and I’d love to go back for half a week or so.
[…] Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf & Spa Resort – Fantastic pool and closer to the Cancun airport, fairly easy to navigate for a large resort […]