Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach: Beautiful grounds, friendly staff, relaxed atmosphere

We stayed at Iberostar Paraiso Beach for a week coming a couple of days before the Easter weekend. The resort is huge and the grounds are beautiful - like tropical gardens but with lots of wildlife - some like coatis are native to the area others like pink flamingos or peacocks are brought to be used as part of the decoration :) they seemed quite appropriate though :) We even spotted a couple of toucans :) It's actually several hotels under the same brand name - each one in a different price [... read more] category - I think 5 in total ranging from the budget Del Mar to the exclusive adult only Grand Paraiso. We walked around the neighboring Paraiso Lindo and Paraiso Maya in the evenings (the lobby bar of Maya is a replica of Chichen Itza pyramid with replicas of Chaac Mool and I think Mayan calendar - very impressive). Some reviews complained about the size of the resort in the sense that it requires lots of walking - we were actually glad we could walk off the calories :) Those who prefer transportation to walking can actually use the hotel golf cart service running between lobbies and the beach which is very efficient. The rooms are super clean and in good condition. We asked for an upgrade to superior rooms and were upgraded without spending an extra cent. My understanding is the staff will always upgrade you if the superior rooms are available - just ask. The mattress was good - the pillows were adequate. My only complaint is the loud air-conditioner :) Some reviews complained about okay food. I disagree - the selection of food in the buffet up by the lobby is plentiful and the quality was at par with other resorts we stayed at. We ate at 3 A la carte restaurants - our favorite for food was Mediterranean (fish was very good - crusty outside and juicy inside and the cake we ordered to celebrate a birthday was light and delicious). We like the Japanese restaurant for the atmosphere - nice show - the food was ok. Brazilian was just ok - would skip that one. We liked the lobby bar for the atmosphere - the bartenders are amazing! The selection of drinks was adequate for a resort of this caliber. Ask the bartender for premium tequilas - they will gladly accommodate you. On some days there was live music in the lobby bar - on other days there was a DJ. Some DJ and live bands were actually very good since the dance floor was crowded :) I would prefer more live bands though if my opinion counts :) Some reviews complained about watered down drinks - bartenders actually asked me if I preferred my cocktails stronger - when they mixed me strong ones - these ones didn't seem watered down at all :) The beach is very good - seaweed didn't bother me at all - nor the rocky areas since we found spots to get to the sea between the rocks :) The only complaint is we had big waves all the seven days - I am wondering if it's because of the wind direction this time of the year or because the shore is not protected by the reef in this area. We went to Cozumel to Chankanaab Marine Park to snorkel - Cozumel is opposite Playa Del Carmen - and indeed the water was super calm - no waves. Trip to Cozumel was actually easy to organize by ourselves: the shuttle from the hotel (5$) takes you to Playa Del Carmen - then 10 min walk along Quinta Avenida takes you to the pier from where the ferry (10$ both ways) takes you to Cozumel from where a taxi (15$) takes you to Chankanaab Marine Park :) The hotel also offers a 1.5 hour trip to a local reef but we didn't do it so I cannot compare the local reef with Chankanaab. Overall this is a nice resort and I will definitely travel to another Iberostar resort.

Occidental Cozumel: Great Week

Got there at night and it was kind of hard to find our room. Room was very nice and roomy with good air conditioning, a very comfy mattress and a large bathroom with separate bath and a big shower with good water pressure. Hotel is small to med sized so never any big lines for anything. Grounds are kept beautiful. Beach is wide and clean and there were lots of lounge chairs available. Pretty good snorkelling right from the beach. Food was above average at the main buffet and the beach buffet [... read more]. The three individual restaurants were nothing special. After 9:30 the only food you can get is at the Pizza bar and quite frankly the Pizza is not good. Ladies at the front desk need to be a little more friendly but the rest of the staff (especially the great bartenders) were very nice and they work very hard whether you tip them or not. Overall a quiet and relaxing vacation at a nice resort.

Riu Emerald Bay: Excellent resort

We had a great and relaxing vacation. Food was plentiful and a great variety. There was something for even the pickiest of eater. I was worried because my son has a peanut allergy, the chefs were there to direct us to peanut free meals. The grounds were well kept. Rooms were dated, but they were clean and very large. My children loved the place. Fantastic time!!!

Riu Emerald Bay: Beautiful!

This was my fourth trip to Mexico and this was one of my favourite resorts! Incredibly beautiful, clean, and friendly. Bar staff were great! Huge rooms, make sure to stay 5th floor or higher to watch the incredible sunsets.

Grand Palladium Vallarta: Beautiful resort

The resort was amazing If anyone has a disability it is a good idea to upgrade to the Royal Suites as there is a lot of stairs. The royal suites are kept spotless the service was amazing, food for all palettes.

Grand Sunset Princess: Won't return

Overall hotel was beautiful but service was not good at all. One of the pools was green and in need of a good cleaning. Sun wing reps had no clue what was going on with transportation from resort to airport. Would not return.

Grand Oasis Cancun: Amazing resort

One of the cleanest resorts I've been at. Staff were friendly and accommodating. Food was fantastic. I don't have any complaints. I wouldn't change a thing about it. I would recommend this resort to any of my family or friends.

Riu Palace Mexico: Had a great time!!

The Mexico Palace is beautifully situated and very impressive, our room was close to the beach and overlooked the grounds. The only draw back for the week was the noise at times it was loud as they were hosting weddings but it was usually quiet by 1 am. The food was unbelievable and the Jacuzzi tub in the room was well used, we did have a few ants in our room as I think the previous occupier may of left food out but they came and sprayed and it was fine after the first night.

Dreams Sapphire Resort and Spa: awesome vacation

One word: Awesome! Thanks! !

Riu Emerald Bay: Excellent hotel

Friendly service, great selection of food. Rooms clean and cool. Kids club was great as well as lots of loungers and pool space. Drinks were good and plentiful. Overall excellent time and all staff were helpful and friendly

Bahia Principe Explore Tulum: wonderful trip

Had a relaxing, wonderful stay however the beach is only good for walking, not swimming, way to shallow, no waves and it is rocky in many places. Food is very good, rooms could use upgrades but overall service and expectations receives an excellent.

Bahia Principe Escape Sian Ka'an: Awesome

Stayed April 13 to 20th. Hotel is one of the best resorts i have stayed at. Food was fabulous. Stayed in penthouse; was fantastic. On the down side; they do play the towel game on beach and pool chairs. Mostly french canadians seem to be doing this. The smoking in lounging areas is just gross. Other than that; this place is gorgeous

Grand Sirenis Mayan Beach: We Loved this Resort!

This resort was amazing and surpassed our expectations for vacation as well as our wedding. The grounds were beautiful and everything was very natural. The staff were so kind and always greeted you with a warm smile. I feel very fortunate to have had our wedding at this location.

Grand Sirenis Mayan Beach: A fun and friendly resort!

We came to this resort for a family wedding. The wait staff for the dinner and reception April 18 were wonderful. It was Anita and another great young man,whose name I forgot, who helped keep the fun going. Our room was large with a balcony we enjoyed ,that looked over a wooded area. The rooms were well kept and the mini fridge restocked daily. We enjoyed the friendly staff and their helpfulness. Samuel the bartender was great as well as the bike tour guy and the concierge . The atm [... read more]osphere was relaxed and they were always accomadating at restaurants to put tables together. Also thanks to Edwin at the Mexican restaurant for making a family birthday special. It was a good holiday!

Bahia Principe Explore Akumal: Very beautiful resort

Everything was wonderful, not too far from the airport , staff was very friendly well dressed and clean and helpful. The place was very well maintained beautiful looking and very clean food was amazing .

Dreams Vallarta Bay Resort and Spa: Amazing resort

What a beautiful hotel! There is always something going on, weather it's a reggae party on the beach to bbq's for lunch with events, they sure go all out. Great entertainment every night as well. Rooms were a great size and we had a beautiful ocean view room. I enjoyed listening to the waves every night. We also took advantage of the golf and played 3 rounds at Vista Vallarta and 1 at Marina Golf Course. We would definitely recommend this hotel. Looking forward to returning.

Riu Palace Cabo San Lucas: Our best resort after 40 years of travel !

Our room ocean front was great, the service was superb all around, the grounds were beautiful . The food, whether in the cafeteria or the specialty restaurants, was very good. And of course the weather was great for the full 7 days.

Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: great resort

Food and rooms were great.The only drawback was that there was no don't feed the animals signs by the pool near building #6. The animals that are similar to racoons have tripled in population since our trip last year. These animals were harassing us for food by the pool. Other than that , service was great except for the servers by the pool restaurant. the servers had a bit of an attitude.

Dreams Vallarta Bay Resort and Spa: Very Impresed!

Luxurious hotel that offered quality service. All employees were fantastic, they went above and beyond to make sure you were well taken care of. One of the best all-inclusive experience. The food at this resort was outstanding. The rooms were excellent, very luxurious. The sunsets every night from our balcony were just gorgeous. We were pleasantly surprised to discover how beautiful PVR is. We will be returning to PVR since we enjoyed it so much. Thank you to our travel agent Cassandra Royle fro [... read more]m Trip Central, for strongly recommending this resort for us. She selected the perfect vacation for us. If she didn't recommend it, we wouldn't have gone.

Grand Sirenis Mayan Beach: Fabulous trip

The resort is very large, clean and beautiful. The staff were super friendly and helpful. The food was delicious and included a great variety both in the buffet and st the a la cart restaurants. The beach was gorgeous and the wedding venue was amazing.