This post reviews this sprawling 5-resort complex. See the Spectacular Iberostar Paraiso Resort Complex.
IB Paraiso Maya Pyramid Bar
In addition to touring this mega-resort complex, I’ve sent clients to the different resort properties here for years. There are five different resorts here at the Iberostar Paraiso for different budgets; the resorts and for families and adults plus adults only. I do NOT get complaints just happy clients who visit the Iberostar Paraiso resort complex.
I did a site inspection of parts of the Iberostar Paraiso complex (including the spectacular IBEROSTAR Grand Hotel Paraíso). This-multi resort “complex” includes 5 (yes FIVE) different Iberostar resorts that make of the Iberostar Paraiso resort “complex” in Mexico’s Riviera Maya:
The complex is located North of Playa del Carmen and delivers a great vacation experience! Again, I should know as I have sent my clients to different properties in this crowd pleasing resort complex and I can tell you that I do NOT get complaints (yes this is a repeat)! The Grand Hotel is consistently in the top rated resorts in all of the Cancun/Rivera Maya region.
Iberostar Paraiso Facilities: Design and Layout
Iberostar Paraiso Lindo Lobby
The Beach and Del Mar are the two original sister properties and located on the Northern end of the Complex. The Maya and Lindo are the newer more upscale sisters located South of the Beach and Del Mar. (We entered the complex via the Iberostar Paraiso Maya (the one with the fabulous Mayan pyramid (see the picture above). The Grand Hotel Paraiso is at the Southern end of the complex and fronts the beach.
These resorts reflect a very Mayan design. You will feel like you are in the heart of the Mexico’s Riviera Mayan region as you are and you are just North of Playa del Carmen. The first four resorts reflect traditional Mexican design while the Grand Hotel is simply a palace. You are outside to get to the different dining, drinking and, entertainment venues. If you’re looking for more of an “indoor” resort of modern sleek design, please see my popular review of The Royalton Resort and Spa.
Iberostar Paraiso Beach
The resort complex has a really nice stretch of beach but be forewarned that rooms do NOT have ocean views unless you are staying at the Grand Hotel Paraiso. Guest rooms at the first four properties come in different level and locations but offer nature or pool views. You access the beach by walking through a stand of trees. Once you arrive on the beach it is beautiful and loaded with bars, snack bar, palapas, water sports shacks, etc. Oh, the staff also prepares a gargantuan sized paella on the beach!
Iberostar Paraiso Pools and more
IBEROSTAR Paraiso Resort Complex Wave Pool
The pool scene definitely sets the Iberostar Paraiso resort complex apart from ALL other resort pool. The Iberostar Paraiso resort complex has the only wave pool in ALL of the Caribbean. It’s a zero entry pool and a bell rings when the waves start. The main pool is gigantic with a swim up bar in the middle. There is also a lazy river pool. Floats are extra and must be purchased or brought in. There is so much going on that the pool area is great for kids, families and adults. They also have SCUBA introductions in the pool. This area is the hub of many activities and a short stroll to the beach.
Iberostar Paraiso Kids Club
The kids club at the Maya is very rustic. There is an indoor activity room . Bathrooms have outside access. There’s also a great kiddie pool with a large pirate ship. (Don’t worry, I WON’T put you there unless you want!) Iberostar also has a little kitchen for infants’ needs. This building has a refrigerator and pantries with formulas, baby foods and other items – great for families traveling with babies.
Iberostar Paraiso Maya Guest Rooms
Iberostar Paraiso Maya bathroom
My tour offered tours of the Paraiso Maya guest rooms only. Of the first four resorts, the Maya has the nicest rooms and facilities. These rooms offer a very large bathroom with a full height shower, tub, and double sink. Perfect for getting multiple people ready for nighttime festivities after a full day of sun and surf. I’ve had multiple rooms of clients booked right near the pool which offered easy pool access along with show theater and restaurants close by.
Iberostar Paraiso Dining
There are buffets and a specialty restaurants. The higher you are in the resort pecking order and the longer your stay, the more specialty restaurants you can visit. Thus, staying at the Iberostar Paraiso Maya will give you the most nights at the specialty restaurants. Don’t hesitate to contact me with assistance for advance booing of your specialty dining! Note: you must be a guest at the Grand Hotel Paraiso to dine there.
Iberostar Paraiso Drinking and Entertainment
Iberostar Paraiso Maya Show Theatre
There are numerous bars in the resorts plus a show lounge that has both adult and kids shows. We’ve already mentioned the pool bars and beach bars. You can also take a shuttle over to the Plaza Paraiso Shopping Center for the Galaxy Discotheque. As the Disco does not open until 11pm, I think it is great that it is away from the guest rooms. There is also a casino. Finally, the Plaza Paraiso shopping center includes a nice coffee shop, multiple eateries, and a small carousel for the kids.
That’s it for this review of this monster Mexican Colonial style resort complex. I really believe there is something for everyone here. As this resort gets updated and changes frequently (there was work being done when we there there in April of 2015), please weigh in with your own comments and/or additions, corrections if need be.
Ready to plan your trip? Contact me today!
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This post reviews what it’s like to experience the Royalton Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa. NOTE: This is a long post broken up with sub-headers, feel free to scroll around to explore what most interests you.
During this trip, I also did a site inspection of the giant Iberostar Paraiso complex.
Royalton Riviera Cancun Facilities: Design and Layout
I spent 6 days at this incredible resort in April, 2015. This newly built resort is a quick drive from the airport and dazzled me in many ways.
The Royalton Riviera Cancun (Royalton) is a very modern and sleek design. Want a traditional Mayan style resort? Check out my Iberostar Paraiso Report.
This resort is accessed via Highway 307. Most Riviera Maya resorts are East of Highway 307 via an access road.
Royalton Riviera Cancun – Main Building
The Royalton is just South of Cancun airport (CUN). The access road has some twists and turns as you approach (with numerous speed bumps). As you see the West side of the resort in the distance, the first thing you’ll notice is that the Royalton is a very large structure parallel to the beach; the wonderful advantage of this design is that most everywhere has a view of the Caribbean Sea and most bars, restaurants, and facilities are close to most of the rooms. The resort is designed with multiple U’s facing the sea.
The main building holds the main check-in concierge office, the spa, Diamond Club Lounge, Diamond Club check-in, coffee/ice cream shop, tours, and other shops on the main floor. The main floor is completely open to the East allowing the delightful Caribbean breezes into the main seating area. The downstairs of the main building holds the buffet, Grand Marche (display kitchen as staff calls it), and other restaurants.
From the main center building, the resort spreads out in either direction to the guest rooms. The main building also branches off into the main “U.” The Diamond Club and Hideaway are to the South while the main and family sections are to the North. In total, there are 4 “U’s”: Main resort, family section of Royalton, Diamond,and Hideaway.
Riviera Cancun Resort is divided into four categories with varying levels of amenities and rooms:
Royalton Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa – main section for all ages
Royalton Diamond Club – upgraded section for all ages with enhanced amenities
Hideaway at Royalton Riviera Cancun – Adults only section
Hideaway at Royalton Diamond Club – Adults only with enhanced amenities
Royalton Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa – Dining
This is the “main’ resort for all ages. In addition to what you’d expect at an All-Inclusive, there is complimentary WiFi throughout the resort, and reservation-less dining at all of the a la carte restaurants. While reservations are taken, you do have the right to show up at any open restaurant for dinner as you wish; this is a MAJOR advantage over many All-Inclusives. While there may be a line, at least you can go where you want if you’re willing to wait. We never had a long wait for dinner seating while we were there. Note: Some restaurants are only for Diamond and Hideaway guests.
The main buffet – Gourmet MarchéInternational Buffet, or “display kitchen” as one staffer called it, is on the lower/pool level. This buffet had a tremendous amount of
Royalton Riviera Cancun – Grand Marche Buffet
sections for breakfast, lunch and dinner with quality food. The only downside was extremely dry rolls. The offered display cooking for Mexican specialties, meats, seafood, and numerous other items. They also had Mexican versions of cereals (shown in the adjacent picture). I’ll admit to having cauliflower or broccoli for breakfast since it was there and I wanted to maintain my vegetable intake.
Royalton Riviera Cancun – Armadillo
We had lunch twice at Armadillo’s | Tex-Mex Cuisine. Armadillo had a fun menu and a nice ambiance. I’d have to say that we really didn’t care for OPA! Mediterranean Cuisine; not bad – just was not into it. Grazie Italian Trattoriawas located literally inside the family pool (nestled in between buildings 7/8/9). The food here was good. Nibbles is the snack bar located at the edge of the family section right across from the beach; Nibbles offer fries, burgers, nachos, etc.. We also had lunch and dinner at The Beach Club Grill; this was a casual Caribbean style place located right across from the family beach area.
We had dinner on our last night at the resort at AgaveMexican Cuisine; this place was real authentic Mexican cuisine in an elegant ambiance.
We never made it to Zen Japanese Cuisine; this place was the hardest to get into especially since it featured Hibachi tables; there was a line in the morning at the concierge office to make reservations. We didn’t desire getting into Hunter Steak House | Steak House. so, I cannot make any first hand comment on these two places.
Royalton Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa – Diamond Club
The Diamond Club is a step up from the main resort. You have access to the Diamond Club lounge for more services and snacks. Your rooms are
Royalton – Diamond Club Cooler
also in a separate section and have pools for exclusively Diamond Club members. Notice this blue and white cooler safe. This is a unique feature of the Royalton Diamond Club. You can have your butler fill the cooler with beverages of your choice and then lock up your keys and smart phone inside while the cooler stays at your butler-reserved seating area.
Some notable amenities of Diamond Club:
Those awesome beverage coolers!
Personal butler service
Preferential reservations in à la carte restaurants
Exclusive beach area with dedicated bar and waiter service
Personalized check-in and check-out
Selected premium drinks menu available in Lounge
Royalton Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa – Hideaway
The Hideaway is the adults only “resort within a resort.” Hideaway guests can use all of the facilities of the main Royalton resort. The rooms in this section do have upgraded amenities including a custom beach bag and an upgraded room-service menu. The vibe or “happening” (as my excellent guide/sales executive Mr. Angel Velasquez put it) in this section is more subdued than the main Royalton.
Royalton Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa – Hideaway Diamond Club
The Hideaway Diamond is the ultimate experience for adults at the Royalton. The Hideaway Diamond has the service of the main Diamond club and more in its own lounge.
Royalton Riviera Cancun – Drinks and Bars
Royalton Riviera Cancun – in-room mini-bar
The drinks were great. The bartenders were generally friendly and quick. We really enjoyed Dips Swim-up Bar at the main pool. The Encore Swim-Bar at the family pool next to Grazie was incredibly crowded when we were there. The service was so slow that we left. The main Royalton beach bar is on an elevated deck with open air seating. The in-room mini bar is stocked with Corona Light and Modelo; not award wining beers but they are fine. And there are no “mini” airplane-sized liquor bottles here – our room was stocked with five 750ml bottles of premium liquor, including Absolut and Johnny Walker Red Label.
I tried to enter SCORE Sports Bar and Lounge for the final game of the NCAA Men’s basketball championship to cheer on Duke (being an ACC alumnus). Couldn’t even get in the door it was so crowded with red-shirted Wisconsin fans. This is a nice sports bar and open until 6 am for both drinks and snacks.
Royalton Riviera Cancun – Rooms
The rooms are some of the most luxurious I’ve ever inspected or stayed in, and I’ve been in a lot of rooms! We were assigned room 7310. this room is an ocean view junior suite which faces the main pool with a great view of the Caribbean Sea. The room has a separate jacuzzi tub, two-basin vanity and a dual head rain shower which is as fabulous as it sounds. The toilet is off in its own little room. The TV is all IP-based which means it is very cool after you get it to work. We also had an ample-sized balcony with a partially-obstructed view of the main stage for the nightly shows.
Royalton Riviera Cancun – Service
Royalton Riviera Cancun – mucho agua!
We experienced great service throughout our stay. Since we were concerned about drinking the water out of the faucet in the room, using it for tooth-brushing, etc., we asked for extra bottled water by leaving a note in my best Spanish, ” Mucho agua, por favor” with a $5 tip. This resulted in the photo the left. The room was made up nicely each day. As we were out of the room for hours at a time some days, I cannot tell you what times the room was made up. I spoke with the man who stocks the mini bar and he was happy to provide as much beer as I could request. He also told me how much he makes in one day at the resort – not much at all! Please TIP the staff well as they make very little money.
Royalton Riviera Cancun – Kids Club and Teens Club
The kids club is a beautiful two-level facility with a separate check-in/show-drop section outside of the club. Children are signed in and enter through one door. As of my April visit, I must report a BIG issue. The first time we dropped the kids off, we merely signed them in and left. It was just too easy for a first time check in. The second time we went to check them in, the person at the sign in desk asked what kind of ribbon the kids had tied to their bracelet? Ribbon? What ribbon? Apparently they assign a certain color ribbon to identify whether the children are authorized to sign out on their own. We were also asked to fill out a registration form which you’d normally get on the first time you signed the kids in to the club. On one occasion, I went to pick up the kids and was asked, “are they your children?” I was not asked to present my password…not good.
These are significant security lapses; I cannot recommended the club for younger children until they have standardized security policies that are consistently enforced.
Royalton Riviera Cancun – Teens Club
The teen club is come and go at your own convenience – a totally different story here. This is a large facility with a dance floor, video games and other fun stuff.
Royalton Riviera Cancun – Beach
The beach itself was just perfect with lots of beach loungers and hammocks. The WATER was the subject of a lot of controversy during the Winter/Spring season of 2015 as there was a huge influx of seaweed from the Sargasso Sea that accumulated on beaches all over the Rivera Maya region. As of early April, it was dense and it made the water murky Hopefully, it is better now but this is nature and there is nothing the resort can do about this seaweed. As much as they tried to clean it up, it was impossible to keep up. For crystal clear Caribbean water, please read my review of Xcaret Nature Park.
Royalton Riviera Cancun – Pools
I did not even attempt to count the number of pools, which goes into the low double digits. The pools are also heated which kept them at a delightful temperature. The pools are truly spectacular and you can find a pool for every level of quiet or music and activity you desire.
The staff is starting to reinforce the whole “towel-on-the chair” bit as people will get up very early in the morning and drop a towel across loungers, day beds, etc., and thinking they own the spot for the entire day. The Diamond and Hideaway sections have butlers to help you secure chairs/loungers/beds at the pools and beaches located for their guests. We did have a problem with towels on one afternoon and could not find any towels at all but did see the dirty towels piling up. Other than that, no issues with towels. NOTE: there are no towel cards; you just go and take towels as needed. The beach seating was less crowded in the afternoon.
Royalton Riviera Cancun Gym
Royalton Riviera Cancun gym
The Royalton has a very nice two-level gym adjacent to the spa. The gym and spa are located in the South end of the Main building. The gym
Royalton Riviera Cancun gym
has free weights and squat racks downstairs and cardio equipment and selectorized weight machines upstairs. There is access to the rooftop tennis courts from the upper floor of the gym. The second floor also has nice views of the West side of the Royalton. If you exercise very late, then you’ll get to witness the sunset.
watch a video of me with a Sales Executive from the Royalton
Let’s get started today on your Trip to the Royalton!
Have All-Inclusive Resort questions? Here are 18 questions you need to ask when planning your next resort trip. With the weather turning cold in North America, it’s time to think about warm weather destinations. Warning, if you’re looking for a “$399 for 7-Days with air” type of deal, this is not the right article to read!
Excellence Riviera Maya
Pool Areas
Imagine, you’re settled in to your lovely resort with your bathing suits and ready to hit the pools. You see a Pirate ship in the pool with lots of splashing kids. Is that a good thing or not a good thing for your needs? Think about all of the questions you could ask just about the pools at the resort:
Pirate Ship in Pool Gran Caribe
Lots of pool-centric games and classes or not?
Is the pool a hub for socializing or relaxation?
Does the pool close at dusk or is it open late?
Are lots of pool games and exercise class OK with you?
Prefer a quiet pool?
BTW, if you DO WANT a pool with a Pirate ship in it, the resort at the right will truly please the children and the Adults!
Dining options
Are buffets OK? Would you like dining with more or less buffet options?
Do you expect specialty restaurant dining to be included?
Are reservations required for specialty dining? Or can you just show up at the specialty dining restaurants?
Are you limited in the number of times you can experience specialty dining per your stay?
By the way, are you OK with wearing a wristband throughout your stay?
Bar/Lounge options
What do you prefer in your mini-bar and the bars in the resort: top-shelf, premium, or call liquors?
Are local country domestic beers OK or would you prefer a wide international selection?
House wines or wine listed in Wine Spectator Magazine?
In-room Minibar stocked once per visit or once per day?
Entertainment Pace
Want lots of socializing type activities or serenity-like spa and wellness focused?
Is the evening entertainment low key or high energy going int the late night? While we’re on this topic, interested in a brand new resort which is described as a low-key cross between South Beach and Las Vegas? Ask me about it.
Is your resort a standalone property or is it part of a larger multi-resort complex? If it’s a “complex” or has nearby properties under the same brand, do you have exchange privileges so that you may “dine-around” at the other resorts? Does this matter to you?
Accommodations
From “resort view” to swim-up suites – that’s a whole topic in and of itself and this post is done for now!
Please see my review of the Royalton for a look at this exciting property.
Ready to plan your all-inclusive resort trip. Let’s talk. Finally, if you find this article useful, please share and leave me a comment below.
Cruising from New York City or New Jersey? What do you get for your money when cruising from New York City or New Jersey?
Is cruising from New York City or New Jersey a better “deal” than cruising from Florida?
Understand your vacation objectives prior to planning a cruise from New York or New Jersey first!
I want YOU to think about your vacation.
How much will it cost? (No, NOT JUST the “cost” of the cruise.)
How much value will you get out of your trip?
Is really “cheaper” to cruise from New York City/New Jersey than Florida?
What does cheaper mean?
What are you getting for your hard earned cash?
Let’s take a look at what’s departing from the three cruise ports and then compare what you get in Florida? Think you know the answer?
The purpose of this article to to help you understand what you can accomplish on a “warm port” or “sun and sand” type of itinerary. From the NY/NJ area you can do only so much in a average 7-9 day itinerary. Want to see the Caribbean? From this area, you can see about 22.5 hours of “port” in the true Caribbean in about 8 days. One major cruise line is geographically challenged in their 8 day itineraries, calling them Caribbean when they actually are not quite what you may expect! To really explore the Caribbean from the NY/NJ area, you need a 9 or more day itinerary. A sample 9 Day trip provides 4 ports and 33.5 hours in port (Yes, I am adding up the number manually to help illustrate the point.)
Will You Cruise from New York City?
Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival offer year round service out of New York City’s West Side cruise port. Norwegian just launched their new Breakaway in Spring 2013.
From NYC, you can enjoy a 7Day seasonal itineraries are great for a Canadian or Bermudan trip. A Bermuda trip will feature three solid days in port. Trips to the Bahamas and Florida are also offered but these are not warm and beachey all year round.
(Holland America offers one-way seasonal service to Montreal and luxury line such as Silversea, and Crystal offer seasonal and occasionally long segments trips out of New York so don’t factor into this analysis much.)
Is it Better to Cruise from New Jersey
Let’s feature Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas which leaves from Bayonne, NJ. This ship is a little well used BUT hugely popular and almost always booked full up as it offers a wide variety of true Caribbean itineraries starting at 9 days.
The new Quantum of the Seas will be here soon to replace the aging Explorer of the Seas; The new Quantum and will have a wealth of “stuff” aboard to charge more $$. Can’t change what you can do out of Bayonne itinerary wise. Royal’s Quantum will have bumper cars and a ride like the London eye. They are introducing their newest ship in NJ with a full array of new “stuff” on-board. Again, you can’t do much with a 9D itinerary so Royal is adding lots of “things” on the new Quantum of the Seas. Longer literariness beyond 9 days are also offered which will include much more varied ports.
So, what do YOU get if you choose to cruise from of NYC/NJ:
1) More on-board stuff to enjoy?
2) “Better” itineraries?
The answer lies with you but I can help you evaluate the options. And, YOU know what is best for your individual vacation objectives.
How about leaving from Florida?
Does it cost more to go on a cruise from Florida? And, what do you get for your money?
Even with airfare, Florida can be the winner! I believe Florida is the better value and gives you better itineraries. On a 7Day round trip itinerary, many ships will give you four full days in port. The newest mega ships will give you three ports days on a 7 Day itinerary. Then, either before or after the cruise you can enjoy a stay in cities such as Fort Lauderdale, Miami, or Orlando. Lots of people sail from NJ/NY because they don’t want to fly. Since you can’t change the itinerary that much for this area all you can do is change the ship.
Until recently, the cruise lines just left their older ships in NYC/NJ as they know people just want to leave from NYC/NJ. Norwegian was ahead of the game over a decade ago with the Norwegian Dawn. Norwegian wins the cruise ship arm’s race today with the Breakaway. Royal must follow with the Quantum of the Seas while Carnival will further discount to cement their place at the bottom of the heap.
Would you like to see a business case comparing the cost of a cruise out of NYC/NJ versus a cruise out of Florida with airfare?
What are your thoughts? I would really like to know!
Please comment on this article! If you enjoyed it, please share.
Must see sites?/experiences? Do you care about lines? size of crowds?
Do you want to explore on your own? with a group? some of both?
VACATION TRAVEL DINING
Ah, for the love of dining!
Want to eat like a local?
Are buffets OK? Full-service a la carte dining?
Wine and food paring? degustation menus?
Special Dietary Needs/requests?
Need a gym to exercise or facility that offers certain classes?
Is this list a Lot of questions?
Hope you are getting some insights into why I ask so many questions! The more I know about you and your travels, the better the job we can do working together to plan the right trip that will have you coming home with happy memories to replay again and again.
Last question, where are the INTERNET travel specials and those the travel deals on ORB-TRAV-EDIA? I get the same “deals” you get. Let’s work together, to plan the right trip for you. Start right below!
One of my past guests recently booked a Barbados third-party shore excursion along with three other third-party shore excursions with much trepidation. She was led to believe there is great risk by not taking the shore excursions offered by the cruise line. “What if we get left behind?” is a common question we hear at Daydream Excursions; we use providers who will guarantee to get you to your next port if you get left behind. And the chance of getting left behind is quite low but makes an excellent scare tactic! Let me arrange your shore excursions for a more authentic experience and potentially put more money into the pockets of the hard working locals in your destination.
Green Monkeys (Chlorocebus sabaeus or Chlorocebus aethiops) grooming, at the Barbados Wildlife Reserve, Saint Peter Parish, Barbados. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Her is a review of one third party shore excursion in Barbados. This review comes courtesy of Angela and James from Phoenix. See their trip to Costa Rica as well.
This was one of our favorites- the cave was really nice (almost so nice it looked fake!). The tourism board spent a lot of money on it making it really well lit, informative, had an attached education center with videos, etc.
We had our only female guide of the trip and she was great. Good sense of humor, polite, etc.
The lunch was good and the wildlife reserve was really different than anywhere I’d ever been– it was almost like a zoo that you walk through, with the animals just crossing the path in front of you! You literally had to watch out so you didn’t step on a turtle and the deer were so close you could almost touch them. We were getting ready to leave with no monkey sightings (hugely disappointing for me because after seeing only 2 monkies in Costa Rica I was dying to see some). However, we heard they were “back” so we stayed a little longer here than I think we were supposed to but were able to see lots of monkeys including a mama with a baby on her belly! So cute.
We then went to a nice beach where we had lawn chairs and umbrellas waiting for us (ironically the beach was next door to what was supposedly Richard Branson‘s house- like if he was there, he would share the same beach as us!). It was really overcast and eventually started raining so it wasn’t our “Best” beach day, but would have been quite nice had the weather cooperated.
Overall, I think this one was the best value for the price: 2 distinct “activities”, plus beach, plus island tour, stops for pictures, plus lunch and a drink at the wildlife reserve. So after this, you can see why the St. Lucia tour wasn’t that exciting- this had a lot more to offer for what I think was similar prices.
