JOIA Paraiso by Iberostar - Adults Only All Inclusive Resort

We have been staying at Iberostar resorts since 2002 and became Black Club members in 2019. We joined because we were exclusively staying at their resorts anyway and the Club memberships are a fantastic way to truly make the most of a vacation there. This year my husband and I went solo and made it a true romantic anniversary getaway. As always the club reached out early to find out what extras we might want or need. One great benefit of the Black Club membership is that you get free transportation to and from the airport. We could order 4 wine/alcohol options for our room. Complimentary massage or 9 holes of golf daily. The Club sets it all up for you. They have a terrific staff and this year Grecia, Anselmo and Bogart were our hands on team. Everyone was so helpful and welcoming. We always book an ocean front suite - the view is worth the entire price of the vacation. The sunrise was sensational every day. Gaspar was our first Iberostar employee to greet us upon our arrival and last when we left and he made sure we had a smooth transition of luggage and us to and from the lobby. Our check in was super quick and the ocean front rooms are spectacular. We were so grateful to the entire butler staff but spent most of our time with Ana, Fernanda, Karolina, Ruben and Benito. Spoiled is an understatement. These people are so accessible, knowledgeable and patient, anything you want or need they graciously help and make you feel extra special. We celebrated our anniversary this trip and we returned one night to our room decorated with rose petals, champagne on ice and chocolates courtesy of our butler team. It was a wonderful surprise and just one small kindness of many during our trip. We did one specialty restaurant the Ember which is a surf and turf style menu. The service and food were outstanding. Our waiter Samuel made our experience there unforgettable. All of the speciality restaurants are spectacular but we really are buffett people - each night a different theme. The food selection is huge and really caters to absolutely everyone. We loved our hostesses Sandra and Alejandra as well as so many of the wait staff Angel, Luis, Leonardo, Daniel, Flora, Dano, Samuel, Carlos and more. We also got to know Abel the Buffett manager who checked in with us regularly to make sure we were 100% plus satisfied. The resort has terrific shows every night and the Star performers did meet and greets throughout the resort often in their show costumes trying to entice you to attend the show. We didn’t attend many events this year but have never been disappointed in the past. The shows are entertaining and the performers are all so talented. A special shout out to Mala, Alma,Johnathan and Fabian from the group! Lastly a special thank you to all of the staff that keep the lights on, the grounds beautiful and the housekeepers that make sure your room is just right, thanks Beatriz. I know my review is a bit long and lots of names and I missed a ton but just consider Iberostar for your favorite vacation ever - you will go back time and again just like we have.

Check in is fast. Very convenient bracelet with a room key. We had a room a main building. Hotel is beautiful, Rooms are spacious. Minibar is fully stacked. There was a gift of Tequila bottle waiting for us in a room. Have to mention - for this type of hotel - bedding should be upgraded, especially pillows. Room & bathroom are very clean and housekeeping was twice a day. We did not use room service though menu is very extensive. Restaurants - just a WOW! Every restaurant is impressive, but buffet was were we end up after each - if not to eat, just to look (as funny as it sounds). Seafood was in abundance and everything one could imagine. Meat = every kind and cut you might wish for. I enjoyed very much assortment of fresh fruit. Grounds maintained very well. I did not encounter any bugs and not many wild creatures. There 2 pools with whirlpools available. Smaller pool is warmer and quieter. Whirlpools are very warm. Towels one can take a many as you want. All lounge chairs come with a padded mattress. Around the pools there are many cabanas and we did not have problems to get one when wanted. Wait staff is all around and brings you drinks and water when you want some. Food as available as well though we did not order it. Beach - plenty of shade and places to rest. Access to the water without stones is available with a short walk. There is a restaurant on a beach if you want some food. few names to mention- Sofia - concierge service - we were a group of 20 for dinners and she organized big tables for us though prior reservation was not in cards. We are very thankful for such service. Valerie - head of food concierge - she went far and beyond to make sure that our group and birthday person had the best service. She was presented almost every evening and introduced us to every chef who cooked that evening. Made our get together very memorable. Paulina - front desk manager made sure that our check in was seamless. Rooms are close to each other and for birthday day room was decorated with flowers, champagne and dessert. Entertainment - very colorful and joyful. Looks very professional. There are places to walk outside the resort and complex is huge, consistent of 5 resorts. There are many activities to participate in.

Raymondo helped give us an amazing trip . 1st time at the joia 15th visit overall , mainly stayed at the Maya . Property is amazing . We will not be able to go back 😂 The food is amazing , resort is beautiful! . Entertainment was fantastic . The team was as great as. Highly recommend

I would actually give this 3.5 not 3 but definitely not deserving of 4 Our trip started off badly with the complimentary transfer not actually being there and although we made contact twice we were unsuccessful in locating them even though we knew we were in the correct place. We had to pay $150 for a taxi. Iberostar did sort this out in the end but only after our first two complaints were registered but totally ignored and it still took them until our penultimate day of our 12 night stay to do so. The resort itself is beautiful, the buildings and decor are awesome and the gardens are very well maintained which is great but do you really want the constant sound of lawn mowers etc. when you are trying to enjoy breakfast. Underlying this though is a lack of general cleanliness at the beach and pool, the sun bed mattresses are left out all day and night, if it rains, which it did quite a bit during our stay the mattresses are just left to dry and as far as I can tell they never get cleaned, certainly not during our stay. The pool areas and the spa, which we walked around but didn't use, are very nice but the main pool bar is way too small with only a handful of seats, the one time we did sit there we decided we wouldn't again as you are basically sitting in a pit with the bars trash cans next to you. This resort also suffers from my pet hate, people putting towels on sun beds to "reserve" them and then not seemingly ever using them. It was pretty hard to get a suitable sun bed after about 9:30 - ok my wife likes the sun and I like the shade so that doesn't help but added to that the staff never take away towels until the end of the day We had a villa honeymoon suite, they are very big and comfortable with plenty of storage space and with a vast bathroom. The shower is a two tap flow and very difficult to get to a constant temperature and not at all powerful. The villa's have a pretty garden with a small pool, shower and seating area with sun beds, table and chairs. On paper its great but they get very little sun at this time of year so we never really used it although this was mainly because the mattresses never really got dry and although we mentioned to a butler that it would be good if they changed the mattress they never did. The toilet door is glass so not very private if that bothers you which it does me. Iberostar have some sort of club which entitles you to certain privileges and upgrades and they drive you mad and offer you complimentary spa treatments etc (although they come with a catch that makes them not really complimentary at all) to go to a 90 minute presentation about it and apparently they charge a small fortune for it, I have no idea why I'd want to tie myself to their brand. Upgrades and privileges should come from loyalty not payment Virtually all the staff are friendly and helpful and a small tip, or larger one if you can afford it, goes a long way. I'd say if you want privileges such as getting a table outside that tip is worth a lot more than joining their club The thing I hated the most was the dining situation. They have a buffet restaurant which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner (it was closed once during our stay for dinner) The buffet is extensive and impressive with numerous cooking stations. The standard of food is high, best steak I had in the resort was cooked for me in there. They refresh dishes constantly but some of the food such as eggs are in my view sitting around too long, who wants a poached egg that has been perfectly cooked but has gone rubbery on the base from sitting on a hot plate. You have to stand in line to be seated for any meal and be signed in even though you have a wristband on that proves your eligibility to dine there which would be fine if once seated a waiter was immediately appointed to attend to your drink order etc. The waiters are fine but they are totally understaffed so are running around like headless chickens messing up their orders. They have a number of speciality restaurants, the only one you can book is at the hibachi table in the Asian restaurant, all the others you have to go to and give your mobile number and they message you when they have a table for you. Apparently this is Iberostar's worldwide policy, it's a ridiculous shambles. Most the restaurants are a 10 minute walk or more from the bar and none of them have a waiting area or bar which is quite ridiculous. Frustratingly you go to a restaurant, they have loads of empty tables but they send you away because that's the system. The Italian restaurant is near the bar, the only time we went there it wasn't even half full but they insisted on taking our number to let us know when our table would be ready, by the time we got to the bar and chose a seat they had already called us to come back. I can only assume the system is in place due to lack of staff. The service in all the restaurants is hit and miss although the food is generally good but not necessarily authentic. All inclusive wines; they have some sort of sparking wine which I never had, three whites and three reds and I believe a couple of rose and a dessert wine. The wines were ok as long as I could get the ones I liked but with the whites you often couldn't as they claimed they had run out although I believe what they meant was they had run out of it chilled. I can't say for sure as they also apparently ran out of English Breakfast tea about half way through our trip!!! There is also a ceviche restaurant overlooking the beach which is only open for lunch and not every day. The menu totally changed after the first day from a very snack style ceviche / taco menu to a larger USA style beach club menu. The food is pretty good but the service here is dire and they are very slow at clearing tables which attracts birds that sweep in to try and get leftover food There are two main bars, next door to each other and weirdly by the hotels reception. One is a dark mixology bar which we only visited once to watch some karaoke, the main bar is great, with live music overnight and a great team working behind the bar although they become a bit overwhelmed if it gets very busy. The bar team are the best thing in this hotel but its so weird as you feel like you're sitting in the reception area. We chose this hotel for its golf and because our first choice hotel was sold out. The golf course is beautiful, very good condition with nice fast undulating and tiered greens. It's a very difficult course but fun to play. It's all inclusive so once you've signed in / paid you can eat / drink at the clubhouse and they have a cart come around about 4 times per round with soft drinks, beers, tequila, snacks and sandwiches which are all included. The only downside is that in line with Iberostar's environmental policies the course is overrun with coati's. If you have food they become very aggressive and almost hunt in packs, they even have warnings in the carts not to have food left in your cart or bag. it is quite unpleasant. I spoke to staff at the course and they agreed there are way too many of them now and they are starting to ruin the golfing experience I know that conventions are the bread and butter for these hotels but at the end of our stay there was a "convention" of 400 guests, it ruins the experience for paying guests when such a large crowd overtake the resort and strangely the night the buffet wasn't open was during their stay, not sure about Iberostar's planning on that one. I don't know what qualifies as 5* nowadays, I guess it is only based on facilities, but this hotel really shouldn't be . It's an understaffed mess Would I come here again, absolutely not, if you want to go to Cancun and get something resembling 5* then go to Atelier which we visited in November 2024, its not as beautiful, much more modern, we didn't love it but its ten times better than this Would I stay at another Iberostar, not sure I would even if they paid me so I guess that's a big fat no too

We recently stayed at JOIA Paraíso by Iberostar, and as Double Black members of the Star Prestige Club who typically visit twice a year, we feel especially connected to this resort and its team. We would like to share that this was truly one of the best stays we have ever experienced. What made it so exceptional was the Star Prestige team. Even though many team members are new, Laura’s return has made a tremendous difference—she is truly the heart and core of the team. Every time we had a question or requested even the smallest change, the team responded immediately and with genuine care. Each member clearly understood their role and worked seamlessly together to ensure that our stay was comfortable, smooth, and enjoyable from beginning to end. The attention to detail was remarkable. From the thoughtful welcome-back notes and the beautiful flowers in our rooms to the special arrangements that made my sister’s birthday so memorable, everything felt personal and heartfelt. It is this level of care that keeps us coming back year after year. We would like to sincerely thank the entire team: Gracia, Bogart, Anselmo, Manuel, and Shonny, and especially Laura for her leadership and warmth. We also want to express our special gratitude to Jasmine, our dedicated club handler, who has been our guide and unwavering support throughout all these years of our membership. Her consistency, kindness, and professionalism mean so much to us. Faina

We just returned from a 7-day stay at Joia Paradiso in Mexico and it was incredible. Our room was extremely big, always clean, close to the pools and the beach. The staff, especially our Iberostar the Club representative, David M, were incredibly welcoming. The beach itself was clean and private, with plenty of loungers. Food was amazing, we didn't need reservation for the restaurants and no wait time to get in. Definitely, a must-visit for a relaxing getaway!

It was around our 10th time there. 70 building second floor. Bellbstaff amazing. Check in quick and flawless. Carolina, Benjamin, Fatima, and all of our other Butlers were very attentive, wonderful and helpful. Mala, Monserat and Raymundo the best Star Friends at the pool. Fun, very conversational and kept things entertaining. Elizabeth was always there to help with your pool, Cabana and other pool needs. Always special to see here there. Leticia and other drink servers very attentive. Pool Cabanas go quickly after 7:30 on nice days. Almost always Palapas available on beach. Grounds beautiful and constantly being groomed. Ladies kept sleeping rooms clean and well stocked. Some of room furniture could use some updating, mostly refinishing, but was adequate for longer stay. Electrical outlets need to be added so they are on either side of bed. More on food later.

If you are debating visiting this resort, STOP! I am still in awe of the vacation my husband and I just experienced at Joia. Everything was absolutely perfect. The resort is immaculate. Clean on another level. It literally sparkles. The food is so incredibly good. The buffet was amazing! The Italian restaurant was so good but Ember steak house was our favourite. Samuel was the best and so attentive. The bacon wrapped filet, insane. The pools are beautiful and well kept. Towels and chairs are plentiful. The grounds in general are just so spectacular. If you have a chance to select the butler suit walk out, DO IT. This was more than I could have dreamed of. Waking each day to a beautiful sunrise and walking right out into the white sand beach was an experience I will never forget. The butler team of Benjamin, Fatima, Adrian, Ruben, Ana and Karolina were beyond kind and helpful. They really enhanced our experience and we were happy to see their smiling faces every day. Thanks to Rolando as well. He helped us book a reservation at a sister resort and was just a really upbeat and super guy. I would return to this resort tomorrow if I could. But for now I will dream about floating in the quiet pool with a mango margarita in hand.

Everything was great. Butler service did an amazing job. Can’t wait to come back. Adrian and the team were great. Beach was beautiful. Food and drinks did not disappoint