JOIA Paraiso by Iberostar (Formerly Iberostar Grand Paraiso) - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

10044 reviews

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  An Amazing Stay at Iberostar JOIA Paraiso – Worth Every Penny!

  We recently stayed at Iberostar JOIA Paraiso from February 21st to February 28th, and it was truly an incredible experience. We opted for an upgraded beachfront room, and it was absolutely worth it. Having direct access to the pristine, well-manicured beach made all the difference. The beach service was outstanding—perfectly timed every 15 minutes, ensuring we were always taken care of without ever feeling interrupted. The pool area was just as enjoyable, featuring a clean and well-maintained swim-up bar with friendly, attentive service. While the water was a bit on the chilly side, that’s more of a seasonal factor than a resort issue. Service was impeccable across the board. The concierge team was incredibly attentive, making sure every request was met with efficiency and care. Dinner service was outstanding, with an exceptional variety of top-quality food to choose from. Every meal felt like a special experience. The nightly entertainment was well-planned and enjoyable, though it felt like it was missing a little something—perhaps an extra element of excitement or interaction to truly elevate the experience. The spa was phenomenal, featuring a wide array of relaxation and therapy options, all delivered by friendly, knowledgeable staff. The golf course was also in excellent condition, and despite some mixed reviews online, we found the staff to be highly attentive and professional. Our room was spotless, cleaned twice daily, with an additional turn-down service while we were at dinner—a small but luxurious touch that we truly appreciated. The Only Downside – The Over-the-Top Timeshare Pitch The only real drawback to our trip was the aggressive and outdated timeshare sales pitch. As frequent travelers, we’re familiar with these tactics, but this one was particularly excessive. It started when a concierge pressured us into taking a tour despite multiple refusals. The next morning, they knocked on our door and called repeatedly to make sure we attended. What was supposed to be a 90-minute session dragged into a two-hour ordeal. The sales pitch itself felt dated and out of touch—something straight out of a bad ‘80s movie. By the end, it was unclear what exactly they were even selling because they had thrown so many different offers at us. The three-person closing team was overly aggressive, making the whole experience uncomfortable. Highly Recommend CARM Transportation For our airport transfer, we chose CARM Transportation’s private shuttle service, and we highly recommend them. They were easy to find, our wait time was less than 10 minutes, and they provided snacks and beers for the ride. Most importantly, we felt safe the entire time. Our return trip was just as smooth—they picked us up right at the resort lobby and got us to the airport hassle-free. Final Verdict: A Fantastic Destination Aside from the sloppy sales pitch, Iberostar JOIA Paraiso was an amazing resort, and we highly recommend it as a travel destination. The service, food, beach, spa, and overall atmosphere were exceptional. We had an absolutely perfect vacation, and we will definitely be back! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 – Minus the timeshare experience)

  Mar 07, 2025
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  Did not meet expectations

  We have previously visited Iberostar properties and have loved the privacy and pampering of the adults only butler's suites. Others had told us that if we liked other Iberostar's, we would LOVE Joia in Riveria Maya. We booked 5 days in an beach view butler's suite. There were positives, but a lot of negatives which I'll detail. First of all, if you talk to 3 different staff there, you will get 3 different pieces of information. We made the reservation 4 months in advance, had been emailed a confirmation # and when we called to ask questions (and make dinner reservations as we had done in advance at other properties) we were told they didn't have our reservation. Several times, staff said they would check and call us back without response. Finally after 3 days, it looked like they had finally found our reservation after all...this was unnecessary and anxiety producing. Positives: The Joia property is gorgeous and meticulously maintained. The beach is beautiful and similarly well kept. Our room was very nice with a great private balcony and view. Food at the morning breakfast and 1 restaurant (Venetian) was quite good. Negatives: ADJACENT PROPERTIES at Iberostar looked more like brightly-colored Motel 6s. Unfortunately, our room was at the north end of the property and the outdoor theater from the next property made it imprssible to enjoy our lovely balcony/view until after 11:00 at night...think bad blaring music! If you go there and want a beach view suite, ask for one far away from adjacent properties. BEACH- While the beach was lovely, this was supposed to be an adults only property. Sounds of kids on the beach and in the surf boogie-boarding wasn't what we anticipated...note: this was not from the adjacent property, they were on the adults-only beach. The biggest turn off to the beach was the camo-clad soldiers with machine guns who occasionally strolled by. Maybe this made us safer, but it was certainly a NOT PEACEFUL OR RELAXING ATMOSPHERE! FOOD at many of the restaurants (E.G grill &French restaurants) was terrible...think overcooked, chewy steak, mushy lobster, food that either had sat under a heat lamp or on a counter) The only salvation was that as an all inclusive, we could supplement the bad food somewhere else...IF YOU COULD GET IN. As above, we tried to make dinner reservations for our entire stay before arriving (as we had at other Iberostars) but could not. Shortly after we arrived, we met with the concierge and tried to make reservations - only to find many restaurants were already booked. We made one reservation with the conciege that the restaurant said they never got. We tried to rectify this with our butler, who said if we went to the restaurant at 8:00, they would take us. When we arrived, the restaurant said no...at that point, we had cancelled our other plans and ended up in the buffet for dinner. STAFF while we loved the pampering of butlers at other Iberostars, the staff here didn't get that message. Sometimes butlers did what you requested, sometimes they didn't. Sometimes it took 2-3 reminders. One time, my husband went downstairs to see if he could get the coffee pods we asked the butler to bring. He found our butler joking around with others - he said he forgot our request! We asked if we could have our mini bar stocked with seltzer for our stay...we had to ask this EACH DAY. Many guest-facing staff spoke limited English. Between my limited Spanish and a lot of gestures, we somehow worked things out, but as it seemed most guests were English speaking, better English skills of guest-facing staff seems pretty important. SPIRITS; the "house" wines were barely drinkable. We asked if there were other options (we assumed this would be an additional cost) but it seemed this was only for time-share guests. ENTERTAINMENT: We checked out a few shows. We weren't expecting Las Vegas reviews, but most seemed more like the high school productions our kids had been in. The one exception was the fire show which was very good! On balance, it was a beautiful property but our expectations were not met. We might return to other Iberostars (E.G the one in the DR is lovely) but not this one. Disappointed. :-(

  Mar 06, 2025
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  AMAIZING STAY

  Our 9 day stay at Iberostar was last year in September 2024, our 5th time there. Wow is all I can say. Before I even arrived at the resort, I received a welcoming email informing that I would be getting a free upgrade to the oceanfront suite, building 70 The room itself was immaculate, with champaign and tequila on the table. The staff was friendly, the butler greeted us every morning and informed us of all the events/shows for the day. Always very helpful. I always bring my laptop with me so I could work and one day my connection got locked out due to security reasons. Our butler Luis was able to solve the problem right away, very impressed. Thank you so much Luis! You are the best! The food at the buffet was excellent. High quality ingredients and preparation was restaurant quality. Meat, chicken, lobster, cheeseburgers, cold cuts, desert, they had pretty much everything. Room service is 24/7, whatever meal you want to order, they will bring to your room. The bar at the main entrance has any kind of drink you can think of. Again, high quality, nothing is watered down like you can find at other resorts. They have the same bartenders working there, and they always remember me. They even know what I like, I just sit down and they bring out the drinks. In the evening they always have live performances at the bar, and after that the show starts, either outside or in the theatre room. Each show is different, and all performers are incredible. Dancing, singing, magic, there’s always a variety. The beach is simply beautiful. They have several pools as well, 1 is very big next to the buffet, there’s BBQ, music, as well as a bar area. I will only vacation at Iberostar. I always talk to other people at the resort about their experiences. Those who vacationed at other resorts for comparison, always say the Iberostar is hands down the best We’re missing you guys!

  Mar 03, 2025
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  Luxury and excellence

  Joia Paraiso is the luxury adult only end of this sprawling 5 hotel gated resort complex. My husband and I just returned from another great stay at the Iberostar Paraiso Grand which was renamed Joia Paraiso since our last visit June 2024. This is our 10th stay at the Joia/Grand. Before that we had stayed at their adjacent Maya and Lindo and Del Mar sections since 2001. The Iberostar brand is a well run hotel group and their service and standards are impeccable. They change or upgrade offerings in dining and activities continually. We appreciate the switch to no reservation required for the restaurants. The addition of Gala night at the buffet was a welcome change with live music and dinner club lighting and exquisite buffet offerings. We are not party pool people and the Grand offers quieter options such as the quiet pool with cabanas and well designed beach chair and palapa for shade. There is drink service at the beach too. The Grand has its own spa with an indoor pool just steps from the center building. It looks like something from Rome or Greece. It’s a lush getaway spot for a quiet swim and reading out of the sun. Or a sublime massage upstairs. In addition we love the complex’s bigger Spa Sensations in the Shopping Area where we used the wet area comprised of a massive inside quiet pool with zen music and the large selection of water treatment pools steam rooms and saunas. All with access to Maya gardens and private beds. This property is refined and elegant and is a gem. The entire resort property has 5 hotels all connected by a grand garden lined boulevard and pathways with access to the bars and lobbies if each hotel. They each have a fun unique vibe and theme. Making exploring and walking this resort an adventure. It’s a 25 minute ride from the airport. But it feels like a world away. The perfect spot to recharge and romance. And to be pampered.

  Mar 03, 2025
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  Keeps Getting Better and Better

  We are repeat visitors to the Iberostar Grand, now Joia, and Iberostar members. This visit surpassed everything that we have experienced in the past. We understand that the resort closed in August for a refresh and it truly shows! The resort is absolutely gorgeous. At our last visit, we played the towel game at the Star Prestige area. Thank you for fixing this issue with more cabanas and monitoring by the staff. The Star Cafe is a great addition with the staff greeting us everyday with a smile as they prepare our cafe lattes. What shows the most prominently is the energy and passion among the staff. There seems to be more personal touches and a joy among everyone who works here. I want to shout out to the Star Prestige beach staff, Manuel, Alejandro, and Eli, to Hector who took care of our every need as members. As always, I need to acknowledge Emilio at L'Atelier (you are the best waiter on the resort - your energy and passion is infectious), to Felix and Luis who made my birthday extra special, to Joel at Venitia, and Manuel at the Mexican restaurant. Each of you made our stay extra special. The spa services (massages) were the best ever with Jacqueline winning my prize for getting my back back into shape. I am sure that I am missing many people who made our stay special. Grateful for the decision to become an Iberostar member and looking for our next trip with our family. This place is a slice of heaven on earth.

  Feb 25, 2025