TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

This resort is the definition of “pay more or suffer.” We spent thousands of dollars expecting a relaxing luxury vacation, but the reality was completely different. The entire resort is unbearably loud from morning to night. Music is blasting at the pools, near the restaurants, basically everywhere. If you actually want silence or a calm atmosphere, apparently that is reserved only for “premium” guests. The whole business model feels manipulative. They intentionally make the standard experience uncomfortable so people feel forced into buying premium packages. The difference in treatment between premium and regular guests is honestly embarrassing. If you are not premium, expect to feel invisible. Staff suddenly become much friendlier the moment they see a premium bracelet. Another huge annoyance: nonstop pressure to buy their membership program. They bother you around the pool, interrupt your vacation, and even call your room early in the morning trying to push you into attending their sales presentation. Then if you actually consider buying into their system, they suddenly tell you nothing is available unless reservations were made years ago.. Also disappointing: the alcohol selection for standard guests is terrible. Cheap drinks, weak cocktails, low-end beer options… while premium guests get access to better brands. In a Mexican resort, not even having proper popular Mexican beers available for everyone is crazy. The property itself has potential and could have been amazing, but management completely destroys the experience with constant money grabs and endless upselling. Instead of feeling welcomed, you feel like a walking wallet the entire time.

Iberostar Paraiso Lindo was one of the most frustrating hotel experiences I’ve ever had. First of all, you cannot rest in this hotel unless you pay even MORE money for their “premium” access. We paid around $3,500 for the week thinking we were booking a relaxing vacation. Wrong. The entire hotel blasts music everywhere all day long, and the only quiet areas are reserved for premium guests. I literally went to reception asking where we could finally relax in peace, and they told me the only solution was to pay an extra $70 PER DAY to access the quiet zone. That honestly feels like a scam. You already spend thousands of dollars, and once you arrive they pressure you to upgrade for basic comfort. Everything is designed to make non-premium guests feel like second-class customers. Employees clearly treat premium members better while regular guests get ignored or disrespected. The upselling never stops. They even harass you at the pool and call your room at 7:00 AM trying to drag you into their sales seminar to push their Iberostar membership/subscription. And once you buy into it? Suddenly there’s “never any availability anywhere” unless you booked two years in advance. Convenient. Even basic things are absurdly overpriced. Want two inflatable pool donuts? That’ll be $100 USD. Completely ridiculous. And for a resort in Mexico, they don’t even properly serve the main Mexican beers unless you’re premium. Non-premium guests get cheap low-quality alcohol and watered-down drinks instead. The place itself could actually be beautiful, but the management completely ruins the experience by trying to squeeze money out of you every two minutes. Everything feels engineered to frustrate guests into paying more.

About us: Family of 5 with elementary school-age children, traveling with another family of 4 with elementary school-age children. We wanted something that was going to be "in the middle" in terms of cost and experience - not super-fancy/super-expensive, but also not bargain basement. Location: It was a big resort on a beach. Other than that, I have no idea where I was. But the beach was nice compared to others I've been to in Riviera Maya. I liked having everything you could imagine relatively close by, from the beach, to the pools and restaurants, to an on-site golf course. Atmosphere: It was a mix of families and young adult spring breakers. But we never felt overwhelmed or offended by the young singles. The facility is absolutely stunning. The decor in the common areas was gorgeous, and everything felt clean and modern. Music was a reasonable volume everywhere. Rooms: We had a family suite, which was really just two connecting rooms. This worked well for our family. The rooms were well-appointed with nice bathrooms and furniture. We did not have any mechanical issues. Service: Everyone we met was friendly and helpful. The only negative would be the attempt to get us to a timeshare presentation. We were solicited for this maybe 3 or 4 times, with the most aggressive being from the concierge in the hotel lobby. We went for help with booking restaurant reservations for our large party and ended up getting pressured to attend a presentation. We balked because I have zero interest and am on vacation and don't want to waste my time, and the offers kept getting bigger and bigger (eventually two rounds of golf, two spa massages, and I think we few hundred dollars on top), but we still were not very interested. We were promised she would contact us about the restaurant reservations, but never heard anything back. Food: This is where the review gets interesting. Before I talk about the taste or selection of food, I must first talk about food safety. Clearly there are different standards here than what we would expect in the USA. Hot and cold food alike is left to die on the non-temperature-controlled buffet for hours on end. I'm talking raw fish, deli meats, cooked foods, you name it. Often times, you would see a cold surface under the buffet platters, but the platters would be elevated well above them, rendering them useless. And, whaddayaknow, on Day 3, I got travelers diarrhea. I was out of commission for a full day and my stomach not back to normal for over a week. I basically did not eat anything for the last few days of our trip. I was very careful about only drinking safe water, so there is little doubt that I simply got unlucky and ate the wrong thing on the buffet. If you travel here, I would strongly advise to only eat things on the bugget that are clearly being temperature controlled properly or that are being prepared right before you (such as pizzas, pastas, made-to-order omelets and tacos, etc.). Outside of that, I would say that the food was slightly above-average. Buffet selection was pretty good, but restaurant menus and execution was pretty poor. Buffet labelling was horrible - almost everything mislabeled and allergen disclosures clearly wrong on many and could not be trusted. Amenities: Absolutely loved everything water-related. Great main pool. Kids spent hours in the wave pool (be sure to watch your kids - just a single lifeguard who is not paying much attention). Beach was great, with good sized waves, plenty of seating, and food and drinks available. Kids loved the water slides, and I enjoyed the lazy river. I don't understand why these amenities are not more widely advertised by the resort. The camp program seemed really good, with great scheduling and communication, but my kids weren't too into it (which was probably more about them then the camp). I played the golf course which was one of the hardest I've ever played in my life, with impossibly sloped fairways and crazy elevated greens. Entertainment: We went to most of the nightly shows. The kids enjoyed being in the pre-shows as well, which didn't require rehearsing earlier in the day (just show up 30 minutes prior). Some were better than others, but overall it was a solid cast. Logistics: I was impressed with the logistics overall. A million golf carts zooming by all the time to deliver towels, food, supplies, you name it. The shuttle system is a bit confusing at first (not all the listed routes actually operate), so take a minute to look in the app and understand what shuttles actually run and to where. Truth be told, unless you have mobility problems or the shuttle happens to be exactly where you are, it's almost always faster to just walk. Bottom line: Had it not been for the traveler's diarrhea, I think I would have really, really liked this resort. I still did like it, which says something considering how miserable I was for much of the trip. I don't think that it needs to be a fait accompli that some people will get sick when travelling to Mexico; they really need to address food safety. If you are looking for a big resort with all the amenities and a slightly upscale feel for your family, I would recommend this resort (just be careful at the buffet)!

Our family included eight adults, including one of whom was 5 months pregnant, and five chidren ages 5 to 1 (two of our grandchildren were 20 months old). We loved the location in Riviera Maya. The atmosphere is lush with abundant plant growth surrounding a fantastic, expansive pool complex . All of our grandkids loved the pirate ship, even the youngest. Three of them also loved the lazy river and the wave pool. Many of us went to the beach in the mornings. Be prepared for seaweed on the beach. Iberostar put a lot of effort into controlling the seaweed and it did not bother us. All the rooms were comfortable with good beds. The rooms for the famlies with kids were particularly cool. The were cleaned very well each night. (We left a small tip for the housekepers each night.) The service was excellent across the resort. We met for breakfast each monring, and I want to give a shout out to Arturo, who was our attendant. (It's a buffet.) He was friendly and very personable, and he helped us enjoy our meals. Ethan G. on the concierge staff helped me plan a small birthday celebration for my wife. He arranged a table at the Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant (Le Greisha, I think), which included a personalized birthday cake. It was recommended to us to bring a large amount of cash, espeically small bills, for tips throughout the resort. One recommendation: If you think you have enough sunscreen, double it!. We had to buy more sunscreen at the complex's mall, and it was expensive. Overalll, our four families gave the trip 5 stars!

Iberostar.... where they decide to have construction noises past 11 pm (it's been going on for a few hours and it's still not done). Using something like a mechanical saw blade at this hour. Mind blown. Uploaded video with sound on Google.