Iberostar Paraiso Beach Reviews

This holiday was fantastic!!!

The flight out with Thomas Cook was excellent. Upon our arrival at the hotel we were greeted with cocktails and excellent friendly staff, the hotel and its grounds were undescribable, much better than we expected, probably the best hotel I have ever stayed in.

Our room was excellent, huge superking size bed, mini bar and television with English channels.
The room and hotel were kept spotlessly clean by the really hardworking staff, who were always really friendly.

The food at the resort was excellent, a wide variety in the buffet which would cater for all tastes. All of the speciality resteraunts were excellent too, reservations required, but no problem booking them. Again, all of the staff were friendly and nothing was too much trouble. I've never eaten so much om holiday, everyting was fantastic, never went hungry. The added bonus of the shopping mall on site were there are places to eat which are included in your package was excellent, they included a taco bar, a tapas bar, a humburger bar and an ice cream bar, really good extra bonus.
The pool and beach areas were out of this world, I've never seen such a big pool, again this was kept clean, there were always sunbeds free and the pool bars were fantastic, order any cocktail you want and they will make it for you.
Entertainment was really good, although I dont think we stayed out past midnight.

Of the trips on offer we went swimming with the dolphins on the Isle of Mojeres.... It was unbeliveable, we were made to feel like superstars on the catamaran, the dolphin experience was excellent and the beach we were taken too was beautifull. I would reccomend this trip.

Overall a truly wonderfull holiday, would love to go back!!!

We stayed at the Lindo with from 21/05/07 for two weeks until the 04/06/07.

We travelled from Manchester, England with Thomas Cook. The outward flight was fine one of the new planes for long haul with slightly more leg room and good inflight entertainment, the way back however was on one of the older planes and the conditions were horrible and cramped.

When we arrived at Cancun airport the heat hit us as soon as we stepped of the plane it was wonderful. Had no problems with any touts at the airport don't know whether it was because ours was the only plane that had landed or the time of day, so we were straight out to our air conditioned transfer coach. Within 20-25 minutes we were at the hotel. There was only us and another couple getting off at our hotel so check in was very speedy with a lovely cold cocktail. We were given a map and told where everything was located. The bell boy then drove us to our room. We had requested a second floor room in building 53, we were given a third floor room by the time we had gotten up the stairs and into the room, my mum said there was no way she could manage those stairs everyday, so when the bell boy came through with the luggage he asked us if everything was OK with the room and when we told him the problem he was straight on the phone to reception and we were immediately given a ground floor room, which was fantastic it had one of those wrap around balconies I have heard so much about it was room number 5312 and was right opposite the main pool which was great when we came back to the room at around 5-6 as they seemed to turn the music up and we could sit on the terrace and just chill. The room itself was huge two large double beds plenty of space to move around the bathroom was a good size and most importantly it was all kept immaculately clean. We came back to towel art every day and had two bubble baths run for us during our stay. We tipped everyday as we did seem to have a different cleaner every day as we sometimes came back to the room just as they were finishing.

As we had travelled for over 11 hours we were exhausted but we managed to unpack and book our alacarte meals for the first week and got the times we wanted and then headed over to the buffet restaurant opposite the pool close to the beach before our eyes closed.

The next morning we had a wonder around the Lindo/Maya complex to try and get our bearings, at first the place does seem overwhelming and so huge but after a few days you soon get to know where everything is and we didn't find the walking around the resort to be a problem.

The beach is absolutely gorgeous lovely soft white sands and the water was so warm couldn't believe it. When we first arrived we had a yellow flag for the first two days which meant we could get in the water with no problems we could see the rocks large and small as the water was so clear and we had some nice waves to jump and also calm enough to swim and float and the weather was lovely hot and blue skies with a few clouds but after that it seemed to change it was a red flag constantly and getting in the water was tricky as you could no longer see the smaller rocks only the larger ones but the lifeguards who were great guys always directed us and other to the safe spots to get in and told us whether there was a strong current and what the conditions were like. They were great always had time for a chat. The weather also changed during this time we had quite a lot of rain and grey skies not something that is very nice when on your hols. But it usually only lasted for half a day and it was still hot. But towards the end of our holidays the sun came out full blast and the flags changed back to yellow and the water was the best it had been all holiday. The best sections to avoid the rocks were straight out of the Lindo walkway then turn right until you are half way between the Lindo and the Grand no rocks at all here. I think next time we go we will pick a different time of year to avoid the rain and cloudy skies and rough seas any opinions on the best times to go?

The pools at the Lindo were huge the main one with the swim up bar seemed most popular but you could still get a sunbed with shade during the day. The pool next to this one seemed a lot more quieter and not used as much probably because you could not get to the swim up bar as the pool is not interconnected. But it was nice to have a good swim in without bumping into anyone. I never used the wave pool or the lazy river just couldn't tear myself away from the beach. But it seemed mostly children using the wave pool and they looked like they were having a great time. There is also a sports pool where all the water sports were done which I thought was a good idea as in previous hotels we have been at they do this in the main pool and you usually end up with a ball hitting some part of you while you are trying to snooze.

Didn't really get involved with any of the daytime activities as we were happy just lazing by the beach. But there always seemed to be something going on, the salsa lessons looked like fun. The star friends were a great bunch of guys always smiling we saw them more in the evening before the shows started. If you were at the theatre early they came around and tried to get you up for a dance and would come over and have a chat with you. The pre show at 9.00 was always very funny, the main show started at 9.30 all of which were quite good just wished they didn't repeat the shows on a weekly basis fortnightly would have been better. But there was so much to do at night that if you had seen the show before you could either go over to the commercial centre live music on Mon/Wed/Fri or over to the Maya lobby which is a great place to sit back have a drink a listen to some music, or chill in the lobby bar at the Lindo. You could also go over to the beach/del mar for a change of scene but the shows were generally the same.

They had a beach party on Wednesdays and Sundays where they cooked a huge pan of paella and gave out sangria and they had bikini contents and libo dancing it was great.

The staff around the complex from the waiters to bar tenders to cleaners were all friendly and looked happy. Every time we went to the buffet for breakfast and lunch they were always trying to teach us Spanish and always seemed really pleased when we got it right.

The only place where I wasn't happy with the service was the theatre at night if you waited for a waitress to come around as there did not seem to be enough of them to cope with the amount of people in there you had to wait quite a while for you order to be taken and even longer to receive your drink. We tried going to the bar instead and for the first week of our holiday there was only two bar tenders who looked highly stressed and you had to wait ages to be served didn't seem very happy people either, towards the second half of our holiday there were two more bar tenders and things improved enormously. So think it was just a temporary staff shortage.

The alacartes we went to were

The Cajun, the blackened grouper and chicken jambalaya were delicious and a great atmosphere

The Gourmet has a limited menu but the meal we had was cooked to perfection and delicious and it is also a smaller room and has a more personal touch.

The Italian went there twice nice pizza and pasta and we were serenaded by the matriarch (spelling) band.

The Mexican had a nice appetiser of nachos with cheese and salsa and nachos with guacamole that was before you even tucked into the starters a very filling meal.

The Seafood we went to the maya seafood and although the meal was delicious the choice was limited we had actually wanted the seafood at the beach/del mar didn't realise there was one at the Maya so it was our own fault and we never got around to trying the one at the beach/del mar.

The Steakhouse was not impressed with the food although the atmosphere was nice and authentic we had steak that we asked for well done it arrived to raw for us although others might prefer it that way and the steak although tasted nice it was a fight to separate the meat from the fat. So we though we would give it another try the following week and just order something other than steak. My mum order chicken it was raw in the middle, I ordered pork chops but received ribs, so we gave up and went to the buffet instead.

The Chinese we like had a nice meal here but as we went on our last night didn't have the chance to go again.

We didn't think the buffet restaurant at the Lindo for the evening meal had as a big a choice as over at the beach/del mar, but we still preferred it as it was smaller and the staff were more friendly. We used the indoor buffet that changes to the Italian restaurant at night for breakfast and lunch as it was air conditioned and it was just to hot at the buffet near the beach in the day time. You are seated to your table and before you can even look around to locate the coffee the waiters appear at your side offering coffee and fresh orange juice if you don't want orange they have all sorts of other freshly squeezed juices. There is lots on offer at breakfast you will not get bored. The service is the same at lunch at this restaurant and again lots of choice with Mexican choices which we usually went for as they were always yummy. The desserts were all delicious I had seen pictures before I went and they tasted as good as they looked lots of choices. Didn't think much of the wine on offer red or white so we usually stuck to champagne or cerveza or a cocktail with lunch and dinner. There is definitely a lot of cocktail on offer we worked our way through the menu and also tried all the ones we were recommend. The mohjtos and the margaritas were our favourites also served a very nice brandy which we usually had at the beach Presidente I think it was called. Make sure you try the nachos and guacamole dip at the beach, I had never tried guacamole dip before and when I first got some I thought it looked like a cross between mushy peas and a face mask but it tastes yummy does it have avocado in it? We never got around to trying any of the food at the commercial centre but heard good comments from people around the hotel.

Went into Playa del Carmen one day when the weather was overcast it is a nice little town with a mixture of souvenir shops and some nice clothes shops there is also a marina there and a beach, there was plenty of room on the free bus both going and coming and it was on time. Unfortunately we didn't do any trips as the beach was just too beautiful for us to leave and we just wanted to completely relax and that is what we did. But it does give us a good excuse for going back next year.

There are some cats and kittens around the complex which we fed as did others, but while we were there a gardener dressed in a green uniform threw a large rock at a little ginger kitty that hung out near the snack restaurant opposite the pool near the walkway to the beach. We were just coming of the beach for lunch when we noticed a few families looking over the walkway into the trees and sounding upset. We asked them if they were OK and they told us what they had just witnessed. A few of us climbed over and had a look but there was no sign of the kitty. I cannot believe somebody could be so cruel to a defenceless animal that caused no harm just looking for scraps, as we never saw the kitty again for the rest of our holiday we all assumed that it had died a very painful death. But we still threw scraps over the walkway just in case and they did seem to vanish so I am hoping that it is still alive but to frightened to come out, so if you are due to holiday here could you please do the same? We reported the incident firstly to reception but they didn't really want to know, they don't seem to think about animals the same way as we do, so we reported it to our rep who was disgusted and said she was going to speak to customer relations and see if she could get the gardener sacked. But as we were due to go home the next day we don't know what the outcome was. It certainly put a dampener on our holiday. I hope it was just an isolated incident.

There are some gorgeously cute monkey type animals I think they are Coatis? That are in the trees on the way to the beach and they will take bananas right out of your hand they seem so tame, they stretch there little hands out begging for more I really wanted to tickle their tummys but wasn't sure whether they would appreciate that or not and I didn't want biting.

On the last day of our holidays when we were packing to go a jacket that my mum had travelled in and had put to the back of the wardrobe and forgot about as she was not going to wear it again until the trip home had been stolen. As we had a different cleaner each day and fridge fillers and some people who turned the beds down at night coming in to our room every day we had no idea who it could have been. Also when the cleaner was in the room as wardrobe is very close to the open door way and quite a lot of people walked past as we were on the ground floor it is also possible that someone could have nipped in while the cleaner was busy and helped themselves we just don't know.

However even the above two incidents has not put us off the hotel or Mexico, most of the Mexican people we met were some of the nicest we have encountered on our holidays are we cannot wait to return. We are just so upset to be home and have already started checking out prices for next year as we want to return to the same hotel, just need to pick a different time of year due to the weather. I took piles of photos as well and will attach them as soon as I can. I would definitely recommend this hotel.

This hotel is absolutely fantastic. The grounds it is set in is immaculate. There is a great range of restaurants to choose from all of which are to a very high standard with a huge quantity of choice.

The entertainment team are very friendly and try their best to make your holiday enjoyable, although the entertainment in the evenings may get a little repetative on the whole it was good. The day time activities are plentiful and are great fun for all ages.

Xel-Ha is a great day out if you enjoy snorkelling with masks snorkels flippers and life jackets provided.

This is an all round fantastic hotel and we will definately be going back in the future.

The Iberostar Lindo is quite possibly (so far) the most beautiful hotel i have ever seen.

The lobby was stunning! Mexicans are lovely people and love children, they are very relaxed so do not expect the shops or buses to be on time! Please tip the waiters and maids as they are the lowest paid, we normally left $20 peso for the maid each day. The buffets were great and were changed daily, the only thing we didnt think was that great food wise was the Italian.

One of the good things about being in the Lindo is you have access to all the hotels which was nice as we would walk accoss to the Del Mar and not see anyone and then walk to the Maya and not see anyone, it was nice not to bump into lots of people. This also means you have access to the Iberostar in Playa Del Carmen and Cozumel if you decided to go and have lunch at one of those while you are in town, which i though was good as you might not know what you eating in other resturants (we didnt do it as not into people trying to sell you things!). I would definatly advise not to bother packing beach towels (which take too much room up in cases) as you can get towels all over the place, with the cards you are issued.

The pools were excellent and the wave pool and lazy river are great fun for adults and kids. You will have no problem find a lounger either. The beaches are stunning and nobody bothering you except to take glasses (plastic) away.
The evenings are fun and they really try to make it nice for adults and kids.

Anyone who says that it is TOO big are mad, i noticed complaints before i went regarding to shuttle, for my kids i was abit worried about dragging them round a huge resort but the shuttle was always going up and down and we didnt use it once as we walked everywhere as it was just such a beautiful place i didnt want to whizz passed any of it, the kids loved see the flamingos, peacocks, iguanas etc.

If you are lucky enought to be going to this hotel i envy you as my family and i cannot wait to return and we wouldnt stay anywhere else. Enjoy!!!!

yery long journey, watch for porters at airport they are not needed, hotel superb. pools fantastic never too busy,cleanliness everywhere, staff 10out of 10 for friendliness.food excellent plenty of choice for kids and adults,beach grt right on hotel grounds,pool bars excellentfrom soft drinks to alcoholic, waiter service around pool.a perfect 5star hol,bbeach area has massage bar,cold drinks machine free , towels for pool on hand ,ample sunbeds,ithought we had died and goneto heaven.please go and take us with you....

a must to swim with dolphins. the staff work extremley hard and make your hols bliss. even plenty of gardeners in the grounds you must go.....

remember when leaving the country you need airpot tax it was around 75.00 for three of us. and the queues n arrival r large it take about 2hrs you have paperworkto fillin and then queue for cases search be warned...