Iberostar Grand Paraiso

Part of Iberostar's five-hotel Playa Paraiso complex, the Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso is a Las Vegas-style resort set on a private beach on the Riviera Maya. Everything about the resort is on a grand scale, and the architecture takes cues from the iconic Bellagio in its Baroque- and Roman-inspired styles, with columns and fountains accenting long hallways and surrounding the pools.

The lobby is awe-inspiring, with a majestic, fresco-covered rotunda -- lit by skylights -- crowning an indoor garden with fountains and marble floors. The front desk is ornate, in Roman reds with gold-leaf shields, polished wood, heavy fabric, and modern crystal chandeliers. The wide hallways have elaborate light fixtures, ornate carpets, chaises longues, columns, lots of gold leaf, and, by the lobby’s grand stairway, a pair of larger-than-life wooden horses. The manicured grounds and interior courtyards are filled with palm trees, lawns, and exotic plants and flowers lining tile, marble, stone, and wooden walkways and seating areas.

The resort does not allow children, so the atmosphere is accordingly peaceful and adult-oriented, geared toward total relaxation. The main pool, though large, can get a bit busy -- some guests complain of not being able to get well-placed loungers -- but the serene Relaxation Pool, with its private cabanas, offers more space, as does the large beach, covered with sunbeds. The restaurants also can get busy, and advance reservations for dinner are recommended in order to guarantee the time and restaurant you prefer.

Note that, while the Grand Hotel is adult-only, the other hotels in the complex are not, and so when you leave this resort's grounds, the atmosphere gets louder and more family-oriented.

The Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso is centrally located on the Riviera Maya, within a 25-minute drive of the Cancun airport, and within close driving distance of Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and Cozumel -- but, as a luxury all-inclusive, it has everything guests could need on its grounds. Set amid the mangroves, the hotel has numerous activities on site and off its beach, including kayaking, canoeing, jet skis, scuba diving, snorkeling, and other water activities. The Grand Hotel is part of a five-hotel Iberostar complex, and guests are welcome to use the beach and amenities at all five properties. Transport between the resorts is offered via golf cart. One caveat: while parking is free, the parking lots are small.

Rooms at the Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso are large and luxurious. Every room has a private balcony or patio and separate seating area. Views overlook the gardens, pool, or beach. Corner rooms on high floors overlooking the ocean have exceptional views and are worth the added cost for those who value a scenic stay. Buildings 70 and 71 have the best views of the sea. Rooms by the tranquility pool are especially quiet, and convenient to the lobby and restaurants.

Decor is upscale, if a bit dated: rust-colored brocades, nooks with ornate vases, white and gray marble floors, and atmospheric lighting. Separate sitting areas include writing desks and chaise lounges. Full coffee and beverage set-ups are provided, as are minibars personalized by your concierge. Balconies have wood decking, wicker swings, and lounge areas. Ground-floor patios may be visited by resident peacocks, lizards, or coati mundis. Bathrooms are spacious and tiled, with separate jetted tubs and shower stalls.

Some higher-tier suites and villas are decorated in a more antique-inflected style, with velvet couches, modern artwork, and four-poster beds. The Presidential Suite also has a full kitchen and its balcony has a hot tub and hammock.

All rooms are air-conditioned, and come with flat-screen TVs, DVD players (DVDs can be borrowed from the front desk), pillow menus, mini-fridges, free bottled water, daily newspapers, and shoeshine service. Guests in premium rooms can call ahead and the concierge will have a bubble bath waiting. Note that some guests complain that bathrooms could be better maintained.

The hotel is located on Playa Paraiso, a wide, white-sand beach with lots of wicker sunbeds shaded by palapas. Note that the surf can be rough, and the seabed is rocky, so conditions are not suited for novice swimmers. The three pools are more popular for swimming. The large and quiet Relaxation Pool looks like something out of 1940s Miami or Vegas, with “fragments” of Roman buildings providing shade and marking off the various hot tubs and cabana areas. The main pool has a group of lounge chairs sitting in shallow water, in addition to its many pool-deck loungers. The pool concierge supplies towels, sunscreen, and an assortment of reading material. Quality food and drink can be ordered to your lounger at both the pool and beach.

The Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso has a lot to offer golfers: namely, access to the PB Dye-designed Playa Paraiso Golf Club. Guests staying three nights can play 18 holes for free. Those staying five nights are invited to play two rounds of golf on the house. Resort activities include aerobics classes, shooting, archery, basketball, beach volleyball, billiards, and darts. Dance lessons, gymnastics, and tennis lessons are also included, as are such water sports as canoeing, sailing, water polo, snorkeling, and scuba, with PADI-supervised classes for beginners offered in the pool. 

The full-service spa offers body and beauty treatments, including oceanside couples' massages. Guests are welcome to use the sauna and Turkish bath, as well as the resort’s fitness center. Evening entertainment is held in the Vegas nightclub-style theater, and consists mostly of music concerts, with magic and comedy shows thrown in. Local handicrafts and high-end international luxury goods are sold in the shops. The convention center can accommodate up to 1,200 guests in a variety of event rooms. Wedding and special event planning is offered by the hotel, with only one wedding scheduled per day.

Both food and liquor are high-end, and the resort offers plenty of dining options. Chefs at the main Bella Vista Buffet Restaurant go the extra mile to make the food visually appealing -- especially the dessert bar, which can include a chocolate fountain. Lobster tail and other shellfish are also usually on the menu. The Venezia offers an à la carte Italian menu, including pasta and pizza, served in a spacious dining room underneath Venetian glass chandeliers. Haiku serves Japanese food -- some cooked table-side on hibachi grills -- in a red, black, and polished-wood dining room. With its Baroque-inspired decor (plenty of golf leaf and an imitation Vermeer painting), the French-inflected Latelier is the most formal dining option. The Lobby Bar is Art Deco in style, with mirrors, mosaics, and a black-and-white tiled floor. Note that all restaurants require men to wear long pants and collared shirts.