Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

9594 reviews

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  A review for vegans and 3 year old toddlers

  We stayed at this all-inclusive resort for 5 days, and I want to share our experience specifically as vegan travelers and as parents of a 3-year-old. First, the vegan options were truly excellent. Almost every restaurant had something vegan, and the chefs were incredibly accommodating. At every buffet and meal, we spoke with the chefs and they consistently made us custom vegan dishes using tofu and Beyond Meat. Some highlights: corn tamales and tofu scramble for breakfast, Beyond burgers with vegan cheese, and lots of creative, tasty options throughout our stay. We felt very cared for as vegans, which is rare at all-inclusive resorts. Huge plus. Now, for families with toddlers—this resort is unfortunately not very 3-year-old friendly. The Kangaroo section (meant for under 4-year-olds) was pretty disappointing. The space felt very babyish and uninspiring, and the small pool didn’t really have anything for kids to play with. The Star Camp kids club is mostly for ages 4+, with only two short windows for younger kids: one at 12:30 PM for an hour (peak nap time) and another from 6:30–8:30 PM (peak dinner, bath, and bedtime). This made it nearly impossible for our 3-year-old to participate. We stayed in the Waves section of the resort, and while it’s nice, it’s definitely not ideal for toddlers. Another big downside: the pools were extremely cold. We visited during peak season, so it was surprising that none of the pools were heated or even slightly warmer. This made swimming much less enjoyable, especially for young kids. On the day we arrived, we were offered a tour of another part of the resort to see if an Iberostar membership would make sense for us. The tour lasted about two hours. In return, we received vouchers for two people to visit their “waterpark,” as well as vouchers to reserve two beds at the pool or on the beach. However, it’s hard to call it a true waterpark—there’s a lazy river and a few slides, but that’s about it. On top of that, it was very cold, which made it difficult to actually enjoy. One frustrating part of the tour was that they refused to share any pricing information until the very end, despite us asking earlier. We only found out at the absolute end that the memberships require a minimum 10-year commitment, which really only makes sense if you plan to visit one of their locations at least once every year on average. Another major frustration came at checkout. We were suddenly told there was a $15 tax that had never been mentioned to us beforehand. On top of that, we were told their American Express machine “wasn’t working” and that they don’t accept American Express—despite their materials and signage advertising that they do. This felt misleading and left a bad final impression after an otherwise pleasant stay. Overall, if you’re vegan, this resort does an amazing job with food and accommodations. But if you’re traveling with a toddler around age 3, I would think twice. It’s not well-designed for that age group, and between the cold pools, limited kid programming, sales-heavy membership tour, and surprise checkout issues, it made things more challenging than expected.

  Jan 21, 2026
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  Nice hotel but I probably won't remember ever being there.

  My review doesn't matter nor does anyone else's. There's no information on the internet, it's drowned out by lies and agendas. I came here to find a place with nice beaches, ample food and drink but these are empty pursuits. Connection, conversation, new adventures, new friends, new experiences, quality lobby bar entertainment, hot tubs are what I should be looking for and I'm not finding that since I was a young adult. The resorts used to be the catalysts for this by forcing people out of their comfort zones. Make people line up and complain about having to line up. Make them sit together at large tables and share stories. Make them sing out of tune in front of a crowd. Why are people bringing babies and toddlers to all-inclusives. Those resorts should be labelled as no adults unless accompanied by a child. I haven't been to Mexico in 45 years and it's great and safe here. The negative stories about Mexico are blown way out of proportion if at all true; ignore them. The people are so nice and the hotel was nice but it was so formulaic. Break out of the mould. The sand was nice when cleaned of seaweed but there was still a smell. I always bring my own boat but the water was almost devoid of life/seashells and felt a little murky. The beach walk to Maroma beach is very long and unobstructed (except for the over water villas). Lindo, Maya and Joya are not obstructed and very beautiful. Fun fact, all the rooms are pretty much the same layout. I really enjoyed the club iberostar sales pitch meeting; good food, good drink, good company and a good product.

  Jan 18, 2026
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  Overpriced stay with average service

  Overall, our stay was okay but a bit disappointing for the price. We were surprised that there was no room service, and the food selection was very limited and not very good. The beach itself is nice, which was definitely a highlight, but the service was just average. Considering the high cost, even with our family membership, it felt overpriced for what was offered.

  Jan 16, 2026
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  Lush resort with lots of animals, good food and nice beach - would go back!

  We spent 8 days at the resort from Dec 30-Jan 7. Here is my honest review: Good: - Lush grounds with many walking paths. They've left a large amount of the mangrove and they have also incorporated a lot of plantings on the grounds (this is different from other all inclusive resorts I have stayed at). We loved this aspect - Because of the above, there is an abundance of wildlife on the resort (coatis being the most common) as well as domesticated birds (flamingos, peacocks, swans, macaws). We even saw spider monkeys one day in the trees along the pool area! Lot's of different tropical birds on the grounds and at the beach. The coatis are very attracted to food and I could see some guests being annoyed; particularly around the pool area - The food was great for an all inclusive; with multiple choices at anytime of day. Loved the burger/hot dog/taco shack at the beach that was great for grabbing snacks anytime of day - You can pay ~$30 a person to access the Lindo property next door which has a ton of water amenities for the kids (kids pirate ship, wave pool and lazy river that was not open the day we went) - Some rooms have bathtubs - great for young kids - Friendly and helpful staff, golf cart transit system was great - Helpful app for getting around, making restaurant resos etc. - We liked how the room buildings are spaced out, with most having balcony's/views of the lush grounds and are only 3 stories tall - Strong drinks :) - You can take food anywhere (around the pool etc.). Different from other places I have stayed - Big pool that stretches forever! Lots of different seating areas in sun or shade Not-so-good: - The overall room cleanliness was just OK, not as good as I would expect. Our room could have used a good deep cleaning as the floor felt kinda grimy and under the beds was full of dust bunnies. In the closet you could see build-up of grime along the baseboards. Decor is outdated and tired - The towel game is super competitive here, except on changeover days - Pool is cold and no hot tubs. There were a couple small pools that we though were hot tubs (jetted) but they weren't! - Entertainment at night was just OK. A lot of repetitiveness in the activities (trivia) and even repeats of the same performances. They also didn't start until 8 or 9 most nights. Kid friendly activities a little earlier on a consistent basis would have been nice. We were there for New Years and the celebration wasn't to the level I have experienced at other resorts - The price of things in the on-site shops was extremely inflated. Even for basic things like tampons! Come prepared with all the things you need or go off the property to buy things (we bought some pool toys in Puerto Morelos at a fraction of what they were charging in the shops at the resort) - Spraying of pesticides on the property, especially around the birds. We saw a groundskeeper spraying pesticides pretty much at the flock of flamingos - Bathrooms around the pool were also not super clean and need a refresh Tips/Things to Note: - Download and use the app! It has so many helpful things. We figured out on our second last day that you can see the location of the different transit golf carts (to time when to leave etc. if you need a break from all the walking) - The beach is very far from the lobby (10-15 min walk depending on your speed). Factor this into your planning or perhaps request a room close to the beach or lobby depending on what you prefer. Main buffets are near the lobby although there are a couple lunch buffets near the beach that turn into al la carte in the evenings - Further down the beach out front of the luxury resorts there are some nice tidal pools. They didn't have a lot of creatures in them but enough to entertain our kids for a long time on multiple days. They loved it! - The a la carte restaurants are great but the nightly buffet was also pretty good most nights. We loved the Japanese restaurant for the experience.

  Jan 09, 2026
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  Romance, Relaxation, and an Aggressive Amount of Hot Dogs

  My wife and I stayed at Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach for our honeymoon, and the experience exceeded our expectations. The resort offered a clean, well-maintained, and relaxing environment that was ideal for celebrating such a special occasion. The rooms and grounds were consistently very clean, and the natural setting—complete with animals roaming the property—added a unique and enjoyable element. We stayed in Building 31, which provided extremely convenient access between our room, the pool, and the beach. The pool area was thoughtfully designed, offering both a quiet side without speakers and a livelier side with music. We chose the quieter side but still enjoyed hearing the music in the background. The beach was more active, with a lively atmosphere, but never felt excessive. Dining was a highlight of our stay. The Smokehouse restaurant stood out, along with the beach grill and the taco station at the mall. The food was very fresh, particularly the salsas, which were excellent. Beverage service was efficient, and water and ice stations were always nearby. The staff truly elevated our experience. Marvin at the Smokehouse and Alejandro at the swim-up bar provided exceptional service—Alejandro even remembered our names and drink orders after the first day. While this is not an adults-only resort, we never found the presence of families to detract from our experience. We would absolutely recommend Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach for honeymoons, anniversaries, or any type of vacation. It was absolutely worth the price and stress of airports during Christmas time!!

  Jan 02, 2026