Our room was set in the Iberostar Paraiso Maya building next to the beach. A young, multilingual Dutch woman at a desk welcomed us. "I'm Juliana, your concierge," she said. "I make your restaurant reservations and help you with anything. Come look at the menus whenever you want." We thanked Juliana and took the elevator one floor to our room.
We entered into a foyer with a wall of closets and shelves on one side and the bathroom on the other. The double closet—his 'n' hers--sported handy nooks and ample hanger space.
There was a safe for our passports. (Chat room postings recommended that we leave most of our wallet contents at home, because everything, including tips, is included at Iberostar hotels). A shelf held a coffee-maker above and a mini-fridge below, which, to our delight, was filled with soda, mineral water and beer.
The bathroom featured two sinks, a shower stall, huge whirlpool tub, blowdryer, and plenty of hooks and shelf space. A thick wooden door closed off the foyer to minimize noise in the sleeping area. We opened that door and applauded together.
Our room was a lovely, sunny suite. A king bed topped with a crimson bedspread of silky cotton, two night tables and a tall TV/DVD cabinet graced the sleeping area. The living room, set one step down, contained a desk and chair, lounge chair, reading lamp, coffee table, and comfortable couch with lots of throw pillows.
The stone-tile floor was accented with Mexican-striped scatter rugs. Carved wooden screen doors opened onto a balcony with two more chairs, a small table, a hammock and expandable drying rack. Richard hopped onto the hammock as I perused the view: jungle ahead, ocean to the left. Perfection.
To the Beach
As couples do when they've been married five years, we decided in seconds how to spend the day. We'd unpack, explore, and grab a bite in the casual restaurant that our map indicated was steps away and open till 4pm for lunch. Then we'd make dinner reservations, change into swimsuits and spend the pre-sunset hours on the beach.We made our way past our building's shady private pool, along the edge of the big, meandering resort pool and onto a curving wooden boardwalk that traversed about 100 feet of jungle down to the beach.
What a beach! The sand was as white, the water as aquamarine, the sky as blue, the palm trees as green as in the online photos. The beach was dotted with pairs of yellow lounge chairs shaded by palapas—conical thatched roofs woven of palm leaves.
Kayaks and simple sailboats, free for guests, were lined up near the water. Bordering a tree-filled area were thatched huts sheltering a dive shop and something else. I followed Richard over; it was a bar and grill.
A young man tending burgers offered us margaritas. Sounded good. Tasted better. We took our plastic glasses and strolled up the shoreline, stopping to take off our sandals so the the Gulf stream-warmed Caribbean water could caress our feet.
The Four Iberostar Playa Paraiso Hotels
We walked across the beaches of the other hotels; guests can use any beach they please. We reached the last of the four Iberostar hotels and walked back through the connected properties.The Iberostar Playa Paraiso hotels combine traditional Mexican design elements—like those palapa thatched roofs--with a playful, modern touch. They were designed by top Mexican architects determined to honor the lush environment with lavish plantings, and to celebrate the local Mayan heritage with artistic motifs.
Rooms are set in three-story, pastel-painted stucco buildings built around courtyards with Mexican mosaics, fountains and reflecting pools.
Every Iberostar Playa Paraiso room flaunts a private balcony, twin-sink bathroom with oversized whirlpool bath, and foyer with double closet, fridge and safe.
Though they share a tropical, colorful, contemporary look, each of the four hotels has its own personality:
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