Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach - All Inclusive

Customer ratings & reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

9470 reviews

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  A Pleasant Vacation at a Lovely Resort

  This was my 14th stay at this complex, the vast majority of them in the Beach section. I have delayed writing this review because I have had difficulty deciding what to write. First off, this is a lovely resort and I enjoyed my stay. What was strange about it was the sense of deja vu. Everything I did was overlaid with memories from previous visits, and it felt like there was nothing new. Time for a change, perhaps. The grounds were impeccable, as usual and I loved all the walking I could do (and did). The grounds staff kept things very nice and clean. At night, it would ne nice if all the electric carts had all their lights working. Food was fine. The new arrangements for the a la carte restaurants allowed me to decide one day to skip the buffet and I enjoyed the Mediterranean restaurant. Variety at the buffet was good, but service for drinks and clearing were a bit slow. and I suspect there were fewer staff in the buffet. By the way, someone should ensure there is a towel to cover a loaf of bread while it is being sliced. I don't want someone else's hand on my bread. My room, 3244, was nice and in a great location. Thanks to the staff for the towel animals, which were missing last year. It was kept nice and clean. Perhaps more bath tubs could be replaced by walk in showers to reduce slipping hazards. I liked that there were water stations on each floor, as opposed to only on the ground floor. The pool was beautiful. I never had trouble getting a lounger- I just moved an empty one to where I wanted it. I did point out several chairs that had been reserved but left unoccupied for more than 90 minutes. Staff removed the towels. The entertainment staff were all new to me, no hold overs from last year. They worked hard but I felt they were less outgoing and friendly than in previous years. I barely had any conversations with them. The beach was lovely but the winds kept me out of the water. The seaweed was removed regularly. You can't fight Mother Nature. The entertainment was OK. It does get boring seeing the same shows each year, and the quality has not returned to what it was in 2022. I did enjoy the Fire Show. Staff were mainly pleasant. I'll give kudos to Frank at the swim up bar (the only person I recognized from last year), Fatima at the pool restaurant, and Josue at the theatre bar for their excellent service. I will likely come back some day, but after 14 times in 20 years, even the best place gets stale, and I will look for a change for a year or two. Meanwhile, enjoy your stay.

  Apr 16, 2025
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  Poor experience

  We will never come back to this resort. We have Efren travelling down south for a number of years and this was a total disappointment and a waste of our money. Points to make; Pool was overcrowded and no lawn chairs ever available. Towels placed over them The swim up bar was 20 mins plus to get a drink one typically only one bartender The beach was horrible- seaweeds and kelp build up many inches. To disgusting to even stay there plus minimal space again and no where to sit. It’s a tiny area meshed in between tow resorts. It’s huge resort where you have to wait for golf cart drivers and always expecting a tip. We found the workers not so friendly at all in comparison to other resorts. There are coatis( like raccoons) everywhere and in packs of 20-40 and are the size of raccoons really. They are rummaging through garbage bins, going through peoples stuff at the pool and beach. It was disgusting The rooms were clean however my husband asked the cleaner to make towel animals for me and she was not trained to do it. Plus the AC in our room was horrible. It barely cooled down the room. It was so hot when trying to sleep. We would never go back to this resort and it was very costly we expected way more service and availability of services and courteous staff The communication around the buffets was not clear. Sometimes there was breakfast and sometimes not. Thank goodness for my cereal bars I brought. The restaurants were not accommodating at all as I feel there are too many people on this resort. It felt very overpopulated. The hamburger spot and taco spot got us through in the evening Overall this was not a good experience.

  Apr 15, 2025
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  A Memorable Experience with a Few Hiccups

  We celebrated our wedding 10/24/24 with 75 guests and overall, it was a fantastic experience, though not without its challenges. We stayed from 10/21-10/27/24. Here’s my review, broken down by the good and the not-so-good. Pros: * Wedding Coordinator: Mireya was absolutely phenomenal! She executed our vision to perfection, ensuring that everything ran smoothly and according to plan. I honestly can’t praise her enough for their attention to detail and commitment to making our day special. The staff overall were very nice at Iberostar! They even left us a bottle of champagne and rose petals to celebrate after the wedding which was a special surprise. * Photographers and Videographers: The team was incredible. They captured every moment beautifully, and we couldn’t be happier with the photos and videos. They were professional and skilled, helping to make our memories even more special. * Food: The food was decent—not bad, but not extraordinary either. It was fine for what it was, though we did have some guests commenting positively on some of the restaurants. * Cake: The wedding cake was amazing! * Spa Services: If you’re looking for a relaxing experience, the spa is a must. The atmosphere was serene, and the services were top-notch. I highly recommend taking some time in the morning or afternoon to enjoy everything they offer. It’s the perfect way to relax after the big day. Cons: * Penthouse Suite Incident: The worst part of the entire experience happened the morning of the wedding. While I was getting ready, a loud crash came from the next room. My bridesmaid rushed in and found that workers on the roof had shattered the skylight above the walk-in closet, causing glass to fall all over my wedding dress! It was a terrifying moment, especially since I could have been changing in there at the time. We immediately called the front desk, but no restitution was offered. When we checked out and showed the video, the staff acknowledged the issue but said someone from PR would follow up with us. We never heard from anyone again, which was extremely disappointing. * Missing Premium Alcohol: We upgraded to 5 hours of Premium Bar for our reception. One of the alcohol selections we had specifically chosen for our family (Tito’s) was missing from the premium bar. This was frustrating, especially since it was a special request from family members, instead they had Smirnoff which was not from the premium tier. * Reception Issues: The reception was beautiful, but there were a few hiccups. The bathroom smelled awful throughout the night—so bad, in fact, that my bridesmaids had to take me to the men's room! Also, the fire alarm went off right before the bridal party was introduced, which was unsettling. The wait time to shuttle guests from the beach ceremony location to the reception hall were also quite long—which caused some delays. As a result, the photographers had to rush through some shots at the reception. * Unwanted Attention: We also had some random people standing around on the beach watching our wedding. While it’s a public space, it was a bit uncomfortable and took away from the intimate vibe we had hoped for. You can even see them in the wedding video. * Sparklers at First Dance: The sparklers at the end of our first dance looked beautiful, but they created so much smoke that several of us started coughing and had to step outside for fresh air. Definitely something to consider if you're thinking about incorporating them into your wedding. Perhaps the resort workers should have warned us or opened the doors before setting them off. Final Thoughts: Despite these issues, the overall experience was wonderful, but I was disappointed that the resort never contacted me about the incident in our suite. Would I recommend this resort? Yes, but with the understanding that not everything will be perfect. Just go in with the mindset that some things may go awry, and keep the focus on what truly matters—celebrating with your loved ones.

  Apr 09, 2025
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  Not what we expected

  My wife and I travel to the Caribbean four to six times yearly. We like to try different resorts to gain a new experience. We stayed at this resort for 7 days. We arrived at noon, and check-in was quick, but our room was unavailable until after 3 pm. We were offered an available room, but it was allegedly an upgrade for an additional charge. The resort and the room were clean, and the decor was updated. The food and nightly entertainment were fair. Some staff were hospitable and welcoming, while others were cold and distant. The facility was large, hence requiring golf carts to get around. So often, we had to sit and wait for 10-15 minutes until they arrived. The maid service was the highlight, as she paid significant attention to details and left towel decorations on our bed daily (I do not recall her name, but she serviced room 3009 from March 21-26). Our greatest disappointment was that we paid a significant amount for this resort because CheapCaribean, or the resort, falsely advertised that it had three outdoor hot tubs. My wife has severe arthritis and is unable to get into the pool water during this time of year; hence, we only travel to resorts with a hot tub from November through May. We have spoken with CheapCaribean and have yet to receive a response. We would consider the rating a 3-star and not a good value for what we paid.

  Apr 05, 2025
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  Be aware of two issues.

  Pool Chairs are difficult to come by. You need to rent pool chairs with umbrella or find a pool concierge to get them. People break the rules and rudely put towels on chairs to reserve and may not ever go there. You must also make all your reservations the minute your checked in or you’ll be eating buffets for dinner as the restaurants are booked by your second day. Disappointing.

  Apr 04, 2025