JOIA Salome by Iberostar

We had a similarly magical stay to many of the other reviewers, so I will generally say that you can trust them and I’ll try to focus on the things that were most notable for our impressions.

First is the overarching sense of graciousness and hospitality that permeates the entire visit. We were not on an “all inclusive” plan of any sort because we selected this area for the diversity outside the resort. That said, we spent a lot of time in the resort and there are many niceties that are simply included as part of your stay that many hotels would charge for. During the day, they offer premium champagne and cava in the lobby, which makes coming back to your room from being out in the heat ever so fabulous. At breakfast, they also offer a premium champagne. At the pool, cava and snacks are available all day; and while we were never at the pool mid-day to experience it, it seems like they were continually offering rounds of special drinks, snacks, and water. Guests have access to the extensive wet areas/thermal features of the Iberostar Anthelia spa. We didn’t even take advantage of these things very much and I don’t think most of these likely cost a ton to offer, but they profoundly change the emotional experience for me—rather than feeling like the resort is wanting me to buy something (wildly overpriced for a captive audience) at every turn, I felt more like a guest in a friend’s home who just wants me to have a good time. A friend would not serve you bad champagne at breakfast, so why should your resort?!

From a culinary perspective, everything we had was excellent. The included breakfast operates mostly made-to-order from a large menu, so it’s fresh/hot and highly customizable to your preferences, though there is also a buffet for continental offerings. They also have a sort of amuse bouche of breakfast offered that changes every day and was typically very elaborate and tasty. We really enjoy elaborate breakfasts on vacation, and food quality is very important to us-- Salome absolutely delivered!

We also had one dinner in Sea Soul, in Iberostar Anthelia. The food quality was there and the beach-side location is fun but the service was a bit slow and scattered—they seemed maybe short staffed.

My partner is celiac, so a lot of our choices of resorts and hotels boils down to prioritizing where we can get food that is safe for him. Salome took this need very seriously and seemed to have all the pieces in order (staff training, order tagging, kitchen facilities, etc.) to keep him safe because he didn’t get sick and we were there for 8 nights. While the menu is clearly marked with allergens, the staff also helps navigate modifications that might be possible. And most impressively, they offered to try to make off-menu special requests for gluten free versions of dishes they offer; this resulted in him discovering the wonder of gluten free banana flour pancakes that are better than plain flour pancakes with gluten!

In general, the service at Salome was truly spectacular. The Butler and Concierge teams were always available, so helpful, and simply a pleasure to interact with. Housekeeping did a great job and were highly reliable. The restaurant and bar staff were impeccable across the board, but we had daily interactions with two individuals who were really, really impressive. Jessica, in the breakfast restaurant, is excellent—the quintessential restaurant professional. She seemed to know everything about everything, always pleasantly answered our esoteric questions about the food offerings and gluten, and always delivered on our requests. It seemed like she could make just about anything happen, and she was always available and happy to help. In the pool bar, Rebeca is a superstar. I love cocktails, but the Canaries are a Sex on the Beach and Blue Hawaiian wasteland—I mostly gave up and just stuck with wine. What seems to be missing is thoughtful, creative, and skilled mixologists who can create anything more than the standard drinks that have been around for decades, but Rebeca was different—she has a passion and skill for the craft, has the knowledge to engage deeply on the topic, and seems to sincerely enjoy the creative expression that mixology can be. And her service style/personality was such a delight—so funny and playful, she brightened our pool visit every day.

I’m very, very location sensitive, and the perfection of this resort’s location cannot be overstated for my preferences. Just a short walk north are the jaw-droppingly gorgeous dueling black and white sand beaches of Playa del Duque. Starting 50 m to the south of the resort and extending as far as you could ever care to walk is the neverending beach/boardwalk full of countless restaurants, bars, live music venues, shops, beach clubs, etc. I could literally go to the most gorgeous beaches on the island during the day and then have my pick of options for the evening, all in a short walk. My partner and I also enjoyed doing longer exercise walks in both directions because there is so much beautiful scenery near there. And just a short/easy cab ride away is Playa de las Americas, if you really must.

The resort does have some room for improvement. The gym (shared with/part of Iberostar Anthelia) has nice, modern equipment, but it’s open-air; it was quite warm during our visit, so the lack of AC made working out a bit hard and unpleasant for me, though my partner didn’t really mind it. And while we like the chill, relaxing vibes of Salome overall, I do feel like it was a bit too (literally) quiet—some nice background music in the right places would help set the mood.

That said, these were very small in comparison to all the things we loved about it. We highly recommend it and would come back in a heartbeat!

Excellent service, 5* all the way

Had a fabulous week at Joia Salome and can’t recommend highly enough. The hotel is a relaxing vibe with the most attentive staff. From outstanding sunbed service to the best food and drinks in literally every restaurant. The El Mirador restaurant for breakfast has stunning views over the sea and serves everything from Eggs Royale to the best Full English we have had abroad. The highlight for the evening restaurants was Poseiden ….stunning gourmet dishes that were so goid we ate there twice. The staff really do make this hotel, they’re friendly and accommodating and will cater to your every need. A huge thank you to Janeth, Paula, Rebeca, Joselin, Raquel to name but a few….they made our holiday and we can’t speak highly enough of the fantastic service.

Will definitely return.