- Mexico Holidays
- Playa del Carmen
- JOIA Paraiso by Iberostar
The resort is set in Puerto Morelos and has water sports facilities and a tennis court. A continental or buffet breakfast is available each morning at the property. Guests can enjoy a meal at the in-house restaurant, which serves Mexican cuisine. Cancun is 47 km from the property, while Playa del Carmen is 19 km away. The nearest airport is Cozumel International Airport, 27 km from the resort. Set between the vibrant jungle and the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, the hotel welcomes travelers to Mexico's Riviera Maya. Within moments of arriving at this Playa del Carmen all-inclusive resort, it is easy to see why is it a winner of the World's #1 Travelers' Choice® Award. Relax and enjoy a variety of sports, golf, parties, superb services, and amazing restaurants. Discover what makes this incredible resort stand out among other Riviera Maya hotels as the ideal place to enjoy a dreamy, all-inclusive vacation on the beautiful beaches of the Caribbean. And much more! In all our Suites we have Grand Star service, which consists of personalized check-in and check-out and sparkling wine, packing and unpacking of suitcases, breakfast in bed, nightly ironing service, internal transportation within the resort. In the superior categories: Honeymoon Villa, Ocean Front Suite, Ocean Front Superior Suite, Ocean Front Superior Corner Suite, we have Butler Service and personalized minibar to make your experience unforgettable.
Pamper yourself with a visit to the spa, which offers massages, body treatments and facials. After practising your swing on the golf course, you can dip into one of the 2 outdoor swimming pools. Additional features at this resort include complimentary wireless Internet access, concierge services and gift shops/newsstands.
Due to the surrounding area and the number of steps around the hotel, it may not be suitable for those with mobility difficulties.
Two Weeks in Paradise — They Truly Make You Feel at Home
My wife and I just returned from an incredible two-week stay at JOIA Paraiso, and I cannot say enough good things about this resort. We have stayed here before, and every single time it feels less like checking into a resort and more like coming home.
The welcome sets the tone. The bellman recognized us and greeted us by name before we even said a word, and the registration team came out from behind the desk with genuine smiles and warmth. Registration was smooth and our room was ready right away.
We stayed in a Panoramic Oceanfront room, and it was exactly as beautiful as we hoped. We have stayed in this room type before. The room was immaculate, the oceanfront view was stunning morning and night, and the little touches meant the world to us: a handwritten welcome note, rose petals, and thoughtful details that made the space feel personal from the moment we walked in. Every morning I watched the sunrise from the balcony as it painted the clouds orange over the water, and it never got old.
The beach and pool areas are wonderful. The sand is soft, the cabanas are comfortable, and the offshore barrier does a great job keeping the sargassum off the beach while staying nearly invisible from your chair. The pool is spacious with plenty of seating, and even on busier days there was always somewhere to settle in.
The dining is a real highlight. Over two weeks we ate our way through the à la carte restaurants and never had a disappointing meal. The Mexican restaurant is our favorite and always the first place we go. The Sikil P'ak (a wonderful ground pumpkin-seed dip) and the tortilla soup are standouts, and the three-cheese chili steak with sweet potato purée is excellent. The Italian restaurant consistently serves the best cut of steak on the property. The Steakhouse impressed us with fall-off-the-fork short rib and a beautifully prepared bone marrow appetizer, and the French restaurant delivered a lovely pâté, oysters, and filet mignon & Lamb chops cooked to perfection. One night we booked the private wine room in the Mexican restaurant with 4 other couples for a multi-course dinner with wine pairings, and it was one of the trip's most memorable meals, from a crab-stuffed poblano, duck with moles, twin lobster tails, to tender lamb lollipops and a decadent chocolate lace and ice cream over a whipped peanut butter compote dessert.
The buffet deserves a mention too, with an enormous selection that had something for every taste at every meal.
The spa was another favorite. I treated myself to a massage nearly every day, and the hot stone massage was hands down one of the best I have ever had. The therapists are skilled and professional, and it was the perfect way to start each morning.
But what truly sets this place apart is the staff. They remember your name, your preferences, and your face, even months between visits. They work incredibly hard in tough heat and never let it show, always with a genuine smile. They treat you like family, and it is clearly heartfelt rather than rehearsed. On our last morning, we came back from breakfast to find a note written on a towel with sand by our cabana that said: "See you soon." That is exactly the kind of thoughtfulness that keeps us coming back.
We loved every minute of our two weeks here and are already booked to return. If you are looking for a resort with beautiful rooms, outstanding food, and a team that genuinely cares, JOIA Paraiso is hard to beat. Highly, highly recommended.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
My husband and I spend 15 nights at this amazing property. We are frequent flyers at this property year after year for the past 8 years or so. No place is perfect but this one comes pretty damn close. We Always stay in building 71 and have stayed in the past 8 years always the same room number 😂 I swear it’s our home away from home. The property is absolutely stunning. The grounds are kept immaculate. We had reservations done on week 1 but then week 2 they did away with the reservations due to members week being over and less crowds. We still managed to get into restaurants with no issues at all. The buffet for lunch and breakfast had a lot of variety and good quality. You could always fine something yummy to eat. The Al carte restaurants were all delicious. Punta Sal restaurant was always a treat with yummy food and beautiful views of the beach. The spa was Amazing as always. The housekeeping was always on point, turn down ehhh not as great. It was a hit or miss. The beach was a beauty. We spent many days in the ocean. As our weeks went by the ocean got even more beautiful, barely any sargasso. This resort is a true paradise and shines like a diamond. It’s a true privilege to be able to come and experience this masterpiece. They had activities all day long for those who choose to participate. My husband’s favorite is always volleyball, he had a blast daily doing this activity. He would do beach volleyball and pool volleyball and enjoyed both to the max. He was a happy camper. Now onto the true reason why we always choose to come back year after year 100% is due to the AMAZING STAFF. From bellboys to Gardners to waitstaff and beyond they are ALL pure perfection. We have them all in our hearts as family and wouldn’t trade that for the world. They truly try to do everything and anything to make your stay perfection. We love them all. Here are a few staff members who are the face of Iberostar Joia. Iberostar should consider themselves extremely lucky to have the staff they have because they are the reason Joia shines so brightly. They make Joia what it is.
Pool waiters-
Lenin
Ladis
Leticia
Butlers bldg 71-
Mauro
Benjamin
Angel
Gustavo
Karolina
Bernardo
Adrian
Bartenders-
Daniel
Dario
Jonathan
Gerardo
Sommelier- Juan
Beach waiter -
Luis
Punta Sal waiters-
Jesus
Cristian
Towel concierge-
Mirna
cart drivers- all wonderful some of our favorites
Gonzales
Ricardo
Arturo
Asael
Dinner restaurants waiters-
Italian- Eusebio, Rebecca
French- Emilio
Ember- Samuel, Melchor
Bellavista buffet - Guadeloupe, Josue and Leonardo
Gardner/ landscaper- Darvin
Star friends- all wonderful some of our favorites
Pedro
Carlos
Alma
Monserrat
Kassandra
Restaurant hostess’s they are ALL wonderful as well.
Managers-
Paulina
Carlos
This is just a small fraction of staff that make our stay worth every penny. The reason we look forward to Joia yearly. It’s those 2 special words we look forward to hearing “WELCOME HOME” as our ride pulls up and the bellboys swing open those doors with a warm bright smile waiting to give us a hug… Without these staff members there would be no Joia.
Now for some stuff we would love to see gone: Those humongous round seats at the ends of the pool. They are just taking up space. It’s a waste of space and blocks the beautiful scenery of the pool. In 15 nights they were probably used 3x or so and not for long. Also those grey uncomfortable hard seats at the pool ledge. Same scenario what a waste of space no one uses them. They are hard as a rock and u can’t even position them up or down or for that matter lay on your back side… they are just ugly and a waste of space. Nothing beats the regular pool seats on the ledge. You can lay belly up or stomach down and still be super comfortable. I hope those ugly gray seats are not going to replace the others cause that would be a huge letdown. Also PLEASE PLEASE add more live music by the pool. I wish it was done daily like other resorts do. It’s such a treat to hear live music by a pool. It’s the highlight of my day when it happens. I would always make sure I had that time blocked to be able to enjoy it. IBEROSTAR PLEASE ADD MORE LIVE ENTERTAINMENT BY THE POOL. Also IBEROSTAR PLEASE give back the microphone to your star Friends. I can’t understand why they would take the microphone away from them. Instead they are yelling, those poor kids have to have a sore throat by the end of the day. In real life you can’t even hear them with all the background noises going on. Please give them the microphone back this is so ridiculous. I would also love to hear more upbeat music by the pool as well as a little louder. There were times you could barely hear the music especially in the morning til lunch. The speaker they use is towards the end of the pool near the beach and if you are at the opposite side it’s barely heard. Other than that this resort is pure perfection. We hope to see all our Iberostar family next year god willing 🤞🙏🙌 it’s not good bye it’s see ya later 😉😘😍 #5stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Me and my wife we have been to iberostar for 13 years but 8 in joia every year has been amazing but we’ve had some ups downs food is a mix not bad but good entertainment staff always amazing with a smile to manny names to say waiters unbelievable always trying to make you happy for breakfast /lunch/and dinner resort staff always making sure your happy the bartenders always on point with the drinks it can be at the lobby or beach the towel people such hard works mirna unbelievable and gulf cart service men they are always there for you to all the butlers thank you they are all amazing to iberostar thank you and please take those round pods out of the pool it’s a waste and those back breaking chairs out thank you
JOIA Paraíso Iberostar | September 30–October 4
We just returned from a really nice four-night stay at JOIA Paraíso! We know the Paraíso property pretty well—we were just there with our kids for New Year’s Eve and stayed at the Maya. The last time my husband and I stayed at the JOIA, though, was way back in May 2014 for our honeymoon, so it was fun to return more than 12 years later!
Overall, we really enjoyed the trip. The property is beautiful, the service is excellent, and there is definitely something special about the more relaxed, adults-only atmosphere at the JOIA.
Service: Service overall was excellent. The butlers, especially Mauro and the team in the 7000 building, were incredibly attentive. You really can’t leave your room or come back into the building without someone checking in to make sure you’re okay or asking if you need anything. They do a wonderful job making you feel taken care of.
Beach & Prestige Area: The Prestige beach area is really nice. The beds are comfortable, the sand is soft and very well maintained, and there was constantly a truck working to clear the seaweed.
One thing I would love to see added is a dedicated Prestige bar/snack area on the beach. Servers do come around, but there isn’t really somewhere within the Prestige area to walk up and grab a drink or snack yourself. I think the Prestige setup in Jamaica is a great model for this.
The ocean directly in front of the JOIA was not really swimmable during our stay. That isn’t a dealbreaker for me personally, but it could definitely matter to someone who prioritizes swimming in the ocean.
Rooms: We had an oceanfront room with a beautiful location. The rooms are still very nice and comfortable, but I honestly don’t think they have changed much since our honeymoon 12+ years ago! They could definitely benefit from a more modern refresh. Nothing was wrong with the room—it just doesn’t have that newer, more elevated feel you find at some other luxury resorts.
Weather: I also learned that September probably isn’t the ideal time of year for me to return. The weather can just be too unpredictable. We had credits to use and childcare lined up at home, so the timing made sense for this trip, but I’d probably choose a different month next time.
Activities & the App: One of my bigger disappointments was actually the new Iberostar app. I really wish it showed what was happening throughout the entire Paraíso complex, not just at the JOIA.
One night we went over to the Lindo buffet after I didn’t love what I ordered at the Italian restaurant—which was completely my fault for choosing something that wasn’t really for me. While we were over there, we discovered a whole Oktoberfest party happening at the shopping center! It looked like so much fun, and I really wish someone at the JOIA had mentioned it. Since all of the Paraíso resorts are right there, it would be great if guests could easily see everything happening across the complex.
Prestige Lounge: The Star Prestige area in the JOIA lobby is fine, but I personally didn’t find it to be somewhere I wanted to spend much time. Interestingly, I actually thought the service at the Star Café in the lobby was better.
One day the cappuccino machine in the Prestige lounge was broken, and another day they only had lactose-free milk. Neither is a huge issue, but I was a little surprised that there wasn’t an offer to simply grab one for me from the Star Café nearby. Those are the little service touches I would expect the Prestige experience to cover.
Food: We had some very good meals. Our favorite dinner was Japanese—we did a regular table rather than the show cooking and really enjoyed it.
I will say, the beach burgers over at the Maya are better! 😂 The JOIA definitely wins for the actual beach-dining setting, though.
I was also disappointed that the JOIA buffet was closed two of our four nights. For a short stay especially, I like having the buffet available as an easy option when we don’t feel like doing a full sit-down dinner.
Overall, we had a really enjoyable four nights. The service was excellent, we relaxed, and I’m glad we came back to experience the JOIA again after so many years.
That said, I didn’t leave feeling like I needed to immediately book another trip back. There are other resorts that, for our personal preferences, edge it out a little bit. I’m actually more excited to return to Atelier Playa Mujeres in March. For me, Atelier’s food, rooms and beach are all just a step above.
We are Double Black Iberostar members, and I honestly don’t think my review would be much different if we weren’t members. While there are certainly benefits to the membership, I still have some buyer’s remorse. For the way we travel, I’m just not convinced it was a necessary purchase.
So, would I recommend JOIA Paraíso? Absolutely. We had a great trip, the service is genuinely excellent, and there is a lot to love about the resort. It just isn’t necessarily at the very top of my list anymore—and with so many great resorts out there, I think I’m more excited to revisit some of our other favorites before rushing back.
We stayed from September 19 thru September 26th. I have to say that my experience was great. I do wish that check in would have been better. They want to sell you a vacation package from the moment you arrive. The resort is very clean and well kept. Our room was clean and the cleaning staff did a good job. The restaurants were exceptional. Our favorite was the Mexican restaurant. Our hostess (Eunice), server (Reyes) and chef (Eduardo)were very attentive. The churros were so good. Do not leave without trying them. Ameyalli and Dario are chefs who went out of their way to make sure we were happy. Ameyalli made us cannoli's simply because we asked why they didn't have any at the Italian restaurant. Dario greeted us and made sure we always had what we wanted. He had Hugo make a special churro for our table. They we so delicious. Our breakfast and lunch server was Roberto I would recommend asking for him when you eat at the buffet. The pool and activity crew were really good Mima, Fabian, Flora, Ariana and Paula made sure we were happy with everything at the activity pool. The manager on duty when we were there was Irene. She is really good at her job. You could tell that the staff held her in high regard and respected her. She was very considerate of our family members celebrating there 45th anniversary. Making sure that they were well taken care of. I highly recommend this resort to anyone who is looking for rest, relaxation and a good time. I honestly don't have any negatives.
