Iberostar Selection Paraiso Maya

This was our second visit to the complex. Our first was at the Lindo side 5 years ago when our kids were 8 and 10. It’s been the vacation they compared all others to, so we decided to come back, this time at the Maya. We were here on 3/15 for 9 days. It was a strange week to be there with all of the COVID-19 stuff unfolding at home. Every. Single. Employee. made us feel welcome and like it was a normal vacation. We always got a smile and friendly holá from every person. Cleanliness: We had 2 rooms in bldg 63. The cleaning crew made everything spotless. Besides a couple of knobs missing from the desk, the room was in great shape. The only suggestion would be to paint the bathroom a lighter color. The lighting was way too dim to try to put on make-up, etc. Food: The food was good. The steakhouse, Mexican, and Japanese restaurants were our favorites. The buffets were immaculate, had something for everybody, and offered hand sanitizer as you walked in. The staff began serving the food by the end of the week to prevent too many hands from touching the serving utensils. Shout out to Francisco at the buffet, and Abraham at the Steakhouse, and Rolando at the Maya bar. I wish I remembered every name. Incredible service everywhere. Just tell the guys at the pool bar to smile more. They have a tough job, do it well..dealing with rowdy guests, but smiling helps. And people... TIP THEM!!! They deserve it. Entertainment: Best. Staff. Ever. This is why we came back to this resort. No other all inclusive comes close to the fun and energy this group provides at the pool. Sayeed, Jennifer, Karen, and all of the others were so fun and got the kids and teens involved in all kinds of games and activities. Our one disappointment is that they didn’t always include kids in the pool competitions like they did 5 yrs ago. It wasn’t because of liability...as these were individual games. But my 15 yr old (nicknamed Justin by Sayeed) LIVED for these competitions and was only able to participate in about half. The grounds were beautiful, the beach and facilities were well maintained. There was a blend of families, older adults, and some senior spring-breakers. No one was crazy out of control and every person, of all ages, was having a fabulous time. Please, please, please, bring a bunch of small bills and TIP THE STAFF. They work hard to make us happy and bend over backwards for guests. We will be back next year. THANK YOU for making such a memorable trip for us, Maya staff! Stay healthy!

We travelled during March break. We were a family of 6 adults & 3 kids. There were tons of activities for the kids. The resort was only 1/2 full because of Covid 19 which made the beach, pool & restaurants less crowded. The drinks were all fabulous except for the wine. The food was good. There was virtually no seaweed this year. The maid made up a different towel animal every day. Enjoyed the wildlife, peacocks & coatis. The weather was perfect for a relaxing holiday.

We are a cruise family and we were not sure we'd like being an all-inclusive - ie, in one spot the whole time - but we really did love it! We started off our trip by staying at an AirBnB and did a lot fo sightseeing so that when we came here (family of 4 - kids ages 12, 14) we could just stay and enjoy the place. It worked out perfectly. In the morning I would get up and go to the gym - AMAZING classes. I did Zumba EVERY MORNING! I am not an exercise phanatic, but I take Zumba at home and knew I'd be eating a lot here, so I got up for the 8am class each day. Beso, the instructor, was FANTASTIC. Honestly, he's been the best instructor I've had ANYWHERE and I've done Zumba for 8 years. I used the weights only a little. You can get water/fruit (all free) at the gym so don't worry about bringing. There are spin classes, boot camp, yoga and others but the Zumba was offered every morning and I loved it. They did it later by the beach too but I never made it to that (under a covering). We'd get chairs then at 9am - usually by the main pool - since there are so many pools, there were always chairs SOMEWHERE! That's what's nicer a cruise - we didn't have to be up at 6am to get a seat - again, you might be by the wave pool, or the side of the main pool, or the small pool off the main pool, or by the lazy river, but there were always chairs. Many people had floats - bring if you have - they will fill with air for free. But, if you wait till the pool starts emptying out, people leave them behind - so we took 2 for a few days, and then when we left, we left ours for someone - otherwise, they're really overpriced. All the buffets had so many choices that it was overwhelming! We went for breakfast and lunch to buffets, and some dinners. Tried the steak restaurant - wasn't impressed. Did the healthy eatery which was really Thai - that was good but not many choices. Then we did buffets for dinner because they were so extensive - clean, nice. We had drinks all over - the kids loved the swim up bars and the coffee houses. There was the "mall" that had some stores and food places so we'd wander there for lunch or a snack. There was food by the beach when we walked there - the water was beautiful! Wish there were more water activities to do down by the beach. There were games to join in by the main pool and by the beach - or you could just watch which was entertaining. The kids joined in some. We went to the pellet range one day for the activity - fun, but if there are a lot of people, it can take a while. Spray yourself with bug spray, not just sunscreen! The whole place was clean and well kept. I didn't find it pretty though - I found their hotel next door to be prettier - the Linda. We share the grounds with them too - the night shows were great - only one night did we leave. They give you popcorn but you can order drinks and then coffee cafe is right nearby so we'd bring lattes and cookies over too. The grounds weren't huge - very walkable. There were tours arranged so you could leave and go to the ruins, etc, but we had done that so we could just enjoy the place. Really found it relaxing and would do again!