I fell in love with all-inclusive resorts at Paradisus Playa del Carmen.
In this honest Paradisus Playa del Carmen review I’ll share everything you need to know before visiting this five-star resort.
Paradisus Playa del Carmen Bottom Line [What I Liked and Didn’t Like]
Paradisus Playa del Carmen is a Melia property, and they’ve created a truly a 5-star experience. I loved our time there and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area.
The atmosphere and aesthetic at the resort are elevated yet approachable, and it touches all 5 senses from the scents and music in the halls the the elevated, tropical architecture of marble floors and bright greenery.
The resort food, rooms, and activities are the level of quality you would expect at a luxury resort. You’ll easily fill 4 to 5 days with as much (or as little) as you can dream of doing.
But before you book, know the resort is divided into two totally separate sides.
Within Paradisus Playa del Carmen, the La Esmeralda side is the family side. Anyone can book here, and kids have full amenity access. Paradisus Playa del Carmen La Perla is the adults-only side.
There’s nothing I would change about Paradisus Playa del Carmen, but I wish I’d been aware of when sargassum (seaweed) season is in full effect along the Riviera Maya coast.
But I’ll explain more about that, and how we handled it, in this article.
Keep reading for a full Paradisus Playa del Carmen review of our experience, and top tips if you book a stay here.
What It’s Like to Stay at Paradisus Playa del Carmen
Wow, this all inclusive resort is just incredible, with a romantic dreamy vibe I can’t get over.
My husband and I chose Paradisus for our wedding and invited 100 of our closest family and friends to join us.
Needless to say, we were selective with the destination. We wanted a 5-star, luxury experience for our wedding weekend, and we landed on Paradisus because it checked all of our boxes.
We booked a 5 day stay, and by the end of day 1 both us and our guests were raving about how much we loved the resort.
Here’s everything you need know about Paradisus Playa del Carmen – Riviera Maya, from check-in to check-out.
Check in Process
The Paradisus Playa del Carmen experience will begin at check-in.
You’ll arrive at a splendid high ceiling entrance leading to the resort’s interior.
Guest services will greet you with a cool towel and arrange your luggage as you check in.
Something I noticed right away were the luscious scents that characterize each part of the property. The buildings and halls have the most incredible smell.
I found Paradisus staff professional and attentive across the board. They’ll answer every question at check-in and then guide you to your room.
Just a note if you don’t book it ahead of time – you may be given the option of a Family Concierge upgrade (family side) or Reserve upgrade (La Perla side) at check-in. I imagine this depends on availability.
A note on Family Concierge
The Family Concierge is an upgraded all inclusive package offered by Paradisus.
It includes 24-hour room service, a dedicated family concierge suite, butler service, and exclusive access to Concierge-only private pool and restaurant on the family side.
A couple friends with young children chose this option, and they thoroughly enjoyed the added amenities. It seems like a good value if you’ll use the extra services and private pool.
The La Perla side upgrade would be the Reserve. Both Family Concierge and Reserve room options give walk-in access from your private terrace into the swim-up pools.
Resort Rooms
Paradisus room types start at Junior Suites and go up to Presidential Suites.
Even the basic rooms feature upscale modern decor, large soaking tubs, a Nespresso machine, bottled water, free minibars, and often hot tubs on the porches. Our guests booked a variety of room sizes and everyone seemed quite content with their selection.
We stayed in a La Perla master suite and I cannot recommend it enough if you want a separate lounge area and huge private terrace.
Our room overlooked the central La Perla pool and we loved the ample closet and gathering space.
Nightly turndown service and attentive room service were lovely touches that seemed to come with the room.
Pools and Water Park
You’ll be impressed with the number of pools across the Paradisus property. We spent most of our time at the main pool on the La Perla side which had a swim-up bar. There was no trouble finding shaded seating, and I noticed a few couples renting the private cabanas.
Throughout the day you can join in on pool activities like workout classes and a poolside DJ (my favorite). We ordered poolside appetizers and beverages, and a cart stopped by occasionally with premium liquors and fresh coconut.
On the family side I loved playing at the water park with my nieces and nephews. We spent hours playing in the shallow pools and slides.
The poolside snackbar and ice cream stand were right next to us, and we ordered nachos and quesadillas to snack on.
The kid’s second favorite (right behind the park) was the pirate ship. I think they could have easily spend 3 days there, but the waterpark has more slides and fountains to explore.
Restaurants and Bars
The food at Paradisus was overall excellent.
I’d read online reviews saying people found it generally good. In my opinion, the ala carte restaurants were fresh, flavorful, and well stocked.
At the end of the day I didn’t get to try them all, but my personal favorites were the breakfast buffet at Hadar and dinner at Flora and Blue Agave Taqueria (on nights it was a buffet). The Mexican food was probably my favorite food during our visit and the dishes I remember most.
Others in our group booked Capella (Italian restaurant), Lemon Fish (Asian fusion), Cielo (Mexican restaurant).
I loved waking up early and walking to the Nespresso Coffee Corner for a cappuccino and pastry, and gong to Twe12vet for a scoop of sorbet midday. The special details at each restaurant and the excellent service made each meal special.
Resort Activities and Amenities
Both the family side and adult side include a full roster of daily activities. These change weekly, and some of our favorites were the morning yoga classes, DJ pool party, pool dance classes, and salsa making workshop.
On the family side the activities ranged from daily kids activities to circus shows and sand castle competitions. The family side also hosts activities for the whole family, and it is worth signing up for a few during your stay.
Everyone had a great time at the resort, whether they did the daily activities or not.
The YHI Spa was a huge hit, many of us purchased the couples massage packaged offered at check in.
I appreciated that everything you would need is onsite, from a wine shop and gift shop to a sundries shop for sunscreen.
Kids Activities
The kids club received high praise from the youngsters in our group. The kids even wanted to go back a second day after staying a couple hours the first day.
The club is well staffed, hosted in a spacious room with video games, activities, and chaperoned access to the kids pool for certain ages.
We also loved that it stayed open until 11 pm, perfect to drop kids off to play before dinner and drinks.
Private Beach
Paradisus is set along the ocean with direct access to private beaches.
It’s a short walk along a shaded boardwalk or Kanna Bridge to the ocean. The beachside canopies and chairs are such a perfect place to hang out for the day, and there is a bar directly off of Kanna Bridge to grab refreshments.
We were so excited to relax by the beach, but the week we went there was a lot of sargassum. The staff explained to us that the level of seaweed depends on the weather, and varies by season and year.
We ended up spending so much time by the pool and at restaurants that we didn’t feel we’d missed out with not going to the beach.
What to Know Before Visiting Paradisus Playa del Carmen
These are the top tips I’ll give to anyone who visits Paradisus.
Make dinner reservations once you arrive. You can make reservations 3 days out, so plan your dinners at the speciality restaurants ahead of time and book them when you arrive. There are so many exceptional dining options within the resort that I recommend booking something unique each night.
Beach areas and sargassum season: The white sand beache in front of Paradisus is walkable and easy to swim at. But, watch out for a lot of seaweed during specific times of the year that make the water dangerous. If it’s a big deal to you to hang out at the beach, plan accordingly.
Navigating the adults-only side: Anyone 18 and over staying at Paradisus can access the La Perla side. Our friends with children ended up checking their kids into the kids club and booking dinners around La Perla. There is a lot to explore across La Perla, just know you can access it even is staying on the family side.
When to plan for additional charges: Some amenities have an additional charge, including cabanas, Sal Steak House, and premium beverages and liquors. The food and beverage quality is great across the resort, so we never felt the need to pay the additional cost for liquor.
Pro Travel Tip: Grab this absolute best all inclusive resort packing list that I designed specifically with Paradisus Playa del Carmen in mind.
How to Get to Paradisus Playa del Carmen
Fly into Cancun Airport and take a 45 minute drive south to Paradisus. If it is your first time going through this airport, read up on where to go to find your transportation before you arrive because it can feel a little overwhelming.
Once you step outside of the airport you’ll run into lots of salespeople vying to sell you taxi rides and shuttle service. I highly recommend arranging transportation ahead of time.
Pro Travel Tip: Stop struggling with what to wear at the airport with my super easy, chic airport outfit guide.
Final Thoughts
I hope my honest Paradisus Playa del Carmen review was helpful. After our Paradisus wedding we were dreaming of returning. It is a beautiful luxury destination that I’d recommend to anyone looking to vacation in the Riviera Maya.
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