The New Iberostar Grand Paraiso

Tomorrow Philip and I will return home after three days here at this newest addition to the Iberostar crown. This adults only resort is the only Iberostar Grand. My understanding is that they will be building several throughout the world, but this is the prototype..the first. (Ed. Note: At dinner they just announced that they will be adding a Grand in Puerto Vallarta as well as Punta Cana.)

I'm really not sure what I was expecting when I got here. I'm quite familiar with the Iberostar product. I've sent hundreds of customers to Iberostars over the years. I've stayed at Iberostars many times myself, most recently at the Iberostar Cozumel just last weekend. The Grand differs greatly from the other Iberostar resorts.

Everywhere you look here is beauty. Setting aside, for the moment, the beautiful Caribbean Sea, the hotel itself is really stunning. It reminds me very much of a palace. Elaborate art is everywhere. Even many of the fixtures are art. Going to the restroom is even a delight because the bathroom sinks themselves are beautiful. They're not even the same throughout the resort, so you don't want to miss a single bathroom!

The food is really exceptional. Even the buffets are not really buffets. They are more a hybrid between the traditional buffet and an ala'carte restaurant. The service is beyond attentive and the food is truly to die for.

This isn't to say that they have all of the kinks ironed out. For instance, there was no room service menu in our room. The DVD player in the room doesn't play US DVDs. The butler didn't answer the phone the first four times I called. (I just hate it when the butler doesn't answer the phone.)

All in all though, exceptional. Really really exceptional. Unlike anything I've seen.

More Later.