PLAYA DEL CARMEN,
Mexico -- If you didnt already know that a Category 4 hurricane had
struck the shores of the Iberostar Paraiso Maya resort here just a
few months ago, you would probably have never guessed it.
Buildings at the
430-room resort -- as well as at neighboring sister properties the
Paraiso del Mar, Paraiso Beach and Paraiso Lindo -- sport fresh,
colorful coats of paint.
And the landscaping
is as nicely detailed as ever, despite being sideswiped by
Hurricane Wilma back in late October.
Every one of
Iberostars area guest rooms has been open for weeks now -- as have
the restaurants and on-site activities -- and new additions to area
properties are opening on time, according to officials.
Some of the palapas
[thatched roofs] were hit hard, the beach had to be cleaned and the
gardens suffered a lot, said Bettina Boskovsky, marketing and
communications manager for the Iberostar Paraiso
resorts.
But fast recovery
apparently paid off with quickly rising bookings. Occupancy rates
hit 60% as early as mid-December, briefly rose to near 100% around
the Christmas and New Year holidays, and have now settled in at
around 85%, according to Iberostar Hotels and Resorts spokeswoman
Margie Benziger.
The good news about
Iberostars fast recovery on the Riviera Maya has been lost behind
the headlines regarding Cancun, she said, referring to difficulties
getting Cancun -- hit harder by Wilma than the Riviera Maya -- back
on line.
Whats
nuevo
Visitors to the
Iberostar Paraiso have new choices for where to spend their time. A
new, multidimensional entertainment center opened within the
complex on Feb. 1, featuring a shopping mall, food court, two
discos, a spa and a wedding chapel.
The shopping mall is
home to 32 high-end stores selling arts and crafts, silver jewelry
and other products native to Mexico.
The malls central
plaza, graced with a gazebo, also boasts four food stations, where
guests can pick up a quick hamburger, a taco or some ice cream or
tapas.
The resorts new
wedding chapel, meanwhile, is designed for both nuptials and
interdenominational church services.
Of the two new resort
nightclubs, Galaxy is for adults only, while the alcohol-free disco
Underground is open to teens.
Meanwhile, 
new resort spa complex El Spa is
due to open by March, featuring some 30 treatment rooms; a
five-pool Roman bath; a solarium; an adults-only swimming pool; two
outdoor temazcal sweat lodges; and a gym and fitness
center.
Guests can also make
use of the new Playa Paraiso Golf Club, an 18-hole course that
opened in June 2005.
The Paraiso also will
soon have an additional, high-end accommodations component:
Iberostar is building the 306-room Grand Hotel Paraiso, its first
adults-only property in Mexico.
The hotel, to open by
the end of the year, will be marketed as the most upscale hotel
within the Paraiso complex.
Although guests at
the Grand Hotel Paraiso will have access to all facilities at the
other Iberostar Paraiso properties, the reverse will not be true --
thus maintaining the new hotels exclusive, child-free
atmosphere.
Comfortable
surroundings
The Iberostar Paraiso
resort complex is already sprawling as is, with nearly 2,000 guest
rooms among the four existing properties; it even has its own
medical clinic on site.
But thanks to
creative landscaping and good planning, the enormous resort feels
more like a well-planned community than an overwhelming beehive of
activity.
Lush scenery and
wandering pools create many hidden corners where vacationers can
find a place to relax alone, away from the madding
crowd.
Yet its also crammed
with the facilities guests want when they need them. For example,
clients arent likely to go hungry with 16 restaurants, and other
dining options, available.
At the Iberostar
Paraiso Maya, guests can choose from gourmet French restaurant
LEtoile; seafood eatery La Marina; steak house El Rancho; Japanese
outfit La Geisha; a buffet restaurant; a poolside snack restaurant;
and an ice-cream parlor. Snacks are available 24 hours a day from
room service.
Each resort building
section also has its own concierge, who can help with dinner
arrangements and other activities.
Guests with children
can turn to Paraiso Mayas childrens program, Lucys Miniclub, which
runs from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily.
Rooms at the Paraiso
Maya are spacious, with complimentary minibars stocked with soda,
water and beer.
The units also have
air conditioning, cable television, ceiling fans, in-room safes and
large bathrooms with hair dryers, lighted cosmetic mirrors and
phones.
Irons and ironing
boards, coffeemakers, DVD players and clocks help to round out the
offerings in each room.
The Paraiso Maya
boasts eight pools, including five shared with the Paraiso Lindo;
the lazy river and wave pool water attractions are especially
popular.
For more information,
call (888) 923-2722 or visit www.iberostar.com.
To contact
reporter Mark Chesnut, send e-mail [email protected].