The hospitality chain’s Playa Paraíso complex has become a test bed for regenerative tourism
On Mexico’s Riviera Maya, the concept of “bigger is better” has long been the bread and butter of the all-inclusive model. Sprawling resorts compete for scale, layering infinity pools over golf courses, theme restaurants over water parks—promising that travelers need never leave their gates. But at Iberostar’s Playa Paraíso complex, a cluster of five interconnected resorts sharing a single massive footprint, the old idea of scale has been flipped on its head. Here, size isn’t just for spectacle, but rather baked into its regenerative strategy. The complex consists of five distinct properties:
JOIA Paraíso by Iberostar – adults-only, the luxury flagship within the complex
Iberostar Selection Paraíso Maya Suites – family-focused, with larger suites and premium access to amenities
Iberostar Selection Paraíso Lindo – family-oriented, built around themed pools and entertainment options
Iberostar Paraíso Beach – mid-range, relaxed atmosphere with access to shared facilities
Iberostar Paraíso del Mar – companion to Paraíso Beach, similar category with a slightly different layout and vibe
Each resort caters to different travelers. Yet they’re bound together as parts of a larger ecosystem where hospitality, sustainability and community development aren’t competing goals, but interdependent gears in a regenerative engine.
The property is so colossal, it literally has its own weather forecast. Guests move between resorts in trams, shuttles, and golf carts, often joking that they’re traversing a small town rather than a hotel. But beneath the scale lies something more ambitious. Iberostar is channeling its footprint into environmental restoration and community empowerment.
A Mega-Resort Operating as a Micro-City
In an industry where size often equates to excess, Iberostar is shifting that narrative. The cluster operates with a level of coordination closer to urban planning than resort management. Energy, water, food, and cultural flows circulate across the property creating distinct atmospheres for guests, families, couples, and conference attendees—yet all are part of the same integrated story.
But what makes the mechanics remarkable isn’t only its logistical efficiency. It’s how Iberostar harnesses scale for impact. Most mega-resorts spread outward, consuming coastline and isolating guests from surrounding communities. Iberostar is funneling its weight back into the environment and the local economy, using its footprint to regenerate rather than extract.
Coral, Mangroves, and Turtles
The most striking example lies just offshore, where Iberostar scientists are restoring the coral reefs that support the Riviera Maya’s fragile marine ecosystem. Guests may be sipping cocktails on loungers, but a few meters away, coral fragments are being cultivated in underwater nurseries before being transplanted to dying reef structures.
At the Coral Lab, the Wave of Change sustainability team walked me through their hands-on projects. Their efforts include mangrove restoration to stabilize shorelines, dune preservation to buffer erosion, and a turtle camp where staff protect and rebury eggs to improve hatch rates. Watching newly hatched turtles scurry into the surf underscores how conservation work is embedded into their daily operations.
For Iberostar, these aren’t side projects; they’re core to its Wave of Change initiative. The company aims to eliminate single-use plastics, source 100% responsible seafood, and make all operations waste-free by 2030. Few resorts have the resources or scale to fund full-time marine biologists, let alone long-term coral research. But here, where thousands of guests pass through each week, the investment becomes viable. Scale in this instance doesn’t dilute sustainability; it underwrites it.
The company’s leadership hasn’t gone unnoticed. In 2025, Iberostar was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential Companies; the only Spanish brand and the only company within the tourism sector to make the list. Thats a true testament of their commitment to responsible tourism and shaping the industry’s future.
Rewiring the Tourism Economy
If the environmental gear is coral and mangroves, the socioeconomic one is community partnerships. Iberostar has curated meaningful collaborations that extend well beyond its immaculately kept grounds. With Community Tours Sian Ka’an, a cooperative founded to protect the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve and promote sustainable livelihoods for Mayan communities, guests can visit the ruins of Tulum and explore cenotes considered sacred in Mayan tradition. Their mission is to utilize tourism as a tool for cultural preservation and environmental protection. Travelers are guided by locals who see themselves as stewards, not just service providers. Each tour funds conservation while amplifying indigenous voices.
I spent a day with Bejil-Ha Riviera Maya, a collective born out of the belief that protecting natural resources starts by empowering the communities that depend on them. Their excursions through jungles and lesser-known cenotes are punctuated by delicious meals prepared by local women with ingredients sourced from nearby farms. The goal is to protect biodiversity while creating dignified work that keeps younger generations rooted in their communities.
The economic benefits are immediate. UN sources estimate that for every $100 spent on tourism, as little as $5 stays in the host community. The rest leaks out through international hotel ownership, foreign-based booking platforms, and imported goods. Iberostar’s model flips that paradigm by engineering ways for money to circulate locally, supporting guides, cooks, farmers, and artisans in ways that multiply rather than evaporate.
Artisanal Mezcal & Chocolate
Not all of Iberostar’s partnerships center on ecology. Some are anchored in identity. With Shamira Nuñez of My Tulum Experiences, I joined a 90-minute mezcal and chocolate tasting that doubled as a cultural masterclass. Her offerings trace the deep roots of mezcal and cacao back to the multi-generational families who still cultivate them across Mexico. The session included a guided tasting of five mezcals (with non-alcoholic options), each paired with artisanal chocolates, plus a welcome mezcal cocktail and traditional snacks like chapulines (grasshoppers), citrus, and spiced salts. What resonated most was Shamira’s storytelling. She framed mezcal not just as a drink, but as a living link to indigenous knowledge, ancestral farming techniques, and communal identity. Her mission is to ensure these traditions aren’t commodified out of existence but celebrated, sustained, and fairly valued.
Breaking the All-Inclusive Bubble
All-inclusive resorts have long been criticized for walling travelers off from authentic culture. Everything, from the food to the entertainment, is designed to feel familiar—not foreign. Iberostar’s complex challenges that assumption by building bridges instead of barriers. Guests can still find the swim-up bars, spas, nightclubs, and buffets if they want them. But the ethos insists that luxury doesn’t require isolation. By integrating experiences like Shamira’s tasting, Sian Ka’an’s tours, and Bejil-Ha’s day trips, Iberostar shows that scale and authenticity aren’t mutually exclusive. The future of all-inclusive travel must be this integrative: farmers, guides, and artisans built into the guest experience instead of shut out.
Luxury With Leverage
There’s a pragmatic brilliance to Iberostar’s approach. Mega-resorts, by definition, have leverage. They can negotiate food supply chains at scale, fund research labs, and redirect guest spending toward local economies in ways boutique properties can’t always manage. The trend is crystal clear. A joint report by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Trip.com found that nearly 69% of travelers are actively seeking sustainable travel options. Iberostar is positioning itself where guest demand meets systemic change.
This raises an industrywide question: if Iberostar can turn its footprint into a regenerative engine, what excuse do other mega-resorts have for business as usual? In the past, size was synonymous with consumption. More pools, more restaurants, more entertainment. In Iberostar’s Mexico market, size is synonymous with responsibility. The larger the system, the greater its capacity to generate positive ripple effects across environment and community.
A Blueprint for the Future of Tourism
What Iberostar has built in Mexico is a prototype for a new tourism economy. One where mega-resorts act as self-sustaining ecosystems, channeling their scale into conservation, circular economics, and cultural connection. The model isn’t without challenges. Coordinating sustainability initiatives across thousands of staff, or making sure community partnerships remain equitable, requires constant oversight. But the momentum is real, and the early impact is significant.
If the rest of the industry follows Iberostar’s lead, mass tourism could shed its reputation as an environmental and cultural liability. Instead, it could become a force multiplier for regeneration, funneling millions of travelers into systems where their leisure dollars directly support reefs, farmers, artisans, and local families. As long as millions continue to favor all-inclusive resorts, the challenge isn’t just to make them sustainable—but regenerative. Iberostar’s model shows that it can be done.