Group trips are all the rage these days, and it’s not just all about destination weddings or corporate meetings, either. Multi-generational and extended family reunions, bachelor/ette parties, and milestone birthdays have all become common and much-welcomed inspirations for which to gather the gang, and why not?

With this rise in travel style, many resorts have embraced the many reasons we have to celebrate, but a stand-out failsafe brand that stands out is Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, a megaresort chain with decades of experience in this specialty. They’ve got catering to large parties down to a high-value science, from creating spaces that feel tailored for groups of small to large sizes to extra amenities hard to find elsewhere, thanks to their wealth of facilities and property sizes. In fact, their average group size is 20 rooms, which is an easily scalable median.

Here's what you need to know about booking groups with Iberostar and why it might be the right choice for your next group booking or destination wedding.

What Iberostar Group Guests Can Get

The short answer is “a lot.” But you’re here for the long answer, which includes exclusive concessions across all of the brand’s properties. All members of the group benefit from a welcome drink with a private check-in if arriving at the same time, a complimentary hospitality desk, 20% off spa treatments, and preferential golf rates at Iberostar golf courses in Aruba, Cancun, Playa Paraiso, and Bavaro.

Moreover, it pays to be the one whose great idea a group getaway is. Group leaders not only can put themselves as first in line as the free guest (the number of which depends on the group size and contract), but regardless of group size, they’ll receive a room upgrade and welcome gift from the hotel.

Properties to Peep

Megaresort status means multiple options for gathering, no matter which specific hotel the group is staying in. Each impressive complex offers a range of resorts to choose from to ensure that the overall pick satisfies a range of budgets, tastes, ages, considered necessities, and other criteria that a group might need to agree on.

For example, in the Playa Paraiso, Riviera Maya complex, vacationers can choose from JOIA, Selection, or the Waves level Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach and Iberostar Waves Paraiso del Mar, which still offer plentiful services and entertainment options. From the Selection collection, Iberostar Selection Paraiso Maya Suites and Iberostar Selection Paraiso Lindo satisfy families looking for luxury. And at the top of the line, JOIA Paraiso by Iberostar provides adults-only excellence, plus access to all of the amenities provided at the other resorts in the complex.

In Bavaro, Dominican Republic, travelers also have a choice of five properties. In the top tier of the collection is the adults-only JOIA Bavaro by Iberostar, followed by Iberostar Selection Coral Bavaro, Iberostar Selection Bavaro Suites, then Iberostar Waves Dominicana and Iberostar Waves Punta Cana. 

Both of these complexes have their own golf course (as does the new JOIA Aruba, one of the most hotly anticipated resorts of 2025), and Playa Paraiso even has an on-site convention center! And in Cancun, Iberostar Selection Cancun and Iberostar Selection Coral Cancun also share a convention center.

Iberostar Stars

Megaresort complexes clearly offer a lot of choice and flexibility, but individual properties also have plenty of their own appeal. Iberostar Selection Paraiso Maya Suites consistently remains a top choice for families and Iberostar Selection Paraiso Lindo sits at #3 for top performer across the brand for family trips and destination weddings. However, the second-favorite for group bookings for last year was Iberostar Selection Rose Hall Suites for weddings overall.

With 22 total properties to choose from across Aruba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Jamaica, group travel planners should also consider standalone options based on amenities, options, and ease of travel as well.

Specializations

All-inclusive resorts are excellent choices for destination weddings in general, but every couple has specific needs and inclusion and representation mean something different for each of them. Our team at ALG Vacations® confidently puts Iberostar Hotels & Resorts and their years of experience and exposure to the top of our picks every time because as they say, “We celebrate all types of love,” which means delightedly catering to LGBTQ+ proposals, weddings, honeymoons, anniversaries and vow renewals as well as for hetero couples.

Western weddings aren’t the only option, either. Although their new wedding package update for 2025 showcases traditional Western Nature of Love as the base of their customizable offerings – the foundational necessities in their Lookbook of Love ideas – their team is well familiar with traditions of other cultures. For instance, South Indian weddings, which are epic events that unfold over a course of several days and typically include hundreds of guests. “Our weddings team is very familiar and we have the right vendors to provide all they need for each event,” an inside source assures proudly. And with megacomplexes on offer, space and option is obviously not a problem.

Another specialty for the brand are eco-friendly meetings, incentive groups, conventions, and events. Over the course of more than 20 years in the MICE sector, they’ve got the fundamentals down to such a T that they’ve been able to add more to the experience by approaching it with an eye on stewarding the planet.

“Our events focus on promoting sustainability, a circular economy, and care for the environment,” part of their Wave of Change commitment, our source tells ALGV. The brand takes that tack even with itineraries that include conferences, congresses, social or cultural events, and team-building activities, making group travel as good for the planet as it is for the group.