TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Debatable that the resort is 5 star - although the hotel is over 40 years old - it has been updated with new furnishings and there is incidents where urgent plumbing is required. Positives The beach area is wonderful and it is pleasantly quiet and peaceful area as the nearby pool area can be noisy with activities, involving alcohol- music and foam. The beach area is convenient to the lunch buffet and showers and of course the coffee and drinks bar which have a choice of milk choices and alcohol. Evening entertainment needs reviewing as it’s great if you are Spanish or speak Spanish but a night here & there of truly wonderful and offering of disco or soul beats would be great. There is a casino but night club

We spent a week at the Grand Bavaro Princess 5? hotel. The resort itself is visually stunning – a beautiful beach, clear sea, well-maintained gardens, and very nice accommodation. Unfortunately, our overall impression was severely affected by the quality of service, which did not correspond to a five-star standard. Housekeeping regularly removed our used towels but failed to replace them with new ones. I had to call the reception repeatedly, and at times even search for towels myself. In the buffet restaurant, the tables were often not prepared – missing cutlery, water, and basic service, so I had to serve myself many times. The outdoor service at the beach buffet was disastrous – they pour you a coffee without checking whether you have a spoon or sugar. You literally have to chase them down just to be able to drink it. Another very unpleasant experience occurred in the Asian restaurant Tennyaki. The staff completely ignored us during debarassing – other guests were already being served their next course while our dirty plates remained on the table. They did not even ask what we wanted to drink and simply brought us a glass of prosecco without asking, which we did not want. In another à la carte restaurant – Wasabi – after the food was served, no one noticed that we did not have wasabi or soy sauce. Once again, we had to ask for it ourselves. I ate sushi there and ended up with diarrhea and severe stomach pain throughout the night. Another major disappointment was the experience with the hostess Scarlet in the à la carte restaurant Pescador. We arrived at 20:05, despite having a reservation for 20:00, and she made us wait for more than 30 minutes, even though the table she eventually seated us at had been ready the entire time. Everyone else around us received their bread service (couvert), except for us – and when we finally asked for it, my friend was given butter that had already been opened and used. During our stay, I truthfully filled out the satisfaction survey, but no one ever responded. Upon departure, I asked for a late check-out as compensation for the repeated issues, but the hotel supervisor denied my request, stating that I should have addressed each problem immediately. That would mean complaining after every breakfast, every return to the room, and every dinner – which is the exact opposite of what I expect from a five-star stay. In the end, I had to pay 90 USD. The hotel has potential thanks to its beautiful grounds, but the level of service was a major disappointment. Everything failed at the most basic principles of hospitality and restaurant service. A bitter disappointment considering the amount of money we spent on this hotel. The hotel charges 5-star prices, yet the services are nowhere near that level. For these reasons, I cannot recommend this hotel and hope my feedback will be taken seriously.

Our stay at Grand Bávaro Princess was fantastic — the hotel staff were amazing and the service was great. Unfortunately, the only thing that ruined part of our trip was Nexus Tours. We booked a VIP excursion that was cancelled twice with no explanation. Their staff kept brushing us off, telling different stories each time, and giving us no clear answers. Delfin took our PayPal details, promised “special arrangements,” and then completely vanished without a single follow-up. Another older rep kept making empty promises to get rid of us, and the person in the Nexus office was rude, clueless, and ignored us every time we approached them. We even ended up paying extra for things we had already paid for in our original package. Now we’re back home and it has been a full week with: • No refund in the bank • No communication whatsoever • No company information to contact • No one taking responsibility At this point, I expect a follow-up from Nexus. Email me directly ( flowerthelittle88@gmail.com ) provide explanations, and guarantee when the refund will be issued. Even the hotel’s general manager is able to push for this, so there is no excuse for the lack of action. This experience felt completely unprofessional and borderline scam-like. The hotel is wonderful — but avoid Nexus Tours at all costs.

Yaniriz and Maria was so kind and so helpful. They provided great info about where to go and showed great hospitality. Can't wait to return to this resort.

WHAT I LIKED The hotel itself is genuinely beautiful with a very natural, tropical feel. The beach is stunning with white sand, no seaweed, and it is well maintained. The property is also very large with plenty of walking space. The room was spacious, comfortable, and well presented. The mini bar was included and stocked with four bottles of water, two Cokes, two Sprites, and two cans of beer, although there were no sugar free options. Housekeeping was quick and efficient, usually taking 5 to 10 minutes, though the timing was extremely unpredictable. Sometimes they came at 10 AM and other days as late as 4 PM. There is a good variety of dining locations including buffet restaurants, food trucks, bars, and à la carte restaurants. The drinks were generally good with generous alcohol pours, though you rarely receive the same drink twice even when ordering the same thing. The bar at the relax pool was by far the best with excellent service and the best bartender on the resort. Service during the first day or first few hours after arrival was excellent and very welcoming. WHAT I DISLIKED Unfortunately, the food was the biggest disappointment. We are not picky eaters at all, but the buffet food made us extremely ill with stomach cramps and diarrhoea for nine consecutive days. The buffet had very poor variety, an unappealing salad bar, warm cheeses, stale bread, and cold meats left warm and exposed to flies. Even some of the fresh food appeared questionable. The à la carte restaurants were an improvement in terms of quality, but still nothing higher than a 6 out of 10. As someone with a culinary background, I noticed multiple hygiene and food safety concerns throughout the resort. Service consistency was another major issue. We do not speak Spanish, but we tipped whenever possible. Despite that, service felt very biased. Some days we were treated well, other days we were completely ignored. Even ordering food or drinks could take 10 to 20 minutes just to be acknowledged, and staff often appeared unwilling to help. At the Hispaniola buffet, we were told off for sitting at a table meant for three to four people despite all tables for two being either taken or dirty. When we sat at a dirty one, we were never brought cutlery or napkins and had to eat breakfast with our hands. Drinks at the buffet consistently arrived 10 to 20 minutes after ordering, often after we had already finished eating and dessert. Prices inside the hotel and on excursions were extremely inflated. The hotel shop charged 20 dollars for two packets of crisps, 60 dollars for a vape, 15 dollars for cigarettes, 5 dollars for a Gatorade, 7 dollars for a Kinder Bueno, and 17 dollars for a mini Pepto Bismol. Small souvenir items were 45 dollars and above. We also experienced bugs in our room, and money went missing. We were not informed about the safe or where it was located, as it was hidden behind a picture frame. The hotel took no responsibility due to this and offered no compensation, goodwill gesture, or resolution. The attitude following this incident felt noticeably colder toward us. Room service was also disappointing. A 20 dollar pizza arrived undercooked in the middle, cold due to a very thick unmelted cheese layer, and with raw mushrooms on top. Ironically, the takeaway food we ordered on the final day outside the hotel was what finally settled our stomachs. One evening at the Focaccia restaurant, we were seated directly in the middle of a wedding reception. The staff were clearly overwhelmed, which we understood, but other couples were seated in quieter areas while we were stuck in the busiest possible location. We also booked a sixty minute private jacuzzi and sauna session at the spa and were specifically told it would be private. However, twenty to thirty minutes into our session, other guests were brought in. Due to our stomach issues, we avoided ice and any non bottled water. Despite repeatedly requesting no ice, drinks often arrived with ice anyway. I would also urge caution with fruit. At one point they even ran out of bananas, despite bananas being one of the safest foods for upset stomachs and an ingredient in half of their drinks menu. The resort also operates a constant buggy service using golf carts for very short distances. While convenient for some guests, they are extremely frequent, loud, and often get in the way of pedestrians, even for distances that take less than five minutes to walk. This quickly became disruptive rather than helpful. FINAL THOUGHTS If you are travelling from the UK, in my honest opinion, this hotel is not worth the ten hour flight. For a little extra money, there are far more reputable resorts with better hygiene, food standards, fair pricing, and consistent service.