TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Extremely Disappointing Stay — Privilege Upgrade Was Not Worth It Our recent stay at Catalonia Bávaro Beach Resort was a major disappointment. We booked a Privilege room expecting an upgraded experience, better amenities, and a higher level of service. Unfortunately, the promised upgraded amenities were never delivered, and the overall experience fell far short of what we paid for. Based on our stay, the Privilege upgrade was absolutely not worth the extra money. The beach was a huge disappointment. It was covered in seaweed, making it difficult to enjoy the ocean, and there were large rocks throughout the swimming area. We also found the resort lacking in water activities, leaving us with fewer options than expected for enjoying our time at the resort. The service and basic amenities were unacceptable. We ordered room service and never received our order. On another occasion, we were delivered something completely different from what we requested. We couldn’t get wine in our room, so we purchased our own, only to be told we couldn’t have a corkscrew. Our in-room safe didn’t work, and despite trying to get assistance at the front desk, no one resolved the issue. Even the simplest things became a struggle. Getting water at the buffets was difficult, despite coffee being readily available. We were sometimes told that drinks listed on the menu were unavailable when we ordered them. The resort limited us to only two towels per day, which was not enough for our family, and on Wednesday, we couldn’t get any dry towels at the pool. There were also very few electrical outlets in the room to charge our devices. The restaurant experience was equally frustrating. We made reservations and showed up expecting to be seated, only to be told we couldn’t get in. What is the point of making reservations if the resort cannot honor them? These issues wasted our time and made it difficult to enjoy the vacation we had planned. The Privilege experience was especially disappointing. We paid extra for an upgraded room and promised amenities, yet those benefits were never delivered as expected. When guests pay more for a premium experience, there should be a noticeable difference in service and the amenities provided. Instead, we encountered basic service failures and had to spend our vacation trying to get things that should have been straightforward. The resort did not deliver the experience it sold us. Finally, our trip ended on another terrible note at the airport, where we had to wait for 2.5 hours without air conditioning. The heat was unbearable and made an already frustrating travel experience even worse. We understand that seaweed and beach conditions are not entirely within a resort’s control. However, the majority of our complaints had nothing to do with nature. They involved service, communication, basic necessities, reservations, and promised upgraded amenities that were never delivered. Overall, this resort did not deliver the quality or value we expected, especially after paying extra for a Privilege room. Too many things went wrong, and too many basic expectations were unmet. A vacation should be an opportunity to relax and enjoy time with family, not spend time chasing room service, trying to get a working safe, searching for towels, being denied menu items, and dealing with reservations that aren’t honored. We would not pay for the Privilege upgrade again, and based on this experience, we would seriously reconsider returning to Catalonia altogether. I hope management takes this feedback seriously because guests deserve to receive the amenities and level of service they are promised, especially when they pay extra for them.

Had an amazing time at the resort. Special thanks to Raidon at the beach bar for the amazing service and personal attention. Our little child’s best friend at the resort! Also would like to thank to Nely and Zuleica at the beach for looking after us! Very lovely ladies.

Our stay began at Catalonia Bávaro Resort Punta Cana, and unfortunately, the experience fell well below our expectations. The first room we were assigned overlooked one of the many construction sites across the resort. We had booked a Privileged Room at an additional cost, expecting better accommodation for what was meant to be a romantic holiday. Instead, there was no cold water in the bathroom taps, making showering a challenge. We had to constantly turn the water on and off to avoid being scalded. We requested a room change, but as the alternative offered was no better, we decided to upgrade to Catalonia Royal Bávaro. The transfer process was extremely complicated, forcing us to spend several hours of our holiday moving between reception desks. Customer satisfaction seemed to be a very low priority. The overall impression was that, once payment had been made, we were simply expected to put up with the conditions. At Catalonia Bávaro, we tried the Chinese and Japanese restaurants, the main buffet and the beach buffet. The food quality was disappointing. Furthermore, the buffet dining areas are outdoors and extremely uncomfortable in the heat. Most restaurants share this problem, making meals far from enjoyable in such high temperatures. Catalonia Royal Bávaro, the adults-only resort, was a significant improvement in many respects, but the accommodation problems continued. Our first room had no cold water, once again, and no air conditioning. It was also in a building undergoing construction. After requesting a room change, we were told the problem had been resolved. However, only on the second day, after two nights in the heat and considerable difficulty sleeping, were we moved to another room, as the issues had not actually been fixed. The third room finally had air conditioning and at least a trickle of cold water. However, the building was still under construction, and the dirt and debris we had to walk through to reach our room were completely unacceptable for the price we had paid for what was supposed to be a dream holiday in paradise. One positive aspect of Catalonia Royal Bávaro was the food. The restaurants were enclosed and air-conditioned, and the overall food quality was considerably better. This was one of the main reasons why the upgrade proved worthwhile. However, the restaurant reservations we had made at the first resort were all deleted during the transfer, without anyone informing us. We happened to check with reception before dinner and discovered the problem, allowing us to make new reservations. Had we not checked, we could have arrived at the restaurants only to be turned away because we had no bookings. The beach area at Catalonia Royal Bávaro was also much quieter, and the pool atmosphere was noticeably more pleasant. Unfortunately, the infinity pool was closed for construction, meaning we could enjoy neither the pool nor the view. Construction barriers were visible everywhere, further detracting from the holiday experience. Overall, we believe Catalonia Hotels may appeal to guests who have little experience with other five-star, all-inclusive resorts. However, having stayed at comparable properties, we found the standard of accommodation, maintenance, service and overall experience far below what we would expect at this price point. The better food and quieter atmosphere at Catalonia Royal Bávaro were positives, but they did not compensate for the repeated room issues, poor handling of complaints and extensive construction that affected our stay.

Our group of 20 people from Canada just returned from this resort and have to say it’s definitely not a place any of us would ever want to return to. Check in was terrible, didn’t get our room until after 6pm Had to change rooms 3 times due to air conditioning not working. The staff at the front desk are so unbelievably rude? They truly do not care. Food was not good. Pool bar staff were rude except for Jessica The only good thing was that our group will make the best of a bad situation no matter what. We travel 4 times per year and found that this resort caters to locals which is fine except that they ignore other people and even when tipping a lot, it doesn’t make a difference. The best place to hang out was the privilege chill out bar near the beach. Israel was by far my favourite bartender and he did go above and beyond. I booked a birthday diner to celebrate my husband’s birthday and had ordered balloons and a cake to the restaurant but it never showed up to the steakhouse. Staff were also rude and disrespectful Pools are dirty and very deep, beach was not good either but that’s out of their control. I would definitely recommend that you go to anywhere else and don’t waste your money here. We also speak fluent Spanish and they do seem to prefer only those who speak Spanish and not English. Everyone has their own experience and I’m sure if your standards are not overly high then you can enjoy this place but comparing it to places I’ve been, it’s really more like a 2 or 3 star tops Rooms were nicely renovated but the air conditioning just couldn’t keep up and the room would have leaks as well.

I have been to the DR 6x. This resort was the ABSOLUTE WORST of them all. Broken items in rooms, called them in multiple times, noone ever came to fix them. Sons diabetic and couldn't even keep the insulin cold as fridge did not work. Buffet food was DISGUSTING; cold and dried out. Same items daily. Getting restaurant reservations is a nightmare. Pool was dirty with floating bandaids amongst other things. Staff were not very friendly.