TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

My husband and I just returned from Iberostar JOIA Bavaro in Punta Cana. We stayed for 1 week in April 2026. We cannot say enough about this all-inclusive hotel. We have stayed at over 40 different all-inclusives and the service, the cleanliness and the food quality and selections here are definitely the best we have ever encountered. The beach was perfect for walking, the 3 pools were well maintained and the grounds, while small, were exceptionally attended to and beautiful. The negatives we found were minor but enough for us to mention. We have always preferred long and winding pool areas with many curves to walk through and explore. The 3 pools here consist of one that is a dedicated sports area that is a rectangle, the 2nd is a quiet small pool with the 3rd, being the pool where the swim up bar is located. It is larger than the others but just did not have the winding long areas to explore with interest. Also, there is little entertainment outside of the one day when the foam party was held. Small games were offered outside of the pool area for those that wished to participate. Music was played at the bar all day, but although many patrons were English speaking, there was little variety that included common American based lyrics and themes. All in all, it was fairly quiet and mostly calm atmosphere. The entertainment music in the evenings was the same as that played at the pool all day. Most of the entertainment was local and the dancing the same. The hotel employees seemed to enjoy it but the there was little variety for the English speaking patrons. A wonderful exception to this was a piano player that was delightful. He played only 3 evenings, but his selections were varied popular music that made everyone feel comfortable. Folks even sang along with him at times in the lobby bar. His presence was felt to be much too short every time he appeared. The hotel entertainment manager was watching and it is hoped more of this sort of entertainment will be encouraged. There was also a Queen show that was very good in a beautiful entertainment theater and it was very well received. There is an anchored ship that offers entertainment in the evenings but that does not begin until 11 PM and most everyone we spoke with did not attend. The last criticism is the hotel rooms have a very small bathroom that is bordered by windows and glass enclosures allowing for little privacy. Not sure the hotel can do anything about that situation at this point. Outside of these small faults, JOIA was an excellent experience that most anyone would love. Again, service was impeccable and cleanliness outstanding. The hotel is an excellent choice for anyone that enjoys quality food served in an elegant and well attended atmosphere.

5 out of 5 The JOIA was an extraordinary property! The people were polite, friendly, engaging, & bent over backwards to make sure our stay was spectacular! After checking into our beautiful ocean view room, Danilo, our butler, met us at our beautiful room, explained the features of the room, walked us through the iberostar app showing calendar events, restaurants & chat features of our location. After making sure we understood the room, app & property options, Danilo asked what we would like in our room to make our stay more pleasurable! We let him know we were celebrating my friend’s 60th birthday! On our second night, Danilo covered my friend’s bed with rose petals & palm leaves spelling “Happy 60th B-Day!” He also drew a bath for he at her request and added bubbles & roses petals! Danilo also provided a small ganache birthday cake & chilled bottle of champagne. My friend felt like a queen!! Throughout our entire stay, Danilo checked in with us several times a day ensuring everything was going as planned & we were happy with everything. Perfect butler - Danilo!!!! ???? Be sure to ask for him!!! The property is well laid out with the restaurants clustered together with a French, Italian, & Steakhouse restaurant, a coffee cafe, and a large international buffet style restaurant. Samuel was an excellent server & took care of us at many of meals & restaurants! Be sure to ask for him! There is also a pool grill. There are several pools intertwining throughout the courtyard & pool bar, and a beautiful private beach with tons of cabanas (first come, first served) at the beach & pool areas. The pool vibe was energetic & fun with good music, but not too loud, and the beach was peaceful & serene. There were public vendors selling on the beach; however, none were pushy or rude as I had seen on other beaches. Overall, this stay was fantastic & the people & atmosphere have me wanting to come back for more! Thank you, Danilo, Samuel, many others for making our stay special!

I would give this resort a 4 3/4 stars but just short of 5 stars since the first night our room had no air. Also the TV twice dropped the signal while we were watching a program. I was not a fan of the glass bottles for drinking water, they were clumsy and difficult to handle. Other than that this was a great resort. In previous reviews I mentioned that I am a seasoned traveler and have been to numerous resorts (note we are beach people). So here you go..... Pros: Excellent service through out the resort. Special thanks to Eliezer (see pic) for the excellent beach service. The resort grounds are amazing and the beach is exceptional. The food is very good with great service and top shelf liquors. The beds are comfy and our room was kept clean. Thanks to Rosa for a great job. Check in and out was easy and friendly. Entertainment at night was very good. No noise issues in our room. Cons: Transfer to hotel was not the best since we waited on the bus for over 45 minutes with Nexus. Not the fault of the resort. No air the first night in our room, but was rectified the next day. As mentioned above, not a fan of the glass bottles for the drinking water. No a la carte restaurant for lunch. No beach bar and the restrooms are a bit far from the beach so it takes the beach waiters a while to get back to you with drinks. This resort should also consider designated smoking areas away from the main lobby and beach. These are mostly minor issues. In conclusion I would highly recommend this resort. Overall good value.

We loved our visit to JOIA Bavaro- very beautiful layout and gorgeous beach. The service was wonderful all around. Our butlers Valentin and Junior were so friendly and were great about checking on us to see if we needed anything. We were so impressed by how friendly everyone was and they worked so hard -all day! The bartenders were wonderful - Brandor in the lounge and Ery,and Jacinto were great at the pool- they really make delicious cocktails and were so fun and happy! Francesca took great care of our room too. The food most of the time was very tasty. Some hits and some misses but that is to be expected. Entertainment was fun - always something happening and the shows were done well. I just wish some things would start earlier in the evening - most of the people we talked to in the 50-60s range agreed. The JOIA in Jamaica would have karaoke starting at 7:30 and that was fun! Overall we loved this resort and will return.

Perfect 5/5 Stars! An absolutely sensational, luxurious, and unforgettable experience at Joia Bavaro by Iberostar! From the moment we stepped onto the property, we knew we were in for a world-class getaway. The resort's architecture and grounds are stunning, keeping you fully immersed in a rich culture and culinary journey. The layout is incredibly well-thought-out, offering easy access to everything you need. Our vacation kicked off in the expansive check-in area, where the staff welcomed us with pure warmth. As an IHG Platinum member, I was thrilled to receive a fantastic room upgrade! The room was very nice and the housekeeping team was wonderfully attentive—the bed was always made and the mini-bar was constantly restocked. While the decor felt slightly dated, it was exceptionally clean and comfortable. What truly elevates this resort to a luxury tier is the spectacular staff: Concierge & Butler Service: Our concierge, Josue, was remarkably welcoming and checked in on us almost daily. Our two butlers, Cofe and Reynaldo, were exceptionally attentive and took phenomenal care of us. The Culinary Journey: Every night we explored a different cuisine—France, Italy, Japan, and the best-tasting beef and salmon! The waitstaff left a lasting impression, and we loved interacting with Lebron and Francis. My favorite morning ritual was grabbing an espresso at the coffee shop and taking a peaceful walk along the beach. The Pool & Bartenders: All 3 pools boast breathtaking views, and we never had trouble securing a cabana. The atmosphere was calm and relaxing, without the loud music found at other resorts. The absolute "gem" of our trip was the pool bartending staff. Ery, Bruno, and Tobias brought such electric, hospitable energy! They kept our cups full and completely sold me on booking another trip back. Management needs to know just how vital these gentlemen are to the guest experience! Entertainment: Manuel, a bartender we met at the Diva show, was incredibly engaging and charming. The entertainment team brought massive energy! I loved the nightly shows, singers, and dancing. Shoutout to Vladimir, Chocolate, and Smiley for making the atmosphere endlessly fun. Overall, the resort provides the perfect atmosphere for romantic dinners and top-tier people-watching. We cannot wait to go back!