TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Lopesan Costa Bávaro Resort, Spa & Casino | October 6–9, 2026 Let me start by giving credit where credit is due: this resort is absolutely breathtaking! The architecture, landscaping, interior design, atmosphere, and overall aesthetic are gorgeous. From the moment you enter the lobby, you're surrounded by beautiful décor, luxurious furnishings, and an obvious investment in creating a visually impressive property. Even the lobby furniture looks incredibly expensive. There is absolutely no denying that this resort is beautiful. Unfortunately, that is where the luxury experience begins and ends. A beautiful building does not make a luxury resort. Exceptional hospitality, attentive service, quality food, professionalism, and genuine care for guests are what distinguish a luxury property from an ordinary hotel with expensive furniture. Lopesan has mastered the appearance of luxury while failing miserably at delivering the experience. CUSTOMER SERVICE: SEVERELY LACKING Our biggest disappointment was the overall lack of hospitality, courtesy, empathy, and urgency among much of the staff. There is a significant language barrier, with many employees struggling to understand or communicate in English. I completely understand that we are visiting a Spanish-speaking country, and I certainly do not expect everyone to speak fluent English. However, when operating an international luxury resort catering to guests from around the world, there should be adequate staffing, communication resources, and training to assist guests effectively. Unfortunately, communication was only part of the problem. **The lack of basic courtesy and willingness to help was far more concerning.** Guests were rarely greeted or acknowledged. Returning to the resort after an excursion? Don't expect a warm welcome back. Need assistance? Don't expect anyone to demonstrate urgency or go out of their way to help. The overall attitude from many employees came across as indifferent, dismissive, and, at times, downright rude. One particularly unpleasant experience occurred at the buffet when an employee approached me to complete a survey. I politely declined by saying, "No, thank you." She immediately rolled her eyes, made a comment in Spanish, and turned to her colleague, who then looked directly at me. I cannot say what was said, but the interaction felt incredibly disrespectful and unprofessional. Guests should never feel uncomfortable or disrespected simply for declining a survey. EXCURSION TRANSPORTATION: ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS If you plan to book excursions outside the resort, be prepared for a frustrating experience. Certain outside transportation providers are not permitted to enter the property beyond the main security gate. Unfortunately, that gate is approximately a 15–20-minute walk from the resort. Rather than providing a complimentary golf cart or shuttle service to assist guests, the resort expects you to walk or pay approximately $5 for a taxi just to reach the gate. Yes, you read that correctly. At a resort marketed as luxurious, guests are expected to pay for transportation simply to reach the property's entrance. We nearly missed our scheduled excursion transportation because of this ridiculous arrangement. Despite golf carts being available on the property, staff refused to transport us to the gate. The front desk instructed us to take a taxi instead. When we went outside, I asked the security employee approximately FOUR times to arrange a taxi. He moved at an unbelievably slow pace, showed no sense of urgency, and did not appear to communicate with anyone over the radio. We stood there for another 10 minutes waiting for assistance while our transportation was already expecting us. Not once did anyone seem concerned that we were about to miss our excursion. **This is not luxury service. This is poor guest management, a lack of accountability, and an astonishing disregard for guests' time.** FOOD: BEAUTIFUL RESTAURANTS, DISAPPOINTING CULINARY EXECUTION My husband and I are serious food lovers. We appreciate excellent cuisine, thoughtful preparation, proper seasoning, fresh ingredients, and memorable dining experiences. Unfortunately, the food throughout most of our stay fell dramatically short of expectations. The dishes were consistently bland, underwhelming, poorly seasoned, and, in several instances, genuinely unpleasant to eat. I normally indulge when vacationing at an all-inclusive resort. I look forward to trying different dishes, enjoying desserts, and experiencing the restaurants. During this stay, I found myself eating far less than I normally would because so little appealed to me. La Bohème, the French restaurant, is absolutely gorgeous. The décor and ambiance create the expectation of an upscale French dining experience. Unfortunately, the food was a complete disaster. I ordered ratatouille, red snapper, a crêpe, and crème brûlée. Every single dish was disappointing. The flavors were lacking, the execution was poor, and nothing remotely resembled the quality I would expect from a restaurant presenting itself as fine dining. The atmosphere promises sophistication. The kitchen simply does not deliver. Brassa Nova, the Brazilian steakhouse, was another visually stunning restaurant with equally disappointing food. The meats lacked flavor and proper seasoning. For a restaurant centered around grilled meats, that is an especially concerning failure. If you've ever experienced Fogo de Chão, please do not expect anything remotely comparable. There is simply no comparison in flavor, quality, or overall execution. SOTTO TERRA: FINALLY, A GOOD MEAL! I believe in giving credit where it is due, and thankfully, our final restaurant experience was a pleasant surprise. Sotto Terra was actually good! I ordered the fettuccine Alfredo with butter-poached lobster, and I genuinely enjoyed it. The lobster and pasta were well prepared, and the dish had the flavor and quality I had been hoping to experience throughout our stay. My husband, ordered the lasagna, which he also enjoyed. After several disappointing dining experiences, it was refreshing to finally have a meal that we both liked. Unfortunately, one good restaurant does not make up for the consistently disappointing food we experienced elsewhere. But Sotto Terra deserves recognition for being the one restaurant that delivered an enjoyable dinner for both of us. THE DESSERTS: A COMPLETE DISAPPOINTMENT I genuinely cannot understand how a resort of this caliber manages to serve such consistently terrible desserts. Across the restaurants and buffet, the desserts were overwhelmingly disappointing. The cakes were dry, lacked flavor, and sometimes tasted stale, almost as though they had been prepared far in advance or produced in large quantities without regard for freshness or quality. The pastries and other desserts were equally underwhelming. The pastry department desperately needs a complete evaluation of its recipes, preparation methods, quality control, and standards. A luxury resort should not be serving desserts that taste as though freshness and flavor were afterthoughts. At this point, I couldn't help thinking that Gordon Ramsay would have an absolute field day evaluating these kitchens. The resort has invested so heavily in presentation and aesthetics, yet the culinary execution is shockingly poor. BARTENDERS AND ALCOHOL SELECTION: ANOTHER MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT For an all-inclusive resort that presents itself as luxurious, the bar experience was surprisingly poor. My husband enjoys whiskey sours, and throughout our stay, practically every whiskey sour he ordered tasted different. Unfortunately, nearly all of them were terrible. Out of all the whiskey sours he tried, only ONE was actually made well. How does the same cocktail taste completely different depending on which bartender prepares it? That points to a serious lack of consistency, standardized recipes, and proper bartender training. My experience with margaritas was equally frustrating. **Every margarita I ordered was excessively sour**, and despite repeatedly requesting a SUGAR rim, I continued receiving margaritas with SALT rims. I understand that mistakes happen, but having to repeat the same simple request throughout an entire stay becomes exhausting. Making a decent margarita or whiskey sour should not be a challenge at a resort charging luxury prices. And then there is the liquor selection. **Do not arrive expecting an impressive selection of top-shelf spirits.** The tequila options we were offered were extremely limited. El Jimador was the only tequila available to us, and personally, I find it to be a poor-quality choice for the type of cocktails I enjoy. There were no meaningful alternatives offered when I asked. For a property that has clearly invested millions into its appearance, the limited alcohol selection is disappointing. If you're going to market a luxury all-inclusive experience, then provide the premium liquor options, variety, and properly trained bartenders that guests reasonably expect. **Expensive furniture does not compensate for inexpensive-tasting cocktails.** Invest in quality spirits. Invest in variety. And please invest in comprehensive bartender training so guests receive consistent, properly prepared drinks regardless of who is behind the bar. MANAGEMENT: INVEST IN YOUR PEOPLE, NOT JUST YOUR PROPERTY This brings me to something I believe is at the heart of many of the issues we experienced. Lopesan has clearly invested an extraordinary amount of money into the physical property. Every corner looks carefully designed to impress. But where is that same level of investment in the employees? Staff should receive proper hospitality training, customer service education, language support, and opportunities for professional development. Bartenders should receive formal mixology training. Restaurant employees should understand service standards. Front desk and transportation staff should be trained to handle guest concerns with professionalism, empathy, and urgency. And employees should be compensated fairly. During our stay, one worker told us that their monthly salary was approximately **$400 USD**. I cannot independently verify that figure or whether it reflects compensation across the resort, but hearing it was concerning. If that figure is accurate, management should seriously evaluate whether employee compensation reflects the expectations and demands placed on workers at a luxury international resort. **You cannot expect consistently exceptional five-star service without investing in the people responsible for delivering it.** A beautiful resort may attract guests once. Exceptional employees, quality food, and genuine hospitality are what bring them back. UNIQUE UPGRADE: JOSE ANTONIO WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Now, I want to dedicate this section to the ONE person who truly deserves exceptional recognition. **JOSE ANTONIO, OUR UNIQUE BUTLER!** If management reads nothing else in this review, I sincerely hope they read this section. We paid extra to upgrade to the UNIQUE experience, which included butler service. And I can confidently say that Jose Antonio was the single best part of our entire stay. He was nothing short of AMAZING! Jose demonstrated the professionalism, kindness, patience, thoughtfulness, empathy, and genuine hospitality that we had hoped to experience throughout the resort. From day one, he immediately arranged our dinner reservations and made himself available to assist us. Because we were celebrating my belated birthday, he went above and beyond to make me feel special. He surprised me with a beautiful fruit platter, a chocolate sculpture accompanied by chocolates, a birthday cake, a birthday banner on our door, and even a large bottle of champagne. Although I had mentioned that we do not drink champagne, we genuinely appreciated the thought and effort behind the gesture. But here's what truly made Jose Antonio exceptional: It wasn't the gifts. It wasn't the decorations. It wasn't even the birthday surprises. It was the way he treated us. He listened when we expressed our frustrations. He demonstrated genuine empathy. He apologized for experiences that were not even his responsibility. He remained respectful, attentive, professional, and kind throughout our stay. He made us feel heard, appreciated, and valued. And THAT is what true hospitality looks like. Jose Antonio never made us feel like we were inconveniencing him. He never dismissed our concerns. He never made us feel like we were asking for too much. He simply did his job exceptionally well, with a level of care that appeared to come naturally to him. JOSE ANTONIO IS AN ABSOLUTE ASSET TO THIS RESORT AND DESERVES EVERY BIT OF RECOGNITION MANAGEMENT CAN GIVE HIM. I sincerely hope his supervisors recognize his outstanding work, because employees like Jose are the reason guests remember an experience positively despite everything else going wrong. If every employee at Lopesan demonstrated even half of Jose Antonio's professionalism and commitment to guest satisfaction, this review would have been dramatically different. Jose Antonio, if you happen to read this, THANK YOU! Thank you for your kindness, patience, professionalism, thoughtfulness, and for doing everything within your ability to make my birthday celebration special. You were the bright spot in an otherwise disappointing vacation, and my husband and I will always remember and appreciate you. Management, please recognize and reward this man. He deserves it! FINAL THOUGHTS: LUXURY IN APPEARANCE ONLY We have now completed our stay, and unfortunately, my opinion of the overall resort experience has not changed. We came to Punta Cana to celebrate my belated 44th birthday. We deliberately selected a beautiful resort, paid extra for the UNIQUE upgrade, and looked forward to enjoying excellent food, great cocktails, exceptional service, and a relaxing getaway. Instead, we experienced disappointing meals, inconsistent and poorly prepared cocktails, limited liquor options, unprofessional interactions, transportation frustrations, and an overall lack of genuine hospitality. I also noticed what appeared to be a difference in the warmth and attentiveness shown to Spanish-speaking guests compared with our own interactions. I cannot speak to anyone's intentions, but as an English-speaking guest, I frequently felt overlooked and unwelcome. Having experienced hospitality in Mexico, I can confidently say that the service we have received there has been vastly superior. The genuine warmth, attentiveness, friendliness, and willingness to assist guests have consistently made those vacations enjoyable. Unfortunately, this experience has left me with little desire to return to the Dominican Republic. While I recognize that one resort does not represent an entire country, this particular stay has been enough to make me reconsider returning. My final assessment: Lopesan Costa Bávaro is a visually magnificent property with a hospitality experience that does not come close to matching its appearance. You can build a stunning resort, fill it with expensive furniture, design gorgeous restaurants, and create beautiful spaces, but none of that matters if the food is disappointing, the cocktails are poorly made, and guests do not feel valued. Luxury is not simply what guests see. Luxury is how guests are treated, how well they are served, and how they feel when they leave. We left appreciating the beauty of the property, but deeply disappointed in the overall experience. The highlights: A breathtaking resort, a genuinely enjoyable dinner at Sotto Terra, and the exceptional service of Jose Antonio. The disappointments: Nearly everything else. Would we return? Absolutely not. And that is incredibly disappointing to say about a property with so much potential. My advice to management: Stop investing exclusively in how luxurious your resort looks and start investing equally in how luxurious the guest experience feels. Because right now, Lopesan is a beautiful resort that simply fails to deliver on its promise. And once again, THANK YOU, JOSE ANTONIO! You were truly exceptional!

Love our stay. We were 16 people and they accommodated us on good rooms, the buffets had lot of variety and the cocktails were amazing. (Lobby bar had my 100%) Resort is clean, comfortable and all employees treated you with professionalism and respect. Definitely come back.

The resort was beautiful! I paid for a room with a swim up pool, and it was worth it 100%. My room came with a Butler since I booked on the adults only side, Andres was amazing!He took care of everything I needed, including sending someone to help me zip out my dress for the wedding I attended the food, however, is resort food. Mediocre at Best.

Aderlin was very welcoming at entry and got us checked in quickly and smoothly

Great food, spotless cleaned, outstanding service. All-in, great value!