TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

My family of four went to the Dominican Republic in July last year to the Iberostar Selection Bavaro Suites. Our experience overall was excellent, but there are a couple of things that need addressed. The food was great and plenty of selection and things made to order. The main buffet area was huge but it was well staffed and they were really attentive. The other buffet area was at the beach and had a slightly different selection but was still really good. The one thing though was that the deserts looked fantastic but were generally quite bland. Before going we were naive to think that you could book the specialty restaurants whenever you liked but this sadly was not the case. the number of times you can book depends on how long you're staying. also you need to get in early to make sure you get a spot when you want to go. The food in the restaurants was generally very good but not really any better than the buffet. The rooms/apartments are huge and very well kept by the cleaning staff and the complex is very easy to navigate with a cart available to transport you around just a phone call away. The gym is fantastic and tennis courts were also well used. One word of warning is that Iberostar will try and push their 'rewards' scheme offering you a breakfast in their Coral area and a 'free' massage in the spa. This is basically a time share sell and will take up at least half a day of your holiday. Avoid as it's not worth time. The best recommendation is that I would definitely go back to this resort.

Our cleaning lady was super helpful. Guest services made our reservations for dinner each night. Our room was right next to the beach. Great location. Close to pools, beach, bar and water station

Henry in the guest services department was very helpful booking dinner reservations. Service was also great at the pool side bar. Would highly recommend

The experience was outstanding! The food was truly delicious and there was a very good standard in every restaurant in the hotel. The staff and employees were also very friendly. All around, it is a very good experience for the whole family to relax.

We are a senior couple and stayed for 7 days. We have been at other resorts near Punta Cana but this was our first time at Iberostar Selections Bavaro Suites. Resort grounds are meticulously maintained and the site is beautiful with a large palm tree canopy and impressive landscaping features. We loved the expansive grounds with lots of walking opportunity. Golf cart rides are offered. It is a quiet resort as vehicles are electric and no gas powered landscaping equipment is used. The ground floor room and terrace were very clean, quiet and comfortable with no noise from other rooms including the usual slamming doors. Housekeeping was efficient and quiet. Timing was varied. There was no “do not disturb” card for the door or our unit. Soiled face cloths were taken and not replaced until asked. Some towels had tattered edges. Bring a pen and small pad and use Goggle Translate to leave notes in Spanish for anything you need from Housekeeping. All rooms are in brightly coloured, 2 level, villa style buildings, 8 units each. We were upgraded to a “Junior Suite Pool Access” from the “Junior Suite Pool View” we booked. It was just steps from our terrace to a smaller pool that was secluded from the noisy main pool area by its surrounding buildings. And, it was close to the beach and main pool area with bars and dining options. We avoided the main pool as it was generally crowded and noisy with wedding party celebrants. Right after checking in, we booked 4 restaurant reservations at a concierge desk beside the check-in counter. Concierge service was always available in the lobby area. I had reviewed menus in advance and knew my preferences. We appreciated that meal times could be precise. At other resorts, with a “no reservations are required” policy, seating times are a “crap shoot”, which is very annoying especially for a larger group or anyone with children. Restaurants were lovely, enclosed spaces except for the Mexican restaurant. Food was consistently hot, tasty, plentiful and artistically presented. There were abundant menu options. The service was generally efficient but the restaurant experiences never delivered on the elegance that was possible with a little more attention to detail. The dress code for men was pants, collared shirt and jacket which seemed dumb for a tropical climate. Although restaurants were air conditioned, it was not cool enough to keep on the jacket I wore. The dress code was not enforced and tee shirts and shorts were the norm. To be fair, I only happened to notice the dress code while checking out the restaurants in advance. There was no posting of dress code at the resort and the concierge did not mention it when booking. At La Dorada, our table had 2 place settings but only one had a plate. No one brought a second plate until asked. The “served at table” sea bass was hurried and sloppy with bits falling on the floor and bones remaining in fillet pieces. The chicken souvlaki, which I first ordered then quickly changed to the sea bass, was still provided (yes, communication can be an issue) but was undercooked and not eaten. Two side order plates included a small bowl of tzatziki except one had nothing in it.. At Il Forno, nice focaccia bread was served with an oil and balsamic dip but there were no bread plates provided. Courses were not spaced and server didn’t seem to care. Ordered cappuccino never arrived. At Brave, food was tasty and quantities were larger than expected for the shrimp cocktail appetizer, the rib eye steak and side dishes. Of course, that is not a criticism. Restaurants were unusually noisy for their size. You need a smart phone as menus are only available from a QR code. We especially enjoyed the barista prepared cappuccino and an ice cream cone at El Botey beach bar and ice cream parlour. Shaded tables overlooking the beach were always available. The Star Café had great baristas preparing a large selection of specialty coffees and teas to be enjoyed in a lovely, air conditioned space. Coffee drinks were served in real cups with saucers or pedestal glasses. Servers appreciated considerate guests who returned cups and glasses to the bar counter. Food at Los Haitises buffet (in lobby area) had lots of variety and the food was always fresh and well presented. It was constantly being refreshed and tidied up. Food trays were kept topped up even near closing times. I did have a burger that I deemed undercooked and didn’t finish. The food area is enclosed and air conditioned. The seating area is covered by an impressive structure but open air. The shingled roof is in disrepair. We liked that entry to the buffet area is controlled and you are shown to a table. You should have something to leave on the table or chair to show it is occupied or it might be reassigned while you are at the buffet. There are birds in the water “moat” surrounding the seating area. Some birds are bold and come into the seating area. Staff don’t aggressively shoo them away. Never leave food unattended. Avoid being seated at the edges near the water. We saw one family driven from their table by an aggressive egret (heron). This is an unpleasant aspect of the Los Haitises buffet and could be solved with some sort of netting barriers at the edges. This is the only place for breakfast. It is less busy at lunch time as there are other good food service options near the main pool and beach. The pork, chicken or vegetable chimmy sandwich, with a beer, at the Snack Shack on the beach is worth a mention. Most days were breezy so the water was a little rough (whitecaps) but was clean and lots of people were swimming. There was no seaweed on the beach to speak of. Since we were just 2 people, we could always find shaded loungers on the beach or at the pool. Larger groups should not expect to easily find space together. The long beach was nice for walking. There were roaming beach vendors as well as some pop-up stalls within the resort on a couple of days. We did not experience or see any aggressive behavior. We appreciated the environmental initiatives at the resort especially the electric powered equipment and elimination of single use plastic. The refillable water bottle system works well. There are two 1 litre bottles in the room and there are convenient fill stations. We suggest taking some smaller, heavier duty, plastic ones (like a 12 oz. soda bottle) to decant water into. They are easier to handle for drinking and teeth cleaning and reduce the risk of breakage. Take them home with you. Food is served on real plates. Bars use real glasses in the lobby area and reusable plastic at pools and beach. Rooms and terraces are non-smoking. Smokers congregate around the lobby bar which makes the area unpleasant for non-smokers as the smoke hangs in the air. Smokers use the beach as an ash tray. While it is breezy at the beach, it can be very still away from the water. We saw no shows. We mostly saw the same, noisy music videos and ads playing on the stage screen. We could not find any listing for shows. Apparently, all information is available on the hotel app but I didn’t want to do that download. In-room QR codes for hotel features, amenities and activities would be much more useful. Finally, about the mosquitoes! You don’t see them, hear them or feel them! The itchy welts just appear. They continued to appear 2 days after we got home-yes really! So, take repellant and keep it applied even when in your room. If you tend to sleep uncovered, they will get you bad! Also, be sure to take an anti-itch treatment. Regarding tipping: we never felt any pressure to tip. Advice: book a Junior Suite Pool Access room. It is worth the small extra to have a ground floor unit and be close to a pool as well as all the beach amenities. The walk to the buffet and lobby area is not that far and will do you good. Also, if you are going with loved ones (who isn’t?) spend the time looking at them instead of your cell phone!! I couldn’t believe the number of people who were more enthralled with their cell phone screen than the people they were with and the beautiful place they were at.