TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

We just returned from a girls trip to the Bavaro Palace. I'm not sure where all the horrible reviews are coming from but I'm gonna give you my take. As a whole it's a really nice place-beautiful, well maintained grounds, variety of activities, beautiful golf course etc. It's not Mexico. Many of the staff are not comfortable with English. But here's where we witnessed the "ugly Americans" that approached staff with "Do you speak English? " expecting the staff and facility to cater to just Americans. Instead if you approached with limited spanish like "por favor" "perdon" , donde esta....most were happy to try to help you. There were a few standouts in staff that we encountered. David at the golf course- he is the absolute best! Gave us a tour of golf course, pointed out wildlife, knocked down some coconuts for us- so much fun!!! Gladys in guest relations- why can't all your staff be as friendly as her? Dominga Matus in the buffet restaurant, she should be given a raise and a promotion to properly train wait staff. And Rudelania at the steakhouse should also Some other suggestions for management. Better communication/training to staff. We asked a question like "what time does the pool open?" and would receive 3 different answers. I asked someone in guest services "what is the show tonight?" and was told Michael Jackson and instead it was a childrens show. And maybe mentioning that if you just smile and say "Hola" it gives the place a friendlier vibe. Also the staff was cleaning /mopping the floors constantly but I witnessed 2 people slip. Perhaps dry mopping instead ? And one of my friends was injured windsurfing and one of the staff at guest relations claimed there were no crutches yet someone else found some immediately. And shouldn't seeing the doctor on staff be included not $200 to even have him look at you? Just a suggestion.... Now a lot of the complaints I read had to do with the food. Some people even claimed it was inedible. Again I think it's the ugly American mentality. You're in a different country. Much of the food at the buffets were Dominican, different from typical American fare. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion. Try just a little. There was always something you could find if that did not appeal to you. Made to order omelettes for example. Guacomole and chips- yum! wonderful selection of breads and cheeses. Wonderful dessert selection. You won't go hungry. Now the specialty restaurants were terrific. Make your reservations as soon as you arrive for the entirety of your stay. We liked the Spanish restaurant the best, then steak house, French( though did not feel is was worth the extra $35), Japanese( would have liked better if chef didn't overcook beef), seafood(had to put clams from appetizer bar in clam chowder because it didn't have any) Would we come again? Absolutely!

An honest review: The grounds and beach are beautiful. Hotel itself is good, especially for a young family. Biggest issue for us was the lack of food options. You HAVE to go to the main buffet for lunch, and there is no outdoor options anywhere. This basically put a buzzkill on our entire trip. The walk from Barcy’s or Pirate Island with the small kids is just too long, and takes the enjoyment out of the day as kids snack all day. The staff is lackluster, very few speak any English. Won’t return, not a fun place for kids.

I would think twice before booking with Bavaro. I stayed at Barcelo Bavaro 10 years ago and had a fantastic time. Staff was friendly, food was fantastic and had zero issues with our stay. I do not know what happened, but so much has changed with Barcelo Bavaro. First, It took over an hour to check in and finally get to our room. The buffet is absolutely horrible. I have never seen such a beautiful array of food at a buffet but once you try the food, that thought disappears. The food is unpalatable The premium restaurants are a hit or miss. (I only recommend the steakhouse or the Japanese restaurant. ) Another thing to be aware is the staff. If you have any problem with your stay, and you complain, be aware. The customer is NEVER right. The staff did not listen to the customer and after a legitimate complaint was made they made the rest our stay unbearable. On our last day at the hotel they cut off the air conditioning. Punta Cana has many beautiful beaches and many beautiful hotels I know price is always the number one reason to book a hotel. BUYER BEWARE.

The location was great and the kindness of the employees was very much great. The food was good sometimes

The resort is very large but well laid out. Rooms are spacious and tge bed was very comfortable. The beach is lovely and tge food is very good. Sports bar is open 24 hrs and is a lot of fun. There is a casino and a disco. It would have been nice if tgere was an open air lobby where you can have coffee in tge morning and drinks at night. It seems everything is inside. A good cup of coffee was hard to find. Buffet was very good as were tge Ala carte restaurants. We went to the steak house which was very good. Portions were rather small. My ribs were delicious but i only got 4. Coral seafood had great seafood but the 2 of us that aren't fish fans had chicken which was ok but very bland. Our favorite was Hoya restaurant which had awesome food but again the Portions were tiny. One disappointing thing was the bowling and escape room prices. They want $15usd per person for a very basic and small alley. Limited ball sizes and shoe sizes. And their escape room is $30usd per person. We don't pay that here for much higher quality escape rooms. We opted not do do either. Very over priced. Overall I would recommend the resort. Just undstand you will be doing a lot of walking.