TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Very disappointing experience – not worth the money We just returned from Royalton Bavaro in the Dominican Republic, and unfortunately, the experience was very disappointing. I traveled with my two kids (ages 12 and 14) for Christmas, and we were really looking forward to a festive vacation. The resort was barely decorated and did not feel welcoming at all. Check-in was disorganized and took a long time. The room itself was nice, but that was one of the few positives. The resort app and website did not work properly. Room service was extremely slow, fruit was unripe with very small portions, and requested items (soap and bathrobes) were never delivered, even though the app showed them as completed. It was almost impossible to book specialty restaurants, so we were stuck eating at the buffet. The food was repetitive, not tasty, and sometimes didn’t seem fresh. I managed to get into the Japanese restaurant once, but the food was so bad we left without eating. Staff overall were not friendly or attentive, despite tipping. Bartenders were slow, drinks were not good, and the minibar only had a few beers and no hard liquor. The only positive was the entertainment and daily activities, which were enjoyable. Overall, I would not return and would not recommend this resort. Very disappointing, especially for a Christmas vacation.

tl;dr highlights - HIGHLY NOT RECOMMENDED - low value, no dining at restaurants without an upsell and/or major headaches, problems go unsolved, only attentive staff are hustlers, many 5-star reviews coerced by staff. Full review: We stayed 5 nights at Royalton Bávaro (dec 26-31, 2025). An extended family trip with 9 people in 3 rooms. Our 4th all inclusive among various brands, but first time in DR and at Royalton. By far this was the worst we've been to (other brands Dreams, Westin, and Beaches) Check in - worst ever check in experience. No crowds but it took us 3 front desk visits from 12-3pm and over an hour spent waiting and/or at the front desk on check in. We didn’t get adjacent rooms we requested 4 months ago. Not welcoming or friendly. Dining - so stressful. Website says "reservation-free" dining - 100% false. App needed to book dining, but can't book more than 4. At concierge we are told everything is booked until 9 or 9:30 - unless upgrade with wine service ($50 and up), or private dining ($300+). My wife spent an hour with the guy trying to book meals. We had to book wine service for 2 meals and private room for one (~$500 for 3 meals), and got one meal without upsell. Given 3 handwritten receipts and a "trust me" for the final night reservation (no receipt). All set, right? Nope - every night we were met with confused stares, consultation by 3-4 people, and 20 minutes of waiting. Every night we felt like intruders or a problem to be dealt with. Food - quality was mixed. We enjoyed the Italian and the Mediterranean the best, the steakhouse was the worst. Hibachi was fun and good tasting. None of us got sick from food. Coffee shop was great. Food Service - typically bad but occasionally ok (at best on par with a US place like Chilis). Mishaps include completely missing 2 people's dinners, not offering drinks, dirty table, missing place settings/silverware, not enough menus, etc. Rooms - uneven quality & no problems fixed. With 3 rooms, 1 was missing chair & bench, 1 AC didn't work properly, 1 broken shower, 1 broken patio door, 1 tub leaked all over the floor. 1 mini bar was never restocked. 1 was missing sheets for the pullout couch. First night my son noticed no sheets (late), called housekeeping and no answer (slept without sheets). Early AM at guest services I was assured sheets would be delivered. Early PM, room is made but no sheets. I request on the app, get confirmation they will be there shortly. Late PM, still no sheets - I call housekeeping - “will be right over”. After dinner - no sheets - call housekeeping again - “on their way, soon”. I ask if “soon” means 15-30 minutes - “yes”. 1 hour later, no sheets - make a new request on app. It's getting late. My wife calls housekeeping every 15 min and I go to front desk. Front desk guy says they are on their way (at least 6th person to say this in 12 hours). I ask if he can guarantee I'll have sheets tonight - “no”! Staggering levels of incompetence. I ask for a supervisor - he refuses - sends me to guest services. I meet a guy angrier than me with same issue. ~10pm my wife texts that sheets came. Abysmal service. No management or accountability at this place. I wondered how they have good ratings - until I witnessed the "vibe team" coercing people to leave 5 star reviews. I watched a team member hustle a whole family on the beach to give 5 star review and request them to "show me your phone before you post". Many 5 star reviews mention specific vibe team members - they are the hustlers - so sketchy. The only time you get attentive staff is when it's unwanted (upselling, hawking diamond club, or coercing reviews). This place could be great. The property is nice with good landscaping, decent layout, and great pool and beach areas. Some of the night entertainment was also good. It's all negated by bad/absent management and staff (with few exceptions) that don't care about guest experience. I would never come back. You have fun here despite the resort, not because of it.

Victor, Diamond Club Butler, was the best! Very personable, attentive and went above and beyond with our requests! Our holiday would not have been the same without him. When booking diamond club, ask for Victor, you won’t be disappointed!!

It’s sad to see what this property has turned into. Check-in lines are ridiculously long, and when you get to a room, it’s not fully functioning. Ordered drinks at the pool; it took the waiter over 20 minutes to return. He forgot our order the first time, so we had to wait an additional 20 minutes. In round two, he actually forgot our drinks altogether. Hot tubs are freezing, and there are not enough tubes for the lazy river. I could go on and on…..We stayed here last year, and all I’m gonna say is it has gone completely downhill. I would not recommend it. Unfortunately, we’re still here until the 8th, and I’m already fed up. Can’t make a dinner reservation; the app only lets you book one night at a time. As Marriott ambassador guests, we were supposed to have someone to help us. He doesn’t respond to texts. I would honestly just stay away. There’s so much to unpack that is wrong with this property. Probably the last time we stay here.

We stayed at Royalton Bavaro Punta Cana in December 2025 and absolutely loved the experience. The resort itself is beautiful, but what truly made our stay special was the staff. The service at the Diamond Club pool was outstanding — a huge thank you to Roberto and Miguel, who went above and beyond every day. Their friendliness and attention made our time by the pool unforgettable. We also want to give a big thank you to our butler Jesus, who was incredibly helpful and always available to take care of anything we needed. His support really elevated our stay. We would 100% recommend this resort and will definitely be coming back. An amazing experience from start to finish