Barcelo Bavaro Palace - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

30130 reviews

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  A Relaxing and Enjoyable Experience

  I had a wonderful time at Barceló Bávaro Palace and was impressed by everything the resort offered. The beach is stunning, with soft white sand and crystal-clear water, making it the perfect spot to unwind. The pool areas are well-maintained and spacious, offering a mix of lively and quiet spots depending on your mood. One of the highlights of my visit was trying the hydrotherapy circuit at the spa. It was such a relaxing and refreshing experience, with various pools, jets, and saunas that helped me de-stress and recharge. The facilities were clean and beautifully designed, and the staff ensured I felt comfortable throughout the experience. The dining options were also great, with a nice variety of cuisines to choose from. Everything I tried was fresh and flavorful, and the staff was attentive and friendly. Whether it was enjoying the beach, relaxing by the pool, or indulging in hydrotherapy, my time at Barceló Bávaro Palace was thoroughly enjoyable. I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for a peaceful and rejuvenating getaway.

  Jan 18, 2025
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  This was a very busy, aggressive and disorganized all inclusive resort.

  This was my second time to the Dominican. My first experience was incredible at a different resort in Punta Cana. Prior to my trip I had looked at so many reviews to see what all the hype was. Many people had said as a couple to stay on the family side rather than the adult side for a more upbeat atmosphere. When we arrived the concierge was very kind gave us our map with everything we needed. We were taken to our hotel room by food with our luggage which was a distance from the main lobby. We did see a lot of people driven in carts which was not offered to us. The morning staff were very accommodating versus the evening staff. There is one main building for all meals and a 24/h sports bar. When you arrive to the buffet you must find your own table if there is one. The best time to go is right when it opens at 0730. We attended the seafood, steakhouse, Mediterranean a la carte. The server was very slow and the food was sub par for this all inclusive being rated so high. On our last night we had booked the Japanese a la carte which was only available at 9:45 pm. Upon our arrival it was so disorganized that there would have been more than a 1 hour wait. I found that the majority of people to this specific location were mainly people outside of North America who were extremely aggressive. We saw many people arguing which made this trip uncomfortable while guards were called in. This resort is incredibly massive and is assistive device/ wheelchair friendly. They have multiple trains (trailer form) that arrive every 15 minutes to take you around the resort. The beach is breathtaking and is raked and cleaned every morning. Unfortunately you must claim your own seats in the morning otherwise you will be left without one due to the lack of seating . I found a smaller pool with cabanas that you could rent daily from 7am to 5pm for $15.00 USD, which was a nice change that has a standing bar for water, coffee and alcohol. We are both very social people and love a great conversation. A lot of people came here to read. There is no sign here to inform you of hour to book your cabana. You must walk up to the bar to arrange these and your room will be charged rather than paying upfront. There were a few occasions we had to ask staff to remover other travellers items from our booked cabana who were very disrespectful to us because they wanted it. We do not like confrontation was uncomfortable and unnecessary. In the main lobby there are many shops including duty free which is very convenient. Overall there is very little signage to help with activities and you are left on your own to roam. The excursions we had were phenomenal off of our resort. All in all on our resort besides the beach and the smaller pool where we purchased cabanas, was a very uncomfortable, stressful, aggressive resort that I would not recommend to anyone or return too. There are many other resorts to choose from.

  Jan 18, 2025
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  Pick your poison.... Love the beach HATE the food

  completely disappointed with food, drinks are warm, but beautiful rooms (stayed premium) and beach was beautiful grounds well kept.

  Jan 17, 2025
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  Horrible service

  This is a parody of all inclusive resort….where should I start from. Staff speaks” 0 “ English. They don’t even make an attempt to try to help you if you don’t speak Spanish. 2 hours wait at the restaurants to get something completely different than what you ordered. Food is horrible in all of the restaurants. Barely edible. Housekeeping storms in my room everyday between 2 pm and 4pm when my baby sleeps. Don’t waste your money and time for this resort.

  Jan 16, 2025
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  Resort is nice, but Bavaro Beach is NOT one of the top 10 beaches in the world!

  Our stay went well, but we were a bit disappointed. Bavaro Beach is supposed to be one of the top 10 beaches in the world. My son wanted to snorkel off the beach. Unfortunately, the water was murky. Standing knee-deep, you could not see your feet. This put a damper on our entire trip, and we had to take excursions in order to find truly clear water. The water is calm, so don't expect waves. The pools are large, but only go to 4 feet depth, so we didn't do much swimming. Surprisingly, there are no hot tubs in the swimming area. Our room was very nice--we had a family room...which offers 2 bedrooms (king and 2 doubles) with one bathroom and a small foyer with mini-fridge and microwave (for the same price as other rooms). The fridge is stocked everyday with Coke, Sprite, water, seltzer and beer. The family rooms are next to 2 waterparks...the first is designed for toddlers with small slides and fountains; the 2nd is probably appropriate for 10 year olds--a pirate ship with a small wave pool and a few slides (If you do not book a Premium room, you only get one day at the Pirate ship). Although the rooms are next to the waterpark, they are the furthest rooms from the beach and restaurants, so it can be a walk. Also, no elevators in the family buildings, so request a lower level if any mobility issues (buildings are 4 stories). The rooms do have a large whirlpool tub on the balcony. Food was plentiful at the buffets, but quality was average, We ate at a few of the restaurants (Try and reserve these soon after checking in): El Coral (seafood)--food was pretty good, service was good Steakhouse--Also good food and service La Dolce Vita (Italian)--Avoid this one. It's hard to get a reservation, so we thought it would be good. Nope. Place is smaller than other restaurants, food was worse than Olive Garden, very small salad bar, and awful service. They make a big point of saying that there is a dress code for this restaurant, so we got dressed up...only to find other people sitting there in beach cover-ups, pajamas. We left right after the entree, didn't wait for dessert. Most of the servers at the restaurants/buffet and housekeepers do not speak English. We did not find this to be an issue, but sometimes, patience is required. (For instance, I had a bowl of ice cream in my hand, and had to ask someone for a spoon. At first, the girl brought back a fork, I gestured at my ice cream, then she brought back an espresso spoon, then a soup ladle. The bartender was looking at her and laughing (it was pretty funny). I do wish that more of the workers at the restaurants smiled. They did not seem to be enjoying themselves, but we did not experience any service issues. Other reviewers have mentioned a sewage smell. This was noticeable in one place only--right outside the bowling alley, on the way to the restaurants. You had to pass this parking lot...which we assumed was the garbage collection space for the hotel. There was no smell by the beach or the pools. I would have expected more entertainment (a small band or guitarist playing under a gazebo during the day, early evening). There is a nightly show at 7 for smaller children. But for adults, there is a show at 10 PM in an outdoor theater, and the disco doesn't open until 11 PM. You can take the tram over the the Adult only area which does have an earlier nightly show. In summary, place was nice, food was OK, ocean was very calm, and the beach was clean...but the water was very murky (which is what ruined the trip for us)

  Jan 16, 2025