Barcelo Bavaro Palace

Wonderful beach and pool area. The kids area of the pool was great fun too. The beach volleyball was fun. Definitely recreational and less competitive, but that is the same at other beaches too. The family areas were great as well. We ate well and the waiting staff were very friendly. We took long walks on the beach and played with our grand-child in the sand, great fun.

I went on vacation with my best friend looking for fun in the sun. The resort is beautiful with good shopping and friendly staff. I was leery of the food based on some reviews I read but I found it to be excellent. It’s hard to provide buffet food that is always “fresh”. Sometimes it gets dried out and people are harsh with reviews. We had our best meal at Mexico Lindo, and found the atmosphere there really fun and inviting. Our room was clean and updated. The bar staff were always friendly and upbeat. Our only complaint and why I give a 4 vs 5 is that the entertainment/activity schedules were very lacking. There was a nightly “show” at 10pm of which one was basically a Disney princess show. At 10pm? I understand families are there but the 10pm show? And during the day the activities were minimal and repetitive. Getting people involved and interacting would have been helpful. You can only drink and lay in the sun so much! The beach was amazingly beautiful and they worked hard every morning to make it clean. I would have also loved a better fresh coffee choice in the morning. They only had machines providing coffee- although I understand it would be difficult given the volume - the coffee shop opened at 4pm?

I just spent this past week with some friends at Bavaro Palace. I had also been concerned about the bad reviews before arriving. The place was clean, staff were mostly very friendly (really, you can’t help if some staff are stressed and tired dealing with thousands of people daily) and I found most staff were delightful. I felt safe overall and even more so with security guards on property. Food was mostly sub-par in buffets but better in the reserved restaurants. There just weren’t a lot of American-type food options, most buffet items were strange combinations and a mish/mash of food pairings, hard to describe. I found myself grabbing fruit and a bagel and avoiding most dishes being offered. And I’m someone who likes to eat! I’ve been to another similarly rated resort and recall the food was fantastic, plentiful and had more choices to my liking. Entertainment was not my speed (large auditorium with Michael Jackson impersonator or karaoke) and a disco with mostly very young people. To each their own. There were plenty of bars to hang out at to chit chat with friends or other guests. At nighttime we liked the Mexican bar and restaurant the most. Pools and beach were beautiful & fun. Drinks were plentiful and were as strong as you wanted/requested if that’s your thing. Go for long walks to either end of beach and you’ll find a fun flea marketplace on the adult side and a tiki bar with pineapple 🍍 drinks on end of family side. We stayed in the family resort and yes the beach chairs are a pain because you have to get up early to reserve if you want a chair. If you are a younger couple or group I would suggest the adult side with premium option. All in all it was fun for the price we paid, we did not expect a 5 star elite experience. If you’re looking for a beautiful beach, fun & relaxation with friends and copious amounts of alcohol you’ll be happy. Rooms were a little dated, but we were happy to have a view of the beautiful turquoise water and weren’t there to hang out in out rooms. Beds were very comfy. Enjoy your trip! If you want a more elevated experience, be willing to pay more $$ and go to a 5 star resort.