Payments made by partners impact the order of prices displayed. Room types may vary.
The listings of booking offers for each property take into account the compensation paid to us by our partners. Prices shown may be for varying room types. Prices displayed are the lowest available, corresponding to the least expensive room type available, as provided from our partners as of the time of the user’s search.
Barceló Bávaro Palace Deluxe, a unique and unrepeatable location on the best beach of Punta Cana, protected by a coral reef that converts the sea into a natural swimming pool. This an all-inclusive luxury gastronomic hotel is a new concept in luxury on the best beach in Punta Cana. All the rooms have terrace and sea views (front or partial) and jacuzzi for two persons with hydrotherapy, Well-being of the latest generation.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Trendy
Luxury
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
Playa Bavaro Km 1 No 1, Bavaro, Punta Cana 23301 Dominican Republic
Barcelo Bavaro Palace All Inclusive Resort
30,166 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
This summary was created by AI, based on recent reviews.
Powered by AI
Nestled close to a beach, the Barcelo Bavaro Palace All Inclusive Resort offers a lively atmosphere and an array of entertainment options that guests find appealing. However, some visitors have called attention to the less than warm service and a pervasive sense of unwelcomeness. Despite the spaciousness of rooms, critiques often focus on their dated decor and cleanliness shortcomings.
The resort's location garners praise, but the value is frequently questioned due to perceived overpriced services and subpar food quality. While the grounds receive commendations for their upkeep, service and amenity inconsistencies mar the overall experience.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Lively
Rooms
Dated
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Satisfactory
Was this helpful?
Tripadvisor is not responsible for this summary or the opinions in it. For more information, please read the traveller reviews and learn more about how the site works.
The best trip in a very long time all due to the wonderful service. I’ll start with Esther Hernandez from the La Briosi restaurant on the beach with saving us a romantic table. Marcia and the staff at the adults only pool with getting our Hut ready daily and making sure everything was clean. 80 minutes couple massage was nice and very very quiet. The spa pool was a big plus with invigorating cold and hot plunge with fresh towels and showers. Breakfast in the premium club was fabulous with anything u want. Sandra made sure to have my omelette ready every morning. She remembered exactly how I liked it. Coral restaurant was a great perk for the premium club members, food was fresh hot and delicious and the omelette cook was the best. No complaints about any of the restaurants and the wine list was impressive. Strolls on the beach we’re pristine and breath talking and a calm clear ocean with no seaweed visible. The broadway show was very entertaining and I’m not one for shows. On our last day we decided to order room service and I’m glad we did it was delivered to our balcony with a magnificent view of the ocean and beach, with a bottle of champagne on ice a fruit and cheese platter, grilled grouper that was out of this world the best part about the food it was steaming hot. Every balcony has a Jacuzzi on it which makes it romantic. The 19 th hole Resturant on the golf course is a great little getaway of the hustle and bustle of the buffets. The menu service and the awesome views of the costs were one of the better qualities. We attended the managers cocktail party on Thursday night on the rooftop lounge where they served champagne gave every woman a rose and served hors d’oeuvres. They all wanted our input on our stay and asked if we can recommend improvements they were very interested in our input. During checkout we asked for a late check out and Roberto was more than happy to oblige. But I must say that all the girls that work in the premium club go above and beyond our expectations. I would highly recommend this resort for anyone looking for a good time with their loved ones, Family or just friends.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had a great time! You don't need to be on the premium level to have a great time. Our room was clean and the golf course view was great. The staff always refreshed and stocked our room daily with towels, snacks, coffee, drinks, and chocolate on the bed at night during turn down service. The resort itself was always being maintained. The staff was out cleaning, trimming, cutting, and cleaned up the seaweed on the beach every day. The buffet food was better than we thought it would. It was huge and plenty to choose from all day. We went to the Mexican, Italian, and Steak restaurants and they were awesome especially the Italian. Really good food. They are there to please you and the little extra like giving samples to taste from the menu was great. The bar drinks were amazing. The cups they used were recyclable and they gave paper straws. Water bottles were always available. There are lots of stores to shop at but they are expensive. If you need anything, just be prepared to pay a lot of money. We went on a catamaran excursion one day and we had so much fun and I would highly recommend it. We are went on another excursion into the mountains to see the monkeys, learn about coffee, etc. and it was also amazing. Long drive there though but interesting drive. Lots of loungers on the beach and the pool was very nice, clean, and large. Never over crowded. Lots of daily activities. There is a train to take you around the resort that comes every 10 minutes to pick you up. I guess our only complaint would be the staff could understand and speak more english and having a BBQ food area around the pool areas would be a good idea.
Read more
Date of stay: March 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Â I always like the top floor of resorts. Less chance of noise and a better view.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I had been to this resort probably 20 yrs ago before the renovations. The service was wonderful from the moment we arrived, they tried to accommodate my room request, as I have back surgery and cannot walk far distances. The resort is huge so there is still alot of walking that needs to be done. Our room was beautiful and clean, everything worked and the view was gorgeous. We had a mini guest services near our tower were a wonderful employee Ivanny Abreu made every attempt to accommodate our dinner reservation request. She was friendly and patient. She also, unbeknownst to us noted on our reservation for the evening we were celebrating my birthday and they sang and bought me a beautiful cake. They also left me a nice keepsake scroll from the resort, wishing me a happy birthday in my room. She was friendly and patient. You can tell she enjoys her job. We also, had a great experience at the spa that was running a special which was very affordable. Food was good and pretty varied. Only disappointments was the weather wasn't that great for the week we were there. We left right before the COVID-19 crackdown. Employees were offering hand sanitizer outside the buffet at all times, which means they were taking things seriously. The only recommendations I would make is that there should be some in room detailed guide about the resort. (there is a book but just hi-lights the resort) Even someone from the resort to explain how to get around, there are alot of shortcuts that we were not aware of until midway through our trip. And lastly they really need to offer free wi-fi. Overall, would definitely return sometime in the near future and would even request the same room, as we had a great location. Thank you Barcelo for a wonderful experience and Birthday!
Read more
Date of stay: March 2020
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I will start with the positives. This resort has some of the nicest buildings and rooms I have seen at an all inclusive resort. The beach is one of the nicest beaches I have been to anywhere in the world and the water is crystal clear.
Onto the real review. Americans and English speakers are not welcome at this resort. If you don’t speak fluent Spanish then no one will even pretend to help you. My wife speaks fluent Spanish and even the service personnel pretended like they had no idea what she was saying at times.
The lack of services is above and beyond. They expect you to tip them before they lift a finger. There are more employees than I have ever seen at a resort and 99% of them are standing around doing nothing. When you approach them and politely ask for anything they will usually walk away and never return with whatever you requested or needed help with.
The food is very poor quality. Which is to be expected at the buffet and busy daytime restaurants. However, the restaurants, which require over a days notice for a reservation are very hit or miss. The Japanese, steakhouse, and French restaurant are the holy grail of this resort. Avoid the others at all cost.
Beware that this resort is VERY conservative and does not accommodate large groups. Most restaurants refuse to seat any groups larger than 6. We were with a group of friends who constantly had to fight to be seated together, even after making reservations for 9:30pm to ensure we could eat together.
The entire resort is very quiet. No music, no laughter, no fun. So create your own! Even the swim up bar, which none of the bartenders understand English or at times Spanish, has music playing. There are also children everywhere. Even at the swim up bar. The kids sections are huge and even have water parks, but no one is at them. They are completely empty with all of the kids playing around the adults.
All in all I would never recommend this resort to any English speaker, or vacationer who has stayed at another resort. Save your money and go to another resort where they will treat you like they care and want to ensure you have a great vacation.
Read more
Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
To be honest this is our 8th time traveling within the Barcelo resort chain and I have never been more upset and disappointed. We have traveled to Palace Maya premium levers 7 times and decided to visit Palace Bavaro Premium level again.
We are currently here still 7 nights only day two and turned off drastically
The service at the buffet is disgusting you must seat yourself not knowing where to seat. You must look lost as the staff stares at you You sit somewhere they wait until you get settled to say get up can’t sit here
A drink or utensils in almost impossible to obtain You ask literally 3 staff members and the 4th will maybe get it for you
The premium ocean front room was originally booked for 1 king bed but we was given two full beds and not given any options or change of bed instead they suggested we move both full beds together and move the night table in between to the side. Mind you two full beds are not suitable for two adults not possible and very uncomfortable
The resort complex is gorgeous no doubt very beautiful and you will meet nice staff but honestly the service and attention is below minimum not even at expectation for what is paid especially premium level
The pool is very over crowded large groups of locals which honestly is no issue but some type of regulation and social distancing should be in place there is no COVID precautions check in we got tempature checked after that nope Only staff wearing masks To get food no mask required The pool area extremely messy cups thrown in water floating cups along the side of pools Cups all over the chairs and tables No one enforcing the appearance or cleanliness
Again...the resort is gorgeous but the pool area outside bar area very messy I did not get in water due to being over crowded and forget about the bar.
It honestly takes a lot to be upset and I love the barcelo chain but bavaro palace needs to be held to same standards as other barcelo resorts
Not happy at all and very let down I Probably won’t recommend this resort at all And most likely won’t return
Let’s see the next few nights we have here and hopefully service get better I already spoke to a buffet supervisor who was very nice and she apologized but she is one person not the resort
Read more
Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Guest, We are really sorry to hear that you did not enjoy the experience in our hotel to the fullest as we strive to make each stay with us an unforgettable one. Discussions involving the respective team members and management have taken place to review your comments, and we would like to assure you that all of your concerns will be addressed and attended to. We first would like to extend our sincere apologies for the imperfections of service you describe in your review and although your comments do not seem to match the usual feedback we receive both onsite and online, we will make sure to discuss your review internally so as to avoid giving this kind of impressions from our dedicated employees. As a service-oriented company, we have a strong commitment to achieving our guests' satisfaction. Therefore, we regret your dissatisfaction with the social distancing measures. We would like to clarify that our hotel has adhered to all those measures established by the health authorities to prevent the spread of the Corona Virus. For your information and peace of mind, we work with established hygiene and sanitation standards, which are continuously monitored; all our employees wear a mask, which is mandatory for all our employees. In addition, all the tables in our bars and restaurants are disinfected before and after each use. We have disinfectant gel dispensers distributed in all common areas. In that same order, we take the temperature of our clients when they arrive at the hotel, in our restaurants and buffets and our employees every day when entering and leaving the work areas. It is also important to tell you that Barceló Bávaro Palace has a Quality Control Coordinator to ensure proper monitoring of cleaning procedures in rooms, middle points of consumption around the resort, among others. We extend our sincerest apologies if you have perceived our lack of service. Thank you again for your visit and constructive critics, our primary goal being to assure our guests feel comfortable and fully enjoy their visits, we are eager to regain your confidence during another occasion if you gave us that chance. Sincerely, Cesar GüÃlamo General Manager at Barceló Bavaro Palace.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I had previously stayed at this resort and decided it would be safe to travel with friends there during these times. When we first arrived, masks were not enforced or required which we did not have a problem with. It was not until days later when we arrived at the buffet for lunch when we were not allowed in due to not having masks even though that morning they were not required for breakfast. We then had to go to the gift shop just to purchase masks because our room was so far and they refused to provide them for us. Even though we were forced to wear a mask in there, plenty of other people did not have any face coverings on. The food at the buffet was actually gross and the staff there was very nasty. Every single day we would have to ask for silverware and water multiple times and be treated poorly. The men here would also constantly be creepy and definitely made many women feel uncomfortable. People staying at this resort were also very rude and did not understand the concept of personal space especially during a pandemic. We were waiting in line for dinner reservations when a family of five literally walked in without masks and stood right on top of us. The night life here was awful and the only thing open was the casino till 2 am where sketchy stuff would occur. On top of this, the swim up bar was not open inside the pool so if you wanted to get drinks, you would have to wait in a line outside of the pool. The beach everyday was beyond packed and never any chairs available for guests. On top of all this, our air conditioning in the room did not work and it was always beyond humid. The walls are so thin and you can hear doors slamming and people walking above you. Not to mention the puddle of water that would be in our room everyday from the ceiling leaking either from upstairs or the humidity. I would overall recommend not to stay at this hotel unless you want corona, gross food, rude people, a hot room, and nothing to do past 10 Pm. Sketchy things were constantly going on consisting of phones going missing and people getting arrested for no reasonings. Do not stay here.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2021
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Guest, We are really sorry to hear that you did not enjoy the experience in our hotel to the fullest as we strive to make each stay with us an unforgettable one. Discussions involving the respective team members and management have taken place to review your comments, and we would like to assure you that all of your concerns will be addressed and attended to. Please be assured your comments regarding the service you received during mealtimes has been discussed with our Maître so as to prevent these kind of situations to reoccur in the future and we sincerely apologize for failing to meet your expectations on this occasion. We do our utmost to ensure that our guests can enjoy an enriching dining experience in an unrivaled setting and with an excellent service. Our restaurant team will continue working to surprise you with delicious international and local dishes on your next visit. We are very sorry to read the disturbances caused by the air conditioning unit in your room and not being immediately informed as we would have been able to send a technician and have it repaired in no time for you to fully enjoy your stay, for a future occasion please do not hesitate to contact our reception desk for anything we may do for you to fully enjoy your stay among us. Once again we thank you for sharing this valuable feedback with us, please rest assured that the information you have provided will be used accordingly to enhance our future guests' experiences among us and we hope you will visit us again in the future. Regards, Cesar GüÃlamo, General Manager at Barceló Bavaro Palace.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Went for a week in the premium ocean view suite. The Good: Room was incredible with every amenity you could want. The balcony was huge with lounge chairs and a jacuzzi. The beach was beautiful and you could always find a chair. We golfed and the course was challenging and very well maintained. An easy walk from the lobby. Overall we could easily walk everywhere but we did take a train to the Beach for a couple of dinners. It was nice having a separate Premium buffet option for breakfast and lunch. It was smaller/quieter but still offered all the options of the large buffets. Staff generally (except upstairs at the casino where we got an eye roll when we asked if they spoke English) were pleasant and tried to be helpful. Needs improvement: I was shocked that the hostesses were not ensuring everyone was sanitizing before entering the restaurants (especially this year)!. Every other resort I’ve been to requires this. The Seafood restaurant is awful. We enjoyed the gourmet restaurant at the Beach, the French restaurant and the food at the golf club. I was also disappointed in the lack of chairs at the adults only pool. There was plenty of room to have more. We did find the language barrier an issue at times. I would rather an employee indicate they don’t understand instead of smiling and nodding and nothing happens. Overall, it was a good holiday. We would go back.
Read more
Date of stay: March 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We have stayed at Barcelo Palace Gran Resort Punta Cana over 15 times within the last 20 years. This last vacation was different because of the current Pandemic, with restrictions set and safety measures taken our trip overall was great. The Barcelo Resorts established a high level of hospitality with their guest. When we arrived, the bell man greeted us and disinfected all our luggages and backpacks (great precaution taken with several people handling your luggage at the airport). We checked in at the concierge office and was give great room with ocean view. During our stay we noticed all staff members working hard, using precautions, wearing face mask at all times, extra cleaning/disinfecting of the bar area and practicing social distancing at restaurants/buffet. Buffet food stations are completely covered with the chefs serving the food as a precaution. (Excellent system for the current circumstances). Adult pool area was private with limited capacity and plenty of space. The pool was clean, the bar was clean and service was outstanding. The bar tenders Radaisa, Marcia, Santo and Luis all rotated shifts however the drinks and service were outstanding. Rada makes the best Mojitos at the resort. Buffet was open for breakfast and lunch the majority of the day.The food and service was great!!! They had plenty of selections available at both servings. The staff was friendly and providing a great welcoming atmosphere. We had excellent service from Cesar at lunch and Rene at breakfast. While also being greeted by one the managers Franklin on a daily basis. We noticed at lunch everyday the General Managers and President of the company would eat lunch at the buffet. This is unique, as the top executive of the resort eat at the same location of their guest. Whereas if the food and service is great for the CEO and GM it’s great for the guest!! We spoke with the GM simple conversation and humbling enough when we went to our room the next night we had a nice display of chocolate strawberries and sweets. A simple gesture on how they appreciate their guest. Overall, the dinner restaurants at night had a good menu selection. 4 restaurants are available (French, Spainish, Japanese and Mexican). My favorite was the Espana Restaurant (Lamb Shank) and French restaurant (Lobster and Duck). Overall, it was upsetting to see such a great resort with limited amount of people, because of the world pandemic, however our experience was outstanding. All the staff from the President, GM, managers and team members are all working hard to provide the guest with a positive experience of safety, cleanliness, and outstanding service.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We booked our family vacation from Feb 17-24 2020 at the Barcelo Bavaro Palace and I must say the resort is beautiful and well kept. We have traveled all over the world and this was our first time in Punta Cana, DR. Our major at this Barcelo property was the lack of customer service and the inability for staff to communicate in English. Now I do understand when traveling to different countries you must adapt but when everything is priced in USD the minimum expectation would be that staff would understand basic English requests. I have never experienced this level of communication all over the Caribbean. I read other reviews about issues making reservations at the a la carte restaurants and they are true. Food was hit or miss but not a big deal. A few tips and complaints to mention.
1. Make reservations for a la carte restaurants before you arrive and or right as your check in. If you don’t you may have issues eating at the places you prefer. Literally book the whole week right away. Bring long pants and closed toe shoes. The restaurants seem to pick and choose what dress codes they enforce. I wasn’t allowed to eat with golf shorts and nice shoes but apparently sweatpants and beach sandals was ok that evening. This issue was witnessed on multiple occasions and not just by our family. 2. Be careful when shopping at the store on the first level to the right of duty free. They sell all kinds of beach stuff but have very few prices on anything. If you request a price it will likely be 4 to 5 times more than you would pay for the same item elsewhere on the resort. I tried to buy a floatie for my daughter and the gentleman wanted 110 usd for it and I bought it for 30 usd elsewhere. Same issue with snorkel gear 17 usd by the beach and he wanted 35. Buyer beware. 3. Brush up on your Spanish as it will make your stay much easier. I thought about making cue cards. 4. We asked for an extra towel for our room as we had 5 people in our family and only 4 towels. This was a daily issue for all 7 days. Each day after our room cleaning, we had one less towel than required. Also, we asked each day for face towels and only ever received one. 5. Good luck getting a chair by the pool. It seems people reserve chairs by the pool for days at a time and never actually use them. Some sort of towel policy like other resorts enforce would be beneficial to those that actually use the facilities.
While there are staff members who do seem to care about customer service it seems that the majority do not and or are so confused, they look completely blank. I, like many people, have limited vacation time and for similar money there are better places to go.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2020
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I believe that you can, because they have signs publicizing the premium category. We did not take this option, because we could not justify the cost for what you get. We found the option too expensive for what is included.
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
