IFA Villas Bavaro Hotel

My girlfriend and I just got back from the Villas on the 11th of June. We paid $622/PP including tax, air out of Philly, transfers, drinks, and meals. We stayed in room 1229. This was our first all inclusive vacation although we are avid travelers. The flight there was smooth, we were very pleased with USA3000. The transfer to the hotel was smooth also, it was neat to see what the natives live like in terms of a house. Check in was smooth, everyone on the bus is checking in so it could take a little while. We were let into our room right away and then went right to tthe beach. The room was fine, no bugs as I have read on previous postings. The air worked for us but we did talk to another couple whose air did not work. Basically, it's a standard room with a tv and air. Besides sleeping, you are only in there to get ready usually or to take an afternoon nap. No complaints about the room. On to the beach, it was beautiful, everything you heard on this site is true about the beach. My only complaint was that there was quite a bit of seaweed in the water, everywhere actually, but not like it was horrible where you couldn't swim or anything, that's the beach, what are you gonna do ya know. The sand is white with pink speckles. There is a little hut on the beach right when you walk down from the hotel that serves lunch. The food is better at the other restaurants but if you are on the beach and want a quick eat you can find something. There is a restaurant right next to that where you can sit down to eat your lunch and also serves as a sit-down dinner joint. You have to make reservations for dinner between 12-3, they get booked fast. It's a sit down and a waiter comes and takes your order, just like going to eat in the states except it's free. I would reccomend going at least once. The lobster and seafood are not free. The menu will have a price for everything but you only pay for the seafood. You can order an appetizer, a meal, and a dessert, and of course drinks, it's all free. If you have a question about the item being included just ask. There is also a bar at the same area it usually is pretty full but no more than a 4 minute wait. To the right of the beach about 100 yards is a market. It is not part of Barcelo, there are vendors in there selling everything from cigarettes to alcohol, to jewelry, to crafts. They are a pain in the butt!! They will say everything to get you to come over and look at there stuff. They will start out at such ridiculous prices it's really unbelievable. So don't pay the original, or even close to it in most situations. They do have some deals but the Apple guy said there is no quality and usually that was obvious. Marlboros for $10 a carton. I got a "$40 pair of earrings" for $6 after bargaining. Simply show interest and negotiate, then walk away and say "no gracias". They will yell for you back and give another price, then you can counter again. Be careful with the cigars because they can't be good if they are in the heat all day ya know. There are shops on the resort grounds that are priced decently and will give you an idea of what you can expect to pay. The cigar shop on the resort does bargain with you if you try, so try. The others I couldn't negotiate with. But I did most of my shopping on the resort because I trusted them more. And shop around on the resort too, there are some places you wil find better deals by almost half the price. I found the shop by the towel exchange to be the cheapest. As for the food. Like they say, it's not gourmet. That is close to an understatement. I love to eat. I am not picky at all. I did get full every night, my girlfriend is careful of what she eats and usually did not have a problem. Like the posting before said. At breakfast you can get fresh made omletes. You can pick from onions, tomatoes, spam, greenpeppers, and cheese. My advice get creative. They have bacon out at the buffet line. I cut some up and had them throw it in there for me. I ate mostly the freshly prepared items and would reccomend that course of action. At dinner they have a freshly prepared pasta line with a choice of red or white sauce, then the tomato or onion thing, and they toss it up over high heat for you in a pan. I added the freshly made chicken usually to the pasta dish it was good. Some night I could only find 2 things I liked and just ate a bunch of that whatever it was. You won't go hungry. But somethings arequite rough looking and tasting. They do use spam alot, or there processed version of spam. By the barpool near reception there is a hut that serves pizza from 4-6, it is ok and will serve as a good snack. Don't eat the hot dogs, they are that spam stuff once again. To sum up the food, it was ok, I ate well, and I did not go hungry. The food is not gonna be the highlight of your trip, the hotel and beach will be. Try all the restaurants out, see which one you like best and go from there, we had a rotation going and it seemed to work. There are 4 restaurants in all along with 4 bars. The drinks were excellent! The pina colada's were amazing, I drank them all the time. They come out of the mixer with no alocohol if you want alcohol simply ask "con alcohol porfavor" There is only one kind of beer, Presidente, it's a pretty good beer. As for the resort, it was nice, they had 2 very nice pools and the workers did do a good job of keeping it clean. They do work hard out there in the sun. I always tried to say hola! Everyone was nice, the wait staff, the workers, and everyone. Some were not as friendly, but none were rude. Now it's time for my suggestions: Take sunblock and apply it liberally and often. And make sure you take at least 2 bottles. We went through one 8 ounce bottle the whole trip, but my girlfriend didn't use it all that much. The cost of forgettting it will be sunburn that you won't forget and $20 (That's how much a 6 oz. bottle costs at all the shops). Take mosquito repellent! You will need it. Not during the day. Just from dawn till dusk. If you plan on going out at night, bring it. Even for the walk to dinner. Take pepto, immodium, benadryl, and tums, or similar products. They have a doctor there that costs money. I could only imagine how much. We took all our own toiletries, but they have shampoo and conditoner there. Don't know how good it is but it's there. I would say take a bar of your own soap though, can't hurt. Don't take big bills, there is no need. I didn't change a single dollar over to pesos, US dollars are widely accepted. More advice, learn a little spanish, just a few words if you don't know already. Hola!(hello), gracias(thank you), por favor(please), adios(goodbye). I bought a spanish phrase book just cause I felt like it here in the states for $7, it's called Rick Steven's something Spanish, it for Spain but it works and I had fun trying to communicate. I like to immerse myslef in the culture. I read it and it was nice to be able to say certain things to them like buenos diaz(good morning). The staff at reception speaks english. Most people speak a little. There is a language barrier obviously. It's up to you how big you want it to be. If you don't know how to speak a single word you will still be fine, you may have more difficult of a time, but not much more. Don't drink the water, there is bottled water at the bars for free. Near reception there is a towel exchange open from 7-7. Don't lose your towel, it's $15 if you do. We tipped the maid the first 2 days, it didn't seem to help, actually make things worse so we stopped. Not that it was bad but she sometimes forgot towels, then sometimes forgot the blanket. Nothing that held us up or inconvienced us for long. We did not take any tours so I can't give any insight on those. Basically, take health supplies! If you are taking a good camera, you may want to opt for a disposable due to the sand that can tend to get messy if it gets mixed in with your camera bag. Also take a comfortable pair of sandals for the beach it is a walk to the beach not bad though, and they do have a bus. But make sure you know they won't give you problems. There are a lot of Europeans and they do walk around topless, at least half of the women on the beach are topless, old and young. Overall the trip was definitely worth it, and as others said, next time I would pay the extra money and upgrade to a 4 or 5 star. But for the price I would reccomend it. Like others have said, if you are looking for a place to relax on the beach, in the sun, and eat and drink and be merry, with no fuss. This is what you want. We did nothing but go to the beach and the pool and eat and drink. We did not drink much alcohol, but if you want to there is plenty available. The weather was amazing, it rained a few times, only once in the afternoon for not even 5 minutes, and a few times at night it poured but we were in bed by then. As for the grading scale, my girlfriend and I would grade as follows: Service - B Food - C Resort - A Beach - A Drinks - B Cleanliness -B Overall Value - B

I returned June 7th from 4 nights at the Barceló Bávaro Beach Resort. The resort is comprised of 5 hotels. We stayed at the Golf Hotel. The best thing about the Golf Hotel was our room had two bedrooms and two balconies and two thermostats for the a/c. My friend was able to stay in the room with the TV, fridge and closets while my room had the bathroom and sink (separate areas). The room was brown and dated as mentioned in a previous review. Actually the reviews were quite accurate depending on where you stayed. I must say the grounds were pretty (Golf was a bit rundown). More attention seemed to be paid to the Palace (Convention Center), the Casino and the Beach Resort. We didn’t get to see the Caribe at all and the Palace only from the reception area while waiting for a trolley. The trolley is the only way to get around and a definite necessity. Searching for good food was an ongoing problem. Our first meal there was at the Las Canas buffet. The pasta was good but that was all. The rest of the food looked like left overs from the night before and tasted worse. Lunch was so bad we skipped dinner. The next day we ventured out a little farther to the Beach Resort, which also had the Internet Café, Hair Salon (Peluqueira) and a decent gift shop. I must say we spent most of our time at the Beach Resort because everything was just better there than the Golf. I don’t know why they call it the Golf because the golf course is really connected to the Casino. The Golf was like a place that the resort forgot about. The Staff were less than enthusiastic. Continental Breakfast was a sometimes thing. Sometimes it was there…sometimes it wasn’t. Didn’t seem to have a particular time either. Drinks were lacking alcohol but if you wanted something sweet they served a purpose. Even when you asked for alcohol (in Spanish or English it didn’t matter) the drink seemed like water was added. This might be because we didn’t tip. But I didn’t see anyone else tip either except at the Hair Salon. Drinks were good in the Casino though. The second day we went to the Beach Resort and the Ambar Buffet for lunch. It was delicious. I wish there were microwaves in the room so you could take out whatever you found that was good to eat and save it for the hard times. We also went to the Peluqueira (Hair Salon). They do very nice work but the prices are higher than the Dominicans in New York. From there we sat at the bar by the beach and enjoyed the ocean breezes. Never did get drunk no matter how many drinks we ordered. That night we went back to the Ambar and found they were only serving seafood. So we tried the Steak House. Big mistake. The ribs weren’t good and the rib steak was so small and tough I had trouble eating it. Everything came to the table cold. I ordered a pizza and that was good. The third day we missed breakfast at the buffets and had the “Continental Breakfast” at the hotel bar. It turned out to be better than the food served at the buffets. But that was not something to rely on since it wasn’t always available. The coffee is very strong (like espresso in NY) when you ask for espresso you get something close to sludge. We then went to the beach, which turned out to be the best part of the vacation. Nice hot sun with cool ocean breezes sweeping over you. Excellent! The beach was clean but the currents were a little strong. Not many people anywhere. Not on the beaches, not in the buffets or restaurants. Even the Tropicalíssmo show was a little more than half full. The casino was empty but I did win a little more than I played on the slots so I consider myself coming out ahead. The Tropicalíssmo show was good but all in Spanish. They did speak English and other languages when the show was over and they wanted you to try your luck at the Casino. English is definitely not spoken here. If you want anything you must speak the language. I don’t speak Spanish. My friend spoke Spanish and that was a help at times. Still didn’t get us any alcohol in our drinks. The restaurant in the Casino hotel (Mirador) was very good that night. One of the problems for me was that not all of the food is labeled so you have a difficult time determining what you are eating. I don’t eat pork and most meals had a lot of pork. Every night was an experience in trying to find something to eat. Thank goodness for the trolley. It was the only means of getting from one hotel to the next to find food and entertainment because nothing was happening at the Golf Hotel. After a few days you want to leap for joy when you see the trolley coming. Hotel check out was easy and the taxi to Punta Cana airport, although expensive, came quickly. Punta Cana airport is much nicer than Santo Domingo airport but be prepared to walk the entire length of the airport with your carry on luggage and keep in mind there are stairs to climb (no handicap accommodations) to the plane. Also, there is no a/c until you get to the Terminal. To summarize the vacation I would say that the Barceló Bávaro Beach Resort was somewhat of a disappointment. I still like the Dominican Republic, but I would rather visit another resort that has a more friendly staff, much better food and drinks, cleaner accommodations and more English speaking staff. I would also have liked to see more activities for the guests at night. Besides the casino, only the Tropicalíssmo show was offered for entertainment. For the money I paid I expected more FUN, Drinks and food.

Just came back from our 7-day trip on 6/5/04. We traveled with our kids, ages 1 and 4. Initially, we were placed in the Villas section, in the 1100s, which is quiet, but the rooms are smaller and it is a hike to the beach. The staff was very helpful, though, and moved us closer to the beach in the 3600 building located right at the middle pool. Mind you, that was an upgrade in price which was given to us totally free. Both rooms were spotless and made every day. The beach is wide, white, and filled with palm trees. We had 90 degrees and sun every single day, without a drop of rain. You can rent, for free, free sailboats, pedalboats, and kayaks, and even do some snorkeling. The food is pretty good, even though it is somewhat repetitive. I wouldn't spend too much time at the salad bar--a couple of times, at lunch, some of the salads smelled rotten. I loved the fresh grill that they have at lunch and dinner, as well as the fresh omellettes at breakfast prepared with your choice of ingredients. Drinks with lunch and dinner you get only after you request them a couple of times, or you risk getting your beer while eating dessert. The waitresses had trouble getting an order for six people, but were quite willing to bring more drinks once they figured they've messed up. Don't order the wine--it is really watered down. The beer is OK, though. Drinks at the bars are limitless and free, of course, and you can drink lots of them, since they mix in a ton of ice and barely any alcohol. My advice to anyne going to Punta Cana is to break $20 in singles before leaving from the US, and give $1 tips to everyone that helps you--guides, cleaning lady, porters, bartenders, etc. They were really pleased and we got pretty good service.

My husband and I just got back from our 7 night all inclusive vacation at this resort. We booked it through Apple Vacations at quite a low price at $1,028 for the 2 of us, with airfare included. This was a great deal, as the resort was nice and we had a wonderful time. However, because the resort could use some updating, next time I will pay the extra $$$ to get a 5 star place. I was worried about the charter flight to Punta Cana, but the flights on USA 3000 were smooth and very nice. I would definitely fly this way again, as it was very inexpensive, safe, nonstop, and much easier than flying on a conventional airline. The Apple reps met us at the airport and took us right to the resort. They were there at the resort the duration of our vacation, and that made things very easy when it came to getting information about the area, things to do and booking excursions. Apple is an excellent company - very organized and offer a low price-to-value product. I would definitely book with them again. The resort is a very pretty place, with gorgeous grounds and beach, and "Tiki hut" style buildings. I have to empasize that the beach was absolutely beautiful. There were elements of the resort though that were getting old and needing replacement. The rooms were cute with high wood ceilings, wicker furniture and white tiled floors, but they were well worn. The bedspreads could be replaced, and the bathrooms were getting mildewy and rusty. Also - while the pools were very pretty, there are places needing repair. The food was good and plentiful - just not gourmet. If I was a big eater I would have enjoyed the food more but next time I will probably not do all inclusive, as I got tired of the food by the end of the week. These elements did not take away from the quality of our vacation and everything was kept very clean - but they could have been better. On a positive note - this resort is a fun place to be. The service is always prompt and friendly. We loved the nightly shows and the "mini disco" show for the kids. We loved the disco on the beach. We met and hung out with a lot of friendly people the duration of the week. Also, we had a lot of fun on the excursions we went on - the Outback Safari tour and the Saona Island tour. I recommend both of them. People also enjoyed the snorkeling and Santo Domingo trips. The Dominican Republic is a lush, largely undeveloped country with friendly, hardworking people. I would like to go back to see more of it. To sum up - the vacation was inexpensive and fun, and you can't beat that. I will spend the extra money next time though to get more updated facilities.

May 27, 2004. This resort was a major disappointment. We will definately return to Punta Cana, but not here. We are not picky people, but folks who try to travel 4-5 times a year to Mexico or the Caribbean with a budget in mind. The room they put us in the 1000 building was full of mosquitos and ants. We ask to be moved and was treated very rude. We were not moved. No hot water in the room, etc. If this is Apples version of a 3 star, I cannot imagine what a 2 star would be like. I will post pics of the room on msn mexicobound. The food was not very good. No one would go hungry as they do have a variety of food, but how many ways can you cook spam? Two bars and one restaurant were being renovated while we were there. The beer is cold, the drinks are very bottom bar. Any top bar drink will cost you more than it does in the US. The staff was a mix of friendly and rude. However, this Country just suffered severe floods, and that could have played a part in the attitudes. The weather was beautiful while we were there. This trip was a "cheapie" so we basically got what we paid for. In the future I will pay a little more to avoid something like this. I was very thankful I did not book this for 7 nights and only 3. My advice would be that if you have traveled very much, try to avoid this resort. We have stayed at some extremely nice ones for not much more than this one. If any one has any questions, feel free to e-mail me. Also, if you shop in the beach area here, beware of the "cuban" cigars, as they are counterfeit. The USA3000 airline that we traveled on was great.

Just came back, stayed in the villas from may 10 to the 14th..had rooms in the 3000,,this is the middle of the resort,,huge pool many activities..i liked the back pool with the bar sitting on top of the pool, always could find a chair and was more quiet..the beach is fantastic,,beautiful to see and very well kept.The shows were very good and you could have any drink you want..Loved going to the disco on the beach,,its all open so you have a nice breeze, and the girls who wait on you are all so nice.Dj was good,,would play something for everyone. Did go to the casino one night,,and that was very nice,,got on the truck bus at 7 and the got us at 10,,was right on time..My favorite restaurant was the one in the back,,great food, great service..This resort is a wonderful place..The staff is very friendly. The rooms in the 3000 were very nice, clean and the maid service was excellent.I will go back..if your looking for a nice place with for relaxing and also partying this is the place to go.,...

My girlfriend and I stayed at the Barcelo Bavaro Villa from May 3rd-10th 2004. We found it to be clean, very well run with a courteous staff. The surrounding beach was very pretty. I would also suggest touring the other nearby surrounding hotels that you have access to, especially the Barcelo Palace, and the Barcelo Golf/Casino Hotels. The staff doesn't particularly go out of its way to inform you of the amenities it has, so keep asking or be prepared to explore on your own. We took two optional tours--one to santo domingo(it's 3 hours by bus), and the other to see a show called caribe caliente which is in a 16th century castle with an adjoining cave. The cost was $60.00 and $45.00 respectively. We were initially told that it cost $35.00 to go to the Barcelo casino (with free transportation). Actually, take a trolley from the palace (just a walk up the beach) and get in for free! The food was buffet style, a bit mediocre, the best of the eating places was through the stone pillar lobby, the worst was on the beach(we both got sick that nite...beef like shoe leather). the fish and chicken however were generally pretty good, and breakfasts were hearty. The entertainment was between 8 p.m.(a childrens' show), 9 p.m. ( a band featuring salsa and meringue music), and 10 p.m. a dance revue....the format was the same each evening. I thought it would've been nice if they had some entertainment other than pool volley ball in the late afternoon...or do what many did...sit at one of at least 3 bars. On the beach,.... more music, and you can exercise or do group dancing which was lots of fun.Dress was informal, even in the evening..you'll be in a bathing suit most of the day...be prepared for sudden rain showers If you're seeking a high energy vacation go elsewhere....if you truly want a slower relaxed pace in a beautiful setting, this is it. Also, regarding shopping...never settle for the first price on ANYTHING...the vendors (who are very aggressive) will come down the minute you show disinterest.

Two of us girls traveled alone here in the fall of '03. WE HAD A BLAST! The villas looked like little half houses. They had 2 queen beds in them..it was small, but you get what you pay for. The beds were a little lopsided, but we weren't expecting pure luxury. Spoiled people will complain, but those of us that just want to go and have fun will love this place. Its all paid for! All the food, all the liquor, beer. You wear a bracelet and show it to them, and you are set! I've never drank so much in my entire life! They are not shy on the amounts of liquor either! Its a mans dream! It is true about the mosquitos. Bring repelent and you'll be fine. The beach was a good walk..but if you dont feel like walking, there is a shuttle by the main lobby. The view on the way to the beach makes it well worth the walk. IT just depends on which villa you have really. We had one in the far back, but we'd just stop at a bar, grab a drink, walk to the next one, get a drink, then you're there! (ha ha)(true!)Don't be surprised when you get to the beach! Lots of topless women and thongs. Felt weird at first, but it grows on you. The beach is incredible! No seaweed...very clear and calm. Little fish everywhere. There is a daily exercise session/dance session in the mornings. The staff is sooo friendly, but I found myself one of the very few who didn't speak much Spanish. YOU should really study up on your Spanish. Very few know English...but will do what they can to help you. The main lobby people know all the languages. There is a disco on the beach at night and it is soo much fun. Teens will love this place b/c I did as an adult. The nightly shows were great too. Waitresses walk around and bring you any drink you want and plenty of it! You are treated as royalty at this place. The hotel may not be a castle, but you are treated as a king/queen here. Food is all over the place. There's 4 different restaurants......all of them being an open buffet. We love not having to pay for our meals,,we ate so much! All kinds of food. The bartenders were extremely friendly.....they sing to you, sing to the songs being played, throw the glasses up in the air, catching them behind their backs.....they just made things so much fun. The pools were breathtaking....most of them having little habiscus flowers floating in them. So pretty. Wait until you see this place! I'd go again in a heart beat. The only thing I didn't like about this place was leaving it!!!!!

Well where do we start? We arrived before we could check into our room in the Villas but not a problem for us - we changed into our bathing suits (be sure to put them in your carry ons!), had lunch and hit the beach! It literally takes your breath away when you see it for the first time. This beach is far better than Veradero, Cuba! This resort is made up of the Villas, the Village and the Ocean resort - you have access to all three! Checked into our room, and the fun began! We were very impressed with the service and the friendliness of the staff at this resort. They always say "olah" and smile! These people work very hard to keep all of us happy and it shows. We stayed in 1046 and while it was a little walk to some of the other bars, etc. we certainly didn't mind taking in the beautiful grounds which were very well kept! The rooms in the 3000s and 4000s were the closest to everything but they could also be the noisiest. The rooms were standard but very clean and we had lots of towels (we were good to our maid) - bring facecloths! We kept our mini fridge stocked with cold bottled water at all times. The buffet at the Villas (Las Cayenas) was our favourite buffet not to mention the excellent service and friendliness of Alberto, Francis, and others! We found this resort more of a family oriented resort but if you went with friends and wanted to party, you could certainly do that! There are shows every night and we liked them all. Loved the beer but found some of the drinks very sweet so we stuck to the daquiris and the bloody marys. We always found food we liked and the variety was very good - we ate at the beach grill most days which was great for lunch. Jose, Angel and Ramon were the bartenders who really stood out for us! Very friendly and fun. There were mostly French and German at this resort and some Canadians, didn't meet very few Americans. We did the Outback Safari Adventure Jeep Tour and that was a blast! Our tour guide, Andreas, was totally awesome and worked hard to see that we had fun! We saw this resort marked as a 3 1/2 star and also as a 4 star. We would definitely return to this resort - I honestly can't find anything to complain about. Great value for your money and something for everyone. Have a great time and just smile - you will receive smiles back!!! We love Punta Cana!!! Sherry

Last year on March 27-April 4th 2003, me, my dad, and my little sister went to Punta Cana. I love this place! It was fabulous. The service at the resort was excellent, and they were always so happy to help. The beach was right by our resort and was about a 15 minute walk. If you didn't feel like walking, they had "Beach Buses." The beach was amazing! IT WAS GORGEOUS! We had the best and biggest beach around! We visited other beaches, they were nice, but, we had the BEST! The food was alright, but sometimes you have to watch out! The pool was excellent! They had a bar right in the middle so whenever you were thirsty you went right up and asked for a drink... and there you go! Our room was standard, but it worked for us!! Overall we all enjoyed staying there with the excellent service, great beaches, and great room! We are hoping to go back!