Iberostar Bavaro Hotel

We just had 5 great days at the Iberostar, Punta Cana. The grounds and resort were absolutely gorgeous. The service was great. The Dominicans really take pride in the resort.The beach was beautiful! As nice or nicer than any in the Caribbean.I didn't have high expectations for the food, but when I got to the buffet I found the variety was so huge there was enough for everyone tastes.I actually preferred the buffet over the sit down.The Rum Raisin ice cream was the best! and of course those fruit drinks are great.Definitely take precautions with the water. I had some "uncomfortable" hours. not sure if it was the lobster at the Gourmet rest. the night before. But still be careful.The prices in the gift shops are very reasonable.I found the vendors on the beach not as bad as I anticipated, but the deals are better in the hotel gift shops.We also went to Manati park to swim with the dolphins. That was the best part of the trip. Although expensive and too short, the thrill was worth it. Definitely follow the advice of the Apple Vacation people. It pays to go with a package. The all inclusive at bavaro is the highest on the "food chain" you get your choice of any restaurant.All in all, one of the best relaxing vacations I've ever had.Tip: If you bring kids ,the cable isn't that extensive, so bring books, crayons, etc. The gift shop was disppointing as far as kids stuff goes.Also, bring your own hairdryer. The ones in the room don't cut it in the humidity.

The sun and sand were what we'd gone for! The water activities (sail boats, catamarans, kayaks) were all in good condition and the sailing over the waves was a blast. All the people we met were friendly and helpful and loved it when you tried their language (Spanish). There was an incredible array of food, all presented beautifully. The rooms were roomy and flowers each day was a nice surprise. The excursion we elected was an eye-opener as to how life really is in the Dominican Republic. As far as Punta Cana and the Iberostar hotels, we would definitely go back.

Had a great time, food was good to great. The place was very well maitained, manacured grounds constantly being pruned. Beach and Pools fantatstic. I have to wait now to book again next year. I will be going back. Best bang for the buck without a doubt.

Iberostar Punta Cana is a friendly, fun resort. The people are great and go out of there way to make it as pleasant as possible for you. The weather is perfect as well as the beaches too. Activities going on all the time. Remember it's what you make of it also. A little Spanish might help but if not, between two people you will figure it out and it will be fun doing so. I would recommend this resort to anyone. Remember to tip the workers it's not an easy living in Dominican Republic. Live it up. Can't wait to return someday.

This was our first experience at an all-inclusive resort. We stayed at the Iberostar Barvaro from 2.16 - 2.23 and I cannot say enough nice things about the place, the people, the activities and the food. The Iberostar Corporation is European, so there's a wonderful European sensibility to the place. Don't go here if all you want to do is sit on a beach and read a book. That would be a waste of all the resources to be had at this wonderful resort. The staff is cheerful and will try just about anything to get you involved in the tremendous variety of activities. DO play bingo every day (you'll learn numbers in at lest four languages), DO take the dance lessons, DO go to the live entertainment every night and DO get up on stage and dance like nobody's watching!! Try soccer, volleyball as well. Do take expando-pants, though. The food is VERY good, and if you can get away from this delightful resort without adding to your waist line, you've got much better discipline than I have! I will definitely go back.

I stayed at the Iberostar Punta Cana from January 9-January 19, 2003. It was wonderful!! The beach is absolutely gorgeous, the water is so warm and clean, the resort is incredibly clean and the staff are excellent. The weather was amazing the entire 10 days. There is always a variety of activities going on during the day on the beach and by the pool and the entertainment staff always get you involved. The excursions were amazing -- especially Saona Island!!! It's a must see!! The shows at night are always entertaining and the dancing is wonderful. The dancers are amazing and always get you involved. The Disco on the resort is great!! The food is excellent!! This was the best trip I've ever had!!! I would go back in a heartbeat and I would recommend it to anyone who is planning a trip to Punta Cana!!

My husband and I stayed at the Iberostar Bavaro in Punta Cana from Jan. 11-18, 2003. It was great!! The workers at the resort, from the grounds people to the restaurant workers and everyone in between was so friendly and always had a smile for you. Our room was very nice and the hotel property was very well maintained and very beautiful! The beach and pool areas were excellent and the food was absolutely the best!!! We didn't eat buffet style every evening. We tried the Steak House, Japanese and Gourmet Restaurants and they were awesome!! The weather was beautiful! Only rained at night. The Outback Safari Tour was very well done and it was interesting to see the mountains of the Dominican and meet the people that lived there. My husband and I can't wait to go back, hopefully very soon!! I miss it already!! Thanks to Doug at Bluffton Travel and Apple Vacations for setting everything up for us!!

I just returned from a glorious week in the Dominican Republic. I well traveled and can say that this was a wonderful all inclusive experience. This is the second Iberostar that I have stayed at, the other being in Playa de Carmen. I did extensive research before selecting the Iberostar Bavaro and was not disappointed. This is not one of the newer Iberostars however was just as beautiful in many ways. The lobby is very pretty and the grounds are lush with greenery and flowers. This is a 2 story hotel and there are about 8-10 rooms per building. I loved the layout of the hotel. There is a main pool area with a swim up pool bar however, the pool is not nearly impressive as the newer Iberostars and could use a paint job. On the plus side, it is large and the walk from the pool to the beach is 30 seconds. There were 6 of us in our group: Two in their 30's, one in their late 40's, two in their 50's and one in their 60's. If you are a finicky eater, like my parents, you will always have a tough time eating on vacation in another country, although they were content with the food. The rest of us were thrilled with the food. There was always a wide variety, plenty of fish, sushi, everything. This resort is attached to 2 other Iberostars, the Punta Cana and the Dominicana. The Bavaro is considered a 5 star and the others are a 4 star. The Bavaro had a nicer buffett with higher quality food - more seafood. If you stay at one of the 4 stars you cannot eat at the Bavaro but if you stay at the Bavaro you have access to all restaurants on property. There are approximately 8 specialty restraunts that are more a la carte and with a 7 night stay you have 3 nights you can eat at the specialty restaurants. We ate at the Japanese, Gormet and Seafood, and all of which were very good. The Gormet only was serving Filet Mignon that week, which we were advised of when we made the reservation on that being the special of the week for that resaurants. It was excellent. In the seafood restaurant we had t the Japanese - another excellent choice. Other restaurants included the Mexican, Steak House and Mediteranean. I went in high season and had no trouble getting reservations. Make your reservations for the specialty restaurants as soon as you arrive because they will fill up. The main buffett for dinner is very impressive and has many options from hot dogs to roasted lamb to a salad station. The rooms were junior suites at the Bavaro and had a step down living room. Each room has a balcony with a couch and table. There is a stocked fridge in the room as well with sodas, water and beer. There are safes in the room as well. Our room was well taken care of. Fresh flowers were intertwined with our towels that were lovely. The entertainment was mostly family style. A few nights were based on guest involvement and were hillarious. Another night there was a local band and dancers that were very good. On 2 nights I did not care for the entertainment but you could always go the Dominicana/Punta Cana show next door for some variation. There was also a disco that is open till the wee morning. The entertainment staff are a bunch of hard working individuals who work 12 days straight to earn 3 days off and work from 9am - 1am!! Activities start at 10am and end at 5:30pm so the staff can get ready for the nightly shows. The shows run from 9:45- 11:00pm (usually) and before and after is a great band. Staff are there before and after the show working the crowd and dancing with the guest. Some of my family participated in the activities and others did nothing. I really enjoyed the dance lessons that took place at the pool next to the ocean. The staff were a blast and were so much fun with their motivating, friendly personalities and dance music. The beach games and archery were fun as well. Three of us had a massage on the beach. It was the nicest setting I have ever had a massage in. There are 4 thatched roof canopies with massage tables and you can have a side by side massage. The spa is small but does 's at the spa but they can get crowded so they recommend that you prebook at time to use them if possible. There is a hair salon and shopping as well on premises. Four of us in our group went to downtown Punta Cana to shop and were disappointed with the way they were harassed to make purchases. We were content at the hotel shopping. The beach is beautiful. You can walk safely in either direction for miles without shoes. There are areas of seaweed but this is the ocean you know and sea weed is a part of the territory. On the beach there are opportunities for diving, snorkeling, parasailing, banana boat rides, glass bottom boats, etc right on the property. There are also many excursions available. Two of us went golfing one day to the Punta Cana Resort and Club. This is a relatively new Pete Dye course and it is great - 8 holes on the ocean. It was well worth the trip. For $120 you can play, have a cart and they arrange round trip transportation for you. Club rentals were $25. I was highly impressed with the management staff who were everywhere, even asking guests what they thought of their stay, recommendations for improvements, etc. Wednesday is evaluation night for the entire resort and is taken very seriously - extra decorations, the works, and every guest is asked to complete and evaluation on every aspect of their stay. Check in and check out was a breeze. Overall, we had a wonderful time. I heard many other mixed reviews from people staying at surrounding hotels. Most all of the employees at the Iberostar in Punta Cana had a basic knowledge of English. I was told that they were beginning another round of English courses for all staff since they are having some weeks with 80% Americans as guests. Remember, Punta Cana has primarily been a place the Europeans vacation and more recently the Americans are catching on. Be aware that there are topless women on this beach but many of the other resort chains have a higher percentage of European guest. I would recommend this resort for some fun would definately return to the Iberostar Bavaro and was glad I spent the extra money to stay at the 5 star. Adios!!

My wife and I have been all over the Caribbean. This place ranks up there with the best. We normally do not stay at all-inclusives but fell in love with this one. We took a one week trip Aug. 2002 for our anniversary. I love to swim and she loves to read. We were both satisfied with the offerings that the hotel provided. Here are some tips: 1) Try to get a room close to the beach side. 2) As soon as possible sign up for a restaurant. 3) If you want to eat in a restaurant twice--go about 5 min. to the hour or 25 mins. after the hr. and ask if they have any cancellations. Most of the time they will. ****4) Exchange your towels for new ones in the afternoon and keep them in your room overnight so you can have the new ones to put on the beach chairs in the morning BEFORE you go to breakfast. Stake out your chairs the best locations go fast. 5) If you have never been to a Caribbean island go on the Outback tour--If you have extensively avoid it at all cost-- you will be disappointed. 6) If you have a problem with topless sunbathers--do not stay here. 7) If you want to get certified in SCUBA-sign up the first day (cost $200?). I did it--it was a blast. ***8) Check out the clubs at the other hotels in the area. All you have to show is your wrist band. The club at RIU (next door) is great. 9) Learn the dances done in the afternoon at the pool. They do all of them again at night at the club. 10) Learn the names of the waiters and waitresses and give a couple of them a tip at the end of your stay. 11) Get up early one morning to catch the sun rise. 12) EAT THE ICE CREAM BY THE POOL--BEST IN THE WORLD (ESPECIALLY THE VANILLA). 13) Walk 3 miles to the right of the property along the beach facing the water--you won't regret it. 14) Take a nap before you go to the club. YOu will need it. 15) Get a glass of top shelf liquor from the casino and take it to the club. The club does not have top shelf liquor. Drink the club stuff and you will get a headache in the morning. 16) Play the roulette--$5 min. avoid the slots they really just take your money. 17) Buy T-shirts in the hotel gift shop-avoid the shops on the end of the beach. 18) Enjoy the nightly singing shows or get some sleep for the night club (Your choice). 19) Remember to have fun!!!!!!

The hotel and its surrounding areas were gorgeous, with lots of very green foliage and pretty flowers. The food was good, with alot to pick from espically at the buffet. The canteloupe was the absolute best!!! The beach was ample size for the amount of people that stayed during our week Jan 5-12, 2003. Plenty of chairs and room. Very clean there, had room linens changed every day and clean beach towels and chair cushions every day also. The english could have been a little better. All in all it was a wonderful time, would definately go again....