Grand Paradise Bavaro Hotel

2 readers found this review helpful

We went away all inclusive for the first time and were really impressed with the hotel.
Room: The room was comfortable (with two double beds) the maid came daily and kept the room clean, Mini firdge was stocked with water and coke/sprite daily. Our room had one fault (broken patio door) which didn't matter as we were on the 1st floor and was fixed really quickly.
Food: The buffet was available for long peiriods of time and the food was great, it took pretty much the two weeks for it to get repetitive. The al carte was ok. Steakhouse - brilliant, the seafood terrible (a wasted of one of our slips!) and the asian which was a 10 dollar supplement was amazing, so we went a few times.
Drinks: The drinks were great but take your own cup as the plastic cups aren't big, wide choice of cocktails, and loads of rum!
Staff: the staff were ok, attentive but not overpowering, and the animation team very lively!
Facilities: The shop was expensive, so try not to forget essentials such as sun cream. The cigerretes are very expensive as well. they have people selling jewellry and painting etc once a week, be prepared to haggle. there are a couple of shops further into the resort which are worth a look but again prepare to be hassled a little.
Pool/Beach: the two pools were great, though we only used the busier one (by the bar and the beach) activties were there if you wanted to join in. Occasionally you struggled to get a umbrella but no big loss. Beach volleyball and games were great and run regularly. The beach was lovely though the water was quite rough a few days so none of the watersports were running.
Nightlife: the one let down for us, there was not alot to do. the animation team ran shows but there were not neccesarily always to our taste, however they were good. The bars were always quite, only one had music. The disco was quite but mostly filled with locals in the weekend. there is a casino (drinks not AL) which is very quiet, and a boat bar which is also not AL and again quiet. however we did go late sept so alot of the hotel was closed. Most of the bars closed early (11pm - the latest one was 2am), except the 24hr sports bar.
All in all i would recommend this hotel, but out of season it is a bit quieter.

Thought I was spending 21 days in paradise!
Due to several sites being under refurbishment/re-construction, which we not informed of, there were at least four separate areas around hotel, so you could not get away to enjoy peace and quiet!
The workmen were there at 7am.banging,knocking,etc;four of the restaurants were only open alternate days!
The temporary tent "bar “was muddy and dirty, the "slops" were just thrown on grass/sand at side. After a few days of this, you can imagine the smell!
Tried to complain, fobbed off! Rooms not cleaned properly, were fumigated every 7 to 10 days, due to amount of various "insects"!
Had cocktail at one bar, to be told could not order next one, as the bar only had one cocktail glass, so had to empty that one first!
Watch out for persistent time-share reps, they don’t give up easily!

1 reader found this review helpful

This place was so much fun and good to me that I'm returning to it next week. My mother and I travelled last year for a week to Grand Paradise Bavaro and had a blast!
The beach is super clean and the staff keep all cups and trash out of the beach and of people's way. You might want to get there before 10 a.m. though if you want an umbrella. Not a big deal if you ask me.
The Buffet was amazing...not sure what people expected, but I was very much satisfied with the food there and my mother never got sick...and she suffers from heart burn and not once felt ill. She had their fish and roasted pork and felt fine.
The room was kept very clean and was always re-filled with towels. The cleaning staff were super nice and always met our needs. You have to remember these women have not only your room to attend to...so be considerate.
The bars were very accommodating and always offered a nice variety of drinks. I LOVE beer, so for me it wasn't a big deal that international drinks cost money. I stuck to Dominican Rum and Presidente and loved it!
The entertainment at night was super fun and the disco was small, with a small crowd, but fun nevertheless.
The only problem I faced was with our trip back to the Airport, but that is most likely related to the guy that was supposed to schedule our pick-up. We didn't miss our flight, but we did spend a few minutes in panic over how we were going to get to the airport.
This time around, I know what to expect, so I most likely will be very clear with the guy that drops us off at the resort and make sure he understands I need him there on time!
All in all, an amazing experience. I leave in less than a week with my fiancé. Let the fun begin!

Our first trip to the Caribbean and a celebration for a special birthday. On arrival we weren’t disappointed. Visual first impressions of the Grand Paradise hotel foyer and grounds were stunning. The pools looked clean and inviting and the beach is less than a minute away from the rooms.
The rooms were adequately furnished, although lighting was dim and we did have difficulty in the evening, but it wasn’t too much of a problem as we had planned to be outdoors most of the time.
Staff were generally friendly and most were helpful. All were courteous. As this was an all inclusive basis, we tried to make reservations at the a la carte restaurants for the week we planned to stay but were unsuccessful - everyone was fully booked. They do not operate a cancellation procedure.
By day two of our holiday my partner became ill with fever, stomach cramps, headache and severe diarrhoea. We had been warned by the travel representative on the transfer coach that "travellers tummy" was common and if it struck then the treatment was to drink plenty of non alcoholic fluids and it would go within 24 hours. It didn’t and he deteriorated so much that he was admitted to a local hospital and had to receive antibiotics and rehydration therapy by intravenous drip. It quickly became apparent that several more people became afflicted by similar problems and were hospitalised, or confined to bed in their rooms with antibiotic therapy either by drip or pills.
The numbers of sick and ill people increased daily and it wasn’t until his discharge from hospital the day before we left for UK that it became apparent how many people of all nationalities were affected - we had been told by hotel staff and reps that it was a thing British tourists were susceptible to.
For me, alone at the hotel, the buffet meals quickly became boring - today’s lunch a re-hash of last evenings left overs - and as reservations were nigh on impossible to make at the other restaurants, dining was an unpleasant experience, coupled with the anxiety that I too may become infected.
The facilities at this resort are extensive, but the noise was at times unbearable - loud music around the pool areas throughout the day and evening. The beach was quieter if you could get a beach longer away form the immediate pool area.
The corridors in the accommodation blocks do not lend themselves to quiet transfer, and were very noisy most nights as residents returned to their rooms. There were several problems relating to the cleaning of rooms, in particular the regularity and timing of the service.
The trips seemed expensive and not particularly good value for money. There was nothing to feed your interest of the local culture and history of the island.
Due to the illness and its symptoms, we had a very worrying journey back to UK, where treatment continues. At least we made the flight - some didn’t and remained in hospital still under treatment.
Would we go back again? Probably not and definitely not to this resort.