Barcelo Bavaro Beach Resort - Caribe Hotel Punta Cana

We did go to the barcelo bavaro beach and garden last year.We were dissapointed with the resort Our room was old,our a/c was not working.For the beach it was the worst...snakes in the water...seaweed in the water...and for the pool all of the chairs had towels on them but nobody was using them.We had our 8 yr old with us, the kids club was o.k..The entertainment at night was boring at garden it was better at beach.For the manati park it was overpriced.To swim with dolphins was 75$us per person..and you had a fee to get in..The bus does not wait for you we missed it we had to call a taxi,to get back.We were 6 of us none of us got sick.The steak house was the best.For lunch we did La uva,deviled chicken was the best. We travel every year but this resort I wouldn't go again.

We recently travelled to Barcelo Bavaro Beach Hotel (December 1st, 2003 - December 8, 2003). From the begining of our vacation to the end, we had a great time. Please bare in mind that we have travelled to Saint Martin, Mexico - All Over, and Dominican Republic. This was our second time in DR.Punta Cana Airport: The main building is made of straws and bamboo and is very unique. DO NOT EXPECT THIS PLACE TO BE AIRCONDITIONED however the breeze keeps everything cool.Immigration: No issues. As long as you have proper documentation, rest assured that you will be through in 5 minutes.Baggage Collection: It takes about 20 minutes to retrieve your baggage. Once again, no issues.Transfer to the Hotel: We booked our 1 week All Inclusive trip thorugh a travel agency (Selloffvacations) and this package was offered through World of Vacations. Transfers to and from your resort are included in the package. We picked up our package from World of Vacations counter Terminal 3 Pearson International Airport. Make sure that the package includes all the appropriate vouchers, Tourist Cards, Air Plane Tickets etc. The transfer to our hotel took approximately 15 minutes and it was very well organized. There were only a couple of complainers - complaining about the heat. WAKE UP - YOU ARE IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.Hotel Check In: At our resort, there were only about 8 - 10 people checking-in. No problems checking in. Although Selloffvacations and World of Vacations failed to book this vacation as a honeymoon couple - as requested by me however the check in staff were somewhat accommodating and very professional. We did bring a little spanish book with us however we did not need it as the front desk staff spoke perfect English. We did try to speak Spanish anyway.Hotel Room: No complaints. Our room had the best oceanview (3213). The firdge was filled with pop, beer and Dasani Water Bottle (1L). The toliet was separated via a door from the main bathroom. Excellent idea. The safe is very easy to use - just punc in a four digit code and press lock (Make sure that the safe door locks are aligned with the safe frame properly). To unlock just press the four digit code and the safe will unlock. Good idea to keep all your important documents, cash, jewellery etc. in this spot.Beach: Beautiful. Not as clean as the Beach by RIU Resorts in Punta Cana but then again, we never got to see any fish on the beach by Riu. Beach chairs could use a face lift. I would rate this beach as 9.5/10. Lots of activities on the beach. We got pulled into some and really enjoyed them. Several topless women walk and sunbath in and around the beach.Shuttle: This is a huge resort (5 resorts in 1). The shuttles will tranfer you back and forth between all the resorts at no cost and run frequently (About every ten minutes) between 6:00 am - 4:00 am.Pool: Nice pool and very nice chairs. Pool is not as large as some of the other ones we have seen. Few pool activities and we brought our own flotation device and made a fool of ourselves trying to get on it. Pool at some of the other Barcelo Resorts are bigger. Few topless women in and around the pool area - not very attractive when you are eating by the pool area.Entertainment: The Animacion Team works hard and long days to keep the guests entertained. They are extremely polite. They have activities by the pool ( I won a couple of certificates even ) such as volleyball, stretching, waterball catching, dance lessons etc. They could incorporate other activities in the pool such as water aerobics and other sports in the pool. In the evening, the show takes place close to the lobby from 10:00 - 11:15 or so. Very entertaining. Once again, I was asked politely to join one show and I could not refuse. After the show is over, you could go to the Disco (There are 2), one of the Bars or to the neighboring casino. Definitely go and attend the Tropicallissimo show (Just let the PR Person at your front desk know that you would like to attend this show and they will give you a little receipt that will guarantee your entrance to the show. No reservations are required. It is alot of fun and lasts appro. 1.15 hours.Disco: Bavaro Disco is a decent sized place and is air conditioned. Music is very North American however they play a mix ranging from top 40's, 80's, hip hop, euro, techno and some latino. The other Disco is about 5 minutes walk from this one and plays mostly latino music. It is not air conditioned. We went to Bavaro Disco as often as we could (We are both into the club scene and had a great time). Bavaro Disco also has a fast food place attached to it where you could have hamburgers and hotdogs until 4:00 am.Restaurant: I just cannot say enough great things about the restaurants. Our hotel had Three main restaurants.Restaurant Lindo: Mexican Restaurant. Our number one choice. Superb Menu and Service. This is a la carte' however you can order as much from the menu as your stomach fancies. They also have a good choice of munchies (Tacos, salads etc.) as a buffet style that you can eat before the main course. Desset is buffet style. They only serve dinner. This hotel is airconditioned. No reservations are required.Steakhouse: This restaurant is open for lunch and dinner. This place is not air conditioned. It is also a la carte however you can order more then one item from the menu. They also have a good choice of salads, soups etc. before you can have your main course. Dessert is from a menu for lunch and dinner. For lunch, you do not have to be dressed up however at dinner time, it may be a good idea to dress casually but smartly. This restaurant also has a take out attached to it where you can order pizzas from 12:00 pm until 12:00 midnight.Ambar: This is the main restaurant and is located in the lobby area. It is all buffet style. Beachware is not allowed. They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Good variety of food and every evening, they have grilled lobster (No surcharge) and sometimes calamari as well. Good choice of desserts.La Uva: This hotel is located on the beach, app 5 minute walk from Beach Hotel. It is very casual and has pretty good menu.Mirador: Buffet style restaurant something like the Ambar restaurant however this one was located the the Golf & Casino Resort. Nice choice of items once again.Los Pinos: Italian restaurant however we eat Italian at home most days so we did not go there.All in all, you will not go hungry. I have gained some extra weight from eating a ton of lobster and calamari.ANY RESTAURANT NOT LOCTAED WITHIN YOUR OWN HOTEL REQUIRES THE GUESTS TO BRING A SMALL RECEIPT THAT GUESTS CAN REQUEST FROM THE FRONT DESK PR PERSON.Weather: This is something that no one can control. We had pretty good weather for a few days. One day, it rained all day and when I say rian - that is an understatement. We met Hurricane Odette or Audette. It poured non stop buckets of water. We did everything we normally did with the exception of sunbathing. We still went for a walk on the beach and went dancing at night.Transfer to the Airport: Excellent. no issues however to spend three hours on the airport is a bit too much.Other: Bring some insect repellant, advil and stomach remedies to be on the safe side. Doctor's office is located on the premise and have some kind of coverage (Residents of Onatrio are covered for US$55 physician fee which you have to pay locally and then claim it through OHIP. Visa Gold Card Holders do not need to purchase any medical insurance as they are fully covered for physician consultation and drugs. Your company's health benefits may also include out of Province coverage and cover both physician consultation and prescription drugs). Bring all the necessary lotions, creams, razors etc. as the prices in the gift shop are over priced. Feel free to tip the waiters, towel person, restaurant staff as they really appreciate it.I cannot think of anything else. We took about 500 pictures (Personal, beach, restaurant, shows, hotels, pool etc.). I would definitely return to this resort in a heartbeat but would like to stay for 10 or 11 days. 1 Week is not enouh and 2 weeks would be too much. For more specific information, feel free to email me and I will try to reply within a day or two.

Well, this was my first vacation EVER. I am 20 years old and had never really gone anywhere before and was So looking forward to this trip for a very long time but was very disapointed :( We booked for Barcelo Bavaro Beach & Caribe - our travel agent was great but didn't specify which part we would be staying at though I did request an 'ocean view' The second night we were there I got horribly sick! I heard you could get sick but I didn't think ti would be like this! I thought I was going to die, I could not handle the pain and horribleness of it I was up all night and it went on for probably 8 hours or so. So basically the whole rest of the trip I felt sick and was scared to eat the food.

I am a vegetarian and pretty picky but if there was something I could eat I would have eaten it all week but there really wasn't! I did end up finding pizza at LA UVA seafood restaurant outside which was good, but the pizza I had at the walkup place was disgusting. Anyway, my boyfriend who will ususally eat anything even had trouble finding stuff he could eat/liked. He had been to Barcelo Mayan beach resort in Mexico and LOVED it so we thought this is a Barcelo it will be good too, he pigged out there but could hardly eat much here. I feel bad complaining but it really was a bad experience for me. The WEATHER: I guess I expected it to be HOT .. well it POURed rain almost 2 full days we were there - and the rest of the time I didn't even think it was HOT, it was windy and I never actually got HOT.. I just didn't think it would be like that, I wanted to go away somewhere HOT.. other than that I did hear from my travel agent the hotel was a bit older etc, but I mean it was a nice layout and the gardens were nice, and I heard the rooms weren't very nice which was true. I mean it is just your room people say, but I guess since it was my first vacation I kind of wanted to have the nice fancy room with the nice bright colored blankets you see in the brochures etc with the swans they fold on your bed etc. and it was the total opposite of that, brown and orange sheets and no swans or anything :( sigh. The beach was nice, but there was a lot of black stuff ( I guess seaweed) on the beach .. we took a paddleboat down to the left of the resort and found Melia Tropical and I liked it there better .. way more lush palm trees and HUGe waves at points. But we ended up getting a little bit of trouble as we were gone for probably an hour and a half or 2hours and were only supposed to use the water equip. for 1 hour. That was anotehr thing I didnt like. We are supposed to be relaxing but anytime we took any water sports out we were worried the whole time we wouldnt get back in time, and the one time I brought my 'waterproof' watch and it got ruined and now doesn't work. I just felt we were supposed to be having fun relaxing and having fun in the ocean but the whole time we were so worried b/c we only had an hour.

Now I understand other people have to use it, but it just wasn't good.

THE PRICES for things such as Parasailing - it said it aws 100$ US for 10 MINUTES! what is that? I was in shock I thought we read it wrong but we didn't. It was something I really wanted to do but obvisouly did not. (A friend who went to mexico told me she got half an hour or more for 30 dollars) I dont know what was going on. Anyway, I was just very dissapointed - I tried not to have too high of expectations but I guess I did a bit - but at the same time a lot was not good. I had to buy bags of chips to eat so I wouldnt starve, and we just stayed in our rooms most nights watching moveis b/c we were just so tired and wans't much to do. I mean we are not big partiers and didnt want a huge party, but there were like hardly ANyone our age, everyone was older. We were content watching the movies, but would have liked something else.

Anyway I was just very disspointed and I was really sad as I was so excited it was my first vacation and it turned out badly :( The plane ride there was the best thing, I got a window seat and it was a 2 seater just me and my bf , but on the way back World of Vacations FORGOT! to pick up about 20 of us waiting at the caribe/garden resort..

and so when we all finally realized, we were an hour and a half late so in result of that me and my bf were second last in line and my second time on an airplane I had to sit ALONE .. my boyfriend behind me in the middle squished b/w two big men, and my boyfriend had to do the same!

Sigh.. anyway next time I will be bringing peanut butter so I can at least have a pb sandwich if the food is bad, and I will Never go back to this resort. and I doubt if I will go back to Domincian.. I think I will go to mexico next time to a resort I have read/heard nothing but GOOD reviews about.. and hope the weather is HOT hot hot, and the beds have swan towels on them everyday! : ) anyway if you have any questions feel FREE to e-mail me.. I read lots of reviews on here and almost changed our resort last minutes b/c I was scared of the mixed reviews and I wish I had now :( (we were going to maybe go to Natura Park which is beside this one but a ways down and maybe we should haev went there.. we tried to walk the beach down there but there was some guard and no trespassing sign halfway down the beach so we couldnt go :( ) At least now I know what I want and don't want from a resort. . and hope and pray it is better next time I go somewhere.. (if anyone knows a resort.. probably in Mexico, that has a beaufiul beach, a jungle with lots of trees beside it, and edible food and nice rooms with bright colors and swans! let me know :) ) Ashley

This was our 2nd trip to this resort, had been there 3 years before, the place has gone downhill. The food was boring, all tasted the same.

We were booked in the Beach resort, but when we arrived, we were told we were being moved to the Garden. After walking 10 minutes in the dark, carrying all our luggage, we had to stand in line with only 2 people at the desk, to book us in. (Why can't they schedule the staff correctly to accomodate people's arrival). This was 10:00pm and didn't get to our room until 10:45. I found the some of the staff very friendly, while others were just doing their jobs. We had the misfortune of being there while the Latin Speaking President's of the World held their conference there. There were armed patrols , water activities were restricted to swimming only, this went on for 5 days, we complained to our Travel agent ( Signature Vacations) we basically told us to bad and offered us a $100 discount on nexts years vacation if we booked with them. Not a chance! Overall I would not recommend this place as the hotel has gone down hill in appearance, quality of food, lack of properly trained staff (front desk). Go somewhere else, Punta Cana has a lot of resorts and a wonderful beach.

This is the third time at the Bavaro Resorts. The first two times we were at the Beach hotel and had a marvelous time!!This time we stayed at the Garden which was nice. The trip itself just didn't seem the same as previous times.I found the people working there were not as nice, with the exception of the housekeeping, and the service was hard to come by.I don't know if we were just getting tired of this place or it's not the same as before.Probably won't go back(try somewhere else).

The food was the same at every meal and inedible. Our room got broken into& we walked in while It was being robbed. Our toilet leaked the whole time & the lights blinked on and off constantly. The bartenders were very friendly though!! Also the grounds were beautiful.

February 20th-27thOverall our vacation at the Barcelo Bavaro Beach and Garden Resort was good. We stayed in the Garden part of the resort, which we would highly recommend to those who are wanting the option of going to their rooms at night with little or no noise. We found that the Beach resort was quite noisy, and that there were a lot more families than in the Garden part of the resort. The gardens were amazingly beautiful, and although our room didn't face out directly onto the beach, it was only a hop, skip and a jump to get to the beach in the morning. The rooms in general were average, obviously nothing to write home about. The rooms are a little outdated, however, were clean. We left a tip for the maid each day, which helped in getting extra towels and good toilet paper. I recommend taking $1 American bills for tipping the staff.The food was also average. We went with quite a large group, and about half of the group was sick at some point in time during the week. My husband and myself were fine, however, we were quite careful about what we ate. I didn't eat anything off of the buffets, especially the meat. I chose to stick to the grills where any meat, vegetables, or pasta were grilled fresh in front of you. We found that the buffet in the Casino (at night) was our best find, as well as the Steak House at the Beach. Portions tend to be small, just a warning, and we saw a lot of people order two main courses (this took us a while to figure out). We also stayed away from any mussels or oysters, however, found that the shrimp was fine. We were also told to stay away from any dishes that might have mayonnaise in them, as you don't know how long the mayonnaise has been sitting out. For those ketchup lovers, just a tip, take ketchup with you....their's sucks!!!!!!!!!The beach and the ocean were amazing, and definitely made up for any deficiencies in the room or the service. Just a note, the service is also nothing to write home about. As our travel rep. told us, there are two speeds in the Dominican, slow and stop!!!!!! Be prepared to wait for drinks, and as others have mentioned on this website, ask for mucho rum!!!!!The golf course was by no means a top end course, and my husband only golfed one morning. This resort is definitely not for those who are going for a golf vacation. If you do choose to golf, don't take your own clubs, unless you're wanting knew ones for your Anniversary. Most of the tee boxes were gravel. Overall the resort as a whole was quite beautiful. We recommend the Bavaro Runners tour for those who are interested in getting off the resort for a day and seeing some of the country side. We also did the day Catamaran tour, which was a great day to enjoy another beach. We did get to see a few other beaches in the area, and by far the beach and ocean at the Barcelo Bavaro Resort is the most beautiful and enjoying.We would definitely return to Punta Cana, however, would probably invest in staying at the Palace the next time we came. The reason being is that we ran into several people during the week who had booked and the Garden and Beach, but were put in rooms at the Casino because the Garden and Beach were overbooked. From what we've been told, this is a common occurence. We booked through Air transat vacations, and found that they were really good in answering any questions we had. We would definitely book a trip through Air transat vacations again.

If you're looking for a good "bang for your buck", I would highly recommend the Barcelo Bavaro Beach and or Garden resort. The beach was excellent, and the groundcrew does quite a good job of picking up any left over trash. The staff was very polite and courteous, and an initial tip to your bell-hop goes a long way in keeping your mini-bar full and your towels clean. The entertainment was below par, and at times was almost cheesy. I would recommend staying away from the casino, as Canadian money is looked at with disdain, and the dealers are quick to take advantage of you if you are not paying attention to what's going on. The food was average at best, and my wife and I found that the only really edible meals we could find were at the Steak House and the little pizza joint located by the pool..Warning.....Stay away from the Italian restaruant, the food was beyond bad, it bordered on terrible....The ammenities offered by the resort were pretty good, but I would recommend people bringing their own snorkels and fins, as well as masks and anything else you might have that is water related....A highlite for us was the snorkel tour that is offered by the resort...For ten American dollars($15 Canadian) the flat decked boat takes you on a tour of the lagoons, and docks about a kilometer(1/2 mile) out. The colours of the fish were incredible, and it was really worth the two hours...One thing that we did not enjoy was the market that is located down the beach...The vendors' are beyond aggresive, and border on harrassment...I speak Italian, so there is a possibility of communication, but without the ability to speak a 'latin langauge' it becomes very hard to get a 'deal' on anything. The only thing things that we found worthwhile buying was booze, vanilla, and cigarettes....STAY AWAY from the cigars, they are not real, and are most likely rolled banana leaves....All in all, it was a pretty good resort, not the best that we have stayed at, but for the budget savy traveller, a really good bar

The resort actually consists of the Barcello: Ocean Village, and Gardens. The ocean village is

closest to the beach while the other other 2 are further away and one of the 2 is far enough to

bother catching the trolley car to the beach. I read other mixed reviews and would confirm that

the bees are somewhat annoying but tolerable. I would bring PIC insect coils to discourage them

completely. Once dark, small mosquitos will arrive leaving many annoying bites. We brought

along insect spray and this helped significantly - don’t leave home without it. The hotel was

rated as 3 star and earned only 3, although it is good value for your money. Bring you own

katchup - there is none. The salad dressings are brutal I would bring my own and place it in the

mini fridge of the room. The min fridge will have nothing in it - the maid does not fill it.

The wine at dinner for the first 3 nights was terrible - more like sherry. Then the quality change

and it was at east drinkable. The food is often cold. Break fasts are fine, but the orange juice was

more like sweetened water and the quality varied by the day. Knowing what to expect I brought

along an insulated large cup to have my presidente beer poured into rather than use the 6 ounce

cups given at the bar. If you arrive after 11:30 the bars will be shut down and you will not be

able to get water - plan for this inconvenience. We arrive about 1:00 am and there was only I

person on the desk, making a long day longer. Air Transat screwed us and bumped us off our

fight departure of 1:00 am to 4:45 am departure - I will complain loudly - not likely to ever travel

with this airline again. The day was agony, having to depart the room by noon.

A good scrubbing with tilex to remove some of the shower mildew would have made me feel

better. The gardens are nice and the walk through the complex pleasant. If you take the outback

tour $75 usd sit at the back of the truck so you can hear the guide. Bring items to share with the

maid and the children of the country. There is an atm in the mall of the casino a couple of hotels

up the beach. Walk to the palace hotel via the beach cut through the pool area and catch the free

trolley to the casino. Can. Do not convert to US $ simply change your cash to DR$ at the hotel -

better value. I did not see any snake as I read in another review. As expected the place was full

of families at Xmas time. Most hoteller s were French, German and Dutch - draw your own

conclusions. Did we have a good time - yes!. Is it upsacle - no. Is it terrble -no. You get what

you pay for.

If you are looking for fun, good looking guys and a lots of drinking Barceló Bavaro Resort is the place to go!!!! We only spent a week there, and it was over, we didn't want to leave!! It was the best week of our lives, met lots of new people(guys), danced at the disco all night and did whatever we wanted.... there were 22 of us and if someone reads this and remembers us, please write!!!!

We miss you Punta Cana!!!

Advice for the managers: get rid of the Bavaro Garden's show host... He doesn't speak any languages well and is very rude to venezuelan girls....



PUNTA CANA! PUNTA CANA! PUNTA CANA!!!!!!!