JOIA Bavaro by Iberostar - All Inclusive - Adults Only

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

16056 reviews

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  Return trip to Joia Bavaro

  We returned to Joia Bavaro for our 4th visit in as many years with 3 other couples. My husband and I have long been Iberostar guests in Jamaica, Mexico and the DR. We have traveled with our own kids and now, as empty nesters, with our siblings. We love this resort. It is beautifully kept and constantly being tended to. The specialty restaurants and buffets serve very fresh, flavorful food. In fact, we thought the food was the best it has ever been. The staff are friendly and helpful. Our butler, Cesar, was extremely good. There were some years that we did not really avail ourselves of the butler service (and some are definitely more helpful than others), but Cesar really assisted us in securing reservations for our group of 8 each day. The pool is lovely and the beach is well tended (thought it was a bit too windy for a few days during our stay). We typically get a cocktail prior to dinner and enjoy sitting by the bar or outside on the veranda. Most times there was soft music playing or being sung. However, this time, there were a few nights that the music was so loud and boisterous, that we couldn't even hear anyone talking. Those musicians would be better suited to the shows in the theater. One other observation was that some thoughtless people "reserved" their lounge chairs sometime during the wee hours of the night or morning. When we arrived early at 6-6:30am, there were rows that were "reserved" with towels, but the folks who used them didn't show up until almost 10am. The management needs to monitor this more to avoid a great deal of unhappy guests. Otherwise, I would highly recommend this resort.

  Feb 14, 2026
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  Great hotel with a major flaw: the golf!

  Overall, Joia is a 5 star property with only one weakness, the golf course management. We stayed for 10 nights and I'd rave about the hotel. the rooms, the entertainment, the staff, the restaurants and the ambience. The hotel itself was everything I hoped it would be. But, we went there to play golf. I reserved five 18 hole rounds well ahead of our stay. On the first day, we got to the course and realized we had a problem. There were maybe 10-15 golf carts waiting with players in them. The practice area had another 10 players, and there were no practice balls for anyone. To summarize our experience that day, we waited on every single shot on every hole for 3 hours before we quit after playing 9 excruciating holes. The course itself was okay. It was in good condition and the greens, although slow, were fine. It's the management that needs either replacement or new leadership. They schedule each foursome 7 minutes apart. Most good courses schedule players 10 minutes apart. So, with this crowding of scheduling, rounds take 5.5 to 6 hours to play. I don't know about you, but I play lots of courses and 4 to 4.5 hours in usually about the right time to plan to play. We ended up rescheduling our play to mid-afternoon 9 hole rounds in order to avoid the morning disaster that played out every day. Even so, we occasionally got stopped by the 5 o 6th hole by the morning crowd still finishing their front 9 after 3 hours. So, we loved the hotel, but would warn anyone who plans to have a serious golf commitment during their stay, that they might be disappointed by the horrible golf course management and their scheduling of tee times every 7 minutes.

  Feb 14, 2026
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  A SUPERB 2-Weeks at Joia Bavaro

  We were so happy to return for a wonderful two-week stay at Joia Bavaro - Our 4th time here!. While everyone we interacted with was superb, a couple of individuals stand out: Melissa (at the restaurants) recognized our group two years after our last stay; we were hoping to reconnect with her and were delighted to be so warmly welcomed. Carolay (also at the restaurants) – and I hope I’m spelling her name correctly - seemed to be everywhere and was beyond helpful in assisting our group of 8 at all the restaurant venues. She made our dining experiences effortless and predictable. Amazing! We are so grateful to have met her and that she would take took so much ownership of our little group. Ysilen (our housekeeper, room 7332) also remembered us from two years ago and did her customary stellar job of making our stay feel like coming home. What an unmatched on-property team you have! Universally helpful, professional, and welcoming. A great, shared attitude everywhere on the property.

  Feb 13, 2026
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  Thank you

  Just wanted to give a shout out to our concierge Peter. He helped answer any questions we had. Whether it was getting something we needed for our room or booking reservations. Peter was always there with a smile and happy to help.

  Feb 12, 2026
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  Enjoyable vacation

  We had a great vacation. The crowd is older but it's appreciated because it's much more relaxed and quiet to get away from the hustle of life at home. We had a few days as a couple and then we had friends join a few days later. The food was all excellent. We had a night that we went to dinner later and waited a long time for a table and the quality of service declined. Overall staff was all very welcoming and friendly. We had Peter as our concierge and he made sure to touch base with us daily to make sure we had whatever we needed. The bed is comfy, massages are great, the room itself is a bit smaller than other resorts we've been to. Water pressure in the shower is excellent! There's complimentary sunscreen at the towel hut, which is wonderful. Definitely wouldn't think twice about coming back.

  Feb 12, 2026