Barcelo Bavaro Palace - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

32342 reviews

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  Nice Resort

  Overall we liked the Bavaro Palace, the buffet was good and they slightly changed up the offering every day for each meal which was a nice surprise. The Japanese/Hibachi experience was great, and the steakhouse was also a nice dinner spot. There was a small mix up with our room at the beginning where they thought we booked a Junior Suite and not Family, but it was rectified the next day. Overall the amenities in room were nice, the pools were great, especially for kids.

  Jan 13, 2026
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  Great stay with some suggestions

  Bavaro Palace and Bavaro Beach Adults Only review. I am reviewing these two resorts together because they are on the same property and you can use all of the facilities at either one (with the exception of children at the Beach of course). Four of us stayed at the Bavaro Beach Adults Only end of the resort while my daughter and her husband stayed at Bavaro Palace with three young children ages two, four, and six. It was nice to go back to the Beach’s quiet pool area after a busy day playing with children at the much more active (and noisier) Palace end of the resort. Beach and pool: the beach is lovely and long and excellent for walking, but keep in mind there is often a fair bit of seaweed that washes up if the weather is windy. We were there in January, however, and they did a good job of taking it away and it was never smelly. The main pool is huge and clean though it isn’t heated and some days it was quite cold (in January). There are lots of activities in the sports pool including lane swims in the morning. There are three levels of Kids Pools, and our grandkids spent a lot of time there enjoying the slides, fountains, etc. though our 6-year-old wasn’t tall enough to go in the Pirate’s Cove which included a wave pool and lots of great slides. The downside at both resorts was trying to find a lounge chair anytime after 9 AM as people reserve groups of chairs early in the day. We also started doing that but despite leaving towels and belongings on our chairs, some people even ‘stole’ our chairs when we were just down swimming in the ocean! The resort really needs to remedy this issue perhaps by assigning a clip with room numbers on them. TIP: for this reason, many people were using plastic clips to attach their towels to their chairs in order to ensure no takes their chair so bring some clips along! Once I was even literally pushed out of the way when I was about to reach an empty chair---this lack of chairs was our number 1 complaint about this resort that they really need to address. Food and restaurants: Some food choices on the buffets were good including the egg and crêpe stations, fresh fruit, cheeses, juices, breads, etc. but there were just as many tasteless, so-so options. We went out to the à la carte restaurants every night with very mixed results. We liked the Teppanyaki and Spanish restaurants very much, but the others, including Chez Gourmet were very uneven and some were downright terrible. Overall, the food was a bit disappointing for resort that bills itself as a five-star experience. Bars: We found the bars were plentiful, well stocked, and the staff made excellent cocktails to order and happily cleaned our thermal cups each time. Favourite cocktails included passionfruit margaritas, Mojitos, Aperol spritz, and mudslides with fresh bananas. We recommend having ‘champagne’ aka sparkling wine, rather than the house wine---it was quite palatable and refreshing. They were also happy to make non-alcoholic cocktails for the kids (and us at times!). Rooms: The rooms at the Bavaro Beach Adults section were a bit dated but clean and well stocked with a mini bar, towels, etc. We had a unit that had the biggest bed we have ever seen! The one complaint we had was that smoking is allowed on the balconies and the people next-door smoked a fair bit, including cigars, which didn’t make opening the door very pleasant. Smoking is allowed outdoors in both resorts, unfortunately. Our daughter and family stayed in a family suite and although it was quite small, they really enjoyed the outdoor bathtub that you can fill with warm water to bathe the kids and wash off the sand of the day. There were mosquitoes at night so it might be wise to bring some repellant as the kids had quite a few bites! Staff: The staff is the highlight of this resort. They seem so genuinely kind and happy to see us. Although some people tipped, it wasn’t expected and they seemed happy to go above and beyond to make your stay excellent. We did tip sometimes as I’m sure that is much appreciated so we recommend that you bring some smaller bills to leave with your favourite staff members who give excellent service. We often had an issue with the language barrier, but we could use Google translate when really needed. Entertainment: There are lots of activities during the day, with somethings like water aerobics, bingo, pool parties, etc. run by the activity staff with great energy! In the evening, there is an 8 PM show for kids which is at the main stage. It’s not super professional, but the kids seem to love getting up and dancing around on the stage with the local performers. The 10 o’clock adult shows were a bit uneven, but some of them, including the circus and the look-alike performers, such as Madonna and Michael Jackson were quite good. We went to the adults only section a few times and actually preferred their 10 o’clock show. The rock band at Bávaro Beach Adults Only was excellent and are highly recommended. We wish there were a few more genuine local bands playing at the resort. Kids club: The kids club seems to be well staffed and the children enjoyed short stays there as there weren’t a lot of other kids to play with when we visited so it was a bit lacking in energy. The kids really liked the ball pit and the playground, however, and even though we had one child too young to participate (ages for the kid’s club is from 4 to 10), they let him use the club facilities as long as one of us was there with him. There are activities throughout the day and the hours are quite long with a break for dinner. There’s even a horseback riding excursion on the beach for an extra price. Etc. Be forewarned that it is quite a long walk from the hotel rooms at the Beach adult section to the Palace section of the resort. We actually enjoyed getting a lot of steps in every day as it was almost a kilometer from one to the other! The little train shuttle is very handy but unfortunately, they were often very unevenly spaced. Sometimes there was 15 to 20 minutes in between trains and then two would come along right together. The resort could work on being more efficient in this regard. The Pickleball facilities are not great, which was a bit of a disappointment as they are located in the Beach adult section and have a very uneven concrete surface. If there is even a bit of rain, there is a lot of pooling making it unplayable. The tennis and padel facilities at the main Palace end of the resort are much better surfaces.

  Jan 13, 2026
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  Beautiful Resort With Excellent Staff — One Very Disappointing Front Desk Experience

  This was our third stay at Barceló Bávaro Palace, and overall the resort remains a beautiful property with many positive attributes. The food selection and quality are very good, the grounds are exceptionally well maintained, and the beach and pool areas are excellent, although additional shade and more beach chairs would be appreciated. The rooms are very spacious, but they are outdated and in need of renovation. In general, the majority of the staff is very friendly, professional, and hardworking, which has been a key reason we have returned to this resort multiple times. We would like to specifically recognize several employees who provided outstanding service: • Starly Céspedes, an excellent bell attendant, who made us feel welcome from the moment we arrived. • Lewis De León, who handled the check-in process professionally and courteously, despite a long wait. • Nikolay Erenko from Concierge Guest Services, who was consistently friendly, knowledgeable, and eager to assist. Unfortunately, the most disappointing aspect of our stay involved Rafael Peña, Supervisor at the Front Desk. His behavior was rude, dismissive, and unprofessional. We politely requested a room change due to the room’s location and made it clear that we were willing to move to a lower-category room in any building. His response, delivered in a hostile manner, was simply: “We do not do that!” When asked to clarify, he repeated the same phrase and walked away. As guests who have stayed at this resort twice before, we found this interaction particularly troubling, as we had never experienced such behavior for a reasonable request. Thankfully, other staff members demonstrated the level of professionalism expected at a resort of this caliber and were able to accommodate us. What made the situation worse was Mr. Peña’s reaction after learning that the issue had been resolved. Rather than being pleased that the guests were accommodated, he became visibly upset, asking “Who did this?” and stating “They should not have done this.” This conduct is entirely inappropriate for a Front Desk Supervisor, who should represent the hotel in a professional and welcoming manner. Based on this experience, future guests may wish to avoid any interaction with Rafael Peña if they do not want their mood negatively affected during their vacation. This is a matter that senior management should take very seriously, as a Front Desk Supervisor is often one of the first and most visible representative of the hotel. While our overall stay was enjoyable, this interaction significantly detracted from it. As returning guests who have chosen this resort three times, this incident has caused us to seriously reconsider staying here again.

  Jan 13, 2026
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  Amazing view

  We had an amazing experience at the resort! The place is beautiful, the view from our room was incredible, and the atmosphere made our vacation unforgettable. The food in most restaurants was delicious, and the service at Hoyo 19 was outstanding the bartender there was truly the best. We actually went back just because of how well he treated us. The rooms were clean, the pools were relaxing, and the whole property feels like a paradise. We enjoyed every moment.

  Jan 13, 2026
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  One of the best all-inclusive resorts in Caribbean

  We stayed at Barcelo in Mex and DR. Typically for New Year and kids XMas break. The DR has warmer weather this season. Good food, friendly staff, quite relaxing vacation overall

  Jan 13, 2026