JOIA Bavaro by Iberostar - All Inclusive - Adults Only

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

16034 reviews

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  Absolutely unforgettable and amazing hotel ⭐️

  Staying at this spectacular five-star ⭐️💎 hotel with my husband and our two adult children was an absolutely unforgettable experience!!❤️ From the moment we arrived, everything exceeded our expectations: the impeccable service, the elegant and spacious rooms, and the attention to every small detail. The hotel perfectly balances luxury 💎and warmth, making us feel both pampered and completely at home. We loved sharing this experience as a family—whether enjoying the outstanding dining options, relaxing in the beautiful common areas, or simply taking in the serene atmosphere. Every staff member was professional, friendly, and genuinely committed to making our stay exceptional. It was the kind of place that creates lasting memories, and we truly felt spoiled from start to finish. 😍 We cannot recommend this hotel highly enough and would return without hesitation! 🌟🎉❤️💎🥂

  Jan 30, 2026
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  Wonderful time!!!

  Fantastic vacation!! The hotel was beautiful, just the right size that I didn't get lost! The room was very spacious, as was the bathroom. (maybe the bathroom can be updated a bit). The food was wonderful. The Surf and Turf restaurant was my favorite. My daughters planned this trip and I tagged along at the last minute. They had a butler, I did not. Cesar and Eduardo were wonderful, and they became my butlers as well. They checked in on us, booked our spa appointments, car to the airport etc. All the staff were friendly and upbeat.

  Jan 29, 2026
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  Joia Bavaro in January after Joia Paraiso in December - it doesn't get any better!

  We just returned from 8 days at Joia Bavaro. We'd previously been to Joia Paraiso and Rose Hall so we had expectations - they were fully met! When booking the resort we were a bit unclear about the layout and room choices. It turns out that it's remarkably simple - the resort is essentially a "U" with the short piece containing the lobby, lobby bar, etc... One length of the US consists of rooms and a theater at ground level and the other length consists of what we called "restaurant row" on the ground level with rooms above. In the inside of the "U" there are 3 pools and a manmade lake that features a full size replica sailboat (on the same side as the restaurants). The rooms that face the inside of the "U" pretty much all have a view of the ocean if you look in that direction. There are a limited number of rooms that directly face the ocean but given the width of the beach they are not right on top of it like in Mexico. Overall I don't think you can go wrong with any of the rooms - the size of the resort makes it easy to get to everything no matter where you stay. The room here was a bit smaller with a different layout than the other Joia resorts but we enjoyed it - the only legitimate criticism is that the only drawers are in the 2 nightstands but there are some shelves in the closet. Food and beverage are important at a resort since you are "captive" and Bavaro didn't disappoint us. We thought the breakfast and lunch buffets were not quite as good as those in Mexico but I can assure you that we never went hungry. Some of this opinion may just be our personal bias toward Mexican food. We ate at all of the ala carte restaurants except the French (only due to our own dietary preferences) and enjoyed all of them . In fact, we thought they were even better than Paraiso and Rose Hall. Service at all of the restaurants was outstanding and we never had to wait for a table no matter what time we arrived (and this was during a period of 90%+ occupancy). Food is highly subjective but some of our personal favorites were the tomato soup in the Italian, the charred Romaine salad at the steakhouse and the fried whole fish and empanadas at the Dominican. Lobster and steak are abundant and we enjoyed every dinner. My wife enjoyed daily iced cappucino's prepared by Veronica Reyes at the Star Cafe who not only made the well but made us feel so incredibly welcome! At the pool bar we were treated to great drinks prepared by Tobias Ery - try a Bloody Caesar or, not found on the menu, the "Tiger". In the evenings we sought out Bruno who was sometimes at the Lobby Bar, sometimes at the bar near the restaurants and sometimes at the bar on the ship. Not all bartenders and barristas are created equal but if you stick to Veronica, Tobias and Bruno you won't go wrong! There is daily entertainment with shows most nights in the theater. Our favorites were the Circus Show, the 70's/80's music show and the Queeen Tribute. Joia Bavaro stands out for the quality of the entertainment team. "Smile", "Black Mamba" and the rest of the entertainment staff go all out to make sure everyone has a great time - probably the best entertainment crew we've seen at a resort! We played golf 4 times at the Iberostar golf course. The course was in good condition and it's a nice vacation course - not brutally difficult but still challenging and enjoyable. You can get there with a quick shuttle ride but it's also only a 15 minute walk - we generally took the shuttle to get there because we had early times but enjoyed a nice walk back. I would recommend making tee times well in advance because it does fill up. We enjoyed a lot of time in the pools. They were comfortably warm in the morning and by afternoon they were very warm. Each of the pools is close to the beach and we enjoyed long walks on the beach every day. Sargassum is a big issue in the entire region and Punta Cana is not immune from it. Joia has machinery out every day cleaning it up and it never interefered with our ability to walk along the water. There were several days where it would be necessary to wade through sargassum to get to a clear area but others were there was very little. We really enjoyed walking this beach and given that sargassum levels are unpredictable (and beyond their control) we wouldn't consider it a factor in returning. I've mentioned several staff by name because those are the ones I remember. However, service here was flawless from the time we checked in until the minute we left - I honestly couldn't dream up a complaint. So, kudos to the entire staff and for those I didn't mention by name - my apologies! As to the question of which Joia is the best one the answer is simple - visit them all!

  Jan 29, 2026
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  Joia In the DR

  The resort is beautiful! The food was wonderful! and the staff impeccable!! Very clean and quiet. Rooms are modern and over all great for the cost. Beach is beautiful water was a little rough. Well worth the price. We will definitely return.

  Jan 27, 2026
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  This is the second time we have been here and loved it both times!

  My husband and I love the Dominican Republic and the people here. The beaches are outstanding with gorgeous colors and soft sand. Our favorite part is how far you can walk in either direction from the Joia iberostar. We stayed here last January and although we travel someplace different every January and have for about 10 years, this is the first time we have ever returned to the same resort. Everything is beautifully maintained inside and out. The service is outstanding whether you are at the pool, at a restaurant or one of the many bars, or utilizing your personal butlers. Cesar and Eduardo were wonderful butlers and were always on call. They were friendly and happy to help in any way possible. There were so many excellent servers our favorites being Jacinto, LeBron, Tobias, DJ Kakaroto, Elizabeht, Yordania and Brandone. It was so much fun arriving and seeing how excited so many of these people were to see us again. We love the clientele that this place brings. There are no children and very few very young people that can sometimes change the atmosphere. We liked that it is casual and comfortable. All of the restaurants are excellent and surprisingly the buffet was one of our favorites. They do a great job of cooking to your liking. We would recommend this resort to everyone!

  Jan 23, 2026