Bavaro Princess All Suites Resort Spa & Casino

Our first impression was, uh-oh, not what we hoped for. This was our first trip to the DR,changing it up from our normal Mexico trips. Check in/out was super fast and easy. The upgraded room had some issues, toilet ran constantly, decorative cover on whirl pool tub was broken and we often had late night towel deliveries after the room had been cleaned. The mini bar that was supposed to be filled daily, never was. Once we notified the hotel, 2 issues were fixed. The biggest downfall was the constant badgering to go to a "Dominican breakfast" for the time share trap. I was getting to the point of avoiding certain places on the resort so I didn't have to say no thank you for the 20th time. I will say the people were super nice, and food options were great! We did have 2 dinner reservations as part of the upgrade, and they were downgraded upon arrival to a different restaurant. The on site transportation was reliable, but at peak times, you'd have to wait for a 2nd or 3rd run to find a seat. The grounds were kept impeccable, and the Mangrove was a nice walk too. The beaches aren't private so they do have vendors, but they weren't pushy or anything. They had a lot of umbrella areas too which was great, and at the pool too. Plenty of seating around the pool and on the beach, and fun activities to do also. Blue was the bomb!! :) We do wish the pool was bigger and cleaner, but, they do have a lot of trees around the pool.

I honestly would not recommend this resort to friends/family. The beds were extremely uncomfortable, some of the staff were extremely rude, the food choices were terrible. The only good meal we had was Bella Pasta which was amazing. There were so many people trying to sell you anything and everything (excursions, jewelry, hair braiding, sunglasses, you name it) on the beach, at the pool and even walking to the restaurants to eat - you couldn't enjoy yourself. My daughter actually timed from one "salesman" to the next and it was 8 minutes! Every 8 minutes a new person would come up and ask you to buy something and most would not take no for an answer. They would try and talk you into it before finally walking away with an attitude. We actually left early because paying the fee to change the flight was better than staying and suffering through the rest of the vacation. I have booked several times through Cheap Caribbean - St Thomas, Jamaica and more and I have never been this dissatisfied.

While my boyfriend and I did enjoy the resort, we would not come back again. Both of us are smokers and they only had ash trays at the front lobby. None along the main travel paths to discard cigarettes. Our friend had severe burns on his feet and the medical staff would not assist him, the blood trail from the pool area to his room was not cleaned off the sidewalks until the rain came and still did not completely clean it off. Each morning we were not allowed to go into the pool until at least 10am as the y were still cleaning the pools, this did not include all the drink glasses and mess left from the day before. It was nothing compared to the other resorts we have been to, the side walks were cleaned daily, pools cleaned each night and were spotless the next morning. We were very happy with the food and especially the fact we did not have to make reservations for special dinners. The staff was very friendly, unfortunately the cleanliness is what will deter us from returning.

Overall, I had a fabulous time at Bavaro Princess. I felt completely safe at all times which was important to me since I was traveling alone. However, I met great people from all over. The staff, bartender Reinaldo, Anthony at the restaurants, Mosquito at the theatre, Jose in the buffet - all resort employees were so welcoming, helpful and offered superb customer service. Really cater to you, haven’t seen this in many countries other than the Middle East and India. I was not asked to upgrade to platinum upon my arrival, but my room was close to lobby and small pool. The lobby really was where all the action was in the evenings anyways. My room was super clean and the housekeeper was great. The mattress wasn’t super comfortable and the sheets weren’t too soft, but many resorts have that issue. I used the hot tub one evening, but that is only because it took forever to fill it with hot/warm water. However, I’ve noticed this in many countries. I didn’t purchase the router and my internet pretty much didn’t work in room. I could make FaceTime and what’s app calls, but not as clear as in lobby. I was on WiFi in lobby, but, again, it wasn’t that great! I went into store everyday looking for stamps and they never had any. I asked the woman at reception, but she didn’t have any. It would be great if they had a surplus of stamps, so visitors can send postcards. I don’t like to buy them to keep them, I buy them to mail them from place I’m visiting. The lady at reception didn’t offer to mail them for me even though I would have gladly provided her with money for stamps and her troubles. The property was super clean and staff was outside cleaning almost all day long. Beach was great and water was warm. Sand was super clean and I wish I was there now soaking up the sun. There were some vendors that asked you to purchase items, more than a couple of times, but this happens on many beaches across the world. I didnt get mad like some, I just said “no, thank you” and/or pretended to sleep. I just told myself that they are just trying to make a living. I will say that if you run into Bazil from sea line, he is great and honest. I purchased the parasailing activity from him. They are not permitted to come in the platinum beach area and even by the non-platinum beach bar area. Security guards are always out there and watching. I suggest tipping all people that service you, if you can, at least a dollar. They work very hard and it means a lot to them. The food was okay for me, but that is because I’m super picky and allergic to seafood. I didn’t really care for the beef, so stuck with chicken and salads. The fruit and pastries were really good. I will note that my friend loved the food and it seemed like most there did, judging by the amount on their plates or how many times they went back for more. The rice was good and the omelettes. Drinks were okay, but you won’t get drunk unless you ask for more alcohol. I’m not much of a drinker, but I asked for extra rum or vodka and still didn’t really get drunk (which is okay with me). I guess, like most all inclusive resorts, the liquor wasn’t the highest quality. But, I did see bottles that are well known. There isn’t too much to do at night, but this is a family resort and they do their best to provide you with entertainment (shows, singing, dancing, etc) and that was fun to watch. The big pool was always fun and I would go there around 3 pM after my beach time. I purchased one activity from amstar, ocean adventure or something like that...a van picked me up, did the dr, fish on feet, then on boat for yoga, body scrub, massage, foot detox bath, floating mattresses and then a healthy lunch back at restaurant. It cost $154 and was totally worth it. Our guide was awesome and spoke several languages like many people there...many spoke English, French and Spanish. The hibachi place was my favorite. Lots of fun and the food was great! Def arrange your transportation to/from airport when booking reservation. Don’t think I forgot anything. Beach and pool were very clean. All was good for price I paid.