Barcelo Bavaro Palace Rating: 3.5 Pearls

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

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Caney bar

The huge lobby features a strange, abstract sculpture that captivates guests (this was one of the most popular photo-ops I saw at the resort, topped only by the beach and pool), and old, outdated wicker furniture. Taking in the scene, the guests' frustration and the lack of service were apparent. Guests waited in long lines to check in at the understaffed front desk, and constant confusion plagued guests and bellboys at the taxi station. As a result, the grand lobby felt like a holding room for rotating guests, not a relaxed spot to hang out.

As I waited in line to check-in, I chatted with a young family of four from Ontario. The wife had visited the Barcelo Palace previously with a girlfriend and confidently said, "It was the bomb!" The beaches were the bomb, the hotel was the bomb ... she really liked everything. In fact, even the food was the bomb! And in the end, she loved it so much that she wanted to bring her family back to show them. When I saw them on the property later, though, she suddenly seemed much more tentative. She was disappointed by the crowded, spring break atmosphere -- this wasn't what it was like when she came here with her girlfriend. She hadn't encountered the drunken college kids, or the long waits at the bar for a cocktail. She hoped the crowds would be gone by the end of the week.

On the beach, the North American spring breakers and Euro travelers made a crazy combination. Topless women and men in Speedos gawked after tan American couples with gym-rat physiques. Groups of college kids played volleyball in the sand while their muscular friends in swim trunks sipped on piña coladas and shook their hips without irony to the booming euro-pop soundtrack.

In the middle of the afternoon, I settled into a seat by the pool. One can imagine my shock at the sight of a woman throwing up on the pool deck from her lounger. I feared a serious medical condition, as did other concerned guests at the pool. But when her friends (who'd been bravely wiping up her mess from the concrete and encouraging her to lie down under a towel) loaded her into a wheel chair, she tossed her head back and mumbled, "I'm so wasted." Though a few other guests took notice and shared my horrified expressions, she wasn't the only one drinking a little too heavily in broad daylight.

Inside the resort was a confusingly diverse crowd. Parents and tweens played by the pool while spring breakers crowded near the swim-up bar. Diaphanous cover-ups revealed taut bellies starting the day with omelets, sausages, and smoothies at breakfast. Retired couples in classy resort-wear punctuated the young party scene during my stay. Though this is the highest-end hotel on the Barcelo Bavaro property, the vibe was a mishmash of party and family, young and old, wild and reserved.

The resort's shuttle

One word to describe the service at Barcelo Palace? Understaffed. The friendliness of the staff is its saving grace. Even so, staff struggled to keep up with the demands of guests during my stay.

The long line for check-in never seemed to shorten. Busloads of vacationers continuously swept through the lobby all afternoon and never more than three employees worked the front desk. I waited for more than 30 minutes to get to the front desk. They were kind enough to bring by a tray of welcome drinks for everyone waiting in line, but the efforts would have been better appreciated behind the front desk! The morning I checked out was the same story: long lines of guests waited to hand in their room keys and get their check-out stub from all of two employees helping them.

The restaurants and bars are similarly understaffed. Getting clean silverware or a cup of coffee could easily turn into a mission at the buffet with the handful of staff manning the dining room, and the bartenders were no better off.

View on a Larger Map

Barcelo Bavaro Palace is one of six hotels on the Barcelo Bavaro Resort complex. Guests have access to the facilities, restaurants, and beaches at the other four hotels, which include Bavaro Caribe Beach, Bavaro Beach, Bavaro Casino, and Bavaro Golf.

The Barcelo resort complex is in Bavaro, which is technically the area that stretches north of Punta Cana airport (although Punta Cana is commonly used to refer to the entire peninsula). The beaches along this northern stretch of the coast generally see much stronger waves and have steeper drop off than those to the south in Punta Cana. Bavaro is also home to a limited smattering of restaurants and nightclubs, mostly in and around the town of Friusa, that offer locals and tourists a change of pace from the dominant presence of resorts and poorly maintained roads.

The beach

This beach is one of the most beautiful I visited in Bavaro and Punta Cana. The water and sand were clean and inviting. Guests shouldn't expect to swim far from shore or find large secluded swaths of sand, as the waves can get rough, and the beach is certainly crowded. But still, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who wasn't happy with the beach here. It was packed with happy vacationers from breakfast to dinnertime.

The water-sports station, housed in the same small beach shack as the gym, was sleepy and barely used. The employee manning the station was leaned back in plastic deck chair with his feet on the counter, surrounded by colorful posters advertising a range of lively activities that were nowhere to be found on the beach.

The Superior Room

Rooms are spacious and well-cleaned by staff, but have basic, outdated furnishings. I stayed in a Superior room. Although I didn't get to see other room types on this property, pretty much all of the rooms I saw at neighboring Barcelo resorts were a similar size, layout, and had similar furnishings.

Spaciousness and cleanliness were the highlights of my room. Otherwise, things were up to standard -- and no higher. Working air-conditioning, a basic television set, and an alarm clock were among the features provided. Simple furnishings and decent bedding sufficed to keep me comfortable. Beds were standard; the addition of fluffy mattress covers that made mattresses feel slightly more luxurious (and, I imagine, kept a couple of springs from poking my spine).

My small balcony seemed lacking. Given the tropical surroundings, the balcony should be one of the room's greatest features, but there was far more space for lounging inside than out. The balcony was only big enough for a small table and chairs -- not much of a place to hang out.

The minibar was stocked with Pepsi soft drinks, water, Presidente beer and mini chocolate-chip cookies, and was restocked throughout the day.

The bathroom was conveniently split between a large vanity and sinks and the separate toilet and shower. The shower wasn't romantic, by any means. The basic white bathtub and tiled shower area fell short of romantic, but seemed just fine. Until, that is, I turned on the water for the first time, and the detachable showerhead spun and sprayed in all directions. The entire room was soaked and the housekeeping had their work cut out for them, not to mention my somewhat stressful shower experience.

Wi-Fi is available in the rooms, but user codes must be purchased (for daily or hourly rates) at the Internet center behind the lobby.

The tennis courts

The large pool here is probably the most popular feature. Its swim-up bar and regular bar were the hub of the action here, with tons of lounge chairs and tables that were crowded with guests. Though there wasn't noticeable debris surrounding the pool, considering that many people drink in and around the pool, all I can say is, "Thank God for chlorine."

This resort is one of six on the entire Barcelo complex, and guests have access to amenities at all resorts but Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe. The casino, golf course, convention center, disco, and all bars and restaurants on the other Barcelo Bavaro properties are accessible to all Barcelo guests.

The Internet center sells hourly access to Internet on its own cluster of desktop PCs, as well as Wi-Fi access at hourly or daily rates. The man in charge here was nearly always hiding behind one of the computers on his headphones, disinterested in the guests around him. The Internet connection was incredibly slow, but it beat having none at all.

The limited gym shouldn't be altogether surprising, given the party vibe of the resort. Just a shack along the beach; its strong smell of jock strap and sweaty carpets was enough to drive all but the most determined beefcakes away. The cardio equipment consists of a whopping three exercise bikes. Not exactly a workout heaven.

Staff photographers paced the resort taking guests' snapshots for vacation mementos, sold in the photo center next to the lobby. The resort monkey and parrot were circulated around the resort for tropical snapshots, and I saw photographers leading the occasional romantic photo shoot: "OK good. Now kiss. OK good. Now more kiss ... OK good enough, now pose." Though it seemed a bit awkward, the couples seem to enjoy themselves, and with so many shots they probably made it home with a fun souvenir.

The evening entertainment and disco both take place on neighboring Barcelo Bavaro Beach's property. The easiest way to access it is with the resort shuttle that circulates the entire resort complex. Otherwise it's about a 15-minute walk between these two properties.

Fun on the beach

The resort added a kids and teen complex in 2012 with activity centers for children and teens. Maxi Club is the teen district, and has a water park, mini-golf course, game room, and dance club. There is also a theme water park called Pirate's Cove, and a children's facility called Barcy Kids Club. The center is adult-supervised, and has different activities for different ages, so parents can opt to drop off their kids at any of the facilities for the day.

Rooms are big enough for extra beds and cribs, and are generally quiet. Kid-friendly foods are available at the buffet, but pickings are slim: a pasta bar and tons of breads and desserts are the safest bets.

The grounds and rooms are basically clean, but far from sparkling and pristine. Even if housekeeping had given rooms a scrub-down, the furniture and linens are outdated and worn. Large crowds of people drinking at the bars and eating in the buffet created a near constant mess for housekeeping and waitstaff to clean up during my stay. Facilities like the gym and Internet center are also outdated and have developed a bit of a grunge factor. If the current renovations of surrounding properties are a sign of what's ahead, this one should be up next.

The buffet at El Caribe

Buffet Caribe offers a variety of foods, but judging by the looks on most vacationers' faces when I was there, the mediocre options keep guests happy for a limited time. The lack of excitement for plates full of "composite salad" and "sautéed of beef" was palpable, only made worse by the sad soundtrack of songs like "Hotel California" and "All By Myself." Food complaints aside, though, the limited hours of the dining room were especially frustrating. Late morning breakfasts were out of the question, and families who'd arrived in the late afternoon paced outside the buffet doors with growling stomachs.

À la carte dining is available at the French Chez Palace, seafood restaurant La Brisa, and Dominican Bohio. Snacks are served at Restaurant La Piña, but the location down the beach is inconvenient to the rest of the resort.

Though guests are also permitted to eat at any of the restaurants on neighboring Barcelo properties, the properties are spread so far that guests need to catch a shuttle to move between them.

Drinks here are made with generic Dominican-made liquor. Local Presidente beer is on tap.