Iberostar Bavaro Rating: 3.5 Pearls

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

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Flamingos on hotel grounds

One of three mega-resorts on a single complex -- the others being the Iberostar Punta Cana and the Iberostar Dominicana -- the Iberostar Bavaro is the quietest, drawing mostly families or mature couples (sans kids or grandkids). The most expensive of the three resorts, the Bavaro has access to the pools and restaurants at the other two resorts, but these guests are not allowed on the Bavaro's property, except to use the Bavaro's gym and spa, which means the Bavaro's pool and beach are considerably less crowded.

The casino, mini-mall, and most of the entertainment is on the other half of the property, by the Bavaro's sister resorts. In their stead, the Bavaro has leafy garden paths leading to two-story cottages that house the resort's 590 rooms.

Like all Iberostar properties, the resort's design randomly swings from Chinese teahouse to Italian villa to Miami art deco. There's far more local art and culture on display than at comparable all-inclusives, including handicrafts on display in the lobby and Spanish music in the restaurants -- rather than the standard Britney Spears/Bryan Adams outdated pop hits found everywhere else. It's not much of an exotic, Caribbean experience, but a little authenticity makes a bit difference.

The Iberostar is a Spanish chain with resorts in Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Unsurprisingly, most guests here are European (British, Dutch, French, German, and Spanish) or Canadian (as is the case for most of the D.R.).

Several guests I interviewed were Iberostar fans who had visited the chain's other resorts. They all said the Bavaro was the cleanest and largest Iberostar they'd visited. Others had found this resort long ago and come back every year. "You just can't beat the beach," said a couple from Toronto. To a large extent, they're right. In Jamaica, the Iberostar Rose Hall is new, and has pretty quality food, but the beach doesn't compare. Nor does the beach compare on the Dominican north coast, at the Iberostar Costa Dorada. Across the Caribbean, it's hard to find a better, mega-resort-filled beach than in Punta Cana.

Hotel's guest shuttle

The staff at the Bavaro is always at work. The front desk is constantly manned, and waitresses swish through the lobby to get drinks late into the night. Out on the grounds, gardeners carefully water and trim the abundant foliage all day while others sweep and mop the paths. Mid-morning, housekeeping came by to refresh my flowers, and restock my fridge with water, soda, and beer. Reviews on TripAdvisor are unanimous -- staff here is excellent.

Most of the staff speaks English, but while I waited in line for five minutes to check-in I heard the desk attendant also speak in French, German, Italian, and Spanish.

Like any hotel, a little tipping goes a long way. Most guests do not tip the staff, but a couple extra dollars here and there will afford some extra-attentive service. Regardless, the staff is extremely friendly and even the shakiest attempt at Spanish will elicit a broad smile.

View on a Larger Map

Located on a picturesque but crowded stretch of beach in Punta Cana, the Iberostar Bavaro is the last (or, depending on where you're coming from, the first) of the three Iberostar resorts. It borders the Iberostar Dominicana which lies between the Bavaro and the Iberostar Punta Cana on the other end. Guests at the Bavaro can walk through all three properties at will and enjoy any of the three resorts' restaurants and facilities without having to pay extra. It doesn't work both ways, however. Guests at the Dominicana and Punta Cana aren't allowed to enter the Bavaro's grounds without purchasing a pass. I actually saw guests being shooed away, so they definitely do enforce this!

There's not much worth seeing in Punta Cana itself -- everything to see, do, and eat is on the resort complex property.

The Beach

With especially fine, powdery white sand, the Bavaro's beach is one of the D.R.'s best. It's as broad as Miami's South Beach, and it stretches all the way down past the Dominica and Punta Cana resorts. Unlike the beaches at comparable resorts in Jamaica and Aruba, the sand here is packed especially deep and the shoreline isn't even vaguely rocky. The shoreline is clean and the water slowly gets deeper the further you wade in, without the sand abruptly dropping out from under you -- especially good for kids!

It's also very active beach, with guests crossing back and forth between Iberostar properties or even over to the neighboring Riu Bambu. Still, there's plenty of space to grab a seat and watch enthusiasts take off kite surfing, or go scuba diving with a team from the beachside Dive Center. There are also bars and ice cream stands at regular intervals along the beach to cool off from the sun.

The Junior Suite

Guest-rooms at the Bavaro are all grouped in free-standing cottages divided by garden paths, and arranged in neat, parallel lines, all the way from the lobby out to the ocean. But the only cottages with ocean views are the ones lining the boardwalk.

All the rooms at the Bavaro have the same floor plan and look like junior suites. They're large and airy, have plenty of windows, and each has a good-size balcony with a nifty pull-out clothes dryer.

Back inside, gauzy curtains are tied in a bow and festooned with flowers for each guest upon arrival. It's an open space, with a bedroom on a level above a living area, which has two divans that can double as beds, sleeping up to four people in the room -- an excellent feature for families. Down in the living area, a wooden cabinet running the length of one wall supports a large flat-screen TV. There's a mini fridge below stocked with beer, water, and soda. For $13/day, guests get wired Internet in their rooms and Wi-Fi in the lobby.

The beds are very comfortable, even though the mattresses are thoroughly ordinary. The foam top, however, made for a very deep sleep. I do wish there were warmer blankets, though, as the air-conditioning was a little too effective. It didn't help that I couldn't turn the air conditioner to a warmer setting -- it only turns on and off.

There are flowers in the bathroom too, adorning the tissue box. Even though it is done up in fake marble, the bathroom is still very nice and everything worked fine, though the soap dispensers in the shower look like something from a public restroom. The shower stall looks as though it once had a glass door, but now it has an ineffective shower curtain that allows water to splash all over the floor. It's a good thing the room comes with so many towels.

Large pool area

The large lagoon-shaped pool is among the best in Punta Cana. The pool and its surrounding area is also where most of the games on the resort's activity calendar take place -- from dance lessons to card games -- and it stays pretty noisy throughout the day. With varying depths, there are plenty of shallow ends for little kids (but one of the shallow ends is dominated by the very popular swim-up bar, a feature not found at most Iberostars). Activities like water volleyball take over the deeper sections of the pool. Most guests, however, prefer to sun themselves on the broad sundeck while catching a bite to eat from the adjacent snack bar.

Shared across three resorts (that's 1,513 rooms), the small fitness center overlooking the ocean is packed! The handful of treadmills and bikes are in high demand and there's invariably a line of guests waiting to use them. The weight-training machines are a little easier to get ahold of, but there's only one of each. Unlike the cardio machines, these machines felt somewhat outdated, and all of the weights are measured in kilograms. A Jacuzzi and sauna are below the gym, but you have to reserve a place in advance to use either of them. The Jacuzzis are very popular, so be sure to book in advance.

The small spa offers a range of treatments from facials and massages to mani-pedis. But, since it's the only spa on the property, you've got to secure a spot well ahead of time.

Wi-Fi is available in the lobby for $13 per day. (That fee also gets you wired in-room internet access.)

Guests enjoying poolside activities

The Iberostar is a very popular pick among families.

The two divans that come with every suite are large enough to comfortably fit the kids and can be properly prepared with sheets and pillows if requested. Cribs are also free, but should be booked in advance. In addition, all restaurants are equipped with highchairs for small children

Parents with truly tiny tots will be happy to find a separate shallow pool by the side of the main pool. Beside the pool is a small clubhouse where kids can try their hand at painting pottery.

The Lucy's Kids' Club is shared with the Dominicana and Punta Cana resorts. Unlike at other resorts, the staff always leaves a sign taped on the door with the wee ones' whereabouts, saying things like "at the pool" or "on the playground." Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the counselors speak decent English. The club accepts children as young as 5, and teens ages 13 to 16 are also welcome during the high-season from July 1 to Sept. 15. But unlike the Grand Palladium in Punta Cana, there are no separate facilities for older kids. The club is fairly small, but has a huge jungle gym, a very shallow kids pool, a game room with mini-pool and ping pong tables, and even a nap room (though the counselors say this room is never used). Activities include a "fun dance," free-throw contest, volleyball, and a nightly “mini-disco” at 8:15 p.m.

The buffet is packed with plenty of kid-friendly options like vats of French fries, pizza, and burgers, and there are also plenty of bite-size pieces of fruit to sneak on their plates. High chairs are available at all the restaurants.

The staff at the Bavaro takes excellent care of the property, and the rooms are always well-cleaned. I was also impressed that a property with a mini lake on site could remain so mosquito-free!

There were, however, a couple of ants. Tiny ants -- but ants, nonetheless -- creeping around the the foot of my bed, and later by my sink. Still, they were easily brushed away and didn't bite. This, after all, is what you get when you go to the tropics.

Chef at the Buffet

The Bavaro's main buffet restaurant is open for all three meals. It has a huge buffet station -- with the wooden skeleton of a dinosaur overhead, for some reason -- that's comparable in its variety to the spreads at Natura Park, and the Occidental. There are plenty of made-to-order stations, like the pasta and the omelet bars, where chefs can cut and cook food right in front of you. This is a considerable improvement from the similarly priced Gran Bahia Ambar, the Melia Caribe Tropical, and the Princess Bavaro.

If you end up sleeping through breakfast, not to worry. Los Bohios -- a steak restaurant by night -- is a snack bar open throughout the day. There's a fresh selection of fruits, some yogurt, burgers, hot dogs, pancakes, and omelets made to order well into the afternoon. You can even get a drink at the neighboring Los Bohios Bar.

For dinner, the Bavaro has four à la carte restaurants, all of which are covered by the all-inclusive rate. But you have to reserve a table in advance with guest services (usually no later than the morning of). Jamabalaya, the Cajun restaurant, is most often considered the best of the à la cartes. Guests thoroughly recommend the jambalaya (surprised?). The Japanese restaurant, Harishu, is also well-received. La Couple, the French/Italian restaurant, and the Los Bohios steakhouse, were the least popular, though guests I spoke to still enjoyed eating there.

Like all Iberostar resorts, the liquor here is name-brand, and the bartenders know how to pour it, especially in the lobby bar, where guests like to linger and catch a break from the sun.

There is no drink service on the beach, but there are plenty of bars and spots for a cold Cerveza just off the sand and close to the pools.

The beach

• Wedding Size: Up to 150 people

• Extra Fees: $50 day pass for non-hotel guests

• Wedding Packages: The standard wedding package ($1,600) includes a wedding coordinator, a bouquet and a boutonniere, two bottles of champagne, a wedding cake, a guitar trio or pianist during the ceremony, 14 5-by-7 photos, and dinner for the bride and groom (up to 15 people; $12 extra for each additional person).

• Ceremony Locations: The garden (80 people max), or the beach (150 people max)

• Reception Options: Unlike at other all-inclusive resorts, there's no extra fee for food and drinks with the standard package. Small parties (less than 45 people) will have to dine along with all of the other resort guests at one of the a la carte restaurants; larger groups (from 45 to 200 people) can reserve an entire restaurant for three hours ($750 to $1,000, depending on the restaurant). A semiprivate dinner on the beach can also be arranged for an extra $47 per person.

• Photographers and Videographers: Photo packages range from $400 (for 45 6-by-8 pictures) to $2,000 (for a digital booklet, 100 6-by-8s and five 12-by-18s); videography packages range from $450 for a 25-minute edited video to $700 for an hourlong edited video.

• Music: Options range from $180 for a DJ or a musical trio for one hour to $1,000 for full band for three hours.

• Cocktail Parties: For an extra $19 to $26 per person, you can host a cocktail party with hot and cold hors d'oeuvres and an open bar (25 person minimum).

• Cakes: A cake for 15 people is included in the basic wedding package, but upgrades start at $3 per extra person, and can cost more depending on the flavor of the cake and the level of decoration.

• Spa Treatments: The spa offers a $190 bridal treatment, which includes a facial, a massage, a mani/pedi, and hair dressing.

• Honeymoon Suite: No special suite; all suites are Junior Suites

• Airport Transportation: The hotel does not provide airport shuttles; a round-trip taxi costs about $50.