FANTASTIC

Absolutely stunning resort. Easily satisfies all types of groups including families and party groups. Buffet was great but the a la carte restaurants were my favourite! The service was great to. Dont shy away because of the size of the resort because they have buggies that run every 2 minutes to take you from the point A to point B. Also, with the size of the resort comes more things to do because everything is on site (casino, club, kids water park/pool, jungle gym, basket ball courts and a gym [... read more] just to name a few that we used). Easily the best resort I've been to.

Good Resort

Grounds were beautiful, rooms were nice and clean...wide variety of food choices at the buffet....two a la cartes we went to were Italian and Garden Grill....both were good but I would say the Garden Grill was the best one out of any we've been to on any trip...Resort was too big personally for our liking but if the price were right we'd certainly return. We've never gone anywhere twice so that is most of the reason we would not be back. I'd most definitely suggest this resort to friends and fam [... read more]ily.

Nice, huge resort

Nice and clean resort. Many restaurant, pool, space, chairs for everybody. Cart/train available all day, do not need to wait too long for one and always room for many people. Boutique available on site.

HUGE RESORT!!!

Just got back from the GBP Bavaro in Punta Cana and thought I’d provide you with a brief review of the resort including a picture of the mosquito bites I received there just so you can provide that info to future clients. (1) This resort is absolutely huge with something like 6 or 7 hotels on the property. Had I known this, we would never have gone there. One hotel employee told my wife that there were 36,000 people there which I know is a huge exaggeration but there still were a LOT of people [... read more] there. (2) The pools were crowded and so was the beach. In order to get chairs at the pool you had to go early and at the beach it was very difficult to find any chairs. On a couple of occasions I had to get assistance from one of the workers to find chairs. This is the first time in about 20 trips that this has happened. Another negative. (3) We couldn’t believe the number of people on the beach, as far as the eyes could see. Too crowded for our liking. (4) The buggy system operated very efficiently there with very little time waiting for a ride. A positive. (5) No complaints about our room overlooking the pool. The Jacuzzi tub was a plus. (6) In spite of the number of hotels and restaurants there we could only go to one Buffet located in the Lobby. The only other option besides the a la cartes was the beach Snack Bar which seemed to only serve the same food each day. In spite of this , the food was pretty good with many options at the Buffet. (7) Even though the water looked beautiful there seemed to be more seaweed in the water than the last time we were in Punta Cana. At least it wasn’t garbage as was the case last time we were in Samana. This seems to be happening everywhere. (8) The Entertainment was generally poor at night and that’s when the mosquitos came out so we didn’t have any late nights. (9) YES, there are mosquitoes in Punta Cana and they love me as you can see in the photo. These bites ooze for days and itch like crazy so you can understand why this issue is so important to me. There are some resorts that don’t have a mosquito problem but when I go to one that does, it is just plain misery for me. (10) There were a lot of what I would call small bees around our pool that I have never seen before and one day my wife swatted one from her shoulder onto the water and when I tried to kill it, the bee stung me and left its stinger in my finger. My wife pulled it out with her nails but it hurt like crazy for about a half hour and then my finger and hand swollen up like a balloon. Another negative. (11) The a la carte restaurants were generally pretty good with a strong effort to please so if you didn’t like a dish you ordered, they would quickly replace it with another. The beef tenderloin was particularly good for the D. R. (12) The overall service in the restaurants were good but the Buffet was not good at times because they could not keep up with the steady flow of people coming in and going out so you almost always had to get a table that wasn’t set up yet. Overall, we would never go back to this resort again and may have to consider travelling to Florida instead where there is less of a mosquito problem. All-inclusive resorts are very hard on the system anyway and when you add mosquitos and bees to the equation, it can become a nightmare instead of a wonderful vacation.

One of the best!!

Been to this resort many times and will return again. Compared to other resorts one of the best, it never disappoints. Staff are friendly and very helpfull. Rooms, pools, resturants etc are kept in tip top condition.

Busy resort - not relaxing

This is a very large, busy resort. Bavaro is rated as 5 star but the rooms and amenities are not 5 star quality. The a la carte restaurants are quite good and are a welcome reprieve from the noisy main buffets. Un fortunately, we saw a cockroach in one a la carte and another in a lobby bathroom. The morning and lunch staff at the Santa Fe were excellent. Our room maid Maria was super friendly and hardworking. English is not widely spoken or understood on the resort.

Average

Not a 5 star on amenities, old bed, old and dirty towels, dirty linens, clogged bath tub, no exhaust in the bathroom, dirty and smelly room, not enough lounge chairs, internet is limited and smokers everywhere you go. I saw roaches and mice in the food area. Please change the rating on your site so its not deceiving to customers. Thank you.

Great Resort Sub Standard A La Cartes

Can't say enough good about the resort, They went out of their way to make your stay Great. The only complaint and it's one that needs to be addressed is the A la Carte restaurants. What a disappointment, my wife and I really enjoy getting dressed up and going out to dinner. My wife's statement says it all. " Getting dressed up to go to a buffet seems wrong". No 5 Star should ever have a buffet for an a la carte period. pools were great, Simon always took great care of us. Main buffet was always [... read more] good. Service at the Buffet was better than the a la cartes. I would go back to this resort.

Disappointed!

The hotel grounds and rooms are very clean. I was disappointed that during our whole stay we could not be accommodated for dinner at any of the a la carte restaurants. We tried from the minute we checked in! We had no choice but to eat all our meals at the buffet which was very repetitive and at times we believe it was "recycled" food. Service was horrific! Out of 8 meals I finally got only 1 half glass of wine served, the rest they kept forgetting or would bring it at the end of my meal while h [... read more]aving some dessert. We found servers very unattentive!! and surely wasn't because they were short staffed!! We had an issue with our patio door and they attended and then followed up right away. We were impressed with that. Their towels are like sand paper! and very stingy with the amount of towels they provide. The only good service and great drinks were served at the lobby!! Truthfully I was quite disappointed, obviously I didn't do such a good job on my research. I have learned for my next vacation. Ms. Disappointed

OK Resort (not a relaxing resort)

This resort is extremely large and very busy. The number of pools and long beach are insufficient to accommodate the number of people when the resort is at capacity. Lounging chairs were hard to come by and finding shade was practically impossible; unless, you got up at 0700 AM to reserve the lounging chairs that had shade. The food was ok, though quality protein was non-existent. There were line-ups to enter the buffet restaurant at supper time, which was annoying. Overall, I think this would b [... read more]e a great resort for singles and maybe families with children but not for couples seeking to relax.

Amazing family vacation!

This vacation and resort was one of the best we have traveled to! There were nine of us in total from age 3 - 60 and we had a fantastic trip! We have a 3 and a 6 year old and the amenities couldn't have been better! The water park was the perfect size with 9 small-medium sized water slides. From mini golf to trampoline...to a $10 haircut for my son at the beautiful spa...Segway tours around the resort and the most friendly accommodating staff...we could not have asked for a better time! It was m [... read more]y mom's first time at an all-inclusive resort and she, along with the rest of us, were continuously amazed by the level of maintenance of the grounds, pools and beach. For such a large resort, transportation was never a problem and the menu at the main buffet and snack bars was wonderful. It was a truly wonderful vacation and we look forward to going back!!!

A Few Disappointments

For returning for the third time I was somewhat disappointed with the housekeeping service, cleaning my own room. I know they are busy but we pay for the service. There was alot of seaweed in the water for 3-4 days but that they cannot control, the water was still beautiful. We always stayed in the Punta Cana section, Golden Club...this time we stayed in the Bavaro, club diamond section. We always had great housekeeping service in the past, this will not keep us away because we love the beach.

Nice resort

The ocean had a ton of seaweed which they tried to keep cleaned up but it was around you when you swam :( Pools were great. There were BUGS. We all had numerous bug bites so make sure you take lots of bug spray. Very friendly staff. Bathrooms are a bit outdated. Rooms are nice. Food was good.

Huge Resort with something for everyone

Beautiful Beaches, warm water and plenty of sun. Great food on a huge resort. Couple of things to watch out for: Mixed drinks are really sweet, resort pricing is extreme (sunscreen ($25 US), pool noodles ($21 US)). Standard bait and switch marketing is in play for various things and pictures are expensive. Aside from the watch items, if you like it hot and sunny this is definitely the place for you. Presidente beer is an 'acceptable' way to stay hydrated! We would bring the kids back for anothe [... read more]r tour of this beautiful resort.

Great family getaway

Typical all-inclusive in the 4 to 4+ category. Immaculate and expansive grounds, large and clean rooms, broad selection of restaurants and bars, beautiful beach. Don't expect gourmet food, but there's enough selection to find something every day. Specialty restaurants are hit and miss. Japanese show disappointing. Liquor brands are local and ok (pay extra for international brands). Most staff accommodating and helpful. Front desk often standoffish but cleaning staff and bartenders are much more  [... read more]attentive and pleasant. Tips (US $1-5) and small gifts are a good idea (cosmetics, children's clothing).

Beautiful

This resort was beautiful . We had a few hiccups when we first arrived but the staff solved them very quickly .they are very helpful and friendly . There was an abundance of food which was great . Lots of entertainment every night

A Great Resort

Beautiful grounds and all the facilities. The grounds are immaculate. The beach area is great for sunning and for beach walks .There are mini buses for the poor walkers.The rooms are clean and well serviced with helpfull smiling staff and lots of options for food drink entertainment etc.We enjoyed our stay and ate too much and got a little more sun than we should have.

Fantastic

Big resort but you don,t notice it as it is so well planned. Everything flows so well. Loved it. Would not hesitate to go back. Beach is beautiful. Right in front of sunken ship. Beware of time share people though.

Lots of fun

The resort is great, the food is excellent, wish we could have gone to the Italian restaurant but it is only open 3 days of the week, so chances are slim that you would get a reservation. The excursions were fun. The grounds are large but not unmanageable, takes about 15 minute walk from the main office to the beach.... Normal walking speed. Overall great experience, go with the diamond club, the fast service is worth it, you are also closer to the beach,a few other bonuses with this choice as w [... read more]ell.

Place is HUGE! between a 3.5 or 4 star

I hope the owners and management teams read and take note. 5 star vs, 5 star. We visited the Royalton Resort last year around the same month in February and this year the Luxury Bahia Principe Esmeralda so writing a fair review on the Royalton last year was not really a fair option as I had not visited a comparable 5 star property resort. So I am doing both reviews together for you with the pros and cons of your resort. First I would like to thank everyone at the resort for the hospitality and [... read more] service. Please do not take offence to anything I write, I am just trying to give your resort honest feedback. Both resorts are very, very nice with great beach access, and are about a 30-minute walk down the beach from each other. Both resorts have rooms close to the beach although the Royalton is on a smaller scale of a resort which is not a good or bad thing however just a preference. Large Bahia Principe 3700 rooms vs. small Royalton 470 rooms If you have young children the Bahia offers a great kids park which the Royalton does not. Grounds Bahia Esmeralda : Very nice, well groomed Royalton : Very nice, well groomed Rooms Bahia Esmeralda, Contemporary style Royalton , Modern style Food & Restaurant’s Bahia Esmeralda A++ great variety, B- for locations- to spread out throughout the resort long walk or need to trollycart. Royalton A++ great variety A++ for locations Beach, lounge, bar Furniture Bahia Esmeralda B+ Royalton A++ great luxury furniture Entertainment Bahia Esmeralda - B+ Needs to come up a few notches at the pools during the day and in the evenings need shows not a saxophone player or Boogie night. The girl singing with a keyboard player is good, but the rest of the entertainment is not entertainment that leaves a wow factor. Royalton A++ great entertainment Pools....... Bahia Esmeralda B+ the pools at 6pm is a big negative. ( Maybe 8pm) Royalton A++ great swim outs. Bar Bahia Esmeralda - B+ lobby Bar needs to be in the middle of the room, large oval shape,( makes people sit together, and feels more resort style. The bar needs to stay open longer at night, "closing at 11pm is a big negative and is a valid guest complaint. which I heard a lot during my stay. Royalton A++ great, just perfect Outside Furniture, Bahia Esmeralda - B+ not luxurious enough for a 5 star. "Add nice loungers with pads, double canopy beds, other big nice outside furniture couches and loungers.. Royalton A++ great, just perfect Resort Casino--- Bahia Esmeralda - D- what a disappointment! Spend some money and put in a Casino that your guests want to stay and play at.. I witnessed to many leaving your resort to go play at the Hard Rock Casino. (Reverse the tables,)" if you build it they will come "from all resorts". Build it as close to the beach as possible with easy access for all the island visitors.The leaking roof with bowls on the floor? Royalton - B- ok need more machines, Bahia Esmeralda , Unfortunately, We seen a lot of rain during our stay. the one thing I did noticed was many people falling and hurting themselves... They have many places that need rug runners. "The area over by the coffee machine" outside tents should be permanently covered, and if not carpet runner for the open floor spaces between the building and the tents as that area is a H&S concern. All in all both places are nice however, I felt pampered at the Royalton and not so much at the Bahia Esmeralda. Your vacation is what you make it!