Beach and golf

food buffet was good selection and delicious variety of deserts Japan a la carte restaurant was a disappointment, too salty, under cooked rice, no desert and we were rushed out for the next group and house wine is awful. Italian a la carte restaurant was very a la dente. Reservations for the a la carte is not required, but show up early to avoid the long line up. Free Golf at 2 courses is included with free shuttle every 20 mins. Cart is mandatory. $45US per person, per cart at 18 hole. Tee tim [... read more]e is not required, just show up. The other course is $35US per person per carte. Course green is ok, course not in best condition, has some water holes, fairways were hard, overall had a good time and it wasn't too busy, so never had to pair up with another group. When we arrived, our room was Not ready, we were looking for the bell boy to store our luggage and unknowingly we spoke to the time share rep who lied and pretended to be the bellboy. Watch out, they wear white shirts and are located in the lobby and in front of the entrance to the buffet. Stay clear, they will try to give you a free gift (mug, shirt, hat), after you listen their one and one time share meeting which can last 2 hours and it might cost you thousands of dollars if you decide to buy. Also, the time share reps are tricky, they will try to use different words other than time share to attend their meeting/presentation. Beach had plenty of chairs, water is warm with seaweed, there is always someone cleaning up the cups and seweed. For sailors, you'll enjoy taking out the hobbit cat on your own for 1 hour each day. I recommend booking in advance as this is very popular. Resort has night club, has music going all night till 5am, with loud music and base. Luckily we were closer to the main hotel lobby and on the other side of the resort . so we didn't have issues. Housekeeping was excellent and our mini bar was restocked every day. This resort great for families, has great kids club.

Good Vacation, Beautiful Grounds but...

My husband and I just returned from the Catalonia Bavaro Beach. We stayed at the resort from March 22, 2016 to March 29, 2016. We travelled as a couple and have been to Punta Cana before. We chose this resort specifically because of a wonderful experience we had at the Catalonia Yucatan/Riviera Maya in 2011. I have been dying to try another Catalonia location since that trip. Prior to leaving I emailed the resort our room preferences, understanding of course that it is a request only and they g [... read more]uarantee nothing no resort does. I also emailed regarding my husbands birthday and made a special request for a Steakhouse reservation on that day, I received an email back that it wasn't usual to have reservations but they would make on for 7:30 for us where it was his birthday. We arrived after 3:00pm on the 22nd so our room was ready. Checkin was easy and quick but at checkin they tell you to go to the desk on the side of counter to see the 'concierge' for information on the restaurants. Don't do it, just don't. This is your introduction to the time share people. The guy talks to you blah blah blah and gives you a ticket he says you need to use to get into the restaurants. It is a rouse, you don't need it. He will also try to book a time for a resort tour, this is the timeshare thing. They hasseled us relentlessly for the next few days. We didn't even want to go up to the lobby it was that bad. My husband finally lost it with one of them. What a way to make someone feel on a vacation when all they want to do is relax. Honestly it ruined my whole impression of the Catalonia chain. If you say no, they should leave you alone. If you say yes or ask them, then fine but no one should be able to treat a guest like that. That is wrong. Anyway, our room was 2315. Great location and room was fantastic. Our maid was wonderful. Room was clean and stocked. No problems there. However, the resort was experiencing hot water issues while we were there. We were fortunate as we only lost it for one day but we had friend and met people who were as many as four days (Tuesday to Friday night). We were fortunate to only be without hot water Thursday night to Friday night. My biggest complaint with the water issue wasn't that we didn't have it, it was that no one communicated anything to the guests about what was going on and if you tried to get an answer from Catalonia staff, they walked away. Our poor Transat rep was fielding the brunt of complaints, even he couldn't find anything out. All Catalonia management had to do was put a notice under guests doors acknowledging there was an issue and give an estimate on restoration or let us know the problem was being worked on. We have been to hotels where things like this have happened before, but never have we had an experience like this one. Things happen everywhere and it isn't about the issue it is about how the issue is handled that matters. No one we talked even got a 'thanks for patience' in anyway once the issue was resolved. Anyway, bottom line it was handled very poorly. Other than the water and timeshare issue, this resort was great. As I said above, our maid was great. Anything we needed I just left a note and it was there. Lots of water and other beverages in our room everyday as well. The shower is very small, but you have a huge tub with a wand so all good. Building 23 was very centrally located. Very happy with that. For my husbands birthday, they did balloons and a fruit tray. Lovely! We kept the balloons all week! The grounds are spectacular. Probably the prettiest we have seen. Wonderfully well looked after. The food was really good. Buffet staff was excellent and they remembered us meal to meal. The pasta and stir fry are just yummy. We preferred breakfast at the main buffet over the beach buffet. The pool snack bar was great. This pizza there was just awesome! I don't eat pizza when we go south, don't like it normally but the pizza was better than most here at home and the chef was great! Loved it! There is also self serve beer here. Very cold, very good! As mentioned, I had pre-arranged a reservation for my husbands birthday at the Steakhouse for 7:30. When we went they had no idea what we were talking about. A little disappointing. The hostess was able to get us a table pretty quickly regardless. The meal was good. It was the first time we had been away for his birthday and I hoped they would do a Happy Birthday for him, but no. Someone else there had it done - it was pretty cool. We also did Mikado and the Italiano. Both good. No favourites though. All the food at this resort - a la carte, buffet or snack bar - was good. Crepes on the beach were tasty as well! Drinks were good. Coffee was good. Never had a problem getting served, except when guests pushed ahead. Staff did the best they could. Lobby bar was fabulous! I swear we had the same waitress everytime we went there. It was like she was personally looking after us. She was great! Casino was nice. We had some fun there. They have tables and machines and the coldest beer on the resort! Entertainment team was busy, energetic and full of fun! The shopping area was good, nothing too crazy priced. You can use a credit card or charge to your room. I just charged to my room, took the receipt back and set the money aside right then. I never use a credit card down south, I only carry it for emergencies. The beach, well it is Bavaro Beach so it is amazing. Of the three resorts we have been to in this area, it was my favourite beach. No chair issues, the water was calm, lots of fish and the natural pools were amazing. This is the first time I was in the water everyday. We walked and walked on the beach every morning. Pool was fun, no chair issues here either. It is a very pretty pool and has a designated kids area. Pool bar was very busy! We looked in at the kid and teen clubs, they both looked like they would be fun for the kids. We never looked in the gym, but there is one. Couple of other notes, the number of different colour bracelets at this resort is crazy. We wanted to see the royal side, but the only way to do that was with the timeshare people. So friends who were staying there 'snuck' us over. Looked beautiful from what we could see. We didn't see enough to know whether we would ever want to book it or not. We did do privildge at the Catalonia in the Riviera Maya, and depending on how much more it cost that could be worth it. There is no beach or pool service and washrooms in both areas are scarce. I didn't go in to water to the pool bar for that very reason. Washrooms for the a la cartes really need upgrading. Overall, not bad but the timeshare thing was enough for us to know we won't ever book a resort with reviews that include timeshare complaints again if we are travelling as a couple. While the resort is beautiful and with the exception of a few things we had a great time, I would struggle to recommend it to any of my friends who are also travelling as a couple. I believe we were targeted by the timeshare people specifically because we were a middle age couple. With a few changes this resort could easily be a 4.5 star. The two main ones being tame the timeshare people and management learning to communicate with the guests.

Great holiday away! Something for everyone!

They had problems with rooms being ready but took us to have lunch until our room was ready. They had problems with hot water but did their best to offer other advantages for those affected - (only had hot water for two days). This did not bother us as we were in the ocean and pools all day long. Food was good and a la cartes were also good. Definitely worth signing up for privilege club as this is a large resort and the privilege club saved lining up for meals and separate area for eating - so  [... read more]no waiting. Snorkelling right off our beach - wonderful. The 9 hold golf course is right at the resort and was great, no waiting! All in all they did their best and we had fun.

Love the Grounds since they improved Landscaping

I was disappointed in the fact that the Dining Area was not kept a little bit more clean, the staff only hoped to it a day or so before the rating charts were given out, and the next day the staff completely went back to slaking off.

Great value

This resort is a great value for the price. The rooms are a little dated but are adequate for what you need with comfortable beds. The showers are tiny!! The buffets are pretty good and the a-la carte restaurants are very good. Don't expect home cooked food but you won't be disappointed. The pool and pool bar are very nice, get there early to get a chair. The beach is cleaned daily and beautiful with lots of chairs. Stay away from the souvenir shop off the resort as they are very aggressive. The [... read more]re are also people trying to sell you travel club memberships but you can just say no and walk away. We brought Domenican Peso's and these is the only currency I would bring. Make sure to get lots of small bills before you go because you have a better chance of winning the lottery then getting change. Air Transat staff out of Windsor are rude and it's a miserable experience but the staff on the plane are very professional. I would go back because of the value but it is not a 5 star, not even after a few Cuba Libres!

Amazing Resort!

Everything was great about it! Amazing staff, great food and service. Pool area is huge and access to beach is ideal. Would definitely go back again as our family had a great time. Pretty big resort so be ready to do some walking, which is great for all the food and drinks you will be having.

Simply Beautiful

As a whole the resort was great!! Excellent amenities , great food with an unbelievable selection. Rooms where nice bars and service was impeccable. The on site golf course was amazing. The only flaw is how pushy they are with trying to sell the time share next store and the people they let on the property to sell their crafts. THEY DONT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER!!! but that's trivial considering the paradise you are truly in. Love it!!

Amazing resort!

This was our second time at this fantastic resort, if you enjoy a resort that is a little smaller! We have recommended this resort to many friends and family! Which some have gone and enjoyed it very much as well! From the food, rooms, service it was great, beach were amazingly beautiful!

Beautiful Vacation Resort

The hotel, staff, food, rooms, service - all of it was the best. We had a perfect family vacation. The grounds were beautiful, I really do not have any complaints about this resort. One improvement could be the shows at night at the theatre. They were OK but could have been better.

Gluten Free Options

We definitely enjoyed our vacation at the Catalonia Bavaro (Punta Cana) in the Privlidge section!!! The room was large and clean, along with a comfortable bed! The resort itself was also clean. The staff was friendly and helpful, especially Carlos in the Privilege Conceirge office and Livio, the head chef. Food was great at the main buffet and also the Italian and Steak House a la carte restaurants. We didnt try the other a la cartes. If you are celiac and must have gluten free food then this ho [... read more]tel is a good option. You should go to the Conceirge and ask them to write up a letter explaining that you are celiac. They will do this no problem, and then they will send it to each of the a la cartes and give you a copy to keep with you. If you are having trouble with the different language then ask your travel rep (ours was Air Transat and they were very helpful) and they can relay the info to the Conceirge for you. You will still need to mention you have celiac at each restaurant and you have your letter for back up. If you need more info in regards to the GF food, just email me. They do have GF pasta. We plan on going back to this hotel as it had so many positives. The beach was great and ocean was calm, (with some fish to see), pool was large and you could always find a chair at the beach or pool. We only had one complaint while we were there and they are working on a solution. The complaint was in regards to the Exclusive Club having a private party the one night and the music was unusually loud. It went on all that night until 6 am non-stop. I believe they are working on amending their contracts so that the music has to be turned down by a certain time. They received many complaints and were actively talking to all the guests and finding a solution for future events. They tried to resolve the issue that night but the people having the party were extremely inconsiderate and rude (in my opinion). Anyway, we loved it here, it is so beautiful! And we will return!

Wide Variety

Hotel room decent, A/C not strong enough. Resort was great, lots of incl activities, staff very friendly/engaging. Main buffet decent, but stand alone restaurants great. Not always able to get beach towels

Paradise

This was our very first all inclusive and it was paradise. We stayed in the Junior Suite and it was spacious. The service was excellent and the food and drinks were fabulous. I would recommend this resort. The cleaning staff were friendly and gave us extra supplies when asked. I'm hooked on all inclusive!!!!

Beautiful Resort

This is a beautiful resort. Not too big, it was easy to walk around the well-groomed property. Travelling with another couple, we booked into the Privileged section, but on arrival we were upgraded to the adults-only section (Catalonia Royal Bavaro), with full access to all facilities. The resort staff were all very friendly and eager to please the guests. The food was good, with lots of variety. One word of caution, be sure you get all the details from the local tour representatives before you  [... read more]sign up for any excursions.

Beautiful decor..tastefully done

I loved my junior suite with hammock!!!...loads of shade...beautiful gardens and palm trees...clean rest rooms..room cleaned well...staff excelente.....boutiques rather expensive when there's nowhere else to shop

Three Times a Charm

Been to this Resort 3 times over the last ten Years. Seems to be our Stand-bye .Food was good service as alway excellent , Rooms clean , Pool could use some cleaning . They were updating the Tiles not a issue,

Great place with good response for service calls

The staff is super. The food was very good. HOWEVER, the air Conditioning system let us down. We arrived on Nov 29 (room temperature that night was 28C) Monday night 29C; Tuesday the 30th 30C; Wed. Dec.1st 31C Thurs 2nd 33C, Friday the 3rd 34C same for Saturday Sunday our last day woke up at 28. We still enjoyed our stay (in spite of very little sleep due to heat) and are looking forward to going back next year at this time and for 2 weeks .

Great Resort

Pretty good resort food was exceptable rooms were good.Good Beach.Service was slow at times most of the staff were pleasant. Nighly entertainment could have a little English speaking. The grounds were imaculant

Normally good

nice ground, good food, great staff, rooms and service and cleanness were good, pool was nice, beach has lots sea weed but they were cleaning everyday, ocean water was muddy at front and lots rocks and some with sharp edges and lots of weed. wifi was very slow, entertainment was good, day and night activities were good.beautiful resort.bars were good.lots locals, 2 grand opening nights for disco was too loud and too late ( 5 am).premium club is separated in beach area with better seats, better b [... read more]ar and they have better viewings in buffet restaurant area.bring spray bugs with you so as water shoes if you want to walk in ocean or beach.

Great resort

The grounds and views were nice, place was clean but lack dishes at breakfast and dinner times. Overall had a get time. Lots of exertion's to do at a reusable cost. Room service and hospitality was great.

Decent hotel - terrible beach

Hotel grounds are beautiful, Deluxe suites are spacious and comfortable, restaurants are very nice best restaurant for breakfast and dinner is the Thalassa. Staff for the most part are very nice but very limited on English conversation but being in DR we are used to that but seemed to be more evident at this hotel compared to other hotels in the Bavaro area and special attention was given to the guests that arrived from Spain. Beach was terrible and although it was cleaned on the family side the [... read more] adult side the seaweed was just left in piles for days on end with one day not even piles it was just pushed in front of the ocean and the guests were clearing pathways in to the water. Our last full day there the management decided to use a backhoe and bobcat to clear the seaweed and we then had to contend with the noise all day. There is construction at the side of the family hotel looks like a brand new addition to the Catalonia group, there was construction in the family area in the privilege section of rooms.