Really nice but.....

We have stayed at 3 Mexican Secrets resorts (Maroma, Akumal, Playa Blanca) over the last 4 years but decided to try JOIA this year. They are all adults only, and highly rated and similar priced. We stayed in the beach view Butler so it was higher rated than the cheapest Secrets rooms we stayed at Beach - Certainly all 4 are comparable but I do give the edge to JOIA as there is a better effort to control sargassum with a 3 mile long floating barrier to try to control it. It made going into [... read more] the ocean pleasant Room - JOIA is the smallest of all the resorts although that was not really an issue. Secrets did a better job in comfort and convenience. The bathroom is where JOIA is really weak. Too small. The tub was old and the had lots of small cracks, we did try to use it but when the jets were turn on, black dirt came out and it was gross. The shower had only the rain shower and it was noticeable plugged so not a great experience. Cheap quality soaps and shampoo. Secrets Playa blanca was the clear winner although all of the Secrets were better Grounds - JOIA easily won this one. All of these resorts are beautiful, but the ship, and plants, and size was a winner here. No crazy stairs to the lobby like all of the Secrets. The lobby is really nice, and lots of things happening at the lobby too. Maroma was a close 2nd, Food - Now this one is certainly interesting. Akumal was the best for us, but JOIA had both pluses and Minuses. One thing we like it to go to the specially restaurants at a resort, to enjoy a specific meal. But the buffet at this resort was the best meals we had. Better than Secrets too. Especially Thursday night Gala where it is seafood night (lobster and crab). Do not miss this. The Italian you would think is great, but it was not. The French was way better, and the Steak/seafood Gallion was good but not great. (although the steaks were really good) The Asian is basically a teppanyaki which every resort has, if you like that. I think an update on menus is greatly needed and perhaps updating the restaurant/buffet itself is needed. The buffet room looks like 70's banquet room, although we certainly enjoyed breakfast and lunch here. It is puzzling as the ship is in the centre of the action and feels like a European dock side. The outdoor buffet is just ok but the seating has a nice view of the beach Drinks - ok but not great. Too often they served us poor quality spirits even when we asked for the premium stuff. Right in front of us too. Why do they even have the poor quality stuff there. This is a premium #1 resort, act like it Activities - Golf course right on the resort, tennis is excellent but could use a dedicated pickle-ball court (do not try to convert a tennis court to that, it will only fail. (Maroma tried and failed miserably) a dedicated pool volley ball court is nice touch. But organized activities is weak. Secrets does a way better job and certainly more interesting. Pools - Just ok. Too many cracks and damage around the pool. Missing and damaged tiles everywhere. The temperature of the water was a little warm and hot tub was nice but really too hot. The really great thing is that the resort does not charge extra for the cabanas. Nice touch and kudos to JOIA for that. Akumal and Playa Blanca do charge for cabanas. To be honest, even with the extra charges, the pools at these 2 secrets really blows this resort out of the water. (not Maroma) It would have been cool if the ship was part of the swimming pool instead of just a prop. An adult water park of sorts, with the swim up bar in the ship. (ok I am dreaming now) Spa - disaster. The water therapy was included so we tried it. It was located inside our building facing the ocean. Sounds great right? wrong. It is a hot tub in a room with 2 chairs, steam room and sauna. Showers not working. The fitness room is here too. It feels like a joke or something. Come on JOIA. Even a cheap Dreams kids resort we stayed at had better facilities. Don't even offer it as it cheapens this beautiful resort. Overall - While we did enjoy this resort, Beach, buffet, grounds, tennis and poolside cabanas, there were too many negatives for us. Bathroom, spa, restaurant choices. There are so many choices to go to at this price point (high end cruses, high end resorts). We won't be back sorry to say.

Amazing resort

This resort had great food, great amenities and really friendly staff. The resort was very clean and spacious with well thought design. The coffee shop was my favourite. The fully loaded gym and the casino were a bonus because we had access to the other Iberostar resorts through Joia. The only part I would say needs improvement is the entertainment during the day and night. The night shows felt very repetitive and nothing special. There was also no dock/live games/dancing/entertainment at the po [... read more]ol during the day.

Fabulous Resort!

JOIA Bavaro Iberostar is such a warm and welcoming place. You are catered to from beginning to end. The grounds, beach, pools and hotel are amazing! I would not hesitate to recommend this adult only resort! Kathleen

Iberostar Joy-a was excellent……again

Absolute perfection—again! This was our 6th or 7th stay at Joia Bávaro by Iberostar, and it somehow gets better every time. This resort has truly become our home away from home. Houston, our butler, was exceptional—professional, attentive, and genuinely caring. He made every detail seamless. Ery at the pool bar was incredible, crafting great drinks with a fun, welcoming energy that kept us coming back. Mornings were made brighter by Ortiz at the buffet, whose warmth and friendly service set t [... read more]he perfect tone for the day. The golf course was a dream, and exactly what we Canadians need in January—lush, beautiful, and a perfect escape from winter back home. From the outstanding staff to the beautiful grounds and flawless service, Joia Bávaro continues to exceed expectations. We wouldn’t hesitate to return and already can’t wait for our next visit. Highly, highly recommended.

Our favorite resort

We absolutely love this resort. I am mobility challenged and this place is totally accessible starting with the small size along with the elevators to upper floors. This year was our 3rd year in a row and we will be going back next year. We loved Manuella, Yelly, Smiley as well as the bar tenders Thomas in the lobby and Tobias at the pool. Our butlers (Daniel and Edward) were excellent and did everything to make our stay comfortable. Food was good, some meals were cold but mostly all were good.  [... read more]Beach was well kept since seaweed was rampant. Daily cleanup so not much of a problem. We had one of our suitcases damaged on route there and went to Air Transat customer service to report it but have not heard a word since. It has been 1 month so I guess they are blowing us off but suitcase cost $100+ and now has no wheels and large gash in the side. We will try to keep following up but are not feeling positive. Anyway this is the resort o go to. Although they say adults only I saw at least 4 or 5 kids under 18. So be aware.

Our 2nd time here!

You would be hard pressed to find a resort more relaxing and well-run than this! Grounds are immaculate and service was incredible. Amelin was our waiter on many occasions and would always seek us out to say hi, much appreciated. Samuel as well was always welcoming and helpful. À la carte restaurants were all great quality, the house wine was great, and the bartenders were always charismatic and energetic. The new coffee shop is a great improvement too, highly recommend!

Joia Bavaro by Iberostar - Nov 26 to Dec 03, 2025

This was our first time to this resort. The Joia is a beautiful, well kept resort with excellent service, beach, Food, cleanliness, and accommodations. There were a few minor issues like toilets too low, no wand in shower, insufficient ventilation in bathroom, aging beach lounger pads, and the number of loungers by the pool and on the beach. During our week long stay, you had to get up early to get a decent lounger. Unfortunately, there were those who claimed their lounger first thing and did n [... read more]ot show up for a couple of hours. We observed many returning customers which is an indicator of the quality of this resort is. We found the staff to guest ratio to be one of the highest we have ever encountered during our 20 plus years of travelling to the Caribbean. The price was on the high side, but if you appreciate the finer things this resort has to offer, then it is worth the higher price. Overall, a great relaxing week and we will definitely be returning.

Exceeded expecations!

The resort was beautiful with pristine grounds, spotless facilities, and very friendly staff (Tobias at the pool bar, Javier always getting me to dance, Ortiz at restaurant) . The food was always abundant with plenty of options to choose from, and there were more than enough chairs available by both the pool and the beach. The only downside was the Japanese restaurant, which, despite being the only one requiring reservations, felt rushed with minimal interaction from the chef. Otherwise, everyth [... read more]ing exceeded expectations for a wonderful stay!

Outstanding resort

This was by far the nicest resort we have stayed in out of the 30+ so far. Top shelf liquor, excellent meals, beautiful grounds. The butler was so helpful…shout out to Cofè! We recommend this for couples looking for quiet atmosphere!

Relaxing Week

This was our third time at this resort. It has a vey "chill" vibe to it. The beach is amazing. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The resort is very clean. It never seemed busy, even though I was told the resort was at 90% occupancy. I strongly recommend this resort and will definitely return again.

Better than last year

We stayed last year at the same time and loved this resort. Unfortunatly we could only book 2 weeks last year because of availability. We moved to TRS Turquesia for our last week and were dissapointed. This year we stayed for weeks (Dec. 14 to Jan 4) and enjoyed it very much. We stayed in room 7379 Oceanview Butler suite which, in my opinion is the best room in the resort. We toured the oceanfront rooms and the price difference was not worth it. We loved the beach as well as the pool areas. The [... read more] food was great in all the resteraunts as well as the buffets. My favourite place for lunch was the grill by the pool, best burgers ever. Our butlers Cofe, Renaldo and Juniour were very attentive and made things very easy to handle. I am mobility challenged so the elevators and the size of the resort were perfect. The bars are well stocked with high end choices as well as freindly bar tenders. We did not do any excurtions but heard Samona was nice. The staff were very accomodating like yelly who was very good. We will be going again next year at the same time.

Fabulous Resort

Well manicured grounds and stately architecture. Love the lagoon and boat replica. Suites comfortable and nice decor with balcony & jacuzzi tubs in bathroom. Small property so everything quite accessible and within walking distance to lobby, beach, restaurants. Great accommodating staff, esprvially fun Animation team. Lovely beach- white sand, not rocky with palapas for shade. Pool nice and weekly foam party. Bingo, archery, darts, dance lessons, disco, yoga and more with nightly entertainment. [... read more] Light music, DJ, singers, tribute shows, lots of dancing shows. Gourmet style food in restaurants, lots of sushi. Theme night buffets. Wonderful buffets for Xmas & New Years celebrations.

Perfect from Start to finish.

The resort was well maintained, the room was nice and clean.The food and drinks were fantastic. The service from the staff was friendly, fast and easy going. Would highly recommend staying at this adult only resort.

Romantic Anniversary/Marriage/Honeymoon Trip

We wanted something that was private and special as we were celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the day we met, exchanged wedding rings during a romantic dinner on the beach then continued with our honeymoon. Our trip also included my husband’s birthday and Mother’s Day…Iberostar Grand Bavaro was amazing!!! The beach was wonderful! We walked everyday. After seeing the other resorts along the beach (too many people, no shade or lounges, too noisy, small beach area) we knew we made the correct [... read more] choice with the Grand. Even though we are not pool people, they were very nice and the grounds were beautiful. The food at the restaurants and the buffets were exceptional, the service was always prompt and pleasant. Our room was an ocean view butler suite. It was nice but unfortunately was on the 2nd floor and was furthest from the beach which was disappointing - we had contacted Iberostar prior to arrival to confirm our “closest to the beach” request but never received a response. At check-in and after speaking with the on-site rep nothing could be done to change our room/location. We were told that agencies are only given specific blocks of rooms regardless of what they promise. However, it would have been appropriate for Management to reply to our e-mail to advise. So be aware! All of the staff at the resort were amazing - definitely 5-star! However, we really didn’t care for the “time share” type of presentation/sell tactics for other Iberostar Resorts while receiving our hotel promo coupons…stuff like that is not acceptable for a 5-Star and Management should rethink this type sales tactics. Back to the positive - now that we have experienced the Grand we plan on returning (with a few tweaks) as it was a wonderful trip and we would definitely recommend this resort!

Amazing resort!

It's my favourite resort in Punta Cana! I have been staying there from Mar 24 to March 31, 2024 Excellent service, beach, food, room and everything. No complaints. Will be back for sure. Thank you, Iberostar for one more great vacation.

Very good resort

Everything about the resort was very good, the staff was fantastic. The only complaint I would have is the common areas, hall ways, including the many lobby bar area had no AC, it was very hot made it uncomfortable.

Amazing Resort!!

Review Great first impression… The entrance looked stunning, and smelled wonderful. Check in was fast and easy, and the room was ready ahead of time We were told about the morning after arrival meeting to get an $800 resort credit and they sort of made it sound necessary, but it’s definitely not. We didn’t go and were never once approached by any sales people. All of the hallways smelled wonderful and were nice and cool to walk down as well The grounds are gorgeous and alw [... read more]ays being tended to and manicured by the hard working staff. The attention to detail is incredible: fresh flowers on the tables in the buffets and restaurants, fresh towels twice a day, turndown service, chocolates, daily snacks, bottle of Dominican rum, white & red wine, a variety of beverages, lots of bottled water, towels animals every night with rose petals on the bed, they treat each & every person like they’ve known them for years, and the list goes on…. The room was always nice and cool and it’s the first Caribbean resort where I wasn’t sweating my butt off in the bathroom while putting on my makeup. It was great!! The room did feel a tiny bit damp at first, but it wasn’t bad. I have never used damp rid, so I don’t know how effective it is, but I’ve heard others mention it before. I always dried off my swimsuits outside on the drying rack. The bath towels, hand towels and washcloths are plush, unlike other resorts and they give us the amounts everyday that we requested, which is not a typical thing at any other resort we’ve been to. All of the staff are “A”-mazing!! So happy and friendly. Always singing and dancing around. Our butler wasn’t the best, but one night he left a path of rose petals on the floor that led to the jacuzzi where he had run a bubble bath to surprise us. He had spelled out “love” with rose petals on top of the bubbles. It was fun… The buffets were delicious and always prepared so beautifully. We ate breakfast and lunch there every day. This is the first resort I’ve ever been to in Punta Cana that has unsweetened iced tea, which I love drinking at meals. (Usually I have to make it myself, which was nice not to have to explain what I needed to make it.) At dinner time we always ate at an ala carte restaurant (without reservations may I add). They all had fantastic food. Our favourite was the gourmet restaurant. Every night around 7:00 there were singers in the lobby area where the, “dance people” tried to get everyone to dance. It was always fun to watch and listen to. Every night at 9:30 there were shows in the theatre that were fun to watch. Thursday night was the white party in the parking lot that was probably very fun, but it was too hot the night we were there so we just went back to our swim-out to cool off. At 11:00 pm every night there is a disco below deck of the ship. There is also a pool table and dart board too. We went one night. It was fun. There were always palapas available at the beach. The beach was great. Easy to get in and out of too. There was very little sargassum, which never bothers us anyways. The water temperature was perfect. There were plenty of Cabanas and we had one every day. We did have to grab it fairly early though. That was really nice to have. There were always lots of pool towels, so we were never without, and they really didn’t limit you as to how many you could have. The pools were lovely but way too warm. Not refreshing at all, but it was very hot and sunny, so I would expect nothing less. It was never hard to get a drink at the pool. The waitress was great, and even the bartenders were very attentive. The activity staff were amazing and something was always happening. I’ve never seen so many different activities at a resort before. This is the first resort I’ve ever been to where the washrooms by the pool for spotless, and had somebody standing there to clean them after every person left! No disgusting wet floors, etc. Bugs were never an issue with us whatsoever, but, there was an evening wedding in the sand and everyone was getting bit by sand fleas, I assume. They must come out at night, because they were never a problem during the day. We had full access to the other Iberostar resorts and you could have someone take you anywhere on site by golf cart. One day we went to Caribbean Street to do a little shopping. The day we were leaving, our favourite hostess set up a special table for us to say goodbye. She put a white rosé bouquet and other tropical flowers on the table and folded our napkins in a different way. When we returned from the buffet, she had spread red rose petals around the table. She was so sweet, and it was such a nice surprise!! So, as you can tell by my review, the resort was amazing, and we will definitely go back again.

Fabulous resort

We thorouly enjoyed our vacation at Iberostar Grand Bavaro.Service is incredible at this resort.The resort is very well maintained.Staff are amazing,there is absolutely nothing they will not do so you enjoy your stay.We hope to return again.

Beautiful resort

Resort is beautiful, very clean and well maintained. Staff are very pleasant and service was excellent. Food ranges from average to excellent depending on restaurant. Pool area and beach were beautiful.

Perfect !

The grounds are beautiful. Everything very well taken care of. Public areas are very nice and clean. Dining is very good when comparing to other resorts. Always chairs at the beach. No getting up with the birds to reserve a chair! The resort is not big which is perfect. Would definetely recommend this resort and would go back.