Iberostar Selection Bávaro

“Wonderful Trip!”

We recently stayed at this resort and had an amazing experience. Everything from start to finish exceeded our expectations. The resort itself was beautiful, with great decor and a really relaxing, well thought out atmosphere. The vibe throughout the property was exactly what we were looking for, la… more

We recently stayed at this resort and had an amazing experience. Everything from start to finish exceeded our expectations. The resort itself was beautiful, with great decor and a really relaxing, well thought out atmosphere. The vibe throughout the property was exactly what we were looking for, laid-back but still polished. The beach was a highlight for us, clean, well maintained, and a perfect place to unwind. We also really enjoyed the food, with plenty of options and consistently good quality across the board. We loved all the sit down food restaurants for all 3 meals of the day. Overall, we were very happy with our stay and wouldn’t hesitate to come back. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a great getaway.

less

“Our third visit and we’ll return for a fourth!”

We have experienced many all inclusive resorts over the last 20 years and the Catalonia Royal Bavaro is the first we have returned to. The resort itself is beautiful and the food is terrific, but for us the staff have been what have brought us back again and again. Jairo, Jose Luis, Martha, Angel, … more

We have experienced many all inclusive resorts over the last 20 years and the Catalonia Royal Bavaro is the first we have returned to. The resort itself is beautiful and the food is terrific, but for us the staff have been what have brought us back again and again. Jairo, Jose Luis, Martha, Angel, and Victor are so welcoming and always have a huge smile to greet you. We met Darlin for the first time this year and we hope to see him as well when we return. Three of our group golfed for the first time this visit and thoroughly enjoyed the golf course even in the very warm temperatures. As hockey fans, the huge t.v. In the sports bar allowed us to watch several of the playoff games during our stay. Only positive things to say for our family. We’ll be back for certain.

less

“Exceeded Our Expectations”

My husband and I spent a wonderful week at the Catalonia Royal Bavaro Resort during the first week in April. We chose this resort because it is adults only and it’s proximity to a golf course. This resort did not disappoint. Most of the staff were very pleasant, professional and friendly. Thank… more

My husband and I spent a wonderful week at the Catalonia Royal Bavaro Resort during the first week in April. We chose this resort because it is adults only and it’s proximity to a golf course. This resort did not disappoint. Most of the staff were very pleasant, professional and friendly. Thank you to Mayra for your grat service in assisting us with dining reservations and answering our questions. A thank you also to Martha, Leandri, Beatrix. The resort is quite large. Not to worry if you have any mobility issues like myself. There are numerous golf carts and drivers to help guests get around. Never had to wait too long for a ride. We like to thank Victor, Thomas, Pablo and the other drivers. A big special thank you to Victor who made sure our departure day went smoothly even though he was off that day. He arranged pickup of our luggage and booked a taxi to get us to the airport. Just want to mention a few positives of this resort. Our accommodation was roomy, and close to two restaurants and the beach. Our maid Yorda did a great job in keeping our suite clean. We were in a Privileged Romance Deluxe Junior Suite. Lots of room and beautiful. The restaurants in the adult side are very good. We really enjoyed breakfast at Thalassa, lunch at Bloved and dinner at Tao-Cat. We went to Mama Mia in the family side one night. Food was just OK. The shopping plaza was nice. Our favourite place was the coffee shop. Excellent coffees and pastries. Negative: The casino was a big disappointment. The few slot machines were very old. My husband thinks they’re from the Bugsy Segal era. The resort chain should invest money to make the casino a more enjoyable place to visit. Not a beach person but lots of people were enjoying it. Don’t drink alcohol so can’t comment on the bars. Suggestion: Guests should be given a summary sheet which lists where to eat, times open and close, etc. Guests should be informed on entertainment and any activities during the week. Staff at check in should be more friendly and informative. Guests should be given a map of resort showing important locations such as restaurants and medical facility. In general, we had a wonderful week and would recommend resort to others.

less

“Rough start to a subsequently Enjoyable Vacation!”

We stayed at the Catalonia Bavaro beach resort on the family side in 2007. This time we chose to stay on the adults-only side at the Catalonia Royal. Upon a late night arrival, check-in was quick and easy. Once we arrived at our room, however, we soon discovered that we had trouble connecting to … more

We stayed at the Catalonia Bavaro beach resort on the family side in 2007. This time we chose to stay on the adults-only side at the Catalonia Royal. Upon a late night arrival, check-in was quick and easy. Once we arrived at our room, however, we soon discovered that we had trouble connecting to the wi-fi. The connection was weak and kept timing out. (It should be known that wi-fi is most convenient to access the hotel services. The front desk almost never answers the phone.) We then discovered that the toilet did not flush. We tried to call to reception and were instantly put on hold for 30 minutes after which we decided to walk over to the desk. Unfortunately, the night-time desk attendant was terribly inept at his job. First, he tried to put us in a room that was inferior to what we paid for. Then he tried to put us in a room that was also not what we asked for. After being driven from reception to room, back to reception then to another room, and back to reception; an hour and a half later we were given the presidential suite for the night. It was far more than we required. It was clean but it had a foul smell. It was 2am at this point so we slept there for the night but early morning we went back to reception to make sure we were placed in a proper room for the remainder of our stay. The pleasant woman at the desk quickly provided us with a room that was precisely what we paid for. I forget her name but she was quite helpful ,always with a smile on every interaction. We are very appreciative of her service. After this preliminary debacle, the rest of our stay was quite pleasant and relaxing. THE ROOM It was in good repair, had a functioning toilet and had good wi-fi connection. The bed was comfortable; the TV worked well with lots of English options. The shower worked well and there was always hot water (sometimes too hot). We are not really fans of the open concept bathroom area but there is a glass door that sort of separates the toilet from the rest of the area. The lighting isn’t great at the sink, and the small vanity mirror light didn’t work. The outlet next to the sink was a bit sketchy so we chose not to use that one. There were always clean towels provided and the cleaning ladies did a great job preparing the room daily. The minibar/fridge were always restocked. The wi-fi worked very well in the room, at the restaurants, pool and beach. The temperature in the room was a bit finicky to maintain and sometimes too cold so we would just open the patio door to even out the temperature. We did have an issue with the safe one night, but the maintenance guy came out right away to fix it. We also had an issue with our room door as the key would unlock it (green light), but it wouldn’t open. Again, once reported, the maintenance staff promptly remedied the problem. THE FOOD There was an adequate variety of food at the buffets for breakfast and dinner. We never went hungry. We did the buffet at the family side for breakfast every morning as it was close to the beach. We got food from the snack bar at Beloved every afternoon. We booked at Beloved for dinner one night. I do not recommend it. The service was very slow, and they got my order wrong for both the starter and the main course. We booked the Terrace and Mamma Mia as well. Both of these are good options. The food and service were very good. The first night we went to Thalassa by mistake thinking it was a buffet, but they immediately sat us at a table for dinner even though we did not have a reservation. I recommend booking the a la cartes as soon as you arrive as they fill up quickly. This is something easily completed on the resort app. (If you have the privilege option, you can also order room service from the app. But be aware that the selection will dwindle as the night goes on.) THE POOL We spent some time at the infinity pool a couple of days. The covered loungers get taken early but there are always other loungers available. You will have to keep moving them, though, to chase the shade if you want out of the sun. The pool was always clean. We didn’t go to the other pool at the front so I cannot comment on that one. THE BEACH We spent most of our time at the beach. We always found loungers. (We were at the beach by 9am) There was sea grass on the beach but a crew was always out in the mornings to clear it. We found that there was a lot of grass in the ocean as well. When swimming we were always having to swish it away. The water was only about 4.5 feet deep all the way out to the buoys but still good enough for swimming. The beach bar was a nice place to get out of the sun, and the service was always good. MICELLANEOUS There are a gym and a spa which we didn’t use. You can have a massage on the beach. There are always vendors walking around on the beach but a “no, thank you” will send them on their way if you are not interested. There are some activities throughout the day, but we didn’t partake in any of those. There are shows in the evenings, two of which we attended, but there are also shows on the family side which may be better? And finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention the resident animals on the resort. There are both cats and dogs strolling throughout the grounds day and night. (There was actually a 4 wk old puppy when we were there.) They are permitted in the open-air eating establishments but will go away with a gentle nudge. Most guests enjoyed the familiarity of ‘pets’ and were most welcoming to them. Some even fed them table scraps. Being an animal lover myself, I was always looking for them and gave them some attention whenever they came around. They will find a shady spot on the beach and lay there for hours unbothered by the people around them. They are very gentle and friendly, and I never saw any aggression from them. Given our experience at this resort, while it is nothing terribly fancy, it is clean, sufficiently maintained from rooms to pools to beach to grounds, provides an adequate variety of good food and drinks, with friendly and attentive staff. I can say that we would recommend it and would definitely return again.

less