Hotel details

Great Beach, great price

drappy Oct 5, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

We liked the resort to an extent. Glad to be home, We can talk to people here, Learn some Spanish before going. Rooms were ... clean, but there are BUGS! Tiny ants even saw a cockroach, gross. Food was okay, but not wonderful. All the drinks are waek and gave us really bad heart burn bring TUMS. Would we go there again....I don't know. We went for the beach and are glad about that. Clear water and warm. Oh all places to eat are not have air.

vacations

margo Sep 28, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

friendly people ...

Great Trip

Beach Volleyball Star Sep 22, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

Hello all potential travelers to Catalonia Bavaro. Here is my review of the resort my girlfriend and I stayed at from 9-12 to ... 9-17. First off, make sure you book the van/cab service to take you to the resort. The airport in Punta Cana is a little shady and the service there can be very pushy. Best bet would be to be all set up from the minute you get your bags. The front desk people at the resort are very friendly and do speak English. Unfortunately we were given a room that was still being cleaned and when I tried to ask the cleaning service how much longer she had no idea what I was saying. We went to grab lunch and when we came back it still wasn't ready so we went back to get another room. They gave us a new room with no problem. The room in itself is nice, patio with hammock, king size bed, flat screen tv. We did have some other complications with the safe (the people before us left it locked) and a leak due to the A/C (which worked fine). These were both fixed however the language barrier made it difficult to communicate with maintenance and it took longer than it should have. That's really all the negative things I have on the resort. The complaints from other visitors about warm water and horrible food must be really picky. Every shower I took was hot and the food, while not 5 star, is still good. I will say that we did not eat the buffet for dinner. Only lunch and breakfast and they were fine. The specialty restaurants were all above average. The Japanese and the Italian the better of the 4. Everything else about the trip was fantastic. The pool is awesome, the beach incredible, and there is plenty to do at the resort. The hilarious and great animation staff tries to get everyone involved in the morning beach activities, afternoon pool activities, and the evening entertainment activities. We got involved a lot and it made the trip that much more fun. For those who just want to relax a simple no thanks and they leave you alone. I would definitely recommend this resort to all interested. For the money, you get unlimited drinks, 3 meals, and access to a beautiful beach and pool.

The same over and over

the Torres Sep 14, 2009

Actually there is nothing to do, animation group were always at the beach and they never knew what activities are going on to ... at least participate and do something.Food is the worst I've tried and at the last 4 days of my 8 we did not eat at all.In the info we got the hotel offers iron board and iron in room, not true, we've to get an iron fron the costumer serv. only for 2h. PLEASE READ THE BROCHURE IT SAID THE TIPS ARE INCLUDED IN YOUR ROOM PRICE. IF EVERYONE STOP TIPPING FOR NOTHING THE EMPLOYEES WILL DO THEIR DUTIES WITHOUT EXTRA PAYMENTS.That hotel employees would be happy to have a job and people around for them to keep it.

Catalonia Bavaro

Andrew Sep 12, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

Amazing experience at Catalonia Bavaro. The beach is absolutely perfect, the pool is clean, and amazing staffs and room ... service. I went on "Bavaro Runners" excursion, which includes horse back riding, cigar & sugar cane plantation, and a visit to a local family. The asking price was $90, but we bargained down to $80. Do not pay the asking price, as there is a huge mark-up, so ALWAYS bargain!!. Remember to bring lots of sunscreen.

Nice Relaxing Vacation

Erin Aug 27, 2009

I traveled with my husband (we are in our mid 20s), my brother and girlfriend (early 20s), and my parents (late 50s). We all ... had a wonderful vacation together. We took full advantage of the relaxing beach days, all-inlusive meals and drinks, and nightly entertainment. The resort was full and there were guests from all over the world, which was new to us. We were impressed by the staff's ability to accomodate and interact with people speaking all different languages. In addition, the service was excellent. We did have a few problems with no hot water and terrible to no water pressure in the showers between 5pm-7pm, which was very frustrating. Our first night we had a problem with our air conditioner, but they quickly fixed it for us. The activities staff were a pleasure and we were impressed with the nightly shows, especially the Michael Jackson show. In terms of other activities, they are available to those who seek them. We placed volleyball and Boche Ball on the beach, went kayaking, made Paella on the beach, participated in aerobics on the beach, played tennis and basketball, and attempted to use the gym. The gym was a disappointment. It was hot, very tiny, and in poor condition. The tropical drinks were a delight and readily available. The food was overall pretty good. The buffets were mediocre. Taste and presentation was somewhat lost there but I would expect this with the mass amount of food produced and guests coming and going constantly. We enjoyed the a la carte experience much more. The pizza at the pool was great! Overall we were pleased with our relaxing vacation. We had great weather and made the best of our experience all around. I would like to recommend this resort to others, but I am afraid there may be better simply because of the water problems we endured.

amazing!

Jersey Girl Aug 3, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

The hotel was gorgeous. However very few hotel staff spoke english. The food at the buffet was also not that good. ...

Great 'First' All-Inclusive Experience

Papa John Jul 31, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

All hotel staff were very hospitable and accommodating in general. Housekeeping services were acceptable, but somewhat ... inconsistent from day to day. Our room had several maintenance/upkeep issues (ex airconditioning, refrigeration) during the course of our stay, allowing room access to too many persons. And unfortunately, during one of these repairs, my Seiko wrist watch came up missing, never to be found. All dining/bar staff were very accommodating. Very relaxing facility overall.

07/22 - 07/29

No Bias Jul 31, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

Great over all, except the BED is smell little bit ...

Mixed Reviews

Wildecarter Jul 26, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

Please note that we are not picky travelers. We generally travel for 8-9 days and have visited Cancun, St. Marten, St. John ... and Sandals resort in St. Lucia wich was an all inclusive resort. I am writing this review because I think it will be helpful to others that are looking for certain amenities when traveling. I will start with the pros first: visually, the resort was stunning, well manicured gardens, lush green vegitation and an overall serene experience. 2nd: Speciality restaurants were excellent (except Mikado's it lacked the typical flair of a Tepanyaki style grill and the food was salty and mediocre)The Mariachi (Mexican) was my favorite the Posole was delicious. Toscano's (Italian) was also a favorite. The last one was Rodeo's Steakhouse. 3rd-Their theater productions of Grease and Michael Jackson were entertaining! They feature a nightly live performance with different themes. 4th-The pool area was great except for the bar service. Also, the pizzaria was amazing. We lived on the fire oven pizza for lunch daily. The pool eatery was better than the buffet lunches. Even though there were so many people it never felt crowded. 5th-Main bar at the lobby was the best for quality and service THANKS TO [...] OUR BARTENDER every night that we were there. The further out you get from the main Lobby area the worst the service gets. We never figured out why. One thing for certain is that the language barrier is or can be a huge frustration and I SPEAK SPANISH. I often felt sorry for those who didn't. Another note on the language issue, English speaking travelers are definatley the minority. Warning,if you are conservative then this might not be the place for you. Topless women are everywhere even at the pool. Okay now for the negatives.......let's start with the room...they have not been upgraded in who knows how long??? (Although they were clean)pillows were like sleeping on a bag of knots (not joking) I slept only with the sheet because the blankets felt like sand paper. The air conditioning never really got cold but at least it was a reprieve from being out in the heat. The mini fridge was a good idea except it didn't keep anything cold. Showering was an experience hot water came and went with no warning. As for service the watersport area, beach buffet and pool bar were the worst! Either you were ignored or given attitude for general requests like water or utensils. Final comments.....for the price we paid it was a good deal.

great trip for the price

upstate new yorker Jul 21, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

all the non motor sports were plentiful and included the beach was clean with beautiful cooling breezes plenty of shaded ... areas our only issue was with our shuttle back to the airport we had a difficult time with our representative next time we will just take a taxi

Great location and layout! So,so food...

SuperFLy Jul 21, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

The layout of the resort was great! Pool and beach were amazing! The rooms could of been a little bigger. Hot water wasn't ... always there. There were no ice machines near rooms. The pool kept running out of clean towels. The food and service at the Italian restaurant were terrible! The buffet could of been better (would of been good to be able to eat inside an air conditioned room). Hotel staff was very nice and prompt. A NOTE ALL BACHELOR PARTIES...THIS IS NOT THE RESORT TO GO TO!! But it is great for all other!

No good

SC Jul 20, 2009

The hotel was ok, Large selection of mixed drinks are available. The food in this resort is terrible. ...

July 2009

NA Jul 19, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

Enjoyed the pool everyday with an 8 month old child. ...

UNBEATABLE LOCATION FOR THE PRICE

JNFPS24 Jun 28, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

WELL THE TRIP WAS PERFECT,,, ...

chocolaate chocolaate

Sam Jun 3, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

This hotel was very good in some respects and not so good on others. The staff was either VERY friendly or just rude. We were ... there for 10 days and some days the resort was great and some days it was aweful. The food was good- the buffet was MUCH better than the ala carte restaurants. The power and hot water went out momentarily a couple of times. However, it has to be expected in a small under developed country. People who complain about this are pathetic. It really was not that big of an inconvenience. The maid service was EXCELLENT.

"The Pros and Cons"

Angelica May 30, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

First of all, check-in was bad. I am pregnant and the check-in was so slow. I was tired just sitting around and waiting after ... 3pm. Until we got a bit of tone in our voices, then the check-in was completed. The staff was great and the shows were very nice. The only con I would say is that there is nowhere for a pregnant person to escape from the smokers. Everyone smoked wherever they pleased and everywhere. I didn't appreciate this fact very much.

Helpful thoughts for your next stay

Emily May 29, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

We stayed at the hotel for 6 days. Most important: Great location! There is no resort near this one; you have the whole beach ... to yourself. Walk about 2 miles and you will find the next resort with a not so good beach and location. Also, this hotel has a gorgeous garden area. This is a huge resort, and it is well maintained. Also, good pool area. Big enough to have fun. Very good for couples as well as families. Very nice staff, very friendly. The Management is unorganized, rooms were double booked, and it takes a while for them to take care of complaints. The Suites have a great Bathroom, and enough space to relax and feel comfortable. Be aware: Put everything in the safe in your room, I left my watch out by accident, and after they cleaned our room, the watch was gone. So for everybody who plans a trip: Put your belongings in the safe. So the rooms and the beach are good, but I only give this resort 3 stars because of the food: The offer Buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is a lot to chose from, but not everything is good. Chose the right food and you will enjoy it. Watch out for Ice Cubes, a lot of our friends got a stomach ache, which is not really the resorts fault, it is just the quality of the water in that country. They also offer theme restaurants, a Steak House, Mexican Italian and Japanese Restaurant. I would stick with the Buffett. We tried all but the Mexican, and it was so so. The setting of the Japanese Restaurant is fun, but again, the food is OK. I wish they would stick with typical Dominican food, and they would be doing much better. If somebody from Haiti tries to cook Japanese food, of course it won't be as good&. They also have a Crepes bar. GREAT!!! Try the sweet Crepes, you'll love it. The hotel offers free WIFI in certain spots, and you can go online at their internet café. Also, check in is at 3 PM, put your bathing suits in the carry on, and you can go to the beach if you get there before 3 pm. We met some people who were bored at the resort. Before you book: Understand that Punta Cana is a resort location. You go to your resort, and you lay on the beach all day until you get tired and sleep. You don't go to Punta Cana to party at night. So for everybody who wants some cool nightlife and parties: Book another resort. This one is great for long beach days, and a lot of bars and drinks with people you meet at the resort. They also offer great water activities. Free Canoes and Catamarans. Lots of fun! For $25 we went snorkeling. I can recommend that one! Worth the money! We also did the day trip to Saona Island. It's a lot of fun. A 2 hour bus trip gets you to a Catamaran, and after 1,5 hours you will reach the Paradise Island. Just don't expect a deserted Island, because there are going to be TONS of Tourists just like you. But it is sooo beautiful!!! So we had a good vacation, but next time I would go to a different resort, hoping the food will be a little better. Let me know if you have any questions, I'll be more than happy to help!

very relaxing

Stressless Mom. May 24, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

My experience at this resort was very relaxing and that was what I was looking for. The staff was wonderful. ...

The best ever!

Pam May 23, 2009

Would recommend to a friend!

The Catalonia and Punta beat Mexico by far. there was nothing to complain about. We swam,snorkled,rode bikes on the beach. ... The food was wonderful and the Dominican people were very nice and respectful.