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Bavaro Princess Location: Beach front - Punta Cana - East Coast - 35 mins. from Punta Cana airport All-inclusive - 82 Junior Suites & 686 Suites Description from resort website: 6 restaurants - 8 bars - 2 pools - Junior Suite - Garden or pool view, Twin beds or 1 King bed, Bedroom area with sunken living with sofa bed, Cable / Satellite TV, Full Bathroom with Tub and Shower - Full Suite - Newly Renovated Suites with Dining and living area and step up bedroom, Twin beds or 1 King bed - Platinum Club - Stay at 1 Play at 4 (Shuttle service included to Caribe Club Princess, Tropical Princess and Punta Cana Princess). Total use of 12 a la carte restaurants, 3 buffets, 1 deluxe buffet, 18 bars, 6 pools, 4 snack bars and 3 theatres and 32 inch Television much, much more... ~ Reviews posted on this page — 50 ~ Map of Resort ~ Reader's Vacation Photos  ~  1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ~ Readers Bavaro Princess Wedding Reviews   ~ Dominican Republic Travel Forum     Have you stayed at this resort? Share your vacation experiences with others.   Don't forget to send your review to Debbie by using an easy form

November 30 2009

Arrival: Nov.21-28,2009
 Flew Air Canada from Edmonton-Toronto-Punta Cana  and the flight was good, connection was tight on the Edmonton-Toronto connection due to snow in Edmonton on departure, but everyones'baggage made it through.The complaint we had was that on arrival in Toronto on our return trip we were supposed to have checked baggage right through. However we arrived at 1 am and the carousel did not open until 4 am so we were stuck withh our baggage at this ungodly hour and then had to proceed through normal check in again. Service was slow here with only 2 reps working for a while.Seats on our plane were better than a charter and flights were on time. Punta Cana airport was great, no problems here. In fact it was better service than at Toronto and Toronto had less people when we were checking in.

Rooms:
I was nervous here because of the mixed reviews and this also makes me feel like I should write a review. They were fine. I really liked the set up of the bungalow suites. We were in the platinum section, but some of the group was in the regular section and they were just as close to the beach. Also the regular rooms had a bit more of an updated look because they had more modern sinks, a jacuzzi, and new shower whereas our rooms had a regular tub,shower and sink and they were also bigger. Did not have the newest flat screen TVs, but it was fine. my sister in law had problems with hers. We also had a kitchen table, chairs and small couch as shown in the hotel pictures. The rooms look much  like the pictures. There is remodelling going on, but it is screened off and they could not be heard.If you expect a new posh North American style hotel you might be disappointed, but we were very happy with the room. There are also very clean and we had extra bottles of hard liquor in our!
s, as well as water,beer and pop. The bathroom had the usual hair dryer and soaps and shampoo,etc.If there was a problem they would come to fix it right away and guest services in the lobby were very helpful. Also the staff in the platinum lounge were great.

Restaurants and Bars:
The food was good and there is lots to choose from. Most people in our group liked the main buffet, which had different theme nights. You had to really look around to see what you wanted to eat, but there was an American station and an Italian as well. It also seems to have a large selection for Europeans especially for breakfastThere were also some yummy specialties such as fresh doughnuts, cinnamon  buns iced with what you wanted , crepes, and one night specially decorated little sponge cakes..  Our wedding supper was in El Gaucho, the steakhouse, and it was excellent.TBone steak was cut thin,I but it was tender and very tasty. The guests could also choose a mixed skewer which I believe was good as well.We had an excellent caesar salad, a Pumpkin soup(ok), corn and baked potato, and chose a chocolate mousse for dessert. The wedding cake was absolutely delicious. It was a white cake filled with a bit of fruit and a very creamy but not sweet icing. We were seated separately!
and were by ourselves for the first part of the evening so we were able to have our wedding speeches. The waiters were good as well.Some of our group ate at the Japanese,Tanuki, and they said it was very good. We also ate at Chopin, the international buffet and had a good supper there as well The setting is really quite nice in here for a buffet. A couple tried the seafood and Italian which they said was good. My nephew got sick one night after this and so did I, but it was just the night so not sure what it was.Although we could book a la cartes quite easily with the platinum lounge it was impossible to get our whole group in. It would be easier with a couple. Without platinum you had to get up and stand in line. Occasionally the beer wasn't cold enough or they woulld run out of bottles/imports, but no problem.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
I love their beach and grounds,extremely beautiful. Pool was good as well, but did not spend much time here. Our beach was very busy compared to some resorts and a couple of days chairs were hard to come by. The weather was hot and quite humid, but we loved it, a bit too humid for some. Might be nice to see more fans in the lobby.The trams were great to get from one end of the resort to the other. If I missed one I would walk though, maybe a 10 min walk from the beach to the lobby.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
My tours were messed up but my husband went deep sea fishing with Mike Fisher and he showed up on time, although we weren't, my fault, but did not catch much-that's fishing. Booked online from home and Mike was very good. Golf was good but pricy. Some went on the dolphin swim and loved it. We also went with the hotel local snorkeling bunch from the beach and had lots of fine. I really wish I would not have missed Punta Cana Mike's tour,

Other Comments:
The wedding coordinator,Francelia, was easy to talk to,very organized and set everything up. It went off without a hitch and was everything we wanted.  They have a lovely little gazebo just off the beach. Pastor York performed the ceremony and it was lovely.He seems to be a wonderful man. We had 2 guests come in from off the resort that we had to pay for, but there was no problem.I might have to edit this but I can't keep my eyes open. We had a great time.

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November 29 2009

Arrival: November 9-16, 2009
 Smooth check in with a welcome drink.

Rooms:
Rooms are very spacious and clean, however very dated but renos are being done all over the property

Restaurants and Bars:
A la carte Restaurants are great, however very hard to get a reservations as they are small and not open everyday.  Another challenge is that you can only make reservations at 8:00am for the next day, as oppose to making dining arrangements for the week.  We tried the Steakkhouse, Italian, Seafood, Chinese and Japanese and all were fantastic with great service.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The beach is amazing, the pool is a little small for the amount of rooms and guests, but kept very clean and tidy.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We did the Jeep safari and the Sting Ray snorkleing trip, both were fantastic and very informative about the country.

Other Comments:
Overall this is a great resort with amazing grounds and staff, great value for the price you pay.  Please do not take any of the bad reviews seriously as these people are abviousy looking to get somehting for free, have no patience and should stay home.  I am a hospitality professional and promise this is a great place to spend a week to relax and spoil yourself.  If you are looking to truly have a 5* North American Hotel Experience, you will have to spend more than $2000 all inclusive as oppose to around $1000......just saying....

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November 29 2009

Arrival: January 2009
 Second time to Bavaro Princess, third to Punta Cana.  Arrived early, before noon.  Didn't have time to finish our welcome drinks when they in formed us our room was ready.  We were the only ones checking in at this time. 

Rooms:
All services in the room were the same as our first trip here, coffee maker, mini fridge with pop, water and beer, big bathroom with blow dryer, iron and safe.  Lots of towels and a great patio.  This time the tv was not located near the bed but in the lower sitting area.  Rooms are starting to show their age but everything worked.  Bed ok, pillows need replacing.  No bugs.

Restaurants and Bars:
Can't say enough about the buffets.  They were great.  Different theme every night and the food was more North Americanized this time.  Never ran out of anything, even refilled 5 minutes before closing.  Ala carts were the same as the first time we came here.  Only tried the steak, Italian and Chopin.  All were good.  Chopin has the best setting for breakfast and dinner we have ever experienced.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Beautiful grounds, pool is huge, and the beach the best in Punta Cana.  Walking through the Mangrove forest was nice on a wet day. 

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Did Bavaro Runners, worth the money to see a little of the people and land around Punta Cana.  Saw suger cane plantation, coffee, vanilla and coacoa making.  And cigar's too.  Lunch included with beach time and horses.  Day and night time activities are good.  Lots of bars around the resort, good service.  Don't forget to tip, they love it.  Casino on site with lots of slots and tables.  Blackjack, Carribean stud, Texas Hold'em and other games.  Free booze here too. 

Other Comments:
We love this resort, and will come back again.

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October 2009

Arrival: September 26th - October 3rd 2009
 Very efficient moving through the Punta Cana Airport now.  We travelled out of Toronto via Sunwing and the Rep., located in the Airport lobby quickly directed us to our Bus, the bags were loaded and we only waited about 15 minutes for the rest of the Bus to fill up and leave for the resort.  Arrival at the Princess Bavaro and transport to the Platinum Lounge for check-in was not as good as the 2 previous times we have been to this resort but we had Champagne one we were checked in, approx. 12:00 noon.  The room was ready but the bags took a while to arrive from the front.

Rooms:
The rooms are still in fairly good condition and you should take advantage of the Platinum upgrade at this Resort.  While we were there approximately 200 rooms were undergoing renovation / upgrade.  We saw 1 room at the front of the resort which was complete as was being shown to guests on request and the New Upgraded rooms will be very nice when complete - which we understand is supposed to be by the end of 2009.

Restaurants and Bars:
Some of the restaurants were closed while we were here but they were rotating the closures for variety.  The number of guests would not have required all to be open at all times although I heard some people had trouble getting reservations.  When you book with Platinum you have access to all the restaurants at the 4 Princess Resorts along this section of the Punta Cana strip and never have reservation issues.  Bars are good, Lobby Bar can be Hot, and especially nice is access to the Platinum Lounge and International Brand Drinks.  Had an issue with one of the young Bartenders on the Beach, but I understand they had a discussion with him and it looked like it as he was in a foul mood afterwards.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The Beach is the main thing bringing us back to Puta Cana - 6 times now - fantastic.  One day the waves were approx. 8 feet high.  The Pool was closed for repairs most of the time, but we don't go there anyway, and the grounds are always well kept up.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Watersports are slipping somewhat and they are starting to charge for things that were included before.  The staff at the watersports station is also getting quite lazy.  Be careful if you want to Parasail in Punta Cana - we saw 1 couple get dunked in the water and subsequently dragged in the water.  Also when they brought them back to the beach they were not helpful at all and the woman banged her leg on the aluminium boat.  Looked like she was quite stressed.
Went sailing but the catamarans are getting run down.

Other Comments:
This was our 3rd visit to the Princess Bavaro and 6th visit to Punta Cana.  Service in some areas of the resort is slipping.  We had some problems with Transportation, 1 Bar tender and with the Dress Code being enforced at 1 Restaurant.  I believe once the room upgrades are done this will still be a good resort to go to, would say a 4 or 4+ resort.  But PLEASE book the Platinum upgrade, the Lounge, the extra service and room location near the beach that you get with that are very much worth it for very liitle extra cost.  The tourist industry looks like it has taken a hit in Punta Cana due to the recession, the beach was quiet.  After 3 times here I believe we may try another Punta Cana resort next time.  ENJOY !!!!

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October 2009

Arrival: OCT 3 / 2009
 I had a great time,the grounds and beach were immaculate, great beach,the pool was closed for repair, opened on my last day, great people always willing to help you.

Rooms:
rooms were nice, air condition worked fine, very clean

Restaurants and Bars:
the bars were good, the buffet food was always cold which bothered me, because of the opened air restaurant, the need to improved that, nobody likes cold food, maybe at least have a couple of microwaves to heat things up..

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
the beach was amazing, nice calm waters, lots of shelters from the shade.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
no tours

Other Comments:
the trip was great execpt for the cold food if that could be improved I would have no problems, and also the buffet seemed rather small as far as choices, no roast beef..

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September 2009

Arrival: May 8-15
 This was our first trip to the DR and the best thing we did before our trip was to read the reviews of our hotel. We got a lot of useful suggestions, and read a lot of good and bad reviews. We took the bad reviews with a grain of salt, everyone is entiled to there own opinion. I can honestly tell you the bad reviews have been blown out of proportion and these people can never be pleased. We booked thru Apple Vacations in the US and upgraded to the Platinum package - definately worth the money. Rooms are bigger, private check in, rooms near the beach, private bar and internet use, etc.... We were so impressed will all of the staff. We left a lot of tips for exceptional service. My husband and I don't speak spanish, but learned important words and were able to communicate very well. The staff appreciates your trying to speak to them in there own language. Shows every night were very entertaining and fun. We will definately be going back in the future and staying at the same h!
 otel. The 5 star rating is dead on..

Rooms:
HUGE and Very clean. "musty" but what what do you expect when your near the ocean and in a tropical country. GET OVER IT. Smell was gone in a couple of days. Maids don't speak much if any english, but learn some spanish and you will do fine. We left dollars and toiletries for the maids exceptional work. They work very hard to accomodate and keep you happy. Suggestion to bring febreeze with to spray down the room - helped tremendously.

Restaurants and Bars:
Very impressed with the food. My husband is a meat and potaoes man and never had any trouble finding something to eat. We were never disappointed in the food. Wait staff was very friendly and happy to help, we liked our waitstaff so much we ate in the same area every meal and were served very well. We were very impressed with as much english as the staff knows. They try very hard to communicate and do an awesome job.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
"Immaculate" "Awesome" "Beautiful" "Amazing". Words our very hard to describe how great. You will be impressed. Pools were very busy, so we spent a lot of time at the beach, but isn't that what your there for!!!

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We did the Outback Safari and highly recommend. Johnny was our guide and awesome. We did some boogie boarding and had a blast. (our first time)Visited a local school and brought school supplies with. What an unforgetable experience.

Other Comments:
Enjoy the beauty the DR has to offer and have fun. You will not be disappointed unless you are never happy and hard to please (if that's the case STAY HOME).

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August 2009

Arrival: July
First of all we have been to the Dominican Republic many times and this is one time that I have made a bad review for a resort.

Rooms:
First of all the room was OK except for the washroom which had no AC. You got out of the shower and stayed wet. The room AC was poor also.

Restaurants and Bars:
The reservation system sucks big time. You only have certain days to reserve for certain restaurants. You waste a lot of time doing this waiting in long line ups. The restaurants either had poor AC or none at all. Some of the restaurants were closed. The buffet was very limited for selection.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
There is an awful smell on the beach like sewer or something. Lots of bugs. Walking through the mangrove area to get to the main building was something else. I was gagging from the smell. Maybe this had something to do with the beach smell.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We did not do any.

Other Comments:
There was some good things. The housekeeping was fine and some of the entertainment was pretty good. Other than that I would not recommend this hotel and it is definitly not a 5 star, more like a 3 star.

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July 2009

Arrival: July 5-12
Quick check-in at noon, however our rooms were not ready until 3pm. We were smart enough to pack a bathing suit in our carry-on.

Rooms:
Dated - loud a/c - horrible bathroom - no water pressure - old corroded shower faucet and dirty shower curtain. Toilet broke and had to be repaired one night. Maids were very pleasant to deal with however inconsistent ie...no face cloths one day, three the next.....turn down service on the thrid night and then never again. Room smelled of mildew throughout our stay.

Restaurants and Bars:
A la Cartes were substandard. Wait staff were inattentive and did not want to be there. Never asked what we would like to drink. If we ordered drinks they never arrived. Required to wake up early and line up at 8am every day to reserve a la cartes.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Beach was nice, but public. A lot of people entered into Palapa areas to sell excursions over and over again. North Pool was empty - very small and very dirty. Main Pool was extremely busy. Lots of drunks loitering around and hanging off the swim up bar. No washrooms within convenient distance of pool, so you know what people were using for a toilet :( Grounds are beautiful. Gardens are very well kept.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
It seemed that Staff members could only speak Spanish and French. Very few spoke English well if at all. We did not attend any excursions.

Other Comments:
This is NOT a five star resort. Staff are over worked and have no interest in serving the guests. They were often carrying on conversations amongst themselves while we waited to ask questions, were served dinner, etc. We could not walk 50 steps without being aggressively approached by people selling us the 'Promotion' which is code for 'Time Share'. These sales people are all over the resort. They loiter around the restaurants, pools, lobby, bars, etc and approach you every time that you walk by. The pathways that are used for walking from the lobby to the rooms, to the pool, etc. are actually driveways for the service vehicles, vans, mopeds, etc. They do not give way to the guests and we had to stop and step off the pathway each time that they quickly drove by. Several "not included's" with the all inclusive package that we were sold.

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June 2009

Arrival: May 28 - June 5
Our arrival was smooth. The staff greeted us and informed us that the buffet would be closing, so they advised us to eat and then check in. Once we were ready to go to our room the staff offered us a ride, assisted us with our luggage and made sure we were comfortable.

Rooms:
We were in a Suite which was newly renovated. The rooms were fine, but you could definitely see the age of the hotel in the rooms. Our shower curtain was dirty so I called front desk and they came and changed it within 5 mins. We also met friends that had a weak shower head and the staff changed that right away also. If you are not happy let them know and they are more then willing to accommodate

Restaurants and Bars:
Restaurants were good. Of course after a week of buffet it all tastes the same. My personal favorite was the crepes they had at dinner. Wonderful. The food was good with lots of variety. They had hamburger and hot dogs for the children.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Beach.... beautiful! I can't say enough. The waves were great for the children to play and the fish in the water made it fun for the kids to try to catch. We walked down the beach to both markets and got our daughters hair braided for $15.00 and bought some souvenirs. The pool was very warm and pretty clean. If the visitors would respect the water it would be much cleaner.

Other Comments:
Bavaro Princess was great. The staff were wonderful and made us feel so welcome. We will be going back for sure.

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June 2009

Hello everyone! Let me explain how things went at this Hotel!

First off, we were there from April 18 to May 2. We went to get married on April 23! We were booked for the Caribe Club Princess until 2 days prior to leaving… We get a call from our travel agent and Princess Hotels had overbooked the Caribe Club Princess and were sending us to the Bavaro Princess. An upgrade but that came with some stress as we had people book the vacation online and through other agencies. Princess Hotels took care of everything! Except our maid of honor, for some reason, she wasn’t transferred but that was taken care of right there! Top notch from Princess Hotels and our Travel Agency. We were a group of 18 in total! We flew Air Canada business class. From now on, I’m spending the extra cash for that! Everything went well, a slight delay on our way back but nothing drastic!

Now the Hotel…

Check-in / Check Out:
Both went very well! Upon your arrival, mamajuana awaits you one after another! If you are getting married, they take you aside and give you a package and a nice Coco Loco! A girl will explain when you meet with your wedding coordinator and all that good stuff! No complaints here!

The Gounds:
The resort is HUGE. If you have disabilities, go somewhere else. The little train goes by every 5 to 10 minutes most of the times. You need to be fast to get room as it gets full quick. You can walk but like I said, it’s huge! Calculate a lot of walking depending on where your room is! Burns off the buffet food at least! Everything is well kept, flowers, trees, wildlife everywhere! They work very hard to keep it like that! Be nice to the workers and they will offer you a fresh fallen coconut to drink from! They pull out their machete and arrange one for you!

Rooms:
Rooms are very nice and clean! Musty smell is pretty much normal in all rooms that I have visited down south. We had room 888 which is a Honeymoon Suite. The only difference with other rooms is that we have a whirlpool tub and it’s pretty much opened compared to other rooms. The size is the same. Our shower was a stand up with glass. Safe was a combo safe as to other it was a key and required to ask for them at the reception at no cost. We had no bugs in our rooms… But others did! ;o) They do fumigate the rooms and the grounds to help control this. What can you expect; half the area is a mangrove! Back to the musty smell in the rooms, what can you expect? You are in a hot humid place, not much you can do about that!

Maids:
They work very hard and long hours. They sweep and mop the whole room including the balcony. They squeeze the mop by hand, they don’t have anything fancy to do that. They are very nice and always smiling. We left her $2USD daily and one day we left her $5USD. We always got fresh flowers and some kind of towel arrangements! Very nice to come in to! Our last day, we left her a ton of stuff like baby powder, deoderants, hair spray, a Frisbee etc. We did leave a note to tell her she can take what she wants and so the Hotel doesn’t say she stole it.

Restaurants:
No complaints there! The main buffet was very good and yes some foods are repetitive but there is enough there to have different stuff everyday! They have different themes every night! Breakfast is always good, go see Leonel at the American Station for your omelets! He’s a blast! I tipped him a few times as the service was impeccable!! Dinner at the buffet, go in the back and see Luis B. He will go out of your way to give you good service! We tipped him every day and he went out of his way for everything. He got us some stuff that was missing from the buffet! He’s also there in the morning for breakfast but shifts could change later on. We pretty much always went to the main buffet as the one near the beach wasn’t as good. We also booked the El Pescador, seafood restaurant! That was great! We had booked that on the same night that it was seafood night at the buffet. :o( We booked the Japanese restaurant, that was very good also! The sushi was fantastic and so was all the food they served us! For our wedding, we had booked the Italian Restaurant. We had to select a pre-defined menu for our guests. We had made a great selection! We chose 2 meats, beef and chicken and if they didn’t want that, they could have veggie pizza. Everyone was very happy and no complaints there also.

Staff:
Most people go out for their way to serve you. It’s hard to tip everyone and there are so many people there to help. Go see the same people over and over that way you can tip them! There is a blackjack table, this is for fun and the guy works for tips. Please be kind and tip him. I would tip him $1USD every time he would go through the whole deck of cards. Animation crew is good and the shows were fun to watch! Don’t expect Broadway shows though! I’m not going to give you more detail on this. I encourage everyone to go see for themselves! Guards are everywhere and do keep a close eye on our rooms. Take the time and say hi to them and offer them a drink from your fridge, they will appreciate it! Finally, I was told by our rep that most staff there work 12 days and are off 3 days. Some have to travel far to go see their families. Some are from Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo etc. They don’t get paid much because they are fed and lodged there also. Not many people tip them, if you get good service, please tip them, they will remember you afterwards!

The Beach:
Breathtaking! One of the nicest in the world! We had red flags on our second week due to jelly fish. They were really nice and colourful but there was only a few! But I also got the confirmation from a few staff that they spotted 2 sharks near by… hence, the reason why they used the jelly fish as an excuse not to freak everyone out. We went swimming anyways without issues. NOTE: The beach is not an ASHTRAY. Please people, when smoking snuff them out in a bottle of an empty cup and go put them in the garbage. There are enough garbage cans around for you. Cigarette butts everywhere on the beach including plastic bottle caps. People have no respect and litter. NOT COOL.

The Wedding:
Fabulous! Francelia our coordinator was great! The wedding was civil (not catholic) and took 5 minutes for the minister to say what she needed, 5 minutes to sign, 15 to eat the cake and drink champagne. The rest for pictures. We got married on Thursday April 23rd at 3:00PM and they already had people lined up for another wedding at 4:00PM! They have about 5 weddings a day there! It went very well and it was a dream come true! WOW! Well worth it!

Excursions:
We did the half day Quad (ATV) excursion! It was a blast! Bring clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty! The red soil creates a fine dust and stays on you for 2 days! J You do get wet also! They make you visit a small church in a village. The rep told us we didn’t stop, so we didn’t bring anything to give to the children and their mothers. Well to our big surprise, at that church, they expect you there and come see you. We felt really bad and advised our rep of this. So bring things like pencils, erasers, toothpaste, toothbrushes etc. No candy as that is basically useless for them. Trip was well worth it IMO.

Hotel Guest:
Our first week was great. People seemed to be friendly and it was cool. The second week wasn’t the same. I’m not going to mention nationalities in here but 2 really stuck out from everyone. Rude is a nice word to describe them. Loud, obnoxious and rude with guests and staff. The staff came to see us to vent because of these people. They think they own the world. Who would bring a portable sound system in the restaurant and blast their boring tunes over the Merengue/Bachata/Salsa already playing there? Moving lobby furniture to accommodate their group, taking all the room where people walk and didn’t put them back when they left. We got yelled at very rudely to move away because someone was taking a picture (40 feet away). They could have kindly asked us to move. Now they wonder why they are not the preferred guests when going to other countries. I was asked many times (in a very rude fashion) if they could have one of my cigars, I turned them down before they were done their sentence, if you can even call it a sentence (some were just grunts). As much as you tried to ignore them, it’s like they came out of their way to be that way and get noticed.

Conclusion:
Will I return to this hotel? Probably not as I like to try different places. Do I recommend it? Yes I do! Is it a 5 Star? Yes and No… Hard to rate IMO… Definitely a 4-1/2. Keep in mind that we are not at home. Yes there are mosquitoes so bring repellant but no big deal. There are sand mites on the beach also, some legs got bitten! Forget the bad reviews, those people complain for nothing. You are not in North America so deal with it! If you want N-A treatment, well stay home. Go, relax and enjoy the short time you have there!

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May 2009

Arrival: April 18 - April 25th
Hang on to your luggage for dear life ! One thing you learn very quickly is that 10 ft on travel can cost you $20 US to get back. Many locals will let it appear they are just kindly escorting you and your luggage, but everyones out to make a buck there so keep this in mind when you get off the plane!!

Rooms:
Amazing room. Great housekeeping. Safes are included with your room for any valuables.

Restaurants and Bars:
Steak house was AMAZING as well at Bella Pasta. A MUST for your visit. Make sure to make reservations early because it fills up fast.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
There isn't anything bad I can say about Bavaro Princess. My entire trip was so far my best one to date. Pool, Beachs where clean and well taken care of! Two thumbs up for sure!

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Lots of great activities and shows you can see and do right on the resort. I did trail riding which was ok. We had to travel about 15 mins from the resort anf more than half of the ride was through was seem to be a construction zone of some sort. The beach we rode down was about 200 ft long so it kinda sucked. Didn't have much room to let the horses rip down the beach.

Other Comments:
Overall the staff, food, rooms, drinks, and sun was awesome. Already looking to head back in the next 6 months. Semi - addidicted!! Can't wait to go back.

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April 2009

Arrival: Feb 12
We travel with a group of 10 people. Arrival was great. Earlier than scheduled. Only a 20 min ride to the resort. The problem was going home. We had a 10:30pm departure because we wanted our last day to be a whole day at the beach. We sat in an airport with zero air conditioning for 2 additional hours as they were delayed leaving Toronto. That means we didn't arrive in Toronto till 4am and when we landed they got every other planes luggage offloaded except ours and we were delayed an additional 2 hours. The Sky Service rep by the luggage area never gave us updates or feedback unless we asked and when she did she gave us tons of attitude. I told her to shut her yap or she'll have to call more than security if she wanted me to calm down.

Rooms
Rooms were very nice. Nothing extravagent...but very nice. We stayed in block #7 and we were in the perfect location. a 1 minute walk to the massive pool and a 2 minute walk to the beach.

Restaurants and Bars
The Buffets were great. I'm not one for Buffets but I honestly did not have one complaint. I don't recall seeing the same dish in the Buffet more than once. They had great themes in the Buffet so every night you had different stations serving unique dishes along with the choices in the Buffet. The is always an Italian station with fresh pastas to your liking. There are Sushi, Carribean and an American Station that of course serves french fries, pizza, burgers, hotdogs, nachos and cheese, chicken breasts and different salads. The Japanese restaurant was my favourite. You sit around the grill as the chef makes you a custom ordered dinner consisting of Chicken, Shrimp, Beef and Fish. The food was fantastic....don't forget to tip your servers. The Steakhouse was also really good....have the Argentinian steak. The Chinese and Italian restaurant was good but not amazing. The Seafood was very good as well. The Bars were great. The swim-up bar was huge and drinks kept coming. There is a Beach Bar right next to the lunch buffet. The Lobby Bar was where we spent our evenings. We all had a bunch of laughs but was no the most exciting nightlife. The drinks were free in the disco which is located inside the casino. Drinks inside the casino are not free but you can walk into the disco for free drinks

Beach/Pools/Grounds
The Beach was beautiful. Not my absolute favorite. The sand was powder and the water was nice...but I prefer St. Maarten or Bahamas. The Pools was fantastic and the grounds were immaculate. There is another smaller pool at the front of the resort for the more quiet crowd who prefers to settle in with a book or complete so work you might bring with you from home. The resort is very large. To walk from the lobby to the beach took 10-15 mins. Or you could wait for the train/trolley and you could do the ride in 3-4 mins. We preferred to walk as we wanted to work off all the food and drinks we shoved down our throats and need the excersie.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We did Parasailing which was a waste of money. I did it 20 years ago in Florida and went twice as high in the air and went twice as fast. The others went snorkelling and nursing sharks and stingrays. They said it was okay. make sure you have American $$$$$$$$. If you can't get money from the bank machine, you can go to the casino and transfer money from your credit cards with a 3% service fee.

Other Comments
All in all, I read tons of reviews before we went. Too many people expect perfection and really the majority of people who write reviews are the complainers. I had a blast. The food was great, the service was great and the company was even better. If you sit around waiting for someone to come along and make your vacation spectacular...you might be dissapointed. It is what you make of it. We taked to everyone and everyone knew us. Everyone loved BORAT!!

I would go back in a second. Great value. Skyservice sucks and so does Signature Vacations. Go with Sunwing Vacations. Nicer planes and better treatment.

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April 2009

Arrival: March 25 to April 2
Easy access upon arrival Buses with drivers identified to resort. Introduction on the Bus with good information

Rooms
Well kept confortable , veri nice patio , We were on 2nd floor of the Villa which I recomend . Bathroom while neat is in need of a face lift ( Tired after so many years)

Restaurants and Bars
Good choice , good food ,very pleasant service , funny , likes to joke with you very friendly and of service with a smile

Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach , oustanding as the eye could see. Beautifull and very clean .Supervise by security gards non disturbing and you feel very safe . Grounds of this village of over 90 buildings is fabulous , very pleasant to walk and good shuttle service for every corner of the resort Beutifull at nigth ,well lite Poll room also needs a facelift

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Many activities on the resort with scheduled board at a few stratigic places. Did three off resort .Manati Park which I feel is overpriced but our daugther loved swimming with the Dolphins.( Bring your own towels )Horseback riding which me and my daughter loved even thougth it is was done for only the two of us at regular price .Horse riding broth us in wooded areas on the beach fabulous natural scenes. We also went Jeep safari :this is a cultural shock between the fairy tale life on the resort and the real life and hardship,It was very well done we visited sugar cane in bloom ,coffe plantation ,banana trees and all sort if fruit grapefruit etc. We visited shools and some of the houses .Bring lots of small gifts for kids especially pencils(lead and coloring )

Other Comments
I was stunned to see the number of languages spoken by most of the people seving us. Every show at nigth were presented in Spanish, French and English . Other langauges like Russian and German were also frequently spoken

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April 2009

Arrival
We spent about 45 minutes at the airport, which was not bad considering there was eight planes there at the same time.The airport people were very organized.

Rooms
We stayed in building 70,rooms(702&703)one up and one down.Both were very musting smelling.Bar was totally empty,had to call for that.Phone jack was hanging out of the wall,had to call for that.The only good thing about building 70 is was about a hundred yards from the beach.

Restaurants and Bars
We had the platinum pkg, which was nice because of the types of beer and liquor we were able to have.The food was good alot of types to chose from.The ala cartes were very good and the service was good.

Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach and pools are nice,but we were bumped from the Punta Cana Princess and it is adults-only,so it was a bit noisy and conjested as far as the pool and bar area.If you are spring breakers or families it will be okay.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We did not do any tours.

Other Comments
The fact that we got bumped from PCP was difficult to deal with and we (four) are dealing with TRAVELOCITY for some kind of compensation, because we did not get what we paid for.This was our third time in the Dominican Republic(Barcelo Capella and Excellence).Things happen like my birthday cake my wife had ordered to surprise me at dinner one night did not arrive until 10 at our room.And I called the front desk to find out about our pick up time,they said I had to call PCP and they try to charge me for the call at check out.It was not a pleasant vacation.I don't know if we will being going back to D.R.

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March 2009

Arrival
arrival was quick and easy

Rooms
we stayed in room 3104 at the bavaro princess all suites resort. apparently the room had flooded just a few days before unbeknowns to us, so it was musty. i would reccomend a room near the beach they are nicer

Restaurants and Bars
excellent

Beach/Pools/Grounds
excellent

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
parasailing was great, make sure you deal with the guys on the beach, its almost half the price

Other Comments
bring yoyr own face cloths. they have none. also the staff appriciate nylons , pencils, hair clips, soap
bunkyboo63@yahoo.ca

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March 2009

Arrival: Feb.18 till Feb.23
No problems.

Rooms
Very clean and bed was comfortable. Bar fridge well stocked.

Restaurants and Bars
The restaurants were good. The japanese and fish restaurants were especially good. Always lots of variety at the buffets. Breakfast was excellent. Tables were cleared very quickly if it was busy and the staff worked very hard to accomodate everyone. We were even asked if we found the service good by one of the managers. No complaints about the food or the service.

Beach/Pools/Grounds Great beach, always found a lounger and shade even with the resort at full capacity.Pools were very clean and warm. We really liked the quiet pool, very relaxing.Nice little bar there too.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We didn't see many of the shows and we didn't go on any tours. There was a band that played in the evening in the plaza before the nightly entertainment started and they were really good. There was a male and a female singer who were very good also. We heard the piano in the lobby our last night and that was very enjoyable.

Other Comments
My husband and I would recommend this resort to anyone. The trams are great for getting around such a large resort. We didn't have any concerns or complaints. The staff was wonderful and went out of their way to help you. Loved our week and we lucked out with seven days of sunshine!

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February 2009

Arrival: Feb. 6 to Feb. 13
We flew with Sunwing out of London, Ontario. The flight was very good, with friendly attendants and fast service. Good food on flight. Will book with Sunwing again. We had the same experince on the way home. Really enjoyed London airport. We'll consider for future vacations.

Rooms
We were not happy. We got to our room and all we could smell was mildew. Over powering. Called the front desk many times. Because of the time we came in they could not help till the next day. We moved to another room the next day. We traveled with our 2 children so we required to single beds to be brought to our room. The gentleman brought the beds and 1 was soaking wet. We found the rooms to be fairly tired.

Restaurants and Bars
The ala Cartes 5 star, buffets 4 star.

Beach/Pools/Grounds
Everything in this catagory has to be 5 star. The grounds were beautiful, beaches were amazing, pools clean and warm.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Dis not leave the grounds so no comments. The entertainment was good and interactive. Give it a 4.5 star.

Other Comments
To bad but because of the rooms and some service problems getting extra blankets and pillows, we will look elsewere to spend our vacation dollars. This resort is advertized as a 5 star. I give it a 4 or 4.5 at best.

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February 2009

Arrival: 19 Jan - 2nd Feb
Prebooked taxi from airport - 20 minutes. Immediate check-in.

Rooms:
Not nice. Dark, damp, very tired, inferior quality furniture, bed linens etc.

Definitely not worthy of being a 'suite'.

Restaurants and Bars:
Buffet food fine, buffet service DREADFUL.
A la Carter estaurants food and service both good. Nice point that you can book unlimited alc restaurants, so we avoided the bufffet as far as possible, except for breakfast.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Beach fabulous, but for sunbeds and/or parasol you either had to join in the 0800 rush to put towels, or end up with neither sun bed or shade. Pools lovely, grounds lovely.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Rented a car, against advice from everyone, but it was fine, excellent car, and very nice day just driving down to Bayahibe, and around our own area. The roads are not brilliant but no worse than many European roads, and drivers no worse than Italians or Greeks!

Didn't go on excursions since we don't like hours spent on a coach.

Other Comments:
We wanted a room change, which our tour operator did not allow (be warned UK visitors, Thomsons do not allow their clients to have upstairs rooms since apparently the balcony walls are 1c. too low, and we clients might fall over them into the bushes below. Possibly the most stupid 'health and safety' issue I have heard - and we are hoteliers as well so I thought I had heard most of them.

The downside of the room quality, awful buffet service and problems with sunbeds would stop us coming here again, which is a shame since there were many plus points, including the staff who were very friendly.
digiannoulis@yahoo.co.uk

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January 2009

Arrival: 5 Jan-12 Jan 2009
Our flight (USA3000) arrived early. It took about an hour (including stops) to arrive by the transfer bus. Check-in was easy, though our check-out took to much time. How can it take 25 minutes to check out when I was the only customer and had no charges to my room.

Rooms:
Large, but a bit tired. There is a living room with the bedroom section separated by a couple of steps and two pillars. The bathroom is down a small hall from the bedroom. The sink in the bar sink did not work and apparently has not for years. My daughter slept on the pull out sofa one night. It was so uncomfortable we requested a roll-away for the second night. The rooms are dark because there are really no windows. There is a glass door with glass panels on either side of the door, but no windows elsewhere in the suite. Having said that, I do like the building layout design. Each building has only eight units, with two up and two down on each side. By my count there are 92 +/- of these buildings on the property. You never see the people from the four units on the other side. The allows for privacy and quiet. Each unit has a sizeable terrace/patio. I find this superior to the hotels with three or four story long open atrium type buildings, where you have rooms on all sides of you. The towels are too thin and unabsorbent and some days we were not supplied with wash cloths. Lastly, unlike virtually every other hotel, you cannot see the TV from the bed.

Restaurants and Bars:
I like the ability to eat in a specialty restaurant every night if you so desire. Many other hotels limit you to say three nights if you are staying one week. We ate in the Bella Pasta, Chopin/International, Chinese/Asian, El Gaucho Argentine Steakhouse specialty restaurants. The buffet restaurant was our choice for most breakfasts and the other dinners. Lunch was usually at the beachfront buffet. At lunch the pizza and the roast chicken were the best choices. Otherwise the buffets are the usual all-inclusive fare. No complaints. Oh, the omelette guy was great! Lastly, when will Mexico and Caribbean hotels start serving brewed (not Nescafe instant) decaf coffee?

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
This is where this hotel shines. The grounds are lush and manicured. The beach is among the nicest in the Caribbean. Lovely, powdered sand. It is a 5 star beach and 5 star grounds in a 3-4 star hotel. However, this also leads to my single biggest complaint.There are not nearly enough chairs that work and aren't sat out and there are not enough palapas for shade. Now, there may be enough shade and chairs if guests did not put a towel or sandal on a chair at 7 AM, rarely if ever sit on the chairs, and take their stuff back, thereby relinguishing their chairs at 6 PM. There were several international incidents because of this most selfish practice. At one point, at around 2 PM, I counted 25 chairs, in the shade, with no one sitting in any of them. And no, they were not in the water swimming or eating. They were "reserved," but otherwise abandoned. The hotel needs to inform and enforce some policy that any chairs or palapas abandoned for an hour or so are available to other guests and/or order 100 new chairs, fix the old ones and add 50 new palapas. Otherwise, war will ensue. Who wants to go to a beach resort so you have to fight for a chair and shade every day? The hotel MUST solve this beach chair/palapa problem ASAP. Likewise, boarding the tram (otherwise a good service) at the lobby is a challenge. Many times I was locked out of a seat only because I was unwilling to tackle a child or old lady in order to get a seat. They have to either add a "car" to each tram or run them more often. Also, the trams, service trucks, and employee motor bikes run on the same paths that guests walk on. At many similar properties the trucks and trams run on outer perimter roads. Therefore, here you are always dodging some vehicle. Unless your room is either right at the lobby or the beach, walk. It is faster and better for you than waiting for the tram. From our room it took about 5-7 minutes to walk to either the beach or the lobby. We were bitten alive by mosquitos some nights. Twi-light spraying could help the situation.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
The shows are standard all-inclusive hotel fare, although the staff dancers were very good and worked hard. They ran an hour starting at 10 or 10:30 PM. Gambling and a disco are located right off the property, by the main road. A tram is available to take you. A shopping district is located just outside the gate. However, be prepared to run a gauntlet of shopkeepers begging for your business.

Other Comments:
This is a reasonably priced hotel that provides good value, but is not the 5 star property that is claimed by some travel sites. I like the general design of the buildings (2 story, 8 unit villa-like buildings) and I love the beach and grounds. They have to fix all of the old chairs, buy another 50-100 chairs and add at least 50 palapas. They should somehow enforce (with a velvet glove) the fact that guests cannot reserve chairs with a towel or one sandal at 7 AM and then show up at 2 PM for 30 minutes or an hour. I do have to comment on the staff. They were consistently friendly and helpful. My High School and college SPanish was helpful, but if you are pleasant, they will also. Finally, the week we were there the hotel was at least 50% (perhaps more) filled with Russian guests. This overwhelmed the other European (and the handful of Canadian and American)guests. As such, the usual diversity one finds at these hotels was somewhat lacking.

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December 2008

Travel
We are back from a excellent trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic from November 20-27th. We went via Air Transat holidays. The plane ride was unpleasant as the seats are so small they are uncomfortable. Other than that, Air Transat was pretty good with transfers.

Beach
The weather was basically awesome! Hot (30c) everyday . It rained the first two days (warm rain!) but the rest of the trip had sunny hot weather. The DR is truly paradise! I have never seen beaches so nice in my life. The water was warm (warmer than the pool!) and the beaches were white sand with no seaweed. The water was so aqua blue and clear that you can see your feet on the bottom . Since we came in low season, we always got a chair on the beach or a sun bed.

Rooms
The first night, we were given a room that the key card did not work. After four tries where we were locked out of the room, we asked to be moved the next day which we were. The room given was incredibly noisy ,right by the pump house with an awful view. We complained to the manager and we were given an upgraded suite 35 steps from the beach and next to the pool and bar. The view was amazing and we were very happy.

The rooms were large and very clean and the maid service was very good. We tipped a few dollars every day and got better service. The air conditioning worked very well as sometimes we had to turn it off as we were cold! We saw 1 huge cockroach and a little lizard crawled into my makeup bag (funny)but no other bugs. What do you expect after all you are in the tropics! We stayed in bungalows which are much nicer and quieter than a hotel.

People
The people were wonderful and the resort staff were very accommodating and friendly. We were surprised how everyone, including the maids and the ground staff would say a friendly ‘hola’ to you when you walked by. The bartenders and servers would try to hold a conversation with you even if they did not speak any English.

Food
The main buffet was adequate and had a very large selection. Breakfast was great! Lots of bacon and eggs which I like and they had omelettes made to order. We were not as fond of lunch and dinner at the buffet. The a-la- carte restaurants were excellent! The food was surprisingly great and the service very good. I recommend El Gaucho, the steak house.

Entertainment
They had a kids show and adult show every night in the main lodge. The entertainment was fun and very interactive with the tourists.

Excursions
We hired a taxi and took a trip 1 hour from the resort to Higuey. The resort will only let you go with a reputable driver. We paid $90 US for travel to and from Higuey and for the cab to wait 2 hours. There we saw the real Dominican Republic. A very poor country, but the people are always smiling. There are no driving rules in the DR so people would regularly play chicken with a bus or an oncoming car. The people on motorcycles were insane!

We ‘Adopted ‘ a local boy who took us around to all the shops in Higuey. We tipped him regularly for his trouble. You get to bargain for everything which is really cool.

Conclusion
The Bavaro Princess resort was spectacular and a good value for the money. If you want true American 4 or 5 star, stay in the USA or Canada. Live a little and enjoy!

We are planning another trip back in April of 09. I would definitely recommend this resort.

I give it 5 stars

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November 2008

Arrival and Flight - Travelled with Sunwing Nov 21st - Nov 28th Everything was fine with the flight to and from the Dominican. Throughly enjoyed a great lunch on the return flight.

Rooms - This is the only area that could use some improving on. The bungalow style buildings all over the resort are a fantastic idea. Each one housing 8 rooms within the 2 levels.
Our room was clean but dated. They are in the process of redoing some rooms. Air conditioning worked fine in our room. Fridge was stocked well each day. We had 3 adults in our room and we required more towels which, when asked for, were delivered within a reasonable amount of time. The bedding was all clean but could have improvements in the quality. With this said....for the amount of time spent in our rooms it was all good.

Restaurants - I cannot say enough about the food that is available at this resort. We enjoyed 2 buffets and 5 a la cartes! The selection of food was amazing. The Teppanyaki ( Japanese) was soooo good and we enjoyed this one twice. Sakura ( Oriental) was excellent also. The steak house El Gaucho was delicious with a beautifully displayed mousse dessert that was just as yummy. The pasta reastaurant had a wide range of items to choice from as well. We were a group of 8 women, and we all agreed the food was very tasty!

Bars - We spent time at the Lobby bar in the evenings, once at the Disco but our favourite was the pool bar with Ruben as our bartender....he kept us very entertained and gave everyone excellent service with a smile! He was a memorable part of our trip.

Beach and Pools - The 2 pools were very well maintained and the beach is beautiful. We spent a fair share of time at the Beach volleyball court as we all love playing. We walked to the left of the resort beyond the point to the market on the beach.

Grounds - Love the mature vegetation throughout the resort! The grounds are very well looked after and workers could be seen most days caring for it. The grounds are huge but there are 2 trolleys that run continually through the day from the lobby area to the beach area.

Activities and Entertainment - Continual activities were available during the day if you felt like participating. We played beach volleyball, bouce ball, water volleyball and plenty of our own games. The evening entertainment was enjoyable and they work hard at entertaining everyone. Take advantage of the Spa ....you can enjoy a hot tub or sauna for free.

Tours - We did the Dune Buggy Tour, Outback Jungle Safari and the Snorkelling one. The Outback is a great way to see the country side and please make sure to take items for the children whenever you go on an excursion. We brought all sorts of beads, books, crayons, pencils etc for them and they loved it! The Dune Buggy is about a half hour drive to and from the facility and includes horse back riding and a trip to a cenote and a beach. Make sure you wear a bathing suit and clothes you don't care about because you will get very muddy!

Departure and Check Out - Check-in was a little slow but there were several people to check-in. One of our 3 rooms was ready for us so we just put eveything in it and headed to the beach. A short time later we checked and they were all ready.

Conclusion - This was my 3rd time to Punta Cana....I always enjoy the beach and the people have always been very friendly. Sure, there are always a few things that aren't perfect but you're on holidays.....enjoy yourself and always look for the good and not the bad! If anyone has any questions please feel free to email me at grahambs@sympatico.ca

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November 2008

Arrival and Flight ;
We were four couples, three flying out of Toronto with Sky Service and one out of Halifax with Air Canada on 15 Nov 2008. I booked all the packages through itravel2000. Sky Service in Toronto have four flights leaving within 10 mins of each other, the line up went very smooth and staff were friendly for 3:20 AM. We had pre booked our seats and were given the seats that we had selected. The flight was 30 mins delayed due to a mechanical problem, it was fixed and we were on the way. The flight went well, we were served an egg & cheese muffin with coffee or tea and plenty of drinks on the flight down. My daughter and son-in-law with Air Canada were not given the seats they pre booked and were given nothing to eat on the way down. So well done Sky Service. When we landed in Punta Cana, Customs and Immigration was a breeze, Signature Rep was outside the door, everyone for our Resort was loaded on a small bus and we were on the way.

Rooms
As we were four couples and all family I had e mailed two weeks before and faxed the week before to see if they could have us in the same bungalow or close. It was as if they did the opposite and had us in three corners of this large resort. However, the clerk on the desk did his best and within a short time had us all satisfied. The suites are a nice size and well laid out. Cleaned daily sometimes late at approx 1700 hrs and several times one of the four couples had to phone for towels. Several times room service was order, it was prompt. One of the rooms the air didn't work and they didn't bother to report it. Minibar was stocked daily and coffee as we used it. One things I would like to have had was a clock or clock radio. The only place to watch TV was in bed, other suites I've had, had two TV's one in the sitting area also.

Restaurants
The main buffet, the food was good and we almost didn't want to go to the A la carte. Teppanyaki ( Japanese ) great and an experience, one should try to go there twice, Sakura ( Oriental ) OK nothing out standing, El Gaucho ( steakhouse ) I think was a hit and miss with the steaks.

Bars
All the bars were great. The only bad thing with the pool bar was that there were so many rude Russian and Italian tourists it made it unbearable to be there.

Beach and Pools
Beach has to be the best beach around. The pools are clean in the morning, late in the day a little more up keep would be better.

Grounds
Are well kept and worked on all day. Large resort and a good 15 to 20 min walk from the buffet to the beach. The trolleys are good and run from 0700 to 2400 hrs after that you have to call for a lift. The only time they seem to be full was at breakfast time were you may have to wait 2 or 3 trolleys to get a lift.

Activities and Entertainment
We didn't par-take in much, however, we could hear them and it seemed to be go, go all day.

Tours
We booked horse back riding with el Pat Ranch and it was great and well organized. Then we booked four hour ATV's with them, they booked us with La Antena Tours and it was disorganized and a flop. My son and I did Para Sailing from the Resort and it was Great.

Departure and Check Out
Went very smooth.

Conclusion
This was our sixth trip to the DR in three years the first to this resort and once again a great success. I really don't think it comes close to a five star, I'm been at better four & a half stars. I found the venders off the resort very aggressive and actually used foul language when we didn't purchase from then, this I have never heard on the North Coast. We ventured down the beach for a meet and greet at La Casa de Piedra's, it was nice to meet others on this site. Would I visit this Resort again, YES.

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August 2008

Good Day All,

I would like to write a review for the Bavaro Princess Punta Cana. My family has vacationed there for years and we have never had a bad experience, so this being said when it came time to pick a wedding location of course we picked the Bavaro Princess in Punta Cana. We picked a date and sent out the invitations and contacted Francelia the wedding coordinator. I also went on Debbie’s Caribbean to look up information on what needs to be done before arriving which was a huge help.

We arrived on Saturday night at 8:00pm and Francelia met us in the lobby to go over the wedding details she is truly wonderful. The wedding was for Monday at 5:30 pm at the gazebo just off the beach, they decorated it with flowers it was beautiful. I arrived at 6:00 a half hour late (my bad) everything was so nice, the guests were seated it was really more than I expected. There was a tram behind us and all the people on it were so patient since they had to wait for the bridal party to walk up to the gazebo and then I could get out of my tram and meet my groom who was patiently waiting for me. When I got out the whole tram behind me clapped and congratulated us it was really nice I was not expecting them to be so sweet since they had to wait a good 10-15 minutes to get around us. There were some people who watched the wedding from the side but they were very respectful.

The only thing that you could call going bad was the experience with the photographer Eric who is hard to deal with. We picked the $900 package that includes 100 pictures a photo album and a disc with 100 pictures. The disc only had 60 pictures and some of the pictures we picked were wrong but they got the pictures corrected this all took a total of 3 days of the honeymoon dealing with the photographer (he is not part of the hotel staff).

The reception was at Liceys restaurant and it was awesome the entire wedding group was set up separate from all the other people eating there and we had 4 servers that were just waiting on us, so no one’s glass was ever empty, plates were removed quickly and everyone was happy definitely worth the extra money.

Here is something I never would have thought would happen to us but I want to inform everyone who is considering this resort. My 16 year old daughter was allowed to take a walk on the beach with a boy she met who was also staying at the resort with his family. When I went to get her to come back to the room and sit on the balcony I could not find her. After looking up and down the beach for 45 minutes I was scared and found a security guard who immediately called the front desk to send a tram to pick up myself and my husband to take us to the head of security and the general manager of the hotel an alert went out to all security with a description of my daughter and her name. The general manager took my husband and went off the property with a security guard to look in the casino and disco for her, while the head of security took me on the back of a motorcycle to search the property. We all looked for 1 ½ hours until she was found as she got back on the property (apparently she walked down by the water and off the property). The whole time all the people searching were talking to each other and doing constant updates I was very impressed with the way they handled everything and very thankful that they took action so quickly and took the situation seriously right from the 1st point of contact. Please do not misunderstand this resort is very safe and again we have never had any reason to feel unsafe its just when you child goes missing you panic first and rationalize later.

I highly recommend this property the rooms are really nice the people that work at the resort are so helpful and accommodating. I have read the other reviews and I do not agree with the people who say the resort is the worst place they have ever been. I think your vacation is what you make of it and just remember you are not at home so just try to enjoy the time you have on the beautiful beach.

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August 2008

Arrival and Flight
We took the USA3000 flights included in Applevacations. This is my favorite airline, good service. They did start charging for things that were included previously, but it was still a good flight. Since it's a charter you go nonstop direct, which is great. Arrived and got baggage more quickly than you do at Pittsburgh, and the bus took us to our resort, we were the fourth stop so got to peek at a few other places.

Rooms
I had been to this resort several years ago, and knew that we'd have a large suite, which was nice. They changed the kitchen to just a bar area with a coffee pot, before I had a more complete kitchen area. But it was all we needed. Our group was 4 women, we got two suites, one was upper level, and we asked at desk for one on lower level as two women had some walking problems and there are no elevators. Took a little repeating of request to get both rooms in the same building (there are eight suites per building), but we did get it. Only problem was they said they'd send our bags instead of taking us on small tram with the bags, they told us to take the shuttle tram. I knew this was not a good idea since we would have no way to know when to get OFF the shuttle since we had not yet located our building. So we sent our bags off and walked through the 'zoo' area and found our building by trying to read the map and the signage. The resort is large and it took us a couple days to feel comfortable finding best route to beach and back to lobby area, but it all worked out.

Restaurants
We opted to eat all our dinners at the buffet, and there was always more than enough choices to satisfy everyone. On Dominican theme night we tried GOAT, and it was prepared in some sauce, and was so good, we all went back for second helpings. Love the ice cream too, best I've had since Italy. Ate too many desserts and enjoyed them all. Drink service at dinner was usually good, but one night they seemed either extra busy or understaffed. Service generally good.

Bars
We usually had a drink before or after dinner at the lobby area. One lady wanted ginger ale and whiskey and they had no ginger ale, just sprite from a gun that she said tasted funny. Otherwise we were all satisfied, enjoyed the Presidente beer and a variety of rum drinks. She sometimes would order just whiskey and bring it back to the room where we had sprite in bottles in the minibar, and she said that was good. The bottled beer in the rooms was plentiful, as I left a note asking for NO COCA COLA, mas cerveza y mas aqua por favor. They left the coke, and filled every inch of the minibar with bottles of beer and water as requested. This was not the Presidente beer that is served at the bars, but some other beer that was sorta watery tasting, but nice and cold and OK for a late afternoon cooler.

Beach and Pools
The pool is just beautiful and we also got drinks at the pool bar. One day I stayed for another rum concoction while the rest returned to poolside chairs and I ended up having my drink while sitting next to Sammy Sosa, which was sort of cool. I never did find out if he was staying there or just there for the day, since this is his home area. I heard that Bavaro is the best beach area, and it is certainly nice! We had no problem getting chairs after enjoying breakfast in the restaurant near the beach, a couple days we could not get a palapa shelter, but we were fine. We also liked that there was another bar on the beach, so you could conveniently get a cold drink during the day at the beach, plus it had some tables and chairs if you wanted to sit in the shade if you didn't have a palapa. The bathrooms at the back of that bar were quite tiny stalls though, so if you had to shimmy out of a bathing suit, you were better off to walk up to the restrooms by the beach restaurant.

Grounds
BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL

Activities and Entertainment
We honestly did not do much but relax on the beach and at the pool. We did some water aerobics one day. Can't say much about this topic.

Tours
Did not take any this trip. Have done Outback Jungle Safari before and would do it again if any companions wanted to.

Departure and Check Out
This went better than last year at the Iberostar where they tried to charge us twice for phone calls. I did bring the safe key to checkout, but neglected to remove the lock with the key. MY BAD! The guy at checkout was very nice about it, gave me a slip and called someone to go get the lock for us, while we went and had a nice breakfast. When I went back to the desk, he said it was all taken care of, and gave me the check out papers so we could head out to the bus.

Conclusion
I heard some people complain about dirty rooms, bugs, bad food, etc. but we had NONE of those things happen on either trip to this resort. ONE day the maid was late getting the room cleaned, and she took the towels, but said she'd be back 'uno momento' with clean ones. Well it took more like an hour, so I had to sit on my patio in my bathing suit with a cold beer....this was the biggest problem of the week, can't beat that! Best tip I can think of is to take a nice insulated mug with you, then you can get your beer or drink in that, or even ice water--nice to cool off while enjoying the beach or pool, and you can easily carry a nice big cold drink back to your room if you don't care for the cola or beer in the minibar. I think this resort is a great deal for the price, and we'll probably go back again. January was a good time to go, I'd been to PC, DR before in June and in October, the weather in January was great, as it was far less humid than the other times.

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June 2008

Arrival and Flight :
fligh thee went very well. we travelled as a group of 16 and met 3 more at the resort from the states. we got onto the plane first as we had a member of our party who had injured her leg and could not walk on it. finding our luggage at the airport seemed to take a lot of time as there was a very large group. I recommend buying luggage that is not black as it is easier to pick out. The flight on the way home had a lot of turbulence but it did not seem to bother anyone.

Rooms :
the rooms were amazing. very large. the beds were comfortable. the maid service was excellent. we had clean towels restocked daily. the mini fridge was also restocked daily. the maids did come at different times every day. the toilet and shower were seperated from the vanity sink and mirrors. this was very nice. we had hot water every day. the ac worked well, some days we had to turn it down.

Restaurants:
the buffet restuarant was very nice. they had a big selection and had theme nights. the staff was very nice and fast. would clear your plates quickly and offer you drinks. the resort was under construction at the time i was there (may 2007) as a fire had burnt down a restuarant. so we only had the choice of 3 a la cartes. i was not pleased with the chopin, and i didnt eat at the fish restuarant. the el gaucho restuarant was great. one of the best ceasar salads i have every had. we had two birthday suppers there. the staff brought out a cake and sang happy birthday and danced with the birthday boy.

Bars
there were lots bars, with lots of selections. the main lobby bar would sometimes be crowded but the staff moved fastly.

Beach and Pools
the beach was very nice. the water was clear and warm, and the sand was lovely. the pool was very clean, although some days the water was very warm. there was lots of lounge chairs available and lots of shade if needed.

Grounds
the grounds were kept well cleaned and trimmed.

Activities and Entertainment
lots of activities and entertainment. the fantastic staff was amazing. the entertainment was very good. the activities varried and so did the shows through the night. the staff learned us by name and had no problem joking around with us, it felt like we had known some of them forever. there was a disco and casino on site. the disco was not very popular. but the resort supported a disco off site called areito and a bus would take you to and from.

Tours
we went on two tours. one was the outback safari. we went to a domicain house and had a domicain meal. which was not very good. we also got to go boggie boarding on a private beach where they had vendors set up. remember to barder. the second was the kontiki cruise also known as the booze cruise. they took you out on a double decker boat, where they performed skits and dances and got everyone involved. you also got to go snorkelling with the fish.

Departure and Check Out
departure went smothly, but you are charged two dollars for any outside calls you make on the bedroom phones.

Conclusion
i would highly recommend this resort and i would return again.

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June 2008

Arrival and Flight
Myself and a friend traveled to Punta Cana with Apple Vacations. The flights were all on time. Arrival at the Punta Cana airport is a bit chaotic but there were 4 flights arriving at the same time and a ton of people to process. If you arrive with a prepaid bus transfer look for the name of your tour operator. There will be a group of guys begging you for your bags for tips. Be careful as your tour operator is likely a few feet away and they will meet you and get your bags to the correct bus. Johnny at the check-in was great and assigned us a suite near the beach and pools! Make sure you look at the resort map to make sure you are near the places that you will be spending the most time at! They were very accommodating.

Rooms
We stayed in Suite 397 which is near the beach and pools. The room was very nice and clean with a restocked mini-fridge each day. We weren’t there to spend time in the room except to shower and sleep. I saw no bugs and the water pressure were good. I think some reviewers wouldn’t be happy with anything. The rooms could be updated but for the most part were bright and big. No complaints!

Restaurants
Remember to make your reservations for the specialty restaurants your first day at the resort. They book up quickly and you will have to eat at the buffet. We ate at El Gaucho one night and the food was great. I loved the Argentinean steak and dessert. The buffets were also very good and if you can not find something to eat among 100 different dishes then you are crazy! Breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets were all very good. The beach snack bar for burgers and fries was also very tasty. We both took the advice of another poster and ate a chewable Pepto before each meal and neither of us got sick!

Bars
I will admit we spent all day in the pool with the swim-up bar. All of the bartenders were great but Reuben went above and beyond. We met many friends at the swim-up bar that we ended up hanging with at night! Just remember the frozen drinks have no alcohol in them…you tell the bartender what to add!! Some people didn’t really get that concept and complained about the drinks having no alcohol.

Beach and Pools
Beach was beautiful…white powdery sand and plenty of chairs. Pools were very well maintained for the amount of people that are in them. I’m a pool person so I spend 99% of my time in or by the pool! Plenty of chairs and shade when you needed it.

Grounds
Grounds are perfectly maintained and beautiful. Peacocks were amazing and wildlife was just everywhere. The trolley runs all day and night. You might have to wait 10 minutes or so if you try to take one during dinner rush time.

Activities and Entertainment
There are activities for everyone. Plenty of water sports and daily activities at or around the pool. You can play ping-pong, bocce ball or volleyball. The night-time shows aren’t very good…but face it I didn’t go to Punta Cana for the shows. They try really hard to make it fun for everyone. We went to the Casino 2 nights and had a lot of fun playing blackjack. The disco opens pretty late and was not a place we hung out at.

Tours
We didn’t go any tours but will next time! We heard that the Scooba –Doo was great!!

Departure and Check Out
Check-out took 2 minutes and we were on way to the airport. Again, there are a lot of lines at the airport but that was expected. The flights were on time and we encountered no problems.

Conclusion
We are already planning to go back in February. I would definitely stay at this resort again as it had everything I want in a resort on vacation. I have had nothing but positive things to say about Punta Cana in general, the people and the resort since I have come back. I believe most of the negative reviews come from people who would not be satisfied anywhere!!

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May 2008

I just returned from a week at the Bavaro Princess. There were nine people in our party, five adults and four children ranging in ages from 7 to 18. We stayed in four rooms (061 to 064) which I found to be an excellent location – close to the pool/beach as well as many of the restaurants.

We are experienced travelers having spent time in Mexico, the Caribbean as well as Europe. Based upon my experience, I feel the negative reviews posted on this sight to be unfounded. Perhaps many of the complaints were from people who should just stay in the States/Canada. The Dominican Republic is not Orlando (nor should it be). If you want the Disney experience – book a flight to Florida.

We organized our trip through Apple Vacations and flew out of Boston via commercial air. We, unfortunately, experienced some mechanical difficulties prior to take off which resulted in our missing our Miami connecting flight. When things happen, you have two options, go with it or stress yourself out. We went with the flow and still ended up being able to have a late afternoon swim in the beautiful ocean.

Having been to the DR seven times, I would recommend taking a charter flight direct from Boston to the island. From start to finish, the commercial flight took eight and one half hours. Charter direct is under four hours.

We have stayed multiple times at the Iberostar Punta Cana, Riu and once at the Majestic Colonial. I will base my review on comparisons to these resorts.

I found the bungalow concept to be exceptional. You have the feeling of being alone rather than sharing the long, noisy hallways of the other resorts with hundreds of other vacationers. I was amazed by the silence once I was inside our room. If you are traveling with other couples/families/friends, you have a very comfortable area to retreat to but can be together in an instant. The patio areas are a great place to socialize.

I read reviews about the horrible condition of the rooms. I did not find this to be the case. I was in all four of the rooms and found them to be in good condition. I had a few chuckles at other reviewer’s expense.  The person who said that there was never any hot water no matter what time of day they showered probably needed to turn the faucet handle in the opposite direction. In my room, if you put it in the usual “hot” position, it was cold. However, a quick reverse, and all the steamy hot water you could ever use! And the whole moldy issue…hello, you are in the tropics with natural high humidity just feet from the ocean!

The food was not necessarily the strongest point of this resort. I found the food at the Majestic and Iberostar to be superior. However, there is a variety of restaurants and you will be able to find something that suits you. Not being buffet people, we were not excited about Chopin or the main buffet. The rest of the restaurants were good to very good with the exception of Bella Pasta which I found to be subpar. I will offer up this tip - book your reservations as many nights in advance as they will let you. Some of the restaurants (Gauchos, El Pescador, and Licey) book up early and you don’t want to miss them.

We did experience some minor GI sickness in our group. Not sure if it was due to the sun/consumption of vast amounts of food or if the food/water was the culprit. We ate three squares a day while on vacation. At home, we never do that. Members of our party who religiously took a chewable Pepto Bismol morning and night before eating weren’t affected. All healthy and accounted for at each meal! I would highly recommend taking the Pepto no matter where you travel. Not exactly sure how it works but it does! This was a tip I picked up from this site, years and years ago and have successfully utilized in many foreign countries.

I can’t stress enough the need for sunscreen. Remember to cover all exposed areas of your body including ears and feet. I have met more than one traveler hobbling torturously on burned feet. You’re not in Kansas anymore…your usual sunscreen strength needs to be doubled at least for the first couple of days. Remember to reapply. A hat comes in handy as well.

If you plan on using the resort’s sailboats or kayaks, I would recommend wearing a tee shirt under the required life preserver. Some of the preservers were moldy or wet from previous use and the shirt offers some protection from contact dermatitis which could result.

Overall, I thought that the Bavaro Princess was a bargain for what we received. Would we return? You bet. Keep an open mind and embrace the differences of the culture. If you want a vanilla experience then go to a vanilla resort in your own area. The DR is a wonderful place full of adventures and different experiences. If that is your expectation then you will have a fantastic vacation. Happy travels….hasta la vista amigo!

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April 2008

We have just returned from a week at the Bavaro Princess All Suites. The hotel is average and we have experienced very por level of service.

We stayed in bungalow #34, which was very close to the beach and the pool. To get to the Main Buffet we had to either walk about 15 mins or take a "train" they have running every 5 mins or so.

We stayed on a 1st floor and I could feel a musty smell all 7 days. The rooms are quite old and especially bathroom was in a poor condition, crying for a renovation.

The pool is lovely. The towel distribution guys (from animation team) were rude. They ran out of towels several times per our stay. The working hours of towels' service (9 AM - 6PM) do not correspond to the hours available for swimming at sea or the pool (7 am - 7 PM). The waitress or waiters showed up only 2 or 3 times at the pool area during our 7 days stay, and without taking orders but for distributing remaining drinks they had with them.

The shade lounges on a beach are occupied / reserved before 7:15 AM and we WERE NOT able to get a spot in the shade on a beach. Our friends got lounges for us near the pool instead.

Restaurants are waste of time - we tried Chopin (so-so) and a Stake House - really bad. While the food is not very good, the service is horrible - they forget what orders they take, what drinks we ask, etc. This is applicable to the whole resort - they can't handle orders properly and usually (in 50%) you would not get what you asked for. On our day #2 we ordered 4 Cokes for kids and waited for them over 40 minutes and reminded at least twice until I went to the buffet manager and he took this under his own control. He tried to do something to impress us and not to carry the incident in a memory and arranged our special table reservation for 12 people every evening in the buffet. Nothing more than that, but a t least a try.

Overall I would say this is probably the worst hotel we have ever stayed in D.R. and Mexico. The best part of this travel was the beach and the weather - excellent 7 days. It looks like we would have to stick with better chains, such as Iberostar, to get a better service.

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April 2008

We booked through TNT Vacations and had a great charter flight on Miami Air. We had a lengthened wait on the bus to the resort because our rep. was waiting for a party of 5 that never showed. A totally understandable delay.

Check in was smooth, cool cloths and refreshing drinks were served to us during our short wait.

This is our 2nd trip to Punta Cana, (first to the Riu Bambu) but our first time at this particular resort. We have been to resorts in Hawaii, Jamaica, and Maya Riviera, so we have a fair amount of resorts to compare this one to

We had the honeymoon suite upgrade (an extra $450.00). We did this to ensure we had a king size bed- we were told it was the only guarantee against twin beds – the other option was to upgrade to platinum – which is more expensive. The honeymoon upgrade entitled us to 2 dinners; one at Licey and one on the beach. Our room had a nice Jacuzzi tub - but it took an entire hour to fill it - no exaggeration! The other thing was the location of the honeymoon suites - they are the very first buildings you see when you enter the resort - our view was of the road on one side and a rather odd building of suites that looks like an ancient hotel on the other. The door on our shower kept coming off the tract, and the dead bolt lock into our room was missing. When we walked through the resort, the other bungalows looked much more inviting. We asked to be moved and we were told we had to wait 2 days. Just as promised, on the 2nd day we were moved to a 2nd floor suite nearer the beach. It was a great room, with a wonderful relaxing view - but our refrigerator was broken and we had only 1/2 lighting - the water in the bar sink didn't work, and we had an iron but no ironing board. None of these things were so bad that we couldn't live with them, so we didn't complain when they didn't get fixed the first time. How much time do you really spend in your room anyway? I recommend that guests upgrade to platinum , you would have access to ocean view suites, and the use of all the ala carte restaurants, that other guests have to pay extra for. But I guess that's what bothers me most about this resort. I feel if a resort is a 5 star, then you shouldn't have to pay more to get "better" service or accommodations. We ate at all the specialty restaurants except for "El Gaucho", and that was only because we had all our nights filled. We had the best lobster at Cafe Del Mar that I have ever had and a great time at the Japanese restaurant (Tanuki), wonderful meals at Licey, Sakura, Chopin, and El Pescador. The only meal we were disappointed in was Bella Pasta, but you can't win them all!

The liquor at the resort is their national brand, if you want a better quality (like Tangueray or along that line) you have to pay. The prices were an additional $4.00 and up!

There are also lots of children at this resort – they even occupied the seats at the pool bar. Daytime activities centered around children almost exclusively. So, if you are traveling as a couple, stick to the adult only resorts.

We walked up the coast, towards the Riu's, where we stayed before, and found that the resorts keep getting better the further you go north. One thing I do have to say is that the Bavaro Princess DOES have one of the best beaches in the area. The hurricane a couple of years back, really devastated some of the other resort frontages.

With all that said, the Bavaro Princess All Suites is a nice resort – but there is no “wow” factor here, and to me, 5 star should be 5 star for everyone, you shouldn’t have to upgrade to get better service. As far as we are concerned, this is no 5 star resort – a 3 star is more like it. Would we go back again? To Punta Cana, definitely – to the BP, definitely not.

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April 2008

This resort is great, I can't believe anyone can complain about it. It was my first Caribbean Vacation and we went back for 3 more years. We tried Mexico this year and would not probably go back. It was very disappointing after the princess. And it is in the running for our daughter's wedding next year.

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April 2008

We spent the last week of March at the Bavaro Princess. We chose that hotel because it was a little less expensive than the other resorts we had been to in Dom.Rep and Riviera Maya. What a disaster !

The grounds and beach are beautiful but the suite we stayed in looked tired and needed some serious renovation. The worst part was the sloppy lamp cord wiring throughout the room. The wiring connections were quick and dirty. Twisted and sometimes untaped but never with an electricians nut over the twist. A good shock or a fire is just waiting to happen. Definitely not according to US code or concern for the guest and staff.

The specialty restaurants should be shut down at once. The exception was El Pescador which served a marvelous grilled seafood platter. We went back to this one. The Japanese and Pasta restaurants were just plain awful. El Gaucho was never filled in the evening.

The buffet was a mob scene of Russian and Eastern European guests who have no concept of courtesy. They put their faces down to the plate and use their knives to shovel food into their mouths. And they don't close their mouths while chewing. Yuck ! We have little grandchildren who know better. They were loud, agressive and the sort we don't want to meet again. I will never forget the loud, wet , uncovered sneeze at the buffet table and the loudmouth drunks on the trams.

We met a honeymoon couple on the plane ride home and compared notes. We said we were sorry we had not gone to the Iberostar where we had always had a great time. They said they had stayed there and the food was "Inedible" !

After many trips to the Caribbean I don't think I will go back. The good old USA is starting to look better all the time.

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March 2008

We flew in on Sunwing, excellent flight, on time. We got to the resort at 11:30am and were checked into our room with baggage by noon! Excellent service, we highly recommend the Platinum package. The upgrades in the Platinum package are well worth the extra money. You are garanteed a condo by the beach.. use of unlimited internet access and use of the Lounge where you could alway get drinks and snacks. We would meet with friends there several times a day. We got free 20 minute massages which the kids loved.

Our room was in condo 75, closest to the beach and pool. It was spacious, with plenty of water pressure, hot water and extremely clean and well kept (the sheets were changed daily, more than I can say for home!!). We never saw one bug in our room, other than the odd mosquito. Those who complain about the service obviously can't be pleased anywhere, shame on you!

The staff were very friendly and willing to help. Communication was a bit of a problem, but we always managed to get what we needed. I would recommend bringing a pocket Spanish/English dictionary, wish I had thought of it, it would have come in quite handy.. if only to converse with the staff more easily.

The food was quite good, tons of selection on the buffets.. even my picky eaters were well fed all week. The a la carte restaurants were very nice, pleasant staff and great atmosphere. We really enjoyed Tanuki, the Teppanyaki restaurant... it was our favorite.

We aren't really drinkers, so as far as we are concerned, the bars were fine. When we did have a drink, it was served with a smile and tasted great!

The beach is one of the best I've seen.. powdery sand and turquoise water.. absolutely perfect! The main pool was the only one we used and it was big enough for the kids to enjoy all week. The activities by the pool were always enjoyable.

The grounds were immaculate. We always saw the workers busy raking, picking up dead palm fronds and generally keeping the area clean, those guys worked hard everyday and with wonderful results!

The resort is rather large, in a good way.. and the tram system was a great way to get around. We walked the 15 minutes from beach to the lobby several times during the week and it was a wonderful way to see the grounds. The walk in the evening was especially nice. The walkways are kept lit and it makes for a tranquil atmosphere.

Checkout was easy as a dream.

I highly recommend this resort to everyone. I was worried after reading several poor reviews.. but I soon realized those travellers must be very hard to please. We must remember we are in a poor and underdeveloped country. The people are lovely and they try so hard to make it enjoyable for us. It is a holiday away from home, we shouldn't expect nor want it to be like home!

I felt safe enough to let my kids (11 and 8) wander around the grounds unattended for small amounts of time. They loved the independance and my husband and I enjoyed the fleeting moments alone.

I would return to this resort again in an instant. It was a most memorable, wonderful week for myself and my family.

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March 2008

We flew via Skyservice from Saskatoon, SK to Punta Cana Feb 6 - 13/08. Skyservice doesn't really impress me as there were a few minor issues with double-booking seats, and being late going both ways. The food was decent though.

We did the platinum upgrade and were really happy we did. We don't go on many vacations so we thought we'd "do it right" when we do go. We prefer to stay away from large, noisy crowds and it was like this every night at the main lobby. We spent time most evenings having a few drinks at the Platinum Lounge...the guys could watch sports on the big screen and we could keep in touch with family on the free internet...which always seemed to work. There were always snacks there and the atmosphere was very relaxing and the workers very friendly. We used our room service a couple times which was a nice touch. We had beer delivered to the room and had breakfast on the deck...all included with the Platinum package. We also used our 1 hour of free motorized water sports (also included) and went snorkeling in the ocean.

We were in building 75 facing the beach. Our room was beautiful, clean, and spacious. No problems with the hot water or bugs as some have previously reported. The king size bed was very comfortable and the maid service was superb. Being so close to the beach, we brought a lot of sand in the room with us, despite our efforts to clean off before we entered. The maid was in twice a day and we never saw a spec of sand when we went to bed.

The beach is amazing...miles of perfect, soft sand and beautiful, clear, warm ocean water...WOW! The pool was also amazing. It was a bit busier at the pool but it was so beautiful. I loved sitting by the pool in the evenings when everything was softly lit up. The water in the pool was warm as well. We spent most of our last day here and let Julio take care of us at the bar, he was lots of fun.

The food on the resort was good. The buffets get a bit boring after a week but the a la cartes were really impressive. The atmosphere at all of the restaurants was really good. We never had a bad meal. Our supper at Licey was probably the best...excellent food and the chocolate desert was amazing! We did the Bavaro Runners Safari. This was well worth it as we got to see the beautiful countryside. The roads were rough and would not recommend this to people who suffer from motion sickness. My only complaints are that the beach bar should stay open in the evening and the loud music gets annoying on the beach and the by the pool. I found this resort is absolutely amazing in every way possible. Completely beautiful everywhere, perfect landscaping, amazing atmosphere. The evening atmosphere is amazing, everything is softly lit up, warm, romantic and relaxing. This was the perfect vacation!

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March 2008

Before I start with a review for this resort I would like to share a few things. If you decide to vacation here please remember that it is a tropical and very poor country. Yes there were bugs-my children got mosquito bites-but lo and behold they lived and still had a great time. No-alot of the workers do not speak English but they still manage to smile and try to help. If you are frustrated with this- yelling and causing a fuss will not help you. You are a guest in their country-you CHOSE to come so how about learning a little of their language? Or perhaps try spending 10$ and bringing a Spanish English dictionary with you to try to communicate better. If bare breasts offend you then you should vacation in your own backyard. If you are the grouchy sort this is not the country for you.

That being said we just spent our 2nd vacation at this resort-we really liked it enough to go back.

Air Canada-Comfortable flight-got us there on time. Go Air Canada!!

Weather-Awesome-sunny, hot-just what we ordered.

Beach-Beautiful white powdery sand. Gorgeous blue water with gentle waves-great swimming. Note to tourists: it would look a lot nicer if you would quit butting out your cigs in the sand and leaving them behind. Same goes for leaving plates of chicken bones and other gross stuff on the beach like a slave will whisk them away for you. Use the garbage cans please.

Pool-I'm not a pool person so I didn't go but my kids had a great time bouncing from beach to pool. Staff treated them really really well.

Food-I am very picky and could always find something I enjoyed or at least tolerated. Its' not North American gourmet so get your head around the fact that you will not be eating at 3 star Michelin rated restaurants. Cooking for 2000 people every meal every day is not easy but they try very hard. Actually,some of the food was quite superb. We had terrific and friendly service at all of the a la carte restaurants we tried.

Staff-I found the staff to be very friendly and they try hard to accommodate. They are a bit slower than home but again-remember you are not in your own country. Leave the crazy fast pace behind you dude-you're on vacation. Relax a bit and enjoy.

Platinum-Worth every penny for this upgrade. Lounge was great to sit in after the beach or after meals. They served sushi every day around 5:00pm, lots of premium liquor, the cappucino machine worked every day for us, both computers worked every day for us. It was a really nice touch to our vacation.

Rooms-Quite large. More than enough space for 2 adults and our 2 children. A little tired perhaps, they could prob use a little face lift but overall clean and good enough for our week. We were lucky-we got good water pressure and lots of hot water in the shower every day. I heard some rooms were unlucky with that. Unfortunately, if you do not pay for the Platinum premium you could very well end up with a room at the back of the resort or near the mangroves (which smells quite funky).

Sports-We went banana boating, snorkelling, para sailing & scuba diving. Kids loved it.

Tipping-Is obviously optional at an all-inclusive but we did it all week. How could you not?

Overall our vacation was terrific. We had 17 people in our party and all of the adults and kids had a good time. Its a very safe resort for the kids to wander around on their own. Again, remember--its NOT the Ritz but if you're not too snotty you should have a good time.

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March 2008

this resort is very in need of maintaince and should not be classified as 5 star--not recommended for families or anyone who as an aversion to topless guests--if you are american or canadian you may find it difficult to meet people who speak english--we found some of the guests will not speak to anyone that speaks english--had bites from bed bugs the first 2 days before we complained-- asked for a king bed and got two doubles--they offered a king in another unit but too far away from friends---will never recommend this resort to anyone--a poor first impression of punta cana vacation

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March 2008

If you don't mind bad food and non english speaking people then this is the resort for you. We just returned from this resort on March 5th 2008 and we did manage to have a good time. However the people in the lobby spoke little to no English and we could not get them to understand our needs. Our room was beautiful and clean except for one night I had to call the lobby at 9 pm because our room was not cleaned, but they had someone there very quickly. IF you are very lucky they do have some people that speak a little english. Don't call home if you don't need to they charge you a fee at checkout just for doing so even when you use your credit card. One night we requested beer for our room and they charged us 18 dollars for 5 beers.The airport was organized chaos but it works out somehow. They do charge you 10 bucks per person for a visitors pass then you surrender if 2 minutes later. The whole vacation in Punta Cana seemed like a huge scam to get your money. Oh yeah one couple in our group had cockroaches in their room and ants in the coffee pot. There was no sign of the included excursions anywhere. Free snorkeling? Forget it, if you ask about it they don't understand you. Cream for your coffee? They look at you like you have 3 heads. All in all it was fun but we will never go back there.

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March 2008

Arrival - Flew Skyservice, left on time, got to Punta Cana 10 minutes early! We upgraded to the Platinum, check in and check out was excellent.
Rate - 5 star

Rooms - Large, clean, however, could never get hot water in the bathroom sink. They tried to fix, but were unsuccesful. Also, my wife likes to bath, and the tub would never fill up! We did have hot water in the shower.
Rate - 4 star (would have given the room a 5 star if hot water and tub problems could have been fixed)

Restaurants - Favorite restaurant was Licey, the food, service and servers were amazing, they did a great job! ElPesador, the service and servers were the worst I have seen in along time! El Gaucho was inbetween the others for service and servers. Hard to believe these people all work at the same resort. Food at buffets was ok, however, the service was very bad. You have to get your own drinks, whether wine or beer at dinner buffet, or coffee or tea at breakfast. They are not very good at coming to your table.
Overall rate (excluding Licey) 3 star

Bars - No problems, other than not enough people working the outdoor bars.
Rate - 3.5 star

Beach and Pools - We have been to Punta Cana 5 times over the past 8 years, they have some of the best beaches we have every seen. The pools and pool bar were also very good.
Rate - 5 Star

Grounds - Beautiful and mature well keep.
Rate - 5 star

Activities - Didn't participate in any activities, however, the entertainment was below par when compared to the other resorts we have stayed in in Punta Cana. We have stayed at the Grand Bahia Principe (true 5 star) Rui Bambu (4 star) Grand Paradise (3 star)Iberostar Bavaro (5 star)
Rate - 3 star

Conclusion - BEWARE OF THIEF'S IN YOUR ROOMS!!
My wife had a top stolen out of her suitcase, and we were made to feel like it was our fault.
Management told us they were not responsible for anything missing from the rooms, and their attitude was very "so what" This happenned on our last day, and was not a good way to end what was a good trip. We even left money and gifts every day for the cleaners. However, we were in room 762, ground floor facing the beach and trees between us and the resort beside us, so very secluded from everyone else, which makes it very easy for them to take things our of the room with no one around to see them.

The Platinum upgrade was worth the extra cost, however, the cappacino machine in the lounge seemed to break down ever free days, one of the 2 computers always seemed to be down.

Overall rating - 3.5 star

The grounds and room sizes are amazing, however, they really need to improve on their service in a big way. We will go back to either the Grand Bahia or the Iberostar next year which are much better resorts overall and priced the same as the Bavaro Princess.

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February 2008

Arrival - plane was late arrived at 2am.took ten minutes to register at hotel was very fast and the guys were so nice

Rooms - rooms were very nice and so clean I was really surprised as I had read bad reviews guess they didnt know what they were talking about

Restaurants - loved El Gaucho on the beach ate lunch there all the time the staff was amazing. Ate at the Chopin once didnt like it not much to choose from so we had dinner every night at the hotel buffet it was great the waiters couldnt do enough for us

Bars - bars were good although the drinks were very weak no problem just ask for another shot

Beach and Pools - beach and pools were really outstanding spent all our time at both of them. lot of europeans real nice people

Grounds - grounds were awesome to walk around they are kept very well loved the peacocks and flamingoes

Activities - didnt do much activity just lay on the beach done arobics in the pool once getting to old.

Tours - didnt go on any tours but most people i talked loved the safari tour Conclusion - we are e senior citizen couple 70 72 yrs old but had a great really appreciated the buses on the resort. the only thing I would change fillin the pool that is in the hotel bar it is parallel with the floor so my husband kept walking and fell in soaking gave me a laugh next night sat in the bar and watchen three women fall in good entertainment.

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January 2008

We arrived on 13 Dec just two days after a tropical storm.They say the rainy season here is slipping further into December it it is getting hotter in Dec/Jan to.This meant some pavements were flooded around the resort but extra buggies ran were hardly inconvienienced at all.Hotel and accomadation were first class.They lacked the finish of european 5 star, ie edging strips around the tiles and flacky paint above the shower.These were more cosmetic than anything.

Main restaurant had a great choice and quality but the waiting staff could be a little slack at times.
The fish resteraunt was a big let down with poor service,poor presentation and no atmosphere.
Japanese resteraunt was very poor quality and would not go back.
Heard good reports about the steak place but decided to stick to the main buffet place as choice and quality suited me.
Beach excellent.buoyed off swimming area.Would not recommed going outside this due to number of fast boats in the area.
Shops outside will ask for 300 dollars for a painting you have been offered next door for 65.Do not give the shop "assistsnts" commision they think they are entitled to.The Palma Real shopping center has better quality fixed price products (it may be worth a haggle for expensive or multiple items) and free courtesy bus.Shopkeepers will not hassel you either.

Guy's outside main resteraunt are holiday club touts but do not tell you this until they get you into the hard sell area.Which is the half a la carte resteraunt building.

Noise from next door hotel was a bit much for the nearest flats on our side but stopped dead on 12 o'clock.
Do not do the helicopter flight.Fly up to Samana then over to Santo Domingo for the day or even overnight.This gives you more time in the air and it's cheaper too.Talk to Miguel the Sunwing rep.He organised most of our trips and was very informative about the whole island.

Gone fishing is a bit of a touristy (all reels were penn 9/0's) and any serious anglers should go to the specialists. The crazy wheels trip in the buggies was great fun but a word of warning.The toilets were the worst we saw(overflowing and no flush).Most facilities for tourists were surprisingly good even out in the country AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE GUY WITH THE VIDEO CAMERA was doing.They made on you were being filmed and many people thought they were getting the DVD for 15 bucks.It was in fact a copy of some salsa music which was convieniently camoflaged on the lablel.

All in all it was a great relaxing holiday and the facilites on site were great.Quiet relaxing mornings by the pool at the hotel.Lunch and then down to the cooling sea breeze at the beach pool .

We only struggled to find loungers once or twice over our 3 weekstay.We never queued for anything except for christmas and new year meals which were fantastic and worth the wait.I was actually fed up with eating lobster at one point but I would not expect this at other times of the year.

The review previous to mine mentioned a smell of sewers in the resort.This was in fact rotting (H2S) vegetation in the more mangrovey areas of the immaculate resort gardens and although unpleasant it is hamless in these concentrations .Also must mention that the mossies were not as bad as I thought they would be .I only got bitten half a dozen times but it is advisable to put on plenty of repellant when lounging around the hotel for meals or drinks etc.Some bites also appeared overnight but we may have been a little careless with the more than adequet air con and doors to the apartment. ADIOS AMIGOS

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January 2008

Arrival - OK- we went with Apple Vacations. They were great except for having to lighten the plane = get rid of 1 flight attendant & 4 pieces of luggage (1 being mine & not receiving it until 30 hours later). Make sure to go to their orientation if you're with them, it's very informative. Also, don't wait until right after the orientation to sign up for restaurants, it will take FOREVER and there aren't many time slots left. Sign up soon after your arrival.

Rooms - Decent, needing uf a good cleaning and upgrade. It was very pretty, nice layout, but some things left me uneasy. I just didn't have the feeling like it was always very clean. They did a good job, but (being the slight germ-o-phob that I am) I noticed minor mold issues, stains, etc. I felt uncomfortable not wearing flip-flops while walking around, that might just be me though. We initially had some issues with the toilet. It wouldn't flush. But, after having maintenance come and fussing with it ourselves, we realized that it just didn't have enough water in the tank- something we fixed on our own. Our water pressure wasn't too bad, nothing that impeded on my getting ready! We did give our maid a nice tip at the end of the week to show our appreciation for her hard work ($10-15 I believe).

Restaurants - Still up for debate. We tried out every restaurant except for the French one and the Chinese one. My favorite as far as consistency and choices is La Hispanola- the buffet in the main building. The Argentinean steak house was our first dinner and to be quite honest, the steak was awful (thin, fatty, no edible pieces). Everything but the steak was great: appetizer, salad, bread, and dessert. El Pescador was good as far as the food is concerned, but like other people have said, don't go there expecting any service or on an empty stomach. Sakura/the Japanese restaurant was nice. The chef was wonderful and gave us a lot of attention. Our waiter though forgot some of our orders (apps/deserts) and was just trying to get us out; we were the last table of the night. The Italian restaurant was fine, nothing special. I got the mushroom risotto and really liked it but couldn't eat more than 1/4 of it because I was stuffed from everything else they gave us. As far as breakfast and lunch went I had a VERY hard time finding anything that looked/tasted good. I always had more luck at La Hispanola than the buffet near the beach. By Monday morning of our trip (we arrived Friday) I had come down with an awful stomach pain. I did not actually "get" sick, however I had this terrible burning feeling until Thursday/Friday and even didn't feel too well after I got home. Some people on our trip had more "symptoms" than I had, but mine lasted longer and the burning feeling came and went every 10-30 minutes or so and I just wanted to crawl up and sleep to avoid it. I'm not sure if it was related to the food we ate, but I tried not to let it take away from my experience or live on bread all week. Bars - Good. They were surely plentiful. I lived on the yummy mojitos. For the most part the bartenders were attentive and timely in getting to everyone, sometimes it did take a while- but that comes with every bar.

Beach and Pools - The beach was very nice, one of the most beautiful I've ever seen!!! There were always tons of chairs open (some days were busier than others). There were people that went up and down the beach trying to sell various items (jewelry, hats, etc.), if you tell them you're not interested or just don't pay them much attention- they leave you alone and keep to themselves. I did like that this resort had a volleyball net and other activities to do, as well as it being right near the pool, buffet and bar!

Grounds - Very nicely landscaped, there are tons of guys working very hard to keep it nice for visitors and it shows. There is this one walkway on the resort that must be right over/next to the sewer lines because it smelled absolutely awful- that was the one area I had to run through and really was unpleasant.

Activities - I didn't take part in going to the casino or disco. We did go across the street to go shopping once. That was quite an experience, but just be ready to bargain and know that they operate very differntly than in the US, etc. so try not to get overwhelmed or frustrated with their tactics! The last night of our stay the resort had an open market" which had many local vendors set up in an organized way and was a great opportunity to see what the area has to offer and a perfect time for souvenir shopping!

Entertainment: I have never seen a group of young people work SO hard in my life! They were on the beach in the morning teaching yoga/salsa, by the pool in the afternoon teaching water aerobics, on the main stage later in the evening putting on their nightly show and then mingling with everyone afterwards (still teaching more salsa!!)- there were often many more things they did throughout the day as well! I would see these guys (& gals) everywhere. That being said- I did think that some of the shows were a bit cheesy and some of the classes were weird and like nothing I have ever done in a "gym" before. Their enthusiasm and attitude were hard to beat and really got people to forget about the cheesiness of it all.

Tours - Excursions: you’re choice, but be informed! We went on 2 excursions while on our vacation. The first was to Saona Island. We were told it would take 30-45 minutes to get there. It actually took MUCH longer. The bus left at 7:45ish and we didn’t get to the island until around 12/12:30. There was about an hour catamaran ride included in that time. If I had known the duration of the travel time, I would have opted to stay on our own beach for the day. The island was beautiful, but not worth the time it took to get there. We also went on a ½ day excursion to swim with nurse sharks and manarays. This was really neat and I am glad I did it. However, they were netted up (in a make-shift pool in the water). People kept bumping into each other and the water wasn’t super clear. Don’t get me wrong, this was a very neat experience, but not what I was expecting.

Conclusion - Overall, our trip was very nice and memorable but I wish I had done a bit more research. I do want to go back to the Dominican, but next time I will be willing to shuck out a little bit more money to for a truly 5-star resort and maybe check out a different part of the island besides Bavaro Beach.

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December 2007

We have just returned from another glorious week in Punta Cana. This was our seventh trip to P.C. and our second to the Bavaro Princess. Despite some left over water from T.S. Olga, the weather was great and the hotel looked beautiful. We were in bldg #74 on the beach, and had absolutely not one problem with our room, hotel services, checking in or out, food, or the folks around us. We had the platinum upgrade again and things like canadian newspapers, cold bottled beer, premium drinks, canadian club whiskey, and the use of the other Princess properties added a nice touch to our holiday. ( those beds on the beach at the PC Princess..how nice is that?) If you are looking for a property with fabulous grounds, one of the best stretches of beach on the east coast, close to shopping, and most of all, great people who make you feel so welcome, you can't go wrong. For our money...a great vacation experience!! questions..email us at pdvander@hotmail.com

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December 2007

We are so thankful for the web site and all the reviews we read. I almost had to drag my husband there, now he wants to return next year for two weeks. We loved Apple Vacations. Delta Airlines changed our itinerary twice by canceling days that they fly out of Punta Cana, but we ended up with the departure date we really wanted at no extra charge.

I only can describe our arrival at the airport as organized chaos. All seems to work out some how and we were on our way to the hotel.

We are in our mid sixties and found this place to be better than our expectations. We had the platinum upgrade and were taken to the platinum lounge for check in. We were given cool wet cloths and given our bracelets, room keys and safe lock. We were on the very edge of the resort, about 50 yards from the ocean, near the Paradisus. We were on the second floor. Our room was large, spotless, and cool. We always were given washcloths. Sitting in the evenings listening to the ocean was a favorite. My husband is an early riser, so had hot showers, I had one real warm shower the whole week, but people our age are advised by skin doctors to take tepid showers to preserve the skin. It was hot and humid, but not unbearable so. The cool showers were refreshing to me.

We kept looking for the things that people complain about, but could find very few. We only ate at two ala carte restaurants as we just didn't want to make appointments to eat. My husband had emergency surgery the week before our trip, and we were tired of having to be places at certain times. We ate a lot at the large buffet in the lobby. We always found things we liked and new things we tried were very tasty. The American bar seemed to have something if you didn't like the buffet and the pasta station was wonderful. The deserts, and homemade breads, and donuts were grand. We always ate our fill, but never felt weighted down or stuffed. We brought a boatload of pepto and immodiam but never used it. We brought bug spray and wipes, but only got one bite on my knee. The beds are quite hard, but we had brought two twin air mattresses, which fit nicely on our King sized bed. The maid always tucked in the sheets in a way that kept them in place. We did tip, and looked for workers who wouldn't ordinarily get tips to give out the dozen Red Sox caps we brought, or just a couple of dollars. We did leave the maid a pink Red Sox cap and $5 and two gold bracelets I no longer wear the first night. She was such a sweetheart and brought us a gift on our departure day, some Dominican coffee from Santa Domingo. We did leave children's things and a couple of dollars each day for her also. We always had such nice towel swans with flowers every day. We were near a wedding Gazebo and saw three weddings while we were there. They all looked very nice. We didn't hear anybody complaining. We found the platinum upgrade good for us, as we didn't have to keep track of towel cards, beach towels were left with our nightly turndown service. We were also there for my husband to recoup and so used the free room service twice. The grounds are like paradise, and kept clean and manicured daily. Our twenty minute complimentary massage was just wonderful, was so relaxed I almost couldn't walk. The Mangrove swamp is a must see. It does have a funny smell, but didn't seem that offensive to us. The wildlife on the property kept us amused. Two white doves were nesting in a cocoanut tree near us. We used the tram a lot, and sometimes had to wait for two or three trams to go by before there was room for us, but relax, go with the flow. We did not use our included water sport. The pools were so refreshing, the swim up bar great. No end of lovely people from all over the world to meet and talk with. No its not American five star. But we didn't want American, we wanted something different. About the complainers, maybe without the Platinum upgrade, things are bad, we never saw or heard any complaints except about water pressure and shower temperature. As the old saying goes, sometimes you can stand on your head and spit out gold nickels, and its still not good enough for some people. We can't wait to go back.

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December 2007

I will list, not necessarily in order the difficulties surrounding this holiday.

1. The phone in the first room we were given did not work. There were a number of phones in the guests’ rooms (that we traveled with) that did not work. Some telephones would not accept incoming calls as was the case with our second room phone.

2. There was no hot water for 4 days. Not only that there was no water at all for 6 hours on one day and no water at all for half the day on another day. You can well imagine how the toilets stank; we could not shower after being in the pool or in the ocean either. (This is one of the most terrible problems we had to endure)

3. The air conditioning did not work in the first room we were given, the one with two single beds. This room smelled of mold and after looking around the place, there was in fact mold growing up the walls.

4. Sometimes the cleaning ladies left shampoo/bath gel and conditioner but sometimes they did not. This was also true about the coffee supply including the sugar and coffee mate. Some days it was there and some days it was not. One guest did not have her room cleaned for the first 3 days and I know I would have been outraged even more had this happened to us. The cleaning staff showed up at 6 pm one day while we getting ready for the evening dinner and I felt that was bad enough.

5. It took us 3 whole hours to get our luggage from the main lobby to our room on the day we arrived. The Sunquest rep. and the bell boy boss were absolutely sure that our luggage would follow us to our rooms in 5 minutes. This was so irritating to come off a plane and wait for 3 hours to change into the bathing gear and so on.

6. The entry card to the hotel room stopped working three times during the 7 days we were there. The hotel employee assured me it was because I placed the entry card too close to my computer or cell phone; neither of which I had.

7. The general food buffet was not a 5 star rating buffet. In fact it was disappointing at best. Even though the theme sign changed everyday, the buffet remained exactly the same every single day.

8. During one of the evening beach parties, the bar ran out of tequila and vodka. It’s not that I drink a lot, but how does a 5 star hotel run out of alcohol at a beach party, and of all things tequila?

9. The Chopin Restaurant (the other buffet restaurant that was better than the disappointing buffet I mentioned in item # 7) ran out of red wine during our dinner on the second last night. Again, how does a restaurant at a 5 star hotel run out of red wine in the restaurant?

The whole resort sucked so badly. The people that made other arrangements at a 3 star hotel for $875.00/week did not have these complaints or problems. They had better service, better rooms, and a better beach and paid half as much as we did.

If I could of, I would of left the hotel and found another one, but under the circumstances I felt trapped, as did the majority of the guests that traveled together for Hailey and Duane’s wedding.

The wedding organizing coupled with Hailey and Duane having to change rooms (and all their endless stuff with the baby and the wedding gear) for the first 3 days in a row rendered the Bride-To-Be to tears for the first 3 days.

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November 2007

We just returned from six nights at the Bavaro princess. Here are my impressions.This resort is very large however, they do a great job with a shuttle service that runs constanly. The beach is one of the best i have been on. Beautifull white sand, clean and tourquise water. The food for an all-inclusive was OK. You could always find something you liked at the buffets. Great pasta bar. The specility resturants were good. The grounds of this resort are very tropical, and beautifully maintained.I wish they maintained the rooms as well. Rooms are old and not very clean or keep up certinaly not 4 or 5 star. Once i complained I was given a nicer room but the beach helped make up for the room.

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November 2007

Stepping off the plane was like walking into a sauna! We quickly made it into the airport (avoiding the photograph with the ladies wearing large fruit hats) and waited in an enormous line. Highly suggest you dress lightly (not in jeans like I was). We were confused about our luggage and where to find it, or if it would be picked up for us. We eventually found it, grabbed it, avoided the young men trying to carry them for us. Air Canada had our rep holding a sign, she told us which bus number to board. Thankfully it had air conditioning! The bus trip was short, and we were greeted in the lobby with a tall mango type drink. Confusion about where we go to check in, we had the Platinum Club upgrade which includes private check-in. Eventually we were told to put our bags on the luggage tram, and that it would be taken to our room. Next, we hopped on a tram and were taken to the Platinum lounge. Wow, well worth the upgrade! It's a big beautiful open-air style mini lobby with a small lounge, flat screen TV, 2 computers, snacks, premium drinks, soothing music and great staff.

Room was larger than we expected, and it was still being cleaned when we arrived to it. The maid apologized and quickly finished up. The bathroom was done in marble, with the toilet and tub behind a separate door and the sink and closet open to the hallway. There was certainly a musty smell, but when you have a cement building 50 ft from the ocean, what do you expect? I grew to love that smell because it was something different and exotic that we never experience at home in Canada. The air conditioning worked very well, as did the ceiling fan. King sized bed was very comfortable, we had a cute wicker seating area with a glass-topped coffee table. The rooms could use a little repair here and there, but really cozy and well appointed.

I'm a vegetarian and felt like I was in vegetarian heaven! The fruits and vegetables are to DIE for. I've never tasted mangoes or papayas so fresh or juicy. It was little tricky at the a la cartes when ordering becuase I couldn't be sure if some sort of meat might be in the dish.
I was unpleasantly surprised when I got a mouth full of ham in my minestrone soup. TJ seemed to eat nothing BUT meat, and seemed pretty content with it. Keep in mind that this is a totally different culinary world, go with an open-mind and don't expect the foods you eat at home to taste the same here. Things are prepared a little differently. For example, the scrambled eggs had a touch of vinegar added to them. It was interesting and might cause an uppity traveller to complain. We actually preferred the buffets to the a la cartes because there was much more selection and you could eat a little bit of everything. The milk and cream are not like at home. I'm not sure what it is, but I suspect it could come from a powder? Or maybe it is pasteurized differently.

Bring a thermal mug! Holy cow, I wouldn't go back without one. by the time you've carried your drink back to your chair, it's half warm or melted. Plus the environmental costs of using disposable cups is simply ridiculous. The roads are literally fenced by piles of plastic bottles and cups. We never had a problem with service at any of the bars. The sand was silky soft, almost white with tiny flecks of pink coral. After dark, the mosquitos really came out and made a feast of my legs and back. They were silent and tiny and I had no idea I had been made a meal until the following day. Do bring some bug spray.

The grounds were immaculate. The most impressive thing about this resort is it's sprawling size, lush greenery and manicured lawns.
Truly amazing.

The evening shows were pretty impressive, but we preferred to hit the sack early and enjoy more outdoor stuff. There was some sort of water aerobics going on in the main pool sometimes. You could ride a banana boat, boogie board, snorkel (though not much to look at besides sand), paddle boat or windsurf. If you want to find something to do, there's no problem.

We went to a cigar factory and a jewellery store run by a Canadian woman. Plus, there was a huge mini-mall just outside the resort that sold no end of touristy stuff, including some decent jewellery. We went on a snorkel tour out to a reef, and swam with a couple of huge sting rays and some nurse sharks. I object to caging wild creatures up, and had no idea that they would be trapped in a roped-fence area. I wouldn't suggest supporting this practice, or paying the $85 US per person to do it. If you want to snorkel, hire somebody with a boat to drive you out to a nearby reef.

Just Go! Don't mind any of the bad reviewers on here. They likely can't be pleased ANYWHERE. I can't wait to go back, and I'd go back to the Princess Bavaro in a heart beat. The Platinum upgrade was well worth it, if only for being so close to the beach, and having the free internet at your finger tips.

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November 2007

Arrival - We stopped on the tarmac and were off loaded. It was just a short walk to the terminal building. Upon entering the terminal building you are greeted with music and have to stop for your picture to be taken. Your picture will be waiting for you upon your departure if you want it. I think it was $8 - $10 US. Baggage claim was okay. Once you have your bags, you make your way to customs. Customs was a breeze. Next you are on your way to the buses and you have to walk the plank between all the baggage guys. No need for baggage guys because the buses are very close to the terminal.

Rooms - We had purchased an upgraded package for our tour operator Signature Vacations. It was the Honeymoon package which we were to get some extras upon arrival. This didn't happen. Our room was not ready upon arrival. We had to come back at 2:30pm to get our room assignment. So off to the bar we went. We went back at 2:30pm and our rooms were ready. Off to the rooms we go........

Nice patio with a table and comfortable lounge chairs that lead up to your room. Then it starts......Oh my god "What's that smell????" The room smelt musty, maybe because it was closed up and no air conditioning. The air conditioner was on. Upon further investigation there was mould everywhere. On the drapes, intake and output vents of the air conditioner, in the closet and bathroom. Need one of your room keys or other plastic card to turn on your hydro. Went to complain to our tour operator representative. Asked if we could move rooms and he said he'll see what can be done. He said he would leave us a message but our phone didn't work. Two days into the vacation still complaining about the mould. The wife had a enough and went to the front desk to ask for the hotel manager. After some persistent requests she finally got to speak with a manager. He is moving us to their "Platinum" suites but we would have to come back at 3:00pm. We'll to keep it short, for a "Platinum" room that usually costs an extra $30/day/per person was not much of an upgrade. But there wasn't as much mould in this room as the previous Honeymoon suite.

Restaurants - No complaints here. The staff was friendly and the food was plentiful. They had a different theme night in the buffet restaurant but if you didn't like that they always had the American Station. Meat taste very different in the DR. We had reservations at 3 of the a la carte restaurants. Needless to say we had to go to the buffet afterwards. Italian and Japanese were not bad but the seafood didn't go over well because majoritiy of our group was from the East Coast.

Bars - They are not shy when it comes to making you a drink. Stay away from anything that has coconut in it because it's a natural laxative. Local beer and mixed drinks were good. If you go, try the local speciallity call a MamaJuana.

Beach and Pools - Beach is beautiful. No bar service. Get there early if you want a Cabana. The only thing is that there are a lot of sales people walking around trying to sell you anything from jewelery to scuba diving.

Grounds - Grounds were kept clean and well groomed.

Activities - There are a lot of activities throughout the day put on by the Animation team. Spanish, salsa lessons, beach volleyball, water polo, yoga, aerobics and then the nightime entertainment for kids and adults.

Conclusion - I wouldn't give this hotel a 5 star rating because it needs some major work done to it. I wouldn't recommend it to any of my friends or family members. There are other hotels in the area that I'm sure are a lot better then this.

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November 2007

General Information:
My wife and I booked our trip through Apple Vacations. Price, including travel insurance was $1643. Flight from St. Louis via USA 3000 Airlines took 3 hours and 40 minutes.

My review is written for those who, like me, have never been to Punta Cana. I will be as honest as memory serves. I have no alliance with Apple Vacations or the Bavaro Princess, so I have nothing to gain/lose by my honesty.

Arrival:
We arrived on-time and disembarked the plane onto the tarmac. A short walk down the tarmac and we were in the terminal and led to Customs. Here they issue you a visitors card for $10/per person. You proceed to the next checkpoint and surrender the visitors card that you just paid for. From this point you proceed to baggage claim. After you claim your baggage, you then go through the metal detectors. With baggage in hand, you then get bombarded with baggage boys that don't seem to understand the word “NO”. Since I knew before hand that the Apple bus was just 100 feet from the baggage boys, I knew their services were not needed.

Apple representatives led us to the proper bus and we were off the Bavaro Princess. The ride took about 25-30 minutes along a bumpy road. It was our first glimpse of the Dominican Republic and my first thought was it reminded me of Mexico. We were the first stop for the bus which was nice, because I figured our vacation didn't really start until my feet were firmly planted on the soil of the Bavaro Princess.

As we entered the Bavaro Princess, it was already apparent that the grounds/landscaping I had read so much about was true. Once the bus stopped at the main lobby, we disembarked and went to the check-in, passing a few small shops along the way. Check-in was quick and painless, but since we arrived at 12:00 PM , the rooms would not be ready for 2 or 3 hours. We received our arm bands and told that we could use anything on the property until our room was ready. We were served a nice cool punch drink and were given directions on the layout of the property.

We tour the property for the next 3 hours and return to the lobby to get assigned our room. We were given room 335, which is building 33 room number 5. Once we looked at the map we realize that we are 3 building away from the beach and the main “hub” of activity – pool, grill – restaurants – etc. were all just footsteps away!

This is not your typical hotel layout. There are approximately 90 building with each hosting 8 suites. 4 suites on the ground floor and 4 suites on the upper floor. This explains why this property sits on 96 acres.

Rooms:
At entry, you are on your own patio. The patio features 2 comfy chairs and a table. Upon entry to the suite, the most prominent feature is the raised sleeping area at the center of the room. In our suite, to the left was a sleeper couch, chair and coffee table. To the right was the coffee bar with coffee maker, table and 2 chairs, chest of drawers that contained the refrigerator and held the TV.

Up the two step at the center of the room was a king size bed, chest of drawers and lamps. Above the bed was a ceiling fan.

To the left and down two steps was the bathroom. Large and inviting, it was laid out with a large sized closet with plenty of hangers, safe, iron and ironing board and umbrella. The sink area was more than adequate with space for toiletries. On the wall was a hair dryer. Beyond the sink area, through small French doors was where the toilet, tub/shower and bidet were located.

The larger rooms and fades from the normal hotel room set-up are a huge plus. But the room was dated. Wood trim was worn and damaged. Furniture was sagging and upholstery was worn. Beds were rock hard and uncomfortable. Bathtub was dull from the finish being worn off and the caulking was moldy. Toilet and bidet were old and looked dirty even if clean. Bathroom window had large cracks in the frame that allowed bugs and lizards into the room.

The good news is we seen that they were remodeling building, so ask for one of those!

Also, ask for a room on the top floor. Being on the ground floor, we pretty much heard everything going on above us. Like clockwork, we knew when our upstairs neighbors got “home” for the night. Also ask for a room without a connecting room door. This door is paper thin and you can hear your neighbors if they talk loud.

In my opinion, the positives outweigh the negatives on the rooms. Yes, the rooms need updated, but they were not so bad that they had a negative impact on our vacation. But I would not rate them as 5-star because they do need attention. Perhaps the rooms now being remodeled will deserve the 5-star rating.

Food:
I am probably the last person in the world to qualify if the food was good, bad or average. Give me a burger and fries and I am happy. I am a picky eater – Don't like seafood (If it crawls on the ocean floor and eats fish poop, I ain't eating it!) - I don't like to “try” food. I like what I like and I eat it. My wife, now that is a different story. We heard many comments from guests that the food was not very good. Even that it was awful. I found little that I liked and probably for the first time lost weight on a vacation. Now I understand that they must cook for an international guest base, so I am sure that has a lot to do with it.

The buffets were stocked with a lot of food, but finding something that I liked was impossible at times. I ended up eating a lot of fries from the grill. Even the burgers had a strange taste. The food at the restaurants was better than the food at the buffets. But even then, I had a hard time finding something that hit the spot. My wife said the seafood (grilled lobster) was very good and she eats a lot of fruits and veggies. Also she is the type who will try just about anything, so her dining experience was better than mine. Go with an open mind and understand that you are not in North America and that the food is hit and miss. Keep trying and you'll find something you like.

Beach & Pools:
Definitely the high point for us was the beach. It is without a doubt the prettiest beach we have ever seen. Even better than Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman! The beach itself is expansive. I would guess the Bavaro Princess portion of the beach to be 150 yards wide, if not more. From the waterline to the shaded huts and palm tree line was around 50 yards, so the beach was deep as well. The beach had a gradual slope and was smoothed and manicured each night to remove seaweed and debris. Walking along the coast, it was oblivious that this was the nicest part of the Bavaro Beach There is no wait service, but the bars are close and the service was fast. At the time of the year we went, we found no problem finding beach loungers. Finding open huts was a problem at times, but keep a look out because people come and go.

There are two pools, one near the lobby at the front of the property and the main pool near the beach. The pool by the lobby was small and a nice place to get away from the crowd because most people didn't know this pool existed. The main pool was landscaped with many different kinds of flora and palms. Because of all the botany, the pool did have debris in it, but that was expected. The staff did a good job of keeping the pool area clean. Again, there was no wait service but the bar was right there. The swim-up bar was never over-crowded, but again, we were then when the property was 40-50% full.

Grounds:
One thing the Bavaro Princess can say is they have the most beautiful grounds of any resort in Punta Cana. Every day, maintenance workers were mowing, trimming, raking and pruning the grounds. The men who do this work take great pride in their work and it shows. One gets a true feeling of being in a tropical paradise as they meander along the cobblestone paths. Take some time and visit the mangrove, visit the birdhouse and stroll the grounds around Liceys restaurant. Look at all the beautiful fauna and appreciate where you are.

Activities:
We did not take advantage of much that the resort had to offer. My wife did play a little ping-pong and I played a little archery. The resort offered much more, but we were on vacation, and vegging-out was the name of the game for us!

Tours:
We took the Outback Jungle Safari and were so happy we did. Besides breaking up the monotony of being stuck on a resort for 7 days. If gave us a chance to see how the Dominican people really live and work. While sad in a way, it also made me realize that material things in this life really are not a necessity to maintain my life, just a convenient factor that helps me cope.

The people we met along the way were simple, yet beautiful. They worked hard for what they had and were proud of it. The kids we met just melted our hearts. How anyone could walk off that truck and not be a better person would make me question their character.

Our driver was Louie and our tour guide was Alex. Alex was very knowledgeable and was VERY informative. He had a passion for his people, and was not afraid to list the good with the bad. He didn't paint his people with a broad brush as he explained the differences between the many different sociality gaps. Visiting a typical home, we seen how a typical family lives and how they work to support their family. We learned that unlike North Americans, the elders were treated with dignity and respect – Perhaps modern society has a lot to learn from people we consider “poor”.

We stopped at a rum shack and watched how cigars are rolled. Here they sold cigars and rum... good stuff!

We proceeded to see how sugarcane was grown and had a sample. We learned all about Mama Juana – A potion made of of roots, herbs, berries, rum, honey and wine that is suppose to be a natural aphrodisiac! I couldn't get pass the smell to find out :-)

But the most striking stop was at a school. The kids just melt your heart. We brought along several hundred pencils, glue sticks and gave them to the teacher to distribute as he seen fit. The kids sang us a song and they were just so cute. We were taught how the kids are schooled and what is expected of them.

The beer, rum, water and soda flowed all day and the truck full of international travelers all became Dominicans for a day. If you have the chance to do this excursion, forget the $80 per person fee and just do it. You'll thank me later.

Tips:
1. English speaking TV channels included CNN, TBS, USA, ESPN, ABC out of New York, Cartoon Network, Nick.
2. The TV was only a 19 inch model that was impossible to see from the bed.
3. Bring your laptop and watch DVD's in bed.
4. Bring a thermal cup to hold your drinks, You get more and it will melt slower.
5. The trams were very consistent. But I could see that if the resort was full that getting a seat could be a problem during “rush hours”
6. Bring Dominican baseball player cards. (Pedro Martinez, Albert Pujols, David Ortiz, Etc.) I brought about 150 Sammy Sosa cards on eBay for around $10 and the staff just lit up when I passed them out. I also took them on our excursion and the kids LOVED them!
7. TIP – Just because you are at an all-inclusive doesn't mean you shouldn't tip. We tipped good service here, so tipping there makes sense too. We didn't do it to get better service next time, we did it because it is the right thing to do.
8. Leave you attitude at home. Enjoy yourself. Don't expect to be treated like a king just because you are on vacation. Expect things to not be perfect. Don't sweat the small stuff. Don't worry, be happy – Dammit!
9. Learn as much as you can the first day for the buffet schedule. They have different times at different locations so it can get confusing.
10. The beach is topless, so if you have a “boobie” issue, perhaps the beach should be avoided. Also, men who shouldn't be wearing Speedos do. Again, accept it :-)
11. Learn a few Spanish words – You'll get a big smile when you do!
12. The birds at the very front of the lobby are very entertaining! They greet you with a soft “Hola”, and if you don't respond, the “Hola” gets louder and louder until one of them screams “HOLA!!!”

Top 3 great things:
1. The beach - Beautiful!
2. The staff – Friendly and attentive.
3. The grounds - Wow!

Top 3 bad things:
1. A ceiling fan on each suites patio would have been first class. It would allow you to enjoy the patio by chasing away the heat and the mosquitoes.
2. The food – looks can be deceiving.
3. The rooms need upgraded.

The Ugly:
Really the worst thing by far was the construction work being done. It started Monday at 7 AM about 2 building away and was just a minor annoyance. Contracted help (Not Bavaro Princess employees) were digging up old sewer lines, power washing buildings and re-modeling building. As the week progressed, the work became more intense, and the workers became more ignorant. They would leer at you and make comments under their breath. As you would approach them, most would not say a word, but look at you from the corner of their eyes. As you got further down the path, the comments would come.

They would really leer at the ladies and make open comments. Being a man, I had a strong sense in what they were saying. Body language is something we all understand, no matter the Nationally.

One night as I was going back to my room, a male guest was in an animated argument with several of the workers. It seemed that he was tired of the guys leering at and making comments to his wife/girlfriend and had had enough. He asked me if I had problems with them and I just said it was getting old but being a big fella, they were probably intimidated by me. He said he was about ready to pop a few of them and I suggested he just take it to hotel management.

My wife and I would have asked to be moved to another building had this happened upon arrival and not mid-week. But having settled in, we made the mistake of not doing so. Our fault. She felt safe, but was pissed because they made their rest area right in front of our room.

My feelings are:
1. Hotel management should not have placed any guests in these rooms because of the construction work being done. These guys (25+) were out there for 12 hours, every day making all kinds of noise. My guess is these were “prime” buildings because they were so close to the beach. Because of this, they wanted to take advantage of their location.
2. The workers should have been supervised more closely. It didn't appear that any Hotel management types were watching over these men.
3. This experience soured my view of how the Bavaro Princess is operated. A first-class operation would have recognized that placing construction workers among guests is a huge no-no. In effect, they let these construction workers represent their property, fairly or not, this is a fact.

Conclusion:
The Bavaro Princess is a beautiful property that needs upgraded to truly stand out as a jewel. Considering everything – Room, food, service, staff, entertainment, etc. I would rate this property 3.5 stars out of 5.

The food left a lot to be desired, and with this being an all-inclusive property, food is a major factor that needs to be weighted when deciding if I would return.

The casino likes to take your money! :-)

Their employees all seemed to be helpful and cheerful. We can't recall running into an employee who was rude or uncaring.

The management at the Bavaro Princess needs to address their contracted construction workers. Their behavior is unacceptable. Also, management should be held responsible for placing these workers among their guests in the first place.

We are glad we didn't upgrade to Platinum. Many people who did said they were really sorry they spent so much money for so little in return. This is a personal decision best left to you.

The beach was fantastic! The grounds were immaculate!

I am sure I left out lots of things, but writing reviews is not my forte. The Bavaro Princess was good, not great. But it is not a fault of the staff. Once the remodeling is complete, and the food issues are addressed, perhaps the Bavaro Princess with gain a jewel for her crown.

The true value of any property lies in would I come back? Would I recommend her to a family member or a friend? Yes, I would. Even with the issues we had, they were minor and things that I think can be addressed. Had we approached Guest Services about the construction issues, I am sure they would have moved us to another room. I would also trust that they would communicate to their contracted workers about doing their work and not getting fresh with the women guests.

If you are considering staying at the Bavaro Princess – DO IT! You will be glad you did. All properties will have issues, the good far outweigh the bad at the Bavaro Princess. Just keep in mind some of the things I've written and put them to good use. Just remember, my opinion is just that. I am sure there will be people who have glowing reviews and nothing could ever be bad about the Bavaro Princess, just as some will bash her and say nothing good about her. Myself, take me back tomorrow and I'll be VERY happy!

I have posted over 100 pictures, please have a look and leave any comments. http://www.worldisround.com/home/kizzer/index.html

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November 2007

(Translated del Spanish with automatico translator on line by the reviewer) My wife and I, traveled for the second time to White End at the end of October of 2007. The first time did six years and was in November of 2001 that we stayed in the one of that call HOTEL CELEBRATION PALACE that today is called Grand Palladium Palace Resort & Spa, White End. Our stay six years ago was wonderful and if it wanted to put to him some beats would have to lie.

Of this time, I did not want to repeat hotel, and I chose the one that without counting the Grand Palladium seemed at its moment better to me.

I went to the Bavaro Princess. I looked for I surround similar to the Grand Palladium, where the treatment outside the best thing, the facilities of the best thing, the calm atmosphere to relax and all easy and comfortable one. Tapeworm doubts if to go to the Natura Park or the Bavaro Princess, but by Internet, I were investigating and everybody that Park towards for diverse reasons thought bad of Natura, but in one agreed everybody; the quality of the food. As I to the food he is something to which I give much importance him praises/pours off me by the Bavaro Princess, where in all the bad opinions that I read, none towards reference to the food. In which if it agreed everybody that spoke bad of the Bavaro Princess was in the quality of the rooms, but I to that did not give much importance him and also I thought the form to solve it.

First it is of justice to recognize all the people who have complained the quality of the rooms that were all the right. Those that spoke of great cockroaches in the rooms to recognize that they were right. Those that they spoke of humidities, old baths, dirts, etc... were right. Those that they spoke of bad scents in the rooms near when manglar, also were right, even though to my personally it seemed to me a tolerable and nondisagreeable scent perfectly (that either pleasant).

It is certain, the Bavaro Pricess fails resoundingly in that aspect. But, even being importarte this aspect, is another one I personally I consider much worse and with but much disagreeable difference.

Not if the case occurs in all the hotels, single I have personal certainty of which it happens in the Bavaro Pricess and the Flamingo by own experience.

In the Bavaro Princess, by the mornings, they are located strategically by the hotel, perfectly uniformed personnel, trying to locate to the clients who arrived previous night afternoon, to ask to them if they have already received the welcome gift. All this with an exquisite amiability. Like received nonace nothing, you say that and they are not offered personally to acompañarte for dártelo. Your you leave everything for a moment what you had intention to do and you accompany to him. You finish committing the greater error of all your vacations, in a matter of seconds, you sides in people offices full, dance you of person in person, they presented/displayed you to a pile of people and dealed with venderte a participation in a Club of Vacations. The problem is not that they deceive to you and you become partner of the Club, thing that is very difficult, because you must initially disburse a so crazy amount of money, that it is almost impossible that nobody that it really does not want to be partner it does it. The problem comes by all the morning of playita that there are lost by a t-shirt or a bond for a restaurant. The policy of sales that use is but violent, aggressive, ruthless, mentirosa, the cynical one that I have seen in my life (and personally in the professional deal with hundreds of salesmen).

In case already single, this incident, the first day of stay in the hotel, can predisponerte for the rest of your vacations. That a hotel that assumes of the category that assumes to him uses to its clients for a so crawling action he is total and absolutely reproachable and indignante. Personally it makes a complaint in writing in the hotel that single was worth so that they requested excuses to me and they free offered a supper to me in a restaurant (so miserable thing that by principles, it rejects right away).

But problems of the hotel, that compared with previously described are small things without much importance, are the attention of the personnel of the bars. In order to be able to drink something, you must obtain that they pay attention to you in the bar and that can take a good time to you. In the tables of Lobby they do not take care of, single happen to gather the set of dishes that is. Of all the bars of the beach, single one opens. The bar of the small swimming pool never opens. The thematic restaurants to which you must request reserve three days ahead do not open every day and they are them alternating. All this because it is not high season. But, in spite of not being high season, the great swimming pool, a soul does not enter. This absolutely saturated everything. You do not have where to put a towel, not even to the sun. I do not have nor then idea as it can be that in high season.

All this that I say to you, and some things that I keep are absolutely certain and attributable to the one hundred percent to the direction of the hotel Bavaro Princess. Another series of disadvantages that could indicate of the hotel, no longer is direct responsibility of the direction, reason why it would be unjust to emphasize it. The direction of the hotel was noticed that of my arrival of house, it would put in knowledge of all that that it wanted on the matter to read it my opinion on the hotel.

If some of vosotr@s wishes detailed information but it can ask for it in my electronic mail frdacosta1@yahoo.com.br to me where with pleasure I will take care of all the one that it wants.

A greeting, and if you go on a trip, happy vacations.

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November 2007

Debbie, yes it's a beautiful resort. It just needs a lot of work on it's infra structure. And tell people to try not to get themselves hurt while they're there. I was nearly electricuted by a faulty hot dog warmer they had at the beachside cafe area. It was total negligence on their part cause less than an hour before I got zapped, another vacationer got 2 shocks just by placing her hands on the metal counter that the warmer was on. Her husband showed the guy behind the counter that the unit had a defective ground and told him they better replace the unit before somebody gets seriously hurt or killed. However, I guess the guy was just interested in moving the hot dogs cause he plugged the unit back in and when I stepped up to get mine, I was sent flying backwards head over heals. The only factor that saved me was when I flew backwards I must have caught the unit with the prongs and knocked it off the counter and it unplugged. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been here today telling you about it. The best part was when they said they were sorry and said I could have free room service for that evening WOW-WEE. Fortunately I was leaving the next day and after filling out the accident report the wonderful guest services manager, Mr. Vargas, tells me he's sorry and offers me nothing for almost dying at his resort. To add insult to injury I spoke with about 3 lawyers and they said there's probably not much you could do.

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September 2007

We travelled to the Bavaro Princess for a family vacation. We are a family of six and had three rooms. We really enjoyed this resort and found it to be very beatuiful. It really is a large resort as everyone says but we were very lucky to be in Villa 3 right by the beach and pool area. All the action is around this area so we had very little walking. We would take the tram up to the main lobby in the evening for the evening shows. The evening shows were just ok but entertaining. The room was very nice and our air worked perfectly. Sure they need to be updated but I see no problems with them. They are really large in size. The food is ok although not a five star as stated . I would give this resort a 4 star rating. We ate in two of the speciality restaurants Chopin and El Graunte ( steakhouse and may be spelled wrong). Chopin is a buffet but more of a elegant buffet and it was our favourite. The steak house was ok and we laughed as we all ordered something different and each got the same thing. But we ate it anyway as we were not there to complain, we were here to have a great time and we did. The pool is big and has a nice pool bar area. The beach is beatuiful , and had no problems with sea weed, just soft sand as far as you wanted to go out. We walked the beach and found that annoying as you have the Paradisus on one side and the Occidential Flamingo on the other side. Both had time share people bug you as you walked by so that was annoying and I swear they would come into the water with you as you walked by.There was no one to bug you at this resort and I didn't even find vendors walking the beach. They say that happens more down by the Rui reosrts but really don't know.The service was great. Although we are not demanding people. as for activities the kids went horseback riding one morning and they pick you up and take you. They said it was fun. I did the snorkeling with the kids another day and really wouldn't do this again. They take you out to a reef about a 15 minute ride. I didn't find alot of fish to see so it was just ok.We walked up one night to the casino and looked in. It looked nice but didn't gamble. We also went shopping across from the casino but the kids didn't like this as they are so pushy and we just didn't feel comfortable being there in the evening. We really liked when they brought the vendors in Thursday night at the resort and found this much more relaxing. We went with Apple Tours. I think they bring alot of people to this resort. One night ( Tuesday) they had a special beach party for Apple guest on the beach. It was really nice and we had steak, lobster etc. This was a nice touch from Apple. So go and have fun at this resort. My advice would be not to get to nuts up about all the negatative reviews you read.A holiday is what you make of it. Would I go back? Yes and no. I would recommend this resort to other people but I like to see different resorts until I find the perfect one. I have been to Dominician four times. Most to the Puerto Plata area. PUnta Cana does have the best beaches but if very quiet and not much to do. Puerto Plata area has more to do for shopping, night life etc. I find the resorts are no different. I have stayed at 3,4 and 5 stars resort and really haven't notice much difference. Have fun.

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August 2007

This was our third trip to Punta Cana, second to Bavaro Princess. In past years we traveled as three, but this year we had a group of twelve people. We departed from Newark, New Jersey on a direct flight with USA 3000. The flight was on-time, we went through baggage claim and security checkpoints, and arrived at the resort around noon. Prieto Tours did a good job in helping us with our bags and boarding the bus.

Check-In
We upgraded to the Platinum Package/VIP through our travel agent. I would highly recommend this plan when you book the vacation. We bypassed the lines in the lobby check-in and took a tram directly to the Platinum Desk / Lounge. This facility, centrally located among the VIP customers, is close to the main pool and ocean. The lounge area offers free internet access, big flat screen T.V., open bar and large refrigerator with all types of soft drinks and water. Desk service was good, however we had to wait for our rooms until mid-afternoon. In the mean time they offered to hold our bags while we had lunch and enjoyed the pool.

Rooms
Overall everyone was pleased with their rooms. Each unit offered a living room/dining table with TV and VCR. Central to the unit, two steps up, to the bedroom (either a king or twin beds). Down a hallway is the vanity sink and bathroom/shower. Space was more than adequate. We had a problem with the air conditioner pushing cold air, I reported this during day 3, and we were offered the unit next door. We moved everything in 15 minutes, and everything operated fine. Room service was free (part of the Platinum package) and delivered 24 hours. This came in handy with the teens wanting late night food. Another Platinum perk to your room: three cigars per adult and a bottle of rum.

Beach
The beach was absolutely gorgeous. The white sand was clean, the ocean was a beautiful blue and the waves were on the calm side (compared to the New Jersey shores). There were plenty of lounge chairs and thatched huts to protect you from the sun. With many European guests, don't be surprised to see people topless.

Pool
There are two pools, with the main one by the ocean. With a maximum depth of about five feet, it runs from the walk-in end to the swim-up bar … which we visited from "hour to hour", lol. The pool offered a variety of events. We played a lot of basketball, volleyball and water polo, as activities were available. Water aerobics and water contests were also run daily by the resort counselors. Pool chairs were much harder to get than beach chairs. We made sure that someone got down there early, with towels to reserve chairs (helpful tip).

Food / Restaurants
There were a number of places to eat dinner: El Gaucho (steakhouse), El Pesador (seafood), Sakura (asian), Chopin (international buffet), Licey (gourmet, included with the Platinum package, otherwise a separate charge), Bella Pasta (italian), Hispanola buffet, Tempura (Japanese hibachi) and Café Del Mar (seafood at an ala carte charge). Dinner reservations need to be made for all restaurants except for the Hispanola buffet. With our VIP status, we were able to make our reservations directly with the Platinum Lounge (a great convenience). We tried every restaurant except Café Del Mar and Sakura. Everyone loved Tempura and Chopin the best, however all of the restaurants were good with their particular food type. An observation: at some of the restaurants, if you wanted drinks or coffee, you'd need to ask for it. They could take a few lessons from how to service people from restaurants back in the States.

Spa
The spa offered an exercise room, with Universal machines, treadmills, stationary bikes and free weights. They also had a full service salon and massage services. With the Platinum package each guest received a complimentary massage. This was worth it.

Excursions
There are a variety of excursions available through the resort at additional charges. They include: Manati Park, Safari, snorkeling (included with the Platinum package), quad-riding, horseback riding, etc. We did the horseback riding and snorkeling and everyone had a good time.

Shopping
There are some shops on-site, and others out-site the front entrance to the resort. Should you go on the out-site, be prepared to be harassed vendor by vendor. While I can play along, and ignore their approaches, some may have a problem with that environment. Be prepared to bargain, as their initial prices are ridiculous. We actually found a number of vendors at the plaza that would not bargain, so we moved on. SUGGESTION: if you go to these shops not feeling like you must have something, you will be better off with low expectations. If you want something, and they want to sell, you can bargain pretty good.

Shows
Each night, at the resort, they have theme shows: tropical show, magic show, fantasy show, Lion King, etc. In our group most of the teens did not care to see the shows. Most of the adults felt they were entertaining. This is not Broadway or Las Vegas, you'll have to make your own judgment.

Casino / Disco
We all experienced the casino or disco throughout the week. If you like to gamble, they have sufficient tables and slot machines to keep you entertained. The teenagers and young adults enjoyed the disco.

Check-Out
Since we had an 11:00am flight, we had to be in the lobby at 8:00am. Basically the time we gained in Day 1 getting there early, we lost in Day 8. We check-out at the Platinum counter quick and easy.

OVERALL
This was our third straight year to the Dominican Republic (second time at the Bavaro Princess). We enjoyed our stay and would recommend this resort very highly. While the resort is bigger than most, the tram system helps getting around very convenient. The resort is family-oriented, but also attracts couples. There were two wedding on-site during the week we stayed there. The Bavaro Princess has everything you could want from a tropical experience: clean pools, blue oceans, very well-maintained grounds (park-like), variety of good restaurants, clean & spacious rooms, and simply "something for everybody" at a reasonable price for an all-inclusive (food & drinks) resort. ENJOY

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