Iberostar Selection Bavaro Suites

Worst Vacation Ever • My son had an emergency and could not attend. Hotel would not offer any type of refund • Made our room reservations (two rooms) 6 months in advance. Requested adjoining rooms. Not only was the request not honored, we were in two different buildings • My daughter/son in law and three-month baby were given a second-floor room. No elevator. Had to lug stroller up and down stairway • Were unable to procure any dinner reservations in site restaurants. Had to fight with manager to finally get two reservations • Had to fight with pool attendant to get towels every day

We visited Iberostar Selection Bávaro Suites as a family (two adults and one child) and overall had a very enjoyable stay. Most of the staff were friendly and helpful, though a few interactions felt more focused on tips than genuine service. Special thanks to Daniel at the pool bar, Victoria who kept our room spotless and cheerful, and Arelis who looked after us brilliantly at breakfast and dinner every day. Victor at the pool bar also stood out for his great service. Tipping helps, but it’s not essential – you’ll still get good service without it. Food at the buffet was consistently good, with nightly themes like Italian, Asian, and Mexican. Compared to other all‑inclusive resorts we’ve visited, the quality was solid and freshly prepared. The à la carte restaurants were disappointing, especially the Italian and steakhouse, which didn’t live up to expectations despite the reservation system. Our Junior Suite was spacious, with a large bathroom, balcony, stocked fridge, and reliable air conditioning. No major complaints, though the TV reception cut out for a couple of days. The pools were always clean, well maintained, and at a lovely temperature – perfect for both adults and kids. Evening entertainment was excellent, with highlights including the circus night and rock show. The “white party” was underwhelming, and we weren’t impressed by the overpriced stalls set up during some events – they felt more like tourist traps than part of the resort. As we visited in the off‑season, it was also sargassum season (seaweed). This sometimes gave off a foul smell, and while the resort did clean the beach, it was clear that more effort went into keeping the Coral Level guests’ beach in better condition than the standard beach. A couple of downsides: the carts driving around the resort can be annoying and even dangerous at night, and pool bar service was inconsistent. At times, younger guests – particularly the “hot 20‑somethings” – seemed to get priority regardless of wait time, which was frustrating. Thankfully, not all staff behaved this way, and service varied depending on who was working. Overall, Iberostar Selection Bávaro Suites offers a comfortable family stay with great entertainment, solid food, clean pools, and standout staff members. The buffet and shows are the real highlights, while the à la carte dining and occasional service frustrations could be improved.

The resort itself is good for the price. The facilities are great, and most employees were very friendly and welcoming. Unfortunately, the concierge team overshadowed everything else. Rather than helping guests, they seemed primarily focused on selling Iberostar The Club, essentially the traditional timeshare model under a new name. A supposed birthday gift turned out to be a sales presentation. We declined and canceled the appointment through the hotel's official process, yet we were still called early in the morning, my mother's room was called the following day (waking her and my son), and someone even knocked on our door about an appointment that had already been canceled. During our five-night stay, we were approached by the concierge team on three different days. One of the remaining days we were away on an excursion, meaning we experienced sales pressure on nearly every day we were at the resort. While we did enjoy many aspects of the resort, these repeated sales tactics and the constant pressure significantly detracted from our experience. Because of this, we would likely consider other options before staying at another Iberostar property.

I honestly don’t understand what criteria are being used to call this a 5-star resort. If this is considered five stars, the bar is incredibly low. This was, by far, the worst all-inclusive experience I’ve ever had. I’ve stayed at all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, and Turks & Caicos, and this one ranks dead last by a huge margin. If you’re coming for the beach, don’t waste your time. The water was brown and full of sargassum throughout our stay. I understand that seaweed is a natural phenomenon, but the overall beach experience was extremely disappointing. The food quality is simply awful. The buffet is repetitive and low quality, and the drinks are made with what tastes like the cheapest alcohol available. Even ordering something as simple as a banana smoothie became frustrating because three out of four times the bars didn’t even have bananas or fresh fruit available. The soft drinks were somehow even worse. During my entire stay, I couldn’t find a single Coke with a reasonable amount of carbonation. I don’t expect miracles from a soda fountain, but I do expect something comparable to what you’d get at any fast-food restaurant, not warm, flat syrup. We were a group of 13 people staying for five days. The resort has only two restaurants that operate without reservations, while all the others require reservations. Despite trying every day, we were never able to secure a reservation at any of the reservation-only restaurants. We were repeatedly told they were fully booked. One evening we went to one of the two walk-in restaurants. We were asked to wait 45 minutes, even though more than half of the restaurant was completely empty and there were plenty of staff members available. It perfectly reflected the level of operational inefficiency throughout the resort. My concierge, Felix, initially asked how my stay was going. I honestly explained all of these issues. After that conversation, he simply stopped responding to my messages. Instead of following up or trying to solve anything, he disappeared once he realized how frustrated we were. Eventually, after insisting multiple times, I was told the only reservation available was for our last night at the Japanese restaurant at 9:00 PM for all 13 of us. I specifically asked them to confirm it. When we arrived, they had only booked a table for seven people. We were turned away and forced to walk back to the buffet with seven tired, hungry children in strollers, late at night, only to find that very little food was still available. By that point, even the kids refused to eat the buffet because the quality had been so consistently poor throughout the trip. The public restrooms near the pool were filthy, with urine all over the floors on multiple occasions. Basic cleanliness should never be an issue at a resort claiming to be luxury. The kids’ facilities made very little sense. The resort has a playroom for children ages 0 to 3. I went there with my 2-year-old, but since I also had my 4-year-old with me, they asked us to leave because he was not allowed inside. Their explanation was that there could be babies crawling around and a 4-year-old might want to run. The room was completely empty. We were literally the only family there. Rather than using common sense, they chose to enforce a rule that prevented both of my children from enjoying the facility. Having a room close to the pool also became a problem. While it’s convenient during the day, nighttime parties blast loud music late into the evening, making it extremely difficult to sleep, especially if you’re traveling with babies or young children. The lack of attention to guests extended even to situations that should have been handled with basic common sense. One friend in our group arrived with a sudden ankle injury and was told the hotel would provide crutches. They eventually brought him a single crutch, and it was a child’s crutch, not an adult’s. That was the only assistance he received for the remainder of his stay. These are only a handful of examples. I could write pages about everything that went wrong during our stay. What disappointed us most wasn’t one isolated incident. It was the fact that every single day brought new problems. Instead of talking about our vacation, nearly every conversation among our group ended up revolving around the hotel. Someone was always sharing the latest frustrating experience, whether it was another service failure, another disappointing meal, or another example of complete disorganization. That became the lasting memory of what should have been a wonderful trip with family and friends. This resort consistently failed in the basics: food, drinks, cleanliness, customer service, reservations, organization, and problem solving. Those are not minor details. They are the foundation of any all-inclusive experience, especially one that claims to be a 5-star property. I rarely leave negative reviews, but this experience deserves one. I genuinely cannot recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a quality vacation. There are far better all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean at the same price point. This is not a 5-star resort by any reasonable international standard. I would not return even if the stay were free.

We booked a 7-night family vacation at Iberostar Selection Bávaro Suites from July 22–29 for our family of four—my wife and I and our two daughters, ages 6 and 1. We upgraded to a family suite because we thought the extra space and bunk beds would be ideal for our children. Unfortunately, upon checking in, we found that the railing on the bunk bed was unsafe, which was a major concern given that our 6-year-old would be sleeping there. We also found that the play tent inside the room was dirty. Because of these issues, we decided to downgrade to a regular room. When I asked the front desk about compensation for the downgrade and the issues we experienced, the manager told me that the downgrade was voluntary and therefore there would be no compensation. I found this response very disappointing, especially considering the family suite upgrade was a significant additional cost. Iberostar, I am asking you to please review this situation and make it right. We chose your resort for a family vacation and expected the room to be safe and clean for our children. The fact that the family suite upgrade is very expensive and the manager claimed it only costs approximately $10 more per day for the upgrade does not change the fact that we paid extra for a room that did not meet our expectations. I am currently staying in Room 3727. I hope the management team will take the time to address this concern and find a fair resolution. I would appreciate a response from Iberostar regarding this experience.