Iberostar Selection Bavaro Suites

Booked the steakhouse on arrival. Their system lost the reservation. Rooms for some of the group didn't have air conditioning. Very disappointed. Would not recommend this resort at any cost.

My Wife (Jennifer), Mother (Gail), and I (Mike) recently traveled to Punta Cana and were ecstatic to be visiting the Iberostar Selection Bavaro Suites again for what is always a beautiful vacation!  Upon arrival and with the help of some wonderful friends, the 3 of us actually upgraded to the JOIA Bavaro (next door).   Some other friends who joined us on this trip however (and who were traveling from a different state than us) opted to remain at Selection Suites.  As JOIA guests we were able to visit Selection as well, so we ended up spending a good portion of our trip here to visit them.  We were amazed at both the beautiful hotel, restaurants, nightly shows, and amenities, as well as the amazing people/staff there who ensured that we always felt at home.   From Jose at the Beach club who took care of dozens of people every day with ease and who greeted us with a smile every morning, to Arelis (main buffet) and Akeny (Coral buffet) who treated us like family from the moment we arrived.  Thank you for making our holiday even better.   For anyone considering Selection Bavaro for a holiday, you will be so grateful you did!  This resort is an absolute jewel on the beautiful beach of Punta Cana, and you will be amazed at how well everything is meticulously maintained.  The French (gourmet) restaurant served us one of the best meals I have had in years.  As we were traveling with my 80 year old Mother (who is not able to walk very far), there were always friendly employees willing to take her around on the various golf carts around the resort.  We truly felt like Kings and Queens on this resort and are so grateful we were able to visit.   For the Star Prestige staff;  Sara, Zulieka, Luis, Marlenny, Melissa, Lizbeth, Yicaira, Drehulyn, Karly, and Nally;  from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU for everything you did for our friends on this trip.  This was their first visit to an Iberostar resort, and on our recommendation/urging, they upgraded to the Star Prestige package so that they could join us in the beautiful beach club and meet some of our Dominican family within.  You all were a pleasure to deal with and made any arrangements they/we needed with kindness and a smile.  We appreciate what you did for all of them, and my Wife, Mother, and I hope that we can visit you again soon.        For Noemi (Manager), I could never thank you enough.  You have an amazing team, and we thank you for taking such good care of our family on this trip and for being so good at your job.  It was such a pleasure to talk to you, and you are the reason we will return to Bavaro Selection (or any Iberostar you work at) again in the future.  I would also like to thank Augustin who we met as the Manager of the Front Desk upon check-in, who assisted with the upgrades for our friends and who went above and beyond to ensure both my family and our guests were looked after.  Thank you both again for everything and for being such great people!    Until next time!

Overall, this was a decent resort that catered heavily to Spanish-speaking guests. The check-in process went smoothly; however, we were not provided with a map of the resort, which led us to wander around searching for our room and, inevitably, take a very long route. The room itself was clean and included a well-stocked fridge upon arrival. Unfortunately, throughout our stay, the fridge was never restocked, and we were never provided with clean towels, even though housekeeping removed our dirty ones daily. We contacted the front desk about the issue, but it was not resolved until the day before checkout. During most of our stay, we had to rely on our friends’ room for towels. Another downside was the room's air conditioning, which was inconsistent. At times, it struggled to cool the room effectively despite being set to the lowest temperature. The food was decent overall, with a large selection available. However, if you arrived within the last hour before closing, many dishes were empty and never restocked. Several dishes were also mislabeled. The buffet layout was not well organized, as guests tended to congregate around the grill stations, which also served pre-made dishes, making access difficult. I found that the desserts were often dry and flavorless despite looking appetizing. Not sure if they were intentionally made this way to appeal to South American guests. The coffee shop served amazing coffee, and the barista was friendly, attentive, and professional every morning we visited. Tipping is a MUST. This is a culture that relies heavily on tipping. At times, tipping seemed necessary in order to receive decent service or even acknowledgment from some staff members. Thankfully, the front desk was able to make change for large USD bills. English was rarely spoken or understood by some of the staff. The pool area was enjoyable, and the waitstaff there were friendly and attentive. The fitness facility was one of the best I have seen at an all-inclusive resort. It was well-equipped and offered a variety of classes. Instructor Michael was experienced, fun, and professional, keeping the classes varied, engaging, and enjoyable.

I am writing to formally express my disappointment regarding our recent stay at Iberostar Selection Bavaro. This was our third vacation at this hotel, and although we experienced minor issues during previous visits, we chose not to complain because overall our experiences had been acceptable. Unfortunately, this trip was extremely disappointing and negatively affected our vacation from the very beginning. We arrived after 3:00 PM, which was the designated check-in time, and our friends who booked the exact same package were checked in immediately without any problems. I simply requested a second-floor room if possible. However, instead of a smooth check-in, we were forced to wait approximately three hours for our room. When we were finally told the room was ready and went to see it, housekeeping was still moving furniture out of the room, and it clearly had not been properly prepared for guests. Because of this delay, we lost almost an entire day of our vacation that we could have spent enjoying the beach and resort amenities. In addition, the room service and housekeeping standards were far below expectations. Towels were often missing, and the refrigerator was not regularly restocked with mineral water and beverages as advertised. We repeatedly had to call and request supplies, and even then, the requests were often ignored or delayed. The most serious issue occurred on the third day of our stay after dining at the Italian restaurant. My husband and I both ordered the fish dish, and within an hour we became severely ill with symptoms consistent with food poisoning. We spent the entire night sick, and the following day my husband fainted and required medical attention. We had to pay $250 out of pocket for medical services. After this incident, we were unable to properly enjoy meals or fully participate in our vacation activities for the remainder of the trip. To make matters worse, we were celebrating my husband’s birthday during this vacation. I personally asked a waitress to bring out a birthday cake with a candle, but our request was ignored completely. What should have been a special celebration became another disappointment during an already upsetting stay. The best part of this resort is a beautiful beach

Recently had 14 nights here. It was perfect. Food was excellent everywhere. Our suite was spotless. Enjoyed their no plastic policy. All staff were helpful and friendly. Would perhaps have liked some different to sit of an evening rather than the main entertainment that wasn’t always to our taste.