Catalonia Bavaro Beach, Golf & Casino Resort - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

15607 reviews

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  Better places to choose from for the amount of money I spent

  Food was not good and lacked variety. The towel person by the pool was HORRIBLE and rude to me and my friends as well as the pool bartenders. They were slow and showed know effort, including the main one Carlos. Every 5 minutes at the beach I get harassed by people trying to sell me stuff that I don’t want. Lastly, absolutely nothing to do after 12 at night and all the bars shutdown for the younger crowd.

  Mar 30, 2025
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  Catalonia Bavaro - Punta Cana March 2025

  Review Revised Pros Amazing Bartenders – The bartenders, especially at the Palamino bar, were outstanding. Hector, Lucas, Luis, and Marielba made our experience unforgettable with their energy and friendliness. We even spoke to their manager one evening to compliment his ability to hire great staff and seemed to genuinely appreciate the feedback. Reliable Wi-Fi – The resort has fiber-optic Wi-Fi with strong coverage, even on most of the beach. Great Group Dining – The buffet offers a different cuisine daily, similar to other all-inclusive resorts we’ve visited. The variety and quality were solid. Kenia and Maria Belen at the entrances were always welcoming and made my wife feel special by calling her Bonita and giving us all a hug. Friendly Staff – Most of the staff were warm and accommodating, with some going above and beyond to enhance our stay. Beautiful Beach & Sandbar Experience – The beach was gorgeous, and we loved visiting the sandbar, where we saw a variety of fish, including Sergeant Majors and Pompano. Bringing bananas and buffet scraps in a Coke bottle attracted many fish (and curious guests). We captured some amazing underwater footage with our GoPro. Nice Pool & Atmosphere – The pool was enjoyable, though often crowded. The swim-up bar was a popular spot. Scenic Resort Grounds – The resort’s main pathway is beautiful, featuring small ponds, hammocks, and daybed perfect for a peaceful escape from the pool’s chaos. Quality Dinner Restaurants – The à la carte restaurants provided excellent dining experiences. The Rodeo Steakhouse and Japanese restaurant were our favorites. Ongoing Improvements – The resort actively maintains and upgrades its facilities. During our stay, they were installing travertine tiles on the walkways while ensuring paths remained accessible. The Dominican people, both inside and outside the resort, were generally very kind. While we noticed a few exceptions, overall, their hospitality stood out compared to other destinations we’ve visited, such as Mexico. ⸻ Cons Misleading “Free” Golf – The advertised “free” golf was deceptive. While included in the package, a mandatory $60 cart fee applied. The booking process was frustrating, with lost reservations and the only reservation desk located at the golf clubhouse shed. We ended up playing at premium local courses with resort transportation instead. Overcrowded Pool – The single pool is too small for the resort’s size. A second pool on the opposite end would significantly improve the experience. Other resorts we’ve visited had lazy rivers and interconnected pools, which would work well here. Outdated Base-Level Rooms – The standard rooms are in desperate need of renovations. Our first room had a broken refrigerator, crooked and damaged light fixtures, and 220V outlets (common in Europe), making charging devices and using hair accessories difficult without a converter. Fortunately, we spoke with Jose at the information desk, who was very helpful. He connected us with the assistant manager, who upgraded us to a Plus room at no extra charge. This made a huge difference. If we return, we’d book a Privileged or Exclusive room, but the additional cost is something to consider when choosing a resort. Limited A/C Control – The room A/C was capped at a minimum of 23°C (74°F), which was warm but still felt refreshing after being outside. The ceiling fan above the bed helped. Inconsistent Housekeeping – Some days, our room wasn’t cleaned at all, requiring us to call for towels and washcloths. The timing was unpredictable—sometimes early in the day, sometimes as late as 5 PM when we were getting ready for dinner. Late Dining Hours – Restaurants open at 6:30 PM, which was an adjustment for us as Americans who typically eat earlier. We eventually got used to it, but it’s something to be aware of. Limited Protein Options at the Buffet – While the griddle stations provided fresh eggs, steak, and chicken stir-fry, the pre-prepared meat options were often unappetizing. The bacon was particularly bad, but asking the griddle chefs to cook it longer improved it significantly. Lackluster Front Desk Experience – Check-in could have been smoother. The staff spoke limited English and weren’t particularly welcoming. It would have been helpful if they had suggested grabbing a drink at the nearby bar or taking a beach walk while waiting for our room. They offer a complimentary watermelon drink, but we had to figure that out ourselves and serve it on our own. We had a terrible experience with one of the managers, Sosa, at the Rodeo Steakhouse. He was extremely rude and unprofessional. When we asked our waitress if he was always like that, she said yes. It’s shocking that Catalonia would put someone like him in a leadership role. He showed no respect for guests or even his own staff. Seaweed Issues – The beach was beautiful, but like most beaches in the area, they struggle with seaweed. The staff does a good job raking it up daily, but it’s a constant battle. Most of the swimming area also has seaweed, which can make it difficult to find clear spots to swim. During one of our walks on the beach, about a mile to the north, we noticed another resort that had taken the initiative to remove all of the seaweed plants from their swimming area, making the water and beach much more presentable. Language Barrier – Most staff speak limited English, except for bartenders and managers. Promotions seem to be partly based on English proficiency. ⸻ Other If you don’t know Spanish, brushing up before your trip would be helpful. ⸻ Final Thoughts This resort has many great aspects, amazing bartenders, beautiful scenery, and strong Wi-Fi but also some drawbacks, such as room quality, pool crowding, and inconsistent service. If you’re considering a stay here, upgrading your room and preparing for some minor inconveniences can make for a much better experience.

  Mar 29, 2025
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  Horrible, go somewhere else.

  Just got back from Catalonia hotel. I had to switch rooms twice, first I requested 1st or 2nd floor and I am talking about privilege rooms I got 3 rd floor. Next day I got the 1 st floor which was great at first, but then I notice bathroom smelling so bad, you could not sleep from the smell. I requested to change the room again and I was meeting resistance by front desk staffers. Finally I got a room on 2 nd floor. Again, Looked great the problem was the refrigerator wasn't working and I had to use the refrigerator for the breast milk for the baby which eventually all got spoiled. I called 4 times to switch the refrigerator no one cared. Also, at buffet god forbid if you get cofffee or water without tipping the worker. Which is fine because I know they get used and abuse by hotel but come one leave the water available so I can grab it my self.

  Mar 29, 2025
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  Beach club

  10/10 people were very friendly and nice drinks were.nice hector an Lucas made my night mixing drinks and chatting with me everyday would definitely recommend. 10/10 environment very comfortable happy bar to sit and enjoy a drink and talk to your surroundings.

  Mar 29, 2025
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  Beach club

  Pearl beach club has the best drinks especially from lucas and hector they are really nice cool guys good to talk to and made a lot of special drinks for us to try when we didn’t know what to get, will be coming back for sure next year just to see these guys

  Mar 29, 2025