First of all....DO NOT BELIEVE THE BAD REVIEWS. These horrible things that people say about this hotel come from ungrateful people who obviously don't realize that when they travel to another country, things WILL be a little different than at home. The resort overall was excellent. I travelled with my boyfriend (we are 20, and 21) from December 12th-19th. The weather was fantastic during our stay with a lot of sunshine and some wind (that really helps with the heat). The beach is very wavy which is extremely fun to play in for older kids, teens, and adults, but I am not sure how well little kids will do in the ocean. The color of the ocean is that gorgeous turquoise color that we all love when it comes to the caribbean. This was my 8th trip to the Caribbean and my 3rd Caribbean country so believe me when I say the beach is GORGEOUS. Bavaro Princess is set on the BEST part of the beach. I have walked many many many miles down the beach each direction and noticed that other resorts are set on beaches with TONS of seaweed so I understand the reviews of seaweed that you may see. But not in front of this resort....seaweed is very minimal. The sand is that white sugary kind of sand that feels wonderful to walk in.

The food is alright when it comes to the buffet. Nothing very special, but the a la carte restaurants like El Gaucho, Bella Pasta, El Licey (which isnt included) are delicious. The food at these restaurants is quality restaurant food and all of the sauces they make for the filet mignon, duck, beef fillet and pastas is phenomenal. I looked forward to going to them for dinner each night.

The shows at night are okay. Lion King was my favorite of them all as well as the white beach party that they had one of the nights that we were there. GO to the beach party and dance! Order a delicious coco loko from the bar and just let loose.

A great word of advice from me is to upgrade to platinum! I don't see why you wouldn't! You get one free dinner at Licey restaurant (which is 60 bucks a person if you werent platinum), you get a room very close to the beach (and believe me this resort is HUGE!!!! Take advantage of the great location of the platinum suites), and you get your own private check-in with a lounge equipped with a coffee machine, snacks, teas, and endless bottles of water (which you will want to have at your disposal at all times, trust me). You also get free room service which is great if you wake up hungry in the morning, but missed breakfast hours and lunch is still an hour or two away. Also room service is great in case you're hungry at night but don't want to put on clothes, get out of bed, and walk ALLLL the way to the buffet for their midnight snack. The platinum beach is also another perk of upgrading to platinum because they give you an area filled with comfortable beds and umbrellas that feel really good when you want to relax after swimming all morning. The regular beach just gets plastic looking chairs that don't look too comfortable. Platinum is only $150 per person, and you get your moneys worth of goodies for sure!

Another word of advice is to PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE bring plenty of one dollar bills (we brought a stack of $100 in 1's for a weeks worth of tipping) and tip very very very well! I was so disappointed to see that not many people tip after eating in the restaurants and at the bars. The dominicans that work here are SUCH hard workers. The average salary in Dominican Republic (after talking to a few workers) is only $150 A MONTH! You can spare some money for tips and make these people smile after they have served you. They are extremely kind people and work even harder for you to provide even better service once they remember that amazing tip you gave them the last time you saw them. Tip the maid, the gardeners after they've given you fresh coconut water to drink, tip the bartenders, and tip the waiters. Please, tip tip tip!

On a last note, I just wanted to say that if you do go platinum, go say hi to Carlos in the platinum beach bar! He is the most amazing person my boyfriend and I had met on this trip. He is hilarious, and really knows how to please people! This guy deserves a raise or promotion or something. He is incredible. We really enjoyed him and so will you!

My husband and I went to the Bavaro Princess Resort in Punta Cana in 2011 and fell in love with this place. The staff is so friendly and helpful, always greet you whenever they see you. There is a mini rain forest within the resort where you can take a hike and see all the different flowers and birds and turtles. It is a little bit of paradise. The beach is long and soft for the feet; the sea is warm and so clear! You will be walking in the water until it reaches your neck, and still see you toes at the bottom. It was my first vacation; maybe that's why I was so amazed; but I was excited to see coconuts trees right beside our room. There is a lot of free and fun activities provided by the staff. Dance lessons, volley ball, introduction in scuba diving, and for a few pesos, you can para sail, have you hair done in thousands of braids, go in a spa, have a guided tour of the main cities and coffee and cocoa plantations and learn how the people live in Dominican Republic. The food is amazing! You have 1 buffet in the resort main lobby and one buffet (for breakfast and lunch) right on the beach! How great it was to have our breakfast, outside, in shade, looking straight at the white sand beach and listening to the waves. I would go back there this instant but reason tells me to go try other places now that we know Dominican Republic. Last, I would say its the perfect place for romantic souls and family with kids. They really thought of everything.

Fantastic holiday for our first trip south, coming back again in April haha. Service was fantastic, the entertainers (especially Alex, Michael & Happy Face) are hilarious, as were the rest of the animation team. The bartenders at the main pool (Yary, Claudio, Johnathan and Melvin) are sure to take care of you. Carlos at the Platinum Beach Bar is a hoot, too. The food everywhere is great, no complaints. The beach is beautiful, the rooms are spotless.
When you wake up, go to the breakfast buffet. If you go there for dinner, get a crepe with banana and chocolate. Then go to the beach, and don't forget to leave a tip for the maid and Roberto (he refills your fridge). If you upgraded to Platinum (suggested) go see Carlos at the beach bar, tell him Robert Deniro sent you. TIP WELL. When you've had enough sun go over to the main pool bar for entertainment at 3, get Michael to do the Thriller dance.

Amazing. Highly recommended. And if there's one thing you do, tip well.

Overall the resort was very clean. Staff was friendly. The grounds staff would cut open coconuts for me every morning so I could drink fresh coconut water. The beach was nice but the water was kinda rough when we were there.
The downside to the resort was the food. There wasn't much variety on the Buffet. Some of the other restaurants were good, such as the fondue restaurant at the neighboring princess resort. They have a special coffee drink that is amazing, and I don't even like coffee