i dont want to write a long review but i travel every year this being my third time to dominican republic i know what to expect
the resort was beutiful lots of green . food decent beach was amazing, althow the resort was big it was easy to get around we never waited more than 5 min for a troly . our wedding went well it was everything i had hoped for

if you are planning a trip to dominican republic i would have to say give this place a try you will not regret it , dont forget to bring an open mind your not in your own country

We booked through Apple Vacations and saved a ton of money on the included airfare by going from Tues-Tues rather than Sun-Sun or Sat-Sat. We flew out of Newark NJ on an early morning flight with Continental. Before we even landed in Punta Cana, we heard a group of people complaining about the resorts in the DR in general - which begged the question, why are you even on this flight?? Misery definitely loves company and some people are obviously just not happy unless they have something to complain about.

The worst part of our trip was Punta Cana airport, and even that wasn't so bad - just a lot of standing in line and a little disorganization - I think there just isn't much necessity for it in a place that is basically a vacation airport, not busy and used by business and pleasure passengers alike like somewhere like Newark. The Wendy's was definitely a huge plus though! Also, there are guys that will wheel your luggage for you which I thought was really unnecessary and seemed like they just wanted a tip. Just tell them no thank you.

My boyfriend and I are in our twenties and have never been on an all inclusive vacation before. He's been abroad once and I've done a lot of traveling in Europe and the Mediterranean. We kept checking the reviews here and really didn't know what to expect of the resort.

Honestly, I don't know what the complaints are about. First of all, the staff are wonderful and so accommodating. You don't have to tip anyone to get exceptional service either - they'll go above and beyond regardless - but they sure deserve the tips they do get. We tipped our maid and requested more beer & less soda in our fridge, which she did every day. The bartenders are fun and great to talk to as are the drivers of the shuttle train. The waiters at the a la carte restaurants were professional & friendly too and the tables were always cleared of empty plates and drinks. Your wine or water glass was never empty. Try to make the effort to speak Spanish - it's a lot of fun and they do appreciate it. We learned how to say 'how do you say ... in spanish?' which was a fun way to have conversations with the bartenders. Everyone seemed to have very good English too but for some reason some people seemed to be unable to understand their accents. I have no clue why it was so difficult...it really seems like some people live under a rock or think the world revolves around them. I heard one American woman come up with a ridiculous drink order and then got upset when the bartender was confused by what she was asking - it was something that would have probably confounded any American bartender too. Some guests were also just downright obnoxious and rude when making requests. If you are friendly and make an effort, they respond appropriately - if you are rude, flippant, stubborn, demanding, etc it's not appreciated by both the staff and other guests who have to listen to you. These guests were in the minority, though, as most people we met were friendly and were oddly enough having a great time and enjoying themselves.

Also keep in mind it's not just Americans visiting the resort...so there will be women going topless on the beach and there might be some additional language barriers when you're trying to talk to other people. Just embrace it and enjoy yourself instead of finding things to complain or judge people about!

As far as the food, we really liked the breakfast buffet at both El Gaucho and La Hispanola. We mostly ate breakfast at El Gaucho because we'd go to the beach or pool right after to swim & sunbathe. There was plenty to choose from. Some things were twists on American and European foods, so they weren't exactly like home but were definitely good. My boyfriend really liked the custom omelette station and we also enjoyed the freshly made donuts. There's fresh fruit and juices, yogurts, cereals, bread, bacon, eggs, potatoes, waffles, pancakes, french toast, etc. For lunch we ate at La Hispanola because we enjoyed sitting by the pond. It was pretty good and there were American & Italian stations in the buffet where you could get pizza, pasta, fries, burgers etc in addition to the buffet food which was a mixture of different things...salad bar, lasagna, different kinds of fish, vegetables. We also got hot dogs and fries a couple times at the snack bar at the beach when we didn't feel like leaving the beach. For dinner we ate at each a la carte restaurant. El Gaucho was my personal least favorite, I got the angus steak expecting it to be char-broiled/grilled but instead I think it was fried. It was greasy and I don't like my steak that way. My boyfriend got the argentinian steak though and said it was very good. The caesar salad with steak there was good too. The chinese was good, the wait staff there were a lot of fun and the food was good. I had the cashew chicken. For dessert, order the fried ice cream, they bring it out and set it alight in front of you. We liked the piano player at Chopin & thought it was a unique touch. The bartender there was also very cool & the food was good, the roasted chicken especially. Bella Pasta was okay but we are from the New York City area and I think are a little spoiled when it comes to amazing Italian food so we weren't really overly impressed. Our favorite restaurant by far was the japanese. The food was excellent and it was a lot of fun, and we got to share a table with a fun family.

Also, a quick word about the 'musty smell' in the bathrooms - when we arrived, our room was clean and the bathroom smelled fresh. I noticed that after taking a shower, it smelled a little damp or musty. So, being logical, I closed the bathroom door, hung up the towels and bath mat, and opened the window. The smell is just from the humidity and after you shower the bathroom needs to air and dry out. That's why there's no AC and a window in there!! This was common practice every where else I went in Europe and seems like common sense but you you never know. The smell went away after the window had been open for a half hour or so and the steam from the shower dried up. My boyfriend is also an architect and noticed a lot of very clever touches to the buildings of the hotel, the ventilation, etc. It seems like everything serves a purpose and the lack of AC & window in the bathroom is no exception, so use it!

The Anamacion staff were great as well and work so hard, and such long days - they are out on the beach in the morning and then putting on shows for you at 10pm at night! We liked all the shows as well and though the dancers were talented. The comedy show was really cute and made us both laugh. I didn't find any of it to be cheesy. The band that plays at the main building was also very good and we enjoyed listening to them play the Carribean style music much more than covers of pop songs. They also had a beach party which was a lot of fun, and Apple Vacations held a BBQ the first night we were there with a nice buffet and music - unfortunately after dinner it started to rain but it was fun while it lasted! (It did rain a couple of times - usually for an hour or so very hard, then it stops and the sun comes out).

If you want to have a good time here all you have to do is loosen up - dance, learn some Spanish, be friendly, eat lots, get plenty of sun, and relax, and you will have a great time. There really is nothing to complain about at all. We can't wait to get some friends together and go back next year.

We have just returned from a 2 week stay at the Bavaro Princess.
My fiance and I arrived at the Bavarol Princess On April 12th/08 with 57 guests. We were getting married at the resort on April 16th/08. We are a young couple, 27 and 32 years. I would like to give some advice to future bride/grooms who are looking at getting married at this resort.

First of all, when It comes to your luggage. Please make sure that your suitcases are clearly labeled with your name(s) and home address. Make sure you lock all your luggage. We flew with Skyservice. Everyone got their luggage when we arrived at the Dominican Airport except my husband to be! This has nothing to do with the resort. It was the airlines fault. Skyservice is not our #1 choice anymore. When my now husband did recieve his bag 2 days later, there were things missing out of it. Thank god his suit was there!!!

We arrived late at night, so most people just got settled into their rooms and hung around the lobby bar until it closed. This resort is fairly big. You need to use the shuttle service to get around. We never had any problems finding a shuttle. The come every 5-10 mins.

Being that it was our wedding week and we would be spending our honeymoon there the next week, we requested a room upgrade. Upon arrival, we were given Room #131 in building #13. It was just a regular room.

Our wedding planner Francelia was very helpful and attentative. You have the choice to have your wedding on the beach or at the Gazibo. At the last minute, we chose to have our wedding at the gazibo. It is more private. On the beach, there are tons of people all around. Way too many people to worry about when it came time for nice pictures. The ceremony was flawless and quick. Probably around 10 minutes,if that. Our photographer was provided by the hotel. Pictures are taken at the ceremony site and then we went to the beach. He did a great job. We had good weather and a beautiful day. If you have the chance to choose, pick a wedding time later on in the day. 3:00pm was what we had.

If you are wondering about using the hair salon...Don't worry! These ladies did a fabulous job on my bridesmaids hair. Since my sister is a hairstylest, she did my hair. Hair was $60/person. The spa is where the hair salon is. It is pretty upbeat and very nice. It is a relaxing place to be when you need to be pampered.

We had the beach party. This is an extra cost, but it's worth it if you have a larger group and you want it to be more private. Francelia also organized the reception. We had a buffet dinner with a d.j and a bartender. Everyone in our party was impressed with that food that night. Our reception was from 8 pm to Midnight. We made our own cd's for our reception.

There are 2 pools on the resort. My only concern was about the main pool with swimup bar. It is the fact that it was packed all day every day, but you don't really see people getting out of the pool to go to the washroom. I'm sure it's like that at every resort. Some people just forget their respect when they've had a few too many.

The 2nd pool was up by the main lobby. It is quieter and families tend to hang out there. Me and most of my group stuck to the beach. The beach is amazing! Clear water and beautiful sand. Beach chairs were available, some were broken though. Getting a beach hut was hard, unless I guess you wake up early enough.

We upgraded to the Platinum rooms. It's $30/day/person, but it's worth it!! We had a bit of a problem doing so, but my husband is good with his words. They were telling us it was all sold out! Later on that day we were given room #714. So much better than Room #131. The platinum service gives you so many options. Premium Liquor, Beer...Corona, MGD and Presidente. Free internet access, Free room service 24/7 and other little perks. The only dowfall to having the primium wrist band, was when you wanted a primium drink, Ie: Beer...they would tell you they ran out of it. This happened a couple of times. I would ask for a corona or MGD and they told me that they had run out. My husband would go up right after me and they would serve him......I don't know what was up with that? This happend in the lobby and at the beach bar.

The ala carte restaurants are good. You have to book them 2 days in advance. Out of them all, the Bella Past (Italian) wasn't too appetizing. El Gacho (Steak House), is good. The argentinean steak is amazing, try it! Tanuki (Japanese) is worth the try. You won't be dissapointed. You get your own chef and your food is made in front of you. Sakura (Chinese) was fairly decent as well. Chopin (French) had amazing fillet mignon. The Licey restaurant is where there is an extra $. With your wedding package and Platinum upgrage you get a free meal. Well worth it! Amazing red wine and food. As for the Seafood restaurant, we didn't eat there. We are not big on seafood.

The grounds workers work round the clock to keep this resort in imaculate condition. Everyone takes the time to greet you and say hola! It wold be wise to take some mosquito repellent and after bite. I did get bitten the first 3-4 days we were there. The mosquitos came out at night.

Entertainment staff do a good job at night. Beach partys are on Sundays and are so much fun! Nightly entertainment starts by the lobby at 10 pm. It is worth watching. I would reccomend doing some of the tours. We went ziplining. It was fun! We also went on a Carribean Cruise. This is where you snorkle with fish, swim with nurse sharks and sting rays! Well worth it! Loved it!

As for people getting sick on this trip. Yes, they did. We did travel with a group of 57 people. Most of which liked to enjoy the sun, drinks and food. I believe that the stress leading up to the wedding led to some of our problems. My husband and I were sick at least 1 day. Just remember to keep hydrated through out the day, don't eat anything that you wouldn't at home and remember you will pay for the amount of booze you consume!! The sun in the Dominican is STRONG! Use an SPF of at least 30.

There seems to be a waste plant on the resort. In my opinon, it is a little too close to some of the rooms. I did feel sorry for anyone who was in buildings 20-23. There is a terrible foul smell that amounts from this plant and carries it's way through this part of the resort. It is one of the resorts negatives.

Last...some of our group did have some issues at the Dominican airport. Some people did have things taken out of their luggage. They realized this when they got home. The resort does have a machine to wrap your luggage. It is at the front of the lobby and is open 9-4 pm. The cost is $7usd/bag. It is well worth it. We did it and didn't have any other problems going home.

Beware though, if you have a bag that has exceeded it's weight requirements. They WILL make you pay at the Dominican airport. Try your best to keep your weight under or at requirement. (I know first hand, not so easy to do!). They were telling us and some of our guest that their Visa machine was broken (Convienently) and that we had to pay them cash. We all know what they were doing with the $. Ours included!

Overall, your vacation is what you make of it! You are in another country and you choose to visit. Not everyone is out to interrupt your vacation, there are alot of hard working people. Make sure you give a little to get a little. This resort may need a bit of upgrading, but overall it is a very nice resort and staff work their butts off to insure that we are having a good time.

Best of Luck!!

My husband and I stayed at the Bavaro Princess from 26 April to 3 May. The Resort was breathtakingly beautiful and we had a wonderful vacation. We booked through Sunwing who book you into what they call 'junior suites.' We were leary of these rooms after reading other reviews and tried to upgrade prior to departure. Our travel agent advised us to wait and see what the rooms were like before doing an upgrade. We took the advice but ended up upgrading once we saw them. The junior suites are located as far from the beach as you can get and the room they gave us did not have a terrace or a balcony. We upgraded immediately and got a beautiful suite close to the beach. Yes, they are a little on the older side and there is a musty smell but they are very spacious, quite pretty, and are kept very clean by the extremely hard working staff. We had a nice balcony where we sat to have our morning coffee and relaxed in the late afternoons and in the evenings after dinner. The grounds, restaurants, and beach are all beautiful. The staff are friendly and helpful. We did find the language a bit of a barrier...but we managed! We saw no bugs... not even mosquitos! I didn't need to use bug spray at all! It was extremely hot and humid while we were there. We had a lot of sunshine and a couple of overcast days which were rather welcome after getting sunburned! We used SPF 30 and had to switch to 45 when 30 didn't even seem to cut it! It poured rain a couple of times but the rain didn't last and it came either in the evening or early in the morning. I recommend carrying an umbrella when you head out to dinner as the rain can roll in rather quickly! The food was pretty good. It was always easy to find something to eat with the large selection of restaurants and food choices available. We walked the beach and thought that our resort had the nicest one we saw. We took the 'Caribbean Festival' excursion which was awesome! It is a half day excursion where you get to snorkel at a coral reef and swim with sharks and stingrays. There is entertainment, snacks, and drinks provided on the boat. It was an amazing time and I highly recommend the experience. It also allows you to get a glimpse of the real Dominican Republic. It was an eye-opener to see the poverty, slums, and garbage that was just outside the gates. There are alot of beach venders trying to sell their wares 'cheapy! cheapy!' We bought a couple of things but if you just shake your head 'no' they pretty much leave you alone. We left a tip for our maid every day and tipped at restaurants and bars. These people work very hard and deserve to be rewarded for their efforts. I also left gifts for the maid each day but next time I will just leave money. We never reserved chairs on the beach and didn't have any problem finding available ones when we looked. The house band provided good entertainment up at the lobby in the evenings and the drinks were always tasty (I liked the coco locos, pina coladas, and merengues!). You do have to request alcohol in some varieties of drinks as they'll give you 'virgin' ones if you don't. We both got the infamous runs but we took our meds and carried on! The resort is huge but there is a trolley available if you don't feel like walking. My husband and I walked everywhere. It only took a few minutes to walk from the beach to the lobby and the grounds are so beautiful to walk through both during the day and at night. I highly recommend this resort. You just have to keep in mind that it is a foreign, tropical country where the lifestyle and climate is very different from ours. We thoroughly enjoyed our Dominican vacation. Just embrace the whole experience and you're in for a great time!!