Catalonia Bavaro Beach Golf Casino All Inclusive

Worst resort experience of my life. This started the moment I arrived. I was promised early check-in by reception that morning, got there at 1:30 PM after traveling all night with no sleep, and stood in line repeatedly until almost 4:45 PM in the heat. They don’t notify you when your room is ready—you’re expected to keep getting back in line to ask. The next day, I asked about upgrading my family’s rooms. Instead of giving me a simple answer, they sent me into a 3.5-hour high-pressure “Exclusive Club” timeshare pitch, drove me around in golf carts, fed me lunch, and made it seem like this was the only way to get upgrades. I offered $10,000 cash for their membership after hearing that was around what others paid. They rejected it. The crazy part? The next day I waited in line AGAIN for an hour and found out I could have just paid directly for the upgrades the entire time. So the whole timeshare ambush was completely unnecessary. Then my family arrived and waited another 2.5 hours to check in, only for the front desk to call me from the beach asking me to pay for upgrades I had ALREADY paid for the day before. Then came the rooms. My 90-year-old aunt’s upgraded room flooded for TWO DAYS. Water dripping from the upstairs toilet into her bathroom, water all over the sink and floor, towels everywhere so she wouldn’t slip and break her back. Staff repeatedly told her it was “just condensation” even while it was actively dripping. Housekeeping came multiple times just to mop it up and leave. No fix. My uncle’s room? No running water, toilet wouldn’t flush, sink didn’t work, shower didn’t work. Then there was the famous “lobster party” they advertise—one of the reasons we booked here. The manager himself told me how to sign up, so I walked all the way in the blazing heat to the front desk (which feels like a mile away), sat there for 15 minutes, only to be told there was no lobster party that night because of a “full moon.” A full moon. No one thought to mention that before sending me on another pointless trip across the resort. After seeing how upset I was, they booked us into the Italian restaurant where we could PAY $60 per person for lobster. So the “lobster party” turned into yet another extra charge. And if you’re looking for a full-service, relaxing, pampered vacation—this is absolutely NOT it. At the pool, don’t expect servers coming around. If you want food or drinks, you’ll be hunting them down yourself. If you have an issue with your room, need to make changes, or want room service, be prepared to physically walk all the way to the lobby because trying to call usually gets you nowhere due to communication barriers. On top of that, it feels like every time you turn around, someone is expecting or outright asking for a tip—even when basic service isn’t being provided. Everywhere you turn here, it’s confusion, miscommunication, safety issues, or another attempt to get more money out of you. Problems don’t get fixed—they get explained away. If you enjoy wasting hours in lines, being misled, dealing with billing mistakes, unsafe room conditions, and constantly chasing service, this is the place for you. Otherwise, save yourself the stress and book somewhere else.

Bad experience. Dirty beach with rocks that barely allow entry to the sea. In the lounge chair area, there was a lot of trash like cans, cigarette butts, etc. Few staff members in high-traffic areas and during peak hours (bars-pizzeria-pancake house), which created endless lines to get what one wants. Music at excessive volume everywhere. Food with little variety and low quality (out of the 8 in the group, 6 of us ended up with gastritis). The themed restaurants left much to be desired. What was commendable was the service of the employees, always attentive and smiling. It goes without saying that it does not deserve the 5 stars it claims to have. The same resort in Bayahibe is absolutely of a superior category. I would not return.

Generally speaking, it is a hotel that claims to be 5 stars, and the truth is that it barely deserves two at best. The rooms had problems with bathroom leaks, the shower was broken, and the size of the shower (cubicle) was very small. Sheets with holes and generally worn bedding. Insufficient staff to attend to key areas and during peak hours like in all the bars, pizzeria, pancake house, etc. Food: Little variety and poor quality, huge lines to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner at night. The themed restaurants were terrible; for example, the Asian food one literally served rice with 1 shrimp, the only one that was somewhat decent was the meat one. Out of a group of 8 people, 6 ended up with indigestion. Excessive ambient noise, really loud music everywhere, staff members shouting all day, impossible to relax by the pool. Beach: The worst of all. Garbage everywhere, the unbearable smell on the beach. Lack of cleanliness in the lounge chair area, a lot of trash. My conclusions are based on the comparison of the Catalonia hotel in Bayahibe, which has nothing to do with the one in Punta Cana. Overall, the experience was not very good and we would NEVER return to that place again. Only the good disposition of the staff to help with anything stood out, along with the beautiful, well-maintained gardens.