Royalton Bavaro

Note that we booked in Diamond Club and so used our butler to handle the restaurant reservations. Otherwise booking restaurants each day took some guests over an hour in line to setup.

The hotel feels a bit dated, we stayed in March 2024 and in our room (diamond club) we had several issues:
1. Sliding Bathroom door was broken, it ended up locking a guest in for 30 min, after repairs, it would not close more than halfway without sticking to the floor.
2. Sliding Room partition did not work at all. It was entirely off the track so we could not partition off our room from the main area.
3. The TV's are partially broken with black lines over parts of the screen
4. Very humid in the room regardless of how AC was set.
5. Not enough spots to hang towels and bathing suits. Nothing seems to dry out at all even when hung properly. Every morning we put on cold, wet bathing suits.

Overall the resort suffers the same issues as many others, Lots of seating is "reserved" by ghosts who put a towel down and then are not seen for hours.
Frequently the resort ran out of clean beach towels so you couldn't reserve chairs or dry off properly.

Food was fairly good but most fish, pork and beef were overcooked. Generally the burgers and chicken were the most reliably well cooked.

Expect to do a lot of relaxing or socializing as the activities were limited. There is a mini golf course and one volleyball net is available. Diamond club included access to a "water park", but there are only 6 slides. The water park was close-by but offsite and after 2 hours our kids were done with it. There are also Kayaks and Hobi Cat's available and the wind was always favorable for the sailing.

This is a fantastic place to go and decompress and soak up some sun while never having to worry about cooking or cleaning. But there are cheaper options for that type of vacation. [Details]

Overall, I really enjoyed this resort, and I would go back. It is a typical all-inclusive resort with some wear and tear but if you go in knowing that, and also knowing that wear and tear is normal when you stay right beside the ocean, then you will be fine. The staff were great and accommodating (tips go a long way to help you get what you want/need). We had everything we needed and more. [Details]

Upon arrival at approximately 10:00 pm, six of us were made to wait about 30 minutes to be taken to our rooms. Rooms were okay but sinks were very slow to drain and some of the furniture was old and stained and some walls were gouged. The bathtub in the middle of the room without privacy was a waste of space. It was very impractical as the drain and two buttons which dispersed the water were on the bottom. With every movement, the drain would open as you're sitting on top of it. Very poor design. The flashing light in the bedroom ceiling was constant and it required a mask to sleep at night. [Details]

We stayed at the Roylton Bavaro for two weeks in February 2024, and the whole family greatly enjoyed our stay. The staff were friendly and helpful, entertainment was fun and original, and our room and the grounds were clean and well kept. We felt safe at all times, including the beach area where the security personnel were always present. The diamond club lounge and the assistance of our excellent butlers Ryan and Pedro made our stay comfortable and met our needs well. Our teenage son loved the lazy river, the many pools, mini-golf and numerous activities led by the Vibe team. There was always something to do if we wanted, and plenty of places to relax. Our luxury family room was spacious, had lots of storage, good privacy with the sliding divider wall, plus a large bathroom. We would recommend the Royalton Bavaro and would stay here again. [Details]

I stayed at this resort with my family. My children are 2 and 5 years old. We stayed in the luxury family suite. Overall, the resort was very impressive. The staff was outstanding, always friendly and very hard working. We loved the food and the resort amenities the most. The rooms were a bit run down, and the beds were not the most comfortable. It was easy to overlook these things though because everything else was excellent. [Details]

Overall a great experience at this resort, not overly big resort with a welcoming feel. Food was good, rooms are nice and staff super friendly. Beach was nice and clean and the overall experience of this hotel is great! [Details]

Beautiful resort. Very clean . Friendly staff. Good food.
I highly recommend. [Details]

We just got back from Royalton Bavaro after a week of all terrible experiences that we had with this HOTEL.

Day1 - There was reoccurring issue in pumpage of water. So, we had to take a shower with dripping cold water which totally stopped a few times. This is how both my daughter and my husband got cold and throat infection.

Day2 - Starting 2 am, my husband had become very sick (All symptoms of food poisoning as specialist confirmed at the hospital in the afternoon).

We went to the resident doctor for visit at 9am, he started with the general check up and recommended to go to the hospital (We discussed that with our family physician in Canada when we came back from vacation, and he believes that there were no need for emergency services).
He sent us to the HOSPITEN clinic. Honestly, it was more frustrating than being helpful. They charged us 3000 CAD for all those unnecessary services (Services/medications reviewed by our family physician in Canada) and kept us in the emergency for the rest of the day, we got at the hotel late evening.
I noticed that doctor's consultation, Hospiten's service, and prescribed medications were to make more of each patient rather than a treatment plan. This is not directly relevant to the hotel, the matter is about resident doctor as he claimed to be working for hotel, but in the bill issued by Hospiten, the consult fee was added for him. This is a serious case of conflict of interest and insurance fraud as dealing with health of people, but may impact on hotel's rating as a service provided in the hotel. I reported this to both my insurance companies anyway.

Day3, 4 and 5 - All day in the bed.
We asked for the room services as it was included, but had to wait for couple of hours each time to get basic service such as a cup of soup (Our room was too far from the lobby and restaurants, so we were not able to walk and get some food).

Day6 - I went to the guest service and shared the experience, they offered a pass to the water park at Royalton splash which is 35 usd per person BUT we were asked to sign a paper that mentioning "WE CAN NOT SHARE OUR EXPERIENCE IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA." which I refused it.

Day 7 - We shared our concerns with the SUNWING representative, he got our booking number first and promised to follow up with the hotel, but the next morning he said he can not do anything and advised to fill the claim form at the SUNWING website.

Other items that made our trip more unpleasant.

- We noticed that the hotel staff would expect tip before hand for any inclusive services.

- There was always a lineup in the buffet restaurants.

- The swimming pools and beach were fully packed and too noisy, there was no chance to relax for a moment.

We are luckily back home now and slowly recovering, but still can not forget all awful experiences that we had with ROYALTON BAVARO.
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Recently stayed at this hotel. My experience was as follows:

Arrived on October 27 and was impressed with the cleanliness of the lobby. The check in process was smooth however I could not totally understand the person who assisted us as her accent was quite heavy but many others had a better grasp of the English language. A bell boy came to pick us up and pur luggage and dropped me directly to my room. Very pleasant and accommodating.

The grounds were kept clean every day. The bars were always stocked and the bartenders ready and available to serve you....always with a smile and very courteous. I noticed the bar close to the beach rinsing glasses only but I traveled with my own tumbler and thry gladly filled it no issue...just my preference.

The beach was beautiful, could have been kept a little cleaner but no fault of the hotel or staff but rather all inclusive traveller's who left their manner at home and expecting for others to clean up after their mess.

I had no problem accessing towels. Anyone who complained they did can blame the traveller's who simply left their towels on the loungers all day and night, even though there were plenty of used towel bins they could have used. This posed a problem as other traveller's didn't know if people were coming back to use the loungers snd more times than not they simply didn't which is rude snd unnecessary.

I ate at both the Oceanside and Marche for lunch and dinner. Always had a fresh assortment of food available. The only issue I had (which really wasn't because I dont eat meat often) was the meat was too salty. The wait staff was attentive, filling water glasses and asking if we needed drinks. They work their butts off cleaning tables, setting tables and attending to guests.

My room was always kept clean and towels and fridge was restocked daily. Their is a musty smell from.the humidity but that is expected. I traveller's with some products to help with the issue and seemed to have worked. The beds were very comfortable and the room temp was good also. I had to turn the ac off at night and was surprised that I wasn't hot at all it was perfect.

I wasn't block 16 on the 2nd floor view wasn't bad and we had a bar steps from.the elevator and the Italian restaurant Grazie. Tried going for dinner, one night there was a private function a wedding. Another we needed to be put on a waist list but chose not to so cannot comment on the food there.

As I mentioned earlier I am not much of a meat eater so skipped on Hunters steakhouse and Rio Brazilian steakhouse. I only had breakfast one the last day (fay I headed back home) again great assortment of food.

Entertainment was wonderful we took in the Michael Jackson show, Elvis, Circus, Las Vegas night, white party all amazing.

The Royalton Vibe Crew such amazing young men and women. So much energy, always made me feel like family. They truly make for an amazing stay.

The foam party was lots of fun.

Normally, due to health problems I was worried but I never felt better than I did the week that I was here...not one headache, not one stomach ache, no diarrhea...nothing.. I was worried with the bad reviews before I left. But came to the conclusion that some people are just miserable and didn't take basic necessary precautions.

I would definitely recommend this hotel to family and friends and I hope to return again. [Details]

beautiful hotel, rooms are amazing. Lots of choice for food. Great day animation. Lazy river is the best! Would recommend the hotel to invest in better night shows and activities at night, we didn't have much to do after dark. We are not really casino person [Details]

Our experience overall was really good with a few little quirks along the way, nothing too serious though. Nothing is perfect in this world! [Details]

there is nothing wrong to say about are stay at this hotel
we will be back for sure [Details]

Overall we were pleased with our stay at the Royalton Bavero.

Pros:
- lots of daytime activities to enjoy (loved the lazy river)
- friendly staff
- very clean property
- lots of food and drink options, including fresh made and gluten free
- food was pretty good overall
- beautiful beach area
- swim up suite was a lovely upgrade
- rooms were spacious and very comfortable

Cons:
- wait times for dining were often long
- response to requests took a long time or many “asks” before getting what we needed (eg a blanket)
- night time entertainment was underwhelming [Details]

Had a wonderful family vacation for the 2nd time at Royalton Bavaro over Ontario March Break 2023 with Diamond Club. Our first visit was May 2022 no Diamond Club and we stayed in a Presidential One Bedroom Suite both times in building 18. Kids were 4 & 2 on first trip. The upgrade to Diamond Club was nice. Highlights include more relaxed check-in, breakfast at oceanside, easy dinner reservations and a day-pass to Royalton Splash. Staff are wonderful and Hunters & Rio were our favourite restaurants. Would consider another Royalton vacation again in the future. [Details]

staff fantastic food great and very clean [Details]

Just returned from a wonderful stay at the Royalton Bavaro and we can't wait to go back! We did the diamond club and we found it well worth it. The pools are great - the DC pool is a little more laid back, the infinity pool has more of a party vibe! The lazy river and splash pad and flow rider surf machine are great for the kiddos.
The beach was amazing. Very little seaweed. The food was pretty good - we loved Zen and Rio and loved the Oceanside for breakfast.
And the staff were absolutely wonderful.
Overall we would highly recommend this resort and we looking forward to returning! [Details]

Disappointed! We picked our rooms ahead of our stay and did not receive them. Only to be sent to different rooms with no warning or explanation. We are still waiting for our refund. The buffet was not good. Most of us chose to skip meals rather than fight for a piece of bacon or pizza. Get up early if you want a chair at the pool. I mean very early.... we would go at 7 am and have very little option. And now lets talk about the process for dinners. By day 3 we figured out how to get into the a la carte restaurants with a 1.5 hour wait but, prior to that we were lied to constantly from the staff at the Hunter Steak house regarding timing of our dinner. Lining up at 530pm to get buzzed for supper at 930 pm is unacceptable. If you like the beach, be prepared for the seaweed. Although, the lazy river and hidden bar was tonnes of fun! This resort is not worth the money. 3.5 star at best. [Details]

Overall very nice hotel, lot's to do with kids. [Details]

Great hotel location for families. Lots of food selections. Lots of activities for the kids and it was very clean and staff was very friendly. [Details]

Another good royalton resort. We've stayed at many different ones and this is the same. Very good. My kids spent most of their time in the lazy River and flow rider. [Details]

Overall, an enjoyable experience and would highly recommend this resort to anyone looking for a great vacation! [Details]

Hotel was clean, nice variety of food ( Italian, Japanese, Brazilian, American, Streakhouse, Buffet) establishments. The staff was good, the shows at night were very pleasant and entertaining. I would recommend the hotel to a friend. [Details]

Beautiful place, beautiful service, specially we would to recognize Kennedy Guzman who took a very special care of us at the beach, very friendly and reliable. If Kennedy was not available Miguel Carmona took over, who would found a nice and shade place for us. Mostly all the people at the beach were very helpful, at breakfast at Marche Roberto Roman was excellent, one day my husband was not feeling very good and he made prepare him a drink to settle his stomach, very friendly and efficient, we always look for him every time we walk in this place, some time even at dinner, we will never forget the friends we made there, thank you very much

Carlos and Ana Maria Cosimo [Details]

Hotel room was spacious, however there was weak water pressure in the shower, our phone did not work, some drawers and lamps were damaged and unusable. We asked for additional pillows multiple times since we were 3 adults and 1 child and did not receive them. Breakfast buffet was great but lunch and dinner were lacking. Service in the buffet by waiters were great. Front desk and hostesses at the al carts were horrible. Beach was great. My son caught hand foot and mouth while at the resort and even though we visited the onsite doctor it was not reported to management until I notified my vacation carrier. Ended up spending half my vacation locked in our hotel room to prevent others children from catching HFM from my son. [Details]

The overall experience was great, the pool entertainment and kids club was good. The staff is friendly. This resort is beautiful and clean. The rooms are spacious and tasteful.
A few minor complaints are that the mini fridge was never refilled, I would expect at least to get a few bottles of water, rather than having to get it from the lobby bar. The second complaint was that I was not able to enjoy the beach as it was full of seaweed. Some resorts were better at trying to keep the beach clean.
Lastly the night entertainment could use some improvements.
Overall it was a nice and relaxing vacation. [Details]

We were a family of 4 ( 2 2) kids ages of 10&13 yrs old.
We had the presidential 1bdr suite and paid extra to get the the Diamond club perks.
Check in at DC was fast, so was the check out. Even if its written upon availability early check in, our room wasn't available until 16h30 and it was the case for most people so don't count too much on early check ins.
It also says Diamond club gets preferred location , also not true, we were in building 18 with no view of the ocean even partial, because the DC buildings are 19 and 20.
Our butler was useless, we had amenities missing in our room (since it's not a diamond club room) .
We feel that we did not get what we paid for as a Diamond club, we felt cheated and the upgrade was really not worth it.
Rooms are as advertised, comfy spacious.
Restaurants, food was ok overall, the Zen hibachi was the best for us, Hunter be VERY patient, very slow service. Italian was just ok and the buffets were ok, I've seen better.
Entertainment at night Tues. circus show and thurs magic show were the best...the rest of the nights you won't miss much.
Beach, yes full of seaweed, so for beach lovers you will be disappointed, not the hotels fault but still they could make a better effort to pick up the grass.
Service mostly good, lazy river fun, mini putt 9 holes also fun.
Flowrider $15usd for 15 min …free for diamond club members from 9am to 10am and from 2pm till 3pm the rest of the times everyone pays.
Waterpark $35usd per person, free for DC and there was always 2 slides closed during our 2 visits , and the wave pool only worked once for 15min during our 2 visits. Bus leaves hotel every morning at 10am and 1pm returns are at 1pm and 4pm.

we will not return to this hotel , nor any Royalton hotels, the diamond club experience was a huge let down for us, we did not get what we paid extra for and left with a bitter taste. No effort was made by no one , not even a manager came to talk to us even when asked for.
If you go as a regular then you could be pleasantly surprised, but to pay hundreds or a thousand or 2 to have a butler just to make reservations for you or text you the daily activities (which you could find everywhere throughout the resort) not worth the buck.
Covid , masks were mandatory in restaurants while walking , at the tables no, at the buffet everyone touches the utensils. For Canadians, PCR tests are done on site at a cost of $90usd per person, results in within 24-48hrs.
hope this helps [Details]

Good experience overall
Love the circular layout of the lobby and all the little tables to relax at. All colours were creamy and mellow making everything look classy
Spectacular and clean beach but small and crowded
Food good except for Japanese and Italian
The buffet food was much better [Details]

The hotel was great. Clean, accommodating and comfortable with activities for everyone. [Details]

The resort is great, rooms are very nice (although they could be cleaned better) the beach is breathtaking but crowded and hard to find a chair. The pools are great and so is the lazy river. Food is amazing....although the main dinner buffet always has a line up to get in (which I've never seen at any resort) and once you sit, good luck getting a drink ( we would eat our whole meal before getting asked if we wanted a drink). We also did encounter rude bartenders and waiters with no manners and would speak bad about us in Spanish which I understood. Don't get me wrong, there were many nice servers but the rude ones really stood out as we haven't really seen that in Mexico which we have been to often. Swim out room are highly recommended especially if u have children. My kids loved it. You can't make reservations for any of the restaurants so u have to wait every night to see if they have space. And the oriental cooking show is the only one that takes reservations but u have to line up at 7:30am and wait for the booking to open at 8 to get a spot, that's a bit crazy. The Brazilian restaurant is the only one we got to go to as it kind of hidden so not many people know about it. [Details]

Overall a great vacation! [Details]