Ifa Bavaro Village

We arrived to ifa resort and were taken to our room that was at the very back of the resort. We asked for a king bed and received 2 double beds .
No mini bar , plaster falling of ceiling and walls. Bathroom was tiny.
They wanted more money to upgrade our room and we did but wasn't much better . The service was absolutely horrible at this resort. Rude staff . Everyone that we met had the same complaints as us .
The food and drinks were good and the sun was shining so we made the best out of a horrible resort.
I don't recommend this resort to anyone. [Details]

Stayed with a group of 4 friends, 2nd week of December. I did not bother upgrading to the renovated suite, but should have. They should not offer the non-renovated suites because it is lower quality than bad hotels in cuba..roaches, bad mattresses, bad plumbing. AC was good in the old building tho! Food was good, drinks not so much, i found thier wine to be terrible. Staff were great, service overall was very good. Pools were shabby looking, need repainting because degrades overall look of the hotel. If you manage to catch a ride to the beach than its very fast but it is seldom you get that lucky! Beach is great for swimming but not so much for relaxing- helicopters, construction, boats make it very loud and smelly. [Details]

It is a good resort but slow response from the staff and even tipping wouldn't get you far. We had a flood in the room for the first night and we where given another room with no hot water and air condition, take me two days to get a proper room. The management is poor in the hotel and the manager is not effective. The food and entertainments are very good. [Details]

While the location is excellent plus, and the service great, the pillows are awful. The rooms could use an upgrade, but they're spacious and clean. Food was meh, but who goes to Punta Cana for a gourmet experience? On a budget? You'll love it! [Details]

On arrival in P. Cana, after exiting Immigration, Customs etc, we were claimed by our airline rep and ushered to bus 84 - relief after approx. 8 hr. flight. Pleasant drive thru the flora & f. and in 20 min. we were welcomed at IFA Village. The staff were so patient when we requested a v. quiet room since my spouse is a very seniorly senior. They searched their lists and gave us a wonderful gnd. level room at the end of a hallway; we dressed for supper and soon rolled into bed.
Next day we found we were only a few yards from swimming pool -huge area and same distance from main dining room. The hilight of this trip was the food - it was superb and we certainly availed of all meal times. The fresh fruit...yum, yum! Good porridge even and about 12 different kinds of croissants and breads. We ate fish at almost every lunch & supper: grouper,sole and lots of calamari. My husband loved the seafood soup too!

This hotel caters to all ages: Even though it was only a 10 minute walk over a grassy lawn to the shore, many were ferried to the beach in little motorized carts!They brought back a load who would want to be early for the next meal. That sand was like pale pink cornflour, beautifully soft. Great beachfront for swimming and (tho' we didn't use them)there were all kinds of speedboats, motorized canoes and catamarands for use,

In fact, there was so much to do that we didn't even book any tours. This has been out best "Sun & Fun" trip ever! [Details]

I've been here 9 times, so it's definetely safe to say this is a great place..Beautiful beach, great entertainers by day & wonderful shows by night..the entertainers are the best of the best, they will definetely add to your vacation experience...the disco is awesome...fantastic DJ'S in both the Teatro & the disco...the spa is also definetely a plus..food is average...some items better than others, if you are not a fussy eater you will be just fine..4 restaurants are pretty good & 2 buffets...The staff is amazingly wonderful!!!! [Details]

Great! Coming back next year! [Details]

I have stayed in nicer 2 star resorts. The grounds are well cared for and the pools nice, and the beach really nice but the room was not clean or nice. We spent a few nights wondering how we would be able to not bring home any cockroaches that we saw running around the room... [Details]

had a fabulous family vacation at IFA.... excellent food, entertainment and clean resort... Resort is full and alive with many international travellers and many languages. [Details]

Endroit fantastique,services hors pair.Personnel charmant à tous les niveaux.Recommandoe cet hôtel. [Details]

the resort was great and so were the people and very helpful. We would return again and recommend it to friends [Details]

Our 6th time at IFA Bavaro Village. It's like going back to the family cottage.
We go because of the staff who are always there year after year with their hugs and their caring attitudes that make us feel like the most important guests.
The beach is amazing [Details]

Staff was very friendly, and professional! A lot of fun and hospitable [Details]

Been to punta cana 9x and this by far is the worst resort. they only have 2 shows which they rotate for the week. The food was terrible unless you like pizza and french fries. The beach is way out there they do have a shuttle from the resort to the beach. Beds are hard had to ask on a daily basis for towels. Really repetitive with the music and shows almost like clockwork. We did book a private boat trip which was AWSOME!! But overall this should be a 3 star max if that. [Details]

The grounds of the resort are very nice, and extreme;y well kept. 5 star quality.

Food and service were extremely hit of miss. 80% of the food we ate was half decent at best, some was awful.

Service was the biggest let down. 20% of teh staff was extremely helpful and generous and appreciated tips. 80% didnt even crack a smile and were terrible.

Had zero hot water for 3-4 days on and off, and each time we called they told us "15-30 minutes", it wa clear they were just trying to get us off the phone.

The language barrier here is also worse the any resort I have been to, they speak almost no english, not even the common stuff. [Details]

the hotel was organized, helpfull staff and clean. A good variety of food choices and very relaxed atmosphere. there was enough of a night life for any age group. [Details]

The resort was nice. It was what we expected. The room was nice and clean however it took a long time before it was cleaned during the day. We stayed in the 3300 block and had no complaints. The bed was comfortable (hard the way we like it) but the pillows were very lumpy. The downfall is that there are no patios to sit outside. The food at the buffet was just ok and repetetive. The a la cartes were good. Our favorite was the Japanese one. We hardly saw the animation employees, they didn't acknowledge anybody and were not friendly. All the employees at the IFA never smiled, it seemed like it was a chore to be there. We never got a hello from them unless we said it first.
On a positive note there are no vendors on the beach. Vendors come on saturday and wednesday to the resort. There are "shopping centres" along the beach if you go for a walk, the vendors come towards you but if you say no they leave you alone. We found that if you don't reserve your chairs early in the morning, either on the beach or at the pools, you will not get any. Shade is hard to find at the beach. The beach is very nice, lots of seaweeds but it is cleaned.
We enjoyed our stay at the IFA but we would not return as we like to try different resorts. [Details]

Hotel was way better than expected, people were nice, food was good, beach was good
Had a wonderful holiday [Details]

I would categorize as a 3-1/2 star tops. Buffet style food was very average; service was average (servers did not appear happy); facility was very crowded. Could not reserve ahead for a la carte restaurants. Room looked old and poorly maintained (sticky windows & doors) although cleaned daily. Very few english-speaking staff or even other guests. Located in a locked compound; not within walking distance of any local village. Nice beach and pools. Warm/sunny weather. Price was cheap but expect to tip well for good service. [Details]

The hotel is quite big. There is a shuttle that will take you around, but mostly we just walked and it was fine! The grounds are well maintained and clean. The beach is large and we could get chairs everyday although we sometimes had to search, but we didn't go down until 11 or noon so that is not too bad! I imagine it would be more difficult at busier times of the year. The property and rooms are very clean! This is the most important thing. The beds are not very good, they are quite hard, but we didn't mind because they were clean and the resort was nice! The food at the buffet is good. You can always find something to eat. The pizza is very good at the snack stand. The fries are also very good. We only tried one a la carte because it was difficult to book them. We tried the "Caribe" it was not very good. It was edible but not worth the wait. The buffet is better. So we didn't bother with any of the other a la carte's, but heard the Japanese restaurant was better! The hotel is not too far of a drive from the airport which is kind of nice. We liked how there is no fence or dock at the edge of the property line on the beach, so you can walk forever along the beach! There are shopping markets on either side of this property which is kind of nice if you want to buy things. They were pretty good about leaving you alone if you said no gracias. We took a glass bottom boat/snorkel tour from some of the people on the beach, 1/4 of the price compared to the hotel! And it was really good! On that note, there seemed to be quite a few activities offered by the hotel both included and for extra.

The staff at the hotel are nice but somewhat indifferent. They would try to help you out as much as they could. It is a big property so there is a lot of staff and a lot of guests. Shout out to Rene at the front desk, he was quite helpful!

We had a beautiful room that looked out onto the beach and ocean. There are no balconies but the windows are large and open up so it is still nice! We were the closest to the beach and it was a 5 min walk from our hotel room! There are some single story villas on the opposite side of the reception, not sure what they cost, I assume more...? But they are much further from the beach. Quiet area though.
There are 3 separate pool areas and a "hot tub" area but the hot tubs are cold. The main pool is busy and more loud, the other two pools are much quieter and less busy. So it is nice to have the option. We spent our time at the beach. [Details]

Hotel exceeded my expectations. IFA has beautiful grounds which seemed to be cared for daily. Love the fact that you can get food all day/night. There is never a minute in the day when no food is available. Only advice I have is that some of the female waitresses need to smile more. Might make a difference in their tips. The maids were so much more friendlier than most of the ladies that serve drinks in Cafe Dominicano! And we were friendly too. And the staff at check in should be a little more welcoming. [Details]

Great staff team behind this hotel. The entertainment group was very hospitable and made the stay very enjoyable and memorable. Shows are amazing, food was expectedly not so good, business services were great. Some flooding from hurricane sandy hit and staff were diligent in redirecting the water from the base of our cabana. Very clean, toilet paper always there...lol, always nice, but not expected in some travel countries. High quality and unique stay! Good price, good purchase. Will go again. [Details]

After reading the numerous negative reviews I have to say we were kinda nervous but after returning all I've gotta say is, if you have nothing better to do then cry and complain, STAY HOME. Anyone who doesn't have fun on ANY vacation has no one to blame but themselves. My eyes were assulted on numerous occassions by large sized hairy men in itty bitty teeny weeny speedo's.... but that's going to happen anywhere when on vacation LMAO. On that note, we stayed for 14 days and really have nothing bad to say.

THE LOCATION = 12-15 minutes from the airport, excellent location.

THE HOTEL = Very clean. They bleached all walk ways including the cobble stones by all three pools and every floor of the hotel rooms EVERY morning! We were room 3207 - directly in front of all the action. LOVED it. Don't be cheap, tip your maid, they REALLY work hard.

THE LANGUAGE - This hotel caters to four main languages, Spanish, English, German and French.

THE FOOD = The food is decent. There is always something for everyone. My breakfast TIP - Choose the beach buffet because it's NEVER as busy as the main buffet by the pool and it's much cooler. The egg line up at the beach buffet is about 1 min long whereby the line up in the main buffet is about 10-15 minutes.... Oh and we never tried the a-la-carte mainly because we couldn't be bothered to stand in the long morning lines to get a reservation.

THE DRINKS - they're NOT stingy so becareful lol

THE BEACH = it's a beach, parts are clean and beautiful other parts were meh. They make the effort all day/every day to clean the beach of seaweed.

THE SHOPPING - On the beach to the left AND right are little flea markets... Becareful, they will absolutely without a doubt take advantage of tourists if they think they can get away with it... As an example my husband wanted to buy two packs of Marlborough lights (smokes) one guy told him it was about 1500 pecos... (converted that's about
$40 CDN) I refused because I forgot my iPhone with my trusty converter app - THANK GAWD! We went to the store in the hotel and they were $200 pecos ($5 bucks)when my husband told the lady what happend on the beach she literally fell over laughing LOL [That happened at the flea market on the right hand side).

THE TOURS - The people selling tours on the beach will ask you but not harass you as long as you don't give them the opening and are firm but polite. If you give them ANY hope of a sale, prepare to spend because they will be persistent.

THE STAFF = Loved them. They are very friendly and worked to the bone (11 days on 3 days off // 12 HOUR DAYS!)so be nice! Just cuz you're on vacation doesn't give you the right to treat the staff like crap (saw this WAY too often).

NO OBLIGATION - When we stayed in Puerta Plata in 2007 (Allegro Playa Dora) the workers begged for my husband to leave our "smelly smelly" or clothing, one worker even asked us to leave all of our son's clothing for his boys(which we did) all kinds of things they asked for. Thinking back on it now, that was SOOOOO rude, but at the time we felt sorry for them so we left practically everything we had brought with us then we went home and sent a barrel back! NOTHING like that happened at IFA - they are very respectful and don't make you feel obligated in any way at all. All the more reason to tip.

THE DISCO = Always rockin' & open till 4am

THE PICALOS = Pizza *delish*

THE GYM = Pretty decent, all necessary cardio machines and I was beyond grateful that they had a SPIN bike! Ok weights & benches etc...

THE SHOWS = A few were really stupid but for the most part, they were pretty good. LOVED the MJ show the "balls" show LOL

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN - To be honest, if your room is some where in the villa section of the #1000's - you'll definitely be walking quite a bit but they do provide a trolly/truck thingie to drive you to and from the beach - I estimate the beach about 10-12 minute walk (if you walk slow...) from the villa's in the 1000's section. If you want near the action ask for the 3000's or near the main pool. If you want a little peace & quiet choose the 1000's - if they ask you about the upgrade for $8 USD pp, in my opinion it's a waste of $$$ - don't bother.

Our ONLY Dislike - the buffet was not air conditioned. My opinion, all restaurants should be completely air conditioned. My husband would sweat from the moment we walked in until the moment we would leave so we always ate in a rush because it was always so uncomfortably hot.

THE INTERNET - I was disapointed because a few websites said that wifi was free in the lobby, it wasn't. $3 USD for 30 minutes or $10 USD for the entire day, draw your own conclusions no options for the duration of your stay except the daily rate ;-/

I would absolutely recommend this hotel. We had a great time ;-)) [Details]

This resort was excellent. Good food, fantastic beach, nice staff and things other 4 resorts we`ve been to don`t have ( we`ve been to the DR 15 times ). The Cafe bar was amazing, great spot to enjoy a drink, coffee or otherwise. The Pikolas pizza hut is great, nice setting for a great pizza lunch or supper if you didn`t feel like the biffet or an alacarte. Air conditioning in our room was very cold. The rooms are nice with a great shower and a separate toilet. This resort with a few additions could be at least a 41/2star. definitely could use palapalas on the beach, some days tough finding a palm tree that wasn`t being used. Fans need to be put in all buildings, like the buffet and the theater.We enjoyed our stay at the IFA and would recommend it to friends....one thing the resort is long, so if you want to be closer to the beach don`t stay in the villas...one more thing the amenities around the villas are very nice, a great bar in the middle of the main pool. also an area of hottubs, to relax in and enjoy a beverage. just a note, there are no rooms that have a bathtub. [Details]

I was not impressed at all with the resort or the staff with the exception of 2 staff members. Anna and Luis from the Pikalo cafe. I found the staff rude and the resort below expectation. air cond. did not work. the panels from shower roof fell on my head with showering the 2nd day. no belconay as the say. the sliding door lock was busted and did not allow us to lock the door. [Details]

From check-in to the buffets, pools, beach, service we could not have asked for a better time. I would definitely recommend and go back to IFA. The staff were completely accommodating and the Dominican people are the friendliest and kindest. [Details]

This is a very nice hotel at a reasonable cost.Same ocean, same sun,same excursions as the high priced hotels!!! The buffets always had a large selection of tasty food. [Details]

Impressed with how clean it was. Its totally what you would expect, sure beds are hard, buffet gets boring,I found the tourists so rude at the buffet, but overall no real problems. I mean when you go to these all inclusives what do you expect? The pics look exactly like what you get. I wish the entertainment started earler, it starts at 10 so not much to do in the evening. [Details]

The resort itself is visually appealing. Grounds well kept and overall clean. Most staff were friendly.
The beds were hard as rocks, the pillows were filled with what I think are chunks of foam...not comfortable at all! There is NO hot water in the morning!
This resort does not serve Presidente beer...they serve Brahma...out of an opened bottle kept in a cooler.
The food is horrible at the buffets and the a la cartes! They do serve pizza and burgers and fries at the bar near the pool which really is the only good tasting food at that resort. The other major downside of eating at this resort is that they allow smoking in ALL the buffets and a la cartes!!! Disgusting!!!!
If you are looking for the beautiful beaches Punta Cana is known for this is NOT the resort you want to be at!!!

Wouldn't go back and would not recommend! [Details]

We had a great time at the IFA Bavaro Village. It was pretty much what we expected as we have traveled to similar resorts for a similar price. Anyone traveling to any 3rd world country has to expect limited english from the staff and have lots of patience, the people who live and work in these counties move at a much different pace than us tourists from Canada, Europe and the U.S. So relax! Isn't that why we
go on vacation in the first place? Take lots of small bills with you as it is very difficult to get change anywhere on the resort. [Details]