Joia Bávaro by Iberostar

This is our third time visiting the Grand Bávaro in Punta Cana. I have to say that this third time was the most magical of all. I will start with the general manager. Her name is Jessica Ponce. Jessica made sure that whatever we needed and wanted were available. And believe you me she held to her promise. I asked for dishes that were nowhere near the menu and they were there. Made to perfection by the most incredible chefs in that resort. She said aside a crew that was with us pretty much the whole trip to make sure that we had the most incredible stay. And they did a great job doing it. Angel, the ambassador was so attentive and made sure that everything was to perfection. I’m always hot. Now I understand that being hot there is part of the game. I don’t mind being hot and sweaty when I’m at the beach or at the pool. But not when I’m sleeping or at a restaurant. Angel made sure that I was comfortable at every single moment of the day. My room temperature was perfect and the, restaurants were air-conditioned and comfortable. Our sommelier Jhonny was the best. He made sure that my wife had all the champagne and wine that she needed throughout her visit. Every restaurant or every place that we sat down at my wife, champagne, and or wine were in a bucket waiting for her. As well as my favorite wine. he was also more than just a sommelier . One time he asked me if I wanted something to eat and I said I just wanted simple hamburger. He made the chef make me a gourmet hamburger that was absolutely out of this world. I’m telling you the staff at the grand made the impossible,possible. Chef Renzo made me all the dishes uniquely for me alone. At the prestige at the beach, you will find Augusto and Manuel. Those two guys will cradle you with attention and love. They are so much fun and such a pleasure to be around. They make you feel like family. there’s not a drink in the world that they do not know. Their motto is if it doesn’t exist, they will invent it. And yes, I saw a few inventions being made that day. The grand also has their own mixologist. His name is Kavil. Kavil makes exotic drinks. My wife likes Moet Chandon champagne. He made her a smoked Moet Chandon with a dessert underneath. That was something that we’ve never seen nor tried but was absolutely amazing. I love scotch so it’s nothing unusual to have a smoked scotch sour. But he makes a smoke scotch sour infused with other herbs and spices that is absolutely out of this world. Now I tried his smokes scotch sour last year. I had to wait an entire year to have it again and believe me it was worth it. Felix is the chef at the poolside. He makes great hamburgers and other dishes as well. Bottom line is you will not be disappointed at this resort. Whatever you want whatever you dream of they will have it there for you. Our Butlers Cofe and Reynaldo we cannot forget about them. Everything that we needed every morning was there without fail. Whatever we needed they were there. I’m telling you this

The resort was big and so beautiful very quiet and relaxing. Food was amazing. Staff was so kind and helpful and very attentive which we loved. Our Butlers Armando & Robert went above and beyond for us making us feel very welcome & comfortable. Anything we needed they were able to accommodate and if we had any questions answered us in a quickly manner. Definitely would recommend many to stay here and ask for them specifically. Our bartenders Brandor & Jacinto made us great drinks & provided us with great service would defiantly stay here again. The beach was clean and with amazing views. And the servers brought us drinks in a timely matter to the beach and pool. Excursions were fun and affordable. Recommend the boat party & swimming with sharks and stingrays a little scary but very worth the experience!

This was a WOW experience. We have been fortunate enough to stay at many adults only resorts - Excellence resorts, Zoetry, and Secrets. Our experience was beyond expectations. From a great check in experience with Daniel, to wonderful butlers Danilo/Edwardo, the staff went over and above to enhance the experience. It seemed they delivered our thoughts before we even thought of them. The pools and beach are both amazing. As the resort was only at 40% occupancy, we did not worry about the ‘chair game’. In fact we had the same day bed every day. This is not a contemporary resort but for us it was refined, polished and gorgeously furnished with a stunning attention to detail in the rooms and all public areas. Not a foodie but if you like good, fresh, and a wide variety it was all that. We ate at all restaurants Good food, fast and friendly service. We ate at the buffet for breakfast and lunch everyday and our last night for dinner. Jaw dropping selection at the buffet. The vibe of resort is relaxed, friendly, intimate and mature. This resort ‘checked all the boxes’ - in fact it moves all the boxes one over and checked them. A truly wonderful experience. We look forward to making this resort our home away from home. 😎

Just returned from another trip to this hotel. We are very fond of this hotel, however we did notice that some things are lacking. Having visited this hotel 10+ times, the front desk (Danny) was rude and never acknowledged our loyalty as well as being a Diamond Elite member. The people that did acknowledge this was our butlers Danilo and Edward, they were fantastic. Those two went above and beyond.

Wonderful resort for couples. Beach is clean: seaweed collection takes place daily via harvester, no trash or kids toys. Plenty of Palapas available, with attentive resort staff keeping thirst at bay. Pool side also has plenty first come first serve cabañas. The Travertine pavers around the pool never got hot so it was easy walking. The on site golf was amazing. Note: each player must have a bag, not just own clubs. Bag rental was only $10USD, but it was a little annoying. There are several styles of restaurants and the buffet. The buffet is the only one with a rotating menu. An improvement would be to have the other restaurants; Italian, Japanese, French, Dominican, & Steakhouse have rotating menus. Grounds are kept immaculate. The room was very comfortable, with a foyer that could be closed off, which kept the room Cooler and quiet. Typical day was sitting at the beach all day, showering, dinner, and then sitting in the outdoor lobby area to be entertained by singers and dancing with partner, staff, and other guests. All of the staff at the resort was incredible. Our floor concierge insured that we were kept abreast of all the activities. Make sure we had enough water and made reservations if we need them.

The service was good. We have some major complaints; our room door was left ajar for multiple hours by staff with all of our belongings in there, the bathtub jets didn’t work, and the concierge made it feel like I was in a car dealership. The staff constantly pushes putting up reviews to the point where it is annoying. Staff constantly coming up to you reminding you and calling the room to say please don’t forget to leave a good review.

We are leaving from a one week stay at the Iberostar grand Bavaro in Punta Cana. Our Butlers l, Eduardo and Valentine were exceptional and made our vacation stressfress and delightful. They kept are room tidy, fridge stocked and communicated easily. We let them know that it was our 25th anniversary and they made sure to decorate our room with roses and bubble bath and special notes. They were able to accommodate even our strange requests such as duct tape for my husband‘s feet when he wore blisters from new sandals. We will definitely ask for them when we book a future day. This this resort was our favorite and best experience after staying in a dozen other all inclusive resorts in the Caribbean. All staff was super friendly and willing to help make our stay fantastic. Our housekeeper was fabulous and was always in a happy cheerful mood, which was a delight to see. Recommendation for resort - get golf carts that guests can rent themselves by the hour to visit resort complex.