BookIt.com Verified Traveler Shital Patel from Nutley, Nj

"Besides the weather and the beach, I didn't find anything exceptional. Hotel was understaffed during peak hours at the front desk, therefore, unable to take care of their guests' problems. The food was nothing spectacular, especially at the buffet. I expected better from such a beautiful resort."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Catherine Nagy from Keyport, New Jersey

"The staff were very helpful and friendly. The hotel was very clean and well organized. The food was very good.
It would have been better if the spring break crowd was kept somewhat seperate from the families. Many of them were very intoxicated and foul mouthed. Not what I wanted my grandchildren to experience. Also, they were very loud at night.
I would have liked to see more entertainment geared toward the 40's an 50's crowd. There were alot of us there. You have that great piano, you could do so much more with it.
I never found out the trick to making dinner reservations at the restaurants. We were told that you can only make reservations from 9am to 4pm for that day. That you can not reserve a day in advance. We were the first on line at 8:45am only to find out that 3 of the restaurants were booked full for that day and the others were booked until 9:30 at night. (this happened 3 times then we gave up)
Other than that, the staff were warm and friendly, the grounds were beautiful and well kept, the buffet was great every meal. I would go again."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Kathy from Big Rapids, Mi

"It is interesting how many people see the same thing differently. Our group of 4 would agree with the 4 star rating, simply because of the rooms. Hot water was difficult to find, towels were scarce, the slider was hard to open - the rooms need a makeover and a bit crowded with 2 beds and furniture, but we didn't stay in there long.

HOWEVER the food was fine, lots and lots of variety, not a wow factor but well-presented and plenty of choices for all meals. The specialty restaurants gave correct size portions and presentation was always beautiful, and some very tasty meals. The pizza is very good at the Pizza Restaurant. The staff don't seem to have much fun with guests or each other as we have experienced on other trips, and tend to be a bit slow. Many of them seem to have a hard time with English which is surprising. All of it worked out since we were on vacation, we had plenty to eat and drink.

The beach was one of the best, spectacular, the water clean. There were boogie boards and hobie cats to use. ALL the beach house staff go on break from 1-2 %u2013 very odd and not service friendly since they open at 10 and close at 4pm. The two pools were very nice, clean and plenty of room for all, family friendly with a kids pool as well. The resort looks just like the pictures. It was worth the price we paid.
"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Elsa Juarbe from St Cloud, Florida

"My husband and I were celebrating our 30th yr anniversary and we decided to go to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. It was the most wonderful vacation we had. At first we had a misunderstanding with the ocean view, I was not pleased with the first room they assigned, but the staff at Barcelo Punta Cana did everything possible to accommodate us, and they accomplished. The staff was very friendly and they work very hard to please everyone, the food was great and plenty for everyone, the beverage the same. THIS TRIP WAS A MEMORABLE ONE. If someday we go back to punta cana I will stay in this resort again!!!!!!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Steven from Orange County, Ca

"I had a great time at this place..yes it is different from what i am used to but overall it was a great stay. We got a deluxe room and it was great..looked just like the photos. The beach is fantastic. The pools are clean and the drinks are plentiful. The food isn't all that great at the buffet or the ala carte restaurants but i think that may just be the way dominicans cook their food. The pizza place has to have the best food on the resort...it freshly made ..comes out hot and cheesy... Some of the staff is helpful and some aren't, its hit or miss. Check out the Alhambra bar with the bartender CESAR he was really good to us and made great drinks! We went knowing we didn't pay for a 5 star resort, so we didn't expect it....but overall we had a great time and i would recommend this resort."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Susan from Jacksonville, FL

"Have enjoyed Barcelo hotels on prior occasions but not this one.

We were happy to return to Punta Cana after having vacationed there at other hotels on several occasions. However, don't be misled by the name - the hotel isn't in Punta Cana but in Bavaro and actually closer to Macao.

We went as a family group - eight of us total - and rented a vehicle at the airport.
Unfortunately, our trip there was a little longer than necessary - the road wasn't well marked, the staff couldn't give us directions to the hotel and just kept telling us to call back or transferred us to another line that never got answered, so we had to stop along the way several times for assistance. Finally we arrived. The poorly maintained lanscape upon entering the hotel was surprising and a sign of what was to come at the hotel.

Check in went smoothly. Our rooms were far from the main entrance/check in and there was no way to drive close to the building. For most of us, this wasn't an issue but one of our party members is elderly and has bad arthritis so it was hard for her to walk the distance and repeat it on a daily basis. We had requested 2 of the rooms with double beds but were instead given these rooms with king beds. In one of the rooms the faucet leaked, another the tub drain didn't work. The rooms weren't fully stocked with all-inclusive or bath items as expected. After trying to reach management/ guest services on several occasions, we gave up and just decided to make the best of it.

Food quality was only fair for the buffets, service was slow. At the restaurant where we had our reservation while the service was good, the food was a disappointment - the dishes were uninspired, the portion sizes small and the food lacked freshness.

The pool was refreshing and we enjoyed the beach. In general, the Domincans were kind and friendly and seemed eager to please, but the management definitely appeared absent and it seeems the executives could care less. Our impression was that the hotel is a cash cow for the company and we were disappointed. We ended up going to another hotel nearby on a day pass and had much better food and amenities there.

Overall we left not interested in returning to this all-inclusive hotel.
Recommend you take your money and go someplace else."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Tsveti Edmonds from Tampa, FL

"We stayed at the resort for a week and absolutely loved it. The atmosphere, entertainment, beach and pool are were the best. The food was excellent. Our kids kept telling us they thought they were in heaven. It was their most favorite vacation. We highly recommend the resort to families or just couples. We are already looking into going to Barcelo Cancun for our next year vacation :)

Thanks!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Grace Monahan from Middletown, NY

"The end of June we took this trip to Punta Cana; it was our first time in the Dominican Republic and we loved it. Barcelo Premium was really nice and we had a great time. The rooms were beautiful and the food and drinks were plentiful.

We had a room in Building 2 which was really convenient to all the restaurants, lobby, and shops. We did not have an ocean view, but I did not miss it. The view out back was quiet and peaceful. I don't know if they have ever had any security issues, but I felt protected as there was a security officer behind this building on the path each night. I prefer to think they are just being proactive.

The food was really tasty, much better than I expected. We mainly had breakfast at the main buffet, and man, those guys making omelets really do a great job! There is plenty of variety and the food looks and tastes fresh. We also had breakfast on days we got up late over by the beach at The Grill. There is a more limited selection and no omelets, but, lo and behold, there is a latte station there. Upstairs from The Grill is a pizzeria and I would make sure to have lunch there at least one day because the pizza is heaven, and it's nice having waiter service. We were given three restaurant reservations for a one-week stay, but we only got to use two of them, because we got back late from an excursion and missed our third one. The Japanese restaurant was the best, the food was great and they prepared the food at the table. Fun! The Italian restaurant was not memorable, but the food was good enough. The only complaint I would have is that the restaurants have a dress code requiring pants, collared shirts, and shoes for men, but people came in in bathing suits. My family followed the dress code and weren't happy that others were far more comfortable in the heat than they were.

Every night there is entertainment in the club and it's fairly good. We enjoyed all the shows. During the day, there are really not many activities and there is a lull from 12 until 3. Excursions are a must.

The Bavaro Runners tour is all day and really was THE BEST!!! Coffee plantation, Dominican home, rum factory, Dominican village, beautiful beach, lunch, plenty of rum on the bus, and a really informative tour of the Dominican Republic. Manny was the best tour guide ever!

We also went on the Caribbean Festival Snorkel Cruise which was a really fun time. The entertainers on the boat make sure you are having a good time; there was dancing, drinking, and snorkeling. It was fun for all ages.

We went swimming with nurse sharks and sting rays and it was really thrilling. The truth is I was a bit frightened but it was a unique experience and there was no real danger. Everyone was either grinning from ear to ear or, like me, challenged and scared. Adventure.

We also booked the SPLASH speedboat adventure and although my 16-year-old son enjoyed captaining the speedboat, we went snorkeling for most of the time we were out. This was a bit too much like some of the other snorkeling trips we had already taken.

We also went on the Buggy off-Road Adventure and it was a lot of fun, but really far from Barcelo Premium. We rode in a hot jeep spewing gas fumes in our faces for an hour and a half each way. The driver was texting while he was driving, too. The adventure was fun, but too far away. That is the night we missed our dinner reservation.

One last note which might be of interest to others, although I am sure it was a one-time thing. On the fifth day of our week long stay, an S-Trip group arrived. Apparently S-Trip provides exotic Senior-class trips for teenagers. About 200 kids from Canada arrived. The supervising individuals were all college age and there didn't seem to be much supervising going on. that is the only reason we booked the last excursion - we really did not want to spend the day at the resort with all that nonsense. Overall, we had a great time. We have been to several other all-inclusives in the Caribbean, and this was a lot of fun. If you can afford excursions, I highly recommend this well-appointed resort.





"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Steve from SB, NJ

"Arrived in Punta Cana on July 16th, and we were 2 adults and four teenage boys. We didn't have transfers but we quickly managed to find an air conditioned van that took us to the resort for $45 dollars. Once there check in was a nightmare. We arrived some time after 3:30 and the lines were long. When it was finally our turn we were told one room was ready but the other wasn't. We waited a good 45 minutes before finally being taken to our room. Both rooms were in building 2. One was on the second floor and one was on the third floor. When we were brought our rooms both rooms were identical. one room was suppose to be a deluxe room and i paid extra for it however both rooms were identical so that was a scam. Our teenagers room did not have air condition for the first 4 days that we we were there. We complained and nothing was done about it. Our room was not cleaned for three days and it took asking to speak to the manager to get something done. That also meant that we didnt have clean towels for three days. We had to resort to saving our towel cards to get 2 clean beach towels to use.

Food - The buffet was horrible. the lines to have an omelet made were horrendous so it was easier to grab something else. The fruit was fresh, crepes were bland obviously made with water and always cold, the pancakes were also cold and they were mini ones, french toast was blah. Couldnt understand why they had so much non breakfast foods like salads, rice and beans etc. Staff was rude even if you tipped them it was like hey were doing you a favor. Very few English speaking employees which was very frustrating. The restaurants were ok. Portions were very very small and the amount of time you had to wait in line at 9 am to make a reservation was not worth it. The best restaurant in that place was Tokyo the hibachi place.

The shows were alot of fun. Obviously our teenagers were not interested but for us it was something to do every night. Went to the club downstairs in the hotel one night and the music was great, however it was beyond humid and hot in there. There was a sports bar that had different games you could play and the big hit for us was playing pool.

As far as feeling safe in the hotel, i would have to say that overall it was safe but there was security everywhere. If you walked to your room late at night there was always a guard standing on the floor observing. What i will say is i was not at all happy with the amount of people trying to sell drugs to our teenagers. These were the very same people that would sell you the different excursions so be very aware of your surroundings.

As for me I dont think i would ever go back to this hotel."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler A Recent Traveler

"CHECK-IN: TERRIBLE
SERVICE: RUDE; UNFRIENDLY; MAYBE 3PPL SPOKE ENGLISH

FOOD: BUFFET WAS HORRIBEL EXCEPT BREAKFAST. SO MAKE SURE YOU MAKE RESERVATIONS AT THE RESTAURANTS

ROOMS: OUR 1ST ROOM LOOKED NOTHING LIKE THE WEBSITE. IT WAS DIRTY, NOTHING WORKED IN THE ROOM. LOOKS LIKE THE BATHROOM HASNT BEEN CLEANED IN DAYS. SO WE HAD TO WAIT A DAY TO GET MOVED TO THE OCEANVIEW WE PAID FOR AND RENOVATED ROOM.

POOL/BEACH: THE GROUNDS LOOKED GREAT BUT I JUST WISH THE POOL/BEACH DIDNT CLOSE AT 8PM.

"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler TAKECIA THORNTON from SUITLAND, Maryland

"My experience at the hotel was horrible. I expected so much more. I had a terrible time trying to check into the hotel. I arrived at the hotel around 330pm on Sunday, July 15. It took them 30 minutes to assist me. When it was finally my turn, they kept telling me the room will be ready at 4; however it was 415. So they gave me a room after I mentioned the time. The room was horrible. The refrigerator was terrible....nothing in there was cold...the bathroom looked like it hadnt been cleaned in over a year. The bathroom was so bad, that I didnt shower the 1st night there because I was forced to stay in that room until the next day at 3pm. After I complained about the room and they gave me another room which was worse than the 1st room they gave me. Eventually they stated they would give me a renovated room the next day. That room was MUCH better.

The 2nd problem I had was my transfer accommodations. I ended up paying $40 to get to the resort from the airport. Well when I checked my account yesterday, mycharged my card for $94.81. There were 2 of us that paid with a card, he charged both of us $94.81...the other 2 people who were with us paid $90 cash so he basically charged me for the extra $4 he took off from everyone. This is not cool at all either. I will be contacting my bank and letting them know that $94.81 was not approved to be taken out of my account. The receipt shows I paid $90.

T

I would like to know how or if I will be able to speak to someone about my service because I was so dissatisfied. I paid a lot of money to visit this country and resort and received the worse service ever.

Thanks,

TaKecia Thornton"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Lamel Smith from Enfield, CT

"wonderful! we got to the Dominican Republic from the moment we cleared immigration and customs. To our surprise, there was a representative on the ground giving us all the necessary information we needed as it relates to our transportation to the hotel. Our VIP. personnel was tremendous when we got to the hotel, he gave us all the information we needed concerning tours and he assured us that he would be available at all times during our stay which he was. I would not return to that hotel, because in my opinion more effort is needed to accommodate non Spanish speaking guests especially in entertainment."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Sylvia from Olney, MD

"The property is beautiful and so is the beach! The resort wasn't that big which was nice. Whenever I heard 'Punta Cana' I thought major spring break crowds--since this part of DR is so popular, especially with younger crowds. But all the resorts were on their own area on the beach. Meaning it wasn't like a line of hotels and resorts along the beach. The entrances to the resorts were in pockets around the area.

Check-In/Check Out: With the other reviews I read, I was dreading this process. But our flights got in late at night and we left early in the morning, So we didn't have trouble with this. Although we saw the lines during the day and it looked horrendous.

Rooms--although we requested a king bed, we were given a double. They quickly moved us to another room. The beds were comfortable enough--a little hard, but hey it's a hotel and you can't hand pick that. The room itself was updated with a nice balcony (I think all rooms have balconies). The TV was awful, extremely outdated. The picture had pink/reddish lines on the sides and the volume sounded like you were listening to a tv from another room. Terribly muffled. But we didn't have time to ask to get it fixed since we were barely in the room. The bathrooms were outdated too. I was kind of grossed out at first to use the shower. It wasn't dirty, just old and grungy.

Food: The food at all average resorts is the same...simple and bland. We were expecting this when we got there, but even then I was very disappointed. It seems they somewhat mix up the menu at the buffet (only one buffet at Alcazar, Marlin says it's buffet, but it's much smaller and by the pool. It has the same food as Alcazar). The night we got there it was a good variation, then it stayed the same the next 4 days. I was hoping to get a taste of Dominican food, but there was only a 'Dominican Corner' which was 4 trays of food--a meat, rice, beans, and french fries. I think they could've done better with that. There were a lot of stations but they all seemed the same. They took up a lot of space with sculptured food that no one even knew what it was or if it was edible. It was disappointing that you can only make a reservation at the restaurants depending on the number of nights you're staying. For example, we stayed 4 nights and were only able to go to one restaurant.

Beach: Gorgeous turquoise waters and white sand. Lots of chairs available. We were surprised with the number of people at the resort that more of them weren't out on the beach. A lot of seaweed when we were there, but not a big deal. They have a 'tropical zoo' with staff coming around with birds, monkeys, and other tropical animals to take pictures with.

Excursions: They have a contact person at the resort, depending on what agency you book you're trip with. Prices aren't too bad. We had to change a trip because of a problem with a van, and we were never reimbursed the difference for the cheaper trip. So make sure to be careful about that. Also beware that the drivers tend to be early. So if you're not there on the dot, they will leave.

Resort: It's very nice architecture. The whole resort is outside. No windows to enclose. Which makes for it to feel hot a lot. I get cold very easily with ACs, but not at this hotel. So don't worry about packing light sweaters! The shows weren't that great, but there wasn't much to do at night anyway. We heard from other guests that you can go to the other Barcelo resorts with transportation. There are also clubs outside of the resort that you can get passes and transportation to. Indeed, when we left the hotel very early in the morning to catch our flight, there were still people partying....in the hotel and on the streets. A lot of places do take dollars so that you don't have to exchange money. Staff was friendly.

Overall a very nice resort, we would go back!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Ashley from New Jersey

"it was amazing for the price we paid we got everything we could possibly need and ask for. food was ehhh but it was still edible and delicious. absolutely with no questions ask i would go back again =)"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler A Recent Traveler

"WORST EVER!!!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Alex from Brooklyn, New York

"Where do I begin? Just got back from a trip 7/7-7/12 Only reason this place got a couple of 3's.The grounds are beautiful. Very Well Kept. The Restaurants were decent except the buffet. Now if this hotel only paid as much attention to the rooms then this place would be great.

Room: Our biggest complaint by far.First, Our room safe did not work it had to be fixed three times and all three times we waited in the room at least an hour for someone to come up and fix it. Second, towel racks were broken and water in the tub never went down so it was a mini pool in our bathroom. Third our fridge was broken and turned everything in it to ice including our Presidente beers. Fourth, did not get housekeeping until our third day including towels we had to keep catching the ladies in the hallway to get towels. BUT our room view was spectacular. Ocean view was amazing!! Bed was pretty comfy and the A/C worked ok.

Service: CHECK-IN was pretty bad. There must have been 5 people behind the desk and not one of them did the Check-In. Me and my wife just stood around for 20 min. then got in the Club Premium line and was immediately told that was for PREMIUM only. In all took almost and Hr. for check-in.

Beach/Pool/Grounds: The beach was amazing. Almost to the point where yoyu forget about all the nasty things about the hotel. Not many people bothered us on the beach which was pretty nice. The Pools were nice. It was kind of split into two one pool was a really chill pool with no swim up bar. FYI ALOT OF LOCALS COME TO THE BARCELO which kind of throws a wrench into some of the music played.( I am so Bachata'd out.)Not many Americans at the resort. It would help if you spoke spanish luckily I speak it so that wasn't an issue. Service at the swim up bar is Spotty at most. the first few days the bartenders were very rude sometimes waiting 15 minutes for a beer and no one is around. Last couple of days it got a bit better. Drink selection was pretty good had everything we asked for. Only beer on tap was presidente.

The grounds were amazing. Well Mannered. Well Lit. Easy access to the resort. Our elevators were broken most of the time but that wasn't much of a big deal.CASINO is awful!!!! Shows were very average. In all this property is not that big, compared to all the other resorts.Not much shopping to do unless you go off the reservation or to other hotels.

Restaurants: There are 6 restaurants including a buffet.
Buffet was ok. Good enough for some coffee and a snack. Not much of a selection.
El Conucho Spanish restaurant was good, Rude Service
El Mirador TEX-MEX was very good. Service attentive
Roma Italian restaurant very good also. Excellent service
Tokio Hibachi Style. AWESOME food. Service good.
Did not eat at Marlin or Paris Restaurants.

Overall Vacation was good. Got to be in the pool and drink and ;lay in the sun and get away from NYC for the week. I will def. be returning to DR. The country is beautiful. I will not stay or recommend this hotel to anyone. "

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Aretha J. from Chicago, Il

"I brought my husband here for his 40th bday. He had a ball! Make sure you do the excursions. The hotel was alright, can use some updating but you dont go to stay in the hotel. The pools was great. The liquid was fair, NOT a varity of beer just 'PRESIDENTE'. The restaurants was good. The reservation part 'Sucks'. The buffet was do-able but could have been better, not a varity of American food!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Janie B. from Tehachapi, Ca.

"Our beach view was a million dollar view. Comfortable beds, friendly staff, but buffet was terrible. We nicknamed it the 'Yak' buffet. We avoided it when we could. Specialty restuarants were very nice. For the money a much better deal than the Hard Rock. "

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Kristine from New Hampshire

"Where do I start? This place is so dated. The photos look amazing, and that is what I was hoping we would see upon check-in. WRONG! The resort itself is nice. The grounds are pretty and all the beaches in Punta Cana are perfect regardless of where you stay. They need to put in some major renovations and update the place from the circa 1990 furniture. Cleanliness is not a priority. We witnessed one of the many 18 year old 'Senior Trip' kids throwing up in the pool (at the swim up bar, of course). Totally grossed us out! Any other place would evacuate the pool and shock it with chemicals and not let anyone in it for the rest of the day. Cleanliness is not a priority here, unfortunately. This could really be a nice place if they put the effort to clean it. Rooms are dated as well. Most all the rooms have leaks. My kids room had the whole shower head break off from the wall, so they all had to shower in our rooms the last 2 days, and no luck getting any extra towels. A/C in the rooms are a step up from a fan. Barely.
The help with the exception of maybe 2 gentlemen at the check in and 2 bartenders, the rest were downright rude. As an American, we always tip. We tip for good service. We even tip for mediocre service, but we (American's) are the only ones that tipped at this resort, and we still didn't get any service that was beyond sub-par. The ratio of foreigners to Americans was 90/10, which we have no problem with, but most of the help doesn't speak English very well. We luckily had a traveler with us that was fluent in Spanish so we had a built in translator all week, thankfully.
The food was horrible at the Buffet. Everything fried or smothered in sauce or tempura batter. Things you would never think could be cooked that way, were! :) The Italian restaurant and Hibachi were OK, but we ended up going to the Hard Rock Hotel for their food and outstanding customer service. The whole waiting in line every morning for reservations that are already taken is ridiculous. When you do go to dinner most of the tables are empty anyway, so what gives here?!
Drinks were ok, but you have to ask for the Absolute of Stoly's Vodka, because they had that hidden and gave the cheaper vodka if you weren't aware of this. We always had to ask for extra ice in the drinks because they melted so fast. The pizza is good, but be prepared to wait an hour for lunch to get it. They have one pizza oven and it must only fit 5 individual flat bread pizza's at a time. Just what you don't want to do in the middle of the day on your vacation.....wait an hour for your lunch.
Would not return here even if it were a free trip. We did make the best of it, but mostly because we ended up leaving the resort and spending 3 days eating and enjoying all the imenities that the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino had to offer. You guys need to step up your game."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Miretha from Fontana, Ca

"We just got back from Punta Cana and it was great ! The water was nice and sky blue. The hotel was alright. The only problem I really had with the hotel, was if you want to get out of the humidity, you had to go to your room. Every place was loctated outside. It made it very hard to eat when its so hot. The buffet was just ok. I really don't like eating at the buffet. Dinner was much better. The food was great. The only problem I had with the resturants, was you had to make a reservation. And If you didn't get up by 9am to stand in line, you were out of luck. The casino was terrible. They would have to pay me to gamble there awful. Only beer is Presidente."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Monika from Orlando, Fl

"My trip overall was great. The personal of the resort very friendly and helpfull. The resort beautiful, and clean. Entertainment great, and the buffe with great food and a lot of variety. My only complain is that the rooms have thin walls and you can hear all the notice from the adjacent room. My first night I couldn't sleep all night, they change my room and it was the same ."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler D.S. from New York, NY

"I stayed at Barcelo Premium in Bavaro (Punta Cana area), Dominican Republic for 7 days, 6 nights in June 2012.

Pros - Staff is friendly, resort is generally clean, beach is beautiful, food is okay (not American standards as far as taste goes, but good enough), pools are big and usually as clean as they can get for all the people in it, beautiful resort, different options for food. The filtered water is good to drink and brush teeth with. Showers are nice. AC in rooms is a nice relief from the 95 degrees outside.

Cons - Your fridge is supposed to get refilled daily with soda, water, beer, and a juice. We tipped the customer service rep A LOT for 2 days to make sure he had them only refill water. Not only did they not refill water, but they didn't refill anything!! Wasted our tip money. We eventually had to find a different random worker and tip him to make sure we got basic water in our room. He helped! Also, our first room had no AC and no flushing toilet. We complained to the customer service guy AND the front desk 3 times. They entertained us by saying they'd send someone to check it and never did. We eventually asked for a manager...who was non-existent...so they gave us a new room. The new room was much better. Also, whoever cleans the pool, rarely cleans the plastic alcohol cups that people leave in the plants and it eventually floats into the water, along with cigarette butts. Also-DO NOT be hustled by your 'VIP resort representative' (or anyone for that matter-they are all out for money), he has his own set prices for excursions. There's a guy in the lobby with a table who can give you cheaper prices for the same thing. Also, when your rep tells you 24 hours in advance what time to meet him for your plane trip home, request to leave 2 HOURS BEFORE what he tells you. He says you'll be fine, but you won't have enough time to catch your plane. The airport is CROWDED, and airlines overbook flights. Also, the cleaning ladies turn OFF your AC when they come clean. Turn it back on yourself. It's not broken. It's kind of annoying. Last but not least, the alcoholic beverages are WEAK! They use watered-down liquor. A friend of ours saw them dumping out the 'absolut' and refilling it with their cheaper liquor. Don't be fooled by your 'all inclusive' package. It's not as great as it sounds.
I don't mean to spend so much time talking about the CONS, but I just wanted to be a little more detailed for whoever is reading this as the reviews we got from our friends negated the annoyances that accompany the good times. It is, indeed, a beautiful resort, and if you're extremely easy-going then you'll enjoy yourself. If you're high-strung, then just be aware of these little things that might tick you off. Overall we enjoyed ourselves because we live in the concrete jungle so it was nice to get away. I probably won't be returning to this resort, or Punta Cana airport, but I wouldn't go as far as to say that you wouldn't enjoy at least trying this resort. It could be perfect for you!! Try to remember you're in a foreign country, so things will never be what you're used to. Remember to tip THE RIGHT PEOPLE to get what you want. If you do excursions, tip the children that help you with little things. They don't have much. A dollar goes a long way. Reviews we got from people on the plane about other resorts in the area were much worse. This might be the best one in town."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Angela from Amityville, NY

"I was very skepitcal about going away to Punta Cana because it was my first trip outside of the USA where I would stay at an all-inclusive hotel but I made the right decision in booking my reservations at the Barcelo Bavaro Premium Hotel. First I would like to start off saying that everything is all- inlcusive drinks, meals, and everything else. The people who worked there were very friendly especially the bartenders. My room was the superior oceanfront view so it was amazing!!! I loved this hotel and it has everything for any type of groups meaning for example me who was on this trip with two other girlfriends I can speak for all and say that we all had an awesome time. There is a night club at the hotel so it was good thing it had one because I had a blast. This hotel can be enjoyed by couples, big or small groups of young adults, and even families with children. One more thing there were only 2 restaurants that I liked which were the Japanese Toykio one and the Dominican one otherwise the other restaurants were okay. I had such a good time that I would'nt trade this trip for anything."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Daniel from Montoursville, Pa.

"My first trip was an overall great experience. Resort was well appointed, staff was for the most part friendly and accomodating with exception to a front desk tall colored man who barely acknowledged me when I needed help as well no utterance of any kind as he attended my need. Seems to me he needs REPLACED as I've seen him do same with other male guests during my stay. Another issue I had was the fact that allthough I had paid the hotel for dual occupancy of my room for 7 days, when my first guest checked out on day 4, I was told I could not register another friend to stay the last 3 days at my room! And so I will be seeking a refund for those 3 days but it seemed to me not a good way to do business. And a good reason for me to look elsewhere to stay on my next sceduled visit in September."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Natalie Arango from New York, NY

"The hotel decor is not the newest, and the first room we got smelled like an ashtray, but we were able to change to a much better room. The staff is very friendly and the place is super clean! The pools and beaches are magnificent and if what you want is to relax, this is the place! It's not a 5 star hotel, but it is great for what it is. The food is really good at the buffet and the open bar is certainly a nice touch. This hotel is a 3 star hotel but the beach is a 5 star beach!!!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Jeremy from Milwaukee, WI

"Buffet, service and alcoholic drink quality were less than average. Everything else was very nice."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Marcelo from Astoria, NY, NY

"We traveled the week of May 5th 2012 and it was my wife and I's first time to the Dominican Republic. We had an absolutely wonderful time. The Barcelo Punta Cana is not the newest resort there, but the staff was very friendly, the room was spectacualr (Deluxe Ocean View) The AC worked very well, the TV worked great, the view was spectacular. If you want peace and quiet, reserve a room on the kiddy pool side... We went on several excursions and from what people said the food elsewhere wasn't too good, but at our resort it was spectacular. We went to Saona Island, rented the Buggy's and wne to the Reef Explorer excursions. I recommend this to anyone, and i can't wait to go back....spend the extra money on a direct flight if possible and get a nice room!!!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Muller from Toms River, N.j.

"my husband and i went with another couple. they gave us reservations for the special resteraunts giving us diferent times one nite. you could not make a reservation unless you wan to eat at 8:30 pm. the mini bar was not always filled . the food if fair at the buffet. also there are no huts on the beach and we had to get up early to save a spot under a palm tree which was ok. the beach chairs are broken and worned.but the staff was very friendly and the place is clean. just remember this is a 3 star hotel not a 5 star. . for the money it was good."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Guillermo Besonias from Miami, Fl

"Best vacation! I would do it again."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Kristin, Court & Laura from Cranston, RI

"We are 3 friends who travel together often and had a great time! The room was nice and fairly clean...we aren't too picky as we didn't spend much time there anyway. The buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner was surprisingly delicous and had a ton of choices at every meal. Even the restaurants were great- we went to Tokio and the Marlin. The entertainment at the resort was nice too, but we wanted more beach parties. Dancing on the beach was a blast! The beach area was great- spacious and lots of chairs. Even the pool area was large and you could always find a chair. Everyone at the resort was great and so friendly, which made our trip very enjoyable. Book excursions through the hotel- zipplining was awesome and so was the cultural safari. Both were worth the money! We had a wonderful trip and would recommend the hotel to friends, families and couples!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Brad from Chicago, IL

"Booking here was a big mistake and a waste of money. The rooms are terrible...they had to switch our rooms because water was leaking from our ceiling. They did not leave us towels and it look 3 hours to get them sent to our room. Our pillows had very large stains...despite three calls to the front desk starting at 7pm we never received new pillows. The reservation process for the ala carte restaurants is a joke...you have to stand in line every day to try and get a reservation (no reservations a day or two in advance). They always told us the best times were booked even thought we were second line. You could walk by the restaurants at any time and 1/2 of the tables are empty...must be a scam to keep people from getting a decent meal and force them to the cheaper buffet resaurants which were horrible. The drinks were terrible too...except the Presidente beer which I guess they could not screw up. The service was slow literally every time and the facilites are dirty...I would not go back if it was free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Monique from New York, NY

" a gorgeous destination. Perfect weather, gorgeous beaches, the people are outstandingly friendly and laid back and nice. It's not a place where you see abject poverty and the people are not at all begging. It is safe and gorgeous and the people speak so many languages. This hotel is laid out beautifully and the restaurants are all excellent. The hotel rooms themselves are not very nice. They are old style and they have a bad odor. Also, we were there when one of the colleges was on school break and it was ridiculously loud and unruly."

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BookIt.com Verified Traveler Sandy from Centreville, VA

"Our trip to Punta Cana was amazing. My fiance and I were there for 6 days. The food was good and the staff was wonderful especially the bartenders. Our server for breakfast treated us like familly. I hope to be back this year. Thank you for a wonderful trip"

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"Now since people mostly only take time to write a review of the bad things, I will list the good things as well.
Beautiful upon arrival the resort was very beautiful, however once we arrived at front desk the male staff member was rude, short, and inconsiderate. Check-In time is supposed to be 3pm and while we arrived at 5pm our room still wasnt ready until 630. We were given no consolation for the wait. We never had any orientation about where things were, the pool towel service, etc. Once arriving at the room, it was very typical and thankfully we didnt have any real problems. The hot water was out one morning, but we went down to the pool anyways and showered later in the day.

From the ocean/pool the resort is picturesque. The pool was not heated so it was a bit hard to want to stay in the water even though it was 85 outside. The beach was amazing and they had activities throughout the mid-late morning. There was never enough chairs ocean side, but we also never got down there before 930 am. The food is nothing to write home about nor the quality of alcohol for those of age to indulge, but again it is not a five start resort.

I enjoyed my stay but will not be returning as I'd rather spend a little more and get a little better overall quality.

"

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"This was our first time to Punta Cana and the 4th time staying at a Barcelo and it was by far the worst Barcelo we had stayed at. On checking in we looked at 2 romms before we decided to stay with the second one and make a go of it. After 2 days of calling maintenance to have various things fixed eg. shower handle repared twice, no hot water every day and most days not enough water pressure to allow the shower head to operate. Everyday going on a scavenger hunt to find the necessities of life such as face cloths, towels, toilet paper. The drinks were awful, the service was poor at best and if you are a nonsmoker this is not the resort for you."

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"I have done my research on all inclusive resorts and I 'thought' I was making the best decision choosing Barcelo Punta Cana, I was wrong. We arrived there at 1pm, and was checked in right away which was a plus, BUT we didnt get a room until 5pm!!! We were told go talk to this person or that person and it eventually weared me down until I settled for a regular room, and not the superior room I booked. After that fiasco was finished, we looked around the resort and the place itself is nice, the beach is BEAUTIFUL. The liquor is cheap and flowing. The food at the buffet is passable, and if you want special reservations at those restaurants based on seafood, or japanese, then you need to be at that desk at 7am for when they open at 9am, b/c people are vultures, lol. I didnt eat at those places so I cant say how was the taste. The room I had was a standard two bed with a view of the back of the hotel, so I got to see all the workers check in and out yay!... I didnt have any bugs on my bed like other people did, but I did have it on the mini bar area. THE SHOWER PRESSURE IS HORRIBLE, I went 3 days with no hot water, and then when we had hot water the pressure was droplets. The maids and barkeeps are nice people though i Must say. The reception at the counter are the worst people, rude and nasty. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE IF YOU GO TO DR, LEARN SOME SPANISH, My high school spanish got me thru 7 days there. Also its alot of famalies that go there, if you are like me a single man and are looking for a single resort this ISNT THE PLACE. Alot of people are with family, so fellas be prepared to not enter studio 54 if you book there, I suggest looking elsewhere, I wouldnt recommend this place nor will i ever return to this resort."

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"This was my first of many trip to Punta Cana and I can say I can see myself returning soon. My experience there was wonderful."

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"Great trip. Good deal! But lobster is not included in the all inclusive deal as advertised. Was asked for $35 for each lobster."

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"This resort is incredible!! I was amazed. The people were great. We paid a little more to have one of the remodeled rooms and it was great. Beach was perfect and the food was great. We stayed for 12 days and never were bored of the food.The only problem with this rescort is you will love the food and the varity so much you may gain 10 pounds. I would stay away from the casino, my husband and I lost a lot of money due to confusion. Im not the kind of person that stays in the same place and area more then once but I know I will go to Punta Cana again just to stay at this resort. Hope you enjoy!!"

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"This was my first trip to Punta Cana. I enjoyed it very much. It is a good place to disconnect from daily life. There is lots to do and the food is DELICIOUS. "

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