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A magnificent hotel resort with exclusive, white sandy beaches, crystalline Caribbean waters, palm trees lining the coast and abundant vegetation throughout the complex. Coral reefs along the beach allow guests to enjoy the rich marine life of the Caribbean Sea. It is located in Playa Cabeza de Toro (Punta Cana), one of the best beach areas in the Dominican Republic. The complex is situated 20 km from the International Airport of Punta Cana and 47 km from Higuey.
Carretera Cabeza De Toro, Punta Cana 23000 Dominican Republic
Catalonia Bavaro Beach Golf And Casino Resort
4 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
The room cleaning service was a joke. Couldn't get fresh towels for showering even when we asked for clean ones. Had to go get our own water for drinking and coffee on day 2. (You can not drink ANY of their faucet water, it has to be bottled.) Room service would take our empty water bottles and rarely replaced them with full bottles. There was little millipede-like worms crawling everywhere, including in our room, shower, and bathroom. Room service rarely vacuumed. The Buffet: The food was luke warm at best and often cold. Only one salad dressing was available. Almost all of the beef was extremely low quality due to bone chunks, fat, and grizzle all being mixed in it. The overall quality of meats was sub-par. The omelets and deserts were great. The beach towel exchange program is a joke. They rarely had beach towels available. The service at the bars was great. The bartenders were very quick, polite, and hard working. Kudos to them. The overall cleanliness of the resort was very good, but our room service was bad. The landscaping was excellent and a bunch of that crew was very friendly. We planned to rent golf clubs and play a round of golf, until we found out that we had to buy their new golf balls at $8.00 per ball. The balls and tees should be included in the rented bags, or at the very least, only charge $1.00 per ball or something reasonable. So we didn't play. That's a rip-off. Overall, I'd give this resort a 6 out of 10 rating. We've stayed at way better places. We'll never stay there again. There are too many better options.
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Date of stay: February 2025
Value
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Social Media Catalonia Hotels and Resorts, Ventas at Catalonia Bavaro Beach Golf And Casino Resort
Responded Feb 10, 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback with us. We are sorry to hear that your stay did not meet your expectations. We take your comments very seriously and apologize for the inconveniences you experienced. We regret the issues with room cleaning, the availability of fresh towels, and the water supply. Your concerns about the millipede-like worms and the lack of vacuuming are particularly troubling, and we will address these with our housekeeping team immediately. Regarding the buffet, we apologize for the food temperature and the limited options. We will review our food quality and variety to ensure a better dining experience for our guests. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the service at the bars and the friendliness of our landscaping crew. We will pass on your kudos to the bartenders. We understand your frustration with the beach towel exchange program and the golf club rental policy. Your feedback will help us improve these services. We appreciate your honest review and hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a better experience in the future.
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Catalonia Bavaro Beach, A Great Pension!!! For our second year we never tire. We had a great stay of 2 weeks in September 2024 and we still enjoyed superbly the beautiful beach, a lagoon with an exceptional temperature this year of 31 degrees with white sand cleaned every day by Pension providers, a real comfort especially to take beautiful photos! Our room is simply magnificent with an exceptional view of the coconut trees. Thanks to the room and maintenance staff who always stay there with absolute discretion. We were able to eat in quality specialty restaurants and adorable and attentive staff despite the difference in language. I thank all the animation teams who made us travel through their moments of madness and spectacle, we simply feasted! Thank you to the manager and all his professional staff who are always present at all times of the day and night to make our holidays as pleasant as possible. Don’t forget to taste cocoa, here it is really too good! If the finances and health are still there next year, we will be happy to come back! Thank you again! Olivier and Christine
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Date of stay: September 2024
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We stayed here for my wifes 40th birthday and had an amazing time. The resort was stunning and the grounds were beautifully kept. Both pools were so clean and warm. The staff were really friendly and even with the language barrier they made us feel so welcome and were great with the kids. Really good entertainment each evening and lots of activities for children during the day too. Bar staff were fantastic and had a great rapport with the guests. Due to having two young kids we found it easier to stick with the buffet restaurant. They had an excellent choice of dishes, the food was always good and kept the kids happy. As far as problems go we had a leak from our air con unit. I phoned reception and within 10 mins someone came out and fixed it with no fuss. Rooms were cleaned well every day and the house keepers always left plenty of bottled water in the room each day. As far as tips go we found tipping the staff little and often gets you the special treatment. So that just leaves the beach, it was simply stunning!! The sea was so calm and warm. Perfect for kids. There is a lovely sea grass area that you can snorkel around and we saw lots of fish. I cannot recommend this resort highly enough. Great for couples and families. Read a fair few negative reviews that left me scratching my head after staying here. We all loved it and my kids keep asking when we are going back!
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Date of stay: April 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:It does get busy at weekends due to being open to locals but didn't cause any issues
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Social Media Catalonia Hotels and Resorts, Ventas at Catalonia Bavaro Beach Golf And Casino Resort
Responded May 22, 2024
How wonderful to hear that your experience was so rewarding. I'm glad to hear that the staff contributed to making it special. I will pass on your compliments to the team to let them know how appreciated they are. I hope you can come back for another relaxing experience in the future!
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The most disappointing place to stay in Dominican republic
When I checked in, I had to wait over 20 minutes in a long ass line just to check in
Then they booked me with a room over a construction site so all I hear all day long is construction and noise and the view from my balcony is just construction
Then I go to the pool bar there’s about 20 people online and of course they only have one bartender so after 25 minutes awaiting I just walked away. In fact I haven’t had one alcohol drink since I’ve been here because you can’t get them.
I tried to make reservations for a restaurant, but they are all booked so my girlfriend and I we will be eating the buffet day and night the same food because we can’t get a reservation at a restaurant
So I saw people with crêpes so I went out to the beach to the crêpe stand right on their menu. It says banana caramel. I’m a big fan of banana. The lady informed me we don’t have banana caramel. Yes I did not get a crêpe.
So I go to the pizza stand by the pool well, they’re completely out of plates and they want you to carry the pizza in your hand when I asked if I could get a plate the employee was just so rude to me even though they just brought a stack of clean paints behind the wall I saw them carry them in And he said he cannot give me one if you’re coming to Dominican Republic. There are many many great resorts try the mirage excellence or Lupeson They are more five star and you’ll get incredible service and you’ll be able to get a good cocktail and not have to wait in lines and they will provide you with a plate and if they advertise something they will have it this place is the biggest joke.
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Date of stay: December 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Social Media Catalonia Hotels and Resorts, Ventas at Catalonia Bavaro Beach Golf And Casino Resort
Responded Dec 22, 2024
Dear Mobile19232363788, Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback. We are sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. Your comments have been shared with our management team to review and address the concerns raised. Guest satisfaction is our top priority, and your feedback helps us identify areas that require immediate improvement. We regret any inconvenience caused during your stay. Warm regards, Social Listening Executive Catalonia Bávaro
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I’ve been to several all-inclusive resorts, and unfortunately, Catalonia Bavaro ranks among the worst. While I didn’t go in expecting five-star luxury, I at least hoped for basic service, decent food, and a clean, functioning room—none of which were consistently provided.
The Good: I’ll give credit where it’s due—the grounds were well-kept and beautiful, and the beach was very nice. But you can get a beautiful beach at any resort along this shoreline, so that alone isn’t enough to justify staying here.
Food & Restaurants: The buffet was average at best, with some specialty restaurants offering a better experience—except for the Spanish tapas restaurant, Terrace, which should be avoided at all costs.
Service & Staff: This was probably the most disappointing aspect of our stay. About 95% of the staff clearly didn’t care. Sure, a few were friendly and helpful, but the majority acted indifferent or dismissive.
A perfect example—getting beach towels was a nightmare. They were constantly out, and at one point, we were told to come back in an hour, only to witness a staff member pull a towel from a bag hidden in a bush for another guest.
Another frustrating moment happened at the pizza station, where they didn’t have plates available—just napkins. I asked one staff member for a plate, and she flat-out said no. Then, I asked another staff member sitting just five feet away, and she quickly got me two. The inconsistency and lack of effort were beyond frustrating.
Rooms & Cleanliness: Our room was outdated and in poor condition—peeling walls, worn-out sheets, and a shower that wouldn’t drain, forcing us to stand in a puddle of yesterday’s water. There were no chair covers on the cushions in the room, making the furniture feel even more rundown. Housekeeping was unreliable, often forgetting to replace towels or restock water in the minibar.
Other Issues: The internet was unreliable, constantly cutting in and out. To make matters worse, we lost power one morning, and no one acknowledged it—no announcement, no explanation, nothing.
Final Thoughts: For the price, Catalonia Bavaro was not worth it. The poor service, lack of cleanliness, and overall disregard for guests made this one of the most frustrating resort experiences I’ve had. Yes, the beach and grounds were nice, but so are all the beaches here. Spend your money elsewhere—this place is not it.
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Date of stay: February 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Towels were extremely hard to get to catch the guy while he is there and make sure to check the...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Social Media Catalonia Hotels and Resorts, Ventas at Catalonia Bavaro Beach Golf And Casino Resort
Responded Feb 10, 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback with us. We are truly sorry to hear that your stay at Catalonia Bavaro did not meet your expectations. Your experience is important to us, and we apologize for the numerous issues you encountered. We appreciate your positive comments about the well-kept grounds and the nice beach. However, we understand that these aspects alone do not make up for the shortcomings you experienced. Regarding the food and restaurants, we apologize for the quality and variety issues you encountered at the buffet and the disappointing experience at the Spanish tapas restaurant, Terrace. We will review our menu and food preparation processes to enhance the dining experience for our guests. We are particularly concerned about your comments on the service and staff. It is unacceptable that you felt the majority of our staff were indifferent or dismissive. We will address this with our team to ensure better service and consistency. The issues with room cleanliness, the availability of beach towels, and the unreliable internet are also troubling. We will work on improving these areas to provide a more comfortable and enjoyable stay for our guests. Your feedback about the power outage and the golf pricing is noted, and we will consider your suggestions for improvement. We regret that your experience was so disappointing and hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a better experience in the future.
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We stayed at the hotel between April 1st and 8th, 2024, and we thought that the experience of going all-inclusive would be excellent, but it wasn't quite like that. The Buffet has no variety of fruit, it is practically always 4/5 types of fruit, the natural juices have excess sugar, and even with a privilege bracelet, you have practically the same rights as customers with a lower bracelet. In terms of a la carte restaurants, it was a disappointment. They don't know how to season food and how to cook it. We went to the steak house and my steak had no flavor, other than looking like the sole of a shoe. Little choice and quality of food, even for snacks, it's always pizza, toast or crepes, the buffet that is open is with leftovers from lunch. There are no closed yogurts for children. We noticed a huge lack of training among employees, they take away the plate without us finishing the meal. In terms of cleanliness of the rooms, we chose a superior room but even so, there was fluff under the bed and cobwebs near the television. Face towels didn't exist, they only left us body towels and sometimes there were 2, sometimes 3 (2 adults and 1 child). It was impossible to temper the bath water, it was either cold or extremely hot. At check in, they said that the bed was a king size and if the 3 year old child could sleep with us - he ended up sleeping on the sofa in the room. The hotel is very nice, it has a lot of things but it fails a lot for 5’*s. The conditions are good but the lack of training and care meant that my experience was not positive.
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Date of stay: April 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Não comprem privilege, a nível de diferença não é relevante
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I had an absolutely wonderful stay at Catalonia Bavaro Beach Golf & Casino from January 17 to 24, and I can't recommend this resort enough! The grounds are stunning, beautifully maintained with lush greenery and plenty of space to relax. It truly felt like paradise. A huge shoutout to the incredible bartenders who made our stay even more special— Yordanis, Hector, and Luis! They went above and beyond, always greeting us with a smile and making the best drinks. They were friendly, professional, and really added to the amazing atmosphere at the bars. They made us feel like VIPs every time we visited. Yordanis' smile is everything! I also want to express my gratitude to the lovely young woman who took care of our room during the week (Room 308). She was so sweet and thoughtful—always making sure our room was spotless, and she even surprised us with fresh flowers in the bathroom, which was a beautiful touch. While I didn’t catch her name, her kindness didn’t go unnoticed, and I truly appreciated her attention to detail. As a single woman traveling with my young daughter, I also want to emphasize how safe we felt throughout our entire stay. The staff, the security, and the overall atmosphere made us feel completely at ease. It’s rare to find such a welcoming and secure environment where I could relax and enjoy my vacation without worry. I can’t wait to return and see my 3 amigos. This place is a gem
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Social Media Catalonia Hotels and Resorts, Ventas at Catalonia Bavaro Beach Golf And Casino Resort
Responded Jan 28, 2025
Dear 809fannim, Thank you for sharing such a heartfelt review of your recent stay at Catalonia Bávaro Beach. We are thrilled to know you enjoyed the beautifully maintained grounds and felt completely at ease during your visit. Your kind words about the resort's atmosphere and safety mean a lot to us. We are especially grateful for your recognition of Yordanis, Hector, Luis, and the lovely housekeeping staff member who took care of your room. Your compliments will be shared with them, as they will be delighted to know they made your stay even more special. We look forward to welcoming you and your daughter back soon to create more unforgettable memories. Kind regards, Social Listening Executive Catalonia Bávaro
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We chose this hotel after reading about it being kid friendly as we were traveling with a baby.
The hotel is large and has a great environment with nature and animals and without a doubt this is a positive point. In our case we stayed in the oldest rooms, on the ground floor. The rooms are old, but comfortable, the air conditioning worked well, we never lacked hot water and the water was strong (Feedback from friends on the first and second floor, the water was weak). When we arrived we didn't have a crib for the baby despite requesting it, but it was resolved. Newer rooms were quite good, more modern and comfortable.
In terms of cleaning, the same was carried out. But it was not carried out properly, a vacuum cleaner was not used, everything was swept with a broom. And it ended up not being as perfect as that.
Hotel restaurant, we really liked the food, lots of variety in the lunch and dinner buffets and breakfast, friendly and careful staff. We always make sure our baby has a very good lunch! The only thing missing for breakfast was spoonable yogurt. They just had liquid. Sorrento pizzeria that opened from 11-02:00 was really good!! In the case of the themed restaurants, I was quite disappointed, I expected more! Confusing, slow service and the food for themed restaurants was not great…. Bar Maloo with really good natural juices, as well as the beach bar with wonderful crepes!!
The animation team deserves congratulations for their work, it was without a doubt that it was done very well!!
On the last day we asked for a late checkout, but it wasn't given to us as we had a baby, I think there could have been more consideration... we ended up having to take a shower in a changing room that they offered to customers.
Some floors are very slippery and become very dangerous. You have to be very careful.
They could have had a few more food options for children and also some care for them, asking about allergies and intolerances when we arrived at the hotel.
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Ir comer sempre nos horários de abertura do buffets.
Reservar restantes temáticos
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We recently stayed at this hotel for our first time in Dominican Republic. I don't think we're particularly hard to please but I was a little disappointed by various aspects of this resort. The rooms are little dated and shabby BUT spacious and clean, our safe and coffee machine didn't work and the fridge barely cold however we shrugged it off and set about having a great holiday The grounds are beautiful! One of the nicest resorts I've ever stayed in, beach is stunning and although there are a lot of sellers on the beach they leave you alone if you just say no. Food was ok, had better but also had worse, plenty of choice but I did struggle some evenings as lots of fish. Uncomfortable dining at every meal though due to the intense heat! No air con in the restaurants just ceiling fans that move warm air around. Had to wait for drinks on multiple occasions but was frowned on to help yourself. Steakhouse al a carte was really good, beautiful food and staff much more attentive, we went there 3 times! Cleaners only came into our room 3 times all fortnight! We're tidy people anyway and I always make the bed and keep tidy as cleaners are generally rushed off their feet however 3 visits in a fortnight takes the mick! We left 10 dollars for them on 3rd day which they took and removed our dirty towels ( which we'd had since arrival!) But at 5pm I was walking round looking for a cleaner to get clean ones so we could shower! Fridge rarely restocked so we had to ask guest services to arrange water in our room just so we could brush our teeth. Had to chase them for toilet rolls and towels repeatedly. Drinks are very very sweet, they use syrup in all cocktails and I found them too sweet so ended up on juice or martini, bar at pool drastically understaffed and often had to wait in queue for 15/20 mins at a time whilst barman ran round collecting empty glasses which he would wash quickly to re-use, we purchased insulated cups from shop to use as not convinced glasses cleaned thoroughly. Bar at beach never seemed overly busy Most staff miserable and would grunt at you, very little English spoken but that's fine. Occasionally would find a pleasant staff member but few and far between. Can't comment on animation as we had no kids and not one of them approached us ever. Not a lot to do in the evenings, only 1 room had air con ( by the gaming room) but limited amount of chairs - about 20 max in a fairly large room. Shops on site very expensive. Lots of niggles in this review but we did actually have a lovely holiday, rain mostly stuck to evening or night, we had a laugh n enjoyed it but overall cleanliness of pool area, lack of air con and lack of drinks means we won't return, which is a shame as the resorts beautiful and has so much potential.
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Date of stay: May 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Social Media Catalonia Hotels and Resorts, Ventas at Catalonia Bavaro Beach Golf And Casino Resort
Responded Jun 21, 2024
Dear JoEvitts29, Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback. We are pleased to hear that you found our grounds beautiful and enjoyed the stunning beach and the steakhouse. However, we regret that several aspects of your stay did not meet your expectations. We apologize for the issues you encountered with the room amenities, housekeeping frequency, and the air conditioning in our restaurants. Your comments regarding the food and beverage service, as well as the cleanliness and staffing levels, have been noted and will be addressed with our team to ensure improvements are made. We are also sorry to hear about your experience with our staff's service and the availability of activities in the evenings. Providing a comfortable and enjoyable stay for our guests is our priority, and we will use your feedback to enhance our services. Thank you again for your valuable insights. We hope you will reconsider and give us another opportunity to provide you with a better experience in the future. Best regards,
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Avoid at all costs !! Fourth visit to the DR definitely the worst place I’ve ever stayed at On arrival No welcome drink , got the keys had to take our own cases across the complex . Room was a twin on third floor I had requested a double room on the ground due to disability and my friend had just come out of hospital, went back to reception to discuss I have NEVER been spoken to the way the woman on reception did , she was rude and unhelpful , shouting and talking down to me . Eventually they found a room on ground floor so I dragged our cases for the second time . Room was awful everything in there was damp . Had to repeatedly ask for it to be cleaned had to ask for fresh towels on three days there the drinks were not replenished either . The food was ok very basic but you could easily dehydrate there they don’t want to get you a drink ( even soft drinks ) . Didn’t bother with the entertainment the place where the show was didn’t have a bar and the seats were set up looking like a school assembly. The beach was nice and plenty of beds but we were constantly being pestered off vendors and ladies wanting to do massages / hair braiding . Was annoying . The pool didn’t have many beds with the canopy’s over and again insufficient staff on the bar , all aimed at discouraging people getting drinks . I would honestly consider going elsewhere there are far better hotels nearby . I’d describe it as pontins in the sun , the weather was nice that’s about it AVOID
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Avoid this place much better hotels nearby
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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