Punta Cana - IFA Villas Bavaro Resort & Spa

The process for dining reservations was not ideal. Who wants to wake up and stand inline by 8 am to make reservations for dinner that night. That's not a vacation. .. More>

The process for dining reservations was not ideal. Who wants to wake up and stand inline by 8 am to make reservations for dinner that night. That's not a vacation.

Room:no privacy in toilet and shower due the glass doors whithout door frame. Beach: too far and there is not organized shadow places, also too many boats docking near the beach produce nose fuel smell. Food: became cheaper compare my previous vacations .. More>

Room:no privacy in toilet and shower due the glass doors whithout door frame. Beach: too far and there is not organized shadow places, also too many boats docking near the beach produce nose fuel smell. Food: became cheaper compare my previous vacations

We loved our trip. Hotel staff and facilities were excellent. The drinks were great, but were mixed much better in the evening! There was plenty to do, lots of entertainment options. We loved that everything was spread out and that we had to do a lot of walking. For those that don't get around .. More>

We loved our trip. Hotel staff and facilities were excellent. The drinks were great, but were mixed much better in the evening! There was plenty to do, lots of entertainment options. We loved that everything was spread out and that we had to do a lot of walking. For those that don't get around as easily, there were plenty of transportation carts to and from the beach area. The room was always clean and the air conditioning was fantastic. A highlight of our trip was snorkeling right in the ocean swim area every day. As many others said, there were many Europeans, and the food catered toward European travellers. Other than that, we found this was a fantastic location and would go back in a heartbeat! Thanks IFA!

A good deal for the money we paid. Our 1st 4 apple all inclusive, so expectations weren't too high. Fabulous beach with off white sand that doesn't get hot. 3 pools each with separate kiddie pool at each. Food was good but not great and got old after a few days. Nice place, but would try somewhere .. More>

A good deal for the money we paid. Our 1st 4 apple all inclusive, so expectations weren't too high. Fabulous beach with off white sand that doesn't get hot. 3 pools each with separate kiddie pool at each. Food was good but not great and got old after a few days. Nice place, but would try somewhere else if we go back.

Overall for the price it was a good resort and we had a good stay. .. More>

Overall for the price it was a good resort and we had a good stay.

Lovely resort. the desk service, maid service, cook staff and serving staff was very good! The employees were courtious, efficient and generally very pleasant. the food did lack some variety, but the omelette man was charming. wonderful dance shows and the entertainers were fun. A beautiful pla .. More>

Lovely resort. the desk service, maid service, cook staff and serving staff was very good! The employees were courtious, efficient and generally very pleasant. the food did lack some variety, but the omelette man was charming. wonderful dance shows and the entertainers were fun. A beautiful place with a very nice beach and pools.

Nightly theatre act basically same every night..should be a night club act, not theatre..not a professional perfomance by any means and lots of bumping and grinding that's inappropriate for children, and quite frankly, this adult thought it was dumb/disgusting...theatre music VERY LOUD for building .. More>

Nightly theatre act basically same every night..should be a night club act, not theatre..not a professional perfomance by any means and lots of bumping and grinding that's inappropriate for children, and quite frankly, this adult thought it was dumb/disgusting...theatre music VERY LOUD for buildings next to theatre. Beach is not monitored like all the rest of the resort beaches, so 1/2 the chairs are taken up by non-resort people...must get to beach by 6:30am for a chair. Beach is a good 1/4 mile to 1 mile hike from rooms and villas...they do have golf carts running back and forth...wasn't what I was looking or hoping for. Bathrooms and drinks are a fair distance from beach (I'm comparing this to Mexico, where all is conveniently located to the beach). Food was fine, but the same thing over and over and over. Beds were hard and pillows lumpy. Free shopping excursion scheduled through Apple never panned out, as shuttle/driver never showed. Shuttle to airport was 1/2 hour later than scheduled time so it required complicated investigation with non-English speaking reception staff. NO ENGLISH IS SPOKEN HERE...by the hotel staff or the guests...the MAJORITY of guests were French, German, and Russian...go to the Occidental or Barcelo! Punta Cana is beautiful, but spend a little more and hopefully you'll get a nicer resort from which to experience Punta Cana. Oh, departure at the airport is an ABSOLUTE ZOO, people, people, people EVERYWHERE...and on top of the chaos, the Swissport Sun Country representative tracked us down and tried to get us to pay a $50 baggage fee (2 bags) again, to him...thank goodness we had our receipt and showed him we paid a discounted $40 fee on-line before we left home. I think there are a lot of nice beaches in the U.S. that I need to discover before I run back to Bavaro Villas of Punta Cana. Good Luck!

It took three days for and repeated attempts to get the air conditioner in the room to work properly. We had no hot water in the shower for five days. Every time we called, we were told it would be ok in a half hour. The toilet backed up and overflowed into the room. They came and fixed th toilet q .. More>

It took three days for and repeated attempts to get the air conditioner in the room to work properly. We had no hot water in the shower for five days. Every time we called, we were told it would be ok in a half hour. The toilet backed up and overflowed into the room. They came and fixed th toilet quickly, but the maintenance person left without cleaning the room. We thought he was going to send someone to take care of that. No one came. I called to report this situation, and was told somebody would be right there. Another no show. Then I called to speak to a supervisor, and was told: can't clean room everybody gone home. That was the last straw. I then proceded to the lobby and raised holy hell to get a manager to get the room cleaned, after my wife and I started to clean it as best as we could. They are skimpy on room towels. They ran out of iced tea in the buffet and would not make more, not hard to do from a mix. The food is not bad, but not great either. Stay away from the Italian ala carte, the Japanese was the best. There is a limited drink menu, with top shelf liquor costing about $7.00 a drink. The shows were the same as they were last year. This was our second visit to the IFA and would not recommend this hotel.

we had a wonderful time. We took our married children on this trip before they decided to start their families. Also a couple of our great friends come along. There was a total of 8 of us. The pools were great, along with the beach. The beds were very comfortable. The rooms need to be updated .. More>

we had a wonderful time. We took our married children on this trip before they decided to start their families. Also a couple of our great friends come along. There was a total of 8 of us. The pools were great, along with the beach. The beds were very comfortable. The rooms need to be updated and painted. For the rating that Apple gave it, that is want we got. We all had a great time. The food was hit and miss, but the important thing was the beer was alway cold!!!!!!!!!!

We have been to the dominican several times and absolutely love Punta Cana. Compared to other resorts we were not impressed with the IFA. There were quite a few of our group of 17 that had never been to the Dominican so they had nothing to compare it to. It is alwasy beautiful and the staff are alw .. More>

We have been to the dominican several times and absolutely love Punta Cana. Compared to other resorts we were not impressed with the IFA. There were quite a few of our group of 17 that had never been to the Dominican so they had nothing to compare it to. It is alwasy beautiful and the staff are always kind. We alwasy make the best of our VACA's but will be sure vaca at another report next year. If you have been to PC before and are choosing IFA for your resort you will have a good time but will expect more than what you get. If this is your first time you will love it.

This was the first time for us in Punta Cana and we were not disappointed. We enjoyed the resort, weather and people we meant. The resort was very nice and clean. The food in the restaurants was good, we ate at all four (Italian, Mexican, Chinese and International. The breakfast buffet was the b .. More>

This was the first time for us in Punta Cana and we were not disappointed. We enjoyed the resort, weather and people we meant. The resort was very nice and clean. The food in the restaurants was good, we ate at all four (Italian, Mexican, Chinese and International. The breakfast buffet was the best. Hope to return next year.

My husband and I stayed at this resort between May 30 - June 6, 2013. We were looking for a relaxing vacation without the kids and that's what we got. Here is my review... Room: We upgraded our... More>

My husband and I stayed at this resort between May 30 - June 6, 2013. We were looking for a relaxing vacation without the kids and that's what we got. Here is my review... Room: We upgraded our room to a Superior Room (3300's) which is just behind the Pikalo (pizzaria). It was perfectly located near the main pool and close to the theatre and the beach. If you want peace and quiet, do not upgrade. The superior rooms are located between the beach and the lobby. Regular rooms are on the other side of The lobby further away from the beach and the entertainment. Our room was clean but the towels were really old, pillows were stuffed with lumpy fillings and our phone didn't work. They had many US channels for us to watch but often froze because they use satellites. AC worked great and we always had bottles of water stocked in our fridge. Food: Was not bad. Same food every day, the al a carte restaurants were no better than the food at the main buffet and the buffet near the beach. There is no AC in the buffet restaurants and only some a le carte restaurants have it. Entertainment: the shows were spectacular but they only have 2 shows a week. Their costumes were beautiful for the exception of their thongs (not appropriate for kids). They played games on stage the other nights which wasn't bad. Misc: they have vendors set up shop every Wednesdays and Saturdays right in front of the main buffet. Very aggressive and annoying! One of them actually grabbed my arm and pulled me towards their stand although I was very clear that I was not interested. Roberto, who goes around (mainly at the main pool with a mic) constantly harrasses people to buy spa packages. He's most annoying when he gets on the mic. There's very little shade provided at the beach, lots of boats very close to the shore emanating fumes but still the beach is beautiful. All in all, this resort was what we were looking for: Clean, beautiful beach, entertainment and some time away from the kids. This resort is a 3.5 stars at best and great for those on a budget. We went expecting just that (3.5 stars)and must say that we had an awesome time!!

First of all this trip was phenomenal over all! The DR is great! I had a great experiences at the resort, off the resort, and with the people we met!!! Wife and I tried new things and were happy we... More>

First of all this trip was phenomenal over all! The DR is great! I had a great experiences at the resort, off the resort, and with the people we met!!! Wife and I tried new things and were happy we did. The people are fun and honestly they reminded me of Americans. We met plenty of people from all over the world. However, we really enjoyed our American friends that we met. (READ MY SIDE NOTE AT THE BOTTOM) Check in was a disappointment. I walked up to the desk and the light skinned guy was very tired and worn out. I asked him if he had a bad day and he said he was tired of doing everybody else's job. lol (sounds like Americans) He abruptly asked me for a print out of my reservation. I momentarily forgot that I had printed it out from Travelocity. He waived me off to guest services to print it out but then I remembered that I printed it out. Wouldn't you think they would already have that info?? He said they needed to see it in writing. Oh well. I chalked it up to lack of staff. (They won't greet you with any drinks or smiles!) However, I didn't take any offense. I was ready for a good 10 days. The room was good! I was in the villas near the bar above the pool. The room is nothing to brag about. The upgraded rooms were nice as we visited onr with a person we met at the resort. I thought they were much nicer than the Villas. There was a water bug or two in our room over the 10 days but it's the Jungle. Plenty of hot water, towels, and bottled water. Housekeeping lady was great! No complaints there. She kept us well supplied and was very nice. They resort itself is beautiful!! It's slightly aging here and there but overall it's very beautiful. The nightly theater is AWESOME. State of the art lighting, digital screen, outstanding sound system, and beautiful club seating!! The theater is near the front pool. They have really done a great job making it very modern! Trust me, it's outstanding! All of the restaurants, buildings, pools, bars, and resort structures are in beautiful condition and look great. Some of the staff are very friendly. Special thanks to Daniel and Nayte! Daniel was very pleasant and always smiling!!!! When he would recognize you days later he would scream out a big hola and hug you! I bought a message from him for my Wife and I. Margarita and Nayte gave us the messages in the beautiful Spa. It was relaxing and OUTSTANDING. The message was one of the best I have every had! Thank you Nayte. My wife felt the same about Margarita. They are professional and they really know great message techniques. Not generic rubbing. Truly relaxing. I purchased the combination message and my wife purchased the stress free message. Some staff were rude and annoyed by tourist but most were pleasant. The restaurants are not employed by IFA. I could tell they are contracted caterer's. They will treat you much much better than the resort staff. If you drop a fork they'll listen for it and rush to pick it up and give you a new one. If you get up to ask for something they tell you to sit down in a very respectful manner and they'll bring it to you. It make's you feel special. They were so nice to my 4 year old son. They would refill you drink frequently and take your trash and plates away quickly. They stood at attention waiting on you hand and foot. Very good staff at restaurants and main buffet. EXCELLENT SERVICE THERE! The food was excellent. Not top of the line but very good. I did read some bad reviews on the food but here's the legit scoop. It's geared towards ALL types of people around the world. Very different for each culture. You can always find something you'll like. Plenty of cheese selection at every meal. Breakfast was the OUTSTANDING meal at the main buffet. Freshly made omelets, plenty of pastry's, and plenty of other breakfast selections that tasted so good. They even gave a juice bar with freshly squeezed juice from the fruit of your choice. Dinner food was good. Try the pasta bar towards the back or the grill where you choose freshly grilled items. Grilled directly in front of you. Pizza was great at the snack bar. They have chicken nuggets, burgers, and hot dogs. The one thing I will say is I don't like rare food. I had to always say picito mas por favor. I made them cook everything thoroughly because they won't do it unless you ask. I didn't want to bring home any parasites. The lunch buffet by the beach was incredible!!!! Good selection of grilled fish, NACHOS, potatoes, meats, veggies, fruit, salad, and plenty of rice! The drinks at all the bars were great! I drank like a fish every night. I was blitzed at least 6 of the 10 nights that we were there. We brought a babysitter for our 4 year old so they wife and I could drink, drink, drink. Of course the drinks are strong but tasted like cheap liquor but you forget about that after the first two nights. They actually started tasting very good after I got used to it. All kinds of drink. They were made strong as you want. GO GET BLITZED and enjoy the people and the DR!!! Enjoy your vacation. IT's incredible. I really like the beer. It's not Presidente (premium) but I thought right off the bat that it was very good beer. Really tasted great from day one. All of the bars were great!!! The beach was great. A lot of wildlife, star fish, beautiful fish, crystal clear water. There is some seaweed but I didn't mind at all. No jellyfish, and there was a lot of wild life coming out of the seaweed. I will also say that the seaweed is at least 30 to 50 yards off the beach. Clear water and sand between sea weed and beach. I thought I would be disappointed with that but no. It was great and very beautiful. Be sure to take the catamaran trip to Saona Island. The water is 100% more blue and the pristine beach is phenomenal. It's an entire day trip. All pools were fantastic. They do close at 7pm and that was a bummer. Didn't interfere with our plans much because there's so much to do after 7. Restaurants, theater, drinking, drinking, and more drinking!!! The swim up bar is the party bar and they lagoon type of pool is for families or whoever wants to just relax. There's a nice shopping center directly off to the right of the beach. Try the Poseidon restaurant. The manager is Italian and very nice. The food is a refreshing change from the resort. Very delicious!!! The best we had in the DR. SIDE NOTE! We had a great adventure to the DR. This was the first vacation of many we've already taken in our lives. My wife and I celebrated our 6 year wedding anniversary for 10 days here. Took a 3 hour private catamaran trip with lobster on the beach at sunset. It was great. We met new people because there were so many too meet at the resort. Surprisingly busy resort! We tried new thing and really really enjoyed the beach at night time. It was quite and peaceful! You can meet some interesting people at the Disco and practically anywhere on the resort. We stayed up all night a few times and watched the sunrise on the beach. Absolutely spectacular sunrise at this resort beach. It was unity with the earth! As cheesy as that sounds. I have never seen a better sunrise. The security is very tight at the resort but will never interfere with your great vacation. Met some interesting folks from Boston. They really made my wife and I want to visit Boston one day. lol hahaha! Although they really seemed to like Texas, where were from. Enjoy your trip to IFA Villas Bavaro and the DR!!!!

This is a good resort which has it all, including a beautiful beach! We booked the villas and were glad we didn't buy the upgrade to the Superior rooms. The villas are in the back of the resort... More>

This is a good resort which has it all, including a beautiful beach! We booked the villas and were glad we didn't buy the upgrade to the Superior rooms. The villas are in the back of the resort, thus much less noise but a 15 minutes long walk to the beach. There is a "train" coming by each 15/20 minutes which can take you to the lobby, bars, pools and beach. The food was pretty good. Even my girlfriend, not an easy eater, also kinda liked it. We've tried all different restaurants and the buffet, I can recommend you do the same and pick the one you like the most! The meat at the buffet isn't that good. Snacks at the main pool (pizza slizes) are fat, but have a great taste! You can get some snorkling equipment for free at the beautiful beach, but don't expect too much of it - there isn't much to see aside from a fish or 2, some small crabs and the occasional starfish. Overall, we had a great time! But if you are like me and like to visit some boulevards, or something like that - don't book a resort/hotel in Punta Cana! There's only a beautiful beach with resorts. The closest city is Higüey, which is a 45km drive!

It was my first stay in Rep.Dominican . I was there and the people was really friendly with me and my family. They was really welcome you in the resort... Thank you to Esteban and Carlito was a... More>

It was my first stay in Rep.Dominican . I was there and the people was really friendly with me and my family. They was really welcome you in the resort... Thank you to Esteban and Carlito was a person really friend at the begin to the end.. Thank you to Ramon Vianney who was really fun and nice person to the beggin to the end.. The show over there was really good. The food over there was really good..

We will be at IFA for our second time starting June 8-15. Had such a wonderful time last Sept. Staff was AWESOME starting with the front desk to wait staff to housekeeping, Ground workers, Bar staff... More>

We will be at IFA for our second time starting June 8-15. Had such a wonderful time last Sept. Staff was AWESOME starting with the front desk to wait staff to housekeeping, Ground workers, Bar staff and entertainment folks. If our trip this time is HALF as good as last trip, we will have the time of our lives once again.