Catalonia Royal Bavaro

I was going to give this hotel a lower rating, but its amenities and customer service from most of the employees boosted the rating. I had a credit with Sunwing and decided to do a package deal for Punta Cana. This was the highest rated Hotel in Punta Cana that was around my budget and it was adults only. I recommend you book the adults only option if you do not want to be around crying children/babies. It came out to around 2,165$ CAD for the all inclusive option, with flight, transfers and hotel stay for one week (in comparison to just the flight for around 1745$ cad).It takes around than 20-25 minutes to get to the hotel from the airport(direct, but the driver goes to drop off at the regular Catalonia and then the Royal). Since check in is at 3 pm and I did not pay for the privileged option, I waited an hour and got lunch at Thalassa. Once I was dropped off (via golf cart) at my door, I realized that the lock had a hard time opening. I let one of the chambermaids know and she told me that she had reported it. It stayed the same for the rest of my stay.As I laid on my bed, I saw a tear on the fitted sheet and orange stains on the flat sheet. I went to the front desk and asked if I could speak to a manager. After the receptionist helped me (albeit in a annoyed fashion, since I wanted to speak to a manager but I told her that since she helped me, one was no longer needed) I got my bed redone by the chamber maids. Because of continuing issues with the room, which again I will include photos of, I had issues with the customer service chat/reception. I had a leak under my sink twice and by the second time it needed repair, I contacted the customer service WhatsApp chat. Despite me having a man's name and a man's photo, the individual called me ma'am in Spanish (Sra). The agent was upset, as I had a do not disturb sign I had forgotten to remove when the repairman came to my room (I previously was contacted by phone by reception about the sign).I had kept it up as it was around 40C heat index daily, and I mostly stayed in my room if I did not go out to eat/go for walks/swim. Other than those unfortunate incidents, the chamber maids were more than friendly, providing me with snacks, water, linens whenever needed. One particular lady, who I regret not asking her name, would ask me at night (since I refused turnover service the majority of the time I was there) to clean my room. I felt her kindness was truly sincere and welcoming. Kindness from people like her and Willian at Bloved restaurant helped me have a more positive response/experience about the hotel. I recommend you brush up your Spanish, as the staff is friendlier if you are Spanish speaking. This hotel is perfect if you don't want to travel out, as a taxi is around 15$ cad each way to the mall, and it can add up. They have a mini mall(pharmacy, mini market, multiple souvenir shops, and even a clinic). They have multiple restaurants (3 in the adult section of the royal, Thalassa, Seablue and Bloved) and 4 at the regular catalonia hotel (adult and child mix, Mamma Mia, TaoCat, Yami and Rodeo Steakhouse). After hearing a baby banging utensils and the parents blasting Ms. Rachel at Yami, I was very grateful that I spent extra for the adult section. Booking is required for dinnertime (via a QR code provided by reception). I recommend booking the regular hotel's restaurants ASAP, as the guests at the regular hotel have first choice. Both hotels are interconnected, and you (an adult) can walk freely to both hotels. My room (3301), was virtually across from the beach and virtually right next to Bloved and Seablue. Please note, that my room was next to the maids quarters, so be ready for walkie talkie beeps and conversations in the morning and night from the maids. The beach was full of seaweed, so I only swam in the pool (two adult only pools in this hotel). Other than the previously mentioned issues, it is a hotel that is worth the money and I would come again (when the price is right).

Our overall experience at Catalonia Royal Bávaro was definitely a mix of positives and negatives. ARRIVAL & RESORT GROUNDS: Upon arrival, we were immediately impressed by how beautiful and well-maintained the resort grounds are. We were greeted with a welcome drink, and the check-in process was smooth and efficient. The resort has a beautiful tropical atmosphere, and there are two pools available to enjoy. One thing we were not prepared for was being approached almost immediately by the timeshare/vacation club representatives. At first, we didn't realize that's what was happening. We were invited to what they called the “Beach Club,” only to find out the following day that it was essentially a sales presentation. Just be aware of this when you're approached after check-in. Another thing worth mentioning is the number of cats and dogs roaming freely throughout the resort grounds. They are everywhere, particularly around common areas, which may be a plus for animal lovers but could be a concern for others. PROS 👍🏽 Beautiful, well-maintained resort grounds Two pools Adults-only atmosphere Access to the family side of the resort, giving you additional restaurant options Housekeeping was fantastic — our room was consistently cleaned and well-maintained Restaurant reservations help keep dining organized and prevent overcrowding CONS 👎🏽 FOOD; Unfortunately, the food was probably our biggest disappointment. The food was consistently served cold, regardless of which restaurant we tried. We were even served ribs that were so hard they were practically inedible. We tried several restaurants hoping for a better experience, but the temperature and quality of the food remained an issue. RESTAURANT RESERVATIONS: Although having access to the family side gives you additional restaurant options, there is a major catch: reservations must be made three days in advance, and you can only make them once you arrive at the resort. This means you can't plan those reservations ahead of your trip. For guests staying only one week, this significantly limits your ability to experience the different restaurants. By the time you're actually able to make reservations, some of your vacation has already passed, and availability may be limited. While the reservation system keeps things organized, I feel the policy could be much more accommodating for guests staying for a short period. SERVICE The service was another major area that needs improvement. There was no poolside drink service, so every time you wanted something to drink, you had to leave the pool and go to the bar yourself. We did complain about this, and to their credit, the following day we noticed staff members taking drink orders around the pool. So, they did respond to the feedback, which was appreciated. STAFF ATTITUDE Unfortunately, we also encountered several staff members who came across as very rude and uninterested. The overall attitude at times felt like they simply didn't want to be there, which took away from the experience. Hospitality is such a major part of an all-inclusive vacation, so this was disappointing. BEACH & SARGASSUM: The beach was unfortunately not swimmable during our August visit because of the amount of sargassum. That said, this is definitely a seasonal issue and not something I would necessarily blame the resort for. If you're traveling to Punta Cana in August, I would strongly recommend making plans to visit an outside beach or excursion where the conditions may be better. ROOMS & ACCESSIBILITY 🛏️ The standard rooms are definitely in need of an upgrade. Our room looked dated and showed its age. However, it appears that the higher room categories have been renovated and look much more modern and updated, so upgrading your room may make a significant difference in your experience. One important thing to know before booking: there are no elevators in the resort buildings — only stairs. Depending on where your room is located, you may have several flights of stairs to navigate. This is definitely something to consider if you have mobility limitations or simply prefer not to climb stairs throughout your vacation. Housekeeping, however, was excellent and deserves recognition. Our room was consistently cleaned and well-maintained. FINAL THOUGHTS Catalonia Royal Bávaro has a lot of potential. The property itself is beautiful, the grounds are gorgeous, housekeeping is excellent, and having access to the family side gives you more dining options. However, the cold food, restrictive restaurant reservation system, inconsistent service, dated standard rooms, lack of elevators, and unfriendly attitudes from some staff members really impacted our stay. The beach conditions were also disappointing, although the sargassum was clearly seasonal and expected during this time of year. For a resort in this price range, I expected better food quality and a higher level of customer service. Would I return? Possibly, but only with a higher room category and more realistic expectations regarding the food and service. The beautiful property definitely has the foundation to be an amazing resort, but there are several areas that need improvement. If you're considering going in August, be prepared for sargassum and have a backup plan to visit an outside beach. If you're staying for only a week, keep the restaurant reservation policy in mind — you may not get to experience as many restaurants as you expect. And definitely keep the stairs/no-elevator situation in mind when selecting your room.

This is our 2nd visit to the Catalonia Royal Bavaro having visited 10 years ago, every year we've said we should go back because of how much we enjoyed it the first time and a change of plan due to travel restrictions earlier in the year gave us the opportunity to spend 2 weeks here. For the most part it's still really good. The staff are brilliant especially Willian in Bloved, we had breakfast there most days as it's all cooked fresh and much more civilised than the buffet. The buffet food was often cold too as I suspect it stands too long. They do a pretty good job of clearing the beach of seaweed but if you venture out in to the water you see what they have to deal with. There's a spot you can go over the seawall and it's still shallow, did manage to see a couple of fish. The resort is super clean and well maintained outside although there are 4 or 5 villas on the family side having construction work going on and the Spa was closed due to more construction work. The rooms look exactly the same as 10 years ago and probably could do with bit of a refresh too, the curtains were a little holey so probably still the same ones. The infinity pool area (not really an infinity pool any more as you can't see the sea) could do with the slabs relaying, they're rather wobbly in places There are though a few other issues and why I've given this 3 stars. 10 years ago the vegetarian food was amazing here and it even had a vegetarian restaurant, now it's extremely lacking. Thalassa has 1 main course and 1 they can adjust in the evening, Bloved and Sea Blue have no vegetarian mains. There's also a lot of cross contamination going on, all 3 of the buffets have utensils shared with multiple dishes and used on both meat and none-meat dishes contaminating all the none-meat dishes and vice-versa (think of people with allergies of religious reasons). The snack hatch at Bloved also cooked vegan burgers next to the meat and used the same utensils to turn and serve. The restaurants all need reserving in advance but they book up quick. For some reason someone has decided that the Thalassa, reception, Piano Bar (never saw anyone playing it so it's a bar with a piano but no pianist) and BO Bar have 3 minutes of muzak on constant repeat all day long. You can hear it at the pool when it's quiet and it also plays when the entertainment is on which is really dispectful. It is probably the most annoying thing I've ever encounted at a hotel and pretty certain why the Piano Bar was always quiet, although the none-stop repeating video on the TV will also have contributed to that I'm sure. Like many hotels people reserving sunbeds all day and barely using them was an issue, more at the pools than the beach. A few people also played their own music really loud at the pools. There are local vendors on the beach but they leave you alone with a firm no most of the time. There's a few things that could be done to improve this hotel: Take the staff on some food hygene courses and use individual utensils for each dish Ensure every restaurant can cater for vegeterians and vegans sufficiently Get rid of the muzak If you're playing music for an activity at the pool, turn the other music off Add a couple of extra bar staff to allow more pool and beach service Have the Thalassa to a la carte for breakfast again Get a pianist for the Piano Bar Fix the wobbly slabs by the pool Refresh some of the rooms Allow the guests to pick the drinks in the minibar from a list Don't rush food in the restaurants, we once had starters 2 minutes after ordering and before our bread and wine, then the mains were out almost immediately after we finished Update and fix the casino slot machines, they look older than wbat was there 10 years ago, it's not a warm and friendly place

I never write reviews, but I feel the effort the staff go to to make sure you enjoy your stay needs to be mentioned and recognised. I loved the location. There isn’t really anything surrounding you other than the resort, and you’re right on the beach if that’s your kind of thing. Just keep seaweed season in mind if the beach is particularly important to you. The atmosphere around the resort is great and relaxing, while there are also some lively entertainers who keep things fun and are always up for a laugh. Hansel and Elvis in particular were always a good time and really added to our holiday. Our room was great and we had no real issues with it. The air conditioning was fantastic, which is something I heavily rely on during the night! Our maid, Yeiny, was friendly and attentive and always left the room spotless. The minibar and snacks were regularly topped up, with fresh towels and bedding whenever required. The overall cleanliness of the resort was also excellent. I never really saw anything I’d describe as messy or dirty. There always seemed to be somebody cleaning floors, maintaining the gardens or collecting cups and glasses that guests had left around. Noise wasn’t a problem for me either. We stayed in one of the blocks immediately next to the main pool and entertainment area and I didn’t find it particularly noisy at all. In my opinion, the resort is worth the money considering everything you get access to. The service overall was fantastic and couldn’t have been much friendlier or more accommodating. Freilin and Michael at Bloved deserve a particular mention, both were incredibly friendly and always good for a laugh. One of the things I loved most was that the staff actually remember you. They regularly call guests “family”, and honestly, after being there for a while, it feels so much nicer and more personal than constantly being called sir or madam. Unfortunately, I managed to sprain my ankle during the holiday and had to visit the resort’s 24/7 medical clinic. Dr Gonzalez was excellent, knowledgeable, friendly and very reassuring. Even with the ankle injury, it was still a fantastic holiday. I do, however, need to mention the one serious issue I experienced. I am allergic to alcohol. Consuming it causes breathing problems and means I need to use my inhaler, so obviously I specifically order drinks without alcohol. I ordered a virgin piña colada and was given one containing alcohol. Fortunately, I could smell the alcohol before drinking it, so I didn’t consume it. However, the following day I ordered another virgin piña colada and was again given one containing alcohol. Unfortunately, this time I drank some before realising. I had a bad reaction, needed to use my inhaler and had to return to my room to recover and sleep off the effects. I reported the incident to my holiday representative the following day, who raised it with the hotel. I was understandably extremely unhappy that this happened, particularly as it happened twice and the second incident caused a reaction. However, I also think it’s important to give the hotel credit for how they responded once it was reported. From that point onwards, whenever I ordered a drink, staff consistently checked whether I wanted it with or without alcohol, even when ordering something like a fruit cocktail. I was pleased to see that the issue had clearly been taken seriously and acted upon. One piece of advice I would give to anyone staying here with a serious allergy or intolerance is to make the hotel aware of it at check in, rather than relying on that information being communicated each time you order something. In hindsight, I wish I had done this with my alcohol allergy. I had assumed that ordering a drink as “virgin” would be enough, but mistakes can happen, particularly in a busy resort with lots of different staff serving you throughout your stay. I don’t think that excuses what happened, especially as it happened twice, but I would definitely take that extra precaution myself next time. Despite that incident, overall this was a wonderful holiday. The resort itself is fantastic, but the staff are what really make the place special. Their friendliness, humour and the effort they put into making guests feel welcome genuinely made the holiday for me. I would 100% return to Catalonia Royal Bávaro when I get the opportunity, which is why, despite the issue I experienced, I’m still giving it 5 stars.

Catalonia hotel, was a good place for our anniversary we enjoyed a lot, the food in Thalassa restaurant was great and thanks to Laura for her amazing service