Full Review of Top-Rated All-Inclusive Resort in Punta Cana
If you are looking for a full review of one of the top-rated all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana, you are in luck!
We are just back from a 5-night, 6-day stay at one of Punta Cana’s top-rated all-inclusive resorts, the Iberostar Selection Bavaro. Iberostar Selection Bavaro is a luxurious all-inclusive resort located in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. This top-rated all-inclusive offers a range of amenities and activities for guest to enjoy including multiple pools, a spa, a fitness center, and a variety of restaurants and bars. The resort is also located on the beautiful Bavaro Beach, which is the perfect spot for relaxing while soaking up the sun.
Last year, we took a trip to our very first all-inclusive resort with the kids in Punta Cana, where we stayed at the Iberostar Dominicana, and we loved it! Our full review of the Dominicana can be found here. This year, we decided to leave the kids at home and enjoy a kid-free vacation while giving the Iberostar Selection Bavaro a try. During our latest visit, we tried to enjoy as many restaurants and bars as possible and enjoy several activities along the way so we could give you our honest review on the resort. Follow along below to find out how our trip was and how Iberostar Selection compares to the Iberostar Dominicana.
Time for Another Trip to Paradise
Here we go! Time for another trip to paradise! We departed on a non-stop flight from Chicago to Punta Cana for our 5-night stay on Thursday, May 30. We booked our trip with Carefree Travel and Apple Vacations again. They are great, and we don’t book a vacation without Pam and Carefree Travel.
Upon arrival in Punta Cana, we were told to look for the Amstar guys in the blue flowered shirts at the airport for our transportation to the hotel once we got our luggage. We quickly found our Amstar Rep and were taken to our shuttle.
Once on the shuttle, we took a quick 30-minute ride and arrived at our resort. Upon arrival, we were instantly in love with the main lobby and were eager to explore the rest of the resort.
As we entered the lobby, we were greeted by staff members with a welcome drink and were taken to the check-in counter where we were given a wristband, which served as our room key. We were offered an upgrade to Coral Level or a Beachfront Villa but declined. Our room was not quite ready, so we grabbed some lunch at the buffet. After lunch we changed into our swimsuits, grabbed a Mama Juana shot (our first drink tradition) and a drink at the bar. We then made our way down to the pool until our room was ready, which was just before 3:00pm.
Our Room
For our stay, we booked the Junior Suite Tropical View, and requested a room on the 2nd level. The Selection Bavaro has over 90 two-story villas, that house 8 rooms each that are located around the property. Some are right along the beach, some along the pool, and others located in-between the lobby and pool/beach area. We had our travel agent request a room close to the pool and beach area. Did we luck out! We were in Villa 41, room 2417. It was right next to the pool area and right on the main path to the lobby and main buffet! The perfect location for us.
The room itself was nice and spacious, offering a king bed, decent sized closet with a safe, a desk with chair, couch/seating area, and a flatscreen TV. We didn’t even turn the TV on once during our stay; too much other stuff to enjoy!
Our balcony had a small couch, chair, and table. It also had a drying rack for your wet swimsuits and pool towels.
The mini fridge was stocked with Presidente (Beer), Coke, and Sparkling Water. It is kind of embarrassing, but I wasn’t even able to finish the 4 beers in the fridge during our stay – ha! We were filling up on other drinks and enjoying too many other things around the resort.
The bathroom is your standard bathroom. It had a sink, toilet, and a really nice rain shower with a removable handheld shower head. They had shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hand soap and lotion stocked in the bathroom. There was also a magnifying mirror and blow dryer. A little tip for showering – with the design of the bathroom, the water from the shower tends to flow out of the shower and into the main bathroom area. Be sure to put a towel or two down at the entry of the shower to keep the shower water in the shower area.
The water in the room is not drinkable. We found it helpful to use a hair tie and wrap it around the bathroom faucet. It was a good reminder not to use the sink water for brushing your teeth but still allowed you to wash your hands.
There were several outlets in each room that were all compatible with US type plug-ins, as well as some USB plugins.
As we said earlier, we were given a wristband at check-in, which served as our room key. This was Game Changer #1 for this trip! I was hesitant to have a wristband on the entire trip, but this was so nice and convenient. No need to worry about making sure you have your room key when you leave the room and no digging through your swim-bag trying to find it.
The Food
Iberostar Selection Bavaro offers a variety of dining options to cater to different tastes and preferences. You know that we are foodies, and that food is a big part of enjoying our vacations. We are pleased to say that all of the food throughout our trip was outstanding.
Breakfast
All of our breakfasts were enjoyed at Los Haitises Buffet, which is located right by the Selection Bavaro Main Lobby. They offered a variety of fresh fruit, pastries, cereals, yogurts, eggs, fresh-made omelet station, pancakes, waffles, bacon, sausages, and a selection of hot and cold beverages. We especially enjoyed the omelet station and fresh fruit. We also found ourselves making our own breakfast sandwiches with croissants, bacon, and poached eggs. At breakfast we enjoyed the Cafe Cortado and the occasional mimosa.
Lunch
All of our lunches were enjoyed at the Sibony Beach Bar, which is located right by the main pool. Not only did it have a convenient location and beautiful view of the beach, but they also offered up some delicious food options. They offered fresh fruit, salads, sandwiches, pizza, fish, steak, chicken, and our favorite the nacho bar! The fresh homemade chips and toppings were so good, and we never got sick of eating them day after day! They even had freshly made shredded chicken and pork tacos one day that still have our mouths watering.
Another lunch option by the pool is Los Bohios, which is a snack bar offering up some burgers, hot dogs, and nachos. They also made up some fresh paella along the beach multiple times during our stay, which was also delicious.
Dinner
We saw the biggest changes in dinner this year during our visit. Last year at the Dominicana reservations were required at all restaurants. We were also limited to the number of reservations we were able to book during our stay. That left us with only being able to try the Smokehouse, La Marimba, last year.
More recently, Iberostar dropped the reservation requirements for most restaurants for dinner and now allows guest to enjoy as many specialty restaurants as they please. What a welcome change!
During our stay, we enjoyed the following restaurants for dinner:
Brave – Is the Steakhouse at the resort. It offers up a unique dining experience centered around premium cuts of meat and grilled specialties. Our full review on Brave Steakhouse can be found here – be prepared to enjoy a mouthwatering steak cooked to perfection.
Kabuki – This restaurant combines traditional Japanese dishes with a modern twist, creating a menu that showcases the flavors and techniques of Japanese cooking. Kabuki did require reservations, but we easily made them when we first arrived. Our full review of Kabuki can be found here. This specialty restaurant and dining experience is not to be missed.
Il Forno – Il Forno is the Italian Restaurant at the resort and focuses of traditional Italian cuisine, with a menu featuring a variety of pasta dishes, pizzas, and other Italian fare. We will have a complete rundown of our experience at Il Forno soon but be prepared to be stuffed after your meal!
Los Haitises – This buffet is located just off of the Main Lobby of Iberostar Selection. There were a couple of nights that we didn’t feel like a sit-down meal, so we made a stop at the buffet. We found the dinner buffet to have the best pizza out of all of the buffets. We also enjoyed the nacho bar, as if we didn’t get enough nachos at the beach buffet for lunch!
Specialty Dining Dress Code
Iberostar lists a specific dress code for each of their specialty restaurants on their app, but we found that it was not followed. I always wore a nice pair of shorts with a short-sleeved button up with sandals, while Leah always wore a dress with sandals. We did see some people dress up a bit more, and others in just a t-shirt and shorts. We don’t mind dressing up a bit, we actually enjoy it for our evening dinner and entertainment.
Star Cafe
If you look back at our blog on the Iberostar Dominicana, we had a few things we would change. One of the things was a place that had snacks and coffee available when the buffets and restaurants were closed. We were in luck and our wish was granted at Iberostar Selection Bavaro. The Star Cafe, which is located right off of the Main Lobby, offers up specialty coffees and teas. They also serve up some fresh pastries and grab-and-go snacks. We especially liked the iced coffees and lattes, as well as the fresh made chicken wraps and dessert options. The Star Cafe is also open 24 hours.
Specialty Beverages
You know the drinks at an all-inclusive resort are plentiful. At t times, it is hard to decide what you want to drink. We tried to visit as many different bars as possible, with our favorite being the Hatuey, the Swim-Up Pool Bar.
My Top 3 Drinks:
1. Mojito (don’t know how I’ve gone my whole life not trying one of these!)
2. Blue Hawiian
3. Espresso Martini
Leah’s Top 3 Drinks:
1. Miami Vice
2. Margaritta on the Rocks
3. Pina Colada
We also enjoyed several different shots throughout our trip. The Mama Juana is always a must try while in Punta Cana. The bartender at Hatuey, Mayelin, was also mixing up some tasty shots for all to enjoy while at the Swim-Up Bar. We also found that Mayelin made the best drinks, and we loved seeing her every day!
Now, we weren’t drinking by the pool and beach the entire time! For our morning cup of coffee, we really enjoyed the Star Cafe. They brewed some delicious Iced Coffee and Lattes, and the Cafe Cortado at the morning buffet.
Water
The tap water in Punta Cana is not drinkable. The resort supplied our room with 2 large glass bottles. We could fill with drinking water at a refilling station located throughout the resort. We chose to keep the glass bottles in the room and brought our own reusable water bottles for when we were out and about. There was a refilling station right by our villa and this one even had an ice filling station! We had never seen this before and was a nice addition.
Neither of us had any issues with the drinking water while in Punta Cana.
The Beach
The white, sandy shores of Bavaro Beach were just as beautiful as the first time we saw them. The sand was soft with no rocks at all, and the water was clear-blue, and a lot calmer compared to our trip last February. You’d find me on the beach every morning around 6:00am to enjoy the sunrise. Even if you’re not an early riser, I recommend getting up at least once to watch the sunrise. You won’t be disappointed!
You may see different reviews and complaints about the amount of seaweed on the beach. There is no need to worry! Every morning, there staff members cleaning up the seaweed on the beach with tractors and equipment to get it ready for the day ahead.
There were plenty of lounge chairs at the beach as well. You could choose to sit in the sun or in the shade under an umbrella. We never had any issue finding a chair on the beach.
If you were looking to grab a beverage while relaxing, there were several waiters walking around taking drink orders. You could also find a Beach Bar located right on the beach. They also offered up quick grab-and-go snacks.
We also enjoyed several afternoon walks on the beach and always felt safe with our surroundings.
Our only negative about the beach is that there were a lot of vendors walking around that would ask you to go on excursions, buy souvenirs, etc. A simple “no thank you” is all it took to keep them moving along, but there would be someone else coming around to ask you the same thing again and again throughout the day.
The Pool
The pool area at Selection Bavaro was located right along with beach and it was beautiful. It was a large pool that was surrounded by palm trees with plenty of lounge chairs and the water was always the perfect temperature. There were several zero-entry areas to get into the pool as well as several areas with stairs. The deepest part of the pool reached over 6′ deep! Just be sure to not be carrying a drink with you as you make your way through that section! Now, Game Changer #2 for us for this trip was Hatuey, the Swim-Up Pool Bar. This bar opened at 10:00am and offered up some of the best drinks of our trip. Our bartender, Mayelin made the best drinks, offered exceptional service, and she sure knew how to have a good time.
If you didn’t want to make the short swim to the Swim-Up Pool Bar, they had several waiters walking around the pool area taking drink orders. They also had 2 other bars located around the pool that you could visit to get your cocktails.
There was a buffet and snack bar right next to the pool to grab lunch, as well as a place to grab some ice cream.
Pool towels are provided by the hotel and could be picked up daily at the towel station located right by the pool.
They also had a separate area just for the kids to enjoy. It had a large pirate ship with slides, bridges, and a water dump-bucket. We could see our kids really enjoying this area.
Cabanas were available for rent each day by the pool. The cost for the daily rental was $25. Not a bad price in our eyes, but we didn’t see the need to rent one, as we never had any issue finding lounge chairs.
Activities and Entertainment
The Entertianment Team was great during our trip. They were out at the pool just before lunch gearing up for some mid-morning and afternoon activities. They were also at the evening shows mingling with guests and getting them ready for the night ahead.
Daytime
The Entertainment Team at the resort was out every morning at the pool looking for guests to participate in various activities. Those included volleyball, soccer, bocce ball, yoga, water aerobics, dance lessons, and more. We didn’t participate in anything, but we did enjoy watching the water aerobics and dance lessons. The Entertainment Team really had the guests enjoying themselves.
I will say that the highlight of my trip was an afternoon activity in the pool, and is Game Changer #3 for this trip, the Foam Party! I have never seen anything like it! A DJ playing some great tunes while foam was getting blown into the pool. The foam was taller than us at times and everyone was dancing away and enjoying themselves. They did have lifeguards on duty and had guest splash the foam down multiple times throughout the event, just to keep everyone safe. It was so much fun, and it is an activity not to be missed.
Evening
Every night in the Main Theater they had some sort of entertainment. During our stay the Selection Bavaro had several production shows including “Once Upon a Time,” “Dominican Folklore,” “Big Circus Dreams,” and “Four on the Floor.” We caught the end of the “Big Circus Dreams” show. It seemed like an entertaining show with some talented performers. The “Once Upon a Time” show was not for us. We ended up leaving that show and heading over to the Main Lobby of Iberostar Punta Cana where we enjoyed some live singing. It was wonderful!
There was supposed to be a Beach Party one evening, but they cancelled the show in the late afternoon due to predicted bad weather. It turned out to be a beautiful evening, so we were bummed we missed the show again this year as last year the show was also cancelled due to the weather. Maybe next time!
Tipping & Service
Off-Site Excursions
We had contemplated booking an excursion with our Amstar Rep. In the end, we decided to skip it this trip and enjoy the resort as much as possible.
Last year, our family enjoyed a daytrip to Scape Park and really enjoyed it. If you are looking for a day full of ziplining, cave swimming, and hiking, be sure to take a look at Scape Park Punta Cana – Unforgettable Way to Spend the Day for our full review.
Iberostar Dominicana vs. Selection Bavaro
As we’ve said, we stayed at the Iberostar Dominicana in 2023 with our kids. When planning this trip, we decided to look into the Selection Bavaro. It wasn’t that much more expensive, so we decided to book it, so we had something to compare Dominicana to. By staying at the Selection Bavaro, not only did we have access to pools, restaurants, and activities at the Selection Bavaro, we also had access to the pools, restaurants, and activities at the neighboring resorts, the Iberostar Dominicana and Iberostar Punta Cana. For most of our stay, we found ourselves staying at the Selection Bavaro. We did venture over to Dominicana and Punta Cana just to revisit and bring back some memories from our last trip.
The Food
All of our meals for this trip were eaten at the Iberostar Selection Bavaro. We thought the food in the buffets was right in line with quality of the Dominicana and Punta Cana. We did enjoy the specialty dining options the Selection Bavaro offered.
The Pool
We loved the pool area at Dominicana and Punta Cana last year during our stay. The pool area was beautiful, and Maria “drinky drinky” was always running around the pool taking drink orders. However, the pool area at Selection Bavaro was also phenomenal. We fell in love with the Swim-Up Pool Bar and the bartender, Mayelin.
The Entertainment
This was the biggest difference that we noticed between the Selection Bavaro and Dominicana. We loved the live singers and saxophonist last year at Dominicana and we felt that this was something that was missing this year during our stay at Selection. We actually went over the lobby of Punta Cana one night to catch some live singing. She put on a heck of a show and had everyone up and dancing. We just didn’t see that at Selection during our stay, so it was nice having the option to venture over to the neighboring resorts if we wanted to.
The Property
Both of these properties are beautiful, and the property and grounds crew do a phenomenal job with the upkeep. I will say that I think the courtyard in between the Dominicana and Punta Cana has the slight advantage. It is truly breathtaking. But really, can you really go wrong with palm trees, tropical landscaping, and sunshine?!
We feel like there is more to dive into when comparing the two resorts. We will have another blog post diving into some more details and pictures comparing the two resorts, but we truly think you’ll have an unforgettable and enjoyable vacation at either one of these resorts.
What We Would Change
1. Iberostar has an app that you can download. It provides you with various items that can be beneficial to you during your stay. From a daily schedule of events to restaurant hours of operation and the ability to book reservations at the specialty restaurants, it was a handy tool to have access to. Our one complaint about the app is that we found the schedule of events to be inaccurate several times throughout our stay. It would list various activities throughout the day, but we would show up at the listed time only to find out the event was not actually scheduled or had been cancelled. The app would be so much more useful if they were able to update the schedule throughout the day if needed.
2. One other thing that we would change is the air conditioning in the rooms. During our stay, the weather was beautiful. Hot and humid with highs in the 90’s. Our room’s thermostat had the ability to turn down to 52 degrees Fahrenheit and that is what we had it set at the entire trip. Even with it set at 52 degrees, we still never really got the room to really cool down. It wasn’t so hot that we were uncomfortable and not able to sleep. It was just not the air conditioning we were used to. We had also heard several other complaints from others staying at the resort with the same problem.
Our Overall Experience
Even though we listed a couple of things that we would like to change about our trip, they were both so minor and neither of them ruined our vacation. This trip was amazing. Iberostar Selection Bavaro deserves to be crowned one of the top-rated all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana. The resort was beautiful, the service was outstanding, the food was phenomenal, and it was another trip to paradise.
I guarantee that you’ll come across negative reviews about this resort, and really any resort you search, but remember your vacation is what you make of it. You can focus on all of the little knit picky things that you’d like to change but grab a drink and sit back and relax. We will definitely be making plans to come back to the Iberostar Resorts in Punta Cana in the future and we can’t wait to share our next experience with you.
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