Just got back from a one week stay at the Barcelo Bavaro Palace. The trip was done through USAir so everything was included in our price. Check-in was fabulous and smooth. We were put into building 5 on the third floor. The room was being cleaned when we arrived so we were quickly able to develop a relationship with our maid. We were with another couple( good friends of ours), and their room was down the hall from us. We first noticed how big our room was. Once we got our AC running at the temperature we wanted, everything was fine. OK first off, this hotel is quite a few years old and in some cases it shows it and in some others it doesn't. The rooms, and the gounds of this resort are cleaned every single day. We tipped our maid well, which for us meant plenty of towels and sundries. Our mini bar was always well stocked with water, soda and beer. Our king size bed was comfortable. From an accomdation point of view, the Palace served us well. Other reviews talked of mildewy smell,or uncomfortable beds, lack of hot water, low pressure in the water,etc. not an issue here. I figured that most bad reviews started from any bad experiences at the check-in or some weak stomaches.
Allright lets get to the beach and the pool. From an aesthitics point of view, your not going to find much prettier beaches. The ugly side of the beach was the swim wear being worn by some people or the lack of swim wear by some others. Hey this is a place where people bring children with them, but again our friends from across the pond continue with using their idiotic judgement when it comes to their beachwear. I am a 52 year old man who is in reasonable shape and I am certainly nobody's prude. Come on now, men for heaven sake stop with the speedos, for the vast majority you look like buffooons at best and morons at your worst. Get a decent pair of swimming trunks and stop looking like jackasses. I donot even want to start with the topless women at these beaches. Just throw them in with the guys in speedos and you get my drift. Thank the good lord that at least the woman topless scene does not occur at the pool, can't say the same for the speedos.
Food- my friends, my wife and I will never say no to a meal. We eat like nobody's business and we eat well. We are entering an area of expertise for us. So what did we think of the food? It was ok. Hey We are at an all inclusive so it is what it is. Favorite places- La Pina grill, Mexico Lindo, Caribe buffet, Steak House and La Brisa(seafood). Disappointments- Los Pinos Italian restaurant and Bohio. La Pina was outdoor grill by a flea market that served some good steaks, shrimps, and lobster tails. Mexico Linda had a great appetizer bar, the other ones speak for themselves. Los Pinos giving me a piece of chicken leg for the chicken cacciatore was an insult. The spaghetti in meat sauce though was very good. Oh yeah, this place needs to find out what hamburgrer and hot dog buns look like. And yes, make all the restaurants smoke free please, or send the smokers to Haiti if they insist on smoking.
Beverages- plentiful and good. Presidente beer was very good, where's the Presidente LIght? Casino -ok, golf course- muni at best. Chickens at the tee box on the 6th hole was fantastic, watch out though for the wasps.
Would I go there again? Yes but I like to try other resorts first in Punta Cana.

First off let me start by saying that PUNTA CANA is a beautiful place after get off the streets and into your Resort.

I am sorry to say but that is the only thing good about my trip to Punta Cana.

My Girlfriend and I paid for a beachfront room, with a clear view of the ocean...When we get there we are sent to a room towards the back of the hotel next to a little garden area, with not even a glimpse of the beach or ocean. It felt like we were staying in a Quality inn...

THE FOOD: Our first day we got there around 2pm and were hungry. The Buffet had just opened up and we decided to go have lunch..This is the first day so we are excited and ready to have a great time..The moment we stepped into the Buffet area I knew this trip was doomed..I go str8 for the fruit line and as I am about to grab a slice of watermelon a bird comes crawling out with a mouthful of melon. The birds are there constantly the whole time the buffet is open..None of the staff even attempted to get the birds away...All of the cheese is thick Goat Cheese, that smelled like the ZOO. The Hamburgers were horrible.( I don't even think it was real beef) The staff at the little restaurant, to the left of the pool were horrible..My girlfriend ordered a burger and when it was delivered it was delivered str8 to her lap. The waitress actually dropped the plate on the table so hard that the burger flew up and landed in her lap..

THE BEACH: Beautiful, but way too many people for a relaxing trip...

Staff: Horrible, we went walking down the beach on our 2nd day and visited the little shops on the beach, and after looking at all of them we turned back and headed back to our chairs. As we made our way back a gentleman ran up to us asking "come to our shop" "come to our shop",, I replied that we had already been there, and that we would return later...Then he replied in his exact words "IT's because were Black and your White"..That sent my girlfriend into tears...She has never been so humiliated in her life..This man not knowing that she is the Aunt of 3 mixed kids....All in all the service was terrible. If you only speak English, I would'nt advise going to the Bar or Restuarant and try ordering. The staff did'nt understand a word I was saying when I ordered..They would still give you a drink(but it would be the wrong thing..A Jim Beam and Coke is'nt Blue in color.......

ALthough the trip and resort was horrible, our guide with Vacation express was outstanding..After we had enough of the birds, the smells, the rude staff, and other things, Jose' from Vacation Express helped us get a flight home 5 days earlier than our scheduled departure time...Oh I almost forgot..Do not touch, take pictures or get close to the monkeys that the guys walk up and down the beach with...My GF recieved a nasy rash/scab type thing on her neck a day after she took a picture with the monkey on her shoulder...

I just spend a great and relaxing vacation at Barcelo Palace in Punta Cana.

This is a nice all inclusive hotel. I was afraid of some reviews on this site but I can say that there’s nothing to worry about it.

The Hotel look to have a few years but it’s very well maintain, the rooms are huge for this kind of hotel and in my case very clean!

The staff is nice and helpful but loud (don’t be afraid if the shout at each other, that’s just the personality of the island!).

The food it’s all inclusive, up scale… expect Marlin, Salmon, lobster and all well prepared.

The beach is spectacular, lots of space and chairs and you can walk without the worry of having people trying to sell you anything. One thing was the security, lots of it but you would not fell it.

Just one more thing, Barcelo Palacio is one of five hotels in the same complex and for me the best of all.

I travelled to Punta Cana with my husband. We are both in our early 30's and had a wonderful vacation. After reading the reviews we was really nervous. we decided that we wont go with an open mind and make up our own minds. As soon as we arrived at the resort we knew we were in paradise. we were actually booked at the Beach resort but when we got there they didnt have any rooms available so we were upgraded to the palce at no extra cost. when we got to the check-in desk, i realized i had not printed out the voucher from my travel agent for the hotel. the first receptionist di not know what to do and pretty much ignored us but then i went to the guest relations desk and they were able to get my e-mail open and e-mailed it to the front desk. the second receptionist we dealt with was wonderful. She told us we could just use our credit card and worry about it later but we got everything sorted out and we got our room no problem. we gave them a BIG tip and they were grateful.
Room: honestly, it had a bit of a smell when we first walked in but once we got in and got some air in the room it was wonderful. the air conditioning worked great. the air blew right onto the bed!!!! our room overlooked beautiful gardens and walkways. our mini bar was stocked everyday with beer, pop and water. the first night our water pressure wasnt good, there was a lot of air in the pipes but it got better after that.
Pool: absolutely beautiful. the bartenders at the swim up bar were amazing. the only downside was that if you wanted a chair by the pool you had to go at 7am but the beach is literally seconds from the pool so you can get a chair there.
Beach: Gorgeous white sand as far as you can see. there were areas with a lot of seaweed but if you move done the beach a bit it is wonderful. there is lots of chairs for everyone. There are topless women on the beach
Entertainment: the shows were alright. it was pretty much the same thing every night though, singing and dancing. It was a little upscale for our liking but it was good. We found the entertainment at the Beach resort was the best as it had audience involvement and the host was very entertaining. We dont speak any spanish but we still had a great time.
Food: staying at the palace you have a lot more food options. the buffet was alright. lots of choices. we had luch at "La Pina", down the beach near the flea market. yu have lunch literally on the sand. The steak house was our favorite. there is a line to get in but it move pretty quickly. The italian restaurant was good too. I have a sensitive stomach so i did have some stomach issues but i brought Immidium and i was fine. i didnt let it put a damper on my vacation
Service: WONDERFUL!!!!! WE tipped out waiters/waitresses a few bucks on the first day and we got great service the entire time we were there. We would also tip them throughout the day. they work very hard for little money but they are always smiling.
Overall, we had a wonderful vacation and miss it already.