My husband and I just returned from a 5 day stay at Barcelo Bavaro Caribe. I have to admit we were quite skepitcal and worried from the reviews we had read, but it served us well because we must of gone in with low expectations. The truth is everything was great! It took us a while to figure out how to get to the hotel when we arrived at the airport, but we simply took a cab and paid $20 (The range is $20-30). When we got to Caribe we were not disappointed. The beach is breathtaking, and the pool is exceptionally clean. Although the rooms might need a little makeover, how much time do you really spend in the room with such beautiful beaches and landscaping just steps away? There were lots of water sports included in the all-inclusive package (kayaking, peddle boats, and sailing boats), and alternating shows between the 4 hotels to watch at night. The buffets and restaurants always accomodated lots of people with immaculate service, even though we went during spring break week. Our favorites were the Steak House and the lunch cafe at Barcelo Golf. Tipping was not an issue; if you gave it was appreciated, if you didn't there was hardly any negative vibe. Like someone suggested on Trip Advisor before, take $100 in singles and $5 bills and that should be more than enough for tipping for your entire duration. Checking in and checking out were a breeze, and we were allowed a late check-out because we had a late afternoon flight. Overall, we had a wonderful experience and look forward to going again next year!

WARNING - BOOK THIS HOTEL AT YOUR OWN RISK!
I had read many reviews on this property and despite some warnings on this site, we went with our family and friends.
Upon arrival to the hotel lobby, with confirmation in hand, we were told that there was NO ROOM for us. The hotels are sold out.
Wow.....we flew 4500 miles and there is no room at the Inn....amazing since our group coordinator spoke with the hotel the day before and all was confirmed.
There was another couple from the States at the desk with us who had paid for there reservation 4 months ago and they were turned away as well....right about that time a bus pulled up from the airport only to have a clerk from the hotel desk go out and yell at the driver that he can't bring them here, there is no room.
I have NEVER seen such an unorganized hotel. The lobby was full of unhappy people ( about 50 ), yet just a few steps away towards the beach, many were enjoying the pool and all the activities. Then a honeymoon couple came up to the desk and was turned away.....I thought that guy was going to get physical......
It took over 2 hours in that hell....alot of frustration, argueing, translating....at one point it got real ugly - they wanted to see my copy of the reservation and confirmation that I had been emailed. They took it to copy and then refused to give it back. Not sure what that was about but I did get my copy back after 10 minutes of demanding.
Finally, they shipped us off to another property about 5 miles away -The Catalonia Bavaro. It was beautiful, relaxing....truely a slice of "heaven on earth".
2 days later, Barcelos called and wanted to move us back to their property.....hahaha....no way jose'!
So...in conclusion, I guess I should thank Barcelos for sending us to a better hotel....but, I will NEVER book with Barcelo again.
Hasta la vista, baby!!

I just got back from a 4-day vacation at the Barcelo Bavaro Caribe resort in Punta Cana, and it was a great experience! Check-in was immediate, and the staff was friendly and willing to help in any way possible. The room was very nice and immaculately clean. The minibar in the room was always stocked and use is free of charge. The grounds of the resort were beautiful, very lush, tropical, and well cared for. It really gave you the feeling of being in the tropics. The beach is beautiful, and the water is crystallline blue.
The resort offered plenty of activities, if you care to partake. There were exercise classes, water aerobics, water polo, dance lessons, as well as golf, tennis, ping pong, kayaking, and paddle boats. There's something for everyone. Again, the staff was very friendly.
The food was good and plentiful. There were multiple restaurants and buffets to choose from. They offered 3 meals daily, plus you could get pizza any time of the day and there was a beach concession where you could get hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, seafood paella, plus a number of other things.
The drinks at the bar were free-flowing. They had beer and the usual mixed drinks, plus they had a lot of blended tropical drinks such as Bahama Mamas, Margaritas, Mai Tai, etc.
Even though check-out time was noon and my flight wasn't until 4:00, they encourage you to stay at the hotel and use the facilities free of charge.
I fully recommend the Barcelo Bavaro resort to couples, families, and even seniors. There were people there of all ages, and everyone was having a great time.

My husband and I just returned from Punta Cana. We stayed at the Barcelo Bavaro Caribe. We had a wonderful trip. We part of a wedding group of 21. This resort surpassed our expectations. We, as many do, read the reviews and were a bit nervous but there was no need. The resort is a great place to relax and enjoy the sun. We left Halifax on March 1, just before a storm. We arrived at the hotel by noon, but our rooms were not ready until after 3:00. This was a minor disturbancee, but we were able to take advantage of the resort while we waited. We never had a problem with the food. We ate at the Steakhouse and the Italian restaurants along with the buffets. All meals were great. The waitresses could not do enough for you. Bars are available at all pools and beach areas. There are more than enough beach chairs. If one area of the beach was too crowded, we just walked a little further down. The Caribe has the best breeze of the hotels in this group. The weather was great. I never needed a sweater in the evening. We usually walked between the hotels at night. A train is also available. Our rooms were clean. They aren't the most modern, but how much time do you actually spend in the room? We went to this resort for a wedding, and it was beautiful! It took place on the beach. Cocktails and finger foods were served following the ceremony, followed by a dinner at the steakhouse. The photographer was great. The pictures were beautiful. We hated to leave, but we are definitely going back next year. We are going to upgrade to the Palace, so that every restaurant is available to us. There were a lot of families at this resort. Also later in the week there were large groups of students arriving. We figured that it was spring break somewhere. We were never kept awake at night due to noise at all. Security is everywhere. Hope this review is helpful