I'll start by saying that I have lived in and travelled often to the Dominican Republic. I have stayed in local homes; 2 star hotels; and 4 start resorts. My experience at the IFA Bavaro Village failed to meet any of my Dominican expectations.
First the staff. With few notable exceptions, most of the staff members looked unhappy and unfriendly. The animation staff were lifeless. The front reception staff were unhelpful and discourteous.
The hotel was under construction - a fact not previously disclosed by the hotel nor by the tour operator, NOLITOURS. There were construction workers constantly working in and around occupied guest rooms - creating a security concern not addressed by the hotel nor the tour operator. There were construction tools left laying in the hallway outside my room. One day, I saw 2 workers loudly pounding on the floor right outside of a guest room.
I stayed in a brand new room. The toilet did not flush. I advised guest services, and when no one came to fix it, I figured out how to fix it myself. The hot water in the room was sporadic, at best. The electricty in the room was barely strong enough to heat a curling iron or turn on a blow dryer. The electical panel in the closet consisted of untaped wires sticking out of the wall.
The cleaning staff were equally unreliable. There were garbage bags piled in the hall outside my room for 2 days.
I initially paid an extra $230 'single supplement' for a single occupancy room. After the first 2 nights, my boyfriend was able to join me for the rest of the holiday. We changed my room to a double occupancy and paid for him to stay for 5 nights. NOLITOURS refused to refund the surplus single supplement, resulting in me paying for both a single room and a double room for the same week. The over all experience at IFA Bavaro Village was so disappointing that for the first time in my travels, I was relieved when the week was over.

After my holiday, I sent a letter of concern to IFA hotels; to NOLITOURS; and to SELL OFF VACATIONS. IFA failed to respond to my letter in any way. SELL OFF referred my complaints to NOLITOURS. NOLITOURS refused to address my concerns in any meaningful way.

I travel often and am happy to give my repeat business to companies deserving of it. I will be sure to avoid any future vacations at the IFA Bavaro Village. I will also be sure to avoid booking any of my holidays with SELL OFF VACATIONS and NOLITOURS.

I was a little nervous at first when booking the IFA as i couldnt ignore the 3 star rating our travel agent had given the resort, but working with a specific date( my partner was in the navy with only one day of departure) wich just so happened to be the busiest time to travel ! march 11-17th and everything was sold out..so we went out on a limb and booked..I LOVED IT!!! it was amazing every second!would go back in a flash ! left on a night flight with skyservice...it wasnt too bad a little crampy but i had an amzing fajita meal and watched happy feet so i was good to go. landed in PC to a blamy 30 degress loved the outdoor airport- had our picture taken and off we went to our bus, i was bugged by anyone to take my luggage that i can remember, when we got to the resort we had bottom floor with bugs in sink, with construction and a ripped up fence right beside my patio, i asked to be moved and on day 3 we moved to a gorgeous 3rd floor overlooking the main pool. we ate at the buffet most nights because it was easiest. a la carte at med ...wasnt a huge fan kinda made me sick. if youre like me and love the cheap shopping and talking with locals there is a great little market right beside the hotel on the beach it was perfect with some great deals ( a hug goes a longgggg way : ) the beach was amazing we didnt go to the disco sadly we were worn out from sun....went to the show everynight, it was nice to have something to do in the evenings...PIZZA at SNACK BAR BY POOL is my favorite thing it was so good i ate there everyday,,,with my banana-mama in hand.did shop at the resort, the one behind the photobooth had cheaper liquor than the beach vendor inter right on the resort last time i was there it was 2$ for 30 mins... we didnt do any excursions i was too nervous with my first time down there.all in all i would DEFINATLY GO BACK. i keep checking reviews on it, i see some new construction and i cant wait to go back !

I would not recommend IFA Bavaro Ocean Village. The food was awful, the A/C in the rooms didn't work, no balconies in the rooms, very big language barrier, plus all of the resort shops are extremely expensive.

My friend and I went to this hotel not knowing what to expect since there had been many mixed reviews. Many complained that there had still been construction, or that rooms weren't clean or damaged, however, we did not experience this. Our room had been very clean, no damage, there was infact an air conditioner. Many also complained that you are only given one room key, and the room key is what powers the electricity, however we were given 2 without even asking.
At the reception desk, there had only really been one main girl that new her English a bit more thoroughly, however with a little bit of explanation, the others did understand. Check in and check out was fast, which had been other another complaint by others.
There are several restaurants; 3 a la carte, 2 buffet that are on the resort, one by the beach, and a delicious pizzeria by the main pool. The pizzeria was the hot spot during the day. Delicious! My friend and I kept going to the main buffet, however when we discovered the other one that is by the quieter pool, we much preferred the food selection at that one for supper. The food did not vary too much from day to day, however, I am a picky eater as well my friend and we had no issues with remaining full on our vacation! The only issue we did have, was booking the a la carte restaurants. Make sure to book as you arrive there or the day that you arrive, because we had only gotten into the Mexican restaurant at 10pm the night before we left. It was a good diner.
Drinks were delicious. A bit too strong at times, however, not something to complain about.
The beach! Depending on which part of the resort you are staying at, it can be a bit of a walk. However if you don't feel like walking for 10 minutes, there is a shuttle that comes every 10 minutes at the lobby to take you down.
For those that are looking for souvenirs, along the beach to the very right there are lots of stands. However, to the left you could be walking for over an hour and not find much. There is a mall that is located about a 15 minute walk away, however everything seemed to be overpriced for items that were not authentic. Souvenirs were just as cheap on the resort as the other shops.
If you need the internet, there are 6 computers by the main pool, and it is $1.00 for every 1/2 hour.
We only went on one of the excursions and it was the Dune Buggies. I highly recommend it.
The only real issue we had was that it was impossible to find a clock! There are no alarm clocks in the rooms.
Everyday the cobble stone walkways were cleaned, and people were by every morning to get your dirty towels and supply you with new ones. Many bottles of water were left in your room each day. There are soap dispensers for Shampoo/Conditioner, and there are infact hair dryers. You can purchase a safe for $3/day.
All in all for a 3 star hotel, it beat my expectations. I had a very enjoyable time, and would recommend it.