IFA Villas Bávaro Resort & SPA - All Inclusive - Punta Cana

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

the hotel is very limited on food and activities, only have 1 restaurant where you don't need reservation and the rest if you are lucky to get a turn need a reservation, the menu is limited for all the restaurant. The drinks were too sweet like the pinacolada. The pools average, they have a Jacuzzi but with cold water and too much chloro. They put us […] in a room where everything was too far you have to walk like 15 min for everything and if you lucky the car pick you up, but if you wait for takes like 30 min in every turn Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Nice hotel, nice location near the airport. Nice beach. Food was ok. Had air conditioning issue that was dealt with quickly, but when it continued to reoccur they ended up changing our room. Good hotel. Had a nice time. Would go back.

Genuine Expedia guest review

I had a great experience at the hotel. I absolutely loved the staff at the hotel, they were very courteous and professional. I really enjoyed using the SPA at the hotel. I would return anytime.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Standard rooms are bad Had to upgrade room which that was very nice though Food pretty good...go to Mexican restaurant there Private beach very nice They need to have couples activities they had none and hotel had mostly couples there so thats weird Wish they had dancing activities for couples Most staff was good only couple had problems with

Genuine Expedia guest review

I will outline what was good and what could have been a bit better. Overall I was total satisfied and would return to this hotel for sure. Good stuff: The rooms and grounds were in great condition and the cleaning and maintenance staff were amazing. The staff couldn't have been more friendly or helpful. The check-in process was quick. The food was good, […] but had a different taste than at home. There was a wide variety of food that changed slightly every day. The sit down restaurants were good but we liked the Chinese best. If you want to eat at these call the concierge and make a reservation. They usually fill up around 9:30 am so try to make it before that. The pools were big, clean and scattered around the resort. The drinks were made as strong as requested. Could be improved on: The nightly shows didn't provide much enjoyment for me or my girlfriend. The beach is on the resort but is about a 5-10 minute walk from the rooms but there is a free shuttle too. There is a bar and buffet right on the beach. The activities weren't very advertised so we never knew when they were going on. This resort was fun, beautiful and relaxing. It is a good fit for people looking to relax, spend family time, go on a romantic trip or get a little drunk. If you're looking to get hammered and have crazy party times, this probably isn't the best fit for you because you'd be in the minority. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Had a.great experience! They have the friendliest staff ! Fell in love with the people the service is excellent and if ur not a.snob ull love it here the beach is beautiful . And please please.tip even if.its one.dollar these.ppl make very little money . And if.anyone does.go look for Luis.nova the bar manager one of the most beautiful people ull ever.meet […] not looks lol .I will.deff be going back very soon. And if you want suvaniers.go to the market next to the hotel beach way cheaper. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

The room was pretty well kept, and everyone was very nice. Of course there was a language barrier, but we were able to communicate ok. The food was very good, but I wish it could of been more authentic. I was satisfied though with the restaurants because of how very nice and attentive of the staff. I liked the feel of the resort due to the authentic […] feel of everything from the surroundings, shows, and the people who had assisted us. I would totally recommend this resort to anyone, as well as my return to it. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Well what can I say the front office staff was very rude! I was very upset and disappointed in how I was treated. Not everything is included the safe u need to pay for each day after they fill out many forms like u r getting a home loan. Food was okay. The beds were very uncomfortable I paid to have a king size bed and I was given to full size beds […] when I asked to get the room that I wanted I spoke to the nasty front desk and was told that they had no king size beds. I asked the front desk to break a $ 20 and was told no because the $ 20 had a small rip in it. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Was hesitant to stay here because of the reviews from past travelers- we decided to give it a shot because like the past few trips- the negative reviews have been far from correct! Let me just say that this was the most relaxing, peaceful vacation and I am SO glad we ended up at IFA! The employees here are so kind and ready to assist from the moment […] you walk in- I will say it is good to know some spanish- at least the basics because not all of them know english or any other lang. besides their native spanish. Take a little pocket dictionary- it will be very helpful. Tip the employees. They work so hard and it is so appreciated! The shows they put on at night in the theater are absolutely amazing. I was actually blown away by some of the talent- as many of them are good enough to be Broadway Stars. Some of the performances may be a little too "riskay" if you have young children- as the outfits are fairly revealing- but definitely entertaining. As far as the food- it can use some improvement in the buffet areas. But the restaurants that you need a reservation for are actually quite amazing. We enjoyed every single one except the Caribe/Dominican one. There is however a snack bar that has pizza/fries/chicken fingers, etc that was quite good- tasted just like regular american food. So I really cannot complain about the food- we got on just fine. However, the drinks need some work. The beach/pools are amazing. Went on go-cart/dune buggy excursion- HIGHLY RECOMMEND! A+! Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

no changeing of sheets all week - no kleenex - no extra pillow -- staff not friendly - the night before we left they took all the tolit paper, we had to ask a neighbor

Genuine Expedia guest review

Nice Hotel, but the food wasn't great, and staff wasn't friendly

Genuine Expedia guest review

Our room was probably one of the most economical rooms, and even so it was fine, service was very good, food also very good. If i were to say what was not so pleasing to me was the allowance to smoke almost everywhere, with the only exception of Caribe rest. Even with this inconvenience The place is marvelous and the service personnel fantastic, would […] go again. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

We are a family of 5 who arrived an hour prior to checkin but immediately received access to our rooms. Had made a request to have 2 adjoining rooms/villas but we while very close that request was not honored making it more difficut to have a room for the kids and a room to ourselves. In general the resort was very pretty, well kept and gave a sense […] of security. Food was ok, certainly not 5 star but there was something for everyone. The 4 restaurants were ok, but if you wanted to go you needed to make sure to get in line early to make reservations, though we did get into one restaurant just by stopping by to see if there were no shows and happily got a table. The staff was fantastic, always cheerful and willing to help. Kids, 14, 11 & 9, made friends with other kids but without that it would have been a bit difficult keeping them engaged. The kids club was only for 11 and younger and rarely had anyone in there. If any complaints they were, beds were not very comfortable, water pressure and temp was sketchy especially around dinner time and the trolley to transport you to and from the beach (could be a long walk from the far side of the resort) was not on any schdule we could determine, so needless to say we walked a lot. The pools were beautiful as was the beach which was NOT overrun with locals trying to sell you stuff. We had a very pleasurable trip and for the money, we were very happy and would go back. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Great hotel and great experience. My only complain was the buffet food.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Worst hotel I've stayed so far. The food was terrible !!! N

Genuine Expedia guest review

Food is good. Drinks are really bad!!! Facilities of the hotel are really nice, but people from staff are not nice at all. The thinks that are not included are extremally expensive speccially international phone calls!!!

Genuine Expedia guest review

affordable luxury. Everything you need on a vacation without breaking the bank

Genuine Expedia guest review

Amazing!!!! I had a wonderful time there, food, activities, comfort was 100% satisfying the staff in the restaurants n the animation staff was incredibly amazing I truly loved the experience n I would recomend this to everyone. The hotel is very secure at all times n the areas all very well maintained. The music was very good n if you're looking to […] get out n see new places there's clubs there's amazing places with great music n there's taxis you can take. Lovely experience I loved Punta Cana n especially staying at this resort. Everyone is very friendly n cordial. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

My boyfriend and I stayed at the IFA Bavaro for 8 days and DEFINITELY PLAN TO RETURN! Dominican Republic has so much to offer for a CHEAP price. It is absolutely beautiful and enjoyable for families and couples of all ages. This resort was definitely one of my favorites. I RECOMMEND THIS FOR EVERYONE!!!

Genuine Expedia guest review

Front desk staff were very rude. If you dont know how to speak spainsh do not stay at this resort. The food at the resort made us sick.

Genuine Expedia guest review

Went here with my entire family. We encountered a couple of issues with one of the rooms (we had 5 rooms) but the hotel staff was quick to change the room for us and even sent a complimentary bottle of rum for our troubles. I was disappointed that they didn't offer the traditional Dominican beer called Presidente, and only had one beer which wasn't […] of our taste. Other than that the staff was great, hotel was clean, restaurant choices are good, and the food is amazing! Would recommend to others. Also they have these peacocks walking around the whole area which are beautiful. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Good the resort is mostly for couples but we still had a good time and the staff was cool we even went out with them..really close to imagine which was the best

Genuine Expedia guest review

Terrible, Awful experience here! All four of us got sick from the food--must be part of their business model so that we didn't eat or drink much. We booked months ago and when we arrived they showed us a lousy room at the back of the hotel away from the beach--and then said for $400 more you can have "this room " (okay room in better location). Once […] we saw the crummy first room, we all switched...Service was terrible, not friendly, not service oriented at all. Bottom line, we won't be coming back and we will NOT recommend this place to anyone we know. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The Hotel was beautiful, but not what we expected. The rooms we got which were standard was REALLY simple. THe rooms were clean! very clean. But from the photos I thought the rooms shown were standard, but they were actaully the ocean view. Tip 1: Villas standard room was so far from the main area, it was annoying to walk everywhere... Ask for the oceanview […] upgrade its worth it trust me. Everything is near teh Mojaito Bar pool. Tip 2: La Carte Dinner Restaurants were disappointing, I assume they were trying to pretend to be fine dining, and cater to tourist... it was bland and disappointing. Bambu=bad, Caribe=sadly tasteless... GO to Pikalo for unlimited pizza or late night small snacks after 11pm and the Colibri buffet is amazing Breakfast lunch and dinner. Tip 3: Free Wifi at the Theater, which is why you should have a room near the main area otherwise you have to carry computer all the way there. Internet $10 a day, not worth it, it sometimes does not work and it expired before 24 hrs. Tip4: beware of the various excursions at teh Lobby... if you purchase make sure you ask the drivers what they represent because our Country Adventure safari supposedly came but we never saw them. Waited 1.5 hrs, but we got our refund.. Tip 5: A lot of SMOKERS. this is a VERY smoker friendly resort.. Tip 6: the Carnival Stingray snorkeling excursion is worth it. Food does not have any authenic DR food... Tip 7: if you have international phone service bring it... it helps alot... Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

It a shame, the ones who are running this hotel are setting up there wonderful employees for failure! The working staff did an excellent job with what they had to work with. We switched rooms 3x in one day, because of fixtures not working and awful conditions. Also the rooms look like something u see in dirty motels. Finally I had to ask for an upgrade, […] a room that is standard in other resorts, more centrally located. When we arrived on 1/29/12 at 1300 hrs, the tall male manager seemed like we were a bother, when asked to switch rooms. As we passed the lobby thru out our stay, we noticed switching rooms was an hourly occurrence. The food was ok, could have been more options at the buffet, the animation crew was the best thing at the hotel. Stayed at way better resorts for the same price!!! Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

We decided to go on a get away and thought the Dominican beaches would be spectacular. When we landed, we were picked up by the company that works with Expedia, Blue. (Blue is an awful company to work with.) The hotel is roughly 25 minutes from the airport. It took us over 2 hours to get to the resort, due to a driver who wouldn't listen. When we got […] to the resort, the check in was quick. When we got to our room it was a villa. It was nothing like I had expected. The villas are dimly lit, poorly kept, and a long distance from every other part of the hotel. The website shows no pictures of the villas we were in, only pictures of the newer portion of the resort, which would have costed us another $15 per person per night. I had requested non-smoking. However, non-smoking does not exist. We asked to be moved, they put us in a villa that was even farther from everything! The food at the resort was OK, some good, some bad. The pizza place was a pleasantly good suprise. Restaraunt reservations were a joke. It is impossible to get beach chairs anywhere, especially by the pools. The beach was pretty, and well kept for the most part. The thing that I cannot stress enough is that the staff is AWFUL. Very unaccommodating! We were also 2 of a handful of Americans there. Mostly Europeans and that's who they cater to. A local even told us that very few US people go to IFA. We had the best time with what we were given, but will NEVER return to this resort, or probably use Expedia again. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Hotel was very scenic, and the villas were are great for couples. Peacocks, roosters and chickens roam the grounds and they even have flaminigo's. Everything was very relaxing. If you speak english you are the minority, so work on your spanish first, then french or german.

Genuine Expedia guest review

The reception desk area are not quite cooperative.. The food is not impressive and very few selections..

Genuine Expedia guest review

Awesome place for activities and night life. The workers are great and funny. Food was real good. The only negative thing is we booked a king size bed and they give you 2a twin size beds. You have to compliance to get the ling size bed.

Genuine Expedia guest review

I stayed 7 nights everything when good I'm pretty satisfy with this hotel and its services therefore it is a good choice if you are planning to go to Punta cana in the future.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

I loved everthing about this hotel but the food at the buffet should not have the same food every day. Also $10 a day for internet is a bid to much.

Genuine Expedia guest review

First Impression were below expectation with the manager David C of the resort. We booked a king bed and the 1st night was stuck in a room with 2 full beds. What was very disappointing was the managers atttutide and lack of apology. We stayed in one of the villias which was very basic, but the rooms in the buildings in the center of the properly looked […] much better. There was not an iron in the room. When we requested one, we were inform there were none. We could have our items pressed for a fee. If you do not speak spanish choose another resort. Although the staff was very friendly and willing to help in anyway, it was hard to find one who spoke English. Each staff member we met did there best to make our stay enjoyable. There are some positives to the hotel. The food was above average. Be sure to make a dinner reservation before 9am because they time slot fill fast. You can eat at the buffet which is also good. The staff had planned entertainment at the pool and took pride in delivering a great guest experience. The 3 pools were very nice and the beach was only a short 5 minute walk. Lastly, the spa was enjoyable. There sauna was not working but the gym and the massage were execellent. Enjoy your staff if you venture to this resort, but beware of what to expect. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Although I am a firm believer in the saying "you get what you paid for" I don't believe that there is any hotel that shuoldn't give you a set of clean towels on a daily basis. Initially, when we got there we got the wrong room, we had selected 2 bedrooms with king size beds, instead we got 2 bedrooms with 2 double beds. The staff, including management, […] was really rude about the "mix up." They said that they would put us in the correct rooms the following day because they didn't have anything then. OK fair enough, we were to be at the lobby at 4pm the following day so we can get our new rooms. We waited, at 2pm I went to the reception area and asked if everything was still okay for our change later that day, "Yes, they are just cleaning them up now" Well, come 4pm we were told that they people who were suppose to check out didn't leave. Hmm interesting. The pillows smelled dense and humid, the food was a little below average. Most of the staff was rude. The only staff that was accomidating was a waiter we had. He always made sure we had anything we needed. He was even kind enough to leave my husband some beers outside of our door and made sure that our mini fridge had pop and water at all times. Other than that, I'm not really impressed. It's sad that even management, I believe his name was Maximino and the concierge, Jennifer, were beyond rude! The beach isn't far but it's still a walk, no oceanview avaiable at all. Not a big variety of drinks either. Wouldn't go back!! Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

We went on Sep. 28 to Oct. 2/11. Definitively, we will come back again!. The Dominican people at the Hotel are the most friendly people we ever met. The Hotel and the activities were very good, just one recommendation and it is about the temperature at the Theater during the shows every night, is very hot in there and there is not fans or air conditioner. […] The shows were spectacular, very professional. We were glad we brought some medicines, because at the stores in the Hotel are very expensive. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

The staff at the resort are really nice and willing to help. There are so many things to do besides laying out by the pool. Make sure to bring some extra cash so you don't have to keep going to the ATM. It was a really nice place for the price so I couldn't ask for more.

Genuine Expedia guest review

GOOD: Beaches and pool were great Villas were nice change from hotel room Staff wasn't overbearing BAD: Mixed drinks were horrible, and only one kind of beer Food at certain restaurants was sub par more employees need to speak English Not much too do outside of resort

Genuine Expedia guest review

It was ok, the food was ok, not great. Same with the alcohol, the beer was bad. Take ur own sunblock and mosquito repellent. (mine was repo by the security in the airpot) they charge you at the resort $35 for a small sunblock. and the mosquitos will eat you alive if you dont use mosquito repellent. But everything else was good no complaints, my room […] was clean. we stayed at the villas on the resort wich we liked after partying at night the next day we wanted to sleep in so it was very quiet. If we had stayed by the main pool there was no way we could have slept in with the loud music on the pool. It was great but I think next time I will try somewhere w a 4 star or better. It was a good experience after all!!! Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Great, chill vibe

Genuine Expedia guest review

great location, availability of food/drinks great, multiple locations for bar areas, abundance of seating areas, european influence evident, great time

Genuine Expedia guest review

Let me start off by saying that some of the things people say on here are ridiculous. For the price of this hotel, and for what I recieved everything was perfect. Ill break it down for you in real terms. Customer Service- They were very helpful if you spoke to them properly. There was a language barrier of course, but if you didnt get rude everytime […] they didnt understand you they would help you perfectly fine, it was a bit easier with my boyfriend speaking spanish. People really appreciate tips there, a simple $3 make there day. Grounds-A++ Always clean, I saw people cleaning the beach and hotel all day we were the only hotel were I see people on the beach removing the seaweed early in the morning. Food-Was okay. You have to remember you are in a 3rd world country and for the price you are paying at the hotel you get decent food. I reccommend the restaurants but you do need to be up @730 for a reservation or you will not get one. Best restaurants were the buffet and the carribean by far-breakfast and dessert. Theres a hidden crepe place by the bigger pool past the disco and the pizza place was awesome. Activites-For things that werent exercusions, you can make great deals on the beach! We got parasailing, speedboats & scuba for only $90! And all the rest book through the resort! Dunebuggy excersion was great, very dirty&we did horseback riding. The best thing about our resort is that all the water activites are offered on our beach, other hotels had to travel. Hope I helped! Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

IVE BEEN TO PUERTA PLATA LOVED IT BEEN TO COSTA RICA LOVED IT ALSO THIS DISHONEST PLACE MADE ME HATE THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The food could of been better and when we arrived our room wasn't ready. The don't offer top shelf drinks :(.

Genuine Expedia guest review

I had a great time at Ifa! This was the first resort my boyfriend and I have been to and we had such a great time. The night life is very entertaining with the shows that is performed each night and the activities that occur throughout the day are fun and enjoyable. I had a great time and would love to go again !!

Genuine Expedia guest review

Hotel Staff was rude. Couldn't get through to make a phone call. Hotel clearly states water and soda was to be available in the hotel refridgerator but only water was. After several attempts hotel staff did not comply to add soda. Room location was not impressive and after being told that the room would be upgraded for an extra eight dollars per person […] the following day, hotel staff changed their mind. Food was good as was the buffet and offered a variety of different meals freshly prepared. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

OceanSuites are the only ones are real good ones. After stressfull wait of 2 hrs @ the lobby, we got lucky to get a oceansuites room, the last building of the villas with some upgrade fees (real worth it). The buffet was the best than the specialized international restaurent. The shopping complex was small, very selective items and over priced. Water […] activities are good and a short walk to the ocean if you stay the last villas on ocean suites. Hotel services are not that great but yes, it's a real safe resort. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Before I booked our trip of course I read others reviews. 1st this hotel does not have airport service so you will pay $30 USD to travel one way. We reserved a superior room with an ocean view. This property sits too far back from the beach to have a view however, looking at the palm trees were nice. Another thing that was disappointing was that fact […] that this hotel did not carry irons. Not even for rent so press your clothes or bring your own. The food at the buffet left more to be desired. The food at the restaurants were much better but you have to make same day reservations to get a seat. The earlier, the better. The beach was a short nice walk and if you don't want to walk, there is a courtesy bus to take you. At the beach, they have a lot of boats stationed there. IFA has a section blocked off for their guest. To the right on the beach they have an open market where you can buy souvenirs and stuff. IFA has a lot of security which made me feel safe at all times. The staff was always maintaining the property. The pool activities were fun however, dropping the towels back at the towel house by 7pm was a pain. After the second day we just kept them in our room and returned them at check out. The room service was good. We had more then enough towels and the water was warm. The T.V reception kept going out because of a local storm I believe. This resort is ok if you want an inexpensive trip. It is comfortable but not 5 star. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

My overall experience at this hotel was positive. It was a nice get away for the amount of money that I paid. However, there were some small inconveniences that made it a frustrating stay at points. Water pressure in my room was very poor and the workmanship of the construction of the room was sub par. Room service came at inconsistant times and often […] came in the afternoon when I would be returning to my room to relax and change for evening activities. I also felt that the staff was not as attentive as they could have been and I felt like I would have to chase staff down to get what I needed. Another big inconvenience was the hotel's inability to make US change. I would have left a lot of tips to the workers (even though its not required) and bought items from the gift stores if I had smaller bills. Lastly, while I did not expected a lot of english speakers to be in the Dominican Republic I found that there was a big languarge barrier between myself and a majority of the hotel staff which was very frustrating at times. This hotel seemed more geared towards Europeans than Americans. All in all I would say if you want a cheap vacation it was worth the money spent. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

I will sumarize an entire week of bad treatment into two words: "FALSE ADVERTISING". Nothing you read or see in the pictures is real. I really wish someone had warned me. The quality of this place is what is known as a MOTEL in the US not a resort. I can guarantee if you stay at this place, YOU WILL BE VERY DISAPOINTED.

Genuine Expedia guest review

I will sumarize an entire week of bad treatment into two words: "FALSE ADVERTISING". Nothing you read or see in the pictures is real. I really wish someone had warned me. The quality of this place is what is known as a MOTEL in the US not a resort. I can guarantee if you stay at this place, YOU WILL BE VERY DISAPOINTED.

Genuine Expedia guest review