My Review of Majestic Elegance and Majestic Colonial
I was very impressed with Majestic Colonial and Majestic Elegance. The properties sit side by side in the resort are of Punta Cana. The Majestic Colonial is the flagship property of the Majestic company, and the Majestic Elegance is the newest property. Fifty percent of the Majestic Elegance is adults only.
These are popular resorts. They stay about 98 occupied year round.
While they do have towel cards and wrist bands, you can walk in and have dinner at the a’la carte restaurants as many times as you’d like during your stay. The restaurants are inside and air conditioned. If you’ve ever eaten at an open air restaurant in July, I don’t need to tell you how wonderful air conditioning is. Only the Japanese restaurant and the French Colonial restaurants take reservations.
One thing I noticed was that the tables in the main buffet restaurant were abundant and well spaced out. Many buffet restaurants have tables that are way too close together. It makes maneuvering to and from the actual buffet difficult. Not only are the tables well spaced, but the actual buffet is set off apart from the tables so that you don’t have a sense of “coming and going” while you’re enjoying your meal. It all comes together to make for a very enjoyable dining experience, even in the buffet.
At Majestic Colonial, premium liquor is only served in the lobby. At Majestic Elegance, premium liquors are served throughout the resort.
Paid wired internet is available in the room. Paid wifi is available in the lobby.
Pepsi lovers will be pleased to know that the Majestic resorts serve their favorite beverage.
Every room in both resorts has a jacuzzi inside. The rooms were beautiful and well equipped.
In the Majestic Colonial there is a kids club. It’s open from 9am until 7pm for kids ages 4 through 14. If you have a child too young for the kids club, you can hire a private babysitter from the hotel for just $15 per hour.
Majestic Colonial and Majestic Elegance are very popular resorts, with good reason. They average 98% occupancy year round. If you’d like to stay here, book early!
My Review of Riu Palace Bavaro
Riu Palace Bavaro in Punta Cana
I inspected the Riu Palace Bavaro in Punta Cana on June first, 2012. I’ve seen many Riu Palaces, and this one is unlike any other I’ve seen. In fact, we were told that Riu Palace Bavaro is the first of a new generation of Riu Palaces. I loved it.
Room at Riu Palace Bavaro Punta Cana
Riu Palace Bavaro has 610 rooms and does allow both adults and children. It does have all of the standard Riu Palace functions and amenities. You will wear a wristband, you’ll need to keep track of your towel card and you’ll need to make reservations if you want to eat at any of the a’la carte restaurants.
Riu Palaces also have liquor dispensers in each of the guest rooms. I wonder how often people use those.
They do have a kids program, but it is only open from 10am until noon, then it opens back up from 3pm until 5pm.
Riu Palace Bavaro does host weddings, up to three each day.
Wifi is available all over the hotel. We were informed that the cost is $3.00 per day, although I’m sure that is subject to change.
The difference between the standard rooms and the superior rooms is the view. Personally, I wish
Really the biggest thing I loved about this hotel is how it looks. So, feast your eyes!
Lobby of Riu Palace Bavaro in Punta Cana
Lobby of Riu Palace Bavaro Punta Cana
My review of Iberostar Grand Bavaro
Luxury Adults Only Resort Dominican Republic
I LOVED the Iberostar Grand Bavaro. In this part of the world there are three resorts bearing the Iberostar Grand label. Besides Iberostar Grand Bavaro there is Iberostar Grand Rose Hall in Jamaica and Iberostar Grand Paraiso in Riviera Maya, Mexico.
Iberostar Grand is a luxury, adults only brand. All three Iberostar Grands are located in complexes where other Iberostar resorts are side by side. The Iberostar Grand Bavaro is in a complex with the Iberostar Bavaro Suites and the Iberostar Dominicana. Guests of Iberostar Grand have full access and guest privileges at both of these resorts.
Because of this proximity, and the need to identify and differentiate between guests at the different resorts, Iberostar Grand does have wristbands, unlike many luxury resorts. Restaurant for the four a’la carte restaurants are required for dinner. You can get restaurant reservations prior to your arrival by emailing guest services. My experience staying at Iberostar Grand Resorts, however, has been that reservations are very easily made on site.
Each of the 275 guest rooms is filled with exquisite comfort. The mattresses are very comfortable and the sheets are very
Imagine resting your head here.
high thread count. To assure your comfort, you can select from a menu of pillows to match your sleeping style.
You can choose between a standard suite, an oceanview suite, an oceanfront suite or, my favorite, a swim up suite.
Each Iberostar Grand has a golf course attached. The golf is included. You get one round if you stay four nights or less. If you stay 5 to 7 nights you get two rounds. If you stay 8 or more nights, then you get unlimited golf.
Iberostar Hotels serve Coca-Cola products. (At least the ones in this part of the world. I can’t speak for the ones in Europe.)
Like all Iberostar Grand hotels, there is waiter service on the beach. There is nothing quite like sitting under a palapa, having your drink delivered while you watch the tide come in and the day go out.
The food is really amazing. From breakfast until late cocktails, you will enjoy the exquisite gastronomy at Iberostar Grand.
I highly recommend you plan to visit the Iberostar Grand Bavaro.
Review of Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe
This is a standard room at Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe
I toured Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe on May 31, 2012.
The Barcelo Bavaro Palace deluxe is a mega resort. Combined with the Barcelo Bavaro Beach next door, there are a total of 1991 rooms. There are 25 shops and 13 restaurants and six pools. This is a large resort.
The Barcelo Bavaro Beach next door, which is adults only, accounts for 391 of those rooms. The two resorts have a certain level of reciprocity, but the exact rules for exchange privileges at Barcelo resorts have always been unclear to me. It’s not as straightforward as at other resorts like, say, Iberostar where the rule is that you have full access to your own resort and all lesser resorts. At Barcelo you can’t eat dinner at a restaurant away from your home resort.
As you might imagine in such a mega resort, you wear a wristband to identify yourself as a guest of Barcelo Bavaro Beach and Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe. You are also issued a towel card at checkin that you will exchange back and forth for beach towels during your stay. When you check out, you need to either return the towel card or a beach towel. If you’ve lost it, you’ll be charged at check out.
The Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe has two room types that are incredibly useful. The first one is called a “Family Room”. This room consists of two sleeping rooms connected by a short (8 feet?) hallway with a bathroom between the two rooms. The other really useful room is called a “Family Junior Suite”. This is two sleeping rooms that connect only in this one each sleeping room has it’s own bathroom. In my own family, 2 bathrooms is really important. One note is that the family section of the resort is not directly on the beach. (It is a big resort, after all. Only a select few rooms are directly on the beach.)
Wifi is available at Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe. At the time of my visit I was quoted a price of $10 per day. If you stay in the “Club Premium” section there is no charge for the wifi. Also in Club Premium Internet access is even available in your room.
Speaking of Club Premium, the other features that distinguish this special section from the rest of the resort are free room service (most of the resort pays $5 per plate for room service), a 10% spa discount as well as access to the Club Premium lounge. The Club Premium lounge is enclosed and air conditioned and features drinks and snacks as well as computer work stations and free internet. There is also a private concierge just for guests of Club Premium.
This Barcelo does have a golf course on site. There is also mini golf and a pirates water park for the kiddos.
Also for the kids, there is the “Barcy Club”. Open from 8am until noon each day, the Barcy Club has planned kids activities for kids 4-12. There is also a teen club for the older kids.
A wave pool is also at the resort (one of few in the Caribbean).
Also, the do serve Coca-Cola products as opposed to Pepsi.
Have you stayed at Barcelo Bavaro Palace Deluxe? What did you think? Or, do yo have specific questions about the resort?
