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Grand Bávaro Princess

Bavaro, Dominican Republic

4.3(10,949 reviews)

Family

Grand Bavaro Princess is the all-suite, low-rise end of Bavaro. It reopened in December 2019 after a full remodel that took the old Bavaro Princess from 808 rooms to 1,290, all of them suites of at least 700 square feet, spread across roughly 90 buildings in grounds the resort describes as an ecological complex built around the native vegetation. The effect is a resort you move through rather than look down from, with a mangrove walking path and garden sightlines instead of a hotel tower. The trade is distance: the beach is about 0.45 miles from the lobby, and getting around means the internal trains and golf carts.

Traveler Insights

Pros

+Everything is a suite, and the smallest is around 700 square feet. The 1,290 rooms sit in roughly 90 low-rise buildings threaded through an ecological complex that kept the native vegetation, so it reads as a village rather than a tower block.
+Dining variety is genuinely large: 11 themed a la carte restaurants, three buffets, the Rebels snack bar, beach food trucks, the Chopin coffee shop and 15 bars. Wasabi does sushi, Tanuki teppanyaki, Samsara Indian, El Gaucho steaks, El Pescador seafood, Focaccia pizza, Il Tartufo Italian and La Hacienda Mexican.
+The Platinum upgrade runs about US$60 to US$80 more per room per night and buys a lot: three restaurants only Platinum guests can use, four extra bars, a rooftop ocean-view lounge, private check-in with a welcome cocktail, an exclusive beach club with drinks service and 10 percent off the spa. September 2026 guests called it worthwhile.
+Three pools each with a job, rather than one crowded lagoon: the main pool, the Platinum pool with its swim-up bar, and a quiet pool by the spa, plus a small children's splash pad down by the beach.
+The Mini Club for ages 4 to 12 gets named in reviews, with September 2026 parents singling out staff who were good with both younger children and teenagers. Babysitting is available at extra cost.
+The entertainment programme is busy and rated well, covering water sports, yoga, zumba and pilates by day and shows at night. A September 2026 guest summed it up as "entertainment is really fun".
+A walking path runs through the mangroves inside the grounds, which is a rare thing to have on a Bavaro property and worth the early-morning hour before the pools fill up.
+For an all-suite resort with three tennis courts, a spa, a gym open 8am to 8pm and free basic Wi-Fi, the money works out. Mid-season averages for two adults all-inclusive land around $270 a night, with off-peak weeks well below that.

Cons

−Every a la carte dinner needs a reservation through the Princess app, made after you arrive, and the first night usually means the buffet. A September 2026 guest found the app awkward to get working at the start of the stay.
−The lobby is about 0.45 miles, roughly 2,400 feet, from the beach. Little trains and golf carts shuttle guests constantly, but a September 2026 guest reported 20 to 25 minute waits and carts arriving full.
−Room condition is a lottery across 90 buildings. September 2026 reviews include unchanged bed linen, a dead room telephone, mosquitoes, failed air conditioning, a water-damaged ceiling and a strong musty smell. Inspect the room before you unpack and ask to move early if something is wrong.
−Stomach illness reports recur rather than appearing once. A September 2026 guest described food poisoning that hit several people in their group, and similar accounts turn up in earlier reviews, so be selective about buffet items that have been sitting out.
−Multiple guests rate the evening a la carte dinners below the buffet, which inverts the usual all-inclusive pattern and makes the reservation hassle feel less worth it.
−Platinum carries a four-night minimum, and the gap between Platinum and standard is wide enough that the resort runs at two speeds. Standard guests see the exclusive beach club and restaurants they cannot enter.
−Language barriers come up in 2026 reviews, both in restaurants and when trying to resolve a problem with guest services, which one guest could not reach by phone at all.

Scale is the selling point and the complication. There are 11 themed a la carte restaurants, three buffets, food trucks on the beach, a snack bar, a coffee shop and 15 bars, but every a la carte dinner has to be booked through the Princess app once you are on site, and several 2026 guests rated those dinners below the buffet they skipped to get there. Three pools split the crowd between the main pool, a quiet pool by the spa and the Platinum pool with its swim-up bar, and there is a children's splash pad by the sand. Rooms are where the resort is least predictable: September 2026 reviews run from clean and comfortable to musty, mosquito-filled and short on linen, which across 90 buildings is a maintenance problem rather than bad luck. The Platinum tier, about US$60 to US$80 more per room per night with a four-night minimum, adds three private restaurants, four bars, a rooftop lounge, private check-in and a beachfront club, and guests who bought it in 2026 said it was worth it.

It suits families who want suite space over polish, multigenerational groups who need room to spread out, and anyone willing to pay the Platinum premium to get the version of the resort that works best. Against Ocean Blue and Sand, Princess gives you far more suite space and dining variety while Ocean Blue and Sand gives you walk-in dinners, a compact layout and warmer staff reviews. Against Grand Palladium Bavaro Suites the facilities are comparable and Princess is usually a little cheaper. Punta Cana airport is 35 minutes away, El Cortecito's beach bars and souvenir stalls are a short taxi, and Hoyo Azul, Scape Park and the Isla Saona catamaran trips fill the days you do not want a lounger.

Common Questions

What are the rooms like at Grand Bavaro Princess?

They are all suites, and the smallest category is around 700 square feet, set in low-rise bungalow buildings through the gardens rather than in towers. The property reopened in December 2019 after a full remodel, so the design is contemporary. Condition varies building to building though, and 2026 guests have reported air conditioning faults, musty smells and housekeeping misses, so check the room over on arrival.

Do you need restaurant reservations, and how do you make them?

Yes, for every a la carte restaurant. Bookings are made through the Princess app once you have arrived, not before, and the first night typically ends up at one of the three buffets while you sort the week. Guest services will help with special occasions. Expect to spend the first morning claiming the dinners you actually want.

Is the Platinum upgrade worth it?

For most guests who have paid for it, yes. Around US$60 to US$80 more per room per night brings three restaurants and four bars reserved for Platinum guests, a rooftop ocean-view lounge, private check-in and an exclusive beach club with drinks service, plus 10 percent off the spa. There is a four-night minimum. September 2026 guests described it as a worthwhile upgrade rather than a cosmetic one.

How far is the beach from the rooms?

The lobby sits about 0.45 miles, roughly 2,400 feet, back from the sand, and your building could add to that. Little trains and golf carts run through the resort frequently and are the normal way to get around. They are not infallible: a September 2026 guest reported waits of 20 to 25 minutes with carts arriving already full, so budget time if you have a dinner reservation.

Are there food safety concerns at Grand Bavaro Princess?

Stomach illness turns up in reviews often enough to mention. A September 2026 guest described food poisoning that affected several people in their group, and comparable accounts appear in earlier reviews. The usual precautions apply at a resort feeding this many people: stick to freshly cooked and hot buffet items, be wary of anything that has been sitting out, and use bottled water.

How does it compare to Ocean Blue and Sand?

Grand Bavaro Princess is much bigger, all-suite, and has far more restaurants, but every a la carte dinner needs an app booking and the beach is a shuttle ride from the lobby. Ocean Blue and Sand is more compact, keeps most of its a la carte dining walk-in, and draws consistently warmer reviews for staff. Pick Princess for space and variety, Ocean Blue and Sand for a simpler week.

Restaurants (14)

Type	Restaurants
Buffet	La Hispaniola Buffet Restaurant, Buffet Restaurant Trapiche, Chopin Restaurant
Mexican	La Hacienda Restaurant
Italian	Focaccia Pizzería, Il Tartufo Restaurant
Japanese & sushi	Restaurant Wasabi
Teppanyaki / hibachi	Tanuki
Steakhouse	El Gaucho Steakhouse
Seafood	El Pescador
Indian	Samsara Restaurant
American & grill	PBG – Platinum Beach Grill
International & fusion	Café del Mar Restaurant (extra charge), Soho Restaurant

From the resort's own dining pages. Only restaurants the resort lists are shown. Venues marked "extra charge" are not covered by the all-inclusive rate; the others are, per the resort.

What's nearby

Bávaro Beach
20 min drive · 5.3 mi
Macao Beach
25 min drive · 12 mi
Cap Cana Marina
35 min drive · 19 mi
Hoyo Azul
45 min drive · 22 mi

More things to do (20)

Playa Blanca · beach30 min drive · 16 mi
Juanillo Beach · beach35 min drive · 19 mi
Scape Park · adventure park45 min drive · 22 mi
Punta Espada Golf Club · golf40 min drive · 21 mi
Higüey · town55 min drive · 26 mi
Arena Gorda Beach · beach12 min drive · 2.6 mi
Los Corales · town10 min drive · 2.5 mi
White Sands Golf Course · golf7 min drive · 1.4 mi
Iberostar Bávaro Golf Club · golf13 min drive · 4.2 mi
Cocotal Golf & Country Club · golf15 min drive · 5.6 mi
Cana Bay Golf Club · golf15 min drive · 5.7 mi
Vista Cana Golf Club · golf20 min drive · 7.6 mi
Catalonia Caribe Golf Club · golf20 min drive · 9.9 mi
Barceló Bávaro Golf · golf25 min drive · 5.8 mi
Dolphin Explorer · adventure park25 min drive · 12 mi
Indigenous Eyes Ecological Park · nature35 min drive · 17 mi
Deep-sea fishing charter · excursion35 min drive · 19 mi
Hoyo Claro · cenote45 min drive · 22 mi
Cabo Engaño Beach · beach50 min drive · 14 mi
Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia, Higüey · historic site55 min drive · 26 mi

Amenities

Casino

Water Slides

Babysitting

Tennis

Kids Club

Swim-Up Bar

Free Wi-Fi

Nightly Entertainment

Show 4 more amenities

Buffet Dining

Spa

Gym

Beach

Style & Rooms

Room upgrades

Swim-Up Rooms

Seaweed & sargassum

Punta Cana gets sargassum, typically worst May through August.See the month-by-month guide →

Every all-inclusive in Punta Cana & Bávaro →

Google Reviews★ 4.3 · 10,949 reviews

Karen E.

a week ago

“Overall, Grand Bavaro Princess is a very good hotel. The property is well maintained, the staff is friendly, responsive, and always willing to help. We had exceptional service form so many wonderful servers can’t remember all the names. Managers Manu...”

RM R.

a month ago

“Overall, Grand Bavaro Princess is a very good hotel. The property is well maintained, the staff is friendly, responsive, and always willing to help. The cuisine is tasty and leans toward European standards, which was a pleasant surprise. The only do...”

Mentor U.

a month ago

“I had an amazing time at this resort in Punta Cana from start to finish. The property is beautiful, well maintained, and has a very relaxing vibe that makes it easy to unwind and enjoy your vacation. The staff throughout the resort were friendly, wel...”