Iberostar Selection Bavaro Suites
Iberostar Selection Bávaro Suites is the all-junior-suite hotel in Iberostar's Bavaro complex, and the space is the headline. Standard suites run around 484 sq ft and two-bedroom family suites about 882 sq ft, which is a lot of room for a mid-tier price in Punta Cana. The whole property was torn down to the studs and reopened November 26, 2019 with 595 renovated rooms, a rebuilt SPA Sensations and a new Star Camp area, and the 162-suite Coral Level opened three weeks later as a hotel-within-a-hotel, now sold separately as Iberostar Selection Coral Bávaro. The buildings are low-rise bungalow style across two floors with no elevators, set in genuinely well-kept tropical grounds.
Traveler Insights
Pros
- +Every room is a junior suite, roughly 484 sq ft, with two-bedroom family junior suites at about 882 sq ft, so you get far more floor space than a standard all-inclusive room at this price
- +Guests can use the pools, buffets, restaurants and daily activities at Iberostar Waves Dominicana and Iberostar Waves Punta Cana next door, which multiplies the dining options without paying more
- +Most restaurants are walk-in. Only Kabuki, the Japanese hibachi room, takes bookings, running three seatings a night, while Brave steakhouse and Il Forno work a waitlist you join around 6 p.m.
- +Real dining range for a mid-tier property: Los Haitises buffet, Brave steakhouse, Il Forno for Italian, Kabuki hibachi, La Dorada for Greek and seafood, Bistró La Coupole for French and El Tapatio for Mexican, plus a 24-hour Star Café, Star Rock Café burgers and El Botey ice cream
- +The whole property was rebuilt and reopened November 26, 2019, and September 2026 guests still describe the rooms as impeccable
- +Star Camp splits children into four real age tiers, 0 to 3, 4 to 7, 8 to 12 and 13 to 17, rather than lumping everyone into one room
- +Playa Arena Gorda is wide white sand with chairs usually easy to find, beach drink service, and a crew that visibly works at keeping sargassum off the sand
- +Three-story fitness center with a daily boot camp, two tennis courts, SPA Sensations, and a kids pool built around a pirate ship with slides
Cons
- −Chair reserving at the pool is a daily irritation here, the same towel-at-dawn routine the big Bavaro resorts all suffer from
- −Buffet seating areas are not air conditioned, which is a real problem at lunch in July and August
- −Room air conditioning gets described as not quite strong enough for the space
- −The buildings are two floors with no elevators, worth knowing if stairs or heavy luggage are an issue
- −Furniture and decor read dated even though the rooms themselves are clean and well kept, and nothing has been rebuilt since the 2019 renovation
- −This is a family resort, not an adults-only one. The adults-only hotel in the Bavaro complex is JOIA Bávaro by Iberostar, formerly branded Iberostar Grand Bávaro, and it is a separate property with its own access rules
- −Pets and service animals are not permitted
- −Noise and price-for-value are the two complaints that recur in recent reviews, and Bavaro sargassum still runs heaviest from roughly May through October
Dining is the quiet strength. Los Haitises handles the buffet, and the a la carte rooms cover steak at Brave, Italian at Il Forno, Japanese hibachi at Kabuki, Greek and seafood at La Dorada, French at Bistró La Coupole and Mexican at El Tapatio, with a 24-hour Star Café, a burger counter at Star Rock Café and ice cream at El Botey filling the gaps. Only Kabuki takes reservations, three seatings a night, while Brave and Il Forno run a line that starts around 6 p.m., and the rest are walk-in. On top of that, guests may eat and swim at Iberostar Waves Dominicana and Iberostar Waves Punta Cana next door. There are three outdoor pools and an indoor one, a swim-up bar, a water slide and a pirate-ship kids pool, though this is not a water park. Entertainment is steady rather than spectacular: nightly shows, karaoke, foam parties, beach parties with fire shows, aqua gym and beachfront paella lunches. The recurring gripes are chair reserving, buffet rooms without air conditioning, and room air conditioning that underperforms.
This fits families who want a big suite, a good beach and the run of three hotels for the price of one, and it fits travelers who would rather walk into a restaurant than fight a booking system at 7 a.m. Nightly rates average near $255 with the official site quoting from $349, which puts it below Finest Punta Cana and well below Excellence Punta Cana, and roughly level with the Bahia Principe Grand properties nearby. The gap to Finest on food quality and design is real, so pay up if your budget allows. Off property, Playa Arena Gorda runs straight into Bavaro's main beach strip, the complex has an 18-hole golf course, Dressel Divers operates diving and snorkeling for a fee, and Isla Saona, Hoyo Azul and the Macao surf beach are the standard day trips from this stretch.
Common Questions
Which neighbouring Iberostar hotels can I use?
Do I need restaurant reservations?
Is this the same hotel as Iberostar Grand Bávaro?
What ages does Star Camp cover?
Is there a water park for kids?
How is the seaweed at Playa Arena Gorda?
Restaurants (14)
| Type | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Buffet | Los Haitises Buffet Restaurant, Higuey Buffet (at Iberostar Waves Dominicana and Iberostar Waves Punta Cana), Hispaniola Buffet (at Iberostar Waves Dominicana and Iberostar Waves Punta Cana) |
| Mexican | El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant, María Bonita Mexican Restaurant (at Iberostar Waves Dominicana and Iberostar Waves Punta Cana) |
| Italian | Il Forno Italian Restaurant |
| Teppanyaki / hibachi | Kabuki Japanese Restaurant |
| Asian | La Pagoda Asian Restaurant (at Iberostar Waves Dominicana and Iberostar Waves Punta Cana) |
| Steakhouse | Brave Steakhouse, La Marimba restaurant grill (at Iberostar Waves Dominicana and Iberostar Waves Punta Cana) |
| French | Bistró La Coupole, La Sibila Gourmet Restaurant (at Iberostar Waves Dominicana and Iberostar Waves Punta Cana) |
| Mediterranean & Spanish | La Dorada Greek Restaurant |
| American & grill | Star Rock American Restaurant |
From the resort's own dining pages. Only restaurants the resort lists are shown. All are covered by the all-inclusive rate, per the resort.
What's nearby
Bávaro Beach25 min drive · 8.8 mi
Macao Beach20 min drive · 9.6 mi
Cap Cana Marina35 min drive · 20 mi
45 min drive · 24 mi
More things to do (21)
- Playa Blanca · beach30 min drive · 18 mi
- Juanillo Beach · beach35 min drive · 20 mi
- Scape Park · adventure park45 min drive · 24 mi
- Punta Espada Golf Club · golf40 min drive · 23 mi
- Higüey · town50 min drive · 24 mi
- Arena Gorda Beach · beach12 min drive · 3.2 mi
- Los Corales · town14 min drive · 6.0 mi
- Iberostar Bávaro Golf Club · golf4 min drive · 0.9 mi
- White Sands Golf Course · golf9 min drive · 2.7 mi
- Cana Bay Golf Club · golf11 min drive · 3.9 mi
- Cocotal Golf & Country Club · golf14 min drive · 7.2 mi
- Vista Cana Golf Club · golf20 min drive · 9.2 mi
- Catalonia Caribe Golf Club · golf20 min drive · 12 mi
- Dolphin Explorer · adventure park25 min drive · 14 mi
- Barceló Bávaro Golf · golf30 min drive · 9.3 mi
- Indigenous Eyes Ecological Park · nature35 min drive · 19 mi
- Dolphin Island Park · adventure park35 min drive · 10 mi
- Deep-sea fishing charter · excursion35 min drive · 20 mi
- Hoyo Claro · cenote45 min drive · 24 mi
- Cabo Engaño Beach · beach50 min drive · 16 mi
- Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia, Higüey · historic site50 min drive · 24 mi
Amenities
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Style & Rooms
Atmosphere
Room upgrades
Seaweed & sargassum
Punta Cana gets sargassum, typically worst May through August.See the month-by-month guide →Google Reviews★ 4.7 · 17,426 reviews
“I am impressed with the hotel. The organization is excellent. Everywhere one can feel the competent leadership of the hotel manager. The staff is polite and everyone works conscientiously. The food is rich and varied. Cleanliness is of a high standar...”
“The hotel was perfect for us as a family. There were lots of options and activities for the kids, variety of good quality food and the service was great! Jose Arias, at the prestige beach, was amazing; his positive attitude and attention was great! T...”
“Beautifully maintained villas amid a manicured garden. Super friendly staff who go the extra mile to make you feel welcome, comfortable and safe. Food was decent and the resort wasn't very crowded at the end of October. Loved the golf carts to go a...”
