Coral Level at Iberostar Selection Bavaro
Iberostar Selection Coral Bávaro is the premium section of Iberostar's big Bávaro complex in Punta Cana, roughly 160 suites with reserved pools, a private beach area and a 24-hour concierge. The idea is boutique service without giving up a large resort's facilities: Coral guests keep their own spaces but can also use everything at Iberostar Selection Bávaro Suites next door. Bávaro Beach is the real draw, a long, wide stretch of soft sand and calm water, and the Coral beach area with its Balinese beds is where most guests end up spending their days.
Things to Know
- Timeshare Pressure
Traveler Insights
Pros
- +Two pools reserved for Coral guests plus a private beach area with Balinese beds and loungers, so you skip the chair hunt that comes with a big Bávaro complex
- +A 24-hour concierge handles dinner bookings, room requests and problems directly instead of sending you to a busy main front desk
- +Two dining rooms of its own: El Faro, an international buffet with show cooking for all three meals, and Salt Soul, an a la carte seafood restaurant
- +Priority booking at restaurants across the complex, a curated wine selection, and free appetizers at the beach club and the Coral lounge
- +You also get the facilities at Iberostar Selection Bávaro Suites next door: more pools and restaurants, a three-floor fitness center and a spa with 21 massage booths
- +An 18-hole P.B. Dye golf course sits within the complex, which few beachfront all-inclusives in Bávaro can match (green fees and carts cost extra)
- +Genuinely family-capable for a premium wing: suites take up to three children, a Two Bedroom Family Junior Suite sleeps six, and kids get Star Camp (ages 4 to 12), the Kangaroo Club (0 to 3) and a water park
- +Bávaro Beach itself is a long, wide stretch of soft white sand with gentle water that is easy to walk for miles
Cons
- −Timeshare and vacation-club sales pitches come up again and again in traveler reports, including claims that pitches were tied to dinner reservations; expect to say no more than once
- −The Coral premium is substantial, and some guests feel the food at the two Coral restaurants is good rather than exceptional for what the upgrade costs
- −Hotel-arranged airport transfers drew complaints about unconfirmed pickups in older guest reports, so reconfirm your return in writing
- −The wider complex is huge, and getting from the Coral area to the golf course, spa or the Bávaro Suites restaurants means real walking or waiting for internal transport
- −Food at the general complex restaurants gets more mixed reviews than the Coral venues, so campus access is a bonus rather than a reason to book
- −Golf, the water circuit at the spa, diving, tennis courts and the watersports centre are all extra charges, not part of the all-inclusive
- −With kids welcome in every suite category, this is not a quiet adults-only wing, and travelers expecting one are sometimes surprised
Day to day, Coral has two pools, the Lobby Bar and two restaurants of its own: El Faro, a show-cooking international buffet, and Salt Soul, a la carte seafood. Guests get priority restaurant bookings across the complex, a curated wine list and free appetizers at the beach club and lounge. Suites are around 484 square feet, with pool-access, near-beach and ocean-front versions, and the wider complex adds a 21-booth spa, a three-floor gym, pickleball, a dive shop and an 18-hole P.B. Dye golf course. Traveler forums keep returning to two complaints: timeshare sales pitches that can feel woven into ordinary service, and food at the general complex restaurants that falls short of the Coral venues.
Coral works best for couples and families who want a quieter base and better service inside a big resort, and who will use the golf course, spa or kids' clubs enough to justify the premium. It is not adults-only: suites take children, a two-bedroom family suite sleeps six, and the complex runs Star Camp, the Kangaroo Club and a water park. Couples who want a resort with no children at all should look at adults-only options such as Excellence Punta Cana. Saona Island catamaran trips, Hoyo Azul and the Bávaro beach markets are all an easy drive away.
Common Questions
Is the Coral upgrade worth the extra cost?
Can Coral guests use the rest of the Iberostar Bávaro complex?
Is Coral Bávaro adults-only?
How bad is the timeshare sales pressure?
What are the restaurants in the Coral section?
How does Coral Bávaro compare to Excellence Punta Cana?
Restaurants (9)
| Type | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Buffet | El Faro haute cuisine and buffet |
| Mexican | María Bonita Mexican Restaurant (at Iberostar Waves Punta Cana) |
| Italian | Il Forno Italian Restaurant |
| Teppanyaki / hibachi | Kabuki Japanese Restaurant (at Iberostar Selection Bávaro Suites) |
| Steakhouse | La Marimba restaurant grill (at Iberostar Waves Punta Cana) |
| Seafood | Salt & Soul Restaurant |
| French | La Sibila Gourmet Restaurant (at Iberostar Waves Punta Cana) |
| Mediterranean & Spanish | La Dorada Greek Restaurant (at Iberostar Selection Bávaro Suites) |
| American & grill | Star Rock American Restaurant (at Iberostar Selection Bávaro Suites) |
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 · 9.1 mi
Macao Beach20 min drive · 9.4 mi
Cap Cana Marina35 min drive · 21 mi
45 min drive · 24 mi
More things to do (21)
- Playa Blanca · beach30 min drive · 18 mi
- Juanillo Beach · beach35 min drive · 21 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 · 3.4 mi
- Los Corales · town15 min drive · 6.2 mi
- Iberostar Bávaro Golf Club · golf5 min drive · 1.1 mi
- White Sands Golf Course · golf10 min drive · 2.9 mi
- Cana Bay Golf Club · golf10 min drive · 3.5 mi
- Cocotal Golf & Country Club · golf15 min drive · 7.5 mi
- Vista Cana Golf Club · golf20 min drive · 9.4 mi
- Catalonia Caribe Golf Club · golf25 min drive · 12 mi
- Dolphin Explorer · adventure park25 min drive · 14 mi
- Barceló Bávaro Golf · golf30 min drive · 9.5 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 · 21 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★ 4.9 · 4,931 reviews
“We just returned from a week's stay at Coral Level Bavaro, our first experience with the Iberostar brand. From the moment we walked into the Coral lobby, we were greeted with exceptional service. Alberto welcomed us with a special juice drink and wa...”
“This amazing hotel in Punta Cana impresses from the very first moment with its fantastic location and a truly marvelous beach that feels like a postcard come to life. The food was consistently delicious, offering plenty of variety for different taste...”
“Overall, my experience at Iberostar Bávaro was good, though not outstanding in every aspect. However, I would like to highlight the exceptional service provided by Rafael Nube Negra, one of the waiters. Rafael’s service was truly outstanding — alway...”
