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whala!bávaro

Bavaro, Dominican Republic

3.5(3,688 reviews)

Family

whala!bavaro is a small, budget HM Hotels property in Los Corales / El Cortecito, and its appeal is the opposite of a gated mega-resort: you are in the middle of one of Punta Cana's few walkable neighbourhoods, with local restaurants and bars a few minutes away. The hotel is split across two lots, one of them beachfront with its own beach area, sun beds and a beach bar, and the other a short walk back. Guests also talk about the fifth-floor rooftop pool, whose glass infinity edge lines up with the Bavaro horizon. Staff warmth comes up again and again, often with names attached.

Traveler Insights

Pros

+Address in Los Corales / El Cortecito, one of the only genuinely walkable parts of Punta Cana, with independent restaurants, bars and shops a few minutes away on foot
+Part of the hotel sits on a beachfront lot with its own beach area, sun beds and huts for shade, and a beach bar included in the all-inclusive from 10:00 to 19:00
+Fifth-floor rooftop pool with a glass infinity edge lined up with the Bavaro horizon, which guests rank among the best pool views in Punta Cana
+Cheap for an all-inclusive in Punta Cana: travel writers paying about $70 per person per night for an Economy room in high season called it the floor for the area
+Staff are consistently described as warm, funny and attentive, and guests often single out employees by name
+A daily activity programme runs all week: stretching, aquagym, aerobics, mini disco, beach volleyball, dance classes, bingo and darts, plus live music at the Orquidea pool bar
+Useful on-site services for a budget hotel: free Wi-Fi, a 24-hour medical centre, a pharmacy, an ATM, currency exchange and a shop
+Buffet food lands above what the price suggests, with themed nights such as a Mexican dinner, and some guests rate it ahead of pricier Punta Cana resorts

Cons

−Dining is buffet-only on the current official list: two buffet restaurants serving Caribbean food, with no a la carte venue to break up a week
−Drinks are local brands only, poured 10:00 to 01:00, and the cocktails get a lot of the complaints
−Rooms are compact and show wear: guests mention thin blackout curtains, few power outlets, basic toiletries, slightly salty water and air-conditioning breakdowns
−Room quality is inconsistent between buildings and categories, so two guests on the same week can come home with very different stories
−Entertainment is a small animation team and one evening show at the pool bar, not a theatre with a full nightly production
−The rooftop sky bar and restaurant are open to the public and were not part of the all-inclusive on a March 2023 stay, so the best view on site can cost extra
−Beach vendors and touts in Los Corales can be persistent on the walk to the sand and along the beach

The practical experience is simple. The official list has two buffet restaurants serving Caribbean food (breakfast 7:30 to 10:30, lunch 12:00 to 15:00, dinner 18:30 to 21:30) and no a la carte venue, plus the Sueno snack bar for late snacks, the Orquidea pool bar and the beach bar. Drinks are local brands from 10:00 to 01:00. There are three pools on the official page, one of them for children, while a 2023 visit counted five including the rooftop. A daily programme of aquagym, aerobics, dance classes, beach volleyball, bingo and darts runs all week, and there is live music at the Orquidea bar in the evening. Rooms are compact and the reports of wear are real, mostly thin curtains, few outlets and the odd air-conditioning failure, so it pays to ask for a different room if yours has problems.

It suits budget travelers who want an all-inclusive base for exploring Punta Cana on foot and do not need polish. Families can make it work, since there is a whala!kids programme and a children's pool, but the crowd skews young and adult and the room standard is basic. Couples after romance or a strong food programme should pay more for a beachfront resort further along Bavaro. Getting there is easy: the official site puts the airport about 20 minutes away, roughly $35 by taxi, and Bavaro's restaurant strip and nightlife are walkable.

Common Questions

Is the rooftop pool included?

Guests describe a pool on the fifth-floor rooftop with a glass infinity edge facing the beach, and it is the view people come back talking about. On a March 2023 stay the sky bar and restaurant up there were open to the public and not part of the all-inclusive, so expect to pay for drinks and food at that level. Ask at check-in how rooftop access works for hotel guests now.

Is whala!bavaro on the beach?

Partly. The hotel occupies two lots in Los Corales, and one of them is directly beachfront with the hotel's own beach area, sun beds and a beach bar open 10:00 to 19:00. If you are in a building on the other lot, the beach is a short walk away. Los Corales is prone to seaweed in some seasons, so check conditions close to your dates.

Is it a good choice for families with kids?

It is workable. There is a whala!kids programme of games, activities and workshops, one of the pools is a children's pool, and the daily activities include a mini disco. The crowd skews toward young adults and budget travelers, though, and rooms are basic, so families wanting waterparks and big kids' facilities will do better at a larger Bavaro resort.

What is the food like?

The all-inclusive covers breakfast, lunch and dinner at two buffet restaurants serving Caribbean cuisine, plus snacks from 11:00 to 17:30 and again from 23:00 to 01:00. The current official list has no a la carte restaurant. Opinions split: some guests rate the buffet above pricier resorts for the money, others find a week of it repetitive.

Should I worry about security for my valuables?

Use the in-room safe, which the hotel lists as free for bookings made on its own website (a 2023 guest booking elsewhere was charged for it). That is standard advice for any budget hotel in a busy neighbourhood. The walk through Los Corales is generally pleasant, but keep phones and wallets close where vendors and touts crowd the beach path.

How do I get there from the airport?

The official site puts the hotel about 20 minutes from Punta Cana International by car, via the Boulevard Turistico del Este toward Avenida Alemania. It quotes a taxi at about $35, and the hotel sells its own paid transfer. Once there, the El Cortecito restaurant and bar strip is walkable.

What's nearby

Bávaro Beach
11 min drive · 3.0 mi
Macao Beach
25 min drive · 13 mi
Cap Cana Marina
35 min drive · 16 mi
Hoyo Azul
40 min drive · 19 mi

More things to do (24)

Playa Blanca · beach30 min drive · 13 mi
Juanillo Beach · beach35 min drive · 16 mi
Scape Park · adventure park40 min drive · 19 mi
Punta Espada Golf Club · golf40 min drive · 19 mi
Higüey · town55 min drive · 27 mi
Arena Gorda Beach · beach14 min drive · 4.2 mi
Cabeza de Toro Beach · beach40 min drive · 6.0 mi
Marinarium snorkel cruise · excursion40 min drive · 6.0 mi
Laguna Bávaro · nature40 min drive · 6.2 mi
Los Corales · town10 min walk · 0.5 mi
Cocotal Golf & Country Club · golf6 min drive · 1.7 mi
White Sands Golf Course · golf9 min drive · 3.0 mi
Iberostar Bávaro Golf Club · golf13 min drive · 5.3 mi
Barceló Bávaro Golf · golf14 min drive · 3.5 mi
Cana Bay Golf Club · golf20 min drive · 6.8 mi
Catalonia Caribe Golf Club · golf20 min drive · 7.3 mi
Vista Cana Golf Club · golf20 min drive · 8.7 mi
Dolphin Island Park · adventure park20 min drive · 4.2 mi
Dolphin Explorer · adventure park25 min drive · 9.3 mi
Indigenous Eyes Ecological Park · nature30 min drive · 14 mi
Deep-sea fishing charter · excursion35 min drive · 16 mi
Hoyo Claro · cenote45 min drive · 20 mi
Cabo Engaño Beach · beach45 min drive · 12 mi
Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia, Higüey · historic site55 min drive · 28 mi

Amenities

Known for Great Food

Kids Club

Free Wi-Fi

Nightly Entertainment

Buffet Dining

Gym

Beach

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★ 3.5 · 3,688 reviews

Jay T.

a month ago

“Very friendly, accommodating and curtious staff. The rooms are spacious, equipped with a fridge and a few fresh bottles of cold water. I believe most of... if not all rooms have a balcony. Free breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet with variety of foods...”

Dorota F.

3 months ago

“It was simply beautiful! The views were absolutely breathtaking – a true paradise on earth. The people, especially the Latinos, were incredibly kind and friendly, creating a wonderful atmosphere. The hotel staff, both at the reception and throughout...”