We traveled to the Iberostar Grand Bavaro in late Febr 2021. Was nervous to travel because of Covid, but was so glad we decided to take the chance! The resort has excellent safety protocol in place. Check-in was easy. We asked about room upgrades since the occupancy was so low, but would have had to pay $100 per night for an upgrade so we decided to keep our original room facing the neighboring sister resort roof tops. The rooms were nice and clean and on the smaller side. We filled out the Covid testing paperwork for US travelers during check-in and received our appointment confirmation the same day. Our butler Staling made sure we had copies of our passport and the necessary paperwork for the appointment. Staling even brought us our results the same day we were tested. Fantastic! Danilo was also our butler who helped us with reservations, answering questions and who even brought us a few drinks and a couple pizzas! We can not say enough about how wonderful Staling and Danilo were to us all week! Lely and Ery gave us great bar service! They always tried to make our drinks just the way we liked them. If they ran out of something, they always tried to find it. So accommodating! Elizabeth served us most evenings up at the lobby outside. She is so sweet. We wish there would have been a light beer offered. We ate the breakfast buffet a couple mornings and decided to skip breakfast the rest of the vacation. The omelets were very good, but didn't care for much else besides the fruit and a few pastries. Sometimes we felt like we were inconveniencing them. Lunch and dinner was excellent! We always found something we liked on the menu. I even asked for a little bit of guacamole and they brought me a small salad dish of guac at lunch daily. Perfect! Each day the staff always asked if we needed anything in the minibar in our room. This was one of the only properties that didn't have snacks in the room. Not a big deal, but it would have been a nice amenity since so much of the resort was closed. The buffet breakfast and lunch was open, and each night two ala carte restaurants were open. The swim up bar, the beach bar, and the cigar bar was closed. The resort was only at approximately 20% - 25% capacity, so pool and beach chairs were always available! Most of the time our travel group of 6 were the only ones in the pool! The entertainment team was fantastic! Power, Armando and Ruth were a lot of fun! We enjoyed getting to know them. The disco and theatre were also closed. There was no nightlife outside of the shows. Since the theater was closed the shows were at the lobby outside. The shows were good, same basic shows as most resorts, circus, rock show, Michael Jackson, etc. I'd give this resort 4.5 stars out of 5 if I could. We also had frequent power outages in the rooms. Overall we had a wonderful vacation!…
I was finally able to return to my home away from home after over a year. While it was quiet, which was expected, I still was able to enjoy the gourmet meals, the great drinks and the fantastic weather. There were only two ala carte restaurants opened at night with limited menu items, but what they had was great. You could eat either inside or outside al fresco. Preferred outdoor as there was a nice breeze every night with no humidity. The staff went out of their way to be helpful and were happy to do anything you requested. The spa at the Grand is currently closed so you were taken by golf cart to next door at the Selection Bavaro. Their spa is larger and very nice. The hotel was at 30% capacity and you were able to secure a place by the pool with no problem. The pool bar is closed at this time, but they did come around for drinks. I am already booked again for this coming October and I would never hesitate to recommend this great resort. Most of the staff from the previous years are back - Yari (hostess), Maria (hostess), Ery, Dionsis (sp?) and the rest. Do not hesitate to go. COVID-19 tests were scheduled for you 3 days before your departure for free at the clinic next door at Selection Bavaro. It is the rapid testing and you must have this to upload to your airline's website prior to boarding.…
We stayed for 16 wonderful nights at the Grand from February 2 - 18, 2021, and still were not ready to leave this beautiful resort! It was our third trip, the last one being two years ago. Imagine how surprised we were to find staff that still remembered us! CHECK IN AND ROOM: It is the staff that truly make your vacation special. The hotel was at about 30%. Our first interaction was when we checked in at reception. Liedy was warm and welcoming, and every time we entered the reception area she greeted us by name. And then we met the first our our three butlers during our stay, Leo. His attention to detail was impeccable, from keeping our mini-fridge stocked (sometimes several times a day!) to delivering the pillows we requested. Alberto was another great butler, as was Caesar. They are not intrusive, but always seemed to appear whenever we needed something (how DO they do that??). Our room was beautiful, over looking the garden area. It was very quiet, but we did have an issue with the room above us. Whomever was in the room stayed up most of the night and it sounded like they just scooted furniture from one end of the room to another and it was VERY loud, especially at 3am. We mentioned it to Alberto, and were surprised how seriously they took it and tried their best to help. They take your satisfaction to heart. FOOD: The food was great - we were a little worried that with our long stay the restaurants might get repetitive; they didn't! Each restaurant has such a variety that it was never dull. The wait staff is wonderful: Marlon was so friendly and we always looked forward when he was our server. Silvestre was always smiling and happy to help. Melissa was a greeter that always greeted us by name and with a smile. Vaximo ALWAYS remembered our favorite wine. Jefferson kept us entertained at the hibachi with his funnies and good food. Wilfredo always had such a great attitude. Bonafasio was always so professional and nice. You won't be disappointed! POOL/BEACH: It's the Dominican Republic! The best beaches! We love to go on walks and never feel afraid to do so. You will encounter vendors, but they will leave you alone. There is no beach bar unless you are in Star Prestige, but the pool bar staff are very frequent and will deliver drinks to you quickly. As a guest of the grand, you may visit any of the other Iberostar resorts down the beach, and when we did spend time on the beach, we liked to visit the beach bar at the Corales. We spent most of our time at the pool - it's so beautiful and the plentiful cabanas are great to escape the sun if you've had enough. I can't say enough about the pool bar staff! Starting with Ery - oh my! That man is in the BEST mood ALL DAY LONG! If I could just bottle Ery somehow I could be a millionaire ten times over! Everyone we encountered with the pool bar was amazing and I know I will leave someone out, but Misael was a cutie that couldn't be more helpful. And Lely...he always knew when we needed a refill! They all knew that we only drank Presidente Light. And if we walked up to the bar, they had them ready. They ran out once and went and found some for us. Awesome guys! The entertainment staff was fun...my husband got the nickname "Number 4" during a bingo game from Ruth and Jocari and went around the whole 16 days known as "Number 4" to everyone. Power was fun to talk to and a really great guy. Armando recognized us from our previous stay which was fun! COVID We felt safe at all times. They take precautions very seriously. Everyone working at the resort is masked. The COVID test for re-entry to the US was easy. Your butler will take care of all the details for you. You WILL need a copy of your passport for the test. I wish I had known and I would have brought one with me, but your butler can make it for you. If you have any reservations about visiting the Grand now, don't. They will take great care of you. Just go!!…
Really nice and good Hotel. 24 hours incredible Butler Service. Very attentive and courteously Food is good and the breakfast is perfect. The beach is formidable and the water with beautiful colors in different blue
I didn’t want to leave. You feel at home. This place was perfect for our Mother and Daughter getaway. The food was delicious. The weather was warm. The Restaurants are all together so they were easy to find. We ate Steak, Lobster, Shrimp, and Fish for dinner. They had these foods available at lunch also. I can see why it gets a five star and is #1 on Trip advisor. I lost my earring in the room and our kind room service lady found it for me. The Corona virus test was done for us on the resort and took 5 minutes. Our butler brought our results to the room the next day. The place is immaculate. They said it was built in 2008 but it looks brand new. I felt safe there. If you’re looking for a relaxing week with friendly service and great food this is the place. The person who helped me the most was Jose. We are English speaking and we do not speak Spanish and Jose understood us completely. Anytime we had a question Jose would get it answered for us with a smile. If we come back we will call him. And then of course the Bar Staff Ery and the guys were always dancing, smiling, and happy to see you. We got a massage on the Beach —— oh my word, you have to get that done! Enice made my whole body relaxed. I can’t say enough about this place. They have the best staff. The place is layed out well, it’s easy to find everything. I will bring my husband back here. My mom and I made wonderful fun filled memories. It was her first time flying and staying at a resort. This resort made her expectations high for the next one. Thank you Iberostar Grand Bavaro Staff for the perfect vacation.…
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