Grand Bavaro Princess is pretty unique. Despite being one of the cheapest resorts in Punta Cana, you can enjoy very modern rooms, delicious food, well-kept grounds, a huge buffet and a wide variety of bars & restaurants. And the best: while we have visited the resort in previous years, it even got better when we now visited in 2025. It’s definitely worth a closer look! That’s why I’ll explain to you all the pros and cons of this affordable hotel in my extensive Grand Bavaro Princess review.
This is a comprehensive review about Grand Bavaro Princess. You can find their separate family resort Princess Family Club Bavaro here. There are also hotel reviews available about Tropical Deluxe Princess and Caribe Deluxe Princess.
If not sure which all-inclusive resort to book, you can continue reading here about how to find the best all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana.
Completely UPDATED by your Punta Cana expert Chris: July 2025
What’s special?
Grand Bavaro Princess is usually among the cheapest resorts in Punta Cana, but delivers an exceptional value in relation to its low price point. Of course, if you expect 5-star high-end service you should better pick one of the best luxury hotels in Punta Cana, but if you’re looking to get a great bang for your buck, Grand Bavaro Princess is a great choice, especially considering that
- All rooms are completely renovated and nearly brand-new (+ spacious)
- You have an amazing selection of 11 restaurants (+ 3 additional restaurants for Platinum Club members), a coffee shop and some food trucks
- Despite the low price point, you can enjoy full amenities such as brand spirits (limited selection), daily à-la-carte dinners (reservations necessary), free watersports equipment and daily entertainment
- Compared to other similar-priced resorts in Punta Cana, the quality of food, drinks and rooms is absolutely outstanding and offers a great value for money
- The Platinum Club rooms are usually available for a moderate surcharge (try to book it right with your initial booking) and include access to a great rooftop bar with a breathtaking view over the beach and the turquoise ocean
- We have visited the resort multiple times (the last time 2025) and services and amenities are still on par with previous visits
Interested in more details? Continue reading the following Grand Bavaro Princess review with all of our own experiences, observations and the negative points we experienced during our recent stay at this all-inclusive hotel in Punta Cana.
At a glance: THE BEST of Grand Bavaro Princess
I am going to share a lot of experiences and insider tips from our most recent visit but I can also understand if you just came here to catch the most important information. To help you with a summary, here are my top recommendations for your vacation at Grand Bavaro Princess:
Location: where is Grand Bavaro Princess?
Grand Bavaro Princess is located in Punta Cana, in the east of the Dominican Republic. It is part of the main tourist destination in the country with its countless all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana. Grand Bavaro Princess All Suites Resort is nestled right at Bavaro Beach, the longest and most famous beach in Punta Cana. Its neighboring resorts are Occidental Punta Cana and former Paradisus Punta Cana, even though the latter one will be completely rebuilt over the next years.
The resort is a mere 14 mile- or 25-minute drive away from Punta Cana International Airport. It is recommended to book your airport transfer in advance to avoid any hassle and guarantee a smooth start to your Punta Cana vacation. You can check the best airport transportation options from Punta Cana International Airport to Grand Bavaro Princess here.
Grand Bavaro Princess All Inclusive is one of the few resorts where you are in the middle of local life. Compared to other remote Punta Cana all-inclusive resorts where there is absolutely nothing around except beach, coconut groves and wilderness, you can walk from Grand Bavaro Princess Punta Cana to some unique local spots (recommendable during daylight only), among them Corners Bar (a bar famous among ex-pats), Drink Point (a popular local nightlife spot in Punta Cana) and Delicias de Bavaro (our favorite local restaurant with some of the best Mofongos (a local dish made with plantains) in the area). All of them are just around 6-7 minutes walking away. Find out more about it in the extensive Punta Cana nightlife guide.
If you’d like further information about the location of Grand Bavaro Princess All Suites Resort Spa & Casino, you can check out its surrounding on the map of all Punta Cana all-inclusive resorts.
Overview – a virtual walk through the resort
When choosing a hotel in Punta Cana (read here how you can find the best all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana), it is important to know what to expect. There are tropical resorts, huge resorts, small resorts, contemporary resorts, family hotels, party hotels and much more.
Editor’s Choice: the best experiences 2025
Most unique experience in a small group: Authentic rum tasting* (rating 4.81/5)
Best Rated Punta Cana excursion: Isla Saona Premium in small groups* (rating 4.95/5)
Most booked through Punta Cana Travel Blog: Small-Group Snorkeling* (rating 4.92/5)
Best off-the-beaten-track excursion: Montana Redonda & Costa Esmeralda* (rating 4.77/5)
Best excursion for family fun: Jungle Buggies + Zipline Combo* (rating 4.89/5)
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Grand Bavaro Princess is one of the larger resorts in Punta Cana, which is mainly due to having a (beautiful) mangrove area right in the middle of the hotel property. Exactly those mangroves and the surrounding green areas within Grand Bavaro Princess are home to one of the most extensive wildlife varieties I have seen so far in any of all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana. During our recent visit, we were able to spot flamingos, ducks, goose, peacocks and iguanas, among other birds and smaller animals. Hence, if you love animals and Caribbean wildlife, Grand Bavaro Princess is a great pick for you. There is also a mini hiking path through the mangroves, allowing further impressions of this ecosystem.
But let’s continue this Grand Bavaro Princess review with a general overview of the property as you are probably not only traveling to the resort to see some animals – but it’s cool, especially for kids.
When arriving, you’ll see immediately to your left the bigger building of the Princess Family Club Bavaro, which is a separate resort area. It is sometimes marketed apart, sometimes as the same property. Here at Punta Cana Travel Blog, I have the Princess Family Club Bavaro in a separate review. However, please note that you don’t have access to Princess Family Club when staying at Grand Bavaro Princess, even though there is not much to miss (except for the water park maybe, but Grand Bavaro Princess has its own splashpad.
Getting into the lobby, you will immediately be greeted by the modern and contemporary design, which was created when Grand Bavaro Princess got completely renovated a few years ago, just around the time of Covid. This lightweight and modern design is also running like a common thread throughout the entire resort.
Right next to the lobby, you can also find a wide array of amenities at Grand Bavaro Princess in Punta Cana, including some of the à-la-carte restaurants (see the restaurant section below in this review for details), the sports bar, a couple of shops, a huge outdoor plaza for entertainment at night, the lobby bar and the main buffet. This agglomeration of facilities and services makes this a particularly busy area, especially at night, as there are many people around enjoying their food and drinks, complemented by nightly live music or performances. It is a perfect place to meet people, have a drink or simply hang out in the very cozy lounge furniture.
Not too far away from the lobby you can also find the gym, a quiet pool and the spa. Adjacent to the main plaza is a lake, which is home to two further restaurants (incl. the super delicious Indian restaurant – our favorite). The lake also hosts beautiful color games with its fountains at night.
If you continue walking through the resort, you will reach the mangrove area described above with its wildlife diversity.
From here, it is just a 2-3-minute-walk before reaching the main accommodation area next to the beach. It is home to most of the rooms (regular Bungalow Suites and Platinum Club suites), the newly built coffee shop and the Platinum Lounge area with two further restaurants and a gorgeous bar and lounge area.
Once reaching the area right at the beach, you can find all the other amenities of Grand Bavaro Princess All Suites Resort: the main pool area, the small kids splash pad (check out these resorts if you are looking for Punta Cana hotels with a huge water park), a beautiful buffet restaurant right at the beach, some food trucks and water sports activities.
The northwestern end of the beach section is also home to the PBG restaurants, the Platinum club pool and an amazing chillout bar for Platinum club bookings on the second floor with marvelous views of the beach and the ocean. Check below in the review for pricing, photos and advantages of the Grand Bavaro Princess Platinum Club.
The following photo shows the main pool area where most of the activities are happening during the day.
In short, Grand Bavaro Princess Punta Cana can be divided into three main areas:
- 1) The section close to the beach is home to the main pool, the majority of the rooms, the coffee shop and the Platinum Lounge area.
- 2) The mangrove section with a walking trail and lots of wildlife
- 3) The lobby section with plenty of restaurants, the main entertainment plaza, many other amenities and some of the rooms
- (+ 4) The separate area of Princess Family Club Bavaro)
As mentioned, Grand Bavaro Princess is one of the larger all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana. The distance from the lobby to the beach is around 2400 feet or 0.45 miles, the largest distance from the room to the beach can be 2800 feet, even though the majority of the rooms are located 1000 feet or less away from the beach.
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Party boat & booze cruise: Party Boat Info | Book it*
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But don’t worry about the distances, little trains and golf carts are running through the resort very frequently, so it isn’t a problem getting quickly from the lobby to the beach or vice versa.
The beach – does Grand Bavaro Princess has seaweed?
Talking about the beach in this Punta Cana resort review, Grand Bavaro Princess is located at Arena Blanca beach, a beach section belonging to the beautiful and famous Bavaro Beach.
The beach at Grand Bavaro Princess is absolutely worth visiting. Bright and fine-grained sand, a beautiful view of the entire Arena Blanca bay and swaying coconut palm trees are creating the perfect Caribbean image.
In case some seaweed gets washed ashore, you can be sure that it will be cleaned as quick as possible, at the latest the next morning. Seaweed in the Dominican Republic is a general problem in the entire Caribbean, including Cancun, Riviera Maya, Cuba and other islands. You can read more about sargassum and the seaweed season in Punta Cana here.
During our visit, there was no seaweed around hence we were lucky to enjoy a picture-perfect beach.
The beach at Grand Bavaro Princess also includes a separate Platinum Club section with a separate beach bar, waiter service, huge and comfy beach beds and a beach club restaurant. Below, you can read more about the advantages of the Platinum club and if it is worth booking.
But also the regular Grand Bavaro Princess beach section is a true Caribbean beauty. Particularly the beach chairs caught my attention as they are not the typical old ones with the blue half-rotten polyester you find in some cheap all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana. Rather you can enjoy refurbished beach chairs with material made out of higher quality.
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Furthermore, Grand Bavaro Princess offers a buffet and food trucks right at the beach. Particularly the latter ones made up for beautiful photos and were very popular among the guests, serving drinks and typical convenience food such as barbecue, hamburgers and hot dogs but also daily specials such as Paella or a delicious Asian chop suey.
If you like walking, you can leave the resort on foot exploring the area – beachside. From Grand Bavaro Princess All Suites Resort, Spa & Casino, you can walk along the most beautiful Punta Cana beaches for 7.5 miles northwest bound and 4.5 miles southeast bound without your feet leaving the sand. A long beach walk is one of the things to do in Punta Cana you should never miss.
Room overview: what are the rooms like?
Even though Grand Bavaro Princess is a fairly large resort with more than 1100 rooms (+ those close to 200 rooms at Princess Family Club Bavaro), it is absolutely easy to choose the right room as they only distinguish between three different room categories (apart from the Princess Family Club rooms and the Presidential Suites):
- Bungalow Suite
- Platinum Suite
- Honeymoon Platinum Suite
- Family Club Junior Suite (at Princess Family Club)
- Family Club Junior Suite Swimout (at Princess Family Club)
- Presidential Suite
- Master Suite (Presidential Suite + Bungalow Suite combined)
All suites are – as the entire resort – completely renovated, super modern and sparkling clean. There was not even a single grain of dust on top of the shelves or other surface areas which are hard to access.
Besides this, the bungalow suites are coming with a white, shiny design and lots of space as all Grand Bavaro Princess rooms feature an impressive size of at least 700 square feet, perfect for families and couples alike. Amenities include a separate living area with a sofa bed, a large balcony or terrace, a spacious and fully-equipped bathroom with a separate shower and toilet, a 50 “TV with cable TV, air-conditioning, free WiFi (which works pretty well throughout the resort without too much of reconnecting) an electronic safety deposit box in the room, a daily replenished minibar with water, soft drinks and beers and a coffee making machine. All the rooms come with either 1 king-size bed or 2 single beds.
Regarding the amenities in the room and the general design, the Grand Bavaro Princess platinum suites are not so much different from the bungalow suites, which doesn’t matter a lot as they are brand-new and well-equipped anyway. Upgraded amenities in the platinum suites include a Nespresso coffee maker (compared to a “regular” coffee maker in the bungalow suites), a hydro massage bathtub (compared to a “regular” bathtub) and an additional television in the living area. The most important advantage of the Platinum Suites is the access to the platinum areas of the resorts, which are outlined further down in this Grand Bavaro Princess hotel review.
Honeymoon suites are having a rounded bed with 1 romantic dinner per week included.
The rooms are distributed over approx. 90 (!) buildings, each building being home to 12 rooms. Due to this scattered layout, Grand Bavaro Princess absolutely doesn’t feel like a huge resort, which gives it a more intimate vibe.
The photos you can see above are from a Platinum Suite. As you can see from the following photos, the regular Bungalow Suites are not that much different. Considering the low price point, they are not less impressive in terms of their spacious and modern appearance.
If you are traveling to Punta Cana as a family, you should also consider one of the Family Club rooms. You can read all the details about this separate section in my hotel review of Princess Family Club Bavaro. Deciding on one of those family club rooms also grants you access to the larger water park at Princess Family Club Bavaro, which otherwise is not included for guests of Grand Bavaro Princess.
Booking: how to find the best prices
Even though Grand Bavaro Princess doesn’t have a lot of room categories, it’s worth having a closer look at how you are going to book your Punta Cana vacation. As with most all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana, Grand Bavaro Princess is available throughout all major booking platforms. They all come with their distinct advantages and with different prices, which are interesting to consider.
(mobile users: please turn your device into landscape mode for the best view and experience of this table)
As you will see when checking prices, a stay at Grand Bavaro Princess’ bungalows suites will start at around 180-250 USD in the low season and around 300-370 USD in the high season. Interestingly enough, the rates haven’t changed much since 2021 and 2022 and are still very similar for 2025 and 2026 which emphasizes the great value for money you’re getting here.
The platinum rooms for 2026 at Grand Bavaro Princess are currently only around 60-80 USD more expensive per room per night, depending on the date when you are going to travel. A rate of 30-40 USD per person is a bargain considering the additional advantages you get (see further details below). Of course, these prices might vary.
In case you haven’t booked your flight yet, you should also check if a package booking consisting of flight, transfer and hotel might be cheaper. Sometimes this is the case, sometimes not. Just have a look at the current package deals.
Restaurants and bars
Grand Bavaro Princess features a wide array of culinary options, among them 8 (!) a-la-carte restaurants, 2 buffets, 1 sports bar, one food truck area, one coffee shop and 5 further bars. For all platinum room bookings, there are an additional 3 exclusive restaurants and 4 more bars. That’s an impressive selection for an individual hotel in Punta Cana and unparalleled: 13 full-service restaurants + food trucks and snack bars. Besides Hard Rock Punta Cana there is no other all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana offering that many restaurant choices.
The restaurant options are as following:
- La Hispaniola – international buffet restaurant; open for breakfast, lunch and dinner
- El Trapiche – beach buffet; open for breakfast and lunch
- Chopin Buffet – international buffet restaurant; open for breakfast, lunch and dinner (for Platinum Club only)
- Wasabi – Sushi and Caribbean fusion cuisine (à la carte restaurant); open for dinner
- Samsara – Indian à la carte restaurant; open for dinner
- La Hacienda – Mexican à la carte restaurant, open for dinner
- El Gaucho – steakhouse à la carte; open for dinner
- El Pescador – fish and seafood restaurant à la carte; open for dinner
- Focaccia – pizzeria à la carte; open for dinner
- Tanuki – Asian à la carte restaurant and Teppanyaki tables (show cooking); open for dinner
- Il Tartufo – Italian à la carte restaurant; open for dinner
- Rebels Sports Bar – pub food, open 24h
- Platinum Beach Grill – grill à la carte; open for breakfast, lunch and dinner (for Platinum Club only)
- Soho – gourmet à la carte restaurant; open for dinner (for Platinum Club only)
- Café del Mar – beachfront à-la-carte dining; open for dinner (available for an extra charge)
In general, the quality of the food is outstanding considering that we are not talking about a high-end all-inclusive resort or a 500 USD+ hotel in Punta Cana. We had hardly anything that wasn’t delicious or that was overcooked, with very few exceptions. Furthermore, the thematic restaurants are living up to their name, you can immediately feel that you are in a different world (which is different from some cheap all-inclusive resorts, where the seafood restaurant, the Caribbean and the Mexican restaurant are serving similar food, just with different names and decorations … ), even though not all of them serve spectacular food.
It is important to know that most menus of the themed restaurants are pretty limited when it comes to variety, which is – in our opinion – absolutely fine. First of all, you have 10 restaurants to choose from (8 à la carte and 2 buffets as a non-platinum member + 3 additional Platinum restaurants), hence most likely you are only dining once in each à-la-carte restaurant, even if you are staying a full week. Second, I prefer to have a smaller menu with great food instead of a wide menu with average food, because with limited food items, the team in the kitchen knows exactly what they have to do.
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We haven’t been able to try all the restaurants during our stay at Grand Bavaro Princess, but we tried hard.
Please note that reservations are necessary for all à-la-carte restaurants. You can do them through the app once you arrive. On your first night, you most likely have to eat at the buffet as reservations usually close before the check-in time. For special occasions or group dinners, you can ask the guest service desk as the front desk for help.
Our favorite restaurant was Samsara, the Indian restaurant. It was indeed typically Indian with the flavors that make India so special. The chef of one of the very few public Indian restaurants in Punta Cana was involved when creating the menu, designing the decoration and training the staff – which you can absolutely feel. What we ate (and felt) at Grand Bavaro Princess’ Samsara definitely brought India a bit closer.
Another great pick is the Wasabi restaurant, which was heavily influenced by a renowned Asian chef as well. We just ordered sushi here, but this was among the best-presented sushi plates we had in all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana, comparable with those fantastically decorated sushis at Hard Rock Punta Cana or RIU Palace Punta Cana.
We also splurged at the Platinum Beach Grill, enjoying some amazing seafood with a view.
Other restaurants at Grand Bavaro Princess didn’t convince us that much, especially the Pescador restaurant and the Mexican restaurant. The food was okay, but not more, even though the decoration of the Mexican restaurant is pretty cool.
The main buffet La Hispaniola was extraordinary considering that we are talking about a resort in the low-to-mid-price range. There was a huge selection of basically everything. Compared to other all-inclusive resorts with similar prices, we were happy to find salmon, delicious crunchy bread, various kinds of cheese, quinoa, couscous, freshly prepared fruit juices (without sugar – hard to find in the Dominican Republic) and a huge selection of local and international warm food at the breakfast buffet.
For lunch, I was impressed to see a Taco station (with really good Tacos!), a made-to-order Caesar salad station and an impressive selection of salads and vegetables (incl. some not so cheap and common items). Even the pizza at the buffet was quite delicious, which you can’t take for granted in Punta Canas’ all-inclusive resorts. The only negative point I found was some overcooked vegetables (especially broccoli and asparagus), which is quite common at Punta Canas’ buffets.
For dinner, there was a kind of repeating selection from lunch, but they always have a themed night. The live sushi station one night was super cool and the local Dominican favorites, such as Casava and (delicious) Guacamole were a very welcoming change from the typical resort food.
Besides the main buffet, there is also another buffet right at the beach, El Trapiche, which allows you to have breakfast and lunch with fantastic ocean views. Check out the Princess Family Club Bavaro review for further information as we visited El Trapiche during our stay at Princess Family Club.
Right at the beach, you can also find the Princess food trucks, which are offering quick and easy bites for in between. While I didn’t try the food here, it was always pretty busy and you can’t deny that these food trucks at Grand Bavaro Princess have a prime beach location.
The only place that didn’t impress us was the Chopin buffet, which is supposed to be better than the regular buffet, as it is only for Grand Bavaro Princess Platinum guests. While the setting of the restaurant next to the lake and the mangroves is truly spectacular and the decoration of the outside seating area lets you feel like in a super chilled but sophisticated lounge, the selection of food here was very limited and just included the basic items from the main buffet.
Getting thirsty while reading this comprehensive Grand Bavaro Princess review? You can visit one of the 6 bars the resort has to offer (+ 4 Platinum club bars). A huge drink selection is awaiting you, even I can’t say a lot about the quality of cocktails, as we don’t drink a lot.
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The mojitos were not the most impressive ones we ever had, but they were good. The brands of alcohol to choose from was on-par with what you can expect from an affordable resort in Punta Cana – Canadian Club, Ballantines, Johnny Walker Red Label, Dominican Brugal rum, Stolichnaya, and Gordons Dry Gin were just a few of the premium brands you could choose from.
Beers included were mostly Presidente, but you could get Heineken and Corona in the Platinum Club section.
Another nice feature is the newly built open-air coffee shop which just opened at the end of 2019. Even it is located in the Platinum Club Section, it is accessible for everyone at Grand Bavaro Princess, including those guests at Princess Family Club Bavaro.
Entertainment and activities
Service at Grand Bavaro Princess was absolutely fine. Most people were super friendly, everyone did their job, everyone was helping us when we had any questions or any specific requests. I always call it an unobtrusive service, which is just perfect. Check-In friendliness (or better call it enthusiasm) could have been better, but hey, we arrived and started to enjoy the resort right after it.
Regarding entertainment, you can enjoy the full program of a typical all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana. Grand Bavaro Princess counts with 3 tennis courts, a padel court, a well-equipped (but a bit cramped) gym, table tennis, a beach volleyball court and several activities such as aerobics, archery, aqua gym or water polo. Furthermore, there is an on-site water sports center, where Hobie cats, surfboards and kayaks are included.
Personal tip: Please note that the water sports centre is only open from 10am to 3.30pm for the free activities.
They even have SUP boards, even though it’s not really a SUP. They use old windsurfing boards without the sail and give you the regular double-sided paddle – that’s not what you would expect when talking about a SUP.
At night, you have plenty of entertainment around the main plaza, usually with live music or other show performances. There also have been regular live DJs next to the food truck area which made up for a nice beach experience at night.
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Another thing worth mentioning is that Grand Bavaro Princess All Suites Resort, Spa & Casino is one of the few all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana that has a disco with public access. While this comes with a small disadvantage that drinks are usually not included, the big benefit is that you can easily get in contact with the local people without actually leaving your resort.
Another entertainment option (day and night) is Rebels Sports Bar, with its pool and kicker tables and arcade machines, which are especially popular among teens and young adults.
Platinum Club (VIP Level) at Grand Bavaro Princess
I have mentioned the Platinum Club already a few times in this Grand Bavaro Princess review. While “Platinum Club” sounds like a membership, it absolutely isn’t. You just have to book the Platinum Suite to enjoy the privileges of the resort’s VIP level. And, as mentioned above in the review, prices are usually very attractive for the Platinum Club.
Let’s have a closer close if it is worth booking the platinum rooms.
First, let’s look at the advantages of the Platinum Club:
- Exclusive lounge for Platinum guests with concierge service
- 3 Platinum restaurants (see restaurant section in the review above for details and below for our experiences)
- 4 Platinum Club bars with premium alcohol, incl. a rooftop ocean view lounge
- Exclusive beach club with waiter service for drinks
- Platinum Club pool for adults and children
- Upgraded room amenities as described above (Nespresso coffee maker, bathrobe, etc.)
- 24-hour room service
- Private check-in with welcome cocktail at Platinum Club Lounge
- Daily turn-down service
- Beach towels, luxury toiletries and bathrobes in the room
- Reservations for à la carte restaurants.
- 10% off all spa treatments.
- Princess beach bag.
- Exclusive on-site transport for Platinum guests
If you have booked a Bungalow Suite and want to upgrade on spot to Grand Bavaro Princess’ Platinum level, this is possible – subject to availability. The rates are varying depending on your length of stay, so the best is to ask for the best price upon check-in. You can expect it to be around 50 USD per person per night and up. However, it is usually more economical and affordable if you prebook your stay at the Platinum Club.
As with most all-inclusive resorts’ VIP levels, there are a lot of advantages and additional services, even though you won’t need all of them. We haven’t used the room service or spa, nor is the turn-down service important for us. But we understand that each guest has their own preferences.
What we particularly loved about the Grand Bavaro Princess Platinum Club were two things: the rooftop bar and the Platinum Club lounge area.
My favorite place was definitely the PBG bar and chill-out lounge right at the beach on the second floor of the PBG building. It is designed like a rooftop lounge with a fully-equipped bar, the choice between high chairs and cozy sofas, well-selected relax and chill out music and a fantastic view of the ocean and Punta Canas’ beaches. Coming here for the sunset hours and enjoying either a cocktail or a chilled beer is truly priceless.
Another great place was the Platinum Club lounge. While the Platinum reception area felt a little bit like an uninspired empty room, the lounge right next to it with the bar and the Chopin restaurant was so delightful and sophisticated with the decoration and the nature around that it was a true pleasure to have a pre-dinner drink there.
Talking about drinks as a Platinum guest – you have some upgraded options as well. Some of the additional brands for Platinum Club guests are Kahlua, Cointreau, Disaronno, Chivas Regal 12 years, Don Julio, Tanqueray, Gordons Dry Gin, Absolut Vodka, Malibu and some more (selection subject to change). You can also drink two of the best Dominican rums, Barcelo Imperial and Brugal Leyenda. If you are into beers, you can choose between Heineken, Budweiser and Corona, even though they are not available at all bars. À-la-carte wines or champagnes are still for a surcharge though.
Concerning food, the big plus is the Platinum Beach Grill restaurant at the beach (PBG). Especially for lunch, it serves as a great place to eat fresh seafood a-la-carte, such as shrimps or the catch of the day, included in your all-inclusive stay.
For dinner, you also can get some fine cuts of meat and fish (incl. shrimp carpaccio for example) at PBG, even though we felt the difference to the other dinner restaurants was not that big (as they all served delicious fares).
Right next to PBG restaurant you can enjoy a separate pool for Platinum Club guests, including a swim-up bar. There is also a separate Platinum beach section with plenty of very comfortable 2-person beach beds, which are more than comfortable to spend the entire day on. You can see that everything is super new here.
In the end, you have to decide if it is worth the money to book the Platinum Club Level as everything depends on your personal preferences. For example, for us, it was priceless to eat at PBG restaurant for lunch right at the beach and enjoy our beers and other drinks at the rooftop bar for sunset, both with fantastic ocean views. If you love to order room service or are lounging the entire day at the beach in the premium beach beds, Platinum Club is also absolutely worth the money (as room service otherwise is not included). On the other side, if you are a pool person (as in my opinion the main pool offers more diversity) or don’t care that much about some extra treatment, you are absolutely fine with the regular bungalow suites at Grand Bavaro Princess, particularly considering that the food and drink standard in general is pretty good for the price and also that all the rooms are nearly brand-new.
If you get the Platinum Suite for less than 40 USD surcharge per person per night and you feel that the amenities mentioned above are important for you, I can highly recommend booking these suites right away. You can check the current Platinum Suite prices for your travel dates here*.
Interchanging facilities between Grand Bavaro Princess and Princess Family Club Bavaro
I have already mentioned Princess Family Club Bavaro a couple of times in this hotel review of Grand Bavaro Princess. It is a separate area in the resort and especially suitable for families. You can see the separate review of Princess Family Club Bavaro here.
It is important to note that guests of Grand Bavaro Princess and Grand Bavaro Princess Platinum Club have access to all the facilities and services mentioned in this review here, but not to Princess Family Club Bavaro, even though it is located within the same property. On the other hand, if staying at Princess Family Club Bavaro, you have access to the entire Grand Bavaro Princess, but not to the platinum services at Grand Bavaro Princess All Inclusive.
Furthermore, even though there are three additional Princess Resorts in Punta Cana and the Dominican Republic (Punta Cana Princess (adults only), Tropical Deluxe Princess and Caribe Deluxe Princess), you don’t have access to these resorts (even though neither do other Princess guests have access to Grand Bavaro Princess).
Grand Bavaro Princess compared to other Princess Resorts in the Dominican Republic
Caribe Deluxe Princess vs. Grand Bavaro Princess
When comparing Caribe Deluxe Princess and Grand Bavaro Princess one clearly can mark the differences in quality and amenities. While Caribe Deluxe Princess is a more budget-friendly resort in Punta Cana, Grand Bavaro Princess definitely stands out among all the Princess Resorts in the Dominican Republic with its services and choices (even though it is still super affordable). They have the most restaurants, the best drinks and the most elevated Platinum Club with its additional perks.
Therefore, if you are comparing the prices of Caribe Deluxe Princess vs. Grand Bavaro Princess and see that there is just a small difference between both, I would recommend booking Grand Bavaro Princess Punta Cana in the majority of the cases. On the other side, if Caribe Deluxe Princess is much cheaper, it is a great choice as well for budget-conscious travelers to Punta Cana, as you can read in our Caribe Deluxe Princess review.
Tropical Deluxe Princess vs. Grand Bavaro Princess
The same what was explained for Caribe Deluxe Princess is also valid when comparing Tropical Deluxe Princess with Grand Bavaro Princess – mainly because Tropical Deluxe Princess and Caribe Deluxe Princess share the same property. They are the same when it comes to amenities and services. Therefore, Grand Bavaro Princess can be considered the highest-tier resort compared to Tropical Deluxe Princess.
One thing that has Tropical Deluxe Princess and Grand Bavaro Princess All Inclusive in common is an amazing rooftop terrace. Even though the locations are different (Platinum Bar at Grand Bavaro Princess; Tropical Deluxe Princess has the amazing adults-only bar on the second floor of its beachfront building), the views are fantastic from both. This being said, from Caribe Deluxe Princess you can also access the adults-only bar on the second floor of the building.
Punta Cana Princess vs. Grand Bavaro Princess
Punta Cana Princess is the only adults-only resort among Princess Dominican Republic, which already marks the main difference between both hotels. Therefore, if you’re looking for and adults-only hotel in Punta Cana, Punta Cana Princess is your better choice.
When comparing the quality of Grand Bavaro Princess and Punta Cana Princess, Grand Bavaro Princess Punta Cana wins again – as it is the premium resort of Princess Resort in the Dominican Republic. Rooms are newer, you have more restaurant choices and the beach is better as well – all the big advantages of Grand Bavaro Princess.
Excursions from Grand Bavaro Princess
When visiting Grand Bavaro Princess in Punta Cana, you should also consider leaving your all-inclusive resort for some days to explore some of the treasures and natural beauties the Dominican Republic has to offer. Some of the highlights include Isla Saona, Los Haitises National Park, the Samaná Peninsula or Santo Domingo.
If you are interested in excursions from Grand Bavaro Princess, you should check my article about the 40+ best excursions and tours in Punta Cana and beyond. If you are more of a DIY adventurer, you can have a look at the possible day trips from Punta Cana, other things to do in Punta Cana or the best adventures in Punta Cana.
But even if you don’t want to do that much sightseeing and just want to have some fun, Grand Bavaro Princess’ excursions get you covered. Particularly ziplining and dune buggy tours in Punta Cana are super popular and guarantee a blast, while you also can consider to hop on a party boat and have fun on one of Punta Canas’ catamaran tours to the natural swimming pool.
Of course, there are many more Grand Bavaro Princess excursions you can book, it doesn’t matter if traveling as a couple, visiting Punta Cana with your kids or exploring the Dominican Republic alone. To make choices easier, we have compiled a list of the best tours and activities you can take from Grand Bavaro Princess, sorted by rating of verified reviews.
What is your favorite Grand Bavaro Princess excursion among those?
Summary: for whom is it worth to go – and when you should NOT go
Compared to the big brands like Hyatt Resorts, RIU, Hard Rock or Iberostar, Princess Resorts are always a bit under the radar in Punta Cana. However, Grand Bavaro Princess is a real hidden gem when it comes to affordable resorts in Punta Cana and it is highly recommendable if you don’t want to break the bank.
Grand Bavaro Princess is the perfect choice if
- you are looking for an affordable premium all-inclusive resort in the low-to-mid-price segment
- completely renovated rooms and contemporary design is important for you
- you’re looking for a huge selection of restaurants and bars (we particularly loved the Indian dinner)
- you love to walk around, explore large properties and enjoy beautiful tropical gardens
- you enjoy a centric location with shops and restaurants in walking distance (+ a centric beach location)
- a fully refurbished hotel, spacious rooms, beautiful nature, various wildlife and a full array of culinary options for an affordable price sounds like a great combination for you
Grand Bavaro Princess is probably not the perfect choice for you if
I think I have mentioned it throughout this review, Grand Bavaro Princess is a great option in my opinion for an affordable yet enjoyable holiday in Punta Cana without being in a cheapy resort. Even after several visits I feel that this resort offers one of the best price-value ratios in the 200-300 USD resort category. If you’re looking for further savings, check out my saving hacks when planning your all-inclusive vacation in Punta Cana.
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CHRIS
Author, Travel Coach & Industry Professional (Bachelor’s degree in tourism)
Hey, I am Chris, a born and raised German, travel-addictive and Caribbean soul, who has been living in the Dominican Republic for 6 years. I’d love to be your Punta Cana expert, as I have stayed at more than 45 all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana and the country, visited more than 70 beaches, explored more than 40 waterfalls and have seen basically all the attractions Punta Cana has to offer. I have also studied tourism for 3 years and worked in the tourism industry my entire life, which is why I am not only giving you recommendations and tips as a traveler but also the best secrets and travel hacks as an industry professional.
Do you need more information? Read more at my About Me Page, send me a travel coaching request or Contact Me here.