Taking a trip to the Dominican Republic during the holidays was hectic and expensive but it was so worth it! I highly recommend checking out the DR if you haven’t been.
I suggest going during the off-season when it’s not so expensive. We flew with Delta Airlines out of LAX since we were visiting family. We love flying Delta Airlines and have never had a bad experience. We also have their credit card so we get a lot of perks.
THE HOTEL:
During our stay in the Dominican Republic, we stayed at Iberostar Grand Bávaro. The hotel was overall amazing. They provide high class service, making sure we were comfortable and consistently calling to check if we need anything.
THE ROOM:
Our room was called the Suite Swim-out. We had the in-room butler service which was amazing! Anything we needed, we received.
The butler booked our dinner reservations, spa days, any other activities we wanted to do, and any rescheduling if needed. Along with unlimited 24-hour room services.
My boyfriend requested to decorate our bathtub with rose petals and chocolate (the best chocolate bars made from their cocoa fruit).
On a different night they asked if we wanted them to set up the bathtub with even more rose petals and champagne. All the food and drinks (unlimited) were included in the price.
The BEST part about our room was the fact that we had a semi-private pool. It was our own private pool since nobody else used it. Even though there were two other rooms with patios that lead to the swim-out pool.
DINING:
The resort had seven restaurants – Le Tourbillion Haute Causin, La Tentazione Wine Cellar, Hashira Japanese Restaurant, El Galeon Surf & Turf Restaurant, Casa de la Playa Mediterranean Restaurant, Bella Vista Buffet, and La Perla Buffet.
You also have access to other hotel restaurants owned by the same property but the ones at Iberostar Grand Bávaro are the most exquisite. We only had time to dine at five of them. They were all so delicious.
Our favorite was El Galeon (surf and turf restaurant) they had the best lobster. Our second favorite was Casa de la play (Mediterranean fusion food) the food was very tasty.
We also really enjoyed the Bella Vista and their main buffet which had a variety of food – even lobster depending on the night. We didn’t find this spot until later in our trip, therefore we didn’t get to enjoy it as much as we would have wanted to. The Bella Vista had the best breakfast. You could grab your food and take it back to your room if you wanted.
Two other restaurants we ate at were Le Tourbillon a gourmet French restaurant and La Perla a buffet style Latin cuisine. La Perla had the best seafood paella with nearly one hundred lobsters. We had the rest for lunch on our second night there.
They also have a private romantic dinner with rose petals and champagne with exclusive service on the beach. This is perfect for newlyweds or if you just feel like having a romantic night with your significant other.
ACTIVITIES:
SPA which overlooks the pool has a private yacht parker in the pool area with a night club, live DJ and pool tables. It also has a Theater room with different performers for salsa night and comedies shows. Best of all they had salsa night and bingo at the pool everyday.
If golfing is something that interests you they have two golf courses and luxury golf carts free of charge. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to check them out.
TOURS:
Our resort hotel concierge helped booked our activities which allowed us to explore the Dominican Republic and get to know the culture.
We booked two tours: Punta Cana Full-Day Safari and Adventure Boogies. The Punta Cana Full Day Safari was a whole day outing on a bus that picks you up early in the morning at your resort. We got to check out the coffee and chocolate plantations and see how everything is produced. We even got to try the chocolate and coffee.
We also had a traditional Dominican Republican dinner (so delicious) at a mountaintop ranch. We also watched a local hand-roll cigars and let you try to roll one too.
Driving around town is a great way to learn and emerge in the culture. I highly recommend it. The second tour was a half-day adventure on dune buggies. We drove around the Dominican to a private beach and a waterhole swimming spot. You also get to try coffee and learn about their cocoa in this tour as well.
TIPPING:
Even though it’s an all-inclusive resort, I would recommend tipping because they tend to treat you a lot better. Even if it’s as little as a dollar or Dominican pesos. They lend just that little extra help and also acknowledge you around the resort, asking if you need anything. The customer service was amazing.
I speak Spanish so that was a huge plus since their main language is Spanish.
COVID REGULATIONS:
Testing is not required to enter the Dominican Republic. Before booking our trip, I looked up the protocols which stated they randomly pick people and ask them to present a negative covid test or show their covid vaccine card.
We didn’t have to show proof of any when we arrived. Our hotel provided us a Covid test 24 hours before we departed back to the USA. The United States requires one upon your return.
The mask rule was pretty laid back in the resort, they didn’t make you wear your mask too much. Outside the resort for the tours they make you keep your mask on but they are still a little laid back.
