This was my first experience at an all-inclusive,
so I have nothing to compare it to, but I was greatly impressed
by much of what this resort has to offer.
The campus, pool and beachfront are truly spectacular, with beautifully manicured trails winding back off the beach through the bungalows/ units across streams and along ponds to the main hall... probably two miles or so of trails in all.
We went on a VIP plan, which offered things like a fantastic poolside massage session among the amenities.
Watersports are ample and varied, incl. kayaks, windsurfing, hobie cats, etc.
and the dive shop has great instructors if you are so inclined.
Both the gardening and housekeeping departments at this resort are terrific.
These folks clearly take great pride in their work, and despite the fact that we spoke no spanish, all were very friendly and helpful.
As far as the restaurants, we ate in seven of the eight:
three were very good (the "Gaucho" steakhouse, the asian restaurant, and the "Licey" french restaurant) two were okay ( "Chopin" and "Hispaniola," both buffet-style), and one was disappointing ("Bella Pasta", the Italian place).
Unfortunately, there are also some more problematic issues that go beyond
overcooked fettucine.
The Bavaro Princess has a huge problem in the area of Guest Relations; one that can be evenly divided between issues of communication, and issues of accountability.
On the communications front, guests tend to "stumble" into things, rather than have them explained in advance.
Orientation is left up to the various tour operators; most of them seemed to
wait to do it until the second day of the stay... and if you don't already know not to drink the tap water, it's a bit late to be finding that out!
An earlier orientation, or a simple space for a checkoff on the booking form would also solve this next problem:
Reservations for dinner must be made by 3pm... but you cannot make reservations until you check in... which is also 3pm. You get the idea?
Other than two limited bulletin boards, (one at the main hall, and one on the beach) finding a schedule of activities can be a real challenge. This extends to the restaurants as well; for example, we found the best lunches at a restaurant that is listed as open for dinner only.
On the issues of accountability, given a choice between "the customer is always right" and "cover your butt," the middle management tends to go with the latter. I can only assume that they have been left with the impression that to do otherwise would put their jobs in jeopardy.
One example:
Our attempts to take our daughter for a horseback ride were a fiasco. The first time, the hotel insisted she was not on the list, even though we had a copy of the reservation form the concierge had filled out... still, nothing could be done but to rebook.... the second time, the bus failed to show for the pickup. After about 20 minutes of repeated inquiries to guest relations, they insisted the driver had been waiting all along, and preceeded to walk us back outside to show us a bus now parked in the very spot where we had been standing! A minor thing perhaps, but not to a 12 year-old.
In short, both in terms of the facilities and staff, this resort has 85% of what it needs to be truly amazing. Unfortunately, it seems to me that at an all-inclusive, that last 15% is the most crucial.
In summary ... great place, great time, work needed.
so I have nothing to compare it to, but I was greatly impressed
by much of what this resort has to offer.
The campus, pool and beachfront are truly spectacular, with beautifully manicured trails winding back off the beach through the bungalows/ units across streams and along ponds to the main hall... probably two miles or so of trails in all.
We went on a VIP plan, which offered things like a fantastic poolside massage session among the amenities.
Watersports are ample and varied, incl. kayaks, windsurfing, hobie cats, etc.
and the dive shop has great instructors if you are so inclined.
Both the gardening and housekeeping departments at this resort are terrific.
These folks clearly take great pride in their work, and despite the fact that we spoke no spanish, all were very friendly and helpful.
As far as the restaurants, we ate in seven of the eight:
three were very good (the "Gaucho" steakhouse, the asian restaurant, and the "Licey" french restaurant) two were okay ( "Chopin" and "Hispaniola," both buffet-style), and one was disappointing ("Bella Pasta", the Italian place).
Unfortunately, there are also some more problematic issues that go beyond
overcooked fettucine.
The Bavaro Princess has a huge problem in the area of Guest Relations; one that can be evenly divided between issues of communication, and issues of accountability.
On the communications front, guests tend to "stumble" into things, rather than have them explained in advance.
Orientation is left up to the various tour operators; most of them seemed to
wait to do it until the second day of the stay... and if you don't already know not to drink the tap water, it's a bit late to be finding that out!
An earlier orientation, or a simple space for a checkoff on the booking form would also solve this next problem:
Reservations for dinner must be made by 3pm... but you cannot make reservations until you check in... which is also 3pm. You get the idea?
Other than two limited bulletin boards, (one at the main hall, and one on the beach) finding a schedule of activities can be a real challenge. This extends to the restaurants as well; for example, we found the best lunches at a restaurant that is listed as open for dinner only.
On the issues of accountability, given a choice between "the customer is always right" and "cover your butt," the middle management tends to go with the latter. I can only assume that they have been left with the impression that to do otherwise would put their jobs in jeopardy.
One example:
Our attempts to take our daughter for a horseback ride were a fiasco. The first time, the hotel insisted she was not on the list, even though we had a copy of the reservation form the concierge had filled out... still, nothing could be done but to rebook.... the second time, the bus failed to show for the pickup. After about 20 minutes of repeated inquiries to guest relations, they insisted the driver had been waiting all along, and preceeded to walk us back outside to show us a bus now parked in the very spot where we had been standing! A minor thing perhaps, but not to a 12 year-old.
In short, both in terms of the facilities and staff, this resort has 85% of what it needs to be truly amazing. Unfortunately, it seems to me that at an all-inclusive, that last 15% is the most crucial.
In summary ... great place, great time, work needed.
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