Catalonia Royal Bavaro – a comprehensive review for this Punta Cana adults-only all-inclusive resort

Catalonia Royal Bavaro is a pretty unique and different adults-only hotel in Punta Cana, which is a little bit different than most all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic. That’s why it is worth reading this extensive Catalonia Royal Bavaro hotel review with all details about this hotel in Punta Cana. You are wondering what makes it stand apart from others? Attention to detail, many cute photo spots, a compact size without the big resort-like ambiance and some interesting restaurants are just some of the interesting amenities of this adults-only hotel in Punta Cana. Furthermore, you have access to the neighboring resort which grants additional services and amenities. For all the information about this all-inclusive resort, check out this full review of Catalonia Royal Beach.

If you are not sure which all-inclusive resort you shall visit, check out the insider tips on how to find the best all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana.
If you are interested in other Catalonia Resorts, you can read the extensive hotel reviews of Catalonia Punta Cana and Catalonia Bayahibe.
If you are interested in other adults-only resorts in Punta Cana, you can read the extensive hotel reviews of Royalton Chic Punta Cana, Riu República, Be Live Collection Punta Cana Adults Only, Riu Palace Macao and Secrets Royal Beach.
If you’re looking for further options with swim-out suites, you can check out this list of the best resorts with swim-up rooms in Punta Cana.

Completely UPDATED: June 2023

Where is Catalonia Royal Bavaro?

Catalonia Royal Bavaro is one of the many all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana and is located in the section of Cabeza de Toro, one of the first areas when driving up north from the airport. The all-inclusive resort is right at the beach, with Catalonia Bavaro Beach and Catalonia Punta Cana being right next to it.

From the airport, it is just a 15-minute ride to Catalonia Royal Bavaro, therefore it is one of the closest all-inclusive resorts to Punta Cana Airport besides the hotels in Cap Cana. For your way from the airport, it is recommendable to prebook your transfer* as taxis are not always reliable and Uber Punta Cana is not an option at the airport.

If you want to leave the resort walking, there is not much around it. To the mini-village of Cabeza de Toro, it is a little bit less than a 1-mile walk, but there is absolutely nothing of interest there, not even a proper restaurant or supermarket. If you need anything from outside, it is better to head to Verón by public transport or to Downtown Bavaro by taxi.

One thing you can reach by walking is Pearl Beach Club. It is one of the most popular beach clubs in the Punta Cana area with large pools, comfy Bali beds and a full menu with food and premium drinks. Check out their event schedule to see the parties and DJs during your stay. Pearl Beach Club is right next door. Guests of Catalonia Royal Bavaro enjoy a 20% discount on food and drinks at Pearl Beach Club.

If you are wondering about the exact location of Catalonia Royal Bavaro, you can check out its location in Cabeza de Toro on this map with all Punta Cana resorts.

What is Catalonia Royal Bavaro?

Catalonia Royal Bavaro is a small adults-only all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana. It belongs to the big Catalonia hotel chain, which offers hotels and resorts in 7 countries, among them Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

Compared to other resorts in Punta Cana, which sometimes have 5 different variations of names, Catalonia Royal Bavaro has the same name pretty much everywhere. Still, sometimes you might find variations like

• Catalonia Royal Bavaro Adults Only
• Catalonia Royal Bavaro Punta Cana
• Catalonia Royal Punta Cana
• Royal Catalonia Bavaro
• Catalonia Bavaro Royal
• Royal Bavaro Catalonia
• Catalonia Punta Cana Adults Only
• Royal Bavaro Resort Punta Cana

All those names refer to the same resort. It is the one this Catalonia Royal Bavaro review is about.

Overview of Catalonia Royal Bavaro

Catalonia Royal Beach is one of the smaller all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana with only 278 rooms, making it a particularly personal and intimate hotel, especially compared to those huge resorts like Melía Punta Cana, Hard Rock Punta Cana or Bahía Principe.

When entering the small lobby of Catalonia Royal Bavaro, you can already feel that you are not going to stay at one of those mega all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana. Three check-in counters, a few sofas and direct access to the buffet restaurant and the evening bar – that’s it. Once you leave the lobby, you are directly in front of the main pool with its pool bar, surrounded by sun loungers, a snack restaurant and another restaurant for the evening.

Once you continue walking from the lobby towards the beach (which is approximately 1000 feet / 350 meters) you’ll pass the spa, the beautiful outdoor library (see further details below in the section “entertainment and services”) and the buildings with the rooms of Catalonia Royal.

Getting closer to the beach, you’ll first find a large (not swimmable) pool with fountains, followed by another small restaurant area (with 2 restaurants, including an à-la-carte lunch restaurant). This section is finalized by an infinity pool, which you can swim in and which has a view of the beach.

Ending your walk at the beach, you have already reached the end of Catalonia Royal Bavaro. It is a really small adults-only all-inclusive resort and very easy to get around and get used to all the areas.

The beach at Catalonia Royal Bavaro

The beach at Catalonia Royal Bavaro is a pretty small area as well and consists of a well-designed and cozy beach club, a regular beach section with sun loungers as well as a Privileged beach with more comfortable Bali beds.

While the beach bar is indeed very inviting and a good place to start your beach day, the beach at Catalonia Royal is absolutely nothing to write home about. The sand is pretty gray, the beach is not very photogenic and while the water is shallow and easy to have a dip in, the ocean is not suitable for proper swimming.

BUT, before browsing away and searching for another all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana with a better beach, hold on! The good thing is, as a guest of Catalonia Royal Bavaro, you have full access to neighboring Catalonia Bavaro and Catalonia Punta Cana, which have an incredibly beautiful beach section. I was actually surprised to see such a great and gorgeous stretch of sand in the Cabeza de Toro area, which is not necessarily known to have the most beautiful beaches in Punta Cana.

Looks great, doesn’t it? Especially the abundance of palm trees and the different colors are awe-aspiring. I loved this part of the beach so I would absolutely recommend you to head over to Catalonia Bavaro when staying at Catalonia Royal for your beach day. It is a 1-minute walk and you can use the beach bars and restaurants of Catalonia Bavaro Beach and Catalonia Punta Cana as well.

While the ocean is still not pretty suitable for proper swimming in this area (as it is very shallow all around), you have the chance to take advantage of an interesting sandbar, which allows you to walk out into the ocean in chest-deep water for more than 1000 feet – definitely a fun experience.

The rooms at Catalonia Royal Bavaro

The rooms at Catalonia Royal Bavaro are distributed among the following categories for 2023 and most likely also 2024:

• Superior Junior Suite
• Premium Junior Suite
• Privileged Deluxe Junior Suite
• Privileged Romance Deluxe Junior Suite
• Privileged Deluxe Junior Suite & Swimming Pool
• Privileged Presidential Ocean Front Suite
• Privileged Duplex Suite & Swimming Pool

When entering the rooms, you can see that Catalonia Royal Bavaro is not the newest all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana. While everything is well-maintained and super clean, there is a certain age of the rooms you can feel – at least for the Superior Junior Suite and the Premium Junior Suite. The Catalonia Royal Bavaro Privileged Rooms are much newer, as you can see in the Catalonia Punta Cana review, which has very similar rooms compared to Royal Catalonia.

However, there is absolutely nothing to complain about regarding the rooms at Catalonia Royal Bavaro, especially considering the moderate price tag this adults-only resort in Punta Cana is coming with. The jacuzzi in the room is pretty impressive, the bathrooms are perfectly renovated and the minibar is well-stocked. From the balcony, you can enjoy views of the garden or the pool. Further amenities include – among others – air-condition, a coffee machine, flat-screen TV, free Wi-Fi (which worked well on most occasions) and a safe.

However, if you’re interested in modern rooms, better book the Catalonia Royal Bavaro Privileged Rooms, which are completely renovated with state-of-the-art design. They are usually only around 15% more expensive than the Standard Rooms hence it is worth the money if a modern appearance is important to you.

There are Privileged rooms with additional services available, which is the VIP section at Catalonia Royal Bavaro. You’ll find further information below about the amenities of this section.

If you are looking for a swim-out suite in Punta Cana, you can book the Privileged Deluxe Junior Suite & Swimming Pool room category*.

On this occasion, I also want to put special attention on the Privileged Duplex Suite & Swimming Pool, which are very stunning two-story units with their very own large infinity pool. They are located close to the beach (even they don’t have a full beach view), have a private terrace and might be one of the cheapest options to get a private villa in Punta Cana within an all-inclusive resort. You can check out the current price for the Privileged Duplex Suite & Swimming Pool here*.

Booking and Prices at Catalonia Royal Bavaro

What is your favorite room category?
Once you have decided on one, it is time to book your stay at Catalonia Royal Bavaro.

Catalonia Royal Bavaro is an all-inclusive resort in the middle price segment, with rates usually starting around 200 USD per night per room on an all-inclusive meal plan. For the services offered and especially considering the smaller size of the resort with more personalized services, Catalonia Royal Bavaro offers are very good price-value ratio.

When booking Catalonia Royal Bavaro, you can check the following websites, all with their very own discounts and bonuses for you:

Website	Your Advantage	Catalonia Royal Bavaro
Booking	Get up to 10% Genius discount on the already discounted rates
Expedia	Online travel agency with great deals, personal service and good reputation
Hotelscombined	Powerful hotel search engine by Kayak
Jet Blue Vacations	Great package deals and interesting promotions for US travelers
Tripadvisor	Compare prices and reviews on one site

If you haven’t booked your flight yet, you can also check if a holiday package is cheaper for your travel dates. It always depends on the airport of origin and availability if it’s more economic to book a package, but it is worth checking prices here.

Price comparison of Catalonia Royal Bavaro and Catalonia Punta Cana

 When deciding on a Catalonia Resort in Punta Cana, it is also important to compare the prices of the different resorts, particularly as Catalonia Royal Bavaro grants you access to neighboring Catalonia Punta Cana (you can find additional details about this topic in the section “interchanging facilities” here in this Catalonia Royal Bavaro review).

 Even though Catalonia Royal Bavaro is the higher tier resort, offers an adults-only environment and features (theoretically) double the amenities of Catalonia Punta Cana (because you can use the services of both hotels), it is only around 20% more expensive than the family resort of Catalonia. This being said, if the Standard Room at Catalonia Punta Cana costs around 200 USD per room per night, you can calculate around 240 USD for a Standard Room at Catalonia Royal Bavaro Adults Only.

			Catalonia Royal Bavaro	Catalonia Punta Cana
1st-8th November	Low Season	Standard Room	1636 USD*	1351 USD*
		Privileged Room	1845 USD*	1564 USD*
1st-8th February	High Season	Standard Room	2550 USD*	2101 USD*
		Privileged Room	2732 USD*	2282 USD*

 Is it worth paying this extra money for Catalonia Royal Bavaro All Inclusive? It depends! Find out more below when we compare Catalonia Royal Bavaro vs. Catalonia Punta Cana here in this Royal Catalonia Bavaro review.

Restaurants and bars at Catalonia Royal Bavaro

Especially the food might be what is most interesting at Catalonia Royal Bavaro – not because you can expect ultra gourmet food, but because it offers some pretty unique options (with a couple of ups and downs).

In total, Catalonia Royal Bavaro offers 6 different restaurants, which are available in 5 different locations. This means that some restaurants are not open every day and are changing schedules with each other.

When visiting Catalonia Royal Bavaro, the following restaurants are available:

• Thalassa – buffet restaurant
• Tao Cat – Asian Cuisine
• BO Barcelona Origen’s – Vegetarian Kitchen
• Siwichi – Peruvian cuisine
• Sorrento – Pizza and salads during the day
• Sea Blue – à la carte lunch and oceanside grill for dinner

Let’s start with the buffet, which is pretty straightforward. Quantity and quality are at the maximum average for Punta Cana all-inclusive resorts, the presentation is ok and the food gets you satisfied. We particularly loved the outside eating area with views of the pool and the garden. However, if you love to eat at the buffet, I would highly recommend eating at the main buffet of the neighboring Catalonia Punta Cana – it is much larger, has much more choices and a fantastic salad bar for all vegetarians. Read more about it in the Catalonia Punta Cana review.

The à la carte dinners are pretty interesting as well. They have a very beautiful garden restaurant which changes between Peruvian and Vegetarian kitchen. As to my knowledge, it is the only vegetarian restaurant in Punta Cana located in an all-inclusive resort, and one of the very few Peruvian restaurants. I am not sure if there is another Peruvian one, I haven’t seen one so far in my visits to 35+ all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana.

In the past, you didn’t need reservations for the à la carte restaurants at Catalonia Royal Bavaro. Unfortunately, since Covid-19, you need to make reservations and it is, particularly during the weekends, a bit more difficult to get one. That’s why I don’t have first-hand impressions of this restaurant. The vegetarian restaurant was closed for the entire week.

The Spanish restaurant is located next to the infinity pool. The food here was ok, but certainly not spectacular.

As you can see there are some things to improve regarding the restaurants, but there were also super surprising options.

Sea Blue for example is a restaurant very close to the beach, where you can have à-la-carte lunch, regardless of your booked room category. This is particularly remarkable for the affordable price you pay for a stay at Catalonia Royal Bavaro, as usually all lunch restaurants at other all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana are only buffet-style, as long as you are not booking a VIP level category.

Furthermore, there was the Sorrento snack bar and restaurant close to the pool, where you can order a-la-carte pizzas and salads during the day – also pretty unique, as most pool- or beachside snack bars in Punta Canas’ all-inclusive resorts only offer precooked food-to-go.

Regarding the bars, there is not that much to talk about compared to the food. Considering the smaller size of the resort, four bars (one in the lobby, one at the garden restaurant, the pool bar and the beach bar), are sufficient and keep the drinks flowing. Taking into account the price you usually pay for Catalonia Royal Bavaro in Punta Cana, the drinks have very good quality. There is a sufficient choice of international liquor brands. Particularly notable is that Catalonia Royal Bavaro is not using the big juice/slush ice machines for their cocktails, so you’ll always get freshly prepared drinks which is a big plus compared to other all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana.

Entertainment and service at Catalonia Royal Bavaro

Talking about entertainment at Catalonia Royal Bavaro, it will be a pretty short section. There isn’t a lot going on at this quiet and relaxed adults-only all-inclusive resort. You can take advantage of some of the non-motorized watersports included in your all-inclusive meal plan or enjoy a live music performance in the evening. This makes it perfect for those looking for an easy-going all-inclusive resort without the daily entertainment and loud activities some of the bigger resorts offer.

However, this is just half of the truth. Even if you are looking for more action, you won’t get bored as you have free access to neighboring Catalonia Bavaro Beach and Catalonia Punta Cana which have the full entertainment program available: daily activities, water sports, entertainment in the pool, socializing events and nightly shows in the theatre. Catalonia Bavaro Beach is not a party resort in Punta Cana, but you definitely have lots of things going on, including some pretty cool pool parties.

Another important unique part of Catalonia Royal are the many little hidden photo spots on the entire property. While this does not belong directly to the entertainment of an all-inclusive resort, it makes you feel that you are somewhere else than in a big 500-room resort and shows that the concept of Catalonia Royal was crafted with care.

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And even some of the photo spots are suitable for entertainment – or what do you think of this super cute library right in the garden where you can read a book and relax.

Talking about the service at Catalonia Royal Bavaro, you can expect friendly employers and smiling locals who are always happy to help. However, be prepared for some waiting time in case of any special requests. It took the hotel 8 hours and 3 requests to finally bring an extra bed to the room, the check-in was arduously long and the security guys at the front gate were simply unable to cope with new arriving passengers on individual reservations arriving by rental car. I assume that all of this was due to the recent staff reductions nearly all Punta Cana all-inclusive resorts were doing due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, I hope that Catalonia Royal Bavaro will find a way to streamline its processes a bit for a better customer experience in the future.

Privileged Section (VIP Level) at Catalonia Royal Bavaro

Like many other all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana, Catalonia Royal Bavaro has their own VIP level with premium services, which is called “Privileged”. Those rooms come with additional services for 2023 including the following:

• Privileged guest identification
• Private Privileged beach area
• In-room beach towel
• 10% discount on all extra services (Golf, romantic dinner, spa, shops and boutiques, etc.)
• Early check-in & Late check-out (3 pm), subject to availability

If you want to enjoy these additional services, simply book a room called “Privilege” when making your booking at Catalonia Royal Bavaro. As the surcharge is usually not that high, it’s worth checking the price right here* and consider the Privilege rooms in case you are interested in the additional premium services mentioned in the list above.

Compared to other Prefered Clubs or VIP levels in Punta Cana, the advantages of Catalonia’s Privilege section is not as impressive as in other resorts. There aren’t any exclusive restaurants, there is no VIP lounge and the drinks are the same as for all the other guests. But that’s not necessarily negative, considering that the price difference usually is not that high compared to the regular rooms.

What’s a big advantage is the separate Privileged beach section as you can enjoy very comfy beach beds instead of the typical old sun loungers. 24-hour room service and early check-in and late check-out are also some nice perks.

Interchanging facilities between Catalonia Bavaro Beach and Catalonia Royal Bavaro

As a guest of Catalonia Royal Bavaro, you also enjoy additional and full access to Catalonia Bavaro Beach and Catalonia Punta Cana (which are basically the same hotels). This being said, if you are looking for further restaurant choices, an absolutely gorgeous beach, more nightly entertainment or additional activities, it is worth heading over to Catalonia Bavaro Beach for a few hours. Both Punta Cana all-inclusive resorts are located next to each other and are connecting seamlessly. While guests of Catalonia Royal Bavaro can visit Catalonia Bavaro Beach, guests of Catalonia Punta Cana and Bavaro Beach don’t have access to Catalonia Royal Bavaro as the latter one is the higher tier of both Catalonia Resorts.

Catalonia Punta Cana & Bavaro Beach is the much bigger resort of both, featuring 711 rooms, 2 buffets and 4 à-la-carte restaurants, among them an Italian restaurant, a steak house and a restaurant with Caribbean cuisine. Especially the buffet right at the beach and the additional à la carte restaurants can be a welcoming change of scenery if you stay for a couple of more days at Catalonia Royal Bavaro.

Furthermore, you definitely should check out Catalonia Punta Cana / Bavaro Beach when looking for more activities and entertainment.

Catalonia Royal Bavaro vs. Catalonia Punta Cana

 As you have read throughout this Catalonia Royal Bavaro Punta Cana review, you have nearly full access to Catalonia Punta Cana. Therefore the question might arise which is better, also considering that Royal Bavaro usually is around 20% more expensive than the family resort of Catalonia Punta Cana (even though it is not really a 100% family resort): Catalonia Royal Bavaro or Catalonia Punta Cana?

 Obviously, if you are traveling as a family with kids to Punta Cana (under 18 years), Catalonia Punta Cana is the better choice as you can’t book Catalonia Bavaro Royal with children. But if you’re traveling as a couple or an adults-only group (or a single), you can choose between Catalonia Royal Bavaro or Catalonia Punta Cana.

 If you don’t mind the additional 20% so much (or if there are even promotions that bring down the cost of Catalonia Royal even closer to Catalonia Punta Canas’ room prices), Catalonia Royal Bavaro Punta Cana is a great choice as you have access to both resorts. The only slight disadvantage is that you have to walk a bit more, as the better beach, the better buffet and the more exciting activities and entertainment are all on the side of Catalonia Punta Cana / Catalonia Bavaro Beach.

 This being said, it is important to know that the Royal side is pretty relaxed and quiet, as mentioned several times here in this Catalonia Royal Bavaro review. It is one of the more romantic hotels and definitely perfect for a chilled-out honeymoon in Punta Cana or any other relaxing couple or friends’ holiday. Definitely book Catalonia Royal Bavaro if you don’t want a lot of hustle and bustle.

If your budget is a bit tighter or if you want to be close to all the happening, Catalonia Bavaro Beach might be the better option for you. The resort offers – in my opinion – the better culinary options anyway (even though it is the lower tier resort) and if you book a Privileged Room at Catalonia Punta Cana, your room is much better anyway than at Catalonia Royal Bavaro. This being said, if you are debating between a Standard Room at Catalonia Royal Bavaro or a Privilege Room at Catalonia Punta Cana (which are both similarly priced), I would probably pick the latter one as long as you can live with the slight disadvantages of Catalonia Punta Cana (no access to Catalonia Royal Bavaro All Inclusive, no adults-only environment).

Excursions from Catalonia Royal Bavaro

Once visiting Punta Cana and Catalonia Royal Bavaro, it is more than recommended to reserve at least one or two days to explore the surrounding. After all, you don’t want to travel to the Dominican Republic without seeing the country, do you?

To start with, I am recommending you this list of the most amazing things to do in Punta Cana. As you can see, there are many exciting activities – both on the water and land-based.

If you are looking for fun and entertaining Punta Cana excursions on the water starting from Catalonia Royal Bavaro, I can highly recommend you a trip to Isla Saona or Isla Catalina. If you don’t want to travel that far (it is approximately 1.5 hours by bus before you board the boat) you can also head on a booze cruise or catamaran tour right from Punta Cana.

If you are looking for land-based activities, ziplining and buggy excursions are the most popular excursions in Punta Cana. There are plenty of tour operators out there. In case you need any help finding the right tour in Punta Cana, you can check out these articles about the best ziplining excursions in Punta Cana or the most exciting dune buggy tours in the area. Safari and countryside tours are other excursion options, especially if you’d like to learn a little bit more about the Dominican Republic.

If you are up for adventures, you can consider renting a car in Punta Cana to explore the surrounding with its fantastic hikes and stunning waterfalls. There are also many day-trips available when heading out from Punta Cana.

If you have any further questions about Catalonia Royal Bavaro excursions, feel free to leave me a comment below or check out the best things to do in Punta Cana.

Summary

Catalonia Royal is a super interesting adults-only all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana, which is especially perfect for those looking for peace and tranquility. Its small and compact size makes it appear more like an intimate hotel than a super-sized resort and the many beautiful corners such as the garden library, the beautifully decorated beach bar or the herb garden show the love and attention to detail that went into designing this adults-only all-inclusive resort.
The rooms and food at Catalonia Royal Bavaro are truly not spectacular, but they are well in line with the affordable price for this Punta Cana all-inclusive resort. While the beach isn’t very beautiful either, you have access to the beach of neighboring Catalonia Bavaro, which is very stunning and allows you to enjoy a perfect beach day.
Catalonia Royal is perfect for a romantic yet affordable getaway in one of the smaller all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana. If you are looking for more luxurious options in Punta Cana (with a higher price tag and in larger resorts) you can also check out the extensive hotel reviews of Secrets Royal Beach and Hard Rock Punta Cana.