With an investment of around 19 million dollars, the Convention Center of the Barceló Bávaro Beach Resort, Golf, Casino & Convention Center becomes one of the largest and most modern conference halls in the whole of Latin America and the Caribbean, able to accommodate up to 5,000 people at the same event. In addition to its capacity and services, Barceló can also offer accommodation of more than 2,600 rooms in the immediate vicinity.

Barceló Bávaro Beach Resort,  Golf, Casino & Convention Center  Santo Domingo, Rep. Dominicana

Present at the inauguration ceremony were President Hipólito Mejía and his wife, accompanied by members of his government, high-ranking officials, the diplomatic corps, provincial authorities and local business people, as well as the Spanish Secretary for Trade and Tourism, Juan Costa.  The Bishop of Higüey, monsignor Ramón de la Rosa y Carpio, gave his blessing to the facilities.

During the inauguration ceremony, President Mejía awarded the brothers Gabriel and Sebastián Barceló with the decoration of Knight of the Heraldic Order of Christopher Columbus, in recognition of the contribution made by them both to the development of tourism in the country since they became Spanish pioneers in the area in 1985.

Simón Barceló Tous, President of Barceló Hotels & Resorts, offered his thanks for the distinctions awarded to his father and his uncle, and went on to present to the guests the characteristics of the convention center, which covers a surface area of 50,000 square meters.  It has 13 meeting halls, which can be divided to form up to 24 rooms, with a capacity of 5,000 people. The main room alone, which is shaped like a theatre, can accommodate up to 3,000 people. The whole facility boasts the most up-to-date technology and the latest in audiovisual equipment.  In addition, it also has its own cafeteria
and business center.

These features make the center a privileged site to welcome the next Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, the holding of which was confirmed by the General Director of Barceló in the Dominican Republic, Félix Felipe. The Summit is expected to be attended by Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain and the Prime Minister, José María Aznar.

Simón Barceló declared at the inauguration ceremony that �this modern conference hall is a contribution of great importance which our group is making to the Dominican Republic, to the professional associations, and to the institutions in general, helping the country to host important events on a Caribbean, Latin American and world scale�.

The Spanish Secretary for Trade and Tourism, Juan Costa, stated that �this work is a clear example of the commitment to cooperation and brotherhood which currently exists between Spain and the Dominican Republic�, and affirmed that �the current leaders of the Dominican Republic deserve recognition for all the support they have clearly given to the development of the tourist industry in the country and for the hospitality shown and encouragement given
to the Spanish companies which have promoted projects to develop tourism�.

At the same ceremony, 120 new dwellings for employees of the complex were opened, together with a new water treatment plant. 

The officially inaugurated convention center is situated in the Barceló Bávaro Beach Resort hotel complex, in the area of Bávaro-Punta Cana, in the east of the Dominican Republic.
This resort, whose first hotel was opened by Barceló in 1985 and which, apart from being the first international hotel investment was also the first arrival of a Spanish hotel company on the country´s shores, currently has 1,956 rooms divided between 5 Hotels (one of which has a 5-star category and the rest 4-star), 15 �buffet�-type and theme restaurants, 18 bars, 5 swimming pools, golf course, church, bingo hall, 3 discotheques, trains to move around the
facilities, and a multitude of sporting activities.  Just next door is the  Barceló Villas Bávaro complex with 651 rooms and similar facilities to the Barceló Beach Resort complex.