Ok place

My thoughts on this place was there for 7 days my fridge was never refilled never received new clean towels only thing I continued to get was face clothes.Also was 1 place very tiny outdoors to buy survivors no shops.Grounds were very well kept and meals were great but would not go back.And one thing that I did not like is in the Japanese restaurant was not even recognized as the cook could not speak English but asked everyone questions.

Ok place

My thoughts on this place was there for 7 days my fridge was never refilled never received new clean towels only thing I continued to get was face clothes.Also was 1 place very tiny outdoors to buy survivors no shops.Grounds were very well kept and meals were great but would not go back.And one thing that I did not like is in the Japanese restaurant was not even recognized as the cook could not speak English but asked everyone questions.

Needs a lot of work

This hotel is dated and in need of upgrading. The grounds are nice but not stellar like some resorts. We arrived a bit late but the check-in process went smoothly. The staff at the desk struggle with English but we made it through. On the whole, there is VERY little English spoken or even attempted. A few staff would try to speak English but they were few and far between. The rooms are dated and in need of upgrading. We had a full balcony with 2 chairs. It would have been nice to have a  [... read more]table; however some balconies had tables and no chairs, one chair or nothing at all, so I guess we were better off than some! The closet had 5 hangers - not quite enough for 2 people for 10 days!! Housekeeping was inconsistent - some days you got 3 facecloths and 2 bath towels, some days 4 bath towels and 1 facecloth. There are no towel bars in the bathroom so you are left with your towels on the counter, over the shower or on the back of the door. There is no hair dryer - luckily I bring mine everywhere or else I would have had many bad hair days - apparently, from another review I read, you could ask for one - not sure how that would go for you! There is a mini-fridge in the room - day of arrival we had 4 cans of pop, 2 cans of beer and 4 bottles of water. Once the pop and beer were consumed, they were never replaced. Number of bottles of water left was never consistent. You can't drink the water in the bathroom so we went through alot of water and never knew if we would have enough. There is also a Keurig in the room - some people's didn't work but it wouldn't matter anyway because they never replaced the coffee pods. We used 2 the first morning and never got more until 3 days before we left and then we got 1. Anywhere else we have stayed that had a balcony, it was swept daily - ours was not swept once - the same pile of dirt from the beginning of the stay was still there when we left. Even the hallways on our floor were seldom, if ever, swept. One bonus was the water and water pressure was great - didn't matter when you had a shower you had hot water. The hotel has 2 elevators which was a nice feature and there was never any issue with them not running. Food is fairly good - lots of choice at the buffet. There is alot of pork on the menu. There is beef as well but it was very tough. Sometimes the food was not hot enough. The one big thing, and this applies to the whole resort, is the majority of signage is in Spanish. Extremely frustrating at the buffet was the Spanish signs for what the chefs were cooking on the grills - unless you could visually see what the food was, you wouldn't know, unless you spoke Spanish. Other signs on the buffet did have English on them. The dining room has the tendency to be quite loud, especially on weekends - I'll get to that later! There are 3 ala carte restaurants but we did not go to them - we did not hear anything good about any of them. Reservations for them are made on a daily basis and I understand the lines to do so are quite long. There is a snack bar by the pool that opens at 10am - serves burgers, hot dogs, fries, nachos, fresh fruit. It would appear that there has been little in the way of customer service training for the staff in the diningroom. Some days you waited for your coffee in the morning, other days they were right there with it. You may or may not get a second cup. There is little to no attention to detail. There are plenty of staff milling around (some on their phones, some in groups chatting amongst themselves, some making themselves look busy) but they don't know how to read the room and know to offer another coffee, or drink at dinner etc. But they are quick to take away your empty plates - sometimes it seemed like the goal was to get you in and out as fast as possible. Of course, there are some staff who genuinely try to do their best job. There are a number of pools, with the main one having the bar. The other pools are shallower but there is not much shade at them. There are adequate chairs by the pool and on the beach. The pool bar is good - the bartenders are good and the drinks are not watered down. We had several days where we couldn't swim in the ocean because of rough water. The lifeguards are plentiful and seem quite competent. There were many issues with jellyfish stings when the water was rough - we wouldn't have known this except the Sunwing rep told us. The beach is a public beach but local traffic seems minimal. And the sand is brutally hot - on some days it could burn your feet - after about 10am you have to wear your shoes when walking on it, or run! Probably one of the biggest issues I had with the resort was the fact that they don't seem to cater to their tourists, but to the locals who can buy day/weekend passes. When they are there, it is extremely loud in the diningroom, the pool is overcrowded, you can't get near the bar....it is intimidating and overwhelming. We dreaded the second weekend of our stay for this reason. Unfortunately during our stay, we heard of many people who became sick, with some requiring hospital treatment. I, myself, became ill and didn't know if it was food poisoning or a result of the minor jellyfish sting I received. Either way, I lost a day of my trip having to stay in my room but others fared out much worse. Speaking to a fellow passenger on our flight who needed hospital treatment, it seemed the hospital had had many people from this resort there for treatment over the last couple of weeks. Since this is second hand information to me, I cannot confirm the validity, however I did speak to a number of people who had become sick during their stay so I'll just leave that there. While the resort did have some pros, the cons far outweigh. To give it a 3 star rating is what I feel is fair but it certainly deserves no more. Thankfully the food was quite good, and the beach was good, or else it might be a different rating.

Nice resort

Nice hotel, room had minor issues. No working bathroom fan, no hot water in shower AC made a lot of noise but worked great. Hotel provided complementary toiletries but if not used taken away and not replaced. Issue getting bottled water. Rooms only allotted 2 small bottles a day. Not enough staff to accommodate the number of people, but the staff were great. Only 2 bars at times on resort other than the pool bar which was always full . And long waits to get drinks. Sometimes no tables available  [... read more]at the buffet. The size of resort was perfect. Getting change for tips on resort was an issue , especially money to leave country.

Rooms have amazing views and the beds are comfortable.

Grounds are beautiful and the water slides are a lot of fun. They could use more bars. Buffet area is very hot. À la carts are very good! Staff is very friendly! The beach is beautiful just a few steps to get down there.

Great value for monies spent

A family group of 17 went, all ages, all different wants and needs. No major concerns, the food excellent, staff great. Our travel agent Wendy Harrington met all of our needs, kept us up to date and was great to work with. We would recommend Bijao Beach resort in Panama.

Resort satisfactory

Enjoyed the resort. Food was very well presented and lots of selections. My only negative comment would be their lack of English, especially at the reception desk. The staff was pleasant and most helpful even though language barriers were evident.

Very nice resort. Definitely would recommend it to anyone traveling to Panama.

Very clean resort, great food from the buffet, snack bar to the a la cartes. Rooms well airconditioned. Beach was beautiful. Service and resort staff very polite and helpful. Little bit of a language barrier but got by with no issues. View from our room was beautiful. Weather was amazing. Not a rainy or cloudy day all week. Day trips were good and well organized enjoyed both of them that we took. Amenities such as markets, flea markets etc were a little to far to get to unless paying for a c [... read more]ab. No store or any form of shops within the resort which was little disappointing but nothing to ruin the great week we had staying there. Panama hope to see you again in the near future. Would rate resort a 4 star

Beautiful resort

I think the hotel, the grounds, the pools are beautiful. The food was amazing. The only thing that I was disappointed in is that they don't speak English. The beach is beautiful. The staff were amazing. The cleaners for our room were super sweet.

Very nice resort

Room was comfortable, but was given the wrong room and we had to move rooms the next day! Food was good with a wide variety! The à la carte restaurants not so good. We paid extra for a Japanese experience. Wasn’t very good or entertaining! Beach was great pool area great. Just not enough chairs and umbrellas We took a excursion. Was nice to see,but not worth the money. Staff were very helpful and nice.

Beautiful beach, friendly service

Stayed here for a 40th birthday party celebration and happy with the service. We upgraded to a suite which allowed us to take advantage of premium liquors and private dining spaces, kept open all day vs. regular spots which had closing/break hours. Service/staff exceptional, professional, friendly, helpful. There are two restaurants to choose from (Japanese and Mediterranean: would recommend), buffet options were ok (I’m vegan so options very limited at buffet). Beaches were secluded and gorge [... read more]ous - very clean, and runs/walks along were both breathtaking and safe (single runner, female). Pools are limited and kids swimming in bar area, but fine nonetheless. Bar staff super accommodating, friendly, fun. Airport commute was approx. 2+ hours, but allows for one to see the city, canal, and rural areas. Would recommend!

Quiet Relaxing Resort

Our visit was Jan. 2019 for 1 week. It is a 15 min ride from the Rui Hatu airport. Very convenient. The hotel it'self for size and and getting around is nice and easy. It is a smaller hotel so nothing is too far away. The beach is extremely convenient and the main pool is also great. There are a couple other small wading pools for children to take advantage of. There is also a Jacuzzi but the water temperature is the same as all the rest of the pools. The hotel it's self was very clean including [... read more] the grounds and the beach. This made it extremely pleasant to stay here. One thing that was very disappointing was the food. In the main buffet, the same food was on both sides of the eating area. I did not understand the point of doubling up on the exact same dishes. One side had servers dishing out the food, the other side was self serve. The dessert station was also very disappointing. It consisted of minimal choice. It felt very disappointing as the sheet cake options where not my favorite. I had traveled to Panama 2 years ago and the food including desserts were amazing. This time staying at the resort at the Sheraton, this was a big disappointment. The food in the a-la-cart, 2 of them you had to pay additional $20/person/meal which was not the advertisement when we booked the trip, but where told upon our arrival the policy had changed and if we had booked before Nov. 1, 2019, it would have been included in our trip. Staff there were pleasant but sometimes it took a long time to have things looked after. E.g Our safety deposit box took several hours for someone to come and replace it as it was not locking properly. Maid service was excellent! The alcohol served was not top-self. It seemed to be lower quality brands and it was disappointing they did not have orange juice but Tang. Car rental is not located at the hotel but the front desk was very helpful in sending over an agent to deliver the car located about a 10 min. drive away. We also where able to leave the car with the front desk and they took care of the rental return. Very convenient. Entertainment at night could be improved. They are smaller shows. More of a local feel which I actually looked forward to except the shows where not well advertised as to what time and what the entertainment of the night would be. There was a singer one night that was good but the rest of the time we felt like there was no entertainment as we did not know, time, location, act, etc. Overall the hotel appearance, cleanliness and pool/beach amenities where great.They also took care of the bugs and I did not find any during our stay,. This made it very pleasant. But for food and alcohol choices, I felt quit disappointed. I would rate it a 6/10.

Amazing Resort

Everything about this property was excellent food pool property and staff beach was amazing ocean view was amazing golf course amazing selection of restaurants amazingly good rooms very clean and spacious trips off property excellent

Good Resort

The rooms are very clean fitted with new sheets daily for the 7 days we were there. Security and Life guards are very diligent and are always looking out for your well being constantly. Wait staff and bar tenders are very courteous and always at your service. Pools and grounds are spotless very well maintained. Food variety can be expanded a little more since you pretty much get the same thing daily but not complaining. Beech is not the greatest with white sand and blue waters ,the sand is  [... read more]either black or brown with the water only reflecting as such. Overall very good Resort.

A nice and relaxing stay.

The hotel was well situated near the airport on a beautiful beach front property. Staff were very friendly but many only spoke Spanish so I suggest learning a few key words to get by. The food was good with enough variety at the buffet but sometimes not hot. The entertainment wasn’t too bad but again spoke mostly in Spanish. Being fluent in Spanish at this resort would have made this trip more enjoyable as there was a huge language barrier but otherwise a nice place to stay. It is not a b [... read more]ig resort and everything is steps away. The lush gardens in the pool area were fantastic.

Love this place

From the time you walk to desk to time you leave...you feel welcomed and apart of family. We are well taken care of...very friendly staff..clean resort well maintained..rooms are well kept. I have nothing but love for this resort. The entertainment staff is great...they work hard to get people involved in activities.. laughing joking around making best of your days...Dio..Cristian are top notch.. The food was good...always something for anyone..the pool/beach snak bar always has hot dogs n hamb [... read more]urgers...it would be nice to have a change up like wings or something different,but it was good. Cant wait for next year. We dont normally return to same place...but 2ys in a row this is our home away from home..we will be back for a third. This is a uniquely relaxing resort..always a chair available...cant say enough .

Good place

The overall stay was satisfactory and the food was great. Great location close to the small airport. Only 10 minutes drive to the resort. The airport not equipped with duty free and all facilities like a restaurant.

Great resort!

If you are looking for a bunch of North Americans in a southern location, this is not the place. There are many wonderful South Americans who are extremely nice and better behaved than most North Americans in any other resort I have been to. You may want to brush up on your Spanish as they try to speak English but it is limited. Food is great! Rooms fantastic and amazingly comfortable. Staff very helpful and kind. Air conditioning worked great. Pools perfect and ocean and beach totally  [... read more]amazing and relaxing. No store so bring everything you need. Excursions easy to book with tour staff at hotel and the excursions were amazing. If you book through Air Canada you fly to Tocumen Airport in Panama City which is a 2 hour drive to hotel. Most excursions are at least 2 hour drive. Sunwing flys to airport 15 minutes away. Neither airport is good for shopping or eating so buy everything you want when you go on excursions. All in all a great place with wonderful people, comfortable and relaxing. Oh and did I say 32 degrees everyday, no rain and absolutely perfect weather.

It's okay, don't expect perfection and you'll be fine

The grounds are very nice, lots of pools, although most with 2 feet of water or less, but nice none the less. Beach is exceptional and you can walk for miles either way. Pool bar service is okay depending on bartender, don't expect fancy and you'll be good. Pool eating area always has hamburgers, hot dogs and fries available. A la carte restaurants are average, not bad, not great, but descent. Buffet lacks. Seems to be same food day in and day out. Minimal selection for that size of hotel and  [... read more]to get hot food isn't really an option most days, warm at best. Rooms are your average hotel room. Cleaned everyday, but don't expect mini fridge to be stocked. Didn't bother us, but for some that is a must which didn't happen. Don't think you are in the heart of Panama, this is a very secluded resort, two hour drive to Panama city, so if you are looking to be close to any action, this isn't the place. If you are looking for seclusion, you found it. Overall, it was an okay experience for the money, however would probably say more of a 3 - 3.5 star than a 4.

Very nice holiday

Beautiful location it was a busy place during our visit!!!!.Staff were amazing!!!!! Unfortunately we did not have a safe or hair dryer in our room but that didn't spoil a good time We went on the JUNGLE boat tour and had a blast with the monkeys. We also did a day shopping trip was nice local people were friendly