Grand Decameron Panama: Love Panama

I fell in love with Panama the second we landed. The resort was ok. I dont really like to stay in the resort. I like to explore. Car rental is right outside the resort so that was easy. Food was ok. Hard to get coffee for early risers. Not much English spoken but didnt bother me.

Westin Playa Bonita: Westin Panama

The hotel is clean and very nice. The À la carte restaurants very very good especially the Asian. The buffet is not great with not much variety and is very small to accommodate the early morning rush seemed disorganized. No one really comes to serve coffee etc during breakfast. It’s really a help yourself situation. The hotel advertises 2 buffet areas but there was only ever one open. The pool area was great and there was never an issue getting lounge chairs or towels. BUT keep in mind d thi [... read more]s is a hotel and conference center. So there is a mix of vacationers and people attending meetings. We found they do not cater to the all inclusive guests compared to other resort as there seemed to be a bit of mix communication with what is included as example coffee bar - you can get a coffee but the cakes and treats are not included? The over all hotel was nice and clean but again it is not a typical resort style being a Westin conference center. Also this resort is 90+ minutes from the airport and could be much longer with traffic. The location of the hotel was great to grab an uber and head into Panama City which we did a couple times and was amazing!

Dreams Playa Bonita Panama: We’ll return - an honest review

Dreams Playa Bonita Panama was a great choice for our first visit to Panama. Its location close to Panama City allowed for quick and easy access to the local attractions. The resort staff are friendly and do everything possible to make your stay enjoyable. Rooms are tired and in need of renovation but were kept clean. Beds are very comfortable. Food was excellent. Pools look to be new and kept at a perfect temperature. We would suggest that more shade is needed around the pool and ocean.  [... read more] Music is played quite loud around the pool and would likely book “preferred” next time to access the quieter pool area. We saw sloths on the property and tiny monkeys at the end of the beach in the trees - so great! Note … Just be aware that you will have to travel almost 2 hours from the airport to this resort. The bus does stop for a short break and we were able to get cold drinks for the drive to the resort. We would return but hope that they are able to do some room updates.

Riu Playa Blanca: Great time

The hotel is approx 10 mins from the rio halto airport which is fantastic. Transfer to hotel was simple and quick. Check in was smooth with plenty of people to help. Grounds are immaculate and clean. Pools are great. Very difficult to get loungers unless you are down there at 7:30. Beach is very nice with black sand. Food was plenty and very good with lots of choices. 1 thing I didn’t really like after being to many resorts in many countries was the à la carte restaurant process. You [... read more] are required to wait in line and is on a first come first serve basis.

Riu Playa Blanca: Amazing a true 5 star :)

This place is awesome:) Lots of food 24/7 :) Cocktails 24/7 :) Riu app was awesome, super quick to fill your needs, ie more water & beer in room :) Adult pool was wonderful:) Live music daily:) Super clean inside & out :) Friendly staff :) Felt safe on beach & off resort :) Panama & Riu was wonderful:)

Grand Decameron Panama: Great resort

Wish we stayed longer, only 4 days 3 nights. Resort was expansive itself. We paid extra for the plus and were grateful we did. Amenities were great, food was plentiful with options. Beach loungers were still scarce even in the plus section at the pool and beach which was disappointing. Had to walk around quite of bit time before we could find one not in the plus side of things. We stayed in a garden view room which was at the top of the hill. Going up and down to access most of the amenities wo [... read more]uld def be an issue with anyone with mobility issues. Beach was clean and beautiful, 2 of 3 days red flag so we couldn't go in the water for swimming or other sports which was disappointing but understandable. Very hot and humid so be preparedg. Disco could be promoted more so people knew there was something to do after the animation show which was mainly in Spanish, sucked if you weren't or didn't understand. No mosquitoes and bugs. Checkin was okay, but didn't get our room until after 1.5 hour later after the advertised checkin time so take clothes to change into while you wait. Can't book a la carte restaurant the date of arrival, too late need to be done first thing preferrably in the morning so if you arrive late no chances but plenty of buffet and other options though. A bit of time at the bars to get drinks but once you did they were great and not watered down and great options especially in the plus side.

Riu Playa Blanca: Decent Resort

Overall, the resort was very clean and well maintained and the night time entertainment was excellent. The food was decent quality but the buffets didn’t provide much variety throughout the week. The ala cart restaurants did not allow for reservations, was a first come first serve basis and was lined up at opening time with lots of “golden age” guest who you would assume had proper manner and etiquette, but sadly did not. They also followed the same social behaviours with the pool lounge chairs [... read more]. At the guest orientation, we were told that the lounge chairs were not to be reserved before 7am. Two out of three pool lounge chairs were “sold out” well before 6am all seven days of our stay and said “golden agers” occupied these loungers the entire day. This is not the resorts fault, but they could have enforced these rules a bit better. It seemed to be over populated for the amenities they provided. I would happily go back to the Grand DeCameron, Panama over the Riu.

Grand Decameron Panama: Disappointing vacation

I had contacted the hotel direct before arriving to insure everthing would be in English and a request for room locations as I had been here before When we arrived our rooms were exactly as requested but the air conditioner had to be repaired and the safe did not work There was no English orientation just French no English from activity staff no times for restaurants or days open no information on events or entertainment Snack bar only open spraticly and not at all for late night,sports bar  [... read more]is now a kids zone no Olympic or super bowl coverage no bar stools at any bar Long lines at bars limited staff poor operation of restaurant booking no information. About features at the buffets Lost power fir 8 hr one day lost internet for 3 days and constantly being disconnected Day trips didn't tell you that some features were not included on scheduled days There was good parts most ot the restaurants were good and drinks were done well by most of the bartenders This place should have been a 5 star hotel for the price but it would be a stretch to give it a good 3 star I tried to contact the hotel higher ups while there but with no avail

Riu Playa Blanca: Disappointing!

Only 3 à la carte restaurants. Food too salty in all 3. No reservation system in place so long line ups. Quiet pool (adult) was impossible to get lounges. Despite there being a rule of no reserving before 7 a.m., they were reserved by 5:30 a.m. No poolside bar service or wait staff in lobby bar. Hit and miss getting Chardonnay in any of bars/restaurants and no Pinot Grigio at all. Adult entertainment started after children’s entertainment at 9 p.m. Only one area designated for entertainment [... read more] (other than beach) so no music or entertainment in lobby bar. Only one bank of elevators so in a hotel that is shaped like a U, if your at one of the end sections, you have to either go up/down multiple floors of stairs or walk along endless hallways to get to elevators so wouldn’t recommend for anyone with mobility issues.

Grand Decameron Panama: Great Resort

This hotel is a great spot for a beach vacation. The food is amazing, the staff is perfect and everything is very clean. The only complaint is that the rooms, especially the bathrooms could really use an upgrade, but it is kept very clean. Overall, I would return as it checks all the boxes for us for beach, food, drinks, pool and location.

Grand Decameron Panama: It’s just okay

The grounds are nice but VERY big. And you can’t avoid huge staircases. I actually liked this because it helped me rack up about 13,000 steps per day without even trying. Never did we take the van anywhere on the property. And the grounds really are lovely—especially at night. There are many beautiful pools and a long, walkable beach. Unfortunately, to get a Palapa on the beach or around the pool, one needs to be up and mark their territory by 6:45 AM. Seriously. By 7 AM, almost all of the c [... read more]hairs are taken, some never to be revisited again until noon. This chair game is played at many resorts we have been to, but it seems to be really bad here. I’m not sure what the answer is, but for late risers it was very frustrating. The food is also, in my opinion, “meh”. We weren’t really even impressed with most of the à la cartes—IF you can get them! You need to come to the lobby EARLY to book (might as well scope out your lounge chair at the same time!). My husband went down to book once at 6:45 a.m. and was number 28 in line. By the time they called his number, the only spot available for dinner was 8:30 pm. And, to be honest, the only food that I thought was exceptional was the burger at Cowboy Restaurant. It really is all it’s cracked up to be! But nothing else really “wowed“ me. And I’m really the furthest thing from a foodie. But I was just often disappointed. I found the steak grizzly and almost inedible. I had salmon once and it was dry and overcooked. The starters in most of the à la cartes were buffet, which kind of negates the purpose of an à la carte. Also, cats and dogs roam through the restaurant. While this is something that I don’t really mind because I love animals, I really don’t think it’s appropriate. Now for the amenities. The rooms are very sparse. Toilet paper is single ply and scratchy.They do not provide body cream or shower gel or a shower cap. And we had to fight to get more than two towels (for both of us—only two are provided). And there are no face cloths. But these are all things you can just bring yourself so not a big deal but worth mentioning for those planning what to bring. The staff are very nice but many don’t speak English at all. I can speak a little Spanish and a little French so I got by, but if you are relying solely on English, you may have a bit of a problem. But when we did have an issue (for example, with the air-conditioning and our balcony door), it was fixed within the hour! Great service! It’s definitely not a bad place. It’s just you need to manage your expectations. I wouldn’t recommend it to any of my friends who like ‘upscale’ luxury trips. But on a budget, it’s definitely better than Cuba. But I think the standards are better in most resort destinations I have visited in Mexico. But, to be fair, Mexico has become much pricier since Covid. It’s also not the turquoise water of the Caribbean. But the water was calm and they have lifeguards on the beach which is definitely reassuring. The pools are wonderful for the kids though and, of course, the water slides are great fun. If we had to rate it out of 10, my husband and I both agree it’s about a 6.5.

Riu Playa Blanca: Excellent resort

Beautiful resort, very clean grounds, food was great with a lot of variety, service was great but could be better if the staff spoke English. The staff did not speak English at all which was a bit disappointing, I asked for a glass of wine and the girl just took everything from my table. Even the entertainment staff very few spoke English. Otherwise we had a wonderful time

Riu Playa Blanca: Relaxing and Safe Resort

This was our 4th visit to RIU Playa Blanca. We have always requested ocean view. We requested a room change which we were able to do on our second night of a 7-night stay. We got the full ocean view after the room change. The first room was partial ocean view. When you looked out the window of the first room you do not see the ocean. Only the rooms across the other side of the U shape of the hotel. You only saw the ocean when you were on the right side of the balcony Food is always good at the b [... read more]uffets and specialty restaurants. Cocktails are amazing and you can request your favourite drink that is not on the cocktail menu. Hotel is very clean and staff very friendly. We will go back for sure! Good value for money.

Riu Playa Blanca: Great vacation

Very pleasant and well run resort. Nice beach , guaranteed weather and warm ocean water. Polite and very friendly crew. Great food with a lot of selections. The varieties of the evening shows with professional performers.

Playa Blanca Resort: Very disappointed

Upon arrival we did not get balcony room. The first room was dirty, shower was not clean, safe was not operational, The next day at finally 3pm we got our new room with balcony. Found the water temperature in the room Luke warm, after alerting staff a day later we had hot water. Remote control for air condition did not work. Next day it was replaced.. Resort states on web site there is 9 restaurants, actually only 3. Food at the the buffet breakfast and lunch were fairly good but nothing was [... read more] hot. Feral dogs wandered in and out of restaurants and the buffet area. Restaurant food other than fish was tough and generally barely warm. This was a all inclusive trip however at the three on site restaurants wine had to be paid for.. Beach area was quite good, however a lack of beachchairs and over head cabanas were lacking. On site washrooms often did not have running water or sporadically . This resort is listed as 4 star.. it was barely a one star and I think I am being generous

Grand Decameron Panama: Fell a little short for us

We were prepared for dated rooms, but found most of the resort "tired" and in need of a facelift, from the lobby/lobby bar to the buffet restaurants to the rooms and some pools. We have travelled to many places and don't stay anywhere fancy but this resort was by far the most in need of work. Room was smaller than many resorts we've been to and we found it dark and a bit dingy. We wouldn't care, it's somewhere to sleep but there was visible dirt on the floor, things left behind by previous gue [... read more]sts and a patio door that only my husband could open by lifting and shimmy-ing it over - I couldn't move it at all. We also had an "incident" with housekeeping, which was a first for us (and again, we travel a lot). Adjoining rooms can be loud (heard every word from our neighbors). Very poor service (absolutely none our first night, had to clean our own table to sit and weren't offered a drink at all and usually had to get up and go ask for tea and coffee in the mornings) at the buffets. Minimal selection of food. The beach is beautiful, no rocks or weeds in the water. However when we were there, if you weren't down to get a chair by about 7-7:30am, you might not find anything. Could use more palapas for shade and lots more chairs. Our room was closest to the middle pool and it was very crowded for the size of it, and could also use more shade. We felt that had we been able to book or upgrade to Plus, we would have had a vastly different experience, with a few more pools (and nicer looking pools) and restaurants to choose from. Bartenders were great, beach snack bar had good food and service, proximity to the airport is a big plus. We made the most of our time but I don't think this is a resort that we would return to.

Playa Blanca Resort: Would only rate this resort as average or even less than average

Resort is very poorly operated they basically have no rules. Drinking in pool with open glasses and empty glasses floating around the pool. They also allow people to eat in pool with garbage everywhere. Kids are allowed in pool bar area . Kids diving jumping in pool . This resort allows day passes and billiards. Of people come in creating very long lineups for food or food service and these people leave and create quite a mess.A/C in our room did not work very well. Would never consider going ba [... read more]ck to this resort. Also this resort allowed stray dogs in the restaurants-very dirty

Playa Blanca Resort: Disappointing resort

We were quite disappointed with the resort. My two brothers and their wives had to ask for another room as their rooms were dirty! A lot of things did not work well..air conditioning, patio doors, tv. Our shower just dribbled and it took two days to get it fixed. Towels, etc not there when you needed them. The restaurants were not as advertised..basically only two a la carte restaurants and they were open only every other day. Wine was not included at the a la carte restaurant..we would take  [... read more]it along with us from the bar in our plastic cups. The grounds and buildings were run down and unkept. The entertainment was incredibly loud and disturbed us till 2:00 am. We would definitely not go back and would not recommend!!

Riu Playa Blanca: Perfect winter get-away

Very attentive staff. Rooms are very clean. Communication through resort app very helpful; avoids having to call or go to front desk. Only complaint would be the lounger saving, however, this redorts removes towels or whatever placed before 7am.

Riu Playa Blanca: Nice resort

The resort was clean ,the room was good location had to have shower fixed and hairdryer (done very quickly),buffet good,al a cartes could do with upgrade in menu,would recommend. Adult pool bar was very busy more staff definitely needed,