Riu Playa Blanca: Riu playa Blanca

The resort is good. Nice food n drinks are amazing. Staffs n crew on restaurant n bar incredible friendly n assist you whenever u needed. We actually make good friends to some of the staff. Although only thing is they are hardly speak English. Which is lacking. Thre beach is not great as it black sand n to some extent there's mosquitoes . My friend n I have bitten all proud our legs n foot. We are also not sure if it's coming from the bed. As we get itchy all around our body. Maybe bed bugs. Nit [... read more]e life is fun n enjoyable. N the 24 hours sports bar

Radisson Decapolis: LOW CLASS HELL HOLE

This hotel does not meet international standards. The rooms are spacious,but they are poorly maintained. The first room they gave me, the AC was not cooling properly, I could not sleep, because the air was stuffy. The vent for the AC was dark grey with thick dust. I went to take a bath and the bath tub was also very dirty. I went to use the toilet and the seat was shifting from side to side. I had to let the tap run for 4 to 5 minutes before the hot water came and in the night no hot water, a la [... read more]te shower was not possible. They changed my room which was a hassle for me a 74year old senior citizen. The bed lamp had no bulb, when they brought one, the lamp started blinking. no one answers the phone after11.30p.m. I could not get a wake up call and missed my morning appointment. I went to take a bath after a long day and the bath stopper was not working. I requested to see the GM of the hotel, he did not even respond to my request, and he never even acknowledge that I was a guest there. The guest service rep was sympathetic and helpful, but his requests on my behalf depended on management, who did not respond. I went to the gym, after my work out they said I have to pay $20.00 for a sauna or steam. I explained to them that the website did not state there was a charge for this. ON top of all his they are charging $5.00 for a 500ml bottle of water, because the tap water is not drinkable. I could go on and on but I will stop here.

Dreams Playa Bonita Panama: Relaxing experience

The resort can be considered the lower end if Dreams Resorts. Althythe food was great, and staff service was great, some elements of the resort brings its overall rating down to 3.5 stars in my opinion. The beach was terrible unfortunately, polluted and infested with flees and mosquitoes. Room was spacious and everything was in working order, but cleanliness was questionable. Reception staff were not friendly, but concierge staff were excellent. I would defugo to another Dreams resort, bu [... read more]t definitely not this one again.

Playa Blanca Resort: Playa Blanca Resort, Rio Hato, Panama

Check-in was quick, all of the employees friendly. The hotel itself has beautiful well kept grounds, but the hotel needs to be updated , like painting. We had no water one day in the shower, and when it was on, the shower was cold and no pressure. House keeping was very inconsistent! Somedays not enough towels, no Kleenex, no toilet paper. The hallways were not cleaned! Food was okay. Again no consistency in type of food. Weekends were so busy, the buffet had line up to get in. Service at the  [... read more]buffet was also not up to par as other hotels. The Italian restaurant was our favourite. Beach is on the Pacific side, so water is rough. Entertainment was ok. Overall we would not go back.

Riu Playa Blanca: Definitely not a 5 Star.

Maybe a 4 Star on a good day if you take your glasses off and squint. This property is in desperate need of a good steam cleaning. While the staff is very diligent in sweeping and mopping, everything remains just plain grimy. The once white beach loungers are mostly grey. The ice machine had a giant pillow at the base to wick up leaking water. The pillow and surrounding area was covered in black mould. The walls are covered in scrapes, scratches and dirt. Our balcony had chunks of stucco miss [... read more]ing and also needed paint. The room furniture is red and grey vinyl circa 1985. The AC in our room was out for a day. The hot water was sporadic. Gross out alert!!! (skip this if you are at all squeamish) There were toddlers in the "adult" pool wearing diapers. I witnessed a woman popping pimples on her husbands back.... IN THE POOL. On the plus side, the food was the best we have had at an all inclusive resort. The staff is friendly and attentive. These redeeming values are the only things preventing this resort from a 3 star rating. We will not be returning or recommending this property.

Playa Blanca Resort: Nice resort for a price

People were nice to us and many Panamanian people on vacation. Culture of this Latino people are a bit different then North Americans! The best for us was Lagoon the big pool of Central Americas. Nice service and not as many people like in the hotel.

Riu Playa Blanca: Fantastic Resort

Everything was lovely, from the time we checked in til the time we checked out. We received the free upgrade upon presenting our marriage license and were very happy with the room. Great food options, nice pools. Fantastic view of the ocean from our balcony. Enough staff spoke english so we were able to have all our questions answered quickly. Would highly recommend.

Riu Playa Blanca: Friendly and clean

The Riu is definitely a good option for families. The staff are friendly and helpful and speak English. The grounds and the rooms are clean and well maintained. The hotel has some age on it and there is some wear and tear on the hotel room furniture but nothing significant. The hot water in the showers was also only warm not hot which wasn’t great even though water pressure was good. They need to upgrade their bed pillows as they are too small and flat for my liking. The wi-fi should also be m [... read more]ade available in rooms not just in main areas of the hotel. The food is fine but not great but I realize needs to appeal to a wide variety of tastes.

Riu Playa Blanca: Riu playa blanca

Nice hotel for the price and great pools with lots of activity............................................................................................................................................

Dreams Playa Bonita Panama: Small, nice but needs update.

Nice place but needs update. They should lower the price if they need more costumers; the hotel was almost empty therefore some services were affected. The two restaurants were nice & the food was well presented & good. Not much to do except eat, swim only in the pool; due to tides the ocean (Pacific) was not accessible for swimming. The staff were pleasant & willing to help.

Playa Blanca Resort: Average yet awesome

We stayed at the Town center tower which is excellent accommodation this resort is kid friendly the buffet are good and their ala carte were great people were friendly and always smiling just only they hardly speak English but overall we had great time at this resort

Riu Playa Blanca: Great time

this was a great vac very nice hotel, food was awesome and pools very clean and nice, beach ok did not spent much time on beach very hot. the Airport is only 10 min away from the hotel - this was very enjoyable. day trips need at least one hour for travel time to reach any location so only did one day trip to canal it was a great trip well worth the 2 hr commute

Riu Playa Blanca: Very nice resort!

Rooms were very clean, staff friendly but many could not speak English..Food was excellent with a lot of variety.... Ocean was red flagged almost every day so not best for swimming. sand black and hot to walk on. Entertainment very good. Would definitely go back to this hotel!

Playa Blanca Resort: Perfect trip

Beautiful rooms, amazing view- we had a great trip. Drinks in room everyday cleaned very nice. So many pools bars food choices. Entertainment all in Spanish but lots to do- disco was not very busy. Great trip

Riu Playa Blanca: A great time!

First of all I’d like to say I read the reviews prior to travelling to the Riu Playa Blanca in Panama. I was nervous but having had some friends recently stay there I trusted their judgement. Flight to panama was just over 5 hours. Arrival at airport was fairly quick considering the actual size of the airport. Trip on the bus from the airport was no more than 5 min which in my mind was a bonus. We travelled as a family of 4, children 8 and 9 my husband and I. Arrival at the hotel was great. As [... read more] soon as we walked off the bus there were welcome cocktails. Our luggage was unloaded and we were told to check in. Our room was ready so we attended the luggage and a bell boy took us up stairs! Quick and easy! Our room was a nice size and we had requested a cot at booking and it was already in the room when we arrived! Comfortable beds and a safe included. Soap, face clothes and hand soap all provided. There was no shampoo or condition which didn’t bother me as I always pack our own. Mini fridge was stocked with pop and water and a couple beers. Sign said it’s restocked every second day and it was no issue. There were also 4 bottles of liquor in the room. TV only had 2 English speaking channels. AC worked awesome! And the majority of the rooms are ocean view so I suggest not paying for the upgrade. We were on the 6th floor (top) and elevators worked without an issue all week. There are no reservations for the specialty restaurants which was good. No waiting in line to book your times. We showed up 10-15 min after the restaurant opened and no issue getting seats. The steak house was all served and a nice meal! The Italian was also good, it was buffet for appetizers and desserts but nice meal. We did not go to the Asian restaurant. The buffet was great. The food in panama is very Americanized, peanut butter, Nutella, caramel, Heinz ketchup, lots of great fruit. All meals at the buffet were good. The pools are kinda gross, that would be my one complaint. I like a nice big pool with a swim up bar and these were 4 smaller pools and one swim up bar. That pool was gross. Although workers are constantly cleaning there are a lot of people in that water. We had a white float and it turned greenish. The kids pool was great my girls enjoyed that. The sand is black and amazing! It’s so beautiful. Lots of shells to search for and beautiful to walk on. This is the Pacific Ocean so it’s the big water, we were able to swim in the morning but waves were big more days. This is a self serve resort which didn’t bother us. You get off your chair and walk 30 feet to the bar and order a drink. There are not servers coming around to take your order. Great cocktails at the lobby bar. And for my fellow Canadians they are Caesar’s and they are awesome!!!! We had two problem in our room, one a water line burst under the sink, called maintenance and they were there within min to clean up, then we had no cold water in our room so the toilet wouldn’t flush called and they attended right away. During the water line break, they had to clean the water up off the floor, change the curtains and bedding, my daughters “baby” blanket somehow went missing. I assume it was on the bed and was taken with the sheets. We filed a missing item report at the reception and were told to check back many many times.... we left there and the blanket was never returned... there were some tears by my daughter and I.... but things happen. I’m just sad we still had 5 days when we noticed it was missing and it was never found. We did the jungle boat tour which was amazing, saw and fed monkeys and even saw a sloth. Kayaked through the jungle to a waterfall and had an authentic lunch which was good, not so much for the kids but the experience was pretty incredible. All and all our first trip to panama was enjoyable. It’s very hot there! Like intense. Take lots of sunscreen!!! Wish the pool situation at the Riu was better but it didn’t break the trip for us. We have been all over travelling with our kids and we like this resort. We would return!

Riu Playa Blanca: Objective Review of Riu Playa Blanca, Panama

I am in a position to comment fairly about this resort. I have stayed at two other Riu resorts(Riu Tequila in Mexico and Riu Tropical Bay Palace in Jamaica) as well as several non-Riu resorts in Cuba and Dominican Republic. Pros: 1. The pools are well kept, the water is warm. Enough chairs for people using the pools. Plenty of shaded areas to sit by the pool. 2. The rooms are large and clean and the shower is also very large. The water does go from hot to cold, but this can be contro [... read more]lled and is not unbearable. 3. Very good entertainment. The entertainment staff are very talented and fit. Their shows are entertaining and varied. The musicians play Latin music before the shows and they play well. 4. Quick check in process. Friendly, polite and competent staff at the front desk. The staff that work the front desk are fluent in English. 5. Bartenders are skilled and make great drinks to order. The alcohol choices at the bars is good. The beer is good too. If you avoid the wine, you will be fine with the mixed drinks and beer at this resort. 6. While there is no bar service at the pool bars (ie get your own drinks), there is excellent bar service at the main theatre. 7. The resort is absolutely safe. Your possessions are safe provided that you exercise normal care. (i.e do not leave your iphone unattended for long periods of time out in the open). Panama is a much safer country than most countries. 8. There is a good choice of excursions, but if you want to see the new Panama City, you will have to do this on your own. 9. The grounds are well kept and beautiful. 10. The beach is pleasant. Do not expect the same type of beach that you will find in Dominican Republic, Cuba, Jamaica or Mexico. The sand is a volcanic black sand and the water is not very clear. 11. The transfer from the airport to the resort is about 10 minutes. 12. The resort and the surrounding building are all modern and new. The infrastructure of the country is excellent. There were no power failures or water shut offs that you will find in Cuba. This is NOT a third world country. 13. The price is very affordable, but at the expense of the little extras and a better food selection. It comes down to whether or not you are prepared to pay extra for these things. Cons: 1. The selection of seafood is very limited. Mussels, clams and fish is about all you will find. The a la carte restaurants occasionally serve shrimp. Absolutely no lobster. The meat is edible, but not exceptional. Do not expect great cuts of beef here. 2. Forget about Mimosas for breakfast as you will find in most other resorts. I only saw sparkling wine being served once during my stay. 3. The wine is quite undrinkable, but this seems to be the general trend for all-inclusive resorts. 4. The food choices are quite limited. Not the same wide selection that you will find in other Riu hotels. The salting of the food was not consistent. Sometimes dishes were too salty. At other times, they were not salted enough. The blended milkshake fruit drinks I found to be very bland. The fruit juices came out of a machine. Only the tomato juice had good taste. I have had better juices and fruit milkshake drinks at other resorts. The a la carte restaurants are just OK. Nothing better. Having been to two other Riu resorts, I know what is good and what is not good. The desserts at this Riu are a big disappointment. I got to try some desserts from the neighbouring Playa Blanca resort (cheaper than Riu) and those desserts were much better. Riu has to improve its desserts. This is not just my complaint, but the comments of many others I have spoken to. Overall, I would say that the food at this resort was adequate but neither good nor outstanding. 5. The staff could be a little friendlier. The wait staff in the restaurants do work hard,but do not expect the same type of attentive service that you get in your home country or other resorts when you travel. They seem not to care about tips. I am not sure why. I try to tip when I am on vacation. I generally feel sorry for the people working at these resorts. However, Panama is not like most countries. The people earn enough to live and nobody starves in Panama. The government provides good benefits to the people. 6. There are long lines at breakfast and they move slow. 7. Bacon is not served everyday at breakfast, but for me this is not a deal breaker. 8. There is no bar service outside the bar. If you want drinks by the pool, you have to get them yourself. We might return again, but only if the price was right. It is worth trying once for the right price. At the point where the price is high, I would go elsewhere or to another country. On the balance, I would recommend this resort, but I would strongly qualify my recommendation. I would not give this resort my highest recommendation, which I reserve for the better resorts I have stayed at. We met several travelers a the airport who have been to the Riu Guanacaste in Costa Rica. They said that the Riu Guanacaste was vastly superior to the Riu Playa Blanca in Panama and the difference in price was justifiable. Next time we will put our hard earned dollars into a trip to Costa Rica. However, I am glad that we did this trip and for what we paid, I am satisfied.

Grand Decameron Panama: beautiful location and ocean view

well kept, beach was lovely, food very good, customer service a little lacking may have to do with the language barrier. My one complaint would be the walkways and the service vehicles use the same allowance so if a service vehicle comes by you must walk on the grass to get out of way, only option however, signs say to stay off grass. Shared walkway is very scary

Riu Playa Blanca: Beautiful resort

The hotel was fairly new, very clean and modern. Well maintained, services were great. Everyone was very polite. Lobby area was well kept and comfortable for relaxing. Food was good, lots of varieties, there is something for every taste pallet. Beach was different...not the typical white sand but greyish which I liked for it is different. Very clean beach but not the best I have been to. Pools were very big n nice I really like that this resort was just 7 mins away from the airport.

Riu Playa Blanca: Will definitely return to a Riu Resort!

Just got back from a two week vacation at the Riu Playa Blanca in Panama. It was our first time staying at a Riu resort and we were very impressed with the cleanliness of the rooms, restaurants and grounds. Check-in was a breeze. They were well prepared for our arrival. Upon entering our room, we noticed that the lock on our balcony door was missing. Lobby staff had a maintenance man up to our room within 5 minutes to repair the lock. Problem solved! All staff were friendly and attenti [... read more]ve to our needs. Although all inclusive buffets tend to be repetitive, the fare was good and plentiful. Pool cleaners had a full-time job testing and keeping the pools clean, especially the pool by the bar which was especially crowded and therefore had a lot of greasy film from all the sunscreen floating on top. We would not hesitate to stay at another Riu hotel on future vacation destinations.

Riu Playa Blanca: Great resort

Newer hotel, good food, great service and amazing beach. The beach was like a canvas with a different picture everyday. You can't beat this place for the price and a bonus that it was so close to the airport.