Riu Playa Blanca: Very good resort

We been there last year in January and liked it ,every thing is amazing that's wy we went this year again the hotel, place staff service , resorants and food is good .The beach is amazing the only thing we didn't like is that the bilardo game was not included you have to pay 6 dollar for one hour this year

Bijao Beach Resort: 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.

Playa Blanca Resort: Great place to stay in Panama!

The grounds of the Playa Blanca Beach Resort are beautiful. Buffet was fabulous with lots of selections. The Italian restaurant had issues with very salty meals. Had to call the front desk to replenish water and towels but they were always sent up after. Loved the massive salt water pool and meals over there were amazing! Would definitely go back! Loved it!

Riu Playa Blanca: Amazing Resort

We really appreciated the hotel, services, grounds, pools, food, cleanliness. The corrective response to a problem from no hot water in shower or the cleaning of fridge after a frozen pop burst need more attention.

Riu Playa Blanca: Awesome resort and holiday!

The hotel is amazing. You wont be disappointed. The foods is good, the beach is excellent, the weather is perfect. The staff at the hotel are wonderful. If you go you need to take a tour into Panama City....the Canal is awesome!

Grand Decameron Panama: Great resort

Beach is beautiful but no waves. Grounds are clean and well kept. Rio Hato airport is literally 10 minutes away - noise from aircraft arriving and departing is not an issue (only 2 or 3 charter flights daily). Housekeeping services were very good - New towels every day. Nightly activities can be a bit noisy if you’re beachfront. Food in general was very good (but beef, pork and seafood were so-so - chicken was excellent.). Fruits and veggies were amazing. Free wifi at lobby was choppy at bes [... read more]t. Only water provided in room (no beer or pop). Drinks at bars were good and service was excellent. Excursion to Panama City and Canal tour well-worth the money / time. All in all good great vacation

Grand Decameron Panama: Good time and great entertainment!

Well maintained, great and friendly service. Beach was awsome drinks were good! Overall it was a fun experience for us . The shows were exceptional and the dancing was professional level. I will 100% go there again!

Grand Decameron Panama: A bit of a letdown.

The grounds were beautiful. The wait staff were very friendly. I was letdown by the conditions of the rooms and the maid service. The rooms were very tired looking (however the beds were very comfortable). We found it impossible to get a regular daily supply of clean towels and glasses. The room held two double beds yet we could not get two hand towels and two clean glasses on a regular basis. The water glasses were always wet and sitting in a little pool of water on the bathroom counter.  [... read more] I suspect there were hand washed by the maids. We kept a plastic bar glass instead of using one we didn't trust. We had to move rooms because of the noise and the first time we flushed the toilet the handle came off. This was later in the evening and it took three calls to the lobby to get it fixed. The resort was beautiful on the outside and the majority of the staff friendly. I did not however, enjoy dealing with anyone in the lobby.

Grand Decameron Panama: amazing resort is right...

Hello there: We just got back from the Royal Decameron jan. 22-29 and what a good week we had, the room, the food and service, the drinks, pools, weather and the beach were outstanding, what more can you ask for. the people that go down to pick the place apart are the people that can find 7 things wrong with a rain-bow and should stay home, there is no place that is perfect just go down with a open mind and you will have a wonderful time like us. Also the panama city tour was also great,( have  [... read more]the steak,) so good. we also met some nice people Randy and Greata from southern Ontario you guys are the best... if you have any questions e-mail me weiner66d@hotmail.com all the best wayne.

Grand Decameron Panama: very good hotel

clean and well taken care of nice staff awesome beach bar tenders go out of there way to make a good drink one played in a band at night good player food was good anywhere you went the transit reps where more then helpful would go back again any time

Grand Decameron Panama: Beautiful Resort

The rooms were simple but very clean. The grounds are beautiful and kept immaculate. Very nicely landscaped. The food was good except the beef is tough. A large variety of fruit and vegetables. Even though the staff knew very little English we were able to communicate our needs.

Grand Decameron Panama: Great Resort

The hotel property was clean and tidy however A little disappointed in the cleanliness of our room. The staff of the resort were friendly and helpful There were several forms we were asked to fill out at various restaurants and venues throughout our stay recommending and commenting on services. Not sure why we were asked to complete so many?

Riu Playa Blanca: Beautiful resort

This is a typical beautiful RIU resort. The staff are always keeping everything clean and constantly working on upkeep. Grounds are also kept up and look great. My family and I just got back - January 2018 The beach was long and beautiful, only thing is if you are used to the white sand it doesn't compare to that. At first there was a large area with black sand and I thought it was dirty, but when the sun shone onto the sand it was sparkly and very different. I was told it was the volcan [... read more]ic fallout into the ocean. There were sea shells if you like looking at those. Pools - there was a nice kids pool, pool where the entertainment/games were, the swim up bar/pool and one more adult pool. Great variety and well kept. Staff - the entertainment staff were always trying to include everyone and there was a lot you could do such as; pool volleyball every morning, water exercises every morning, crazy games - which were the best (had lots of fun either participating and/or watching), dance lessons every afternoon and of course the evening entertainment. The rest of the staff were also good, however the only BUT would be it doesn't compare to the exceptional friendlier staff in the Dominican Republic (which we have gone 3 times in the past 10 years to 3 different resorts/locations). Some staff spoke English, like the reception and entertainment staff but most of the rest didn't. Food/drinks - the a la carte restaurants were exceptional with exceptional staff too! Highly recommend - also you didn't have to make reservations but suggest going right for 6:30 to ensure you get in. Worth the wait! At the buffet the food was ok, BUT if you don't tolerate onions, like myself and some other family members it was difficult to find main food options without the onions. Example - Pizza with ham/pineapple and onions!, chicken cooked with onions, even the salmon was wrapped in an onion! So up to you, I know many people do like the onions. One thing I was not happy with was the day of check out. We didn't have a secured locked area for the luggage it was kept in the lobby from the time of check-out (noon) until 6:30 pm. All other resorts the luggage was put into a separate locked room where they would unlock the room closer to the time you leave. Maybe they don't do this because people need to keep going into their luggage? I was also disappointed with some of the Sunwing Rep's, as we asked them specifically certain questions and they either flat out lied to us in order to book an excursion or they were clueless as to where/what you can find on the property, such as the gift shops. My suggestion on any question around/about the hotel ask a RIU staff member instead. That being said, the shopping excursion was very good. The days were always hot, which is one of the main reasons I chose Panama. Overall thought for the price paid compared to the Dominican Republic, I am not sure if I'd go back unless I wanted guaranteed heat.

Riu Playa Blanca: Very beautiful resort

Hotel was wonderful . Food was awesome,staff was great. Grounds were kept beautiful . Loved the activities. Would gladly stay there again. Weather was perfect . We would liked to have had more shopping

Riu Playa Blanca: Great bang for your buck!

I was with a group of 7 and we all enjoyed our stay at the RIU Playa Blanca. Rio Hato airport is new, small and a 10 mins drive away. Rooms were clean, food was very good and the men did not have to wear long pants at the a la carte restaurants. The food at the buffet was just as good if not better than the a la carte restaurants. Reservations were not required and we did not have to wait more than 5 mins. The Asian Restaurant is buffet style, the Italian is buffet/a la carte and the Steakhouse  [... read more]is a la carte. Tipping is not required for good service. The Balboa beer served at the resort is very good, and they have a good variety of drinks and real fruit juice. I had beer and clamato as my first drink of the day almost every day. The mojitoes were the best i have ever had. You can get real Baileys on ice and yummy pino coladas too. The U shaped resort layout is great, all the pools, bars and restaurants are conveniently located in the U. The beach is beautiful and nice for taking long walks. This is my 7th all-inclusive trip, I've tried Barcelo, Sandals, Couples, Melia and now RIU and the Playa Blanca is the best bang for your buck. My last 4 trips were adult only resorts however my experience at this "family" resort was a good one and I will likely consider this type of resort in the future. The tours supplied by Sunwing/Nexus Tours (Panama Canal Partial Transit and Jungle Boat Tour) are excellent and so is the golf $60 US 9 holes) at the Sheraton Bijao a 12 mins drive from the resort

Grand Decameron Panama: BIG RESORT

The resort is big perfect for family.The down side of the experience is the quality of the rooms. Many walls have holes and need painting, the shower curtain and shower tiles have mold.. Overall a very poor maintenance of the rooms. Also for something as basic as safe boxes...they charge you for them.... After I got back home, I noticed many bites on my legs. The resort has many restaurants and bars.Food was ok.The beach is nice.The swimming is amazing with clear water and sandy bottom - lots o [... read more]f unique and colorful shells to collect. Entertainment could use some work. The entertainment at the main amphitheatre seemed repetitive and lacking in imagination to us. It was basically all done in Spanish. Service ok ,but you have to ask all the time if you need coffee or water. We did a few excursions. All excursions were booked through the resort, and all were good. Transnet service excellent -Jacques was friendly and helpful I WILL GIVE THIS RESORT 3+

Grand Decameron Panama: I would put it at better than good, but, not excellent

At the Lobby One end of the resort, there is an 89 step sequence of stairways which was exhausting to climb for an 84 year old guy. Food was but good. Seems A La Carte is really Buffet. "Baby Beef" & another two A La Carte Steaks were not tender. They need a few electric golf carts to facilitate movement from one end to the other of this very wide resort. Pools were great In-room fridge was empty - no soft drinks, nor beer, which is part of the All-Inclusive deal

Grand Decameron Panama: Another great time at the Royal Decameron in Panama!!

I love this resort!! We came back after 7 years and I can see a few updates in that time. The grounds are clean and well kept, rooms are perfect size and well laid out, we had beach front on the 3rd floor and was close to everything. Luckily the bathroom window is small because they don't lock. There are a lot of hills and steps at this resort but it keeps you moving after having a great meal at any of the restaurants. The food was great, sometimes a little on the warm side, not really hot. Th [... read more]ey seem to hide the bacon in the morning for breakfast, but you just have to ask for it. I wish staff were on the floor for the buffets to watch the portions that people took and to catch people that litterly took all the food off the serving plate. Some people have no concept of sharing or waiting their turn in line. if staff were watching, maybe then people wouldn't take as much. I saw a lot of wasted food. The bars were great, lots of local drinks to choose from. We only stayed a week this time, but next time I'm hoping to stay longer. I would recommend this resort to anyone!!

Riu Playa Blanca: Decent value for $

The price point of this hotel is on par. Groundskeeping etc is great. Beds are comfortable. Rooms are basic and comfortable. We were on the first floor and had no issues with plumbing. Food was okay. Lots of options at the buffet.

Riu Playa Blanca: Exactly what we needed!

First and foremost, thank you to our tripcentral agent, Bev Johnston, for helping us to arrange this trip. She is so easy to deal with and does everything she can to provide us with just the trip experience we are looking for every time!! My husband and I don’t get to travel as much as we would like to, but when we do we want to stay at a resort where we can get the relaxation we need and also go on excursions to learn about the country we are visiting. The Riu satisfied both of those requi [... read more]rements. Our room overlooking the ocean was very clean, spacious, and comfortable, and the cleaning staff did a wonderful job every day. Our only complaint would be that they didn’t replenish the pop in the fridge as often as we would have liked, but that is a very minor complaint. The food at the buffets was very good, and we never left without feeling stuffed, and the staff were always friendly and efficient. My favourite dinner waiters, Miguel and Jorges, always made sure there was a beer waiting for me when I sat down! They were amazing! We also went to the steakhouse one night, and the food and service were fantastic! We didn’t use the pools much because we prefer the beach and the ocean, but the pools always appeared clean and well maintained. The beach was awesome! Yes, the sand gets extremely hot because of its dark colour, but that is to be expected due to its volcanic origins. You can walk for miles either way along the beach, and the ocean was wonderful to swim in. However, it is the ocean, and there are dangers. We quickly learned to take the red flag seriously because if the tide is out, there is a danger of stingrays. You have to pay attention to the lifeguards. They are there for a reason! I have read some reviews where people complained about wild dogs on the beach, but these complaints are ridiculous. Yes, sometimes we saw dogs running on the beach, but they never approach the visitors unless coaxed over, and they never caused problems. Anyway, the staff are always quick to usher away any animals (or people for that matter) who shouldn’t be there. As for our excursions, they were incredible. We arranged them all through our amazing Sunwing rep on site, Christian, and he couldn’t have been more friendly and helpful!! This resort is quite a distance from some of the excursions sites, but if you want a resort that is far away from all the crowds and craziness of more populated areas you have to deal with that. We didn’t mind at all because our excursions were everything we could have asked for and more. I highly recommend the partial transit of the Panama Canal, the jungle boat tour, and the hike up Gaital Mountain in the Anton Valley. All in all, we had a fabulous time with no serious complaints at all. I’m sure there are fancier resorts out there, but for us this was just what we wanted!! Oh, and one last thing, being 10 minutes from the airport is a definite plus in my books!