Grand Decameron Panama: Worst trip in our 5 years as a group

Where do I start. We went to Cuba on our second year and the food was 3 times better than whatever we had here. No plans to do anything for the Super Bowl had to supply own food to enjoy the game. The best meal we had we had to go off the resort to a restaurant. I understand we're in a different country but you have to have someone who can communicate when there's a problem. Little things like having to pay for a second key when they're two people in the room having to pay for a safe at an all- [... read more]inclusive resort is unacceptable. Spoke to people there who told me they have been coming here for years and it has been going downhill and they would never come back, I hope you take a good look before you recommend anybody else to come to this Resort. Saying that the rooms were fine and the grounds are very nice. I read some negative reviews before we came here but we had to see it for ourselves and I would rate this 3 out of 10.

Riu Playa Blanca: Nice resort

Nice hotel, solid 4 stars, only about 7 minutes away from the airport. Check in was very fast and well organized. The resort is clean. Staff are constantly polishing floors, painting, etc., but the swimming pools were dirty, overcrowded and too far from the washrooms. The drinks were good and the staff was great. The food selection was OK and no line ups. There are no reservations at the specialty restaurants. Stayed February 2017.

Grand Decameron Panama: Excellent Resort

We had an amazing stay at the royal Decameron in Panama. The only thing I can say is next time I will book a ocean front. the stairs and paths leading to our unit was very difficult especially when you have health issues. Very efficient check in and all staff was very helpful. Disappointing that you had to make a reservation for the buffet and when you went to book the special restaurants a lot of nights they were either closed or booked for special parties. Over all we would go back again [... read more]. Thanks Maria Harris for your great service at Trip Central

Riu Playa Blanca: Not a 5 Star

I was disappointed with the resort because I was looking forward to a 5 star. I have stayed at 4 stars that were better. The resort is clean. The buffet had quite a large variety of food. Brand name spirits available at bars. A la cartes were just okay. The rooms were clean as well as the bathrooms in the room. There were no extras. No hand cream, shampoo, conditioner etc. There was only one bathroom for the entire pool area. Very little service at buffets or pool side. Hallways and r [... read more]ooms very stark and institutional looking. Nothing to do close to the resort at all. Not a terrible place but certainly not 5 star.

Westin Playa Bonita: Good Hotel but Not a beach destination

Great Hotel and superb service. We had an ocean view room with a breathtaking view of the bay and the ships waiting at the Canal. Food was good, but not to the standards that we have seen in some of the 5 star beach resorts. The key issue is the beach which does not compare to the Caribbean beaches, and the water is not very clean considering large quantity of ships anchored nearby. Also on the beach as sand flies which are terrible particularly in morning and evening.

Playa Blanca Resort: Fun time!

Overall it was a nice resort, a bit dated. The staff was pretty friendly. The food was really good. A pretty big downfall was the pools on the resort were quite dirty, not really cleaned and full of kids. As a result we didn't get to use them all week. As well as the large saltwater pool that was advertised we were not allowed to use unless you paid a fee everyday. So, therefore we weren't very happy about the whole pool situation, especially after being excited to swim in the second largest sa [... read more]ltwater pool in the world. The beach was nice, although we were unable to swim certain times of the day due to sting rays. As well the sand was extremely hot, my feet were burnt the second day of the trip. The resort was full of locals, not too many Canadians. Not many people spoke English. The nightly entertainment was always in Spanish every night. Overall a good experience though.

Grand Decameron Panama: Excellent Trip

My group had a great time with little complaints. Many Thanks to Janet for letting us know about "the hill" and suggesting the upgrade to beachfront. This resort was very organized from check in to check out. There were never any lines or waiting. Even at the airport upon departure it was 5 minute wait to check your baggage. Having to reserve every meal was a concern at first but it worked out well and we ate in a different restaurant every night. The food was excellent, the service ca [... read more]n be a bit slow. I wanted to jump in a few times and organize the wait staff lol, but they were always pleasant and the food was always hot. The nightly entertainment at the main theatre could use some improvement and better communication as to what is happening. I believe the lobbies had a schedule of events but they are at the top of the hill. Placing these boards in the pool areas at the bottom of the hill or near each entertainment spot would better serve the customers as to what is going on nightly. The staff were all very efficient and pleasant. I had problems with my safe not working several times, I called the lobby and they would have someone there within 15 minutes. A security concern I had was the room keys had the room number engraved on them. If your key became lost or stolen someone could go right to your room and enter. Not sure how to get around that without switching to swipe cards. The Transat Rep Jacque was excellent, he was very organized and extremely helpful to his guests. He was always calm, had a smile and lots of helpful advise for people. He should be the example of what a rep should be. Thanks again Janet for helping me with my group trips!

Grand Decameron Panama: Beatiful resort

The hotel grounds were immaculate the bar staff were increadable the rooms are big and the maids did a great job Food was acceptable the weather was a steady 32 degrees having to book all restaurants was a pain the stairs all 60 to the beach and restaurants was testing The trip to the Panama camel was a great experience

Riu Playa Blanca: Beautiful, hot relaxing

This resort is beautiful, staff very fun and friendly. The housekeeping staff are always cleaning, mopping and friendly. Bartenders are fast and friendly. Food was plenty and tasteful. Lots of excursions to take. I enjoyed my 1 week vacation there. Pools were very nice , beach front ,I did not like

Dreams Playa Bonita Panama: Amazing fun on the sun

Beautiful grounds, and nice view of ships waiting to enter canal and lots of blue sky !! Staff very attentive and ready to help in any way. Lots of excursions to select from plus close to Panama City for easy access but far away to enjoy the relaxation of this resort

Bijao Beach Resort: Won't return

Doesn't matter what upgrades you pay extra money for you get what ever room they give you. We upgraded to pool view with king size bed. Our room had two double beds, no safe in room, and over looked the back of the resort Front desk clerk stated there was no other room available for two days Poor service not enough staff working at the resort. Local people at the resort were treated better than tourists from other areas. Food was very good with great variety The resort seemed very uno [... read more]rganized with lack of staff.

Blue Bay Coronado Golf and Beach Resort: Not bad hotel

The hotel is very clean and cared for. Staff are nice, some friendly but in general could make more effort to communicate. Food was uneven, some days were better than others, overall too much reheated, done over leftovers from previous meals. We are not fussy eaters, so consider it big deal. But the restaurants required more organized effort, for example they ran out of milk at breakfast with cereals, coffee etc. being served. The distance to the beach was a definite drawback, particularly that  [... read more]the shuttle operated "on demand" without any schedule, so sometimes it meant considerable wait. But the weather was gorgeous and we enjoyed the beach once we got there. It is a pity that all the activities and programmes were in French only. Things were getting confusing at times due to lack of signage and/or information in English, no tour desk in the hotel. The biggest drawback was the Transat rep. who was rushed and not very outgoing. Overall nice hotel and we had a pleasant stay.

Bijao Beach Resort: Resort needs improvement

The good: beach is beautiful and you can walk forever beach has lifeguard. The grounds are beautiful. Hotel is 15 minutes from airport. A la carte restaurants are excellent The bad: I am not usually critical or overly picky Rooms clean but need updating. Not enough palapas and shade at beach. Pools look dirty...kids allowed at every pool...jumping off stools at pool bar. Service at buffet restaurant poor...not enough servers. Not enough tables at buffet restaurant. Food is good but not muc [... read more]h selection at buffet. Bad septic odour around lobby area.poor night entertainment. Requested king size bed...got 2 double beds...not many kings avail or queen size. Would never return and would never suggest to anyone

Grand Decameron Panama: Great vacation - 2nd visit!

This hotel shows a bit of its age but is well maintained and clean (except for bathrooms near beach). The food is great and the choices are plenty. The weather and beach is why we keep returning to Panama and again it was perfect. If you're looking for perfect weather, great beach, good food and can handle a bit of wear and tear this hotel is great!!

Riu Playa Blanca: Nice clean resort

Rooms were clean, good air conditioner. Fresh towels daily. Food was good but repeats a lot of the same everyday. Entertainment needs improving. Wished the disco would open earlier then 11pm. Some staff spoke good english but others had language barrier. All in all we had incredible weather and the price was right for our week vacation. thanks Marie Mourot

Riu Playa Blanca: Panama Heat

We booked at this location for the weather. We were not disappointed. Weather was perfect, sunny everyday and very very hot. This is not a 5 star resort but you do not pay 5 star price. The price we paid was worth every penny. There are not really any a la carte restaurants at this resort they are all buffet style. There all plenty of families at this resort but with 4 pools its all good. The entertainment is not the greatest. The black beach is clean and the ocean water is like a warm bath. The [... read more]re are horses at the beach which are available for a cost. Plenty of water sports some at no charge. We went for a couples massage which was superb. Recommend ocean front room. Rooms are very plain but clean. Fridge not stocked every day. But the service from the staff in all areas was fabulous.

Grand Decameron Panama: Disappointing family vacation

This resort is dated. Rooms were kept clean. We had 3 small bath towels; no hand towels or wash clothes. We were finally able to get 2 hand towels. One 1.5 litre bottle of water in our room daily. Lock on patio door to balcony did not work. Food was pretty good, overall. Having to make reservations for dinner, even to go to the buffets was a pain. Selection of food was minimal. One omelet station per buffet created long lineups. Hoarding of bacon was ridiculous. Having to get to the po [... read more]ol at 6 a.m. to ensure that we were able to get a shady spot was unreasonable. Communication was a problem. We did have some employees who did try to help us. Most employees were not friendly. We are not sure how this resort has been designated with a 4.5 star rating. It is in our opinion that what we paid was certainly not worth the value.

Grand Decameron Panama: Hot, hot heat!

I recently stayed at the Royal Decameron in Panama from January 12-19th, 2017 with a group of 14 adults and 1 toddler. The pros: A beautiful beach that stretches as far as the eye can see, well maintained grounds, great drinks, beautiful weather, Iguanas and peacocks roam the grounds, lots of bars and pools - it never felt crowded. The tap water is potable - safe to drink for tourist. The Rio Hato airport is small, one carousel for luggage so getting through customs at arrival is a breeze [... read more]. The resort is a short 5 minute bus ride away. The cons: Evening buffets have to be booked just like an a la carte. I could only book 3 days at a time and had to stand in line at 6:30 am in the lobby waiting to get a "ticket" and then had to wait for my number to be called before I was able to book. This process took about 1.5 hours each time I had to complete this task. I have never been to a resort where you have to book your evening buffet. The resort is built on a hill if anyone is booking with mobility issues I would be sure to get a beach front room where you are on the main level of the resort close to the beach, bars and buffets. A lot of stairs to climb or steep hills if using the road ways. If you do not have mobility issues, this makes for a great workout! Keys - you only receive 1 key for your room and it is a legitimate key, so don't loose it. All in all a great beach vacation. If you are looking for great food this is not the place for you. I always found something to eat, but I would not rave about the food and I certainly never went hungry.

Dreams Playa Bonita Panama: Great Resort

The hotel is a great place if you want peacefulness and relaxation. This resort doesn't have a nightlife. Food is good however, you are limited to 3 restaurants open at the same time. The only downfall to this area to which the resort is located are the chitras (sand fleas). They are bad at dusk and dawn. With not being able to see them, you don't realize that they are biting you until you start scratching. The bites are a hit and miss with different people. Another downfall is the 2 hr trip fro [... read more]m the airport. Look forward to more or less a full day of travelling on both arrival and departure day. Don't expect to be able to swim at the beach all the time with the high and low tides every 5 1/2 - 6 hrs. Rooms were beautiful and the resort was very clean. Hats off to Roger the bartender, Ricardo and Tifany from Portafino. It definitely "was a pleasure".

Riu Playa Blanca: Fantastic Resort

Enjoyed our time immensely staying at this resort. A Goldilocks kind of resort in that it wasn't too large or too small; it was just right. Large selection of food during meals, no problems finding a seat. No issues with noise from the night life. Entertainment was fun to watch or educational (one night only).