Riu Playa Blanca: Nice clean resort

Generally good.food was not the greatest but there was always something one could eat. Very clean. Staff friendly. Check in and out quick and efficient. Beach not the best, sand black and brown. Pools enjoyable. Entertainment okay.

Riu Playa Blanca: Nice hotel but too many children in adult pool

too many children in the adult swim up pool bar area--no one would control them-there should be an area for adults only--the evening enterainment was mediocre--the staff was very friendly, polite and helpful--our oceanfront room was clean and comfortable

Riu Playa Blanca: this hotel is good

first of all too many locals waiting in line for drinks to be served, also if you smoke like it do and many others their is only one place to smoke which is down towards the ocean.youy cant even smoke off your balcony for if you get caught its a $500.00 fine. would not recomend this to any one. also it is too hot theirs no place to cool down in the pools they are hotter than a bath tub. over all it was ok the food was good.the alla carts were never opened only one through the week.

Riu Playa Blanca: Good Value .. Lots to do ..

New Resort.. very well kept .. clean .. rooms were cleaned every day. Beach good .. black sand.. .. Lots to do at this resort .. also great day trips .. Food was plentiful and a wide variety at every meal Smoke Free resort although when we were there .. many inconsiderate smokers did not adhere to the NO SMOKING signs and I had to report it four times. Great Artisans on the beach and very reasonable prices ... Gift shop .. far TOO EXPENSIVE .. you can purchase the same items on the beach for  [... read more]less than half the price We felt very safe here and went off the resort many times to go to the local village. Panamanians are friendly hardworking people and very helpful.. when there was a language barrier (which wasn't often) they would go out of the way to find someone that could speak English. The only negative I would say is that on the weekends you can hardly get in the pools as the resort is full of locals .. This was especially in the kids area .. Other than that we had a great time and the price is right. WE had a garden view room but every room has a view of the ocean. I would rate it as a 4 star not 5

Riu Playa Blanca: amazing resort

Very clean, friendly staff, food everyday different. pool really nice and clean. Wifi free. erery night different shows but as there are lots of tourist, suggesting that have to speak more English.Love the place.

Riu Playa Blanca: Very Good Resort

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this resort. The rooms were spotlessly cleaned and maintained. The grounds were beautifully kept even with continuous changes and modifications going on. The speciality restaurants and the buffet were a delight!! So many different choices to please the pallet!! And the staff went above and beyond what was expected of them. We are planning on returning here in the very near future.

Riu Playa Blanca: Great resort and staff

I went with my best friend, it was beautiful and fun. The weather was amazing and we spent most of our days by the pool meeting people and playing games during the day or at the shows and disco in the evening. The staff was amazing and maintenance was great. The only thing we didn't like was the beach but besides that it was a great place to stay.

Playa Blanca Resort: So so resort

Too many children there really was not an adult area as large local family's on what I guess was day passes invaded the resort...English was almost non existent with staff and bartenders were very poorly trained...when you have teenage bartenders that did not know what a beer is ...that's sad

Riu Playa Blanca: Fantastic Resort!

I had always heard amazing things about RIU resorts, but had never stayed at one. Playa Blanca lived up to and exceeded my expectations! The grounds are beautifully landscaped: flowering shrubs, manicured hedges. The outside was clean, bright and always had an energy about it. Our room was tastefully appointed and always clean. Which was no small feat with two teenagers! Staff, from the front desk, to servers, room attendants were friendly and very attentive. The food was varied and delicious. W [... read more]e especially enjoyed the Italian restaurant.

Grand Decameron Panama: Great Resort

The rooms were very clean and a nice size. The resort was very clean and well kept. With all the restaurants it was great being able to choose a different restaurant every night. The beach was very large and spacious so you never feel crowded in. The shows were the only disappointment.

Riu Playa Blanca: Great Family Vacation

Panama people are amazing. Very friendly and helpful. We only speak English and this was not a problem. Beach was amazing (except for the dark sand that is very hot on the feet). Pools were great, food was great, drinks were great. Hotel was bright and clean.

Dreams Playa Bonita Panama: Stay in town instead!

Stayed here July 17-24th, flew Sunwing for an all-inclusive one week trip. FOOD: 2/10! Buffet: If you like bland hospital food then this is the place for you! They charge $17.50 American for the breakfast buffet and the selection is poor. You have very limited choices and get a cheap feeling about the food selection; they put out the bare minimum. We had our buffet included but ate very little due to the choices. Watch out for the bugs around the desserts and food. Saw one staff member sprayin [... read more]g bug spray right in front of the food and the manager trying to swipe them away, this was an indoor restaurant! Restaurant: The “gourmet” Lighthouse restaurant which according to their website is a “first class restaurant with fresh ingredients” was terrible. The sea bass I ordered was frozen fish microwaved to rubber texture served alongside instant mash. Service: 2/10 Where to start? Arrival: Our bags just dropped at front of hotel not taken to room, No welcome drinks or water. Check in: Given a sheet about what’s not included with your all-inclusive. We told the check in staff about what was included in our all-inclusive package and they stated “it doesn’t exist”. Had to waste time getting a hold of our travel rep in Canada to show them that yes it is included. Staff: Make minimal effort and only a few staff seemed happy to be working there. Only one staff member went above and beyond during our stay. Amenities: Didn’t use the spa so it might be nice. Wanted to use the kayaks since they were included with our package but saw the signs in the elevator stating prices to use them, very exhausted from dealing with the hotels customer service so just didn’t bother. Room: 3/10 The hotel room itself is dated and needs a makeover; there is nothing special or memorable about it. The mini bar fridge which they provide has no water or snacks, if you want water you have to go downstairs to the lobby. Another disappointment was the room service. The room service button on the phone didn’t work; neither did the instant service button - “anything you want anytime” Had to call the front desk 4 or 5 times before anyone would answer. Food overpriced and not worth ordering, tasted like it had been cooked and left under a heating lamp all day. If you do order they add the tip to bill for room service; it states in the menu that they don’t! We over tipped since the staff didn’t mention it was included. Property: 5/10 The pools were nice; I liked how they had a separate pool for adults only. The staff outside did a great job with maintaining the gardens and general landscaping. Overall: We would never stay here again. We did go into Panama City and stayed at the Grace, it was a beautiful and modern hotel. From the champagne check in to the manager coming up to the room with a complimentary dessert, everything was above and beyond. The food at the Grace was excellent and very reasonably priced for both the restaurant and room service. Why they give the Intercontinental hotel a 4 star rating or good reviews is beyond me. Stay in town! For people interesting in booking with Sunwing be aware that they change direct flights. We stopped in Cuba on both the departure and return flight. Sunwing flies into Rio Hato which is a tiny airstrip used by Sunwing and Air Panama, it is a bare bones airport with no food or duty free.

Riu Playa Blanca: Great Resort...Pleasantly Surprised

After reading some of the other reviews regarding this resort, once we arrived and had a chance to get to know the place we were quite pleasantly surprised at how truly nice this resort actually is. Even thought the hotel idicates it is a 5 star it would propably be fair to say more of a 4 or 4.5 star. Not all the services that come along with a 5 star property were offered here. The hotel itself is truly modern and quite simplistic in its design, not your traditional RIU hotel if that is what  [... read more]you are looking for than this is not it, this hotel is quite modern with everything about it, from your room to the restaurants to the entire design of the hotel. I found it to be a refreshing change and quite liked it myself for a change of pace from the ordinary of what you normally expect. We stayed in a standard room which was quite fine in size, had all the typical amenties that RIU is quite famous for. The room was very clean and staff were amazing and very helpful if you needed anything. All rooms that face inward to the garden/courtyard/pool area have somewhat off a view of the ocean from the balcony which is an added bonus. I found the lobby to be a bit on the hot side, the natural breeze just didn't seem to flow through very easy, now the lounge area just off the lobby has an amazing breeze. The check in was truly great, I was with Sunwing, so we had our own check in line and everything was prepared and ready to go. Because this resort is quite new, the grounds still have a lot of growth to go but they really do keep it very clean and well maintained....still so young since the hotel has only been open for a little over a year now to the best of my knowledge. I found the food to be quite good, above average considering it is an all inclusive. Each restaurant I found to be equally good, Steak House, Asian, Italian and the Buffett...each were equally as good. Note: At the Steak House make sure you ask for the special or they may not offer it to you. Found this out afterwards that they sometimes forget to offer the special, but just ask and they will offer it. The service was very good and there was always something good to eat and let me tell you I am a very picky eater...so if I could eat then just about anyone would enjoy. Also you do have unlimited access to all the restuarants here, but again you do have to book early in the morning to get the place you want to eat at with the exception of the buffett of course. The beach area is a little different, the red flag was up the entire week for us, so didn't really get a chance to swim in the ocean, but we did a lot of walking along the shoreline letting the water cascade over our feet...which is really nice. You can quite literally walk forever it seems along this beach...amazing! If you are looking for a very laid back place to enjoy music, sun and sand then I think you will enjoy yourself here.

Grand Decameron Panama: Acceptable & Reasonably priced

Our bed was broken and it took 3 days for them to come and fix it. Also half of the resort was closed while we were there and we were only able to use some of the pools and the restaurants. Resort was very clean.

Grand Decameron Panama: Great Resort

Very clean resort. Comfy beds and pillows. Food was great. Lots of variety. Excellent friendly service. Beautiful grounds. Only complaint was the 2 hour bus ride from airport. There is an airport 5 min from the resort but not all airlines can go there. Despite that it was worth the drive.

Grand Decameron Panama: Large But Has Issues

The hotel is amazingly huge, full of greenery and Palm trees which really does give the sense your are in an oasis. The beach itself is large and not congested with many vacationers other than the ones staying at the resort. Poor Customer Service: I found the resort lost its sense of customer service and friendly approach perhaps because of its size but most definitely because of the poor service industry approach by its staff. Now although not all staff fell in this category but I'd say a good [... read more] 80% of the staff did where they were not at all friendly, their approach was often cold and refused to even attempt to speak English and when they did they were rude and would often times glare at you and walk away or ignore you even though you are speaking to them less than 3 feet away. I found I was inconveniencing them with any requests I had. Rooms: The rooms were fine upon checking in however room service (cleaning room, towels, bedding, floors etc) were not performed until 5-630pm of the next day. When it was done, the rooms were not cleaned (bathroom, showering areas) and floors were not washed. Garbage was often not collected or removed from the garbage bins. The air conditioner would not work a number of times and when I enquired, I felt I was again inconveniencing them and no resolution would be made. Restaurants: Although there were many snack locations available and a number of a-la-carte options... Reservations process was not accommodating as often times there were long waits or only late times available to eat (ie: 9pm) which is concerning when the snack options closed at 6pm at times. One particular time, all restaurants required reservations including the only one buffet restaurant that was available for supporter (Pacifico) when the other main buffet restaurant (Atlantis) was closed with no announcement. When I found this out I walked to the end of the resort at 7pm only to be told there was only reservations available for entry and there were no more spaces available. No snack options were open and the one buffet restaurant that was open was booked based on reservations. There was no other option to eat supper. Through many discussions with many staff I was finally permitted to enter but this should never have gotten to the point where I had to finally raise my voice and indicate that I was a diabetic and to not eat at this point was not an option or there would have been an emergency issue to deal with. The snack options during the day were your typical food options (buffs, fries etc) but when Yiu do not eat these types of foods for nutritionally purposes, what other option does one have? One restaurant called the Sushi restaurant did not have sushi at all in fact they had the same recycled fried chicken pieces in a somewhat sweet sauce made of ketchup that was served 5out of the 7 days. There were no options just the same food choices which was upsetting. Overall experience was an expectation that this resort was a 4.5 star but really it was a 3 star at best. The resort is fine but what I was also most concerned about was the fact that the "French" patrons received superior customer service which included priority seating for A-La-Carte restaurants, prompt services all around, specialized programming and vip staff services for trouble shooting resort issues and closed services exclusively for French patrons only (eg. Pool programming, excursion services, food seating and others) As a English speaking patron, I felt I was treated most definitely different and poorly than the French patrons which really is bias and even racist. One of the staff for example staffing the excursion counter clearly stated, "I only speak to the French staff and service them. I can't help you!" This is found very offensive and ended up walking away.

Grand Decameron Panama: Large, Busy and Hot!

The hotel was large, but easy enough to explore although they left us to our own to find our room. I give it's cleanliness a good grade, no complaints. Our air conditioner in our room was a little noisy, but did not ruin our trip. It was very much needed and welcomed after spending the day in 35 degrees! The resort held many, many different activies and games. There was no shortage of something to do, if you wanted to do it. Food was excellent for the most part, buffets included. The beach was a [... read more]s excected, darker course sand, warm water. Bartenders were very generous, thankfully as the line up's sometimes took over. Bring your bubba cup! Two downfalls: all the nightly entertainment was 98% Spanish and the 2 hour bus ride from the airport to the resort. Overall, it was a beautiful resort and an excellent vacation. I would definately return.

Grand Decameron Panama: Great Resort apart from the room/serv.

Apart from the actual resort, which is very beautifully landscape, the rest of the resort is certainly not consider a 4 star. The rooms is very old, need re-facing, there is no fan, U have to open the window for air, but not for too long due to bugs entertaining the room, not enough towels and no face towels (if U visit the resort, make sure U take face towels & a box of tissue). The buffet was a joke, not much choices, most of the time U see the same dishes. We had dinner twice at the buffet, t [... read more]here was around 6 trays of food, 3 trays was empty & was not replaced, I had to eat so much bread just TB filled. We eat at the other restaurant which U are limited to reservations, the food is very good but I find going back too often didn't give U much choices since there was limited choices. Not sure if the resort is short of staff but we observe at the buffet for breakfast, lunch & dinner the tables was not cleaned after people finishes their meal, U might be lucky to get service once at your table if U are lucky. The resort was highly recommend by people who went there a few years ago, but from what I have heard from others who was there a few years ago, is that the resort has gone down in the last few years.

Hard Rock Megapolis: good and bad

This resort is beautiful and in a great central location, it is in the heart of the city of panama, beautiful sky line, close to the old town, and great presentation. The biggest problem is customer service, and the elevators which need 2 weeks just to figure out. A few days I was there over the Easter weekend was so annoying as the main buffet was closed for other ppl who wanted to pay more to eat there! We paid for an ALL INCLUSIVE!!! WHY IS THAT NOT INCLUSIVE???? Customer service is so lackin [... read more]g that its a JOKE! No one speaks English, and they dont care to try to help you out if you dont. The pick your plate up off your table while you are eating just because they want to clear up their section of tables.... CRAZY. Panama itself is beautiful but the training and staff took away from this experience.

Dreams Playa Bonita Panama: Relaxing Holiday

Hotel is very clean. Food is not the best. The gym is amazing looking over the ocean. The spa was good. Swimming Pool is good but if you like the beach don't go to that resort. No entertainment at night.