3 Star Experience, but great grounds and beach front.

We ate at three a la Carte Restaurants (Mediterranean; Peruvian; Italian). Each one had substandard food and in non of them could we eat more than a couple of bites of the food. In the Italian, the food was smothered in too much sauce and/or cheese; in the Peruvian restaurant, there wasn't much that was actually Peruvian, and again the food was smothered in sauce; in the Mediterranean, the food was actually Middle Eastern: The Babbaganoush and the hummus were watery, the pita was dry and cold, t [... read more]he meat was very dry and chewy (the dog that we threw the meat to loved it however) and the kibbeh fell apart when you put your fork into it. The service was great at all three. The buffet food was acceptable and usually there was a good meat dish available. There were not enough vegetable dishes however, and the fruit selection was lacking (no mangos, and the passion fruit was over the top sour). There are lots of hills. Which was fine for us. But if you drink a lot and are out of shape then the hills will be an obstacle. We witnessed a few groups of people struggling to get up the inclines. There is hardly any water pressure in the showers between 5:30 and 7 p.m. sometimes there was no water running at all. This was probably as a result of all the people taking showers after their day at the beach. There are not enough shady spots at the beach or at the pools. You will need to get a towel and go and save a chair under an umbrella before 7 a.m.; unless you can handle 33C with a high humidity then you'll be fine in the sun. If your fluent in Spanish and can tolerate mediocre dancing, then the night show is acceptable. They do go on for 15 minutes or more just with talk (Spanish) so be prepared to sit there waiting for the mediocre dancing to resume. The resort is approx. 500 metres from end to end, again this was fine for us as we enjoyed the long walks (although sometimes it was oppressively hot to walk at all). If needed they do have a shuttle service that takes you from one end to the other. This was also somewhat annoying as we walked, as we had to smell the diesel fuel of the vans that were passing by on the sidewalks. There is no dedicated road for these vans and you have to literally step off the sidewalk to let them pass. There are a few interesting tours and they were Ok. We took two tours ourselves with a private taxi driver which you can also hire from the tour companies for a few dollars more per person. The only downside to this is that none of the drivers speak English. They can just point you in the general direction that you need to go. Again this is fine for us as we usually tour on our own and just needed the transportation to get us off of the resort to see the amazing sights that there are in Panama. On a plus side the grounds are very clean and well maintained; most of the staff is friendly and pleased to serve you (other than an incident with a very rude security person and a lifeguard that my husband had); the Spa provides great massages; the beachfront is great for long morning and late afternoon walks. Please note that we are NOT resort people so this resort may be perfectly ok for you. The price point was certainly very reasonable. However, for us we would not do a resort again, unless it was to participate in a "family" vacation with my son, wife and grandson.

Great Little Vacation

We stayed at the Royal Decameron Feb 1-5. The grounds are beautiful, although keep in mind this is a large resort, and lots of stairs, steep walkways to climb. We did not travel with children, but one concern I did have would be that the majority of the walkways have "rainwater basins"...that are not all covered. I could imagine my kids tripping into them very easily. Quick 10 minute bus ride from the airport! The rooms and food were average compared to other all inclusives we have st [... read more]ayed at. Appeared that the majority of the rooms would have an ocean view from the balcony's since the resort is built up into the hills. Free Wifi available at all 3 lobby's. The pools on the upper level of the resort are lovely, small and quiet if you can find a lounger! The main pools on the lower level next to the beach are large, and busy. We did find it hard to find loungers in the shade and we were out by 7:30/8am. (lots of towels/items placed on chairs to reserve them) The resort could add more umbrellas around the pools in my opinion. A few small river like pool areas; where there were always chairs available in the water and you could position into shade from the trees. It was generally quiet quiet in these areas as well. We did not spend a lot of time at the beach. The sand is course and dark. And the water is known to have a strong undertow. If you are looking to spend much of your time at the beach; there are much nicer places to go to. We went for a quiet vacation just the two of us, and we did enjoy ourselves without disturbances from noise/late partying at night. So I cannot comment to the nightlife at this resort. Good value for the price we paid. Thanks to our travel agent Nicole! :-)

Fantastic holiday!!

Royal Decameron resort is a well maintained vacation paradise. We spent 11 days with great weather everyday. Food was very good at all the restaurants. We would go back in a heart beat. Best part was the beach and the ocean.

Great Beach

The Royal Decameron is an immense resort with an incline to the beach (75 stairs) so be prepared to walk. Rooms were clean and the staff friendly. Food was OK, not spectacular, but very good. It is hot in Panama, bring lots of sunscreen. There are many lounge type chairs, but the ones in the shade are at a real premium. We would certainly go back.

Pros and Cons

Nice resort and beach that is in need of some upgrades. Food quality was very poor in meats and the rest was just ok, even the a la carte restaurants were nothing special. Very few staff members fully understand common English requests, this was extremely disappointing cause if you want to be a tourist location, you must have more English speaking staff.

Great resort

Nice resort Mostly white beech, clean. A great beach for a long walk. In my opinion there ware not enough umbrellas on the beach. Mamy people reserved their spot early morning so they could enjoy nice shade during sunny and hot days.

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

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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?

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+

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

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!!

Exceeded our Expectations

My wife and I stayed at the Royal Decameron from January 4, 2018 thru January 15th. I had read all the Trip Advisor reviews and had a few concerns but I was anxious to visit Panama and selected the Royal Decameron over the Riu and Blue Bay Coronado. WOW we made the right choice!! We are frequent travellers with a diverse experience base so I am providing what I hope is a fair objective review. I think this resort is a strong 4 *. Please feeI free to contact me if you have any questions. 1) F [... read more]ood and bars are quite good. Nine a la carte, a couple of snack bars and two or three buffets depending on time of day. I have had larger and smaller buffets and some better food / some worse but quit frankly if you can not make a nice meal out of the buffets or a la carte, you are not trying. A la cartes really same thoughts with good variety and choices. We had some chicken/ beef/ pork/ fish that was amazing, flavourable, suited our pallet and some we did not enjoy as much.. The same can be said for many of the dishes. Please keep in mind this is a Panamanian resort cooking for Canadians, Columbians, Panamanians, French, Italian, Polish, Hungarian, American, Bulgarians and many others....... many different pallets to please. You are away in a vastly different culture so try new things some you will like and some maybe not so much. Usually, a pasta bar on the go, fresh grilled meats and/or fish, so always a selection. We had very good service in all of the restaurants. We had excellent service and drinks at all the bars. We visited every bar and restaurant at the resort and we have no complaints. Good service, alcohol, variety of specialty drinks etc... We got to know some of the bar tenders toooo well but made some friends and shared some laughs. 2) Rooms are nice and grounds are clean and beautiful. The beds in our room were excellent, The air conditioner worked very well and quiet. The cleaning service was consistent and very good. 3) All buildings were in good condition and clean. Always staff around cleaning and picking up after the clientele. Front desk staff always helpful super quick and easy check in and check out. Hassle free. 4) Entertainment could use some work. The entertainment at the main amphitheatre seemed repetitive and lacking in imagination to us. I have to comment the Spanish people seemed to enjoy it more than the Canadians and non-Spanish. It was basically all done in Spanish lots of yelling by MC. They should copy what many resorts do and present some variety with musical imitators, dance extravaganzas etc.. We did find and enjoy their small house band that played at a variety of venues/ bars on the resort. Once we found this entertainment we did not return to main theatre. You might want to walk down to Nicos Beach Bar(formerly Woody's) just off the resort, excellent food and drinks. The new Italian owners Fillipa/ wife and Daseo the chef are fun and very hospitable. Good rock and roll band Friday nite for sure and maybe Saturday. We danced up a storm and met some very nice ex pats there. 5) The bellboy staff managed by Renee is excellent, well run and the best we have experienced in some time. Courteous and professional..... dropped off and picked up bags on time etc... 6) Golf course is a great value. Tough enough course and was in very good condition when I played a few rounds. Some tight, some forgiving and can be played to over 7,000 yds. if you want. Greens were quite good. Appeared to have a decent gym...I walked by it many times.. Casino is very small but acceptable with black jack, roulette and slots. 7) Panamanian people are (bonita) beautiful. Quite friendly and good service.....but please remember you are in their country you have to make an effort as well. We try to speak Spanish as much as we can and the effort is always appreciated. We are not very good at espanol .... but we try.....LOL We rented a car and went off resort and visited many places that do not see tourists as regularly. Everywhere we went the Panamanian people were friendly and good to us. 8) If you have physical challenges this resort has many stairs from beach level to the upper level so it could be a challenge. There are a couple of roads up and down so it is doable with a wheelchair etc.. 9) I would like to thank the Trip Central team specially Laura Mulvihill-Spry who handled all our matters and requests in her very professional manner. In summary, I think this is a good 4 to 4 1/2 * resort. We are already planning to return with some other friends and family. A mi nuevo Panamanian amigos and amigas..........mucho gracious.......Roberto

Great fun

seems very organized, food average. beach fair. was great fun for my 14 year old daughter. she met a whole lot of friend which made the trip there great. very close to airport which was also great after a long flight

Get your walking shoes on

This resort was an enjoyable experience. I especially liked how close to the airport it was and the fact that you got your resort package for all inclusive members at the airport so you didn't have to go to the front desk and could go straight to your room upon arriving at the hotel. The hotel was clean and I was able to book restaurants 3 nights at a time. The food was good at both the restaurants and the buffets. The service was excellent at the bars and the restaurants. I enjoy to walk and t [... read more]he climbing up the stairs was not a problem for me but for the elderly, it may not be the resort for everybody. I enjoyed it since I walked off and exercised all the delicious food and cocktails off lol.

Wonder Filled Resort

This Royal Decameron resort destination has more than just something for everyone. There are multiple things for adults and children to love. There is the location that is very large with a terrific beach that's great for long walks, vegetative lounge chair SPF covered reads by the water or swims in the ocean. The many swimming pools, bars for ordering libations, restaurants and flora and fauna festooned walkways to the many destinations within the property will keep you occupied as you ch [... read more]oose what strikes your particular fancy. There's fabulous entertainment supplied that never failed to be awesome. I had a terrific time and enjoyed every minute.