Amazing Country and Resort

This was an amazing resort located approx 2 hrs from Panama City It has variety of restaurants and swimming pools, staff are friendly. Food was excellent and resort was very clean. Not a suitable location for Snorkeling, however you could do other exciting excursions trips

Simple but lovely

Rooms were clean, Food was good, Beach was wonderful. Get out early for chairs with the huts. There are not enough on the resort. The resort was only 1/3rd full but yet it was hard to find shade. If you are looking for a fully accessible resort this is not the place for you. The ramps are too steep so if you are alone in a wheel chair with no one to push you up and down you will run into issues. The shuttle also only runs every 45 minutes. Other than that the resort was good.

Royal Decameron Beach Resort Panama

It would be very nice to have flights leave from Calgary or Vancouver to let the people in the west enjoy this resort too with out the extra expence and travel to Toronto. I did not enjoy that one bit. The resort is beautiful, the food was better than three years ago when we stayed. They need to do some major repairs in the rooms. Our biggest complaint would have to be the noise from the disco that runs from 11:00pm til 3:00am then the partying that goes on until 5:00am or 6:00am. I di [... read more]d not have sleep most nights. The hotel did offer to move us at one point but we only had a few days left so said no. But we would never stay in that area again. Any one with walking efforts should beware of this place as many many stairs to get to eating areas and pools. We did discover that you could ask to have a shuttle come and pick you up so that you do not have to climb almost 70 stairs each way up and down or tackle a very very steep hill. The shuttles were running but you had to call to get the service, we tipped 1.00 us dollar each way. The weather at the begining of December in hot hot and very muggy as it is the end of the rainy season. the second week was drying up some and we had better weather. All in all I would say the resort is good for the partying type who want to be awake most nights until the wee hours. And people who can climb lots of stairs in the hot hot weather. Good luck and hope the repairs are done to this resort. So I will not recomment to my friends as we are getting to old for this foolishness!

The resort was nice.....But Beware!!!

The Royal Decameron Resort was nice and had beautiful grounds and gardens. The pools were beautiful and the restaurants were so well serviced. The rooms, or at least my room was quite less than a 4 star hotel room. The doors did not open properly, I guess because of warping in the humidity. The sliding door to the deck had to be yanked open and did not close properly or lock so there was a stick to put in the track for security. When we tried to open the connecting door between our rooms, the  [... read more]doorknobs pulled right off. My headboard fell off the wall as it was hanging on one screw. The large mirror over the dresser was hung crooked. My air conditioner constantly just stopped. I reported it and they did come to fix it but that only lasted a few hours. I just had to keep resetting it. BUT the worst thing that you need to be aware of is the Discotech!! This runs EVERY!! night from 11 p.m until 3 a.m. Boom, boom bass vibrates your room the whole time. Thank god I had ear plugs and then had to hold a pillow over my head to get any sleep. They then are allowed to stay and continue drinking until 5 a.m. Then they are out onto the grounds, yelling and screaming, in the swimming pools and heading back to the rooms. In the hallways there is no respect for the others sleeping. Doors slamming people yelling and laughing and singing. Every night! Finally we went and demanded a security guard for our unit. That really did make a difference. But too late for me. I also spoke to others and myself who felt that we are paying top dollars for this hotel when others are getting a much lower rate and using the same amenities. Not fair. The bottom line is, I would never return to this hotel or recommend it to anyone else!

Great golf

We enjoyed our stay at this resort . Lots of walking and stairs as the property is very large. The grounds are beautiful . The rooms are a little outdated, but were clean and the beds comfortable. The dinners that you could reserve in the evening were good. They were able to always accommodate a table of 12. The men loved the golf there. Which was a very challenging course, they golfed five times out of a 7 day vac. Shuttle to the golf course always there waiting .English speaking staff were  [... read more]a little problem but we managed. The liquor was not the best. No international drinks like they advertise. The weather was perfect !!! The staff did not expect a tip all quests were treated the same.

Great Vacation

I have stayed at numerous resort over the years and I would have to say this is definitely one of my favourites now. The pick up at the airport went smoothly and quickly, the front desk staff were very helpful,our rooms were clean, spacious and comfortable beds, the grounds were always well kept, the food was good, entertainment was very good. I took my son on this trip with me and we both had a great time. Our Air Transat rep Serge and Jacque definitely know there customer service, I have never [... read more] been impressed with a hotel reps but these two guys sure changed that, from the greeting at the airport, orientation, availability, knowledge, even the departure and being at the airport if you needed them, very impressed guys.Great job. I will be back, Thanks for a great trip. Patty

Beautifully kept ocean side resort

Hotel was well kept, staff helpful even with language barrier. Food at seafood and Italian dining restaurants fabulous. Buffet areas always clean and looked good. A big resort with lots of walking and climbing up stairs good for some but you could call for a driver if unable to do the walking or climbing. All in all great place for relaxing and for the weather

Challenging Resort!

Anyone with mobility issues should rethink this resort. Very large resort covering alot of levels. Many stairs and alot of walking. Lots of eating facilities and pretty good food. Lots of activities to take part in. People are mostly friendly. Language a definite factor in dealing with staff.

Great beach, beautiful grounds, not so great food

We stayed at the hotel the last week of November. The location of the hotel and the beach were fantastic - some of the most beautiful grounds at an all inclusive resort I've ever seen. There were also tons of pools (an adult only pool with a swim up bar was one of our favourites - gets you away from all those screaming children). However, since the hotel is so huge, there was a lot of walking and stairs. Something we didn't mind, but I don't think would suit someone with limited mobility. The f [... read more]ood wasn't the best - having so many a la carte restaurants helped for variety. There also weren't a lot of English speaking guests. So if you were a couple of 30-some girls looking to make some new friends, there weren't many people your age to converse with. All in all, it was a good holiday!

Once is enough..

The hotel cleaning staff did a good job and when asked replenished the towels in the room and the water. However, the electric receptacle in the bathroom was never fixed and did not work. The extra cost for a second key (albeit total amount refunded upon exiting from our vacation) was an added request we do not feel should have had to have been made. The charge for the vault was also an added cost and digital was not available. The key system was also “yesterday’s technology”. Through [... read more]out the weeK we found the resort very full as well which is unusual for November. But the most unreasonable was the disco noise that began at 10:00 pm and did not end until 3:00 am. This made it impossible to sleep and although we did speak with management their solution was to move the disco closer to our room and the speakers directed to where we were staying. We found the resort tired as well.

Yes, Amazing resort

We enjoyed our stay at the Royal Decameron Beach Resort in Panama.The beach was beautiful and the room was very clean. The bed sheets and towels were changed each day. The food was OK, The resort is very huge with so many attractions and pools, its a great place for the kids, they will love it their, For someone who is not able to climb stairs, they have service to drive you around. They have a show each evening and a show time for kids.The office staff speaks  [... read more]English but the cleaning and restaurant staff hardly speak any English. I will certainly return their with my family members..We took the Panama Canal and city tour and it was a very interesting day, I recommend this tour for everyone a must go for all.

Home away from Home

Our family has been coming to the Royal Decameron for about 11 years sometimes 3 times a year and it has become our home away from home. This trip I came down with my 84 year old mother who has never been to Panama and she loved it. Right from booking with Eliana Anton, who was most helpful, friendly, and efficient, through to our departure at the other end, with caring airport personnel (as my mother uses a walker), our trip was a delight. Treatment by airport and customs personnel on arri [... read more]val back in Canada was another story - harsh and unhelpful - but that's beyond the scope of this review. Riu Hat airport arrival: very long wait to get through customs and be processed for the buses to the hotel. Perhaps more personnel would alleviate this problem. I had requested an Ocean front room in the 1400 block on the first floor due to infirmities and was please to get exactly what I asked for. The rooms are fairly basis, but I knew this from past visits and they were kept very clean. My only complaints about the rooms are 1) there should be grab bars in the bathrooms by the toilet or at least in the shower. It made it difficult for my mother. A bathtub would be nice as well. 2) We had a room that was adjoining to 1415 and you could hear everything being said in the next room through the adjoining door. They played their music so loud we had to call security. Security was very efficient and rectified the situation immediately. Unfortunately, you could hear even a pin drop in the next room - need sound proofing. We visited El Canal, Café Mediterranean, Atlantico, Pacifico, and Mezcal during our stay. All were lovely, but Mezcal needs to work on ambience and service. We were seated under a speaker which blared music, so bad I asked if they could turn it down. The music came in crackley as well and made for an unpleasant dining experience. The chairs were plastic and uncomfortable and the service was so slow - we had to ask for coffee 3 times before getting it. Otherwise all our dining experience were very good. We enjoyed beautiful restful days on the beach and mainly the Pacifico pool area. My only comment about the pool areas now is that they have crammed so many lounge chairs together in all of the pool areas that it actually very uncomfortable wedging in somewhere. The pool at Sushi Samba used to be my favourite, but it has way too many loungers with no room in between so unfortunately I spent no time there this time. Even along what we called the lagoon area with the very shallow water was lined with loungers which I felt was unnecessary. This is a big change from previous visits. One observation my mother made was how clean and well-maintained the property was. She was so impressed with its beauty and how hard the personnel worked to keep it that way. Her only complaint was the constant loud music - she would have enjoyed some quiet moments with only the sound of the birds and the waves. From guest services to the jitney drivers, they were extremely helpful - especially with my mother and her walker - and very friendly. We were delighted with everyone at the hotel. We went on one excursion, the half Panama Canal cruise from Gamboa to Panama City, and the tour desk with very efficient and helpful. We had one of the best tour guides I've ever had, Juventino Juarez, who was extremely knowledge about his country and others. His fluency in Spanish, French, and English was impressive. The cruise was a highlight - very interesting and exciting. The day of our departure the bus driver came to our door and asked when we'd like to be picked up and came right on the dot. We were sad to leave. My mother is usually ready to get home from vacation after a week, but really had the desire to stay on. Thank you Nolitours for an excellent vacation experience (again!).

Great resort

This was a great resort for what we paid. Do not go here if you are unable to walk. Tons of walking up and down hills. We loved our excursions and the guides were all amazing Joanne, Manuel, is what, Andreas. Our bar tender Felix was the best .The only complaint I would have is I did not like booking my dinners for the buffet. I have never had to do that before.

Beautiful Resort!

The grounds were beautiful! It was so hot but the weather was perfect everyday! Buffets were great but didn't like the restaurants. Nice clean rooms friendly staff! Lots and lots of stairs but not a problem for us at all but seemed people weren't made aware of this.

!!Marvellous Family Vacation!!

We were there Apr 17-24. Fantastic that it's only a 5 min drive from the airport to the hotel! Beautiful location! Spacious and lovely room! We were in condo 43, we loved being next to lobby 3! Fantastic variety of swimming pools. Pacific Ocean is not kid-friendly most days, but our family of four (2 adults + kids ages 10 + 12) still enjoyed long walks on the beach, and playing in the surf. We are vegetarian so mostly stuck to buffets; tried the Italian restaurant and loved it! The Sushi Bar is  [... read more]great for day time snack ie delicious potato wedges, veggie fried rice and make your own sandwiches or burgers. Have never eaten such delicious pineapple and papaya!!!! Would move there just to eat those fruits!!! Panama is **very** hot and sunny - took what we thought was extra sunscreen and ended up buying 2 more bottles!! Please take note: this is an EXCEPTIONALLY large property, you will need to walk A LOT --- which we love. But, we would not recommend this location for people in wheelchairs or solo travellers with a stroller. 'Ramps' are steep and only saw one wheelchair ramp. Serge the transat rep described the Panamanian people as 'shy', which I would agree with. Don't go here if you expect VIP/hoity toity service. Friendly and kind staff, but not over the top attentive in the dining room -- we often waited long periods to order coffee or dinner drinks. We started calling it the Bermuda Triangle drink experience. But the bar service at pools and at towel service was kind and quick. We did the one day Panama Canal and city trip. Was well worth the money. Dream come true for us! The Panama Canal viewing deck is packed -- make sure to pack an extra dose of patience waiting to take pics there. We went off the resort a few times to check out the local gift shops and supermercados - good prices and interesting to see the area. On beach side we enjoyed having drinks at "Pipa's Beach". We would definitely return to this resort, next time for a 10 day stay! If you like walking, beautiful birds, iguanas, beautifully groomed walkways etc etc ignore the bad reviews and try this special place!

Good resort once you get a hang of it

The resort is huge, with many hills. Many restaurants and pools. The drinks were great, the food was decent. The rooms were great. 5 mins away from the airport. The beach is not the best, but good enough. Would stay again.

Disappointed!

I returned to the Royal Decameron for the 3rd time based on previous experience and was really disappointed. The Air Transat rep reinforced the need to be aware of and pay attention to personal security. Fine, but what about the responsibility of the resort to it's visitors? The patio door didn't lock, the bottom screws were missing both inside and out. The first maintenance man used a spray can to lubricate it, managed to lock it, gave us a rather patronizing look, but did not replace the miss [... read more]ing screws, so go figure, once unlocked, it would not lock again. Housekeepers tried, couldn't lock it and another call to maintenance, finally after 4-5 days the whole mechanism was replaced. Problem solved, then for 3 consecutive days housekeeping forgot to lock it after cleaning! There was a consistent shortage of towels, and the pool closest to lobby 3 was closed for most of the 2 weeks. Restaurants alternated being open and closed without notice so went to one only to be sent to another, quality & variety of food was great but lukewarm. Service for first week was mediocre but improved by the second week. Although there seemed to be fewer staff who spoke English than on previous visits. There also seemed to be more police presence than on previous visits which in itself suggests there have been security issues. Then there was someone's choice of "music", one of very few English songs played at one of the bars at 11 am was a vulgar, violent, graphic, rap song describing killing, rape, crime, all within range of families with young children. The A/C systematically went off in the middle of the night making the room air stifling enough to wake us up from a deep sleep. Based on the dramatic differences between the first 2 visits and this one, I'd demote it from a 4 to 3 star rating. It is a beautiful resort and I love Panama but will look at alternatives next time. One more issue. While accessible for those with physical limitations, there was a girl in a wheelchair who fortunately had people with her who literally carried her in her w/c to/from the beach, so having at least one boardwalk ramp to the beach might have made her visit more enjoyable! Would I recommend it, I'm going to go out on a limb and say yes based solely on the first 2 visits, if I were to base it on this visit I would have to say no.

Wonderful vacation location

Very well maintained resort. Built on a hillside, so some stairs and hills to climb however there is a pickup service if needed. Rooms are average. Lovely and friendly staff. Good variety of entertainment and a la carte restaurants.

Royal Decameron Beach Resort in Panama

Hotel rooms need an update and renovation!! perhaps new furniture!. People working there were very friendly and helpful even though their English wasn’t the best. Dining was great, but were not able to try all the restaurants unfortunately. All guests should be able to attend all possible restaurants in the results and not being turned down due to lack of space – this should be reorganized and be fair to all guests. Entertainment (night shows) were great!! especially the dancing group and th [... read more]e host (very funny). Didn’t like the fact of local people allowed in the Resort.

Panama Vacation

We were at this resort about 5 years ago. It truly is a wonderful resort although we felt it was not as good as it was on our previous visit. We felt it was in need of a little face lift. Our room was good, service was good, food was good, several good choices of restaurants. The difficulty we had was the 66 steps up to Lobby 1. We will probably not go back again because at our age it was a little too much.