Cheap Hotels in Panama

I’ve been looking at the prices of hotels and resorts in Panama recently as I am planning my next escape to Panama as soon as the bad winter weather comes this way. Due to the high price of oil these days, it seems that there are not too many bargains to be found. So I’ve been researching cheap hotels in Panama to see exactly what is available. I’m always looking for bargains like many other people and when I find a bargain, eureka! I’m so ex-cit-ted!

Most of the hotels in Panama City I have written about so far on this blog are priced from the mid to high range. Luckily, there are a lot of different hotels in Panama to suit any budget. You can choose a hostel if you like, such as La Casa de Carmen where the atmosphere is fun and the price is right. If you would prefer a step up from hostel accommodation, there are many other hotels or apartment hotels in Panama City to choose from.

There are actually really cheap hotels in Panama City starting for as low as $25 US or less a night that can be found in the neighbourhood of Curundu, but it’s an extremely impoverished area in the City of Panama. Another area you could try would be the district of Caledonia which is somewhat improved and you can find some bargain hotels there for about the same prices and higher.

In the center of Panama City, you can book a double room for $65 US at the Centrum Tower Hotel. It’s a new hotel, basic and clean. They have a website at Centrumtowersuites.com where you can check out pictures of the hotel and make reservations by phone, fax or email. The Centrum offers all the usual amenities that you would find at any hotel – such as cable TV, air conditioning, queen sized beds, safes for your valuables, etc., etc.

Another good choice is the Centroamericano Hotel at Avenida Ecuador and Arosenena with single rooms starting at $33 US per night and double rooms for $38.50 per might. Again, it’s a clean, safe hotel in Panama with all the usual comforts for its guests that higher priced hotels offer. Just don’t expect luxury class when you are paying for basic, but I don’t want to scare you off. The Centroamericano has a website which you can check out for further information and see if it would suit your needs. The website is at hotelcentroamericano.com



On the forested hills of Panama on the Ancon Hill, you could try the La Estancia Hotel which is akin to a bed and breakfast type of accommodation (it used to be a home). It’s not far from the Panama Canal, which is a great location if you are going to visit the Panama Canal. It’s also not far from the downtown area but staying at this hotel will necessitate that you take a taxi quite often, even to a restaurant. The terraces of the hotel will give you great views of the Bridge of the Americas and Panama City. The rooms are somewhat modest, but comfortable, clean and the staff is very friendly and treats you as if you were a staying at a 5 star hotel in Panama. This means: great service! For two people during the off-season, the price is $89.00 per night and in the high season, it’s going to cost you $99 US for two people for a night. However, you may find it more peaceful in the natural surroundings of La Estancia on Ancon Hill where you can see the monkeys and exotic birds rather than staying in busy bustling downtown Panama.

I’ve only written about a few of the cheap hotels in Panama you could stay with on your vacation. There are many more options for you if you are travelling on a budget and want a budget hotel in Panama City and I promise that I will write about as many as I can in a later posting.

Til later… Veraz