Accommodations in Panama

There are a wide variety of accommodations in Panama, some are reasonably priced and some are expensive. Depending on your needs and budget will help you decide what hotel to stay in. Differences between hotels are great, so check out our hotel reviews of the many hotels in Panama.

Outside of Panama city, in the more remote areas, there is limited accommodation. During the festival times of Panama, the hotels book up fast, so remember to make your hotel booking early and in time. If you are visiting Darien or the San Blas islands, hotel accommodations are very basic and eco-friendly.

Panama city hotels are numerous and you can find some of the best luxury hotels in the city. Many are equipped with business convention facilities and some of them have their own casinos. Some of the larger hotel chains are located in Panama City including Marriott Hotels and Resorts, Intercontinental Hotels, Holiday Inns and Radisson.

We have done hotel reviews on some of the major hotels in Panama including Hotel Bristol, Marriott Hotel, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Deville, Radisson Decapolis and Intercontinental Miramar. Check out our site for these hotel reviews.

For less expensive hotels in Panama, you could try the Executive Hotel which is an impeccable hotel in the banking center of the city – which caters to business people. High quality furnishings and all the modern amenities of a great hotel. There is a very popular jazz bar in the hotel but only a café for dining. However, there are plenty of good restaurants nearby. Breakfast is included in the cost of your suite. Their website is at executivehotel.com for more information.

Another reasonably priced hotel in Panama City would be the Plaza Paitilla Inn on Via Italia, Punta Paitilla. The hotel is circular in shape, ultra modern and giving your fabulous views of Panama from every angle. The Plaza Paitilla offers special rates and bargains for those interested. Check out their website at: plazapaitillainn.com.

You could always try a bed and breakfast inn while in Panama. On the Calle 49, Belle Vista, you will find El Litoral. Built in a colonial wooden home, French owned, with simple, tasteful décor, you will find this an elegant place to stay while in Panama City. Their website is at litoralpanama.com for more information and booking.

There is certainly a wide choice of hotels in Panama City in which to stay on your vacation or business trip. Remember to check out what each hotel offers and remember to book early for your vacation in Panama.

Other Beach Hotels in Panama

San Blas Islands Resorts, Hostels, Hotels and Home Stays

I have already told you about one of the most beautiful places in Panama, a series of islands called the San Blas Islands and some of the beach hotels in this wonderful place that should be a holiday destination for you if you are trying to either escape the winter blahs or society in general. I was going to follow up here with more hotels and accommodations in the San Blas Islands because this group of 378 islands is really fantastic for a tropical island escape. Think of: desert island in the tropics.

If it’s your first time visiting Panama, you can include a visit to the San Blas Islands as well as staying in Panama City to really get an all round experience of the country. There are several companies online that offer such packages, such as a company known as Latin Destinations. This company offers six such packages ranging in price from $1,190 to $2,000 US. Their various packages include the following:

• Caribbean Flavour of Panama
• Native Cultures of Panama
• San Blas Islands – Panama Rainforest
• Jungle, Islands and Beaches of Panama
• Panama Culture and Beach
• The Best of Panama

These vacation packages include your round trip international flights, all airport transfers, daily breakfasts, hotels and hotel taxes. I’ve probably managed to pique your curiosity by now because if you read my last article on San Blas Islands hotels, you might be thinking they could possibly be your next holiday destination, your honeymoon destination or an actual escape from the stress that modern day living has been giving you lately.

The Caribbean Flavour of Panama offers you two nights at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort (explore the rainforest at this resort), 2 nights in Bocas del Toro Archipelago, 2 nights in the San Blas Islands with full board and tour and three nights in Panama City for a total of 9 days vacation. There are differe nt choices of hotels for you to stay in and you can vary the number of nights in each place.

The Native Cultures of Panama package is a great introduction to the native cultures of Panama including the Kuna Indians, the indigenous people of Panama. Your 10 day vacation includes four nights where you can choose from 14 different hotels in Panama City, two nights in Chiriqui - Boqueta, two nights at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, a two night trip to San Blas Islands including tours, and breakfasts at all the hotels.

Another interesting package you might consider would be their Jungle, Islands and Beaches of Panama for nine or more nights including: four nights in Panama City, two nights at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, three nights in Playa Blanca, and two nights in the San Blas Islands with your accommodation, food and tours included.

Another package offered by the Latin Destinations Company is their Panama Culture and Beach package. This vacation package to Panama will cost you $1,189 US for an eight night stay and includes two nights in the San Blas Islands, food, lodging and tours, three nights in Panama City and three nights in Playa Bonita.

The other package they offer to Panama is called The Best of Panama. This is a 13 night package with three nights in Playa Blanca, three nights in Bocas del Toro, two nights in Panama City, two nights in the San Blas Islands and three nights in Playa Bonita. The price for this package which includes breakfast at all the hotels is $1,969 US. This is a great deal!

The benefits of these packages include the possibility of experiencing much more than you could if you just booked an all inclusive package at one of the beach hotels in Panama. You’ve got the combination of great price and value here. Better still, is the fact you can choose from a selection of hotels in Panama City, Chiriqui – Boquete and Bocas del Toro and you can choose how many nights you want to stay in each place. In other words, these packages are totally customizable.

Like I have said in my previous posting, if you want to go and visit the San Blas Islands, book through a travel agent that specializes in tourism to the San Blas islands and Panama. They can arrange your vacations and show you tour packages you might be interested in.

I also promised that I would give your some more hotel information about other beach hotels in San Blas Islands Panama. You must remember that you will not find the same standards as some luxury hotel in North America or Europe. If you want a “Best Western”, you are headed to the wrong place. You won’t find a McDonalds here either. Try one of the other beach hotels in Panama such as Playa Bonita Resort, Playa Blanca or the Decameron Resort if you are not ready for a tropical island escape.

These islands are gove rned by the Kuna Indians. They own these accommodations which are completely eco tourism at its best. Some of the hotels, lodgings and accommodations do not have 24 hour electricity and hot running water available. However, they are a beautiful escape to a tropical island and you will experience nature, beautiful unspoiled beaches, eat delicious fresh sea food and live “close to nature”. You will have your own bathroom and some of these beach hotels in San Blas Panama are lovely, rustic, primitive and you’ll get the best sunsets of your life. There is snorkelling, sw imming, fishing, sun sets over the Caribbean like you’ve never experienced, your own hammock, meeting the Kuna people and discovering their culture and way of life. This is eco tourism at its best. Completely, literally, unspoiled.

Dad Ibe Lodge

The Dad Ibe Lodge has three cabins for its guests, no air conditioning, marvellous views from your verandah which sits over the sea, a private bathroom, and hammocks. Stress? What stress can you possibly remember as you lie in your own hammock facing the sea, one eye barely open during siesta time ? Y o u don’t need air conditioning because you have the soft, cool wind blowing in from the sea. At this lodge in San Blas, you can go fishing with the Kuna, snorkelling and visit the Mangroves. The menu includes fresh sea food such as king crab, lobster, fresh fish, local food and drinks. Prices for th e cabins range in price from $128 for one person to a high of $341 US for a triple, not including ta xe s and include breakfast, lunch and dinner. Also included in the price are transportation to and from the island from the Achutupo Airstrip, tours to a Kuna village, tours to the Kuna Yala Rainforest and river, and trips to Ogobwili Island for swimming and snorkelling.

Yandup Island Lodge

For about $80 to $90 US for a double (low season – high season), you can stay at Yandup Island Lodge. They have eight Kuna style cabins, five of them over the water and two on the beach. The cabins over the water have private bathrooms. The beach front cabins have outside bathrooms. Your fresh seafood meals will depend on the catch of the day. The owners of the hotel provide you with tours to a Kuna village, snorkelling or whatever you would like. There is great snorkelling on the island or the owners will take you to other islands. There is no hot water and the electricity from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

Other places to stay in San Blas Islands

Accommodations in the San Blas Islands can cost anywhere from $20 to several hundred dollars a night. For this price you will get your meals, transportation to the islands and excursion tours. You can find backpacking hostels and home stays, such as Robinson’s, Eulogio’s Place, Franklin ’s or Nixia’s on the islands as well, depending on your budget needs.

The deserted white sand beaches, the great snorkelling and swimming, the tropical flora and fauna, the mangroves and the culture of the Kuna people await you in the San Blas Islands. What are you waiting for? Start planning your tropical paradise escape now. These are just some of the wonderful things that await you when you search for beach hotels in Panama and find yourself headed to one of the San Blas Islands instead.

San Blas Islands Hotels in Panama

For your second vacation to Panama, the San Blas Islands should not be missed. There are many San Blas Island hotels, lodging, hostels and accommodation you can book for your tropical island getaway. Located on Panama’s north east coast (Comarco de Kuna Yala), the beautiful San Blas Islands, controlled by the indigenous Kuna Indians since the 1950s, an undiscovered tourist mecca, are slowly becoming a highly desired tourist destination. There are a total of 378 islands in what is known as the San Blas Islands. The Kuna Indians live on 49 of these beautiful islands. The Islands are 20 - 40 minutes away by airplane from Panama City. The San Blas islands are a completely different experience from the hotels and resorts in Panama.

Although you won’t find much in the way of luxury San Blas accommodations, what is available would be classified as basic but you can find some wonderful lodges with cabanas over the water on some pretty magnificent beaches, equipped with private verandas and hammocks. If you choose to visit the San Blas Islands, you are in search of sun, relaxation, the outdoors and a tropical beach environment. The beaches here are like something out of Paradise. You can also visit the villages of tropical outdoors and you can meet the Kuna people to experience their culture and way of living. My best recommendation is to book your San Blas Island trip through a travel agency who is familiar with booking vacations in the San Blas Islands.

The Kuna Indians run the San Blas Islands, with their own language, customs and traditions. The economy of the islands is based on tourism, coconut sales and fishing. However, it is not yet a very commercially developed tourism industry. The islands are surrounded by reefs which offer wonderful snorkelling and diving experiences. A wonderful souvenir to buy here would be the mola, made by the Kuna women, made of multi-colored fabric, decorated with images of geometric designs, fish, birds and animals of the jungle. Best time to visit here is between April to June. Just like in Paradise, you will find white sand, unspoiled deserted beaches, coconut trees, mangroves and the jungle.

If you really must stay in a luxury accommodation, you could always find a hotel in Colon Province which is not far from the San Blas Islands. If you stay on the mainland, you could find hotels in El Porvenir and travel to the islands from there. Which islands should you visit? Try Kagantupu, Coco Blanco or Achutupu Island. If you wish to totally escape, aim your travel plans to the eastern part of Comarca de Kuna Yala, a less visited part of the San Blas Islands. How to get to the San Blas Islands? Take a Kuna merchant ship from Colon, or fly from Panama City – it’s only a 20 minute flight.

There are hostel accommodations available on the San Blas Islands (such as Nalunega and Wichubwala) which I will discuss later in this article, but on the Kuanidup Island you will find the Cabañas Kuanidup. A little more expensive than the hostels, the cabanas are somewhat primitive, you share showers and bathrooms with the other hotel guests. The cabanas are small, the beds are foam mattresses, but comfortable. There is no electricity and at night, you use kerosene lamps. The Cabañas Kuanidup, are situated on a small beach. Meals are included in the price you pay.

Kuna Niskua Lodge

The Kuna Niskua is owned by a Kuna Indian who has the advantage of knowning all the San Blas Islands. This is not a luxury San Blas accommodation, not easy to find on the Islands and is not located on a beach. There is solar powered electricity, the rooms are clean, and each room has its own bathroom. For meals, you will be able to eat lots of fresh seafood. The rates at the Kuna Niskua Lodge are affordable and include the price for local tours.

Dophin Lodge

The Dolphin Lodge can be classified as an eco-tourist lodging and one of the nicest San Blas Islands hotels. This is an all inclusive accommodation in San Blas. Travelling to the lodge is by way of flying into Mamitupo and then taking a boat. The tropical beach is superb. There is a restaurant here with an excellent menu for dining, plenty of fresh delicious seafood and a small bar to stop in for a drink. You get a private bathroom here and 24 hour electricity in the bigger suites. Some of the cabanas are on the beach and you can relax in the back on a hammock. The standard rooms get electricity for most of the day. You may end up having a cold shower sometimes. Besides relaxing on the beach, visiting other nearby beaches, swimming, hiking, snorkelling and kayaking, there is volleyball and the staff at the Dolphin Lodge can arrange a tour for you of the local village of the Kuna people.

Sapibenega Kuna Lodge

As with all San Blas accommodation most are basic and could be described as rustic. This is the experience you will expect when visiting the San Blas Islands. The San Blas Islands offer a eco tourism experience where you will be close to nature and the sea. Close to what I could call luxurious San Blas accommodation would have to be the Sapibenega Kuna Lodge which offers 24 hour availabity of electricity, private bathrooms with a shower and hardwood floors, composting toilets, hot water, some lovely cabanas over the water, and some on the beach, with queen and double beds. The Sapibenega Kuna Lodge has a restaurant, delightful for romantic dinners. Other “modern conveniences" include satellite phone, ceiling fan and your balcony is equipped with hammocks. The sunsets are glorious.

To get to this luxury hotel in San Blas, you would fly from Panama City, to Playon Chico which takes about 40 minutes and then a guide from Sapibenega Kuna Lodge will bring you by motor canoe to the lodge which takes about 8 minutes.

Coral Lodge

The Coral Lodge is also a luxury hotel in San Blas. In another completely isolated, unspoiled location, this eco tourist resort is on a white sand beach, with villas sitting over the water. The suites have Jacuzzis, a living room, a private verandah with hammocks. There are two restaurants and a bar called the Cayuco Café Bar. The Casona Bohio restaurant is for romantic dinners of Latin, Caribbean and Mediterranan cuisine. The beaches here are pristine and the coral reefs provide excellent snorkelling opportunities. Your hotel price is all inclusive and includes your room, meals, non alcoholic drinks, kayaking and snorkelling gear. This is definitely luxurious San Blas accommodation where you can truly escape and enjoy one of the most beautiful tropical places in the world.

These hotels in San Blas Islands are reached by taking a flight from Panama City to whichever island you choose and then arranging with your lodge/hotel for transportation by boat. Vacationing in the San Blas Islands is definitely an escape to Paradise.