The best accommodations Panama

Budget & Tips

Accommodation prices vary considerably between high and low season. The latter extends from mid-April (after Holy Week) to the end of October. Rates often do not include the 10% tourist tax. If you're on a budget, you can opt for a private room with an outdoor bathroom, or a dormitory bed in a youth hostel (between US$12 and US$18 a bed, or more in hostels claiming to be premium). Hostels can be found all over the country. Many have a shared kitchen, but this is rarely the case if there's a restaurant on site.

For greater comfort, expect to pay between US$60 and US$120 for a double room with private bathroom. In the capital, luxury hotels for business travelers are plentiful. Occupancy rates are generally low, with the result that there are numerous promotions throughout the year. Away from the skyscrapers, the boutique hotels of Casco Viejo, or the ecolodges by the sea or in the mountains, have higher rates, but remain more affordable than in neighboring Costa Rica, for example. Expect to pay between US$80 and US$300 for two people, with meals included for the most isolated lodges.

In classic hotels, rates are given per room (single, double, triple, quadruple, etc.), with the exception of todo incluido (all-inclusive) establishments, which are found mainly in Playa Blanca, on the Pacific coast, just over an hour's drive from Panamá City. In hostels, prices are quoted either per person, for a bed in a dormitory, or per room.

Establishments known as pensión, residencial or hospedaje are economical, but comfort, tranquility and service vary widely. It's always possible to find a room for less than US$30, especially in the provinces, but be careful with your valuables. Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, but sometimes incur additional charges (5%).

To be booked

It's advisable to book your room in advance, especially during the high season, which runs from November to mid-April. The very high season takes place around the November bridges(fiestas patrias), the week between Christmas and New Year, during Carnival in February or March, and Holy Week in April.

In the very low season (May-June), you may find that some hotels are closed, as many owners take their vacations at this time, before the arrival of European tourists in July-August. Be aware that some reservation platforms, such as Booking or Expedia, may indicate that a hotel is fully booked, although rooms may be available if you contact the hotel directly. Rates are generally the same.

Live bookings are increasingly made via WhatsApp, as are exchanges with guests prior to check-in and check-out.

What's very local

Most establishments have air-conditioning(aire acondicionado), but some offer a choice of air-conditioning or fan, with a lower price for the latter, which is sometimes more efficient than an old, out-of-tune air-conditioner! As for showers, you'll have to get used to cold water, or rather lukewarm water in the simplest establishments, or out in the open. Given the heat, it's not so bad after all.

Another unglamorous but important point: as everywhere else in Latin America, in the vast majority of hotel toilets (but also in restaurants, private homes, etc.), used paper must be disposed of in the garbage can provided for this purpose, and not in the toilet bowl, at the risk of clogging the drains. You'll soon get used to it, you'll see!

Finally, to avoid any surprises, you should know that in Latin America, a motel is not a roadside hotel, as it is in the United States, for example, but a place where discretion is de rigueur. You arrive by private car (or cab), directly into a box that gives access to a room, without having to go through a reception. Whirlpool bath, mirrors, mini-bar... everything you need to spend a pleasant moment with your partner, whether official or not, and above all not to sleep! Motels are located at city entrances, or in certain neighborhoods known for them. In case of doubt, the romantic name of the establishment and its kitsch sign with a flashing red heart should tell you what it's all about!

For food lovers

Breakfast is generally included in the price of the room, but is sometimes extra, especially in youth hostels. It is served as a buffet in larger hotels, or at your table in hotels and B&Bs. There's a choice between the classic "continental" breakfast, with cereals, toast, butter and jam, juice, coffee or chocolate, and the "American" breakfast, with eggs, fried or scrambled, and pancakes. There's also usually a fruit salad, with papaya, banana, pineapple... Tostadas a la francesa are our French toast, while tostadas de pan con mantequilla are buttered toast.

Traditional Panamanian breakfasts are rarely served in hotels. Consistent, they usually consist of thick corn tortillas, sausages with tomato sauce and onions, scrambled or fried eggs, andhojaldres, large thick pancakes made from corn flour, happily fried in oil.

Smokers

Smoking is prohibited in hotels, including in gardens or by swimming pools, on bar and restaurant terraces, and of course in rooms, even on balconies.

Tourist traps

The major hotels often offer excursions at higher prices than if you contact the agencies directly. The same applies to cab services, which are more or less VIP. This is less the case with youth hostels and small hotels, where the advertised prices are generally the same as with a direct agency.