Palmar Beach Lodge

It was probably the nicest hostel I’ve ever stayed in. Grounds were beautiful and everything is immaculately kept. There just wasn’t a lot to do. Ocean in this spot is too strong for swimming (at least when I was there), hiking in the jungle is not advisable without a guide and there are not guides available. Your only option for restaurant is to eat the the palmar lodge, so you definitely aren’t getting an authentic cultural experience. I didn’t feel safe walking around alone due to the numerous signs and warnings about muggings in the area. Two people got their wallet stolen from red frog beach when I was there. I also went on their guided trip to Cayo Zapatilla and it felt really touristy and it didn’t seem like respect for the wildlife was the priority. We saw dolphins, and there were about 5 boats on the same tour each crammed with about 25 people in them and all of the boats were surrounding and circling the dolphins and the dolphins seemed to be trying to leave the area but the boats continued to circle them. I couldn’t say anything because my Spanish isn’t very good. We also stopped at an overwater restaurant and Cayo Coral and it was incredibly expensive and very mediocre food. $16 for shrimp, plantains, rice, and some lettuce.

Not sure where to start! First, there is construction work in the hotel and it makes the experience terrible. From 9am to 6pm, very loud noise at the bar and on the beach so impossible to relax or read a book without hearing jackhammer and saw cuts. Even if they offered a 30% discount for construction noise, this is totally unbearable if you’re looking to relax. Second, we faced a very poor service. Among the employees, hardly any gave us a smile during our stay. Reception is ok but at the restaurant, the experience is terrible (we had breakfast, lunches and dinners). Staff look like they are punished or forced to work. After 2 weeks in Panama, we had never seen that. There is a total problem of management. Finally, we couldn’t find beach chairs as they were all used (some with just a towel on it and nobody came back). We asked some help to the person at the beach bar who told us he would help us and finally didn’t do anything. Chairs were used mostly by afternoon visitors outside of the hotel. The worst thing is that the hotel asked for feedback after the first night. We had the elegance to share our experience to avoid writing anything bad on tripadvisor. While they asked for feedback on whatsapp and we gave them, we didn’t receive any apologies or any words from them until we were leaving the hotel at the last minute when they offered us a 30% discount on our extras. At the end of the day, you should totally avoid this hotel. This is one of the worst service I’ve ever received anywhere. Don’t waste your money. This is a mix of backpackers (dorms) and hotel, but the service is not even close to an average backpackers place.

Absolutely avoid this place during the construction, the property is surrounded on all sides by noisy work all day long and the 30% discount rate is not worth it. I'm giving the hotel 2 stars because the location is unique and the food was good, although I agree with other reviews that didn't find the staff to be very profession. But what I found especially outrageous that I was charged an extra fee to pay for the hotel stay by credit card which is not at all explained on the website. Like I am supposed to go to an ATM somewhere in Panama and take out US$1,100 and carry it around or otherwise incur a 5% fee? That is ridiculous and outrageous. Every hotel in the world accepts credit cards and doesn't gauge a customer, particularly on a remote island with no other infrastructure for paying by credit card and that is absolutely not explained anywhere in the booking process. Revolting behavior that ruined my regard of this property.

The experience could have been good because the beach is very beautiful, and the wildlife and flora around the hotel are stunning. However, beyond the unbearable noise from the construction work, the quality of service at the hotel is atrocious. The staff is completely untrained. It seems that the manager, Rene Saturnino, is more interested in “revenue generation” than in “hospitality”. Making more money is clearly one of his objectives. Providing even the bare minimum of good customer service is clearly not. The level of service isn’t even up to the standards of a one-star hotel. The employees look like they are doing forced labor. No one seems happy, and it shows through the service. In the end, it makes the experience horrible, and it really ruined my stay. I really wish they would put as much effort into training their staff—teaching them to smile—as they do into their WhatsApp group, where they mostly suggest (paid) activities to do. In any case, I strongly recommend avoiding this hotel, which is completely mismanaged. Run away!

We are just wrapping up eight wonderful days at the lovely Palmar Resort celebrating our wedding anniversary. The grounds are lush and lovely, and very well kept. It is about a 10-15 minute walk from the Red Frog Beach shortcut boat dock to the resort. The pathway is primarily sand, which may not be the best for rolling luggage, but if you call ahead, you can have someone assist you by taking your luggage in a wheelbarrow. When you reach the resort itself, you will be greeted with a view of the absolutely magnificent, white sand beach. Check-in is a breeze; the staff at Palmar is exceedingly accommodating and friendly. We stayed in Capuchin, a second story villa. It is private and quiet. The room was well equipped for our week’s stay, with a comfortable bed and hot water with good pressure in the shower. Housekeeping services were provided daily with good quality linens and bath towels. While you can take a water taxi (US$8 one way) to Bocas town for dining, know that the resort restaurant is very good, with a varied menu accommodating carnivore, vegan, and vegetarian diets. The staff is very helpful setting up tours and excursions. We particularly liked the day trip to Isla Escudo de Veraguas, and the two hour night time bioluminescence tour. At the beach, there are plenty of lounge chairs and nightly activities. The bar area has board games. We would come back to Palmar in a heartbeat.

Amazing experience. Our family of 6 adults stayed here for a week. We stayed in the hostel cabin Cacao. It has individual beds each with their own fan, light, blackout/privacy curtains, and a window. It has a big bathroom with two showers, sinks, and toilets. The AC was cold and appreciated! It is extensive to get there from Texas and we experienced some hiccups: our flight in Atlanta was delayed and we had little time to make our connection, our flight in Panama City to Bocas Del Toro was delayed and then we had to turn back to let some ppl off, once on Red Frog Beach the ppl in front of us took our scheduled wheelbarrow men so we had to drag our suitcases to the front desk, and upon check in our credit card didn’t work (fixed w a phone call). The cabin was clean, large, and a new experience! The employees are the pearls of the vacation. Everyone was kind and helpful. The beach itself is the kind of beach to spend all day playing in the waves. The waves can be smooth and then there are three in a row that can be ridden to the shore. There are no shells to cut your feet, no itchy seaweed, nor jellyfish like at the other hotel. There is an active lifeguard who will blow his whistle if he sees something! The food is upscale and delicious! The waitstaff are very kind and efficient. Breakfast starts at 8 but there is help yourself hot coffee at the bar. I was surprised at the police being there. Not doing anything but making their presence known. We met numerous solo women from Germany. We had a lot of cash we left in our room and not a penny was missing. We felt safe. Try and get an excursion. We went on a jungle hike, offshore fishing, swimming with the bioluminescence plankton, and a day trip to Zapatilla. Use the Palmar dock. If you use the other hotel’s dock during the day, they charge $5 each person/each way. The other hotel has a little store that sells a few drinks and snacks. Make sure to count your change! The Palmer has wonderful massages available. We had them during a rainstorm. It was magical!! There is a long walk to Polo beach. The walk is enjoyable but Polo beach isn’t that great. There is a very strong current and sharp shells. I’d recommend bringing strong flashlights. You’ll need one at night. It’s pitch black and the stars are bright and plentiful. We looked forward to a walk every night to the other hotel. It’s about 20 minutes and fun to look for nocturnal creatures. Your phone’s flashlight won’t be enough. I hope this helps somebody plan your trip. Expect a hiccup and then let it goooo.