Sercotel Panama Princess

We arrived at the hotel around 7:30 am knowing that we wouldn't be able to check in, no problem. They said they put us on a waiting list to have the room ready as soon as possible, no later than 3 pm. We left and came back around 3:45 pm, had to wait around 20 minutes to talk to staff because they were dealing with other customers. They told us the room wasn't ready, and when we complained that we'd supposedly been on a waiting list since 7:30 am, they were like "Well, it's not ready," and their facial expressions said, "Too bad, deal with it." We waited until around 4:30 and the room still wasn't ready. It was only when my girl friend got super stressed out and started making a scene (because we were exhausted from an overnight flight) that they sent an administrator to talk to us and help us out. He attended us better than the front desk staff. Despite all this, I can't give the hotel a bad rating, because it really is a nice hotel for what we paid. It was clean and comfortable, and after check-in, we had no problems. I'd recommend it, but they really should improve the check-in process and make sure the rooms are ready on time.

My wife, daughter and I stayed a total of 5 nights. Our first night was separated from the other 4 as we wanted to visit the country. First night, we had a room where there was a strong mold smell (and mold) as others mentioned. We asked to be moved, they moved us to one with less mold for a night and told us they are aware about that and the new owners are renovating all the rooms, to remove the carpet, fix the Wi-Fi connection, gym, and more. The restaurant is renovated and looks really nice! We checked out and then checked back in the next week for 4 nights. We were placed in a room without a mold smell. Much better! We had a really great time. I really liked our room. Nice bathroom, very clean room compared to other hotels we frequented. Hardly any dust, etc. Beds and pillows are high quality and comfortable. The morning included breakfast buffet is excellent, one of the best as it has multiple choices. We also had supper there and ordered 3 meals for us (really low price compared to outside restaurants) (it's also a fancy restaurant so it's a really nice experience). The food was delicious and the whole staff was great, professional, and kind. They have a piano bar in the lobby and I think 2 bar areas (we didn't use them). The area is safe with lots of shops and restaurants. The road going to the hotel has traffic but it's quick to get out of the hotel as it goes through a private road. It was the best price/quality I could find. Others similar were double the price.

This hotel is in a good location. It was hard to find it thou, the name of the hotel is in a TV screen seems like and hard to see at night. They said they just changed the name..We drove by it like 4 times before being able to find it and if you ask people on the streets they don't know where it is. The streets aren't mark either so, at night looking for this place was a challenge. Our room on the 2 floor was stuffy and hot the first night. We complaint and someone came to fix the a/c. 2 hours later we were calling again to get the a/c guy back in there at 2 am. He was able to fix it but we still moved the next morning to a different room. The second room was on the 7th floor and better. Breakfast is included. They have fresh fruit, coffee, some juices, bread, ham, cereal and scramble eggs. If you want your eggs in a different way you may for an extra charge. I noticed the only give you two towels so, if you need more just ask the maid. Our rental car was hit while parked in the hotel's garage, we spoke to the hotel manager in charge who told us she will help getting it resolved. Thank God we had insurance in the car and when trying to return it there was no need for further action against the hotel. Highly recommend to get insurance if you are renting a car.

Everything in this hotel is so worn and cheap looking. The staff don't speak english, fortunately we speak Spanish but I wouldn't recommend this place for Westerners. The bathtub was badly peeling and there wasn't hot water any time of day or night. We had 1 towel and 1 hand towel, which we had to use to soak up the water leaking by the toilet. We asked for more towels at the desk and were told they would bring them up but never did. Very over priced for what you get; including the crappy breakfast. We went for it at 0930 and although it was supposed to go until 10 they were not replacing the empty platters. It only consisted of cold cuts, breads, and 3 hot platters of weiners in sauce, fried rice, and pancakes. I recommend going around the corner for good $2-6 hot breakfasts that come with juice and coffee.

Visited Panama for 8 days, and spent two days in each hotel. Our first issue with this one was that, when we booked, it was called "Sercotel Panama Princess," but the taxi driver took us to a different hotel with a similar name. Apparently this one changed names, and is now "Sercotel Marabella." Issue #2 was wifi - only able to connect from the lobby or near elevators, not in the room. Third was location. For tourist destinations, you may want to look for a closer hotel. This was the least favorite of locations we chose, due to the places we wanted to visit. Fourth was the condition. Looks like hotel hasn't been updated in years, but was once nice. Stains on carpet, tub needs refinishing, hallways look like outdated 1980's style. Lastly, the power went out during our stay. Elevators were unusable off and on for hours, with no stairway access. Didn't like feeling trapped. Hopefully this was an isolated issue. Snack options are nicely laid out, enticing you to use - and pay for them. Room price was good, but there are better options in Panama.