This is our 5th time to Panama. We love the country and the people. Playa Blanca has such great potential, beautiful pools and beach, but was a big disappointment. To make an internet reservation you end up using a 3rd party travel agent, so if there are any issues, the resort just blames the travel agency. Rooms are average and well worn, buffet was awful. When you could make a reservation for the "real" restaurants", you end up finding out you have to pay extra for some of the menu items. You have to pay for internet and only while sitting in their lobby. So everything is not "All inclusive" .We stayed for 4 nights. Our last night, at 2 in the morning, had a man with his cap pulled down low over his face trying to kick our door in. We called security......twice......5 minutes later, he finally arrived. Security ushered him away and we never heard a peep from security or management, and of course we didn't sleep a wink that night. Will not return.

I am just back from 6 days at Playa Blanca and I had a wonderful time. The beach and the resort were beautiful.

I read a number of negative reviews on this website before I left and I am glad that I ignored them. I have been to Central America several times (Nicaragua, Belize and Costa Rica) and I found Panama to be breath-taking-ly beautiful. People who complain about the service and the lack of English-speaking staff need to bear in mind that Panama is a SPANISH-speaking country and a developing country, at that. It is true that most of the staff do not speak English, but then again, many hotel staff in the US don't speak English either.

I had NO problems whatsoever with my room, they give you a free liter of bottled water each day and the room was very clean, with a balcony and beautiful view of the beach.

My one complaint is that I wasn't able to go to the Panama Canal because the on-site tour company was never open during it's advertised hours or often decided to close early, however this is typical of how time works in Central America per my experience.

If you want to experience the beauty of another culture, go here. If you want to experience US culture on the beach, go to Florida.

The hotel is just as beautiful as it looks in the pictures. However, that is where the resembelance ends. Service is terrible, and I mean extremely terrible. Once you're checked in, forget any help from the front desk. People are very nice, but completely unresponsive.

When we checked in we were on the first floor with a view of the beach. however, the sliding glass door had such huge gaps between it and the frame not only could every imaginable bug get through, and there are a lot of bugs there, so could medium sized lizards. After waiting an hour, they moved us to the second floor. The sliding glass door fit but the entry door did not. Again a giant gap between the door and the door frame. We had to stuff the gap full of toilet paper to keep the flying bugs out.

The food--what a joke. The meals are the same for every meal from day to day. And it ain't very good. I'm no food snob, but at least 50% of what was offered is inedible. The remainder was just bad. I spend a lot of time in Panama, and this is the worst food I've ever had there.

The drinks are free--but I'm not sure there is any alcohol in them. I don't drink a lot, but I had about 10 margarita's in three hours time and didn't even get a buzz. The Pina Colada's tasted neither Pina or Colada.

The pools are beautiful, but there is no shade. i counted only five umberellas at the pools and none available they are not movable. So if you're at the pool, be ready to either get there very early or to spend your time completely exposed to the tropical sun.

The beach is very nice with lots of shade for those who want it.

The rooms are stark. Totally white with little decoration and minimal furniture. No internet, little cable TV, no frig or other immenities. One of the two full size beds broke the first time I sat down on it. No one ever came to fix it.

They do have pretty good nightlife. Though don't expect to get to bed early while you're there. You can hear the pounding music throughout the complex until 2 or 3 am. And it is very LOUD with lot's of base.

The best holiday ever. Food, nature, weather, Pacific, staff, beach, peace... Our 12 year old daughter wants nowhere else never again. The best was the really quiet beach and the great buffet, all-inclusive means you don't need money anywhere. And all those exotic birds and plants, really marvellous. Only some other tourists didn't have good tablemanners in the buffet. If you want to eat good food, rest well, enjoy sunny weather and friendly people, Panama is your country.