My husband and I are independent birders. We rented a car for our 2 week trip to Panama City Area and other Panama locations. The grounds are lovely for birding including ponds and trails and our super spacious room overlooked the forest. At 6am it was lovely to see the mist rising over the rain forest. Shortly after the birds were moving. this location is reasonably close to the famous Canopy Tower so it shared in many of the same birds. Its incredibly close to all the famous spots-- Its an easy 15 minutes from Pipeline trail. After a sweltering hike on pipeline trail or plantation trail or a visit to the ponds, its delightful to come back to our elegant air-conditioned room, check CNN, swim in the pool and eat at the restaurants. Can't withdraw from birding? no problem-- just wander the grounds. the restaurants (really only one while we were there) were very good and offered non meat eaters a sufficient variety. the buffet breakfast was generous with an omlette bar and fresh fruit and a variety of breads and juices. We found the buffet for breakfast set up really early and managed to eat or take a carry out package for people anxious to be out and about using their binoculars. The staff was super friendly and helped us thru a problem with the car rental company. there's not much choice for outside-the-complex dining but you could drive to Gamboa Forest Resort, which we did for lunch, another fun place to watch bird life.

I stayed at this hotel for 6 days attending a conference. The rooms were superb and the food was great. yes it is a distance from everywhere - a cab ride to the city will cost you US$25 and to the mall US$15 ( US$10 back!!) However in a group it is is great!! The staff are fantastic when you get to know them - Christian - the night auditor is an absolute gem!! The bar staff are friendly and helpful - they don't speak much English but they are willing to try!! I WILL be back!!

The location is both good and terrible: great to be away from Cuidad Central (Panama City Central) and close to Lake Gatun and the Locks, but a pain to go to restaurants or other touristy things in the City. The drive to/from the City took 2 hours one night due to a stalled truck in the 2-lane portion and traffic... at other times, it only took 25-45 minutes.

The property is nice, rooms are spacious and look nice, though not very clean. Bathrooms are quite nice. There is a small nature trail in the back with a limited butterfly enclosure, which is good for killing 15 minutes or so. Did not try the golf or driving range. The restaurant and included breakfast was pretty good and hotel typical, though a bit limited in choice.

We got a good rate through Expedia (cheaper than Radisson.com). Available wi-fi and computers worked well.

The hotel is quite close by car to downtown, but far out enough that it feels like a resort. The hotel is very well decorated, bright and airy. Our view was bad (pool area and restaurant), but we didn't feel like switching rooms. The pools were very nice also. We found a frog swimming in one of the pools at night!! Service was fine. The hotel did seem rather empty, though. Overall a nice stay.