Playa Blanca Beach Resort - All Inclusive

I'm writing this to help anyone considering this hotel. This was one of the worst hotel stays I've had, starting on the first day. My brother had booked for us, but someone at the hotel had the dates wrong and put the reservation down for the following month. Since they were full that night, instead of the two supposedly “best” rooms we'd booked, we got one of their worst. There were no blackout curtains, the TV was so old it couldn't even open YouTube, and we could hear people in the surrounding rooms and at the pool. The whole complex also had no water for any toilette for hours. We asked for extra pillows and were told there weren't any, and apparently they couldn't fix the water problem. Eventually they moved us to the correct room, supposedly the best in the complex. It was in the only building without elevators. Nobody offered to help with our bags. Instead, they told us to go to the front desk and then carry everything to the new room ourselves. That same afternoon, they gave my brother's room to someone else without supervision, deactivated his access, and left those people able to get into his room. Thankfully, they were decent people. The hotel's answer was that he had to go back to the front desk to get his access restored. Customer service was ZERO. The beach was pretty bad, with black sand and what looked like tree remains, nothing like the photos used to lure people in. The buffet was decent, but the snacks were lousy, with only one option at the time. The woman handing out pool or beach towels was quite rude. It was a really, really bad stay. Please don't reply with the generic line about this not being your usual service or ask me to give you another chance. I will never come back to your property.

The grounds are beautiful, and everything from the many pools to the food was amazing. The staff are what set the resort apart, they were genuinely warm and welcoming. Special thanks to Ana Celina at reception, and Juan and Bryan in food services.

The restaurant staff were cheerful, attentive, and made every meal feel relaxed and welcoming. The food was a highlight too, with a homemade, natural feel and ingredients you could really taste. It was a refreshing change from typical resort food. Today, chef David, Tomás, and Andrés showed us how to make seafood paella on the beach. They used all the ingredients needed to give it a distinctive taste based on local recipes. I had a lovely visit to Hotel Playa Blanca in Río Hato, Panamá, and particularly appreciated the food and service. If you want delicious, natural food served by kind people at a beautiful hotel in Panamá, this is an excellent choice.

My family and I spent a wonderful week on vacation at Playa Blanca. The pools were beautiful, the show was fun, and the food was spectacular. I got to try lots of delicious dishes.