Residencial & Hotel Palazzo

Willy made my stay easy from the moment I arrived. He carried my luggage, opened the hotel door, helped me check in, and later sorted out parking, an ATM, and a taxi when I wanted to relax and enjoy the view from the cab instead of driving at night. After 7PM he even found food for me and brought it to my room. Whatever I needed, he was there and went above and beyond to make the stay pleasant. The receptionist was also nice, respectful, helpful, and direct. The room had cold AC and good water pressure. For hot water, turn the faucet left and let it run for about a minute, then it gets very hot. I came back each day to clean sheets and towels. WiFi was around 10mbps, enough for videos, photos, email, and voice calls. I had a nice view of Panama's main streets. There are three or four street food vendors just a couple minutes away on foot, so I could get coffee, drinks, and meals nearby. El Machetazo supermarket is about a five-minute walk, and it has an ATM inside. There are more ATMs a few blocks away. The hotel is also close to cinta costera. The streets stay busy day and night, there's a nearby police department, and I felt the hotel security and safety were good. Parking is free. Nothing was stolen, I had no problems, and I was always treated respectfully. Checkout was simple: I handed over my key and TV remote and was done. I'll stay at Palazzo again.

The main issue for me was noise. Traffic carries into the hotel, and on two occasions loud people in other rooms kept talking into the evening and early morning. The area is Calidonia. It seemed okay in the daytime, but I wouldn't advise going out in the evening. There are several good restaurants, a couple of bakeries, and a large grocery and department store a few blocks away. The beach is perhaps 3-4 blocks down, and Casco Viejo is about 30 minutes away. I booked a Deluxe Suite. The room had a mini-fridge, a good-sized LED TV, working AC, a small desk, and a padded low lounge chair with synthetic leather-like material. The desk chair was cheap and creaky, and should be replaced. The king-size bed was comfortable overall, though the springs on one side were deficient and that side sagged. There were shelves on both sides of the bed, a nice-sized wardrobe, and rather thick king-size pillows. The sink had hot water, and the shower was a good size with hot water. The toilet had an elongated bowl at what seemed like standard height. Most staff seemed very polite, though a few were rude. The elevator was extremely slow.

The staff were very friendly, and we got fresh towels during our four-night stay. The room was cleaned in between, though it could have been cleaner. The area didn't feel very safe, especially at night. In daytime it was okay if you kept moving toward the sea. There's a grocery store and bakery 100 meters from the hotel, while restaurants and cafes are farther away.

The rooms were clean, and I had no trouble with the front desk. The place has been remodeled recently; they're working on the ground floor and should finish soon. The price is fair, and it's cheaper to pay in person, $20 a day less than booking online. The location is okay, in a neighborhood that's neither the best nor the worst. Uber rides around the city are cheap. The one thing that didn't seem fair was charging $1.60 for bottled water.