Victoria Hotel and Suites Panama

I wanted to give this place five stars, and despite a few problems, I'd stay again. The location is great, near restaurants, a main strip, the metro, and not too far from the airport. Front desk and dining staff were pleasant. Our room was large, with a spacious shower, a mini fridge, coffee maker, iron and ironing board in the closet, and two complimentary bottles of water. The shower pressure was weak, though, and I found someone else's socks in a neatly made bed. I took off all the bedding and put it in the shower, then ran water over it so fresh linens would be put back on. There was also a badly stained accent chair. We asked four times for it to be removed, but it was never taken away or cleaned. Breakfast was nice for a few days, but got repetitive, and the food was only room temperature even though it was in a warmer. Fritura shouldn't sit out for long. Wi-Fi was unreliable on my laptop but worked perfectly on small devices.

We came for New Year's hoping to watch the fireworks from the rooftop, but only learned on arrival that a private party had booked the whole space for the night. This must have been planned well in advance, so a quick email or phone call could have let guests know they wouldn't have access. We found out too late to make other plans and ended up spending the entire night in our room. That was a real disappointment, and we won't be back. We also ordered room service at 8 pm, with the restaurant due to close at 9:30. After waiting over an hour, we called again and were told the restaurant was already closed. They should have told us from the start they couldn't fulfill the order. The hotel itself is beautiful, the rooms are nice and very clean, and the location is a big plus. Better service and communication would make a difference.

The food was delicious, with a good range of choices at the buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and custom orders are available too. Meals were served with great hospitality. Staff were very friendly, and housekeeping did a very good job. It's quiet and peaceful, a nice setting for resting on a business trip or vacation.

Good food, good people, and excellent service. A really nice place to relax.