Intercontinental Playa Bonita Panama City
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Carretera Veracruz Km.7 Distrito De Arraijan, Panama City, Panama, 211-8600
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Travel Blogs by Travelers Who Stayed at the Intercontinental Playa Bonita Panama City
Not your typical backpacker´s pit stop
At this point in our journey we´ve pretty much wrapped up our days of roughing it through the backstreets of Cental America. Now is the time when we re-enter the lap of luxury and enjoy some pure vacation time.
We´re at Intercontinental´s Playa Bonita, a beautiful resort 20 minutes SW of the city on the Pacific Ocean. We arrived very early, but they let us check in anyway. We dropped our bags in our plush room and were off to explore the 5 pools! Soaking up the sun and sipping on some ...
Historical Traveler Reviews of Intercontinental Playa Bonita Panama City
from athenz
(Photos only)
No Beach
from athenz
We stayed at this resort from Jan 30-Feb 6.
The hotel itself was very pretty. The food was average. There was not much selection.
The most disapointing part was the beach. There was hardly any beach for most of the day( the hot part 11-2pm) There was extremely low tide.We are beach lovers and were very dissapointed that this major fact was not mentioned. It was full of large rocks and the worst part was that the beach was connected to the panama canal and we heard from more than a few locals that they empty all the sewerage in that water. It was rather disgusting to be honest.
The average age group was 40-65 and all couples.
The property itself was very nice and there was a nice infinity pool to cool off in. The waiters were very kind and courteous.
There was no entertainment at all. Some music in the afternoon at the pool. We went to a few excursions to see monkeys and the rainforest which were the highlights of the trip. If you dont mind not bathing in the beach,than this is the trip for you. If you are a beach lover.....I DONT RECCOMEND THIS BEACH.
The hotel itself was very pretty. The food was average. There was not much selection.
The most disapointing part was the beach. There was hardly any beach for most of the day( the hot part 11-2pm) There was extremely low tide.We are beach lovers and were very dissapointed that this major fact was not mentioned. It was full of large rocks and the worst part was that the beach was connected to the panama canal and we heard from more than a few locals that they empty all the sewerage in that water. It was rather disgusting to be honest.
The average age group was 40-65 and all couples.
The property itself was very nice and there was a nice infinity pool to cool off in. The waiters were very kind and courteous.
There was no entertainment at all. Some music in the afternoon at the pool. We went to a few excursions to see monkeys and the rainforest which were the highlights of the trip. If you dont mind not bathing in the beach,than this is the trip for you. If you are a beach lover.....I DONT RECCOMEND THIS BEACH.
Would definitely come back!
from A TripAdvisor Member
I was definitely worried about coming to this resort after reading all the reviews. Fortunately, our fears were not to be realised. We were at the Playa Bonita from Jan 30-Feb 6/06.
Firstly, the resort physical layout is 5 star (at least for a resort). The rooms are as nice as any Westin. Large in space with comfortable beds and a very large bathroom with a glass enclosed shower. Nice furnishings. Each room has a balcony overlooking the Pacific. Our rooms were on the 5th (highest) floor and made for great day and night views of the ocean/ships going into the canal. Definitely bring some binoculars to watch the boat traffic in the distance. Housekeeping is good though sometimes they forgot to e.g. restock face cloths one day or hand towels the next. Not a major problem as each bathroom had four bath towels.
The beach is private with no one harassing you to have your hair beaded or buy their "art". It is over 2km long and has very nice sand. There is a very impressive tide here (think Bay of Fundy) but it does not detract from the resort. Yes, occasionally the odd piece of trash does wash up on the beach but the hotel does have people cleaning it up each day. Not a major problem really. My kids loved the hermit crabs! The water is not Cancun clear but still enjoyable. There are not the strong waves as I experienced on the Mayan Riviera.
The pool is beautiful and with the resort filling up, space around (but not in) the pool became hard to find as many hogged chairs that were rarely used except for as a towel rest. On the bright side, there were always tons of loungers available steps away on the beach where there were strangely few people enjoying the tranquility. I heard that they will be building two new pools so this will help the congestion.
The third restaurant did open while we were there. They all have nice decor. The buffets served were on the whole very good but sadly, the a la carte menu which included 4 main course items and 4 appetizers did not change at all during our stay. The restaurant service was not impressive at the start of our week but improved greatly as the week went on. I think all the junior staff (Servers etc.) are new to the service industry and needed to learn. (I supsect all of us who booked through Nolitours got this great rate as the Hotel is on a learning curve and when its staff and physical plant are finally up to their final end point of excellence, this will no longer be affordable to most or all-inconclusive).
The night entertainment at the hotel is really non-existant with the exception of a singer in the hotel lobby at night. That was fine by me as we were there with our young family and not interested in discos or shows (which we usually find rather amateurish at any resort).
The staff all over the hotel is genuinely friendly and try to be helpful. No one is harassing you for tips here. Spanish is an asset to converse with many staff but it is part of the travelling experience for me to try to learn a little of the local language so I rather enjoyed having to learn some Spanish.
The geographic location of the resort is probably the best for anyone interested in Panama City. It is a short cab rider to the city and all of its sites e.g the Miraflores locks, Casco Viejo, the old Panama City ruins, shopping malls. A little expensive to catch a cab from the hotel front lobby - 20$ or so(less I hear if you hail one from outside the hotel property). Coming back to the hotel is less than half that when you hail a taxi on the street (negotiate a price before you get into the taxi).
Would I come back? Absolutely but I bet 6 months from now, it will be easily be twice the price and everything pay as you go.
Firstly, the resort physical layout is 5 star (at least for a resort). The rooms are as nice as any Westin. Large in space with comfortable beds and a very large bathroom with a glass enclosed shower. Nice furnishings. Each room has a balcony overlooking the Pacific. Our rooms were on the 5th (highest) floor and made for great day and night views of the ocean/ships going into the canal. Definitely bring some binoculars to watch the boat traffic in the distance. Housekeeping is good though sometimes they forgot to e.g. restock face cloths one day or hand towels the next. Not a major problem as each bathroom had four bath towels.
The beach is private with no one harassing you to have your hair beaded or buy their "art". It is over 2km long and has very nice sand. There is a very impressive tide here (think Bay of Fundy) but it does not detract from the resort. Yes, occasionally the odd piece of trash does wash up on the beach but the hotel does have people cleaning it up each day. Not a major problem really. My kids loved the hermit crabs! The water is not Cancun clear but still enjoyable. There are not the strong waves as I experienced on the Mayan Riviera.
The pool is beautiful and with the resort filling up, space around (but not in) the pool became hard to find as many hogged chairs that were rarely used except for as a towel rest. On the bright side, there were always tons of loungers available steps away on the beach where there were strangely few people enjoying the tranquility. I heard that they will be building two new pools so this will help the congestion.
The third restaurant did open while we were there. They all have nice decor. The buffets served were on the whole very good but sadly, the a la carte menu which included 4 main course items and 4 appetizers did not change at all during our stay. The restaurant service was not impressive at the start of our week but improved greatly as the week went on. I think all the junior staff (Servers etc.) are new to the service industry and needed to learn. (I supsect all of us who booked through Nolitours got this great rate as the Hotel is on a learning curve and when its staff and physical plant are finally up to their final end point of excellence, this will no longer be affordable to most or all-inconclusive).
The night entertainment at the hotel is really non-existant with the exception of a singer in the hotel lobby at night. That was fine by me as we were there with our young family and not interested in discos or shows (which we usually find rather amateurish at any resort).
The staff all over the hotel is genuinely friendly and try to be helpful. No one is harassing you for tips here. Spanish is an asset to converse with many staff but it is part of the travelling experience for me to try to learn a little of the local language so I rather enjoyed having to learn some Spanish.
The geographic location of the resort is probably the best for anyone interested in Panama City. It is a short cab rider to the city and all of its sites e.g the Miraflores locks, Casco Viejo, the old Panama City ruins, shopping malls. A little expensive to catch a cab from the hotel front lobby - 20$ or so(less I hear if you hail one from outside the hotel property). Coming back to the hotel is less than half that when you hail a taxi on the street (negotiate a price before you get into the taxi).
Would I come back? Absolutely but I bet 6 months from now, it will be easily be twice the price and everything pay as you go.
Loved it
from A TripAdvisor Member
The resort was not completely finished but what was...was amazing. The nicest rooms I have stayed in, the food was excellent and the weather!!!!!!!
It is a small resort but it is very quiet and pieceful.
Plan to put on a few pounds because the desserts were to die for!!!!
The service was good and the beach was secluded and quiet....and it was fun watching all the hermit crabs scrambling around.
Overall the nicest resort that I have stayed at to date and if you don't go now either you will not be able to afford it or it will not be an all inclusive because it is going to be high class.
It is a small resort but it is very quiet and pieceful.
Plan to put on a few pounds because the desserts were to die for!!!!
The service was good and the beach was secluded and quiet....and it was fun watching all the hermit crabs scrambling around.
Overall the nicest resort that I have stayed at to date and if you don't go now either you will not be able to afford it or it will not be an all inclusive because it is going to be high class.
Just loved it!!!!!!!!
from transat
It's was simply incidible! The rooms are awsome, the beach is ok( it's not canccun blue water), the service is on the average but the pool is simply magic. When your'e in it, It's like if you are falling in the ocean. We loved our stay there even if the spa is not completed.
Loved the setting
from A TripAdvisor Member
I had booked my stay at the resort for the week of Jan 16th, and before going I checked in with some of the comments here posted and I almost cancelled. So glad I didn't. I had a wonderful stay, but it's true, it is not 100% finished, and services like the Spa and an entire wing of rooms were not ready. Apparently in December there was still a lot of construction going on, but there wasn't much when we were there (just some people working at the Spa).
The hotel itself has an incredible setting, beautiful arquitecture and the rooms and overall decor are done with really good taste. But they need to work a bit on the service. Staff is nice and very friendly, but you could tell many were new at the job. As for the beach, it is nice, but the water is not crystal clear like in the Dominican Republic or Cancun, but the good thing is that is private, so there are no locals bugging you to sell you stuff.
To anyone thinking of going and not mind not having a Spa, I certainly recommend going now, as the prices are cheap and you can tell that this will be a resort at the level of a Four Seasons once they are finished with all the work (I have been to the Four Seasons in Costa Rica and this resort is way nicer). Some of the reviews here are way too harsh and some simply outdated. It is a truly beatiful property.
The hotel itself has an incredible setting, beautiful arquitecture and the rooms and overall decor are done with really good taste. But they need to work a bit on the service. Staff is nice and very friendly, but you could tell many were new at the job. As for the beach, it is nice, but the water is not crystal clear like in the Dominican Republic or Cancun, but the good thing is that is private, so there are no locals bugging you to sell you stuff.
To anyone thinking of going and not mind not having a Spa, I certainly recommend going now, as the prices are cheap and you can tell that this will be a resort at the level of a Four Seasons once they are finished with all the work (I have been to the Four Seasons in Costa Rica and this resort is way nicer). Some of the reviews here are way too harsh and some simply outdated. It is a truly beatiful property.
from awjf
(Photos only)
from awjf
(Photos only)
Good experience...
from awjf
This is my review of the hotel,
First regarding the food, I mostly have good things to say about that (Filet mignon for lunch, amazing cheese cakes). The problem is that if you want a hamburger, you have to special order it (extra costs), to me it doesn't make sense to not have them available because it costs less to serve quick fast food instead of doing the fancy buffer. There were no 24hrs in between meal or lunch service only the costly room service.
Second regarding the service, I would say that 75% speak English. Other than that it was pretty good, they always found a way to understand me.
Regarding the all-inclusive features, I think that they will stop being an A-I resort when the construction ends, you could already see a lot of Panameans coming to the resort and paying the inflated hotel prices. To me it wasn't like Cuba where the staff DEPENDS on the tips to earn a living, they are more like a normal restaurant: If you want something --> ask for it. The restaurant would be more efficient if they had a bus boy instead of all waiters because the tables don't get cleaned as fast as they should. IMHO
There was kayaking available and beach volleyball as well. My travel agent told me up front that there would be neither spa nor tennis so I knew upfront (no surprise)
They will give me 100USD back because the hotel is not completed and they also gave us a trip to the Gamboa Rainforest Resort to stay the day and see the expositions, enjoy the pool, etc... I am not into discos but the signer added to the atmosphere every evening.
Now the really great stuff: You are near Panama City, the other A-I resorts are a lot farter away so it's easy to go see the canal and go shop. For those who don't know the mall (multi-plaza) has everything you would hope for in a mall with the same merchandise that you would find in Mtl at lower prices too. (Except for electronics)
If I would go back to Panama City, I would take a train ride to Colon at the Zona Libre where there is no tax for tourists and merchants, also I heard that the price of gold is really good. I recommend that you go to Los Pueblos witch is a HUGE shopping strip and I mean HUGE!!!
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, I feel lucky to have paid the trip 2K$ because next year it will be way more expansive.
J-F
P.S. My wife says: Don't bring any clothes nor sandals you can get dressed for 2 weeks for 100$ at the shopping mall. Oca Loca --> Wmns bathing suits 5 USD
First regarding the food, I mostly have good things to say about that (Filet mignon for lunch, amazing cheese cakes). The problem is that if you want a hamburger, you have to special order it (extra costs), to me it doesn't make sense to not have them available because it costs less to serve quick fast food instead of doing the fancy buffer. There were no 24hrs in between meal or lunch service only the costly room service.
Second regarding the service, I would say that 75% speak English. Other than that it was pretty good, they always found a way to understand me.
Regarding the all-inclusive features, I think that they will stop being an A-I resort when the construction ends, you could already see a lot of Panameans coming to the resort and paying the inflated hotel prices. To me it wasn't like Cuba where the staff DEPENDS on the tips to earn a living, they are more like a normal restaurant: If you want something --> ask for it. The restaurant would be more efficient if they had a bus boy instead of all waiters because the tables don't get cleaned as fast as they should. IMHO
There was kayaking available and beach volleyball as well. My travel agent told me up front that there would be neither spa nor tennis so I knew upfront (no surprise)
They will give me 100USD back because the hotel is not completed and they also gave us a trip to the Gamboa Rainforest Resort to stay the day and see the expositions, enjoy the pool, etc... I am not into discos but the signer added to the atmosphere every evening.
Now the really great stuff: You are near Panama City, the other A-I resorts are a lot farter away so it's easy to go see the canal and go shop. For those who don't know the mall (multi-plaza) has everything you would hope for in a mall with the same merchandise that you would find in Mtl at lower prices too. (Except for electronics)
If I would go back to Panama City, I would take a train ride to Colon at the Zona Libre where there is no tax for tourists and merchants, also I heard that the price of gold is really good. I recommend that you go to Los Pueblos witch is a HUGE shopping strip and I mean HUGE!!!
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, I feel lucky to have paid the trip 2K$ because next year it will be way more expansive.
J-F
P.S. My wife says: Don't bring any clothes nor sandals you can get dressed for 2 weeks for 100$ at the shopping mall. Oca Loca --> Wmns bathing suits 5 USD
Week of Hell- DO NOT GO
from cansort
DO NOT GO TO THIS HOTEL!!!
We stayed at InterContinental Playa Bonita Resort over Christmas. Although the hotel was listed on the InterContinental web sight as opening on Dec. 15, IT IS NOT FINISHED!! They ruined my christmas and do not let them ruin your vacation. There was construction everywhere, welding in the lobby, and the use of toxic substances. Nothing was finished including the SPA, the Disco, no activities, and the Hotel it self was still being built. The Staff spoke no english, and getting drinks became a hassle. With most all inclusive resorts you get a bottomless glass of wine with dinner, this hotel pours you a glass and runs away, only for you to have to get up and fight with the bar tender to get another little glass, and half of the time they just take your glass away and leave you with nothing to drink. On our last night it took us two hours to get the a la cart dinner, which was stake. If you do order one of the three a la cart dinners you get, make sure you a) leave lots of time for them to mess everyhting up, and b) order your stake well doen if you like it medium. The last night we were there three of us sent back our meals 6 times, and the 4 people next to us sent back there meals back 9 times, and two others just gave up and ate buffet. There is no activities to do, and there is no great staff to make you feel at home.The rooms are nice, other then the fact that my shower was broken and it took me two days to get my broken hair dryer back. Watch out for the beach which is littered with broken glass and other sharp objects. Other people from the weeks sourrounding when we were there are considering a class action suit against the hotel and our tour company. Please see the forums for more details. This hotel is also an eco-friendly hotel, but they were burning the hotel garbage right next to the beach! If you have any questions at all, PLEASE contact me!!!!! I have more to write but I don't want to go on and on.
We stayed at InterContinental Playa Bonita Resort over Christmas. Although the hotel was listed on the InterContinental web sight as opening on Dec. 15, IT IS NOT FINISHED!! They ruined my christmas and do not let them ruin your vacation. There was construction everywhere, welding in the lobby, and the use of toxic substances. Nothing was finished including the SPA, the Disco, no activities, and the Hotel it self was still being built. The Staff spoke no english, and getting drinks became a hassle. With most all inclusive resorts you get a bottomless glass of wine with dinner, this hotel pours you a glass and runs away, only for you to have to get up and fight with the bar tender to get another little glass, and half of the time they just take your glass away and leave you with nothing to drink. On our last night it took us two hours to get the a la cart dinner, which was stake. If you do order one of the three a la cart dinners you get, make sure you a) leave lots of time for them to mess everyhting up, and b) order your stake well doen if you like it medium. The last night we were there three of us sent back our meals 6 times, and the 4 people next to us sent back there meals back 9 times, and two others just gave up and ate buffet. There is no activities to do, and there is no great staff to make you feel at home.The rooms are nice, other then the fact that my shower was broken and it took me two days to get my broken hair dryer back. Watch out for the beach which is littered with broken glass and other sharp objects. Other people from the weeks sourrounding when we were there are considering a class action suit against the hotel and our tour company. Please see the forums for more details. This hotel is also an eco-friendly hotel, but they were burning the hotel garbage right next to the beach! If you have any questions at all, PLEASE contact me!!!!! I have more to write but I don't want to go on and on.
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