Splendid Ocean View 2 BR Suites in Playa Blanca Resort in Playa Blanca

Wish We Could Have Stayed Longer!

Abby (Toronto, Canada)
Review submitted: April 28, 2011   Date of arrival: March 28, 2011

The condo was bright, extremely spacious, had a gorgeous view and was exactly as pictured in the photographs. Both the owner and the property manager were very helpful and accommodating, promptly answering any questions we had and providing us will all the information that we needed to get the most out of our vacation. Our only regret is that we weren't able to stay for a month as there is so much to see and do both in Playa Blanca and Panama in general. The pool as well as the grounds surrounding it were kept very clean and well manicured... actually much nicer than the pool at the neighboring two buildings! It was also nice to have the option to pay for a day pass to the resort when we felt too lazy to cook and get our own drinks! As for food options, El Rey in Coronado, about half an hour away is a wonderful supermarket with all the necessities. If you like seafood, make a stop at the fresh fish market on your way out of Panama City...it is well worth the time as they have absolutely every type of seafood imaginable for great prices! Dining out in the area was also a pleasure. We quite enjoyed the casual beach bars, Woody's and Pipa's, just down from the Decameron Resort and wish we had discoverd them sooner. They are a short and inexpensive cab ride away or, if the tide is out, you can walk along the beach and cross the river at the far end of Playa Blanca Resort. For slightly more upscale dining and an extensive appetizer selection, XOCO's Restaurant in Santa Clara was wonderful (also a short cab ride away). There were no shortages of activities available and we enjoyed bike rentals, horseback riding on the beach and zip-lining, all available for booking at the Watersports Center in Playa Blanca Resort, a five minute walk away. We will definitely be returning to Panama and certainly wouldn't hesitate to rent this condo again.

Recommended for: adventure seekers

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Helpful votes: 6 / 6

Excellent Easter Vacation at Playa Blanca

andyn32 (McLean, VA)
Review submitted: April 3, 2013   Date of arrival: March 24, 2013

We had a great time staying in this condo. Some highlights included:
1. Being able to walk to the 2 nearby resorts (Playa Blanca and Wyndham) and buying their day passes.
2. Being able to walk to the lagoon/supersized pool. The boat rentals were LOTS of fun and cheaper than US prices.
3. The condo pool is good too.
4. Exploring Anton Valley and Panama City sites.
5. Enjoying the view from the condo.

Astrid and her manager Manuel were very accommodating. I would recommend taking one of Manuel's tours.

While you can be entertained without a car, having one is recommended to visit other sites, restaurants, and supermarkets.

The negative was the noise, which was particularly bad during Easter Week. Neighbors played loud music all night, and there is a bit of construction noise from a new Riu resort being built in front of the condo. Also note that there is only 1 TV in the living room. But the internet entertained those that didn't want to watch TV.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, people with disabilities, families with teenagers, sight seeing

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Time for some maintenance!!

lorneb (bruce mines,ontario,canada)
Review submitted: February 28, 2013   Date of arrival: February 4, 2013

Do not beleive everything you read..sound familiar? Well in the case of this condo that statement is an understatement. This condo was very dirty when we arrived, bathrooms and kitchen didn't appear to have been professionally cleaned in quite some time. We expressed our concerns to property manager Manuel and he did provide a cleaning lady to wipe away some dirt and replace the soap scum stained shower curtain and provided us with a couple new towels to replace the stained towels provided.
Manuel also was recommened as a source to rent a car and book tours.All I will say to this is please do some research before going this route..we had an agreement to rent a car that Manuel cancelled at the last hour on us. turns out that he saved us 1/2 the cost of renting a car for 15 days by doing so!!
The condo is advertised as a brand new condo with impeccable style and comfort. High end furniture is anything but..the Infinity pool is just a regular pool that gets sunlight only in the morning hours. It's quite a nice pool when it's not full of algae. The claim of a concierge is just that a claim, we verified with Manuel and he confirmed that the building does not have that service.
The view is as stated, Ocean,pool and lagoon view..Yes..although at the time we rented a large new hotel is being constructed right in front of the condo, so we woke up to the sound of large transports and sirens etc.
You can use the Playa Blanca Resort facilities for $40 per person per day..budget for this because unless you intend to rent a car and travel or you simply want to walk the 15 minutes to the beach and lounge all day the resort is the ONLY thing to do here. You cannot use the lagoon facility as a renter.
The condo kitchen has all the appliances a kitchen should have however it is not fully stocked to spend any time here and prepare full cousre meals..thank goodness there is an electric grill,some grilling utensils would help though.
The washer and dryer..let me just say, unless you are familiar with the operation of an adjustable wrench to operate the dryer..good luck. But you most likely won't need it as the washing machine is a hit and miss unit. I am quite certain that a panel breaker shouldn't be used as a reset switch!!
Air conditioners worked..window blinds didn't, cable on LCD TV worked, internet was spotty and needed constant rebooting.
Finally, the building itself is in need of alot of maintenance and is not an exotic paradise as advertised.
Look elsewhere!

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Helpful votes: 5 / 5