Hotels With Breakfast in Bocas del Toro, Panama

During my trip I tried out 3 different Bambuda hostels (in dormitories each time). I waited until I'd done all 3 before writing this review. Here is my personal experience : Out of the 3 Bambuda I think they had the most amazing staff. Everyone was kind, smiling, friendly and very helpful. For some examples, they use WhatsApp to communicate and on the way to the hotel my water cab broke down. I told them just to let them know I'd be arriving later and they offered to call for assistance. Another example, I dropped my AirPods case (i m a mess) and lost one of them. Half the staff helped me look everywhere for it. For backpackers on a budget, you need to know that there's no kitchen and as there's nothing on Solarte Island you'll be totally dependent on the hostel restaurant. There is a filtered water fountain, but I haven't tried it myself. As far as the food is concerned, everything I ate was really very good, they have a wide choice of western and more local dishes, and concerning prices nothing shocked me compared with other restaurants across the islands. Good to know too - for dinner they have a ”family dinner” concept which means you have to order your meal before 5.45pm. After this time, you won't be able to order any food whatsoever. So if you're planning to arrive at the hostel after that time, be sure to have dinner beforehand! The place and the location itself are amazing but I was a little unlucky on the room. I was in a 6-bed dorm room with a bathroom, and it wasn't very clean (not bad considering there were already 4 other people in the room) but there was a terrible smell of urine throughout the room (not even in the bathroom itself). Also be aware that it’s kind of a party place so if you are in the dorms it will get noisy (unless you are partying too 😉) As the place is more or less off the grid, there's no hot water or aircon (but you can ask for as many fans as you like!). as you can imagine, since you're on an island where there's nothing, you'll have to pay for water cabs every time you want to go somewhere and then come back, which can get expensive! My advice, choose this hostel if you want to chill and relax in a beautiful place rather than to visit, there’s a time for everything!

Are you a deep sleeper then you are ok. This is a great hotel except for one minor detail. It's 50 metres from a bar that blasts music from 10 until early hours of the morning. So much so the hotel provides ear plugs in your rooms. I've never had that before! If facing hotel try to get room on opposite side to right. Apart from this friendly helpful staff. Good service. Rooms not huge but good sized. Made up daily with fresh towels. Clean. Ac, fan and TV that work. Great bathroom, hot water. Restaurant with quick service. Ice cream out front good. Writing desk in room and hanging space. Small juliette balcony. Water views both sides. Worth staying if you can deal with music. It will depend on season how many nights and how loud.

Nice hotel in the middle of dirt. The room was clean, breakfast has a nice choice and very good. Staff was a little weird but nice. English was spoken by all but the maids. The loss of a star is because they let outsiders come in to use the pool. During the day there were families and it got crowded at times. I never used the pool because of this and I booked/paid to have one. I would have given it 2 less stars for the area and I wont be back but that's not the hotels fault. Town is dirty. Streets are sand and dust, open air restaurants were filthy, and somehow I got food poisoning. We were supposed to stay 11 nights but we left in 5 and lost all that money. It was a wreck.

I believe that me staying at HOTEL BOCAS DEL TORO for the 14th time in 12 years speaks for itself. But, there is much to say about my second home away from the USA. This year I stayed 9 1/2 weeks. I have a lovely room that has a balcony over the beautiful ocean. When I arrive they always have very special things for me in my room that truly make it feel like home. The hotel provides a delicious breakfast with your reservation, with many options. You will not find better staff, Yaci, Deni, Maria, and Illiana, and the owner, Carla than at my hotel. They truly are my family. They will go the extra mile to help you in any way they can. I have been ill while staying, and they will make sure I have special medications, and make me soup, and ginger tea. Just like being at home!! The hotel is very charming with only 11 rooms, and have many options for how many guests are able to stay in a room. Without a doubt this is the finest hotel in all of Bocas, and centrally located at the heart of the village for restaurants, shops etc. As an added note, Bocas that has been written up by Conde Nast Traveler twice in 10 years, including National Geographic, which speaks volumes.

The best hostel I stayed at in Panama. Super modern and clean with excellent air con in the rooms and a lovely waterfront patio and bar area. The food I ordered wasn't very good (still frozen) and food and drinks highly expensive like everywhere in the area. Bocas itself is a dump and I thoroughly regret going. The only good thing I have to say about Bocas is the boat trips you can take to places that are beautiful and there is a pizza restaurant on the main drag that does the best pizza and also best chocolate cake I ever ate. Careful buying food in shops though, they don't gave air con, power often goes down for hours and there is an aroma of rotten food in shops and aroma of sewage throughout Bocas. Sewage goes in the seawater often directly so don't swim around Bocas.

I did not stay her but I had pizza. The pizza is priced just right for families traveling. The pizzas are prepared before you. They taste fresh and good after a long day of touring and sightseeing. The staff is kind and very helpful. A friend got pasta and enjoyed it very much. Do try this spot.

Nice hotel in the middle of dirt. The room was clean, breakfast has a nice choice and very good. Staff was a little weird but nice. English was spoken by all but the maids. The loss of a star is because they let outsiders come in to use the pool. During the day there were families and it got crowded at times. I never used the pool because of this and I booked/paid to have one. I would have given it 2 less stars for the area and I wont be back but that's not the hotels fault. Town is dirty. Streets are sand and dust, open air restaurants were filthy, and somehow I got food poisoning. We were supposed to stay 11 nights but we left in 5 and lost all that money. It was a wreck.

I believe that me staying at HOTEL BOCAS DEL TORO for the 14th time in 12 years speaks for itself. But, there is much to say about my second home away from the USA. This year I stayed 9 1/2 weeks. I have a lovely room that has a balcony over the beautiful ocean. When I arrive they always have very special things for me in my room that truly make it feel like home. The hotel provides a delicious breakfast with your reservation, with many options. You will not find better staff, Yaci, Deni, Maria, and Illiana, and the owner, Carla than at my hotel. They truly are my family. They will go the extra mile to help you in any way they can. I have been ill while staying, and they will make sure I have special medications, and make me soup, and ginger tea. Just like being at home!! The hotel is very charming with only 11 rooms, and have many options for how many guests are able to stay in a room. Without a doubt this is the finest hotel in all of Bocas, and centrally located at the heart of the village for restaurants, shops etc. As an added note, Bocas that has been written up by Conde Nast Traveler twice in 10 years, including National Geographic, which speaks volumes.

I did not stay her but I had pizza. The pizza is priced just right for families traveling. The pizzas are prepared before you. They taste fresh and good after a long day of touring and sightseeing. The staff is kind and very helpful. A friend got pasta and enjoyed it very much. Do try this spot.

We feel at home Super good breakfast Room and comfortable bed Quiet for Bocas Town I recommend

The hotel has a nice location to get to discover Bocas and go out for short or long tours to the islands and their attractions. The breakfasts are delicious but some options are small portions and not worth eating. For a Selina one would expect a higher standard of service, but their staff makes no effort to meet it, they do the minimum to barely get the job done, their guest service is basic and their hospitality needs to be developed a lot. The rooms need a lot of ”love” to be up to the standard of a Selina: maintenance, security and comfort are things they lack. The few windows do not close well, there is little space and comfort in the bathroom to have your clothes hung up or to change clothes, the doors of the rooms are rusty, the floors always look dirty and full of dust and dirt, the plants are dirty, dead or very dry, the decoration is not something that helps to give a cozy feel. It is difficult to detail who is a Selina collaborator because they show indifference and since they do not have a uniform or a badge it is impossible to know who to ask for help. The last night we had to suffer from a Jewish party and there was no one to tell us that there was going to be a lot of noise and much less was there anyone to help us asking for respect and silence for the other guests for that noisy group of Jews who thought they were the only ones in the hotel. If you are looking to spend days and nights partying, Selina Bocas del Toro is for you, if you are looking to just sleep and go every day to the tours in the other islands, Selina Bocas del Toro is for you, but if you need comfort, services, hospitality, attention and tranquility, Selina Bocas del Toro is not for you.

My family and I had a lovely 4 day stay at the Lodge. We stayed in one of the bungalows. The bungalow had two queen sized beds and a small bathroom with a shower. The shower had a large window looking out into the jungle and each evening a red frog and lizard appeared on the window! The room was large enough to accommodate us and very comfortable. We spent most of our time at red frog beach or on excursions. The room was cleaned daily and fresh towels were always provided. This was critical since no matter how much you tried to keep the sand out of the room it became a near impossible task. The various accommodations at the lodge are within the jungle environs surrounding the beach. It was lovely to go to sleep and wake to the sound of nature each morning. The restaurant at the lodge was consistent and produced excellent meals although the menu was small and remained consistent. If I had one suggestion it would be to add a daily special to the dinner menu in order to provide a bit of variety since there are not many options to obtain a meal elsewhere. The staff at the hotel were always friendly and accommodating. They assisted with water taxis into Bocas town and various tour options. I am so happy that we chose Palmar Lodge versus a stay in town. The seclusion and calm of the island really helped us detox from the day to day and truly get away. I would recommend Palmar Lodge to anyone seeking some time away.

Me and my wife stayed here for a few days just after Xmas. Is it perfect? No, did I love every single minute? More than a review can say…. We had a private bungalow, it was exactly that, private. It looks like something straight off an Instagram post, but the reality is just as good. You get a good space, with air con and your own bathroom that overlooks the jungle! Amazing! The water pressure was good, and water was lovely and warm! During dry season you can only use the water at certain times… was this a problem? Hell no! It’s a remote island and you’re in a jungle, just having running water is a miracle! There’s LOADS of wildlife to see, from sloths, to hummingbirds, to monkeys.. it’s perfect for nature lovers! Tomer, is so knowledgeable about all the creatures, and does a night walk around the hotel and shows you al sorts of creatures! The hotel provides loads of tours at really good prices, the staff will recommend the best ones! The path to the beach is amazing, me and the wife must have walked it over 20 times day and night! Water taxis are plentiful and have great drivers. Food was good but they do run out of certain items fairly regularly but don’t let that spoil anything, go for a walk to the other bars etc! Loved it! So much!

I stayed at Azul Paradise for 5 days and loved it so much I extended my stay. The view from my room was unbelievable. The room was spacious, clean with all new linens and appliances. I was surrounded by water with so many fish and sea critters to see without even having to go in the water! It actually got to a point where I found myself sleeping with one eye open so I didn't miss anything. Snorkeling in the area was amazing. Crystal clear water and I was happy to see the coral reefs close by in good condition. The staff were all so helpful and friendly anything I needed and they were right there. Calipsoel a local guide at the hotel went out of his way to enhance my experience introducing me to the wonderful people in the village of Salt Creek. just a few minutes from the hotel. Seeing and learning how the indigenous people live here was an amazing experience. I would highly recommend going with him to see the community and to see all the wildlife this place has to offer. The food was excellent with a wide variety for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Every night the chef went out of his way to welcome me and the other guests at dinner. This experience was the highlight of the entire month I have been in Panama thus far and I look forward to returning.

During my trip I tried out 3 different Bambuda hostels (in dormitories each time). I waited until I'd done all 3 before writing this review. Here is my personal experience : Out of the 3 Bambuda I think they had the most amazing staff. Everyone was kind, smiling, friendly and very helpful. For some examples, they use WhatsApp to communicate and on the way to the hotel my water cab broke down. I told them just to let them know I'd be arriving later and they offered to call for assistance. Another example, I dropped my AirPods case (i m a mess) and lost one of them. Half the staff helped me look everywhere for it. For backpackers on a budget, you need to know that there's no kitchen and as there's nothing on Solarte Island you'll be totally dependent on the hostel restaurant. There is a filtered water fountain, but I haven't tried it myself. As far as the food is concerned, everything I ate was really very good, they have a wide choice of western and more local dishes, and concerning prices nothing shocked me compared with other restaurants across the islands. Good to know too - for dinner they have a ”family dinner” concept which means you have to order your meal before 5.45pm. After this time, you won't be able to order any food whatsoever. So if you're planning to arrive at the hostel after that time, be sure to have dinner beforehand! The place and the location itself are amazing but I was a little unlucky on the room. I was in a 6-bed dorm room with a bathroom, and it wasn't very clean (not bad considering there were already 4 other people in the room) but there was a terrible smell of urine throughout the room (not even in the bathroom itself). Also be aware that it’s kind of a party place so if you are in the dorms it will get noisy (unless you are partying too 😉) As the place is more or less off the grid, there's no hot water or aircon (but you can ask for as many fans as you like!). as you can imagine, since you're on an island where there's nothing, you'll have to pay for water cabs every time you want to go somewhere and then come back, which can get expensive! My advice, choose this hostel if you want to chill and relax in a beautiful place rather than to visit, there’s a time for everything!