Palmar Beach Lodge

Located on the beach, the accommodation provides stunning views and easy access to the water. Guests appreciate the comfortable beds, well-equipped rooms, and exceptional hospitality. High cleanliness standards are also noted.

The experience could have been good because the beach is very beautiful, and the wildlife and flora around the hotel are stunning. However, beyond the unbearable noise from the construction work, the quality of service at the hotel is atrocious. The staff is completely untrained. It seems that the manager, Rene Saturnino, is more interested in “revenue generation” than in “hospitality”. Making more money is clearly one of his objectives. Providing even the bare minimum of good customer service is clearly not. The level of service isn’t even up to the standards of a one-star hotel. The employees look like they are doing forced labor. No one seems happy, and it shows through the service. In the end, it makes the experience horrible, and it really ruined my stay. I really wish they would put as much effort into training their staff—teaching them to smile—as they do into their WhatsApp group, where they mostly suggest (paid) activities to do. In any case, I strongly recommend avoiding this hotel, which is completely mismanaged. Run away!

Amazing experience. Our family of 6 adults stayed here for a week. We stayed in the hostel cabin Cacao. It has individual beds each with their own fan, light, blackout/privacy curtains, and a window. It has a big bathroom with two showers, sinks, and toilets. The AC was cold and appreciated! It is extensive to get there from Texas and we experienced some hiccups: our flight in Atlanta was delayed and we had little time to make our connection, our flight in Panama City to Bocas Del Toro was delayed and then we had to turn back to let some ppl off, once on Red Frog Beach the ppl in front of us took our scheduled wheelbarrow men so we had to drag our suitcases to the front desk, and upon check in our credit card didn’t work (fixed w a phone call). The cabin was clean, large, and a new experience! The employees are the pearls of the vacation. Everyone was kind and helpful. The beach itself is the kind of beach to spend all day playing in the waves. The waves can be smooth and then there are three in a row that can be ridden to the shore. There are no shells to cut your feet, no itchy seaweed, nor jellyfish like at the other hotel. There is an active lifeguard who will blow his whistle if he sees something! The food is upscale and delicious! The waitstaff are very kind and efficient. Breakfast starts at 8 but there is help yourself hot coffee at the bar. I was surprised at the police being there. Not doing anything but making their presence known. We met numerous solo women from Germany. We had a lot of cash we left in our room and not a penny was missing. We felt safe. Try and get an excursion. We went on a jungle hike, offshore fishing, swimming with the bioluminescence plankton, and a day trip to Zapatilla. Use the Palmar dock. If you use the other hotel’s dock during the day, they charge $5 each person/each way. The other hotel has a little store that sells a few drinks and snacks. Make sure to count your change! The Palmer has wonderful massages available. We had them during a rainstorm. It was magical!! There is a long walk to Polo beach. The walk is enjoyable but Polo beach isn’t that great. There is a very strong current and sharp shells. I’d recommend bringing strong flashlights. You’ll need one at night. It’s pitch black and the stars are bright and plentiful. We looked forward to a walk every night to the other hotel. It’s about 20 minutes and fun to look for nocturnal creatures. Your phone’s flashlight won’t be enough. I hope this helps somebody plan your trip. Expect a hiccup and then let it goooo.