What To Expect From An All-Inclusive Resort In Panama 2024
Looking To Go To An All-Inclusive Resort In Panama In 2024? Here Is What To Expect!
We visited Playa Blanca, Panama in 2020 and had a chance to go to an All-Inclusive Resort for a week. However, this blog post has been updated in 2024.
We stayed at the Royal Decameron Panama All Inclusive Plus.
This was our first time in Central America and we both loved it.
In this blog post, you will find all the information you need in regards to what to expect from an All-Inclusive Resort in Panama.
Panama
Panama is located in Central America and it’s the most southern country before reaching Columbia (South America).
Panama’s capital is Panama City and it is mostly known for the famous Panama Canal.
Panama seems to me like a bridge between North America and South America.
It has skyscrapers and modern buildings in Panama City but you can still see the Old Town and all of the colorful colonial housing.
Is it safe to travel to Panama?
Panama is considered a safe country to visit.
We felt safe everywhere we visited in Panama.
However, as with every large city, when visiting Panama City be vigilant with your belongings and avoid areas/people that look suspicious.
If you are on an organized tour, there is nothing to worry about.
Is Panama a good travel destination?
Panama is a great destination if you like exploring rainforests with tons of wildlife, and tropical beaches.
The country has a unique culture and history, that is worth learning about.
Also, seeing the world-famous Panama Canal makes Panama a great travel destination.
The Panama Canal is one of the things you must do in Panama.
What is Panama famous for?
Panama is famous for the Panama Canal which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
The Panama Canal is an artificial waterway that tremendously aids with global trade.
It is an enormous engineering marvel, spanning over 80 km, cutting Panama in half.
🦄 I have written a separate blog post about our experience doing a Panama City And Canal Day Trip
👉 If you are looking to book your Panama City and Canal tour, check out this link: Panama City: Small-Group Miraflores Locks and City Tour
What’s the best time of the year to visit Panama?
The best time of the year to visit Panama is during the dry season which is between January and April.
During those months, the weather will be the most ideal for traveling.
If you choose to go during the rest of the year, there might be a lot of rain.
What is the main currency of Panama?
Panama uses the American Dollar as currency.
They have their own currency called the Panamanian Balboa but the American Dollar is used more often.
The two currencies are at par meaning one USD is equal to one balboa.
What To Expect From An All-Inclusive Resort In Panama
Let’s start with an overview of the resort that we stayed at – Royal Decameron Panama.
Resort
We stayed in an All-Inclusive Resort called Royal Decameron Panama.
Where is Royal Decameron Panama located?
Royal Decameron Panama is located about an hour and a half from Panama City in an area called Rio Hato.
It is situated on the Pacific Ocean’s coast on a beach called Playa Blanca.
We loved the Royal Decameron – it was huge and had a lot of amenities.
The resort is so big that there are three different lobbies. We were close to lobby number two (B).
It is a complex of small, three-floored buildings, not one big building. My fav part was all the peacocks and iguanas walking around!!
When was Royal Decameron Panama built?
The Royal Decameron was built in the year 2000.
There is a section of the resort that is dedicated to Premium Members (looked a bit fancier with nicer beach chairs) but there were not many people there.
Also, the resort is on a hill so expect some upward walking/stairs. Actually, a lot of walking as everything is spread out.
The staff was friendly and polite. There were a lot of guests but it was never crowded.
Something that I found a little strange was that you had to pay for the safety box in your room.
I have never been to a hotel that did not offer the safety box for free.
Either way, we didn’t have anything that important with us and we both thought that it was pretty expensive so we did not pay to use the security box in our room.
Landing And Customs
The airport that we arrived at was tiny (Rio Hato Playa Blanca Airport (RIH)).
We quickly went through customs and retrieved our luggage.
Then there was a table where you could check in at your hotel directly at the airport.
They gave us the room key, different pamphlets, and information and told us when the orientation would be the next morning.
Then we hopped on a nice air-conditioned bus, which drove us to the resort so we could start our all-inclusive Panama vacation.
👉 To book a cheap flight, check out Skyscanner
How far is Royal Decameron Panama from the airport?
Royal Decameron Panama is less than 10 minutes away from airport Rio Hato Playa Blanca Airport (RIH).
If you fly into Panama City, it will be an hour and a half away from the resort.
👉 Prebook your Airport Taxi Transfer if you haven’t booked an all-inclusive that includes the transfer
Check-in process
The bellboys brought the luggage to our room which was nice because we were on the top floor.
Also, there was a welcome drink available – you can choose to have only fruit punch or add the local rum to it.
There were also a few dancers who were there to greet us.
Overall, I’m happy with the check-in process as it was done better than in other countries that I have been to.
Especially because the resort is enormous and there were so many people it was organized well.
What time is check-in at Royal Decameron?
The check-in time at Royal Decameron is 3pm but don’t worry your arrival is pre-planned.
Therefore, you will be able to check in at the airport without an issue and have your room right away.
Wi-Fi
There was free Wi-Fi in all of the lobbies.
If you want to have Wi-Fi in your room you have to pay extra.
This was a good arrangement as in most resorts that I have been to, you need to go to like an Internet Room and buy a voucher card with time and use their computer.
You will usually have to pay for the Internet but in this resort, the Internet was free in the lobbies.
Now, it wasn’t the fastest but if you need to send an email or check social media it is fast enough.
Room
Our room had an ocean view, however it was a bit outdated and didn’t smell the best (kinda damp).
The room was probably my only complaint about the resort – I wish it was a bit more updated.
We didn’t request a different room because in the washroom we were able to get some of the free Wi-Fi which was coming from the lobby which was nearby lol.
And we could see the ocean from the balcony. It was pretty nice and we sat there at night and listened to the ocean.
How many rooms are in the Royal Decameron Panama?
The Royal Decameron has a total of 852 rooms.
There are two types of rooms Garden View and Ocean View.
Also, the room was supposed to have one king-size bed, and instead, it had two queen-size ones.
However, we were fine with sleeping on one queen as it was pretty big.
The bed was not the best in the world but it was manageable.
We left the maid a couple of bucks when she came to tidy up the room.
Food/Buffet at an All-Inclusive Resort in Panama
I was impressed by the food. It was high-quality and there were a lot of different options.
Both my partner and I have sensitive stomachs and every time we travel, especially in the Caribbean, we have some sort of issue – diarrhea or food poisoning, etc.
However, both of us had zero issues with the food in Panama, both in the resort and on the day trips.
The buffet was huge as in there are different rooms with tables that had food displayed on them!!
There were so many tables to sit on that we never had a problem finding one.
Every day they had different meals and there were a lot of options (so if you have some dietary restrictions you should be ok finding something to eat).
We usually went to the buffet for breakfast and lunch and for dinner, we did one of the A La Carte restaurants.
The staff at the buffet was friendly however a lot of them did not speak any English so sometimes it was difficult to communicate.
I do speak a tiny bit of Spanish so I tried to utilize all of my knowledge lol.
A La Carte Restaurants
Usually, most resorts have three or four à la carte restaurants and you can only visit each of them once.
How many restaurants are in the Royal Decameron?
Royal Decameron has 8 restaurants and you can go to them as many times as you wish.
However, you do have to make a reservation with someone at one of the lobbies.
We were able to check out five of them: Steakhouse, Mediterranean, International, Panamanian, and Pesca Del Dia (Fish of the Day).
The last one was newly renovated and it was my favorite one. My partner liked the Panamanian one.
We were even considering going back to the Panamanian one.
However, at the end of our stay, they started closing down a lot of the amenities including the à la carte restaurants (because of Covid) so we weren’t able to.
The ones that we missed were the Italian, the Peruvian (that one might have been under renovation as I didn’t see it anywhere), and the Fish & Seafood.
Again the staff was nice and the food was excellent.
The only issue we had was at the Steakhouse when we tried to explain that my partner wanted his steak well done.
The waitress didn’t understand what we wanted and the steak came pretty undercooked and my partner was unable to eat most of it.
Don’t forget that a dress code is in effect in the A La Carte restaurants – ladies dress nicer and long pants and closed shoes for men.
Bars
Royal Decameron has over 10 different bars which are located all over the resort – on the beach, at the pools, there is one in each lobby.
The bottom line is you’re not gonna get thirsty! Or sober lol
Also, at the bars they serve great coffee – highly recommend the cappuccino.
I would drink two or three cappuccinos a day that’s how good they were.
When you get to the bar there is a drink menu that has their specialty cocktails. They were soooo good!!
If you don’t have a specific drink in mind, go for one of the specialty drinks.
Panama has an excellent selection of rum, the best of which is called Abuelo (Grandpa).
Many of the cocktails that have rum in them are made with Abuelo which is super tasty.
Keep in mind that the drinks are pretty strong, they don’t mess around with the liquor.
In terms of water, make sure you drink bottled water and not from the tap.
Apparently, Panama has a pretty good water filtration system so if you do drink the tap water nothing will happen.
🦄 If you want more info on what to keep in mind when visiting the Caribbean and the area, check out this blog post: 7 Tips When Visiting Caribbean Countries
However, in case you have a sensitive stomach, I suggest drinking bottled water.
The maid will leave a big bottle of water in your room daily and you can ask for more if needed.
The water served in the bars and restaurants is also filtered and safe to drink including the ice.
Excursions from an All-Inclusive Resort in Panama
Due to the large size of the resort, they had their own company that organized all the tours.
This was convenient as there was a booth in each of the three lobbies and was super easy to book the tours that we did.
Pretty much there are two main attractions to consider: go to Panama City and Panama Canal or do a jungle tour. We did both!!
I am glad that we did them because they were well organized and we saw so much.
Also, there are other excursions available however if you have one week two excursions are plenty.
🦄 If you want to know more about our jungle tour, check out this blog post:
Panama: Jungle Adventure Trip
I would highly recommend doing those two as they are unique to the area.
The tour guides spoke perfect English, sometimes English and another language.
They were friendly, the tour buses were nice & clean and air-conditioned.
Panama is safe so going out of the resort is completely fine.
👉 From Panama City: Gamboa Rainforest Guided Tour with Lunch – this jungle tour is similar to the one we did
Also, doing a tour helps you see more of the country and see how the locals live.
However, don’t forget those tours are not included which means you have to pay for them separately.
They do accept all major credit cards.
Ocean
Unfortunately, the beach wasn’t my favorite.
I have been on the Pacific coast in California and in Vancouver but I was hoping that it would be better in Panama.
However, it was similar to the above.
The water was turbulent and had a lot of waves. It was cold and got deep quickly (and I can’t swim).
Also, there were some small fish or something in the water that kept on nipping which was unpleasant.
Not to mention the tides were insane – one day there was literally no beach – it was all underwater.
The next day the ocean had receded so much that the beach was double its size.
Most days we weren’t even allowed to go in the water because the flag was red.
That meant you were not allowed to enter the water at all.
For two or three days the flag was yellow which meant that you could go in the water but be cautious.
So those were the days that we attempted going into the water however we didn’t stay in for too long due to the above reasons.
Also, I was impressed because there were lifeguards on duty walking around the beach, which I have to confess, I have never seen anywhere in the Caribbean.
Keep in mind that there was an undertow so even if the water looks calm, make sure you follow the flags as you never know what is happening under the surface.
Beach
Something else that I would like to mention is that even though the beach is called Playa Blanca (White Beach) the beach is not white.
I mean some parts were white.
However, a lot of the beaches in Panama are pretty dark bordering with black because Panama and all of Central America have a volcanic origin.
There are plenty of beach chairs and beach umbrellas. You do not have to fight for them or reserve them early in the morning.
We got to the beach usually after 11-ish and there were plenty of available spots to lounge.
The beach was clean and there wasn’t any seaweed piled around the wave line.
Some places don’t clean the seaweed and it starts to smell bad.
There weren’t a lot of rocks on the beach or in the water.
If you like taking a walk on the beach you are in luck as the beach strip is pretty long.
Also, there is a bar that is right beside the beach entrance so it is convenient to grab a drink.
Some locals were walking around the beach with all sorts of products such as purses, scarves, souvenirs, etc.
Even though there were a lot of them, they were not too pushy.
Pools at an All-Inclusive Resort in Panama
Usually, I prefer to be at the ocean/sea instead of a pool as I can be in a pool back home. So I usually chill on the beach!
However, as mentioned above, the water wasn’t the best so we did spend a lot of time in the pools.
There are 6 pools in total but keep in mind that some of them are adults-only, and at least one will be closed each day for cleaning.
The arrangement of the pools was well done and they were all clean and well-maintained.
Beside the main pool, you will find a little hut from where you can get a beach towel (included).
You can exchange the wet towels for new fresh ones every day.
My favorite pool was the one with the water slides, yes you heard that right there are water slides in this resort.
Water Slides
There are three water slides in total.
One is a smaller one which is suitable for children. And the other two are adult ones.
You go in without any floaty (donut).
The water slides are working only at certain times during the day so make sure you check their working hours.
There is a staff member at the top of the slides who dispatches the person going down the slide and there is a person (lifeguard) who is waiting at the pool level.
One of them is faster than the other (ask the person working on the top which one).
👉 If you are looking to book your Panama City and Canal tour, check out this link: Panama City: Small-Group Miraflores Locks and City Tour
Night Entertainment at an All-Inclusive Resort in Panama
The first few days that we were there, they had entertainment every night.
Earlier in the evening, they had entertainment for children.
One of the nights they had some sort of “Frozen” related show with costumes and songs.
Later in the evening, they would have singing, dancing, karaoke, or comedy.
I usually find the resort entertainment pretty boring and I rarely watch it but I have to say I was pretty impressed with what we saw.
🦄 Panama Related Posts:
11 Best Panama City, Panama Hotels & Places To Stay
13 Best Things To Do In Playa Blanca, Panama
5 Best Hotels In Playa Blanca, Panama
The costumes were great, the entertainers were talented and after we had dinner we would find a spot to watch the night’s entertainment.
Also, every evening they had a movie night on the beach and there was a popcorn cart as well.
The movies are in different languages but usually have English subs.
They had ones for kids at around 7 pm and R-rated ones that started at 9 pm.
However, on our fourth or fifth night, entertainment was canceled due to Covid.
They didn’t want many people to gather in one place.
🎥 Here is a video from one of the performances
Day Entertainment
Usually, I do not participate in the daily activities either by the pool or on the beach.
It is too hot for me and I can do nothing else but lay on a beach chair and drink a nice cocktail #beachbum.
Some of the activities organized by the entertainment team are aqua aerobics, dance classes as well as different team sports such as beach volleyball, soccer, etc.
Also, at the beach, you have access to non-motorized aquatic activities such as kayaking, paddleboating, snorkeling, sailing, and windsurfing.
Also, we saw one of those inflated banana floaties with people sitting on it and a jet ski pulling them.
We didn’t use any of those amenities because the water was too rough and as I said earlier there was a red flag most days meaning you cannot go in the water at all.
If you are into golfing, there is a whole golfing course available as well.
Do you want to play tennis instead? Yep, there is a tennis court available too.
Keep in mind that for some of those activities you might have to pre-booked in advance – check with the reception.
Also, there was an indoor gaming room and a giant chess.
Club/Disco
We went to the club only once. It was located right across from the building in which we were staying.
The club is huge and there were a lot of people in it however they were playing local music where you have to dance salsa or bachata.
There were a lot of locals in the resort or people from the neighboring countries who spoke Spanish.
So it makes sense why they were playing that type of music however neither of us knew how to properly dance so we had a drink and left.
If you are good at Latin Dances you will love it.
Other Amenities in an All-Inclusive Resort In Panama
There was a small gym in case you are a fitness freak.
Also, there is a nurse available 24 hours with no additional cost in case you get sick.
You would only need to pay to visit an actual doctor. Both were available on the premises.
Does Royal Decameron have a spa?
Yes, Royal Decameron has a spa and the prices for their wellness packages were pretty reasonable.
We were debating if we should get a massage or some treatment however we decided to do a second day trip instead of a massage.
The spa staff is sometimes walking around the beach offering their services and you can book through them.
Laundry and babysitting services are available upon request.
During the evenings, a few locals would come to the resort and sell different types of souvenirs and handmade products.
There is a small village by the resort and the merchants come from there so we bought a few souvenirs to support the local community.
Check-out
The check-out was equally seamless – every room was assigned to a bus.
I have never seen an arrangement like this but it worked pretty well.
Your luggage is labeled with the bus number and the bellboys get the luggage from outside your room and bring them to the bus.
Therefore, you don’t have to do anything other than get yourself to the main lobby and get on the bus that is assigned to your room.
It all worked out pretty well, we got to the airport at a good time, got through security, and didn’t end up waiting around for too long (tiny airport).
What time is check-out at Royal Decameron?
The check-out time at Royal Decameron is 12pm.
👉 From Panama City: Gamboa Rainforest Guided Tour with Lunch – this jungle tour is similar to the one we did
Make sure you eat something before you pass security because once you do there are no restaurants or food on the other side (our tour rep told us this during the orientation).
There are only a few vending machines with water, chips and snacks.
So in the case that your flight is delayed, and you get hungry your only options are vending machine snacks.
What we did was we actually bought some snacks from the store in the main lobby and we ate as much as we could before we boarded the bus.
Also, there is no duty-free shop at the airport, but there is one in Panama City (it is on the Amador Causeway).
Royal Decameron Panama All Inclusive Plus
For our Panama vacation, our All-inclusive resort was called, Royal Decameron Panama All Inclusive Plus.
It was a lovely resort and we had a great experience overall.
- The food in the resort was great
- This resort is large and spread out
- Fitness, huge buffet, a la cart restaurants
- The area is close to doing a day tour of Panama City and Canal
👉 Check availability for your dates: Royal Decameron Panama All Inclusive Plus
Conclusion: What To Expect From An All-Inclusive Resort In Panama
Overall, I highly recommend Panama but I would go to the Carrebian side next time where the water is calmer and you can actually swim.
Unfortunately, there aren’t any All-Inclusive Resorts in Panama on the Carrebian side so you will have to organize your own trip.
Royal Decameron was a great hotel and we had a great experience.
The weather was perfect, hot (35 degrees +), didn’t rain at all, and we didn’t get sick or burnt so overall I am pretty happy with this trip!!
🦄 If this is your first beach trip, check out this blog post: How To Pack For Your First Beach Vacation
