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  • 3/5 Brooklyn K. 1 year ago on Google
    TRIP ADVISORS I would like to start this by saying this was a nice HOTEL. It felt and operated like a hotel not a resort. Although this Riu is fine it is NOT worth 5 stars. It is no where near anything else so excursions were mostly driving. When we arrived we were rushed through check in although no one else was with us. When we got to your our rooms we began unpacking and saw how badly the rooms need repairs. - the drawers and doors did not close correctly because of the humidity - the mirror was rusted - the curtains were full of mold at the bottom Also to be noted the bathroom looked like it needed a deep clean still. There was a massive hairball still in the shower, and a dead bug sitting by the door (we shall call him Dead Fred) Dead Fred was around for three days, before he was finally noticed. Even through all that there is some things you just couldn’t get anywhere else. Mainly the beach, it was beautiful and clean. There was plenty of chairs to sit and lay out in. Second and thirdly the male bartender in the lobby bar is super nice and will make you anything. Down by the pool one of the bartenders was always sure to give us a couple of his specials which never disappointed. He was the first member of staff to remember who i was. Locals like to use Riu Playa Blanca as a weekend get away, so I suspect most of these “five star” is a mix of them and people who have not traveled a lot.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Steve B. 1 year ago on Google
    The food in this hotel is great. I’m a breakfast lover. Best pancakes in a long time. Service in the buffet is fast. Finish your meal and within minutes, your plate is gone. My 5 star rating is Honest and truthful. My buddy and I only come for the golf. So having a hotel like this is simply a bonus. Also we are at the complaining age, so it’s extra special.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 BK C. 1 year ago on Google
    Had a great week at Riu Playa Blanca. The grounds are spectacular and well maintained. The rooms are spacious and clean. Food was great with a variety to choose from. Management presence is strong throughout the resort. Manager, Juan was great at resolving my issue with the room assignment and ensured we were well taken care of. Rey from Balboa restaurant was amazing. He was so attentive and professional in ensuring we were always served promptly. Evening entertainment was amazing.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 j n. 1 year ago on Google
    I would like to start by saying the staff is amazingly great and friendly, now the hotel needs some help. First off all the ice machines on each floor do not work, second the air conditioning unit didn’t work since yesterday and here we are 836 pm and still no air conditioning. Third the shower doors do not close all the way which causes water to spill all over, in our restroom the ceiling look to be coming down, when we told them about the air conditioning they gave us a time of 7 then at 830 they gave us a time of 10 and didn’t even ask if we could move rooms or provide us fans. The food was okay. The drinks not really strong which is expected. To sleep in the 83 degree temperature in a room for 2 nights is ridiculous.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Porsche C. 5 months ago on Google
    I wouldn't recommend this place at all. Everything sucks about this place. 1. It's a six story building that only has five elevators in one area. 2. Food sucks. 3. Drinks are horrible 😫 4. Music isn't versatile. 5. Room service horrible; no working phone, internet connectivity pretty much non-existent, TV stayed fuzzy, horrible humidity. 6. Amenities are a joke. 7. Staff act as if they only understand Spanish. 8. Can't regulate the temperature in the room. The only option that you have is on or off. 9. Too far from the city.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sandra M. 1 year ago on Google
    The hotel was excellent! The staff were so helpful and friendly. Food was amazing! The staff were constantly cleaning all the time. The entertainment was amazing. There was always something to do and EAT!!! The rooms were spacious and comfortable! Amazing resort! Highly recommend it! Food manager was constantly around checking up on things. The only downfall is location. The hotel is about 2.5 hours away from the main city…,Panama City and the main airport. Other than that. We were very happy with the hotel and service!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Craig St. J. 1 year ago on Google
    Overall a nice hotel and vacation Pros Staff was VERY nice and VERY helpful. Food at the BUFFET was delicious and good mix of different things Drinks were great! Beach was overall very nice (however see note below) Cons Hotel is shaped like a "U" with the elevators in the middle of the "U". Its great if you're in the middle but terrible (like we were) to walk forever to get to our room if on the outside of the "U". Also not enough elevators for that size of resort Our "garden view" room was actually a view of a swamp/dump Our room looked run down and in need of repairs/upkeep. Our door lock was also broken and required service with multiple repairmen coming and spending over an hour to fix after replacing the whole door lock and handle. Lots of wear and tear evident on everything in the room A la carte restaurants were only OK. Food was average and only leftovers from the buffet. Service was VERY SLOW Swim up bar in the pool only opens at 11am and smelled of mold/spilled drinks/vomit. Needed a throughout cleaning Entertainment was not very interactive Resort is 2 hours from Panama City so excursion going downtown take a FULL day and 4 hours in the bus Cons (but not the resorts fault however still worth noting) Horsemen on the beach that were not affiliated with the resort would heckle and bother you CONSTANTLY to ride their horses for cash. Beach is black (from the volcanic ash) and not white sand. We did not mind however what we did mind was the beach being covered in trash and debris. Water (Beach) was very very murky. Could not see anything to the point they do not offer any scuba or snorkeling excursions
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Chris M. 1 year ago on Google
    The staff in this hotel are, like most Panamanians, friendly and helpful. The hotel itself is another story. At check in, the battery in the door lock was dead so we had to stand around until someone came to fix it. A bit later, the battery in the safe died. Our friends’ AC quit twice and the hotel staff told them that it was out all over the hotel, which it wasn’t. Their door lock died as well. As far as food, there is a buffet which is quite good. Xian, the Chinese restaurant, is very poor. The food was simply just not very good. But the Italian restaurant was far worse. So bad that we all got up and left the food on the table without eating it and headed for the buffet. Instead of being able to make reservations in the restaurants, you are forced to line up at 630 with sometimes more than 100 people, in order to get a table. The restaurants are understaffed for the large volumes of guests. The bar staff are very professional and quite patient as they have to put up with very loud and boisterous Quebec tourists who often don’t tip. This property could be really nice if they did a bit more maintenance and had proper management of the specialty restaurants. I don’t understand how the food in their buffet can be so good and the restaurants next door so poor. Also, if you want to hear constant loud, pounding dance music, this is the place. There are 3-4 guys with horses on the beach. They don’t sell too many rides but it appears that they may be selling something else which is a bit more profitable. All in all, I wouldn’t return to this hotel. It’s very down market. Great spot if you’re 18 years old, otherwise give it a pass.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Miranda O. 2 years ago on Google
    Service was amazing. Every single staff member went above and beyond. Everyone was so friendly. We felt like kings! Really enjoyed the kayaks and snorkeling from the resort. Front desk provided us with some ideas to explore panama. (Jon at the front desk deserves a raise.) But honestly could have been content staying on property for the full 8 days. Food was so great, fresh, and a lot of selection. I'm sure I gained 10 pounds. Great drinks. Everything was fresh and clean. Housekeeping was the best I've ever had. 10/10 recommend. We'll come back. The only things less than ideal were the snacks in the sports bar ( poor quality) but there's enough food everywhere else there's no need, we just ate there after a super late arrival. The guys on the beach with the horses were annoying and harassing about drugs ( but they don't belong to the hotel and not sure if there's anything the hotel could do).
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Marvalyn A. 1 year ago on Google
    We had an awesome time at Riu Playa hotel Panama.Great food everything was delicious and fresh . Excellent staff members, they were very accommodating and attentive because we can not speak Spanish and they were patient in listening. The place was nice and clean. Only problem is entertainment, the evenings are boring.There was a band that played live music but they were not great
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 olabisi o. 7 months ago on Google
    Wished the airport closer is accessible to use instead of the 2 hour drive from PTY. I had to call ahead of time to find a company that can do round trip for 4 people for a decent price. The rooms really need improvements, the fridge was dirty in the inside, no shower soap, lotion, and other amenities you usually find in hotels. The room was not clean daily, the faucet has low water pressure. The sink and shower was dirty. The rooms were so basic. What I did enjoy is the buffets in the morning, noon, and night. Lots of variety to choose from, good food, friendly staffs. The entertainment was very good during the nights. The staffs are very efficient, helpful, knowledgeable, and well spoken at the bar and by the pools. I like the market on the beach and having the opportunity to ride the horse. I'm just concerned about the horses not seen being feed or quenching their thirst and on the beach on long hours. I'm concerned about the mistreatment of the horses and I feel like this need to be taken seriously.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Madison S. 8 months ago on Google
    First, bring your own washcloths. Didn't get any until the 3rd day of my stay . The food is ok, but I had many instances of egg shells in my mouth from the eggs at the breakfast buffet and the potato salad. You can tell the cooks are going a bit too fast, and some of the food is undercooked or overcooked. The servers in the restaurants/buffet and the bartenders are great though and deserve tips. They are the only reason this place doesn't get 1 star. They don't clean under the beds, and also found a used condom wrapper that was wet in the room. The pool can get very dirty with people spilling drinks and bugs flying into it so they need to clean it more often. I saw staff members throwing alcoholic drinks into the bushes near the pool chairs, which only attracts more bugs making it a nightmare to be outside on this property. YOU MUST BRING BUG SPRAY! A warning to people with young children, there was a male staff member that was looking at little girls inappropriately so please DO NOT let your children be alone on this property, seeing this made me sick to my stomach. This place needs better quality control and needs to watch who they hire. I will definitely visit Panama again, but not this resort until they make BIG changes.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Terry M. 3 months ago on Google New
    Bonus was because we are Canadian was on 20 from the airport. Beach is gross. Front desk staff we found very rude. The maid service and buffet staff great. We didn’t make it one of the other 3 restaurants because no reservations could be made. They let the locals in and they take over the pool bar and the sports bar. We all end d up going to our rooms. 3 other couples we meet because we got ignored by the wait staff for drinks. They were it 2 beers in your fridge every 2 days, so we share 1 beer beer a day lol. We got yelled at best we got kicked out of our safe. We watched the numbers going in and they were correctly put in. We had no wifi in our rooms and wasn’t correct for our week stay. First and last stay at a RUI.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Susana R. 1 year ago on Google
    We had an excellent stay at this hotel! The rooms were spacious and clean, food and drinks were excellent in both quality and quantity. The entertaining staff was wonderful, and the disco was great. Would definitely choose it again for my next stay at Playa Blanca.

  • 5/5 Kate Kozikowski Real Estate Sales R. 3 months ago on Google New
    It a nice hotel, variety of food to choose from. Staff is friendly and helpful. Beautiful beach for long walks, but the sand is dark, still very enjoyable. Overall we are enjoying our vacation.

  • 4/5 john s. 3 months ago on Google New
    The staff and the resort were wonderful. My biggest concern was the ocean or beach. They are right beside a river or outlet from fresh water from rain to the ocean. After the tide change, the whole property in front of the resort is turned up. It's not the best for swimming. Further, you go down the beach away from it the better the beach becomes. Love the walks along the beach, beautiful sand. But on a hot day, dont forget your sandels as the sun heats it up, and it is hard to ealk across with no sandels.

  • 3/5 kandi 4 months ago on Google
    Stayed here for 7 days, which was too long. The room is clean enough. The beds are hard though. We had cold shower water the entire time. The buffet food was bland and it was for the most part the same food every night and every lunch but, the breakfast was very good. The Asian restaurant was delicious and they give sushi before the appetizers. The steak house had the best food at the resort. My husband and I ate there twice. The Italian restaurant was absolutely disgusting. We literally ate half of the small serving of food from there. The drinks are strong with alcohol. The gift shop doesn't have much to choose from and you can get some of the same stuff down at the beach from locals. One shot glass in the gift show is $8 but, down at the beach we bought a pack of 6 shot glasses for $8. The guys with the horses bug you every time you go to the beach, if you go towards the water. Locals can buy a day pass for the resort which is fine but, a group was kicking a soccer ball back and forth and hit my husband in the head and then hit our chair again so, we left the beach to our room. The hotel staff let's the locals do what they want. We had Quality Transportation (located in the lobby), take us to see the Panama Canal and the old and new city. Our guide was great and friendly. There were protests going on while we were there. We got stuck going back to the resort, for 8 hours. Our driver had another driver meet us on the otherside of the protests to take us the rest of the way. So, he had to walk us through the protests. The resort has 4 pools. The 1 has the bar and it stays packed and the people get rowdy. The other 1 is a small kids good and beside it is like a family pool and it stays pretty full too. The first pool on the left is the one we used. Pools were nice and clean. Overall, the hotel needs some updating because a spot in the hallway was mildewed/molded. The shows are just okay. The food is decent but, not for 7 days. A/C worked good but, it was still humid inside the rooms. I would not stay at this hotel again because, I think there is better and it needs some improvement.

  • 3/5 V C. 1 year ago on Google
    Overall a nice resort but could be so much better. The pools could use some extra - like floating tunes and other things to enhance the experience. The rooms and the hotel overall is clean but it is only surface clean. During hour stay there was always a few things overlooked in room service, whether it be missing towels, toiletries...

  • 2/5 Sherry V. 4 months ago on Google
    My first time at the Riu Playa Blanca I was not happy with the woman at Riu Reservations. She was very maddening. Room was over looking a field with cows and dirty pool’s of water, food at buffet not that good. Room was worn out and needs a facelift. Definitely not a 4 star…. I would only give it a 3 star tops! I wouldn’t book here again.

  • 4/5 Tracy C. 1 year ago on Google
    Great buffet..one of the best at a resort like this. Service is exceptional. Most staff speak very good English. Wait staff is excellent and fast service. Only downside is the rooms need upgrading. They are quite outdated...but otherwise a decent resort.

  • 4/5 Dan 1 year ago on Google
    Food at the buffet was great, selection and quality was decent. Beach was clean and there was a decent pool bar (all the bars were great and the staff did a fantastic job). The rooms unfortunately were an issue. Getting towels was like pulling teeth and out of a 7 day stay they were restocked maybe 3 times. Mini fridge wasn’t restocked. Don’t bother with the restaurants as they are nothing special compared to the buffet. For the money, not bad.

  • 3/5 Tanya Chandelle R. 1 year ago on Google
    This resort was very huge and the cleanliness was very impressive. My displeasure was in the use of tile everywhere. It was very slippery and everyone had to be so careful. If you are a smoker this is not a great place to visit as there is only one place to smoke and that is all the way to the beach. Otherwise, the food and drinks were great and the entertainment was not too bad.

  • 2/5 Tadeu s. 1 year ago on Google
    Nice leisure. Nice food. very bad rooms. Thanks for the feedback. Regarding the room, it's not the size, design, decoration...all this is really good, but I comment on the maintenance. In the last year, I visited the hotel 3x, in the 3x I stayed in different rooms on different floors, and in all of them the room was not maintained, especially in the bathrooms. Dirty walls, broken doors, rusty bathrooms and showers, broken shower doors, old beds and mattresses, etc. And several times, there were other guests complaining about the same problem at the reception. I'm a big fan of the hotel, as mentioned, I love the structure, fun, open bar and food I have no complaints, but the rooms really need renovation, they leave something to be desired, and it ends up losing some of the hotel's shine. Even more so when we see that in other places the RIU is renovating its hotels, I believe that Panama deserves this renovation in the rooms. Again, in terms of fun, structure, food and drink Riu is a great option, however unfortunately, in terms of rooms, compared to other options (Decameron, Dreams, The Westin) you are in last place. Just a constructive opinion, because I really like the Hotel.

  • 3/5 Denton T. 2 years ago on Google
    The food at the buffet was great. I think though the waitresses need some training on how to serve guests. At one point one was stretching over my food. And I don't if it because they are wearing masks but they look unapproachable. If I need some more water or juice I was just not going to ask because of how they looked. But nice hotel. Nice food

  • 4/5 Paula W. 1 year ago on Google
    I had a great time with my friends.. The pools are really big and the evening shows were entertaining. Lots of laughs. The restaurants food wasn't the best also we have to constantly ask for towels and wash clothes.. Bring your own shampoo and conditioner.. The hotel is very far from the airport 21/2- 3 miles away.. I had a lot of friends with me so we made fun overall had an amazing time..

  • 5/5 James P. 1 year ago on Google
    Paradise away from home! Once you're at the resort, there's no need to leave! The food is great, the staff is accommodating and courteous, and the rooms are lovely! This resort has some of the best bartenders I've met! I'll definitely go back to Panama just to stay here again.

  • 4/5 cristian s. 2 years ago on Google
    Food this week was great. Rooms need to be deeply cleaned and repaired. AC only goes to 23° C. Bathroom windows are full of mineral deposits, and showers are not fully clean. Regarding the shows excellent, the national folklore demonstration. I see a lot of workers maintaining and cleaning exteriors of the building, and that is great. Is good place to come with the family or couples.

  • 5/5 Pierre G. 2 years ago on Google
    I had a wonderfull experience with Domingo @ the front desk. The staffs were very good. Only one thing I need to suggest. Reduces the levels of the salt in the foods.

  • 4/5 Jay J. 2 years ago on Google
    Good resort! It's all inclusive, but bring your own yeti cup because their pours are lacking, however bring the yeti will save you some trips to the bar. The events at the hotel are entertaining but I wish that they had more during the week. The shows were enjoyable. The food was ok for buffet dining. Also you need to know that you are an hour and half from Panama city so no city tours. Lastly the provide Covid tests free of charge and provide shuttle service to the airport.

  • 5/5 Kinda B. 2 years ago on Google
    The hotel is awesome! The customer service is excellent! The hotel is 2hrs from the airport, but it is so worth it! The excursions are affordable and worthwhile! The shows are entertaining! Everything is affordable! I highly recommend it!

  • 3/5 Stacey B. 2 years ago on Google
    My visit to Panama over was good. They could've let us know that it was a 2 hour drive from the airport to the resort. The food was the same all 4 days that we were there.

  • 5/5 Latitia T. 2 years ago on Google
    Beautiful place to visit! The hotel employees were excellent with helping with any request! The beach was beautiful, the food was very tasteful! They had something for everyone, even the pickiest eaters.

  • 2/5 L D. 2 years ago on Google
    This Riu is completely run down and was a huge disappointment. This location is not synonymous with the Riu brand in their other locations across the world. The rooms are small and look dinghy. The towels, bedsheets, and pillows are all worn down and look very used. They try to cover some of the defects by painting here and there but when the walls, bathroom and closet doors all are different shades of white (or needing painting altogether) it looks terrible. The halls and buildings look more like a prison or some sort of old, medical institution. The food for the most part was not good, especially in the themed restaurants. The food was and even the water for hot tea and coffee lukewarm never hot. The liquor brands and wine are quite cheap and the drinks are all watered down. I've stayed at many resorts abroad and this was the worst I've stayed in. I will say that the service and attention, especially with front desk staff, supervisor of housekeeping, bartenders, and wait staff was top notch. They tried their best to meet demands and needs. Staff also worked hard to keep the place clean. I had a few issues and needs (room was quite small and I wanted a corner room which they promptly gave me but it was dirty with blood on floors, stains everywhere, and missing items) and they were addressed promptly. I was only there with my family for 3 nights and that was enough for me. I feel bad for the staff and visitors to this Riu that are expecting it to be like other Riu's. Edited to add: I just looked at the pictures the hotel provides and they are so bad. First, they use all white colored people at the buffet, pools, etc which is deceiving and a bit racist because there are a lot (if not mostly all) of people of color who visit and work at this hotel. Also, the rooms pictured look new with new linens, and with pictures/decorations on the walls. Our rooms did not have any nice or brightly colored curtains or linens on the bed and only had 1 painting or picture and the rest of the walls were bare. Just awful.

  • 3/5 JennRo19 2 years ago on Google
    All inclusive hotel with 3 pools where activities are taking place, the facilities in the rooms may be better there are certain details overlooked. the food is so-so, it is best enjoyed at breakfast. the beach is quite dangerous you have to be careful, it is better to cool off in the pool


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