Central Hotel Panama

Nice old hotel in a lovely historical part of town. Close to restaurants and bars.

Amazing

We just spent a week at the Central Hotel in Panama City and we were extremely pleased! The location in the heart of Casco Viejo across the square from the cathedral was perfect. Our room was spacious and cool with refrigerator/minibar, safe and coffee service. Bottled water was provided daily. The breakfast buffet was outstanding and included a number of Panamanian specialties as well as waffles, eggs to order, cold cuts, oatmeal, at least 3 fruit juices and an amazing assortment of fresh fruit. Two other restaurants are also on site. The staff were amazing. By the time of our departure, we were on a first-name basis with everyone and were greeted by name. The hotel has transportation services available as well as access to multiple tours. Truly, we couldn't ask for more. We wouldn't consider staying anywhere else on a return trip!

Beautiful hotel, but disappointing service and poor communication I stayed at Central Hotel Panama. The hotel is beautiful and the room was perfectly fine, but the service left a disappointing impression. I was only informed in the evening that the swimming pool was closed for maintenance. This should have been disclosed before booking, particularly if the maintenance was already planned, rather than continuing to advertise the facility without mentioning its closure. With the hotel pool unavailable, I requested a late checkout until the afternoon so I could go swimming before leaving. The request was not granted. When I returned and asked whether I could use a shower, I was told there would be a $20 charge. Given the circumstances, this felt particularly unhelpful. I asked twice to speak with a manager. In the morning, no manager came to speak with me; in the afternoon, I was told the manager was on a break. Neither request resulted in a conversation. Throughout these interactions, the reception staff came across as indifferent, leaving me feeling that my concerns simply did not matter. Breakfast was standard, but the overall attitude toward guests overshadowed the positive aspects of the property. A beautiful building and an adequate room cannot make up for poor communication and dismissive service. More transparency about unavailable facilities, a reasonable effort to accommodate guests, and accessible management would have made a significant difference. If everything goes smoothly, there may be no reason to complain—as long as you do not expect much in the way of service.