Overall, this is a really good hotel and I would gladly stay here again. It is not perfect, but the team is committed to the ideals of the brand and, in most areas, they are doing very well. The room was spacious and comfortable, with the kind of design and amenities you expect from a quality property in this category, and the overall facilities and location on Avenida Balboa make it an excellent base in Panama City. Staff were consistently polite and professional throughout my stay, and most interactions reflected a genuine desire to help. Breakfast was good and the staff genuinely tried to provide a pleasant experience, but service was very slow to seat guests and to follow up on orders. On two of my three mornings, I gave up waiting for my eggs after watching louder, later‑arriving guests receive attention first, which suggested a lack of urgency and basic order tracking. Similar issues appeared at the front desk: each time I requested water, there were long conversations and confusion instead of a simple check of my profile and the complimentary water I was due. A bit of lateral communication among staff and more careful review of guest files would easily prevent these kinds of frustrations and bring the service in line with the quality of the physical property. There is also room for improvement in follow‑through more generally. On several occasions, requested items (water, coffee, eggs, soap) were either forgotten or not delivered without a reminder. Communication via the in‑room phone and app messaging was also weak and inconsistent at times. These issues felt more like gaps in training and supervision than a lack of goodwill, and I believe management attention here would quickly close the gap between “good” and truly “excellent.” Individual staff deserve special mention. Marco was thoughtful and attentive in the restaurant, and Valerie was especially helpful and welcoming at check‑in, setting a very positive tone for the stay. With continued focus on internal communication and service follow‑up, this property has everything it needs to be one of the standout options in Panama City, and I would be happy to return.
Le Meridien Panama
Address: Calle Uruguay & Balboa AvenueAvailability
Description
Facilities
Reviews
Rooms: old, dark, not the cleanest. Definitely could use a deep clean Hallway: stained carpets, dusty, old. F/B: Dayana at the bar is the only reason this rating is over 1 star. Platinum Mariott members get breakfast and happy hour 6-8pm at the restaurant. Location: water facing and great restaurants at a walkable distance. Overall 2.5/5
The hotel and rooms themselves were fine but the service were not up to par. When we first arrived, they gave us smaller rooms than what we paid for and we had to ask them for towels multiple times. The room also didn’t have hot water in the shower. They gave us a bigger room the next day but this room also didn’t have hot water, the shower water did not drain, and the bathroom door only closed half way. When they cleaned the room, they did not leave us fresh towels and did not fix the draining issue. We had to complain several times throughout our stay. They finally gave us complementary breakfast the last two days we were there. Overall, not a great experience staying at this hotel but the location was great!
I recently stayed at here and I am Marriott Platinum status and must strongly feel against recommending this place to anyone. The experience was unacceptable and far below Marriott's reputation.Key problems: AC Failure: Room AC was broken, hitting 90°F at night. Staff said it was "fixed," but the technician confirmed the unit was out awaiting parts. This made the room uninhabitable – consider temporary closure.No Amenities: Zero club lounge or facilities .Outdated Rooms: 1980s-style tired furniture; shower temperature uncontrollable; bizarre bathroom layout with glass door blocking sink access and open shower/toilet area offering no privacy. Elevators: Dark, dingy, no airflow, no floor/direction indicators. Service Gaps: No concierge. Porters often stand by the door but don't assist with luggage or entry. Positives: Front desk managed my medical emergency efficiently by calling paramedics. Restaurant staff DIana, Militza, and the omelet chef were exceptionally helpful and friendly. This property delivers nothing of Marriott's brand promise except the name. Complaints like these are widespread across review sites – please investigate and upgrade urgently to protect your reputation. I will post this on every social media so please ensure my points for my stay are returned to my account and fix the hotel. THANK YOU FIR YOUR ATTENTION AND REVERSE MY POINTS I USED FOR STAYING HERR!!!!
An “Upgrade” That Made Things Worse Check-in was smooth, and I was initially told I had been upgraded to the Platinum Suite. I expected this to be a highlight of the stay. Unfortunately, it quickly became the opposite. Before I even used the bathroom, there were clear signs of sewer backup. The odor was overwhelming and burned my nostrils. Maintenance was sent with a single rubber plunger, despite the fact that the issue had not been caused by anything in my room. He spent nearly two hours attempting to address it, but the smell remained foul and pervasive. For a suite of that size, the room was shockingly under-equipped: one towel, minimal amenities, and a single small soap bar to move between shower, tub, and sink if you wanted to wash anything. Very dirty as well. The air conditioning was also not functioning properly, and the room was unbearably hot. In the middle of the night, I was repeatedly awakened by loud banging from above. Because this was a corner suite with a unique layout, I could see the structure of the floor above and saw treadmills in the window above my room. I discovered the source the next day: the gym had been placed directly on the suite above me as a make shift gym. What appeared to be a converted suite space contained treadmills and free weights, and it operated at all hours. Each time someone dropped weights or ran on the treadmill, the noise carried directly into my room. At that point, the “upgrade” felt like a downgrade. I would have preferred a standard room in a quieter location. Breakfast was also disappointing and did not meet brand expectations. Overall, this property did not align with the Le Méridien brand standard, and I will not be staying here again.
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