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Reviews of Playa Bluff Hotel

2.5 out of 5
Playa Bluff Hotel
Bluff Beach, Bocas del Toro

Reviews

8.0

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 13 out of 30 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 9 out of 30 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 4 out of 30 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 3 out of 30 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 30 reviews" "

8.4/10

Cleanliness

8.6/10

Staff & service

8.4/10

Amenities

7.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

6/10 Okay

George

Food was not good
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

6/10 Okay

Cameron

An adventure
If you go to Playa Bluff hotel, think about an adventure. No air conditioning anywhere. The restaurant has new chef from Italy. We only had breakfast there, (was ok) never ate dinner. We had dinner every night at Hummingbird hotel, amazing food, great ambience. Walking distance. The pool did not opened until the day we left. They had lost electricity and it was disgusting, so took time to clean. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful, the room is nice, doesn't have a fitted sheet, so is a little uncomfortable to sleep with a sheet that moves all around. No Mattress cover, the room could be cleaned better, need to move furniture and clean behind and under, since its a tropical place, spiders are everywhere. There is a big community kitchen that is fully equipped and you can buy food and make whatever you want. Unfortunately there are no markets close by, you have to take the shuttle that comes every hour in front of hotel for $3 or a taxi $20 into town ( around 30 minute ride one way) to buy food. Unfortunately the ocean was extremely rough, so we were not able to swim in the ocean, but if you walk the trail for about an hour or bike (they have bikes for rent) you reach beautiful natural pools. Take a book and plan to relax, eat and enjoy the weather, and go into town and take tours to the islands. You can arrange all tours with the hotel. The hotel is building a new spa, and tour thru their jungle and waterfalls.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2023

2/10 Terrible

Pam

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Over rated over priced
This was the most expensive place that we stayed at in Panama and was the worst by a landslide. The patio door was just a screen that anyone could have broken into. We were woken up by loud people 3 of the 6 nights we stayed there and management pretty much said it was out of their control! Not impressed!!!! Our room was only “cleaned” twice, check in did not include instructions on where to get drinkable water, nor was there a glass in the room. The electrical outlets would not hold a plug for my charger. The sheets are too small for the bed and their are no mattress covers, yuck!!!! The curtains did not fully cover the windows. The patio door locks are broken, so a small padlock with a key is used. There are no lights on the patio, so sitting out and reading at night is not possible and there are wires hanging where lights should be. There was no hot water in the showers even after they were “fixed”. If you are there for surfing this is a great place to be, if that is not your intent then do not stay here, it is a long way from town and the shuttle only comes every 2 hours and a taxi will cost you $15-$20 one way. The breakfast is the same every day, eggs, pancake and toast with a few pieces of fruit. When we raised concerns it fell on deaf ears, the owner/manager thought that our concerns were trivial. She certainly does not belong in the hospitality business. This place has the potential to be quite lovely, but falls very short of its potential.
Stayed 6 nights in Feb 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2019
Response from Mike, hotel manager on 21 Jan 2020
Thank you for your staying at our hotel and thank you for your great review, Hope to see you soon.

8/10 Good

James, Ontario

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Amenities
Great property on Playa Bluff. Filter was broken on pool while we were there so we didn’t get to use that. Lots of wildlife surrounding this property. Room was average for the price but we enjoyed our time here and the relaxing vibes in that area. Food at surrounding hotels was very good. The lodge only serves breakfast and it is average. Two pancakes, some scrambled eggs, two pieces of toast and 5-6 cubes of fruit.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2019
Response from Mike, hotel manager on 12 Mar 2019
Sorry about the pool. The filter should be fixed tomorrow. It is our honor to have you staying at our hotel. Hope to see you again in the near future.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2019
Response from Mike, hotel manager on 25 Apr 2019
Thank you for staying at our hotel. It was our honor to serve you.

8/10 Good

Dave

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Property Needs More Work but LOVED the Manager
The Playa Bluff Lodge seems to be in the middle of a "resurrection" of sorts. Apparently the place had a fire last year that destroyed the kitchen and perhaps more. I gather that the owner is trying to recover the business but seems to be doing it on the cheap. The only reason I give an overall "good" rating is due to the manager of the place, Magarena (Maga for short) who went out of her way to help us have a pleasant stay. The property has HUGE potential but it appears progress is very slow. I highly recommend visiting the Playa Bluff neighborhood but if you want a more comfortable stay, I recommend The Plantation, Hummingbird, or Oasis. Worth mentioning is the bus service that runs between Bocas town and Playa Bluff. The vans that act as a bus run every 30 minutes or so $3 each way but be prepared for a bumpy and often crowded 20 minute ride. The area is beautiful with opportunities to see sloths and Howler monkeys in your back yard.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2019
Response from Mike on 27 Feb 2019
Thank you for your visit. More improvements are on the way. Hope to see you again in the future. Thanks

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 11 nights in Dec 2018
Response from Mike, hotel manager on 14 Jan 2019
Thank you so much for visiting our hotel. It is our honor to serve you. Hope you visit us again when you come to Panama next time. Thanks.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Really nice hotel, in front of the beach
The hotel and the staff is really nice, unfortunately the pool was not working but not a big deal, the hotel is green so they use solar panel for electricity and water pumping, so no air condinationing is installed.

8/10 Good

Nathan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

4/10 Poor

Daniel

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Needs better management
This hotel needs work. There is essentially no management. The best, most efficient employees there are the cleaning staff. The rooms are nice but the beds are like slabs of concrete. The power to our building went out for over 8 hours (and the have solar, so can't blame it on anyone else). The hot water works for about 45 seconds, total. Plus, this is located 20 minutes from town and the shuttle to Playa Bluff is sketchy and the last one coming from town leaves at 6pm. Want a late night in town? Plan on a $20 cab ride back to the hotel. No exceptions. We will not stay there again.

10/10 Excellent

Prudence

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Gorgeous and affordable
We had an incredible stay here, the staff are wonderful, the room was gorgeous, the restaurant serves delicious food and drinks, and the vibe here is so relaxing. The beach is at your doorstep and if you get hot you can cool off in the swimming pool. It is great value for money!! I highly recommend!

10/10 Excellent

Alejandro, Caba

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Es eco friendly, las habitaciones no tienen aire, solo ventilador de techo, podrás ver monos y otros animales típicos. La atención de Anthony y Gabriela excelentes.

10/10 Excellent

emilie

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2021
Response from Hotel Manager on 6 Jan 2022
Thank you so much for staying at our hotel. Hope to see you again in the near future.

8/10 Good

Fe

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2020
Response from Mike, hotel manager on 31 Jan 2020
Thank you for your stay. Hope to see you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Françoise

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2020
Response from Mike, hotel manager on 21 Jan 2020
Thank you for staying at our hotel and your great review. Hope to see you again soon.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Liked: Staff & service, amenities
Muy lindo el hotel pero muy largo del centro la luz y el agua falta la piscina estaba verde solo hay un restaurante cerca es muy incomodo la distancia del pueblo la administradora Macarena excelente por ella vale la pena quedarse sino no lo vale Si vuelvo me quedo en el pueblo los taxis muy caros para ir a comer cobran y no brew 15 y 25$
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2019
Response from Mike, hotel manager on 25 Apr 2019
Thank you for staying at our hotel. It was our honor to serve you.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Tres bel endroit un peu en retrait, eco et pres de quelques excellent restaurants.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019
Response from Mike, hotel manager on 25 Apr 2019
Thank you for staying at our hotel. It was our honor to serve you.

10/10 Excellent

Camilla

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Jättefint hotell med super trevlig personal. Lång strand med väldigt lite folk, perfekt för att bara ta det lugnt eller surfa. Finns inget att klaga på! :)
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2019
Response from Mike, Hotel manager on 14 Jan 2019
Thank you so much for visiting our hotel. It is our honor to serve you. Hope you visit us again when you come to Panama next time. Thanks.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Room comfort
Wunderschöne Lage, sehr abgeschieden, schöner Strand leider aber zu hoher Wellengang zum Baden
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2018
Response from Mike, hotel manager on 14 Jan 2019
Thank you so much for visiting our hotel. It is our honor to serve you. Hope you visit us again when you come to Panama next time. Thanks.

8/10 Good

luli, bs as

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotel comodo en frente de playa Bluff
El hotel es simple pero cómodo. El desayuno sencillo pero rico. Está a media hora del centro, el bus pasa a determinados horarios y cuesta 3.50 por persona o el taxi 15 dólares. La playa es preciosa pero las olas son peligrosas. Lo recomiendo para quien quiera estar en contacto con la naturaleza o quien busque esa playa para surfear.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2018
Response from Hotel manager on 11 Apr 2018
Thank you for your review. And thank you for your stay. We are committed to provide the best possible hotel accommodation to our guests. Hope to see you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Geir

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Response from Hotel manager on 11 Apr 2018
Thank you for your 5 out of 5 rating. We are committed to provide the best possible hotel accommodation to our guests. Thanks for your stay and hope to see you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Daniela

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Descansando en el paraíso
Maravillosa estadía. El equipo completo es adorable. Te acogen como una gran familia siempre atentos y dispuestos. Contundente y saludable desayuno en un entorn paradisíaco que te permite conectar contigo mismo y tu familia
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2018

4/10 Poor

Lucas Sebastian

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, room comfort
fuera de temporada NO ES HOTEL!
El hotel es lindo, muy limpio, el unico problema es que al estar "fuera de temporada" no gozas de los servicios totales que ofrecen. Llegamos a la hora del cheking y a los 5min ya no habia ningun empleado para consultar o solicitar algo, los dias siguientes igual. A las 15hs no habia nadie ni nada para hacer, los dias posteriores igual. Ni hablarque NO HABIA RESTAURANT abierto, por lo cual no habia opciones para comer ya que no hay otros comercios ni locales en la zona. Yo pienso que si el servicio es "a medias", el cobro por la estadia deberia ser menor!.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2017

4/10 Poor

Federica, Uruguay

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Muy linda la ubicación.
El hotel está en una ubicación excelente, en el medio de la naturaleza y frente a la playa. Es una playa para surfear, no para nadar. Es un mar hermoso. Las habitaciones son muy lindas, a la noche se escuchan las olas del mar y los ruidos de la selva. Es una lástima que este tan descuidada la zona de la pileta, todas las reposeras estaban rotas. No funcionaba el restaurante, solo había desayuno (el hotel está a 15 min del pueblo). No había agua caliente en los baños. Los caminos para llegar a las habitaciones no tenían luz, ya no funcionaba la carga solar de las lámparas. No se veía nada, tampoco te ofrecían linternas.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2017

8/10 Good

moeder-kinderen, nederland

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
hotel met gezellig restaurant aan strand
Gezellige bar, terras en restaurant. Fijne ruime kamer en behulpzaam lief personeel . Gelegen aan strand waar ook hangmatten hangen en ligbedden staan. Het zwembad is niet groot maar prima voor mijn kinderen, alleen was er veel bezoek geweest ( bar-restaurant) en daarna was het water erg vies en 2 dagen vies/groen geweest. ( personeel deed z'n best te reinigen, maar er waren teveel kinderen met zand-zonnebrand ed in geweest) Het eten is heerlijk, veel mensen komen daar dan ook gezellig eten. Stroming in zee te sterk om te zwemmen, wel leuk om surfers te kijken.

6/10 Okay

Arlenne

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotel bonito y tranquilo, personal agradable
El hotel es muy bonito y su personal muy agradable y de buen trato, pero la atención en el restaurante es un poco lento y el lugar está muy alejado del centro de Bocas

10/10 Excellent

JLG, miami

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotel agradable serca a playa
Mi estadia en el hotel fue exelente y agradable La vista al mar por las mañana y el sonido de las aves y las intalaciones muy comodas

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort