Location: The Royal Decameron Beach Resort is located 90 minutes Northwest of Panama City, in the country of Panama on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The closest towns are Fallaron, Playa Blanca and Rio Hato. The resort is large with 820 rooms scattered through an expansive property. The upper and lower portions of the resort are separated by a steep incline that can be an arduous task for some to ascend.

Rooms: As mentioned, there are 820 rooms in the resort. The resort is very spread out and a fair amount of walking is required between your room and the restaurants, bars and pools. The rooms are roomy, safe and secure. Each room offers a balcony and air conditioning as well as cable television. There are three classes of room depending on location: beachfront, ocean view and garden view.

Restaurants and Bars: For breakfast and lunch there are three buffet restaurants offering a wide selection of food with a something for everyone. For dinner, there are two large buffets and seven a la carte restaurants serving a variety of foods including: Fish & Seafood, Thai, Japanese, Fusion, Italian, Mediterranean, Grill and Catch of the day. It should be noted that booking for the a la carte restaurants should be done early as they fill up fast.

Snacks are available throughout the day at 4 locations serving fries, burgers, pasta and pizza. There are two snack bars that stay open until 2am.

There are 11 bars to ensure that no one goes dry. Only 6 are open during the day starting at 10am. Closing time is staggered from 5pm until 3am. It should be noted that there are no 24 hour bars, even the casino on site is not 24 hour. The bars serve Balboa, a local Panamanian beer as well as several different kinds of mixed drinks.

Beach/Pool/Grounds: The beach is wide with somewhat gritty sand. The waters of the Pacific are quite warm, however caution should be the order of the day as the undertow can be quite strong. The water at the beach is not quite as clear as one would expect from the Caribbean side so don’t expect to do a lot of snorkelling.

There are several pools with clean warm water. There is an adults-only pool available for those looking for a quieter experience. The lifeguards take safety to the extreme and do not allow swimming during the rain, even if there is not a lightning bolt to be found. The pools have staggered closing times, with most closing at 5pm. However, after the lifeguard has left the area, confident that the pool is empty, swimmers may once again jump in without being told to get out.

The grounds are expansive. The grounds are also lush and beautiful with tropical shrubs, trees and flowers growing everywhere. This is the ideal resort for a wedding as the sites for the ceremony and pictures are unlimited. The resort is divided into an upper and lower section with a steep incline between the two. There are several sets of steps and cemented paths to make the traverse. Staff driven carts are available for those who cannot make the climb.

Included within the property is a casino, a convention centre, a Hard Rock Cafe, a health spa and a golf course.

Excursions: There are many day trips that can be taken from the resort. Several evolve around the Panama Canal, Panama City and the Gamboa Rainforest. These trips are somewhat costly and make for a long day because of the travelling distance involved.

Many excursions evolve around the Anton Valley region which is much closer to the resort and a little more affordable. The region offers zip-lining, eco-tourism and shopping.

Other trips include visiting the indigenous people, horseback riding, golfing, whitewater rafting, deep-sea fishing, SCUBA diving and trips to the Caribbean side of the country.

As with any all-inclusive resort, all the excursions are fairly costly. Remember, there is a long chain of people that need to be paid off to get you from the resort to the destination. Panama is a very safe country to venture out on your own in. Consider avoiding the many middle men and rent a vehicle for the day. There is a rental agency right on site and the prices are reasonable. The roads are a little rough and you will have to drive a little slower, but the freedom is well worth it.

Common Complaints: This resort comes with several common complaints. If you do your research, none of these should come as a surprise but apparently they do for some.

The drive is so long from the airport to the resort. Yes, it is. The question is, do you want to go somewhere spectacular or somewhere convenient? Panama City has several resorts that are close to the airport but you won’t find yourself on a beautiful beach surrounded by tropical plants and animals. The best places in this world to visit are away from the main centres and, unfortunately, the main centres are the only places where you will find international airports.

No one speaks English. A number of the staff know little or no English. A number of the guests also do not speak very much English. If this is a problem, maybe you would rather go to Daytona Beach. This is a country with an official language of Spanish. You are a guest at this hotel not the other way around. What you will find is a people that are eager to learn and will try their hardest to communicate with you. Take the time in advance to learn a little of their language and you will find it goes a long way.

It is too hot and humid. Can you really file that as one of your complaints? It is surprising how many people actually do complain after the fact about the weather. Did they not do any homework? Did they not realize that Panama is just a few degrees latitude from the equator? It is very hot and humid. There are, however, pools and a really big ocean close by to cool off in. A nice break from the elements is a trip to the Anton Valley where, up in the mountains, the temperatures are a little cooler and the tropical rain is quite refreshing.

There are too many Colombians and Panamanians. Once again, was it Daytona Beach that you really wanted to be at? Yes, the majority of customers are from Colombia with many Panamanians visiting for the day or over the weekends. Don’t see this as a problem but as a chance to broaden your cultural horizon and meet someone from a different part of the world.

The staff is unfriendly and rude. This complaint is truly unwarranted. The staff is incredibly warm and friendly. If they seem a little rude at times, try doing landscape work in those weather conditions and try to be nice to every drunken Gringo that bumps into you.

Overall, the Decameron is a great destination for a week’s escape from the wintery wonderland of more northern climates. Panama is relatively new to the all-inclusive game and still has a lot to learn about what northerners want from a vacation. In saying that, though, it’s hard to say what effect the coming exponential growth to the tourism trade in that country will have. It is a long trek from Canada with a 5 and a half hour flight from Toronto and closer to a two hour bus ride from the airport to the resort.