Riu Plaza Panama

Rooms and decor

If you have ever walked up Calle 50 in Panama City, you know exactly which building is Riu Plaza Panama — a big, squared-off 24-floor tower with the bright red logo of Spanish chain RIU Hotels & Resorts, standing in the middle of the Bella Vista business district as it creeps into Marbella. It has been open since 2010 and is still one of the most-booked towers in the city for Latin American and international travelers alike. The feel is the same as a business-district hotel in any big city: a wide, high-ceilinged lobby, several seating corners, a long check-in counter staffed all day, and a steady stream of people — suited business travelers, tour families heading out to the Panama Canal, and Latin couples dressed up for the casino upstairs. Inside the tower there is a cafe, a bar, restaurants, and a gift shop, so by evening the lobby buzzes like a small shopping center.

Food and amenities

All 645 rooms come in a warm cream-brown-orange palette — nothing flashy, but clean and easy to live in, with soft beds and a bathtub in many of them. The one thing every room shares is a floor-to-ceiling window that opens the city up: rooms facing Panama Bay catch the skyline and the emerald water, while rooms on the Calle 50 side look out over the busy main road and the high-rises of the business district. Standard rooms are roomy enough for two, and some have a sofa bed that sleeps a family of four — handy for travelers watching their budget. Up on the roof you hit the feature reviewers love most: an outdoor pool with a small pool bar and rows of sun loungers, looking out toward the towers of Marbella and Panama Bay on a clear day. Sunset here is a popular spot for a cocktail; it is not five-star plush, but it is relaxed and fun after a day out.

Location and getting there

The tower has several dining areas, with the heart being the international breakfast buffet in the main restaurant — one that plenty of reviews call surprisingly generous for a 4-star. Expect eggs cooked fresh, ham, sausage, bacon, a range of breads, sweet Panamanian fruit, fresh-pressed juice, and local dishes like hojaldra (fried dough) with stewed beef to try each morning. Lunch and dinner offer both buffet and a la carte. The real charm, though, is stepping outside: along Calle 50 and Via España, under 10 minutes on foot, there are dozens of local and international spots — Spanish tapas, Italian pizza, fresh seafood, and sancocho (Panamanian chicken stew) starting at just a few dollars. A little further is Multiplaza Pacific Mall, the city's biggest mall. Getting to the sights is easy: the Panama Canal and Miraflores Locks are about 20 minutes by car, Casco Viejo, the UNESCO old town with its stone lanes and boutiques, is around 15 minutes, and Tocumen airport (PTY) is 30 minutes. For public transit, the Iglesia del Carmen metro station on Line 1 is about 5 minutes away by car, but honestly Uber and taxis here are cheaper than you would expect and far easier.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. The most common complaint in reviews is the slow lifts at peak: it is a big tower of 24 floors and 645 rooms with only so many lifts, and during check-in, checkout, and the 8-to-10am breakfast window, guests report waits over 5 minutes. Build in extra time if you are rushing in the morning. Second is the noise from Calle 50 — a busy road all day, so lower rooms facing the street pick up traffic and the odd horn. Light sleepers should ask for floor 15 or above, or a room facing into the building. Third, the decor is classic big-chain: everything works and is well equipped, but it has none of the distinct character of a boutique hotel, so anyone hoping for a place with its own story may find it plain. Last, the in-house casino stays open late, which keeps people moving through the lobby all weekend night — lively, but maybe too lively if you want quiet.

Our take

After reading hundreds of real reviews on Agoda, Booking, and Tripadvisor, our take is that Riu Plaza Panama is the best-value choice for staying in the Bella Vista / Marbella business district of Panama City. For $84 to $157 you get a 4-star tower in the heart of town, a rooftop pool with a great view, a casino, a generous breakfast buffet, and a location within a walk of Multiplaza Mall and dozens of restaurants on Via España. It fits business travelers who want to step out of the lift and start working, budget-minded families using Panama City as a base for the canal and Casco Viejo, and couples or solo travelers who want everything under one roof without paying five-star rates. We give it 8.5/10 — not a plush or one-of-a-kind hotel, but one that does its job extremely well, earns every dollar, and makes a safe, easy, reliable start to a Panama trip.