Our second stay at Villa Marina was a family get-together and it was fabulous. The ocean-front rooms were great for watching sunset or the early light in the morning. Beds are comfy with soft sheets; bathrooms basic but clean. Views awesome! The beach bohios provide some of the only waterfront shade on. Venao. The shared yard was perfect for yoga followed by a dip in the pool or ocean. With only 9 rooms it didnt seem crowded. The included breakfast was solid and there were lots of good dining options further down Venao beach where the surfers hang out. It is a 5 min walk along the beach to the best surfing in Panama. Young nightlife scene was vibrant for those who wanted but far enough away that noise wasnt a bother. The staff at Villa Marina were all very friendly and helpful! Everything was clean and towels plentiful. They will do a bonfire if one wants. They really contributed to making our stay pleasant! Very good wifi and cell service plus a glass-walled room for teleworking with an amazing view.
The hotel itself was well kept up and the location was good, being a bit outside of town and steps from the beach. Staff was friendly and mostly reasonably timely. Playa Venoa and the area weren’t really for me, personally. The town was loud with music starting early in the morning and deep bass thumping late into the night. While this hotel is set pretty far back from the “town”, the music echoes through the bay. Overall more of a party vibe town than I was looking for. This is in no way the hotels fault, and if that’s your thing I think this would be a great spot. Just wasn’t for me.
We had an enjoyable stay here. The staff were very friendly and the internet was great. Amazing views. We booked a ‘Deluxe’ room but were given a ‘Standard’. This was very clearly marked on our booking but we were told there was some confusion over the hotel changing the names of the rooms a while back that caused our booking to be entered incorrectly. We were offered breakfast for 2 of the 3 mornings but this did not cover the cost difference we paid for the higher priced room. Booking.com have been in contact with the hotel but their messages have been ignored. - Disappointed
No warm water (shower) and there was no one that told us that were massive strikes planned on Monday/rest of the week even though we asked a few people at the reception about bus information. If someone had told us we would have travelled on Sunday. Now, we were stuck for two days in various places and even had to skip one destination because of this.
This place is excellent. The staff, the view, the pool. Jorge the daytime manager is a wealth of knowledge and the most helpful person I have met in Latin America. The rooms are plain but spacious. Bit it it is not the room your paying for. You are right on the beach. Would have gotten 5 stars but I had the worst meal there. It was nachos with cold beans, carrots and cold shredded cheese, and cold chicken. Looked fancy but was gross
