Name: Hotel Acapulco
Address: Calle 30 Este, Panama, Panama, Panama, 00000, Panama
Rating: 8

Air conditioning

24-hour reception

Smoke-free property

Ticket assistance

All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private)

Upper floors accessible by elevator

General

Room service

Cable TV

Shower/Bathtub

Shower

Wardrobe/Closet

Linens

Toiletries

Rooms

Accessibility features

Accessibility

Laundry

Safe-deposit box

Dry-cleaning

Luggage storage

Wake-up service

Telephone

Services and amenities

Restaurant

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Spanish

English

Languages Spoken

Tour assistance

Tourist services

Parking

Beach/pool towels

Pool and beach

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Personal protection equipment for staff

Extra decontamination measures

Personal protection equipment for guests

Additional measures against COVID-19

Health and Safety Measures

Location

At the hotel

Room amenities

Panama Pacifico Airport

Tocumen International Airport

Marcos A. Gelabert International Airport

Enrique Adolfo Jimenez Airport

Hotel Acapulco

Panama

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

shared-bathroom

10-beds

11-beds

12-beds

13-beds

14-beds

15-beds

16-beds

17-beds

18-beds

19-beds

2-beds

20-beds

21-beds

22-beds

23-beds

24-beds

25-beds

26-beds

27-beds

28-beds

29-beds

3-beds

30-beds

31-beds

32-beds

33-beds

34-beds

35-beds

36-beds

37-beds

38-beds

39-beds

4-beds

40-beds

5-beds

6-beds

7-beds

8-beds

9-beds

king-bed

queen-bed

limited-time

lounge

treatment

no-window

bay-view

bosphorus-view

canal-view

city-view

courtyard-view

garden-view

golf-view

harbour-view

inland-view

lake-view

land-view

mountain-view

ocean-front

ocean-view

oceanside

panoramic-view

park-view

partial-ocean-view

partial-sea-view

partial-view

pool-view

river-view

sea-front

sea-view

street-view

sunrise-view

sunset-view

water-view

with-view

annex

basement

main-building

1-bedroom

2-bedrooms

3-bedrooms

4-bedrooms

5-bedrooms

6-bedrooms

not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

breakfast-for-1

breakfast-for-2

pets-allowed

wi-fi

kitchen

I stayed here my first 2 nights in Panama City. My initial impression was that it looked like a place that charged by the hour, and I immediately wanted to turn around and leave. However, I was tired from an 8-hour bus ride from San Jose, Costa Rica so I decided to stay and deal with it in the morning.  After a shower and good night's sleep, the hotel looked a little better than the night before.

I had a double room with a balcony. The balcony is the smallest I have seen, only about 3 feet wide and 1 foot deep. Not big enough for a chair, only big enough to stand on. Nonetheless, it was nice to open the door and get some outside air. I also was able to hand wash a few things and hang them on the balcony door to dry overnight. 

The room was medium/large (18 sq meter/195 sq ft) with a desk, desk chair, and bedside stand. No luggage rack, room safe, coffee maker, or fridge. The furniture was old, but the room was clean. The lighting was good, and the WiFi and air conditioner worked well. There was a flat-screen TV, but no English-language channels. They use keys for the door, not key cards, and you must manually lock the door with the key when you exit. There was no ice bucket, but I requested and was given a pitcher filled with ice.

The bathroom was very small and was well-lit.  No toiletries except 2 small bars of soap. The water was hot and the pressure was good, but Panama is so hot and humid that I only took cool showers. They provided 2 bath towels, but no hand towels, wash cloth, or bath mat. The shower dripped constantly. There was no fan or a/c in the bathroom, so it was very hot and humid.

The receptionists and bellman were friendly, but only one person spoke a little English. This is common in Panama and not a problem since I speak conversational Spanish. The only common areas are two small seating areas in the lobby, neither of which have air conditioning. There is no food at the hotel, but there is a 24-hour restaurant attached to the hotel. It serves very good food and is popular with locals.

Some reviewers describe the area as "authentic" or "working class."  Respectfully, I think those are euphemisms. This is a poor neighborhood and it looks sketchy and unsafe. The area across the street from the hotel looks like a junkyard. The sidewalks around the hotel are raggedy, and cars park all over them so you have to walk in the street to maneuver around them. 

In some ways, though, the location is better than it initially appears. There is a metro station, Estacion Loteria, down the hill about a block away. The Cinto Costero promenade is only 3 blocks down the hill from the hotel, and is a lovely place to stroll and people watch. Cinto Costero also has a nice view of the Panama City skyline. You can also walk to Casco Viejo or take an Uber for a couple dollars.

If you go up the hill from the hotel and turn left at the first street, there is a casino on the corner.  Continue walking, and across the street katy-korner to the casino is a large grocery store, Machetazo. This street, Peru, looks slightly better than the street on which the hotel is located.  There is also a police station around the corner from the hotel, and police sometimes hang out in front of the hotel and at the restaurant. This adds a measure of security to the hotel, and probably keeps out most of the riff-raff that frequent other low-budget hotels in the area.

If you're a male traveling alone or two men together, you might not mind the hotel or location. The area is loud and lively, and there is a popular beer garden next door to the hotel. If you're a couple, there is nothing romantic about the hotel.  As a single female I kind of liked the vibrancy of the area, but I did not like its seediness.

I only paid $38 night, and it was probably worth that. (Rooms without balconies are cheaper). If you're a solo female or a family on vacation, I suggest spending a few more dollars and choosing another area and a different hotel if you can afford it. However, if your budget is super tight, and you just need a clean place to sleep with few amenities, the Hotel Acapulco seems to be one of the better low-budget hotels in Calidonia.

Cheap hotel in a sketchy area

Hotel Acapulco is a good budget hotel for the traveller needing a night or two near downtown Panama City.  For me, the room was clean and quiet with a great shower.  

The front desk was polite and helpful.  And the 24 hour restaurant next door is great.  The area can get a little rough at night but if you've travelled in Latin America before this shouldn't be a problem.

Good for the Price

The hotel was priced within the Budget Pricing category, but was nicer than what you would have thought.  The only true negative was the location.  It is located in the poorer section of Panama City, but that is enough to ruin your safe stay.

Nice but not great

I found the receptionists consistently rude.  I thought the first one may be just having a bad day.  But the second one was the same.

I don’t believe in pretentious politeness, or as if their livelihood depended on it.  But I don’t expect to be treated at a hotel as if by immigration officials either.  I only wish the usual courtesy like one shows to strangers, as has been the case in the rest of the country of Panama.

Well, I can’t agree with the other reviewers.  Trying not to let the poor service cloud my judgement, I still think for the price, I expected more, like a Holiday Inn or similar.  It definitely is not.

It’s quite far from any concentration of restaurants or bars.  So take that into account.

Rude reception

We stayed all the time when we go Panama City cause is reasonable rates, people is really nice, the metro to the Albrook Mall is right at the corner, and we felt as home away from home.
That´s a perfect place for us to go again and again.

Nice - Quiet - Close to the Cinta Costera

We stayed here for 3 nights. Top location, can walk to the water or old town, supermarket and shops also. Nothing flash, but has everything you need. Good local neighborhood, real Panama.
If you need a taxi for the canal or airport, or anywhere else, contact joe, who hangs about in the street. He used to work at the canal, real character, with good English.  50761096433

Hotel Acapulco

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