Hi forum,
I have been in Panama 1 year already, it's amazing how time flies here!
I will be going to PC next week to collect my permanent residents visa. Can someone recommend a cheapish but nice hotel that is reasonably close to the immigration office and the malls?
Many thanks,
Gary
Replies
We enjoyed our night at El Principi in El Congrejo. With our pensionado visa we paid $66. We may have gotten the same discount for merely being jubilado and having our cedula. It's a new clean modern hotel and across the street from Siete Mares, a great seafood restaurant ( try the fried ceviche), and just around the corner from Martine Fiero, a super steak house ( that also features lots of other yummy entrees). We are going back whenever we can!
I went to the Milan, and I don't know if I've been spoiled before, but it wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be. It was functional, nothing more. Maybe I needed to spend another $20-$30 to get something beyond basic. It was $65 with cash discount, and was located off the main road so there wasn't any traffic noise. The room had all the basics, the air conditioner worked well and shower was hot. The quality of the furnishings was ok nothing great, but the room was dark and ugly. The only window faced another high rise hotel so there was very little natural light.
PC was amazing, great shops, great restaurants, great cinema and I got my friendly nations visa!
The Las Vegas is great for extended stays due to their modestly equipped kitchenettes, I've stayed there for weeks at a time. It's dated but clean and they've got a friendly English speaking staff.
Other pluses; Two fine restaurants (Caffe Pomodoro and The Wine Bar) on the first floor only an elevator ride away and they will deliver to your room, great on those evenings when there's a torrential down pour. There's a Chino across the street two doors down from the corner with hot food and a good liquor selection. There's laundry service one block up the street where they'll wash and fold whatever you can fit into a pillow case for $10. Their front desk is staffed 24 hours a day so great security. They also have a complementary breakfast buffet with a good selection of fresh fruit.
And since they've got window mounted air conditioning units, they've been exempt from the mandatory commercial electrical blackouts for air conditioners from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Unfortunately they're temporarily closed for remodeling.
The Milan is clean, convenient and reasonably priced. The thing that makes it a slam dunk is "Martin Fierro." This is as good a steak as you will find anywhere!
From the Milan you can also walk to the new Metro, maybe 5 blocks, and for something like $.27 go t Albrook Mall.
Thanks for all the replies. I decided to go with the Milan hotel.
Thanks,
Gary
http://www.hotelavila.com.pa/
Its right down the road from the Immigration Office and Tribinal Electoral - Avenida Peru between Calle 36 and Calle 37
Agree with most everyone else, the Milan!
Milan is a great suggestion. Go to Booking,com and you can group them by price, see scores of pix etc
Do you want/need to be close to your Attorney's office and you can locate it and hotels on the site's maps