Those of us who travel back and forth from North America and Panama often need to spend a night in Panama City. 

On my last couple of overnights in Panama City, I have stayed at a place that I saw years ago, but passed over as just okay. 

The Hotel Marbella in the El Cangrejo district.

Our Hotel Experiences in Panama City

We have tried other budget/mid-priced hotels in this zone of the city and they have all been pretty good.  Hotel Riande Grande, Hotel Coral Suites, and Hotel Victoria to name a few.  We have had good experiences at all.

We particularly like staying in the El Cangrejo district.

However, now that we are living in Panama half time, and Seattle half time, we find that we are traveling back and forth several times each year.  It is good to save alittle money on a more affordable hotel.

The hotels that we have enjoyed most over the years, are getting to be out of our price range for such frequent, often multi-night visits.

Hotel Doubletree

For example, the Hotel Doubletree in El Carmen neighborhood is over $120 per night for the family.  And sometimes there are issues with our reservation there.  We think we have a room that includes breakfast, but they disagree.  We like their breakfast because, unusually, they always serve a vegetable dish at breakfast.  They say it is because of the number of Hindu visitors they have.  (Another strike against the hotel is that my family much prefers to stay in El Cangrejo.)

Tryp Hotel at Albrook

The Tryp Hotel at Albrook Mall was one of our favorites back in the days when we took the overnight bus, which left from the Albrook Mall Terminal.  However, now that air travel to David is getting more affordable, we don’t take the overnight bus anymore. And we like to take a connecting flight with Copa at out of the Tocumen airport, not from Albrook’s airport. Plus the Tryp Hotel has changed hands, and it now costs about $130 per night for a room for the four of us.

Affordable Choice

Another big reason for seeking a more economical hotel is that I sometimes travel alone.  At times I need to be in Puerto for a construction project, while the rest of the family is in Seattle for a school or other obligation.

For me, I just need a clean, quiet room to get a restful night’s sleep.

Hotel Marbella has served me very well for the past two solo trips.  A single room costs $38.50.

What is your favorite hotel in Panama City? Please comment below.