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The Santa Maria, a Luxury Collection Hotel & Golf Resort in Panama City, garners praise for its generous and varied amenities, including a grand pool and a notable breakfast buffet. Guests appreciate the spacious and modern rooms, often remarking on their comfort and immaculate condition.
While the value is recognized, especially for Titanium members enjoying the breakfast, some mention additional transportation costs due to the hotel's location. The atmosphere exudes grandeur and elegance, complemented by the staff's highly regarded service, ensuring a stay that many find both warm and professional.
Atmosphere
Elegant
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Reasonable
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Outstanding
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One of our favorite hotels in Panama City. I think it is only 2 years old. It is resort style place and great for a family vacation. Hotel decorated beautifully and has a lot of traditional art pieces. Great customer service and very detail oriented. Front desk experience was great, room service as well.
Hotel has a nice pool area with cabanas and pool bar with the golf course view. The pool area is kids friendly and for smaller kids there is a special shallow kids pool. Since the hotel is located in a county club it is very quiet and safe, so you will sleep well at night and rest well during the day. You will have to rent a car or take a taxi if you want to go out to the city, because the hotel is located at least 10 minutes away driving from the restaurants, mall and bars area. You cannot really walk much near the hotel area, but you can play golf or visit the gym, which is pretty good size and has a lot of equipment, water bottles and bathroom. Rooms are very cozy, super comfortable beds, and blankets and pillows soft like clouds. In the room there are smart TVs with high resolution and Netflix (which is not common in Panama City based on my experience), cool coffee machines (one of the best I’ve ever used) and cute details like hand-made basket for the toiletries in the bathrooms and chocolates with the turn down service.
Across the lobby there is a coffee shop with fresh sandwiches and delicious deserts (tres leches cake was our favorite). Breakfast buffet was very tasty and had a lot of options. There are a couple of options for lunch and dinner. And we had a beautiful traditional live performance during our dinner, which was amazing.
There is wonderful spa where they offer multiple services so you don’t have to leave the hotel. And there are several conference areas, which can be rented for celebration special occasions.
Our experience was great but I would suggest to pay attention to the cleanliness of the outside seating area. Tables need to be wiped more frequently and dishes need to be removed as soon as guests leave the tables to keep the birds out (since they are chasing the leftovers). I had to ask for a table to be cleaned for us to seat and enjoy our coffee and desert that we got at the coffee shop, since many tables were vacant but not clean and had birds eating leftovers. Also wet wipes for cleaning equipment were out at the gym and I had mentioned a couple people about it, the carpet at the gym was a little worn out and a potential fall hazard. I tripped a couple of times while working out, but it was not bad and I didn’t fall.
We were in love with the hotel and had an amazing experience. Thank you very much for making our vacation memorable!
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Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marriott Titanium Reviewer - We booked four nights at the Westin Playa Bonita, followed by four nights at the Santa Maria through Delta Vacations. We booked a king room and a room with two queens for our 16 and 17 year old boys; our rooms were on the same floor. As Titanium members, we were compensated with breakfast buffets for two of us each morning, although we were surprised to be billed for two guests. This was probably the best breakfast buffet we have had as Titanium guests, and the price for the other two was reasonable for the quality of food. We booked this hotel specifically so that my husband and boys could golf. Unfortunately, there was a junior tournament at the course, so tee times were limited to late afternoon. It would have been helpful if this information was available on the website, as we would have adjusted the order of our stay. Because their golf time was limited, they decided to rent clubs and arranged this ahead of time. However, when they arrived at the course, no rentals were available! The club was able to make it up to my husband and son and reserved a tee time the following day and managed to find them Calloway clubs. Watch out for alligators on the course! Our best meal in Panama was at the steakhouse! Service was excellent, and the food was delicious. Uber rides into the city are easy to arrange. We took an Uber to the Multiplaza one day and to Panama Viejo another). There is a plaza next door that is convenient for purchasing snacks. We scheduled two private tours through TAO 365 (Isla Grande Panama – Caribbean Island Hopping & Portobelo Fort with Ana and Ocean-to-Ocean Panama Canal Jungle & Monkey Tour with Mario) and enjoyed both of those. We used Mario G with ToursByLocals to tour the Miraflores Locks and transfer from the Playa Bonia; he was very professional and drove a large, comfortable SUV.
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Date of stay: March 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â Contact the golf course before booking to ensure tee times are available as this course is one of...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Hotel Santa Maria
, Otros at The Santa Maria, A Luxury Collection Hotel & Golf Resort, Panama City
Responded 8 Jul 2024
Firstly, we would like to thank you for your loyalty to Marriott; and we are delighted to hear that you and your family enjoyed our beautiful hotel, as well as our breakfast at our Mestizo Restaurant and dinner at our steakhouse The Grill. We hope to be welcoming you and your beautiful family back to The Santa Maria Hotel in the near future!
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I have stayed at many Marriott Bonvoy properties around the world, many offering other "luxuries" that their brand implies -- Ritz Carlton & St. Regis come to mind -- but none have the specialness, the warmth, the outstanding customer service from a team of very lovely people at the Santa Maria Hotel & Golf Resort. You see, my husband broke his neck in an unfortunate accident in Panama in mid-January, and had emergency surgery. After his successful surgery, we had to stay in the country for follow up care and our next stop was the Santa Maria (praise!). When the GM of the hotel heard that my husband was in a neck brace, and I was asking the front desk for a recliner for him to sleep in, he sprang into action and brought one from his home for us to use for our 8 day stay! I cried! I could see everyday kindess bestowed not only on us, but to families with small children, or to someone who needed a hand with a plate at breakfast. Speaking of breakfast, Jacabeth remembered my husband liked a bit of Irish Cream in his coffee and she brought him that every day. We never asked. Lia, Mary, Paola, Jonathan, Joseph, Indira, Thayan, Angeline -- all led by the spectacular General Manager Hector Rodriguez. He is a STAR! Talk about going above and beyond, Hector sets the example for the team at this incredible resort. Travelers, do not think twice before booking this hotel. It is not only beautiful, clean and has the most amazing flower displays, but the food in the hotel is also beyond reproach. Mr. Rodriguez has gathered a group of people that care about us demanding travelers, and we are putty in their hands because they treat us so well. Oh, and the mattresses! I looked at the tag because I want to order one. They are so comfortable -- they don't lean on one side, the linens are fresh and the housekeeping is prompt. The shops around the hotel offer a pharmacy, liquor store, cafe, a gorgeous home decor store, among others. We didn't golf, obviously, but the championship golf course was busy.
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â It may "look" that the hotel is far from Panama City but its not at all. You can get into the...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Hotel Santa Maria
, Otros at The Santa Maria, A Luxury Collection Hotel & Golf Resort, Panama City
Responded 6 days ago
Thank you for choosing The Santa Maria, a Luxury Collection Hotel, during such a challenging time for you and your husband. It truly means a lot to us that you felt the warmth and exceptional care from our team during your stay. We are deeply touched by your kind words about our General Manager, Hector RodrĂguez, and the entire team. Providing comfort and personalized service is at the heart of what we do, and knowing that we could make a difference in your experience fills us with gratitude. Jacabeth, Lia, Mary, Paola, Jonathan, Joseph, Indira, Thayan, and Angeline will be thrilled to hear that their dedication made an impact on your stay. Your appreciation of our hotel’s atmosphere, cleanliness, food, and amenities means the world to us. We hope your husband continues to recover well, and we would be honored to welcome you both back under better circumstances for another memorable stay. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there’s anything we can do for you in the future. And we look forward in welcoming you back into the Santa Maria Hotel in a near future!
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I certainly enjoyed my two night stay at The Santa Maria Hotel and consider this the main hotel for me to return to when I am in Panama. (Which I like to visit from time to time.) The hotel is located near the airport and near downtown Panama City--while still being somewhat apart on a large golf course so it is surrounded by greenery, pools, etc which helped make the hotel even more lovely. As a Bonvoy Platinum member I felt very well looked after--I asked for and received a late check out of 4:00 PM, complimentary breakfast, and a small room category upgrade. (Basically a better view.) It definitely made me appreciate being a Bonvoy Elite unlike some of Marriott's other hotels.
The room was comfortable, spacious, very clean, with an EXTREMELY comfortable bed and lovely Byredo toiletries in the bathroom. There was nightly turndown service--which I consider a sign of a "true" five star hotel and very good air conditioning in the room. (Which you definitely need given how hot it is there!)
Food was decent--breakfast buffet is adequate--nothing to write home about but the restaurant (Mestizo) is lovely to look at it--very elegant with its plush velvet curtains and decor. Lunch and dinner there were better than breakfast and I enjoyed my food.
Only problem was with the drain in the shower which flooded the bathroom two days in a row despite me calling maintenance about it. I think they finally fixed it the day I left. Issues happen anywhere I know so it wasn't a huge deal.
I would gladly recommend this hotel over any other in Panama City and definitely look forward to coming back soon!
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Date of stay: September 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Hotel Santa Maria
, Otros at The Santa Maria, A Luxury Collection Hotel & Golf Resort, Panama City
Responded 17 Sept 2024
Dear Mr. Reif, Thank you for choosing The Santa Maria Hotel for your stay in Panama City. We are delighted to learn that you enjoyed your time with us and had the opportunity to experience the comfort of our rooms and turndown service. We agree that air conditioning is essential in Panama City, and we are glad we exceeded your expectations in this regard. We are also delighted that you found the dining experience at our Mestizo restaurant to your satisfaction, where you experienced Panamanian Fusion offerings. Please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience you encountered with the drain in your room. We greatly value your constructive feedback, as it assists us in our continuous effort to enhance our services. As a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum member, your feedback holds particular significance for us. We are pleased to know that you felt appropriately recognized during your stay. We look forward to the opportunity to welcome you back in the near future.
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The Santa Maria hotel is beautiful! We stay at this hotel for 5 nights. As soon as you walk into the lobby, you will see a beautiful flower display. The hotel, restaurants, rooms and pool areas were clean. The employees are genuinely kind and went above and beyond to ensure we had everything we needed to have a comfortable stay. By day 2 of our stay, most of the staff recognized us and remembered our drinks from the prior day. There are plenty of chairs, day beds and cabanas by the pool. Most importantly, you do not have to pay extra for the cabana or day beds. The breakfast buffet was definitely a favorite. There are more than enough options. The hotel also offers music such as a band or a DJ every night from 7:00-9:00pm. There is also a lunch brunch on Sundays that you have the option of attending. The hotel is also close to Panama City with only a 15 minute drive. The employees at the hotel also offered to help you find tours, and a booklet for looking at the options. The golf course was usually busy, but in the mornings had a lower attendance. The Santa Maria hotel was a beautiful and relaxing place to stay.
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Date of stay: February 2025Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â The breakfast buffet ends at 10:30am, so make sure to get there earlier.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Hotel Santa Maria
, Otros at The Santa Maria, A Luxury Collection Hotel & Golf Resort, Panama City
Responded 6 days ago
Dear Mrs. Ziporia, Thank you for choosing The Santa Maria, a Luxury Collection Hotel, for your stay. We are delighted to know that you found our hotel beautiful and relaxing. It’s wonderful to hear that you enjoyed our welcoming atmosphere, the cleanliness of our facilities, and the attentive service from our team. It’s especially rewarding to know that our staff recognized you and remembered your favorite drinks—creating personalized experiences is something we truly value. We’re also glad you appreciated the poolside amenities, breakfast buffet, and live music in the evenings. We hope to welcome you back soon for another exceptional stay. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there’s anything we can do to make your next visit even more memorable.
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My husband and I stayed here for 1 week because he had a Golf Tournament and we loved our stay. Knowing we would be for 1 week we decided to book a suite rather than a regular room because we would be spending a lot of time in the room and my husband needed space to organize his golf stuff. We made the best decision.
We were picked up from the airport and after a quick drive we were already in the hotel, fast check in and we were shown to our beautiful suite overlooking the swimming pool and golf course. I specially loved the bathroom, with a great big shower, separate bathtub and big mirrors. Great smelling toiletries. Very comfortable bed, walk in closet (we asked for extra hangers and they arrived very fast) and a big living room.
The hotel has 2 restaurants and a coffee bar. As we were in the tournament we did stay almost every day for lunch and dinner in the hotel. The Steakhouse is a beautiful restaurant with very good food. Mestizo is the restaurant/bar used also for breakfast, nice food but we preferred the Steakhouse. The coffee bar had delicious things to eat and I specially loved their pistachio filled croissant. We stopped everyday to pick up a coffee and I even had a light meal as lunch while my husband was playing golf. On our 1st breakfast the person in charge of food came to us to ask how things were, he was so accomodating and helpful, Israel…thank you for providing me with the so much good service and looking after my specially soft scrambled eggs. Amazing service from Israel and from the ladies that seated you in the restaurant, I’ll never stop wondering how they always addressed us by both our named and knew our room number. The ladies in the cafe were also very nice. I cant praise enough the service of all of the people who work there, they all really make the difference. Thank you very much !!
The Spa is very good. Had 2 massages and a hair treatment (including a scalp scrub). Really enjoyed very much every treatment.
My only comment would be that we asked 2 times for a firmer pillow when we left for dinner and requested the turndown service and it never arrived and also the mini bar was not restocked permanently. There is a small strip mall across the hotel from where I bought some sodas and that helped a lot.
We didnt leave the hotel everyday and there was no need to do it…we had everything we needed there and always with a smile.
Wonderful service and would highly recommend this hotel for your stay in Panama.
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Date of stay: April 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Get a room with a golf course view and try the pistachio filled croissant in the Cafe.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Hotel Santa Maria
, Otros at The Santa Maria, A Luxury Collection Hotel & Golf Resort, Panama City
Responded 8 Jul 2024
Mrs. Patricia, we are honored by your kind words, as we strive to always provide our guests with the best service! It was delightful to be hosting you in our property; Thank you for choosing to stay at The Santa Maria Hotel during your time in Panama, and we hope to be welcoming you back in the near future!
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When you book at a Luxury Collection Hotel you create high expectations for your stay, and this hotel is no exception in meeting them. Located in the area of Panama East, not far from the airport this hotel is a must for those who enjoy holidays with all the comforts of a 5-star hotel. The rooms are spacious, modern and with all the amenities expected of this type of hotel, the bathrooms are spacious and cute. The pool is perfect for a stay with children. Spacious, clean and with very suitable spaces for the comfort of guests. It is worth highlighting the buffet breakfast of the weekends, with a variety of options that makes it outstanding, all very delicious of the best quality and abundant. When you go on holiday with children you appreciate that there are options for children in the restaurant menu, I can say that it is one of the best macandchesse that my girl has tried. The service of the restaurant staff is excellent, friendly and timely. Highly recommended for holidays or even business in Panama
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Date of stay: December 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We had the pleasure of spending just one night at this lovely property. We chose the property because of its proximity to the airport for a flight the next morning.
The hotel also is well positioned for visits to the old town, modern city, and for eco-tourism if you are planning to explore both the city and countryside. For travelers who prefer to return to a nice resort amenities after a day of adventure, The Santa Maria is an ideal choice.
When we arrived, there were a couple people in line before us checking in and we were approached by the affable beverage manager who offered us a warm welcome and asked if we would like any refreshments. Check-in was a smooth and friendly process and we found our room to be spotless with a very comfortable bed and nice linens. We enjoyed lunch at the restaurant by the pool as well as dinner in the main dining room, The cuisine and service were both excellent.
The pool and surrounding patio area were quite large with ample chaise lounges spaced comfortably apart. We enjoyed a leisurely afternoon by the pool. The pool area would be a wonderful place to relax after a day of sightseeing.
We were traveling as a couple without children but the pool area is a large plus for families with children - and the pool is large enough that energetic children can easily be kept away from adults who are enjoying a quiet read by the pool. We arrived during the Sunday brunch, which looked utterly amazing. Evidence of the resort's love for children was that Mickey and Minnie Mouse were greeting families as they arrived for brunch. The resort was an oasis of calm despite its youthful visitors so couples seeking some peace and quiet should not be deterred from visiting.
Whether you are looking for a desirable hotel handy to the airport or a resort for a lengthier stay, The Santa Maria is a great choice.
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Date of stay: March 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Hotel Santa Maria
, Otros at The Santa Maria, A Luxury Collection Hotel & Golf Resort, Panama City
Responded 8 Jul 2024
Dear Mr. Brian, thank you for your kind words- we are delighted to hear that you had an enjoyable and relaxing time at our property, and you had the opportunity to sightseeing Panama. We are happy that you enjoyed our beautiful pool, and our restaurant Mestizo. We hope to be welcoming you back to The Santa Maria Hotel in the near future!
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Our first time to Panama this was an amazing stay and experience. As we are accustomed to the prices in the US, UK, and Europe as well as the often lackluster interest by staff, The Santa Maria was in stark contrast. Staff were attentive and, for me with my limited Spanish, great sports as honed my language skills. Most staff spoke excellent English and when they didn't we managed just fine. The food, we felt, was excellent, including room service which covers the full menu. I can't fault anything at the hotel. The room was spacious with an excellent view. The pool was luxurious. The gym well equipped and in good working order. The hotel is about 4 miles from the airport and not in the city centre so going to the city will require a taxi or, and I recommend it, an Uber. Uber cars were nicer and we knew what it would cost (generally half the yellow taxis). The final touch was in getting our covid tests for our next flight to the US. Thinking our only option was to queue up at the airport and take taxis, I asked the front desk. Without missing a beat, they arranged a mobile test company to come to our room, take the test, and email us the certificates -- for much less than the test's cost at the airport. I absolutely recommend this hotel.
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Date of stay: May 2022
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
After taking several days to review all Hotels in Panama City I Chose this one based on the suite that was available for my husbands and my anniversary trip. I booked one month in advance. One week before our Trip I received an email from Kerly Moreno, Director of Rooms telling me that the suite I wanted was no longer available due to a technical issue and so she was offering me A lower suite at the current rate. I explained to her that I really needed the bigger suite and now At this late date none of my previous Second choices at other hotels were available. She then offered 10 percent off the Lower suite and a dinner at their restaurant. I told Her that it still wasn’t enough to compensate and she threw in a 15 percent off coupon For their spa. After I looked into it some More all of these items were available at a package rate that ended up being less than what she offered just the suite to me for. I finally asked her to cancel the reservation and spent another 2 days looking for a replacement. I couldn’t find one that I thought would be good so I booked a two bed queen room at the Santa Maria and asked her if she would Still offer us the 10 percent off and the dinner. She wouldn’t even answer me except to say she saw that I had booked a non suite. I emailed again and she didn’t respond so I decided it was an indication of what the stay was going to be Like so I canceled again. We ended up at another Marriott property and so far the stay and the people here have been very nice. I truly Felt like Miss Moreno was a reflection of this property and it didn’t matter how pretty and new it was, the people working there make all the difference. I will also be reporting this to Marriott.
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Date of stay: February 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Fabiana Di Biagio, Other at The Santa Maria, A Luxury Collection Hotel & Golf Resort, Panama City
Responded 19 Feb 2022
Dear louwhocpa, Thank you for taking your time and sharing your feedback regarding your recent booking experience at the Santa MarĂa, a Luxury Collection Hotel and Golf Resort. Your valuable feedback helps identify areas of opportunity for us to improve the guest experience at our property. We sincerely apologize for the inconveniences and we are very sorry that you have decided to cancel you stay at our property. We have shared your feedback with the appropriate hotel team to ensure the necessary guidelines are in place to prevent from occurring in the future. Sincerely, Fabiana Di Biagio Quality Coordinator The Santa Maria a Luxury Collection Hotel & Golf Resort
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There are more places to choose from in the Panama City area.
PRICE RANGE
HK$1,756 - HK$2,665 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
PanamaPanama ProvincePanama City
NUMBER OF ROOMS
182
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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