Gamboa Rainforest Reserve — Hotel in Cristóbal

This review is taking into consideration price to value at approximately $170/night, and the hotel representing itself as a 5-star resort. IF this hotel claimed to be the 2-star hotel it truly is and charged less for everything, I would be giving a 5 star review.

I was largely disappointed in hotel during a 3-night stay with my teen daughter.

The good: the lobby is comfortable and clean, the pool is nice, the staff were mostly friendly (with some notable exceptions), guests are provided with a free bottle of water each day, there is plenty of free parking, the campus is large and beautiful with a short but well-maintained hiking path, and some very good third-party vendors at the hotel (the zipline and the bike rental companies were great), linens and towels were clean, the balcony is huge and features a hammock that my daughter loved, and there is a truly beautiful view.

The bad and ugly: The woman who checked me in was unwelcoming and provided no information about hotel amenities other than where/when to find breakfast. The hotel is only a few stories high, but has unendingly long hallways lined with guest rooms, meaning long walks to and from your room if you’re at the end of the hall like we were.

The room was dated and humid, the furniture was old and starting to break down, the mini fridge was small and not very cold, and a phone was strikingly absent. The bathroom was large but dingy with paint drips across the mirror, a broken sink plug, filthy light switches, a broken electric socket, a hairdryer which only blew cold air, and every caulked seam of the shower was mildewed.

For the first two nights we had painfully slow lobby wi-fi and very weak/no wi-fi or cell service in the room. The wi-fi only worked suitably on the final day. We were awoken at 5:30am on day 1 by what sounded like a loose metal fan blade slamming around in the AC intake. On our second night there was an electrical failure at the hotel (NOT an area-wide outage) and rooms were without power for 6 hrs+. Housekeeping didn’t make it to our room until 4-5pm daily.

The poolside furniture is grubby and there were several clearly broken chairs. The pool bar was a disaster- think $12 piña colada that was nothing more than murky ice water and a small shot of rum in a juice glass garnished with an unripe pineapple slice.

The breakfast buffet had a fairly good selection of items, and I was satisfied with the overall quality and presentation of food, but every other dining option in the hotel was overpriced and underwhelming. The Monkey Bar, the most reasonable option, was just meh.

The hotel is largely unaccommodating and do not offer transportation to the many nearby hiking paths, Summit Zoo/Park, or canal locks, nor do they provide info about these local attractions. The only thing they want to provide are services you have to pay big $ for. We took their only free offering, a “night safari” where the guide fed a crocodile so tourist could posed for pics with it...

BUS LOADS of tourist were dropped off at the door daily. Huge crowds clog up the lobby, forming long lines to the bathrooms as tour groups are called from a loudspeaker. Not exactly relaxing.

Monday morning I waited at the tour desk for ages before the nice bellman called an employee to assist us and we learned that the tram/sanctuary are closed “every Monday for maintenance.” I don’t mind this, but there is nothing telling you on their “hours of operation” sign and no one informed me at check-in. I felt badly for a couple I met on my last day who were stranded at the hotel without a car and feeling terribly ripped off (the resort wouldn’t pick them up from the airport due to a delayed flight and, not speaking Spanish and without a smartphone, had to figure out how to get a $90 taxi to the hotel).

If you set your expectations low and don’t mind overpaying for everything, this place is totally fine. If you’d rather save a few hundred dollars and get better quality service and proper rooms, stay anywhere else. All in all, this resort felt like a...

This was our fourth visit to Gamboa Rainforest Resort. We previously stayed in 2016, 2017 and 2023. We stayed for three nights the first week of April, 2025, during our six night stay in the Panama City area. We traveled via Uber to the hotel from the international airport and then scheduled an Uber to take us to Casco Viejo for our next stay. We had no problem with the scheduled Uber, using it during our 2023 stay and during this trip. This time , we stayed in Room 439 (which has a king bed) and a loft area upstairs. We had a hammock on the deck, but only one chair for sitting, they should have at least two chairs on the deck, or more, with this size of a room. We come here for the nature, but I will note that although our room was comfortable and we had plenty of towels and hot water that the hotel is showing its wear and tear, but it is in the rainforest and this can be expected. I always advise that if you want to see the nature here that you need to stay at the hotel, not travel here in a day trip. We did not visit the exhibits as we have done that in the past, we walked the grounds in the morning. One morning, lots of activity, the next morning, very little activity from the animals, it is nature! This trip no sloth sightings. We saw a group of Capuchins and a group of Howler Monkeys on the property near the road to the tram, past the exhibits. We saw numerous toucans (my favorite bird) , we know their sounds and calls and easily spotted them a number of times on the property and also on our walk into town and to the Pipeline trail. The swimming pool at the hotel is huge and we enjoyed using the pool during our stay, although there are a few wear and tear issues, such as the railing on steps into pool wobbly ( I noted this same issue during our 2023 visit). At the hotel the breakfast was a buffet, you can visit the station to have your eggs made to order. We chose to include breakfast when we booked our room. We ate one evening in the restaurant downstairs of the main lobby, bottom restaurant, it was open with a buffet, we ordered ala carte from the menu. We don't eat big dinners with all the courses, including desert, so we thought that the buffet at $30 a person was quite pricey. The other two evenings we ate at the Monkey Bar for a more casual dining experience. I would say the food is average, its acceptable, we're here for nature and the ships. One of the biggest benefits of staying on property, if you like to watch the ships in the canal, is that we walk to the main entrance and down to the water (and into Gamboa Town) to watch the ships pass. There is a grocery store on the main road from the hotel into Gamboa Town where we purchase beverages and snacks. The front desk staff was very friendly. I would recommend staying here if you are into the nature, and like to go at your own speed. Each time we say it's our last trip here, we decide to return if we are coming to Panama City as its a special place in...

General Experience: I can’t comment on the hotel accommodation, as we only visited for the activities. We traveled from the financial district, which took about 45 minutes to get there.

The first issue we encountered was at the entrance. The staff told us to hurry to the tours/tickets desk because the Aerial Tram was about to start. But they reassured us there was still enough time to purchase tickets and board the transport truck that takes you to the tram. Unfortunately, the ticket desk staff were slow to acknowledge us and process our booking, which resulted in us missing our intended slot. We were then told we'd have to wait 90 minutes for the next available time. When it came to the time of the activity and to be picked up, we were told incorrect times by 2 other staff members.

The hotel itself is very large and blends beautifully with its rainforest surroundings. While waiting, we explored the property. Some areas are still under construction, such as the paths leading to the pool, but once completed, it will enhance the overall look and feel.

The view of the rainforest from the hotel is absolutely breathtaking—truly second to none. To pass the time, we stopped by the café/restaurant. I had the seabass ceviche, which was one of the best I’ve had—simple, fresh, and with a generous portion of fish. Their cocktails were also excellent.

Activities: Sanctuary Tour: Our guide, Roxanna, spoke very good English and was extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife we encountered, including butterflies, frogs, birds, and sloths. The sloths were the highlight for us—seeing them up close, especially a couple of them awake and eating flowers, was an incredible experience. The only downside was the hot weather, 2pm, which made the tour feel a bit longer than expected. Bring water.

Aerial Tram: If you love scenic views, this is a great experience. The tram ride itself is about 10 minutes long, and each guest receives a device with audio information about the rainforest. Once at the top, there's an additional 10–15 minute walk to reach the viewing tower, where the panoramic sights are captivating!

Getting Back to the City – Beware of Taxi Pricing: Our second issue was with returning to the city. Uber was unreliable, so we asked the hotel reception to book a taxi. The staff were helpful, and the taxi arrived quickly. However, the price was nearly three times what we had paid to get there. The driver demanded $50 and claimed he had no change, so to avoid any issues, I reluctantly paid $60. This felt like a rip-off, so I strongly recommend making your own travel arrangements in advance to avoid overpaying.

Final Thoughts: The activities themselves were enjoyable, with stunning views and unique wildlife encounters, but the service could be greatly improved. The ticket desk’s inefficiency and the overpriced taxi situation were frustrating and left a negative impression. If you plan to visit, be prepared for potential delays and secure your return...