Alaya Panama — Hotel in Los Santos

So I was burned out from my work and dad life in Montréal, Canada and was fortunate enough to find this place... Tucked in the quaint and unassuming village of Cañas, Panama, Alaya, as your cross the gates, unveils itself as a jungle luxury retreat. My ocean view dome(how cool are those! It's like sleeping outside without the stiff back!) had a 8-9 foot large window and a spacious deck where I spent my nights just star gazing in my private net lounge(like the ones in a catamaran). I actually dozed off one evening which provided one of my most restful sleeps. Although, it is a 10 minutes drive from the lively beach town of Playa Venao, I was quite content hanging out in their restaurant... And calling it a restaurant is probably a misnomer: imagine the charm of a South African winery with the attention to details of the South of France gastronomy with the warm and the personable service of a Thailand resort. The menu is its own trip with inspirations from around the world while swaying lazily in their hammocks, overlooking the sweeping views of distant ranchos and the protected Cañas National Park which includes rolling hills and ocean horizons. And during my stay, the pool was just about to open so I can only imagine it with that addition.. My 3 days all started with a heart opening yoga session in a humongous dome where birds graced us with their presence while breathing out the self-imposed pressures from my Western life.

Now to be truthful, it is a few hours from Panama City and this kid free zone is very, very quiet. However, if you want to just disconnect from the perception of your own life and connect with your soul or soulmate, it is well...

Pros|-very nice and friendly service from check in to dinner to check out|-very comfortable bed and bedding|-instant hot water|-nice sitting area outside for star gazing|-soft towels for shower and pool towels|-very nice food selection for lunch and dinner|-nice cloth napkins and nice table setting|-food in the restaurant was reasonably priced ($22 for pasta dishes) and good portions||CONS|-a bit over priced for what we get. Example- a glam tent for $140 out in the middle of nowhere is high in my opinion. I pay this rate at a fancy Marriott in the city. |-please have furniture cushions out in the verada of the place we stay and have some insect citronella candles around to keep insects away|-services for massage is way over priced... these are USA and European prices.|-wines a bit over priced compared to retail (about 5 times)... not good especially when a waiter can't open a bottle and we need to help him... plus he does not know the different between a Cab vs a Chardonnay vs a Tempranillo... etc. Very nice young man however needs more training especially when you want to charge these type of prices. Additionally, plesae use proper wine glasses. As you may know, the glass has alot to do with the taste of good wines! This is just constructive criticism for improvement.|-I'd like to see some local resident room rates and pensianado rates for hotel rooms. Typically, the 25% discount is applied to the regular rate listed.||All in all though it was a good experience and I would recommend Alaya! I'd come back and hopefully there will be some...

Pros|-very nice and friendly service from check in to dinner to check out|-very comfortable bed and bedding|-instant hot water|-nice sitting area outside for star gazing|-soft towels for shower and pool towels|-very nice food selection for lunch and dinner|-nice cloth napkins and nice table setting|-food in the restaurant was reasonably priced ($22 for pasta dishes) and good portions||CONS|-a bit over priced for what we get. Example- a glam tent for $140 out in the middle of nowhere is high in my opinion. I pay this rate at a fancy Marriott in the city. |-please have furniture cushions out in the verada of the place we stay and have some insect citronella candles around to keep insects away|-services for massage is way over priced... these are USA and European prices.|-wines a bit over priced compared to retail (about 5 times)... not good especially when a waiter can't open a bottle and we need to help him... plus he does not know the different between a Cab vs a Chardonnay vs a Tempranillo... etc. Very nice young man however needs more training especially when you want to charge these type of prices. Additionally, plesae use proper wine glasses. As you may know, the glass has alot to do with the taste of good wines! This is just constructive criticism for improvement.|-I'd like to see some local resident room rates and pensianado rates for hotel rooms. Typically, the 25% discount is applied to the regular rate listed.||All in all though it was a good experience and I would recommend Alaya! I'd come back and hopefully there will be some...