Punta Chame Club and Resort — Hotel in Panamá Oeste

I caution choosing this “resort”. Please educate yourself before buying into what you are being sold. Their rating is completely skewed.

They advertise under two different names: Punta Chame Club and Resort, and Panama Exclusive Couples Club. The former site is still under construction yet linked for public viewing.

Described on the Punta Chame Club and Resort website as “A luxury boutique hotel offering a tranquil escape with spectacular pool”. I saw no luxury and wouldn’t consider this a boutique hotel in any fashion. The pool is great. It is tranquil as far as being at least a 10–20-minute drive to amenities, restaurants or a beach.

Some quote the rooms as being “…very clean…”. This was not what I found. Another says they received “…exceptional customer service…” I was a friend, and you will see my experience was that there was almost no customer service whatsoever. I experienced rudeness.

I felt misled and mistreated by the management, my 'friends', Wayne and Deb.

Context is important, so a little background. They were aware I had just healed from a car accident and breast cancer. That I needed relaxation and continued recuperation. In addition, having not worked in a few years (due to illness), they knew I was on strict budget. I was a woman traveling alone.

I am a seasoned traveler. I have dealt with extreme elements, bugs, language barriers etc. I asked a multitude of questions prior to booking. Main concerns including reliable Wi-Fi (for work and social connectivity), AC due to extreme heat and my physical needs (cancer medications/menopause etc.) and bugs.

The men who work on the property were wonderful. They tried tirelessly to help, were kind and responsible. The pool is lovely, the property secluded.

This is what I experienced. Deb swore me to secrecy about what I was paying for my unit: insinuating I was being given an amazing deal. After discussing with people in the area, and doing some research, it became clear I was being taken advantage of for what I given, the location and time of year (September). They charged me $900 USD for the month. Laundry costing extra.

I arrived to a dark (if you open the curtains you are exposed to the main road), dirty, spider infested unit. I was bitten nightly, so I asked about cleaning and dealing with the infestation. I was told by Wayne that I could either clean it myself or pay someone to do so. I killed about thirty spiders over a week, cleaned the unit myself (including the crockery and cutlery)...with no hot water available in this unit's kitchen. Hot water is not a given in Panama, however, when I moved to a different unit, I had hot water.

Eventually, Deb offered me their ‘best’ unit at no extra charge. It was larger, and better appointed; however, it too was dirty (pics included where possible). Squished bug remnants on the walls, another dirty kitchen requiring a full cleaning by me (at least there was hot water). The shower rod that came down on my head (since it isn’t properly affixed to the walls), there was a missing glass tile, allowing hot air to pour in and I was still being eaten by bugs though I didn’t see many.

There were cockroaches in both units. I packed up for a third time in 10 days, so I could have my new space fumigated. In both units I did all I could to combat the ‘bug situation’. I slept fully clothed, doused with bug spray and peppermint oil, (spiders don’t like it), tried mosquito coils etc., and I would still be bitten nightly. I kept all my clothing in bags and suitcases to avoid contamination. I could not unpack and relax. I have been in my new location for a month and haven’t been bitten once or seen one bug inside my unit.

This place has NO RELIABLE Wi-Fi or POWER: I dealt with DAILY issues of one or both. There is a great gym; however, Wayne won't allow AC unless he is there!

I literally ran away from this property after 16 days. I requested a partial refund & was told by Wayne we were no longer friends. No refund whatsoever. They took $900 USD for my 16 days of hell!

So much more, but I am out of...

We spent 3 glorious months at Panama’s Punta Chame Club and Resort.||The apartment or casita we stayed in and the resort itself, had all the amenities one could possibly want. From the 75’x 30’ pool , state of the art workout room, lounge chairs, covered patio, bbq and outdoor dining area to indoor stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, 55” tv, fast reliable wifi/internet, king size bed, air conditioning and more, we wanted for nothing. ||Our hosts Deborah and Wayne were always available to meet any requests we might have. They maintain the beautiful property very well and are always working on something to exceed their guests expectations. ||The Classic Rock Lounge was available during the day for music, meeting with other guests for cocktails and potluck appetizers and in the evenings for games with anyone that wanted to keep the day festivities going.||A coin operated laundry area is available for guests that need to do a short or large load. Poolside showers and bathrooms are large and clean. The tiki bar, with swings, is a great place to hang out poolside.||There is a small “corner store” next door for liquor and basic necessities. A short walk will take you to a small outdoor restaurant. Cabs are a $5 ride into Coronado for groceries, shopping or restaurants. Fresh fish, vegetable and fruit stands are right around the corner from the main grocery stores.||Restaurants that you must visit: Luna Rossa Ristorante e Pizzeria, Las Bovedas and Gold Coast Brewing!||You could put a car rental to good use, if you choose to do so, but not a must.||We are planning our return in 2023 for more of the great hospitality, playdates and...

We spent 3 glorious months at Panama’s Punta Chame Club and Resort. The apartment or casita we stayed in and the resort itself, had all the amenities one could possibly want. From the 75’x 30’ pool , state of the art workout room, lounge chairs, covered patio, bbq and outdoor dining area to indoor stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, 55” tv, fast reliable wifi/internet, king size bed, air conditioning and more, we wanted for nothing. Our hosts Deborah and Wayne were always available to meet any requests we might have. They maintain the beautiful property very well and are always working on something to exceed their guests expectations. The Classic Rock Lounge was available during the day for music, meeting with other guests for cocktails and potluck appetizers and in the evenings for games with anyone that wanted to keep the day festivities going. A coin operated laundry area is available for guests that need to do a short or large load. Poolside showers and bathrooms are large and clean. The tiki bar, with swings, is a great place to hang out poolside. There is a small “corner store” next door for liquor and basic necessities. A short walk will take you to a small outdoor restaurant. Cabs are a $5 ride into Coronado for groceries, shopping or restaurants. Fresh fish, vegetable and fruit stands are right around the corner from the main grocery stores. Restaurants that you must visit: Luna Rossa Ristorante e Pizzeria, Las Bovedas and Gold Coast Brewing! You could put a car rental to good use, if you choose to do so, but not a must. We are planning our return in 2023 for more of the great hospitality, playdates and...