The Canal and Central Panama Hotels

The accommodations in Central Panama range from basic cement rooms to wonderful bungalows in stunning natural surroundings. The region includes some world-class nature lodges, where you can wake up to a full-service resort surrounded by rain forest, all-inclusive beach resorts where the bars stay open well past midnight, or homey B&Bs a short walk from the beach or forest. Even in the cheapest hotels you can expect a private bathroom and air-conditioning. While several more remote hotels nominally accept credit cards, sometimes the only way to pay with plastic is in advance via their Web sites rather than at the hotel at checkout. Smaller mom-and-pop places that do take credit cards might offer a slight discount if you pay in cash. Most hotels can book area tours for you, but tour companies will generally expect payment in cash. You can sometimes save a bundle (occasionally upward of $100) at some of the more expensive hotels and resorts by booking via their Web sites, especially for midweek or off-season stays.