A Jewel In Panama's Skyline!
Written: Jun 21 '05 (Updated Jun 21 '05)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Fantastic views, beautiful rooms, magnificent pool!
Cons: Service not always up to par, slow elevators, adjacent Bay is full of trash.
The Bottom Line: Excellent waterfront location. An ocean-view room is a must here and well worth the extra $$! Ideal for business functions but suitable for all occasions.
|
|
|
| whalewatcher's Full Review: Miramar Inter-Continental Panama |
It's been 10 years since we've caught our first glimpse of Panama City's impressive skyline. Then, it was from a distance, in the early morning hours from a cruise ship, as it prepared to enter the Panama Canal on its way to the Atlantic Ocean. This time, we traveled to Panama City for a convention, and our experience was much more 'up close and personal'. As luck would have it, the convention was held at the fabulous Intercontinental Miramar, a tall, 25 story glass tower overlooking the Pacific Ocean, where we stayed for nearly a week.
Although dwarfed by the ever growing number of ultra-modern skyscrapers, the Miramar sits on a choice piece of real estate, affording not only spectacular water views, but also sweeping views of the city's imposing skyline, especially beautiful at night with its millions of twinkling lights. It's well worth the extra few dollars to book an ocean-view room, especially since city-view rooms front the very busy Ave. Balboa and road noise can be an issue.
The Miramar's marble lobby is quite beautiful, although not as large as one might expect. The focal point is a huge, stunning flower arrangement of live orchids, displaying some of the 150+ orchid varieties found in Panama. The staff is friendly and pleasantly 'down to earth', not stuffy as in so many of the upscale hotels.
The hotel seemed to be ill prepared for a full house, a little surprising since it caters to large functions. The front desk appeared to be in a state of confusion, so were the bell boys, trying to sort out the onslaught of luggage. We were at first given the wrong room (street-side instead of ocean-front), then had to wait 2 hours beyond the 3 p.m. check-in time before our room was finally ready! Although apologetic, the staff didn't offer us any sort of compensation for the inconvenience, something one would certainly expect from a hotel of this class. A complimentary drink would have been nice!
The rooms are impressive, with a full glass wall facing the Pacific. Floors are tiled, the tropical decor is pleasing with light furnishings which include a king bed with a fluffy white duvet and plenty of pillows, desk with two chairs, love seat, coffee table and an armoire housing a rather small TV (Worldchannel in several languages) and a few drawers. There is also a fully stocked mini-bar with the usual overpriced contents, extra glasses, bottle opener, etc. The safe, iron, and ironing board are hidden in the closet, along with some extra pillows and a blanket. The desk is equipped with a Worldlink unit for easy Internet connection and there are 2 phones with message service, plus one in the bathroom.
There is ample space in the bath, and I always like it when the tub/shower and toilet are separate from the vanity area which is such a practical arrangement. Electrical current is 110 V and adapters are available from 'Instant Service' at no charge. A little basket was filled with a supply of Audley's of London shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion, along with a vanity set, comb, shoe horn, shower cap, sewing kit and show mit. There is also a make-up mirror, hairdryer, and two large bottles of drinking water, which are NOT complimentary. They do skimp on the soap, however. The bars are tiny and really only good for one day's use yet, for whatever reason, housekeeping never replaced them. I finally helped myself to a few off the service cart parked in the hall-way which remedied that situation.
Overall, housekeeping was spotty at best, always forgetting something. If it wasn't wash-cloths, it was the bath mat, or the number of towels. But those things were only slightly annoying. It's difficult to get upset over much of anything when you have those fantastic views from every part of the room and, especially, considering that the cost is no more than what one would spend for just an average hotel room here at home.
Not to harp on the few negatives, but the Miramar has only two full service elevators, certainly not enough for a hotel this size, especially when it is filled to capacity. A third one (all glass with gorgeous views) only goes to the 6th floor. Our room was on the 8th floor and, on several occasions, the wait for the elevator was so long that we had to take the back stairs to make it to our meetings on time. And, if you are on the hunt for an ice machine, it might take a while since there is only one, and it is located on the 15th floor! Of course, room service will gladly bring ice on request but, considering the situation with the elevators, don't expect a speedy delivery.
But the positives far outweigh the negatives. Aside from the pristine location right on the water, those magnificent views and the gorgeous rooms, the Miramar offers a multitude of amenities, most of which are top notch.
The pool is simply fantastic. It is huge, beautifully maintained, fringed by a waterfall and flowering plants and shrubs, and visually divided by a pretty swim-under arched bridge. There are ample lounge-chairs, tables and umbrellas, and drinks and snacks can be ordered from the Las Olas Pool Bar, provided it's open which it sometimes is not, even during advertised hours. Pool towels have to be signed for and here again, the attendant is not always present. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that this hotel is understaffed although, most of the time, they managed to cover up that fact pretty well. If you are a sun worshiper you should frequent the pool in the morning. By early afternoon, the sun almost completely disappears behind the building, leaving the whole pool area in the shade. There is also a tennis court for guest's use, immediately next to the pool.
A second, much smaller pool is way up on the 21st floor. There is little shade up there and, considering Panama's steaming climate, it can get brutally hot. Only Club-Intercontinental members have access to this one and the same goes for adjacent lounge which sports superb views.
The 1st floor gym is another marvel. Not only does it boast state of the art Cybex equipment and free weights, but most of the machines are set up in front of a large expanse of glass with ocean views. Of course, TV's are strategically located as well. The Miramar Spa is next door, along with a full-service beauty parlor. You name it, it's offered. Massages, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, etc., all at fairly reasonable prices. In-room treatments are offered as well.
The business center is on the 6th floor and open daily. You can rent a laptop, printer, cell phone, portable CD player, etc., they even offer CD burning. The hotel has 15 banquet rooms for groups up to 500, so this can be a busy place.
Breakfast was included in the price of our room. The buffet is set up in the Bay View Restaurant (views from almost every table) and it is excellent. There is everything from fresh tropical fruit to eggs and omelets made to order, freshly baked breads, muffins, cereal, yogurt, fried potatoes, bacon, sausage, and so much more. You can also order from the menu but be prepared for somewhat of a wait. Service was consistently slow. A la carte dinner at the Bay View was disappointing, so opt for the dinner buffet instead which is usually very extensive and was generally good.
Unfortunately, we did not have the chance to eat at the highly acclaimed and elegant Miramar Seafood Restaurant on the 5th floor. We waited until the last night (Sunday), only to find out that it is the only day of the week that they are closed.
The small gift shop at the hotel's entrance is nothing special. It just carries the usual essentials, along with just a sparse number of overpriced gift items. If you like to shop, head for the new Multi Centro Mall which is not too far away. If you dare to cross the busy Ave. Balboa (no pedestrian crossings), you can even walk to it (10 min.). There are lots of upscale shops, restaurants, a movie theater, even a casino which, at the entrance, has one of the best aquariums I have ever seen. That alone was worth the trip.
Miramar's Sparkles Bar offers nightly entertainment with either a DJ or live music. But our days were pretty busy, so we never took advantage of it. I guess that's showing our age :-).
The pier behind the hotel separates the Bay from a small marina and is also the site of the hotel's helipad. You can arrange for a pick-up or drop-off, but we only saw it in use once.
Sight-seeing tours can be booked with the concierge. For example, we hired a driver for a city tour of Old Town (2 1/2 hours ~ $30), and also for a trip to the Gamboa Rainforest Resort ($50 plus $35 admission). The hour long, scenic drive takes you along the Panama Canal and once at Gamboa, you can take the Rainforest Aerial Tram above the tree tops, hike to an observation tower for splendid views of the Canal, and enjoy ecological exhibits within the beautiful resort.
But back to the Miramar. As pristine as the hotel's location is, there is one major issue which doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the hotel, although it is affected by it and could probably launch an effort to correct it. I was totally shocked and disturbed to see the amount of trash floating in the water. Every time the tide goes out, literally mountains of trash (you name it, it was there!) are deposited on the narrow strip of sand fringing the Bay, only to be scooped back up by the incoming tide. It was disgusting, not to mention the pungent odor emitting from all that debris and the environmental hazard to the sea life! This unsightly mess can be seen from many of the high priced condo buildings and multi-million dollar skyscrapers overlooking the Bay, yet no one seems to take the initiative to clean it up! Hard to imagine! As much as Panama City strives to be a modern city, and it is in so many ways, it fails miserably on this issue.
But overall, the Miramar will not disappoint. We very much enjoyed our stay there and would certainly return, should the occasion arise. They especially excelled when it came to catering large functions, with far better service and food than we've experienced at other conventions or large business gatherings. So, we were a little perplexed why those high standards were not upheld in the Bay View Restaurant, at least not on a regular basis.
Cab fare from the airport is $25, or $27.50 via the toll road which is a little quicker. And don't be surprised if it turns out to be a hair-raising ride, there's nothing laid back about the Panamanian drivers!
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
whalewatcher
|
 - Top 500 |
|
Member: Claudia Testa
Location: Charles Town, West Virginia
Reviews written: 197
Trusted by: 244 members
About Me:
Travel fever is chronic. I hope no one finds a cure!
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.