Stay & Play

Holiday, in Panama

by Steve Gillick

On a recent trip to Panama City, Panama we were guests of IHG, the Intercontinental Hotels Group that manages the Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza and InterContinental brands.

Accommodation-satisfaction differs from person to person but most travelers will agree on the importance of the 4 C’s: convenience, comfort, customer service and cost. The Holiday Inn Express Panama Distrito Financiero, scored high points in all the categories.

‘Convenience’ is often defined in terms of ‘location’ and how easy it is to access the hotel by walking, driving or taxi. The Holiday Inn Express, about a 40 minute drive from Tocumen International Airport is on a quiet side street. There are small markets, stores, restaurants, banks with ATM machines, and even a Felipe Motta Wine store, all within a 5-15 minute walk from the hotel. A taxi ride to Casco Viejo, the old city, takes 10 minutes or less and all the yellow taxi drivers knew where the hotel was located.

‘Comfort’ relates to lifestyle, safety, the first impression upon reaching the hotel, and then the actual room amenities (bed, sheets, pillows, towels, television, fridge, desk, and in this day and age, Wifi accessibility). My King room was quite large room with lots of natural light, a proper desk and chair, reliable Wifi, and a bed that I have to admit was really comfortable. Accommodation at the Holiday Inn Express includes a pretty good breakfast buffet of scrambled eggs, toast, rolls, breakfast meats, cheeses, fresh fruit, yogurt, cereal, juices, coffee and tea.

‘Customer Service” is a reflection of the hotel’s attitude toward the clientele, and I found the front desk staff at the Holiday Inn Express to be friendly and helpful throughout my five night stay. When I noted that there was no refrigerator in my room, they said they would bring one, and literally a few minutes later a staff member was at my door with both arms wrapped around a mini-fridge. I had the pleasure of speaking with the very personable General Manager, Miguel Legarda, who spoke about the hotel’s 196 rooms, including 8 accessible rooms, and then showed us the roof top pool (great views) and the Gym.

And while ‘cost’ is a consideration for many travelers, it really boils down to the perceived ‘value’ of the experience. If the hotel is able to satisfy the client’s needs (convenience, comfort, customer service) then the value of the stay speaks for itself.

The InterContinental Miramar Panama is a more upscale property located on Avenida Balboa, the main thoroughfare/parkway that connects new Panama with Casco Viejo. The view of Panama Bay and the neighboring, skycraping, residential towers are very impressive, as are the comfy rooms, the cocktail lounge and food in the dining room.

The Crowne Plaza Panama is steps away from La Iglesia del Carmen, a beautiful Gothic-style Church that in turn, is steps away from the Metro (subway), and therefore quite easy to access.

However, we spent our last night at the Crowne Plaza Panama Airport, (10 minutes from the airport by hotel shuttle). The food at the hotel restaurant exceeded expectations, and on the flight home, I carried pleasant memories of my last lunch: grilled octopus, steamed veggies and an ice cold Balboa beer.

www.ihg.com