Grand Decameron Panama, A Trademark All-Inclusive Resort

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

5998 reviews

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  A Well-Run Resort—Cultural Context Matters

  We stayed at the Grand Decameron during the busy New Year’s week and wanted to share our experience, while also offering some context in response to several reviews that appear to confuse cultural differences with service failures. We arrived around 10:30 a.m. on our check-in day. Knowing it was high season, we prepaid the $30 early-access option, which gave us immediate use of the pools, restaurants, and amenities. This was well organized and allowed us to enjoy a full day at the resort before check-in. Our room was ready right at the posted check-in time and had a beautiful ocean view. During peak season, early room access should never be assumed, and certainly not expected for free, especially at an all-inclusive resort. The room itself was basic, clean, and functional. Housekeeping was prompt every day, and we also used the laundry service, which was fast and well organized. Our only issue was being assigned a connecting room, which offered very little soundproofing through the shared door. While noticeable, it was not a major disruption and could be improved. Regarding food and beverages: as an expat who lived in Panama for two years, I found the main buffets to be very standard for an all-inclusive resort, with plenty of options. Nothing stood out as unusually good or bad, which is exactly what one should expect from a buffet, not a gourmet dining experience. The staff worked incredibly hard, were consistently friendly, and even made the effort to speak English with me despite my being with my Panamanian family. That effort did not go unnoticed. Some complaints mention stray dogs and cats, as well as Spanish being spoken throughout the resort. This is Panama. These are realities of the country, not service issues. Travelers would benefit from researching their destination and making a basic effort to engage with the local culture, including learning a few words of Spanish. The specialty restaurants were a highlight. Reservations were easy to obtain by visiting the lobby at 7 a.m. The Panamanian gourmet restaurant was exceptional, with excellent seafood and attentive service. The bars throughout the resort had a wide variety of options, and bartenders were always happy to remake a drink if something wasn’t to our taste. My husband especially enjoyed the late-night snacks and drinks. The resort offers multiple pools with different energy levels. On New Year’s Eve, we spent the day at a quieter pool with no lines for drinks, which was perfect. Another day we chose the main pool for a more lively atmosphere. The water slides were genuinely fun, and the beach was beautiful and very swimmable. The New Year’s Eve celebration itself exceeded expectations. The quality of the event was impressive, especially considering it was included in the cost of the stay. It could easily have been a ticketed event, and it was a fantastic way to ring in the New Year. Overall, we had a fun and enjoyable stay. We are an LGBTQ couple with no children and found the resort comfortable and welcoming. Travelers who approach international destinations with curiosity and respect will likely have a much better experience. Thank you to the Decameron staff for helping our family celebrate the New Year.

  Jan 01, 2026
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  Very disappointed

  Of the many resorts we have visited in different parts of the world, this is the first one where we did not feel welcome. No accommodation for early arrival, no hotel information in English language, not even a welcome drink offered. Instead, they try to charge you a $30 per person penalty for early check-in (without any room), or make you wait for 5 hours in the small, uncomfortable lobby area. Unacceptable! As it turns out, Decameron is a low quality resort, catering mainly to lower class Latinos with many children. This is certainly no place for English speaking guests seeking a relaxing athmosphere. There is loud music playing at every pool and in every restaurant (always the same old songs). The buffet-style restaurants are dirty and overcrowded, and the drink service is disorganized. Clearly, management and staff are unable to keep up with a large crowd. The quality of the food/drinks is only basic and the amount of food/drinks being wasted is absolutely insane. Nobody seems to care. The nightly entertainment is very disappointing and mostly in Spanish language (Bingo on Christmas day, seriously?). The bedrooms are of decent size, but our balcony door was broken. The minibar consist of an empty fridge. The bathrooms are small, in poor condition and not very clean. Face towels or facial tissues are absent. The water pressure in the shower is very low and the water temperature is impossible to regulate. Bottom line: The USD 390 x 12 nights we paid was a complete waste of our time and money. We will never stay at any Decameron resort again. Shame on Wyndham for associating themselves with this property.

  Dec 31, 2025
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  Beautiful place, family friendly - Food not great

  Christmas time Pros: The beaches and pools where great. The rooms were clean, comfortable and cool. The drinks were good and generous with the alcool. Service is friendly. We always found beach chairs, whether on the beach or by the pool. The night entertainment was good, and you could eat pop corn on the beach whilst watching a movie. It's really a small children family resort, they seemed to have loved it, but I wouldn't suggest it to adult only. Cons: The buffets are not good. We dreaded having to have breakfast and lunch because: 1. everything is at child level so children can touch everything and even if they couldn't, 2. the food tasted bad except for some rare things (chicken was always a good choice) 3. No diversity, cold and old. 4. So much birds all around the buffet tables, it was a bit discusting. Stray cats and dogs where walking around us a diner time. (Apparently the are not "stray animals" but still, cats looking at you begging for food is not great) The "à la carte" restaurants where a little bit better, but a portion of the meal always seemed to be from the same kitchen as the buffet. I suggest the Asian place and the pasta place. The shower are spacious, but the shower head is stuck to the ceiling, so it's hard to rinse yourself. Overall we had a good time, but the food left us somewhat unhappy and we where excited to go back home...not the feeling you're supposed to have leaving vacations.

  Dec 30, 2025
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  Experience

  I enjoyed it a lot. The staff is really friendly and the activities are nice. The food at the buffet is okay. But not excellent

  Dec 29, 2025
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  Wedding was beautiful, customer service, outdated accommodations, rude locals. Will not return to this resort

  Front desk staff/manager was horrible to deal with. Tried getting my mother( mobility issues ) on the pool level. We booked as a wedding party of 26 people, they would not accommodate her. There was a shuttle we could call to get her around with a wait. Mostly Spanish speaking. Very little English, rude locals would cut in line at bars, front desk and buffet! Loved the weather and beach would definitely return to the area. Not here.

  Dec 28, 2025