Mango Beach Club Resort in Panama
(thepanamareport.com) We spent 2 nights in Mango Beach Club Resort in Bocas del Toro Panama. It is about 6 kilometers from Bocas Town (which is where all the attractions are): far away enough to get away from the noise and the loud music at night but close enough to make daily trips, about a five minute boat ride.
We got a nice room: spacious and clean with a furnished kitchenette, refrigerator, and front porch overlooking the beach and the pool. It had a semi orthopedic mattress, a sofa bed, ceiling fans, AC, TV & DVD. It also had a beautiful overview to the beach although I would have prefered more furnishings; things seemed a little weak in this department.
The US ex-pat owners, Keith and Deborah, together with their staff were very helpful and friendly. From the time we arrived we were treated like family. They went above and beyond to ensure our stay was enjoyable and all the other travelers seemed to agree. Keith provided us with everything we needed which, in our opinion, is what makes up for many Panama hotels' weaknesses: the intimate and personal service of the in-house owners. The hotel Staff was able to arrange tours as well; they gave us ideas for every activity available, as well as transportation to any island destination in Bocas.
The food and drinks at this place were surprisingly good. They also cooked up some fresh fish which was more than we were expecting from the hotel -- there are a number of impressive restaurants in Bocas del Toro, but we found ourselves eating here quite a bit.
The new owners put real efforts into improving the place. Although the landscaping is still in progress, there seems like a lot of potential for a beautiful resort. They had an impressive pool (which is actually quite rare in Bocas del Toro seeing as though most places have oceanfront) and a resident parrot named Susie. They also offer bike rentals, motor bike and quad rentals as well as snorkeling, scuba diving, and kayaking to the reefs. These were great for the days and internet service on the balcony at night was the icing on the cake.
Mango Beach Club was a great romantic getaway. I was very pleased with all aspects of the resort. If you enjoy hanging out in the pool or basking on the beach, you will have great fun staying there (assuming the weather of Bocas del Toro cooperates).
