Playa Bluff Hotel

2.5 star property
Enjoy the outdoor pool at this beachfront Bocas del Toro lodge

Choose dates to view prices

Playa Bluff Hotel

Photo gallery for Playa Bluff Hotel

On the beach, white sand
In-room safe, free WiFi, bed sheets
Free daily continental breakfast
Triple Room, Terrace | Bathroom
Aerial view

Overview of Playa Bluff Hotel

Reviews
8.2

Very good

Popular amenities

  • Pet-friendlyPet-friendlyPet-friendly
  • PoolPoolPool
  • Breakfast includedBreakfast includedBreakfast included
  • Parking includedParking includedParking included
  • LaundryLaundryLaundry
  • Free WiFiFree WiFiFree WiFi

Explore the area

Bluff Beach, Bocas del Toro
  • Popular LocationWizard Beach1 min walk
  • Popular LocationRed Frog Beach1 min walk
  • Popular LocationBom Bom Beach Bar19 min walk
  • Popular LocationPaki Point9 min drive

Room options

Superior Double Room, Garden View

  • 30 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Economy Triple Room, 1 Bedroom, Garden View, Courtyard Area

  • 232 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Queen Bed and 1 Twin Bed

Quadruple Room, Balcony

  • 40 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 King Bed and 2 Twin Beds

Classic Double Room, Balcony

  • 28 sq m
  • Beach view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Economy Triple Room, 1 Bedroom, Garden View, Courtyard Area

  • 232 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Queen Bed and 1 Twin Bed

Economy Triple Room, 1 Bedroom, Garden View, Courtyard Area

  • 232 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Queen Bed and 1 Twin Bed

Economy Triple Room, 1 Bedroom, Garden View, Courtyard Area

  • 232.0 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Queen Bed and 1 Twin Bed

Economy Double Room, 1 Queen Bed, Garden View, Garden Area

  • 185 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Superior Quadruple Room

  • 40 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 King Bed and 2 Twin Beds

Economy Double Room, 1 Queen Bed, Garden View, Courtyard Area

  • 19 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Comfort Double Room

  • 30 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Economy Double Room, 1 Queen Bed, Garden View, Courtyard Area

  • 19 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Family Room, Balcony

  • 45 sq m
  • Beach view
  • Sleeps 5
  • 1 King Bed, 1 Queen Bed and 1 Twin Bed

Triple Room, Terrace

  • 38 sq m
  • Beach view
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed and 1 Twin Bed

Studio Suite

  • Sleeps 5
  • 2 Queen Beds and 1 Twin Bed

Basic Room, 1 Bedroom, Garden View, Garden Area

  • 19 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed and 1 Twin Bed

Studio Suite

  • Sleeps 5
  • 2 Queen Beds and 1 Twin Bed

Economy Triple Room, 1 Bedroom, Garden View, Courtyard Area

  • 232 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Queen Bed and 1 Twin Bed

Economy Double Room, 1 Queen Bed, Garden View, Courtyard Area

  • 19 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Economy Double Room, 1 Queen Bed, Garden View, Courtyard Area

  • 19 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Superior Triple Room

  • 35 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed and 1 Twin Bed

Economy Triple Room, 1 Bedroom, Garden View, Courtyard Area

  • 232 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Queen Bed and 1 Twin Bed

Similar properties

About the area

Bocas del Toro

On the beach.Within a 5-minute walk of the lodge, you'll find Red Frog Beach and Wizard Beach. Also, Bluff Beach is within half a mile (1 km) and Paunch Beach is within 2 miles (3 km).

What's nearby

  • Bluff Beach - 5 min walk
  • Tortuga Beach - 1 min drive
  • Carenero Island - 10 min drive
  • Starfish Beach - 18 min drive
  • Paunch Beach - 30 min drive

Restaurants

  • Brother’s - 21 min drive
  • Café Del Mar - 21 min drive
  • Tequila Republic - 20 min drive
  • Doghouse Pizza - 20 min drive
  • Bibi's On The Beach - 20 min drive

About this property

Playa Bluff Hotel

Enjoy the outdoor pool at this beachfront Bocas del Toro lodge
There's a restaurant on site. You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge. Free breakfast is available daily. Public spaces have free WiFi.

An outdoor pool, a terrace, and tour/ticket assistance are also featured at Playa Bluff Hotel. A roundtrip airport shuttle and an area shuttle are available for a fee. Self parking is free.

Smoking is allowed in designated areas at this Bocas del Toro lodge.

  • 20 guestrooms or units
  • Continental breakfast (free)
  • Poolside lounge chairs
  • Dry cleaning
  • Self-service laundry
  • Front desk (limited hours)
  • Storage area for luggage
  • Front-desk safe
  • Tour and ticket information
  • Pool or billiards table
  • Terrace
  • Garden
  • BBQ grill(s)
  • Outdoor picnic space
  • Smoking in designated areas
  • Bar or lounge
  • Dining venue
Playa Bluff Hotel offers 20 accommodations with washers/dryers and safes. This Bocas del Toro lodge provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Bathrooms include showers. Housekeeping is provided daily.

Languages

Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, Italian, Spanish

Property amenities

Family friendly

  • Laundry facilities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Playground
  • Washer/dryer

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Free self parking on site
  • Roundtrip airport shuttle (surcharge)
  • Area shuttle (surcharge)

Food and drink

  • Free continental breakfast available daily 8 AM–10 AM
  • 1 restaurant
  • 1 bar
  • Room service available

Things to do

  • Bicycle rentals
  • Billiards/pool table
  • Outdoor pool
  • Playground
  • Safari

Accessibility

  • This property does not have elevators

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bed sheets

Bathroom

  • Shower
  • Towels

More

  • Safe
  • Washer and dryer

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2 PM; Check-in end time: 8:00 PM
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11 AM

Special check-in instructions

The front desk is open daily from 10 AM - 8:30 PM
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival
If you are planning to arrive after 3:00 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

  • Pets: USD 10 per accommodation, per day
  • Food and water bowls are available

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.
  • Cribs (infant beds) are not available.

Property payment types

Important information

Fees

Guests will be asked to pay the following charges at the property:

  • Deposit: USD 40.0

We've listed all charges provided to us by the property.

Optional extras

The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.

  • Pet fee: USD 10 per accommodation, per day

This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards, and mobile payments; cash is not accepted
Mobile payment options include: PayPal
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card, or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession. This property accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, debit cards, mobile payments, and PayPal. Cash is not accepted. 

Property is also known as

Playa Bluff Lodge Bocas del Toro
Playa Bluff Bocas del Toro
Playa Bluff
Playa Bluff Lodge
Playa Bluff Hotel Lodge
Playa Bluff Hotel Bocas del Toro
Playa Bluff Hotel Lodge Bocas del Toro

Playa Bluff Hotel Reviews

Reviews

8.2

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 13 out of 29 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 9 out of 29 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 3 out of 29 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 3 out of 29 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 29 reviews" "

8.6/10

Cleanliness

8.6/10

Staff & service

8.4/10

Amenities

7.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.4/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

2/10 Terrible

Pam

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Over rated over priced
This was the most expensive place that we stayed at in Panama and was the worst by a landslide. The patio door was just a screen that anyone could have broken into. We were woken up by loud people 3 of the 6 nights we stayed there and management pretty much said it was out of their control! Not impressed!!!! Our room was only “cleaned” twice, check in did not include instructions on where to get drinkable water, nor was there a glass in the room. The electrical outlets would not hold a plug for my charger. The sheets are too small for the bed and their are no mattress covers, yuck!!!! The curtains did not fully cover the windows. The patio door locks are broken, so a small padlock with a key is used. There are no lights on the patio, so sitting out and reading at night is not possible and there are wires hanging where lights should be. There was no hot water in the showers even after they were “fixed”. If you are there for surfing this is a great place to be, if that is not your intent then do not stay here, it is a long way from town and the shuttle only comes every 2 hours and a taxi will cost you $15-$20 one way. The breakfast is the same every day, eggs, pancake and toast with a few pieces of fruit. When we raised concerns it fell on deaf ears, the owner/manager thought that our concerns were trivial. She certainly does not belong in the hospitality business. This place has the potential to be quite lovely, but falls very short of its potential.
Stayed 6 nights in Feb 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2019

8/10 Good

James, Ontario

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Amenities
Great property on Playa Bluff. Filter was broken on pool while we were there so we didn’t get to use that. Lots of wildlife surrounding this property. Room was average for the price but we enjoyed our time here and the relaxing vibes in that area. Food at surrounding hotels was very good. The lodge only serves breakfast and it is average. Two pancakes, some scrambled eggs, two pieces of toast and 5-6 cubes of fruit.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2019

8/10 Good

Dave

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Property Needs More Work but LOVED the Manager
The Playa Bluff Lodge seems to be in the middle of a "resurrection" of sorts. Apparently the place had a fire last year that destroyed the kitchen and perhaps more. I gather that the owner is trying to recover the business but seems to be doing it on the cheap. The only reason I give an overall "good" rating is due to the manager of the place, Magarena (Maga for short) who went out of her way to help us have a pleasant stay. The property has HUGE potential but it appears progress is very slow. I highly recommend visiting the Playa Bluff neighborhood but if you want a more comfortable stay, I recommend The Plantation, Hummingbird, or Oasis. Worth mentioning is the bus service that runs between Bocas town and Playa Bluff. The vans that act as a bus run every 30 minutes or so $3 each way but be prepared for a bumpy and often crowded 20 minute ride. The area is beautiful with opportunities to see sloths and Howler monkeys in your back yard.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 11 nights in Dec 2018

8/10 Good

Nathan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

4/10 Poor

Daniel

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Needs better management
This hotel needs work. There is essentially no management. The best, most efficient employees there are the cleaning staff. The rooms are nice but the beds are like slabs of concrete. The power to our building went out for over 8 hours (and the have solar, so can't blame it on anyone else). The hot water works for about 45 seconds, total. Plus, this is located 20 minutes from town and the shuttle to Playa Bluff is sketchy and the last one coming from town leaves at 6pm. Want a late night in town? Plan on a $20 cab ride back to the hotel. No exceptions. We will not stay there again.

10/10 Excellent

Prudence

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Gorgeous and affordable
We had an incredible stay here, the staff are wonderful, the room was gorgeous, the restaurant serves delicious food and drinks, and the vibe here is so relaxing. The beach is at your doorstep and if you get hot you can cool off in the swimming pool. It is great value for money!! I highly recommend!

10/10 Excellent

Alejandro, Caba

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Es eco friendly, las habitaciones no tienen aire, solo ventilador de techo, podrás ver monos y otros animales típicos. La atención de Anthony y Gabriela excelentes.