Gamboa Rainforest Resort - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

2583 reviews

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  Great Jump off to Canal, Adventures, and Rainforest fun

  We had a blast at Gamboa. We opted for the all-inclusive option which was super convenient because we didn't have to worry about breakfast, lunch, or dinner. We loved having drinks in the evening and at the pool without worrying about settling up at the end. The buffet was surprisingly good - great breakfast fruits, locally inspired dishes, and plenty of options for kids and picky eaters. For the excursions, we LOVED the Gutan boat tour, the aerial tram, the pipeline train hike, and the sloth sanctuary. Tons of wildlife on all of these especially the hike - monkeys, birds (tucans!), and more. The pool is great and just walking around the property is really a time travel adventure putting you back in the early 1900s. A big thank you to Karlie and Astrid at the front desk and Erik and Nayomi at the bar for showing us fantastic hospitality. Hector with the tours was great too! Everyone there was super nice. Our room was a suite with a fantastic river view. I highly recommend getting a river-view room to watch the sunrise. Bed was super comfortable and the AC was on point! This place definitely has a throwback vibe and it's super charming. If you're high maintenance and expecting uber luxury, this isn't for you. This is more suited for laid-back people looking for adventures, excursions, and basking in a piece of history.

  Jan 11, 2025
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  Pretty location but not worth the $$$.

  The location is great. The hotel is older but clean and pretty. Staff wasn't helpful at all though. Didn't explain where thing were located, didn't tell us about the excursions, and acted like we were an inconvenience. The pool bar closes at 5pm no matter how many people are there. You have to go up 3 floors to the lobby for drinks. They also double charged our credit card for the stay. Getting a refund for the overcharge was a complete hassle. I will stay somewhere else next time.

  Jan 07, 2025
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  Pleasantly decadent, grossly overpriced

  The reserve is beautiful, with great historical relevance, a lot of animals and worthy activities. Staff are very friendly, which compensates for a few imperfections here and there. And the hotel itself is 'tired' but as such somewhat pleasant, even romantic. The issue is pricing - USD 350 for a night in a very tired suite (bed and breakfast) and USD 36 for a mandatory dinner buffet (mandatory because there is only one restaurant, no a la card option, and the resort is quite far from Panama City to pop out for a meal - which we nonetheless did out of despair:)) is just not reasonable. As a point of reference, a suite at a 5 stars hotel in Panama City goes for about the same price and for USD 36 one can get a nice a la carte meal in town. Anyway, the one thing they should really do is introduce a la carte - it is not even about cost, but quality and experience.

  Jan 06, 2025
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  Phenomenal experience for families!

  Three families met up for five days and we absolutely loved it! We did the all-inclusive package, which included 3 meals a day at the buffet restaurant, drinks at one of two bars (including bottled water), and a set of tours. The two families with kids each reserved a loft room, which meant the kids slept in a separate space with their own bathroom — just perfect. This setup allowed us a perfect blend of relaxing by the beautiful pool, taking tours, and spending quality time together without needing to worry about logistics. The hotel was very comfortable and the staff were fantastic and went above and beyond to take care of us. The only reason I rated it a tour was because of the food. It was generally very good (my husband loved it!!) but we were traveling with a few picky eaters and they didn’t always have plain/kid friendly food at the buffet restaurant. We had to special order (and pay for) food from the a la cart restaurant (like pasta) and we couldn’t have it delivered to the buffet restaurant. That was a bit of a headache. We would absolutely recommend this hotel for other families! It was phenomenal. If traveling with kids, be sure to approach the tour desk and ask about special activities for kids.

  Jan 05, 2025
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  Great Rainforest Get Away

  The location is incredible. Lots of wonderful nature tours and many beautiful birds surrounding the resort. The rooms could be amazing but need work. Unfortunately, their past maintenance was sloppy leaving paint and plaster splattered on the floor and wall tiles. It makes the room look dirty. Breakfast is the same everyday and for a buffet lacks variety. The lunch at the Monkey Bar is quite good. The buffet dinner is good. The pool is great but the chair cushions are older and moldy. This resort is reasonably priced and could easily be 5 stars but of course the price would increase with that. For being in the rainforest I was impressed. We drove to old town Panama and to Colon to the Panama Canal locks which also made for great day trips so the location was a perfect base camp for everything. Photos are of the resort and wildlife we saw immediately around the property. Many more to be seen on tours.

  Jan 05, 2025