We stayed here as part of a small group tour. The first impression was not good. The staff in reception were less than welcoming and not very professional. The quality of the rooms varies . The first room we stayed in, at the rear of the hotel, had no natural light, as it looked out on to the concrete wall of the neighbouring high rise development. In addition the water temperature in the shower barely reached luke warm. However the second room situated to the front of the property was bigger and better, with good hot water and with at least natural daylight, although with a viiew of a derelict lot.

The TGI Friday restaurant attached to the hotel is noisy and dimly light, but with a lively atmosphere.

One of the few good features of the hotel was the pool.

My husband and I were booked into this hotel on our "Grit and Glory" tour of the Panama Canal through Elderhostel, now Exploritas. I read the reviews and asked to be booked somewhere else - then was assured that this hotel is just fine. Well, it isn't fine.

Our first room was dank, with a window that faced a huge concrete wall. It was so large that we couldn't tell if it was day or night - sunny or raining. Everything needed to be upgraded. After complaining and being promised a different room, the staff told me they had changed their mind and we would stay in our current room. I demanded to talk to the manager, who did move us to a different room with a window. Also, this new room was next to a room being renovated, so we spent a couple hours in the afternoon listening to hammers and electric tools. Since it was pouring rain, it took this much noise and aggravation to push us out to explore around the hotel. Also, the free internet didn't work except standing under one of the wireless routers in the hall.

Hotel is located in a busy downtown area, nowhere near the much more interesting former Canal Zone or historical areas.

Walking into this hotel totally soured our feelings for the entire "Grit and Glory" tour of the Panama Canal - that we really enjoyed up until this last day. If I were recommending this tour to someone, I would strongly recommend skipping the last night in this hotel and spend the money to go back and stay somewhere interesting and acceptable - like the Amador Country Inn and Suites in the Former Canal Zone. Even if it's free, don't stay here.

I recommend you stay away from this hotel.

It is operated under license of the Carlson Company and has a sister property in Panama City named the Country Inn & Suites Amador. We stayed in both properties and the Amador location overlooking the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal is a very nice property and should not be confused with El Dorado.

At the El Dorado, we were put into a room with a view of an air conditioning duct and a wall. Some daylight filtered into the air shaft, but not much. The room was small and badly furnished with shop-worn, dirty looking furnishings.

The public areas were not well tended with standing water at the foot of the stairs and a smell of ripe garbage in the stairwell.

This property has had other bad reviews and when our booking agent recommended we stay there we mentioned the bad reviews and were reassured that the hotel was not as reported. Trust me; it is as reported or worse. We have reported our experience to the booking agent and requested compensation. We shall see.

We complained to the property manager who somewhat reluctantly moved us into another room for the second night of our stay. The second room at least had a view of the busy street but was also saturated with cigarette or cigar odors. The shower provided a trickle of warm water. A tray of dirty plates from room service remained outside of our door for more than 24-hours and was there when we left.

The hotel is on a busy commercial street with few attractive restaurants or other points of interest within a reasonable walking distance. The restaurant on property is a TGI Friday's and is no more interesting than any other in the chain. The hotel advertises free high-speed internet connectivity and that is the case if you are willing to stand in the outdoor hallways under the router antennas.

Stay away from this place.

I stayed one night at the beginning of a week long trip to Panama and found the hotel to be pretty much what you expect from say a Hampton Inn in the States. Clean, well equipped room with nice bathroom with plenty of hot water. Staff helpfully arranged an early morning return taxi ride to the nearby Metropolitan Park. A highlight was the freshly cooked breakfast, much better than you expect in a similar establishment in the US