Previous reviews seem to be all over the place! From terrible to terrific.

What we found was somewhere in the middle. We stayed at the Hotel Centroamericano on three separate occasions in February 2011. Different rooms, but same reactions to the accommodation.

The good: Terrific location, near downtown Panama City. We found it to be a very safe location. Lots of taxis to take you anywhere in Panama City for $ 2 - 3. Three high-speed internet shops within 2 blocks ($1 per hour). Restaurant on site is ok (see below) Good restaurant on Balboa Blvd two blocks away. Several 7-11 type shops within two blocks. Quiet, if you request a room on the Pacific side of the hotel. Nearby hospitals do not seem to bring sirens. Floor staff very pleasant.

The not-so-good: Rooms are very basic. In all our three rooms, the air conditioner controls were inoperative. They were stuck on "Cool" so we were quite comfortable, but we had no say in the matter! Lots of mold in the showers. No carpets in the rooms. No bathmats. Small towels. Restaurant closed on Sundays, with VERY SLOW service other days. For some reason, the elevator does not go to the main floor, so you have to carry luggage a half-story up to get it. That, plus several steps up to the main entrance makes this facility a non-user friendly place for handicapped visitors. The desk staff at times is less than accommodating, professing no understanding of English and often acting quite grumpy!!!

If we were to return to Panama City, we would quite happily return to Hotel Centroamericano, knowing the situation. You get what you pay for, and the costs are quite reasonable.

I have stayed at several smaller hotels in PC. This hotel was clean. The staff was excellent. The rooms were roomy, clean. Great AC.

The only negative was that their credit card machine was busted. We ended up paying in cash.

I stayed here one night before flying out of Panama. This hotel was a pleasant surprise for the money. The hotel has a modern feel to it. The staff is extra friendly and knowledgeable and speaks English. The maid saw me carrying my water pitcher and offered to fill it for me. The location is ok I guess but not much around it and it is a $25 taxi ride to the airport. However, I heard this is cheap considering there are few hotels close to the airport. I was able to get my ride with the Hotel Roma (around the corner) personal taxi driver in a nice new car. The wifi worked exceptionally well, the best I've had in Panama. This hotel was very clean, well maintained and fresh. The restaurant was being renovated so it wasn't open, but nice to know they are working to update it. I would definitely stay here again.

I booked a trip here to stay for three nights they had me on record and would not let me stay because i did not print off my recipt. They have virtualy no technology at there that you can use to reference anything the staff was not willing to help. There was no place to park. They were undergoing construction when we arrived and the place was distroyed the neigborhood was not safe. This one hotel experince almost ruined my entire trip. Thankfully, I went to the Raddison Summit after Centoamershxxhole would not let me stay, and had a wonderful experince. The summit was one of the best hotels I have stayed at and would recomend it to anyone going to Panama.