Its hard to review the hotel without putting it in the context of where it is -- on an island that is amazingly beautiful and yet feels like time has passed it by. So, in reviewing the hotel, I give it much more leeway than I would for any other hotel that I have ever stayed at or have revewed. If I stayed at a hotel anywhere else in the world that had the same negatives as this hotel, I would give it zero stars, but given the location and the overall ambience, I give it three.

The positives:
1. Location, location, location. The hotel sits over a beautiful beach and its hard to beat sitting outside and having a drink while staring at the ocean. Also, it was close enough to walk to the "center of town"
2. The front desk and the waitresses were generally very friendly and helpful.
3. The other hotel choices that we saw near the beach (ie., the Punta Galeon) looked pretty rundown, with a pool that turned more green and brown each day.
4. The rooms (Caracol 1 and 2) were very large - oddly decorated, but large.

The negatives:
1. The hotel looks very rundown in spots. The middle/side of the hotel has what is supposed to be a mini golf course, but it looks like a disaster area.
2. They ration towels like there is a world wide shortage. There were zero hand towels, wash cloths, towels to put on the stone floor or any other towels (or bath mats) in the room other than one medium size bath towel for each person. When one of our children showered in our room, they would have to bring their towel from their room.
3. While they give you a small round soap, they dont give shampoo, conditioner, etc.
4. The water was tepid one day (but hot the other 2). Also, each night, it seemed that water was completely shut off for several hours (I dont know if that happened around the entire island).

All in all, if you are looking for a comfortable place with a great beachfront location to get away from the world, this hotel is a good choice. If I were going back to the island, however, I would probably consider one of the B&B's that although not on the beach, at least from outside appearances, appear to be much nicer.

Isla Contadora is one of the most overpriced, under-serviced places I have ever been in my life. It is a microcosm of all that is right/wrong with Panama. The natural beauty is very impressive. It is a 25 min plane ride from Panama City.

But, the vast majority of people who own, run, or work at places in Panama could not care less about the quality of products and services provided. Clearly, they are more concerned about really loud/bad music, watching satellite tv and living amongst trash and abandoned buildings.

The one exception to this on Contadora is Villa Romantico. While overpriced, the quality of the food, service and facilities are surprisingly high for Panamanian standards. Of the three places on the island we tried (Gerald's - silly bad, and Punta Galeon - even worse) Villa Romantico stood out as the best place on the island.

Again, the beaches, diving, fishing, nature, etc. are amazing. In order to properly enjoy these wonderful places, you have two options. Arrive on your yacht, anchor for 1-2 nights and do diving/fishing/exploring the island and eat at Romantico. Or, buy your own island, build your own house and staff it with personnel from elsewhere. Then when your money has been fully cleaned, abandon it.

We enjoyed our 5-6 day stay on Contadora Island (Feb. 2011) and daily walked the island to the different beaches to snorkel all the spots around the island. This spot definitely has good energy with a great view and beach for the hotel itself. The decor is over the top Las Vegas style and the owner is quite a trip, but that's all part of the unique experience. The shower was unfortunately generally cold water, tepid if lucky.

The restaurant was only okay, but the view was nice, and we also had the concern of being told the phone line was down for the credit card and I was overly worried about a possible scammed, double charging, etc. (as I've had in Mexico), but it worked out okay in the end. The price is a bit too high for our budget, but Contadora has higher prices, that's just the way it seems to go here. Snorkeling right off the many beaches on the island is great - watch out for the mini jellyfish though, I got stings all over.

All in all, its a great place to stay on the island.

Good location on nice beach. Easy to walk to the very small "town" area by the airport. Food at restaurant was more than sufficient and having a restaurant in the hotel is very convenient. There was a fresh "catch of the day" each night as a dinner choice. Staff was very friendly. Nice to walk around island and see other homes, etc.