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Gran Hotel Nacional – reviews, photos

3.0 of 5
Avenida Central | P.O. Box 378, David, Panama
Hotel amenities
Gran Hotel Nacional
Ranked #5 of 9 hotels in David
4.0 of 5 stars 38 Reviews
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38 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveller rating
    9
    16
    5
    3
    5
Date Rating
Leuven, Belgium
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
14 helpful votes 14 helpful votes
“A good stopover hotel, but not easy to find”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 February 2012

On our trip back from Bocas del Toro to Panama City, we had to stay overnight somewhere. Our ferry left Bocas town only at 4:00 PM. The trip to Almiranty takes about 2 hours. Due to the heavy rain and fog in the mountains we only arrived in David round 9:30 PM.
Since it was dark and raining we had to ask several times to find the hotel. Apparently nobody in David seems to know the hotel, because we were sent in all directions and after a while we even recognised places where we passed before.
So the best thing to do is to ask a taxi driver to show you the way. But you have to find one who is free and willing to help.
When we finally did find a friendly driver, he lead us to the hotel in no time. But there seem to be two hotels with a similar name, since our taxi driver lead us to the wrong hotel (I think it is called Hotel Gran David or so).
Luckily the guy at the reception of this hotel knew where the hotel was where we had to go.
Finally we arrived at the right place at 10:30 PM.
The hotel is located in a nice building with a lot of rooms. It's not a new hotel, but it is well maintained. The room was OK: very big with 2 kingsize beds and very clean. Unfortunately we could not get anything to eat or drink anymore because of our late arrival, not even with roomservice. But the next morning we enjoyed a good breakfast.
I don't know if David is worth visiting, but if you want to do it, if you need to go to David for business or if you are using it only for a stopover, this hotel is certainly a good option to stay.

  • Stayed July 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Roger V about Gran Hotel Nacional
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
San Salvador
Contributor
16 reviews 16 reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
14 helpful votes 14 helpful votes
“A Older Hotel That's Been Kept Up”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 January 2012

This hotel has been in David for a long time and they have managed to maintain the property, although I don't get the impression it's been remodeled. The dining areas look a bit dated, but there are other places to eat in David.

The rooms are large and clean. A wall mounted air conditioning unit puts out plenty of cold air. The beds are comfortable. There is ample free parking and WiFi is free and available throughout the hotel.

  • Stayed January 2012, travelled with friends
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Brian J about Gran Hotel Nacional
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Panama City, Panama
Senior Contributor
25 reviews 25 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
“A So-So Hotel”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 5 January 2012

My husband and I recently spent a night at this hotel. Our room was clean but reeked of mold and mildew. We immediately turned on the ac and opened the door to the hall. Within an hour or so our room was ok. The pool area was nice, dinner at the restaurant was quite good and breakfast the next morning (included in the room cost) was fine. David doesn't have much to offer. It's just a good stop over spot. One night in this hotel is about all anyone should plan for.

Room Tip: Ask for the second floor overlooking the pool.
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  • Stayed January 2012, travelled with friends
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
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Ask HolyCrossSanPedro about Gran Hotel Nacional
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Denver, Colorado
Top Contributor
89 reviews 89 reviews
Reviews in 38 cities Reviews in 38 cities
23 helpful votes 23 helpful votes
“Very nice hotel in a unimpressive city.”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 December 2011

I found this hotel through a Panama guide book. It tool nearly an hour to find the hotel since the map in the guide book was too small to be of any use. Also, don't bother asking the police to help, they'll send you elsewhere.

When I finally found the hotel, by asking a local, I was pleasantly surprised by how big and how nice it was. The city of David is a transit point and people generally are coming through on the Panamerican Highway for Panama City from Costa Rica or are flying in to get to Boquete, the garden spot of Panama.

My room was a single, with a king bed, very nice linens and a nice updated bathroom. One problem was the bath sink faucet didn't work but I made do with the shower rather than calling the front desk late at night when I discovered the problem. The TV had 100 or show channels, many in English, with Chinese, German, Arabic, and French, I think. The rate was $85/night/1 person. Each room had a front door with the name carved into it along with some scene like parrots, a building or something interesting. They were beautiful. There are 3 restaurants a couple of bars and at least one good-sized swimming pool.

The room came with a 'welcome drink;' coupon and a buffet breakfast. I had dinner by the pool and the beef kabobs were as good as any I've ever had. It was a great meal and the service was excellent. Panamanian beef is really, really good.

Roberto, the front desk guy was very helpful and we talked for a bit about Panama when I was checking out. He speaks English well and has a great personality.

Room Tip: Find the hotel on Google before your trip and print out a map in a size large enough to see. Or jus...
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  • Stayed December 2011, travelled solo
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask mdfloyd322 about Gran Hotel Nacional
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Pittsburg, CA
Senior Contributor
40 reviews 40 reviews
Reviews in 21 cities Reviews in 21 cities
66 helpful votes 66 helpful votes
“One of the best choices in David”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 2 September 2011
2
people found this review helpful

The hotel is clean, well centrally located with spacious rooms and decent service. Fairly good breakfast was included in price of the room. It is not Waldorf-Astoria but one of the best choices in David. The service was courteous and I could easily communicate with receptionist in English. We ate dinner in the restaurant and we were happy with the food, service and price. We will probably return...

  • Stayed September 2011, travelled with friends
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Ask MisiuL about Gran Hotel Nacional
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Additional Information about Gran Hotel Nacional

  • Gran Hotel David
Address: Avenida Central | P.O. Box 378, David, Panama
Price range (per night):* INR3,137 - 4,817

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Gran Hotel Nacional
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