Comfortable beds, helpful staff, lots of places to hang out, enjoyed the pool, kitchen is well supplied but busy in the morning with everyone trying to make pancakes but thatu2019s okay, I loved seeing the staff wiping down surfaces like handrails and making sure soap and hand sanitizer is stocked (thank you!!) itu2019s kind of in a remote location but you can walk to mini markets and pharmacies as well as small restaurants if needed. Uber is cheap so overall I think itu2019s a great place
In a quiet side street so no traffic noise and just 3 streets from the Santo Thomas metro station (which is very cheap,regular,safe and clean). The pool is a great amenity......and there's a cocktail bar beside it so great hang out area. The breakfast was passable.......pancakes (diy) isn't my thing. I wanted a simple,clean cafe but that proved hard to find do take the metro to the Allbrook mall (end) for an awesome choice. Tip: buy a metro card at the airport and stay out the heat !
The reception personnel is polite and responsive to the guests need. An effort is made to keep the bathroom and kitchen areas clean
The area is quite (the noise, if any, is caused by other guests or the receptionist playing loud music)
The individual room I stayed in smelled pretty bad, like mould. I had to keep the door open and ask for an air freshener
High in sodium, low in nutritional value pancake mix breakfast
Awful area with excessively noisy cars honking horns and rubbish everywhere
I enjoyed my stay here.
Pros- The bed was comfy, I felt safe, I made friends, i liked the pool, kitchen and wifi, I loved the locker box in my bed and the little garden
Cons- I prefer a little curtain and the shower is cold (which is standard for this warm climate really) , the free breakfast is just pancakes and the grocery store close by is ridiculously expensive. I mean like airport expensive.
We stayed at Mamallena before starting our San Blas trip as a recommended hostel from San Blas Adventures. We really enjoyed our stay here - we arrived at a very unsocial hour but reception let us in and let us rest there before a room was available for us, letting us use the WiFi, breakfast and coffee facilities before we’d officially checked in. Our private room was good - nice bed, enough space for us and decent air conditioning. The pool was great to cool off in at the end of a hot day and we also cooked numerous times and have no complaints about the cooking facilities. All the staff are very friendly - always smiling and swapping a greeting when we saw them. They’re always at hand to provide information and give recommendations too. We also fell in love with Choco the hostel dog (and the hostel cat, although we didn’t catch his/her name). Showers were powerful but cold, which we didn’t mind due to the heat in Panama and the pancake breakfast is good with fruit on offer too! We were told by a tour guide that the area could be quite unsafe, however we didn’t have any problems and didn’t feel at risk while in the area - the hostel’s security measures and regular police presence was all very reassuring. We walked to the business district and the old town each day along the waterfront which was nice - just to note it was about a 30 min walk to the old town in case you wanted to be closer. It’s also easy to get an Uber into town too which are quite cheap. Top tip - make sure you head to the HUGE supermarket (turn left out of the hostel then turn right down the main road) - it’s great if you’re planning to cook for yourself and has so much to choose from
Cheapest private room we could find in Panama City. Loved the all you can eat make your own pancakes/bananas for breakfast. Staff were friendly and helpful, even lent us the hostel's metro card to save us some more money. Not a huge fan of the location, downtown and at least 10-15 minute's walk from any metro station, but the best spot to start San Blas Adventures tours. Kitchen was quite dirty but did the trick. All in all would stay again.
Panama City has it's spots but it's mainly a starting point in getting you to other destinations within the country. I recommend this hostel if you are around for a day or two and looking for decent priced accommodation.
I booked a private room which had AC. It was pretty small and bare bones, slightly run down, but it worked. Hotel has a large kitchen available, a few hang out spots, a small pool, and fair priced beer. The area is close to most points in the city worth seeing. The area outside is a bit seedy with no franchises or noticeable stores to get food so I did find that as a pain, ended up eating some budget Panama style fried chicken. In the hostel you may meet some others on the same route as you or coming back from similar destinations. The people I met ended up flying to the same town as me and being in the same hostel which seemed common. Everyone there is either returning from a trip and looking to rest or just about to leave for one.
Breakfast was typical hostel style so I skipped that and bought fruit from the store around the corner.
Mamallena is a popular backpackers with a small pool, cheap beer, and very convenient location. There's air con in the provate rooms, but the rooms themselves are just okay. The place is kind of run down, and breakfast is pancake batter and bananas - which can be a pain during super busy times, especially when people aren't cleaning the pans properly. The staff are friendly and the common spaces are nice... pretty average hostel.