Aerial view

Reviews of Villa Marina Lodge & Condos

3.5 out of 5
Villa Marina Lodge & Condos
Playa Venao, Las Escobas del Venado, Los Santos

Reviews

8.8

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 63 out of 107 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 31 out of 107 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 8 out of 107 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 107 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 107 reviews" "

8.6/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Staff & service

8.4/10

Amenities

8.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Mary

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
As an Expedia VIP I was lucky enough to be upgraded to the panoramic oceanview apartment. Very modern and spacious 2 bed. 2 bath was missing dishwasher, toaster, kettle. Can opener, ice trays etc. Use of bbq was $40 so we passed. The lobby was tired and welcome drink was non-alcoholic very tasty lemonade. Friendly staff. Calm seas. 5 min walk Next door had the entertainment. Bars, shops and restaurants.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024
Response from Claudia Rivas General manager on 8 Mar 2024
Dear Ms. MaryWe are pleased to know that your stay was to your liking, where you were able to enjoy the tranquility and the wonderful landscapes that Playa Venao offers us. Your comments help us improve every day, we hope to have your visit again.

10/10 Excellent

Leah

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Fantastic location, lovely property, helpful staff. Will return and recommend to friends.
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2024
Response from Claudia Rivas General manager on 28 Feb 2024
Thank you very much Ms. LeahWe hope you had fun and that you were able to enjoy the tranquility and beautiful landscapes that Playa Venao gives us, we hope to have your visit again, your family and friends on your second stay at Villa Marina Lodge & Condos

10/10 Excellent

Aaron

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024
Response from Claudia Rivas, General Manager on 20 Mar 2024
Dear mr. AaronThank you for the rating, we hope to see you again very soon.

10/10 Excellent

Kristin, Winnipegosis

Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023
Response from Claudia Rivas. General manager on 29 Dec 2023
Thank you very much for choosing us! We are always happy to host you, we hope to see you again very soon in your second home: Villa Marina Lodge & Condos. Greetings,

10/10 Excellent

Sandra

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great place. Would book again
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Claudia Rivas General manager on 5 Dec 2023
Dear Mrs. Sandra, We are pleased to know that your stay was to your complete satisfaction, where you were able to enjoy the relaxing and beautiful landscapes that Playa Venao offers us. We hope to have your visit again very soon.

10/10 Excellent

Juan

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent place to stay at Playa Venao. Right at the beach. Good food and drinks.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Claudia Rivas, General Manager on 26 Oct 2023
Thank you very much for your comments. It is a pleasure to know that you enjoyed the magic of Playa Venao, our Staff is always happy to assist you when you are back to your second home: Villa Marina Lodge & Condos. Greetings,

10/10 Excellent

James

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Staff Nina and Dennis were awesome. Location is great. Bring some bug spray as there were a few mosquitos and sand fleas in the area. Food was tasty!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Claudia Rivas, General Manager on 9 Oct 2023
Mr. Kaufman, thanks for your feedback, our staff was happy to host you these past days. We appreciate your visit, always welcome back home: Villa Marina Lodge & Condos. Best regards,

8/10 Good

Lu-Ting

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The location is wonderful. It's at the end of the playa Venao so its quiet. Beautiful view at from the apartment we stay in. The apartment is a nice size for 4 adults. Staff are friendly. Two miner points: 1. apt 504 the master bedroom rolling screen for the window is broken. So there's no privacy at night and in the morning when the sunrise you will have no choice to wake up. 2. the breakfast is not worth it. (small omelette with a few pieces of small bread for $10 USD) and a coffee.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from Claudia Rivas, General Manager on 15 Aug 2023
Dear Mrs. Lu-Ting, It's so great to read about your experience in our Villa Marina Lodge & Condo, it's a pleasure to know the wonderful time you enjoyed at our facilities. Your comments help us to improve every day in order to make your stay more pleasant. We hope to see you again and you are more than welcome to come back to your second house in Playa Venao: Villa Marina.

8/10 Good

Zoila

Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Claudia Rivas, General Manager on 15 Aug 2023
Dear Mrs. Zoila, Thanks for the rating, we hope to see you again very soon at your second home in Playa Venao, Villa Marina Lodge & Condos

10/10 Excellent

Maria, Miami

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Traditional and nice hotel
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023
Response from Claudia Rivas, General Manager on 9 Jul 2023
Dear Mrs. Maria, It's so great to read about your experience in our Villa Marina Lodge & Condo, it's a pleasure to know the wonderful time you enjoyed at our facilities. We hope to see you again and you are more than welcome to come back to your second house in Playa Venao: Villa Marina.

10/10 Excellent

Martine

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We are a family with 2 young kids. This place is a beautiful hotel and very clean. The pool is amazing with beautiful views of the ocean and sunsets. The town is a short walk via the beach and a couple minute drive. The staff was so helpful and so friendly, they went above and beyond for us. Didnt catch everyone’s name, But they are all so great. Dennis was really great. We ate a few dinners and the food is good at a reasonable price. Only negative part, we had a door that connected to another room and we could hear the neighbour quite a bit. And there are no mini fridges in the rooms. But the staff was very kind and was able to help us out with my daughters daily milk. Def recommend this hotel. Its very peaceful and relaxing. And very quiet at night.
Response from Claudia Rivas, Gerente General on 4 May 2023
Thank you very much Ms. Martine for your comments. We are very glad to know that you had a very good experience with us, we'll share your excellent comments with our great team. We hope to see you again in our hotel soon.Kind regards.

10/10 Excellent

Lindsay

Travelled with family, Travelled with family and small children, Travelled with pets, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We were a group of 3 families staying for 2 nights. We wished we could have stayed longer! Unfortunately they were all booked up, and it’s easy to see why. The staff are incredibly kind and attentive; the grounds are gorgeous and the beach is serene. Two families were staying in the hotel rooms. They’re a little dated, but very clean. The third family was in a condo. It was modern, sparkling clean and very well-equipped. Can’t say enough about how much we loved this spot. There was a “yoga festival” (translation: rave) happening way down the beach, and we were so glad to be away from that scene at night. (We still got to hear all their music, but there’s not much our hotel could have done about that!). Excellent spot for families, couples, etc… highly recommend!
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023
Response from Claudia Rivas, Gerente General on 22 Mar 2023
Good morning Mrs LindsayWe are pleased to know that your entire family's stay was a success, we are very happy to receive your comments.It goes without saying that you are welcome again in your second home in Playa Venao, Villa Marina lodge & condos

10/10 Excellent

Theresa

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location right on the beach. Lovely pool and great grounds overall.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023
Response from Claudia Rivas, Gerente general. on 22 Mar 2023
Good morning, Mrs. TheresaWe are pleased to know that your stay was a success, we are very happy to receive your comments and that you could appreciate the landscapes that Playa Venao gives us.It goes without saying that you are welcome again in your second home in Playa Venao, Villa Marina lodge & condos

8/10 Good

ANN

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
Beautiful grounds, spectacular bird watching. Room adequate.
Stayed 6 nights in Mar 2023
Response from Claudia Rivas General Manager on 15 Mar 2023
Dear Mrs. AnnWe are very pleased that you enjoyed our facilities and were able to enjoy the landscapes that Playa Venao gives us, at your Villa Marina Lodge & Condos hotel.We hope to see you again soonRegards.

6/10 Okay

Scott

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
The actual facilities as far as the lodge we're okay. It's an older resort that's in need of some serious updates. Our room had problems with the door they actually had to come and fix the door cuz it wouldn't close right. The shower had what looked to be a little bit of black mold in it which to my surprise they cleaned. The shower head was highly corroded with calcium. The bed was comfortable and the pillows for comfortable. There was no chair or table in the room. I had to ask if I could get some glasses for the bathroom as it were none. It was missing floor molding on the wall in half of the room. It's definitely in need of major painting. We booked this over 8 months ago and were given what was called room number one. Well let me tell you some room number one does not have the little outside area with sliding patio doors with chairs and tables it literally as you walk in it's a room with a bathroom and a bed. No closet with his old metal frame with some juked up wired hangers for your clothes. If I word ever stay there again I would certainly not want to stay in that room. Talking to some other people they said they had nicer rooms and for $160 a night highly disappointed. What you're paying for is the view and that's all. The pool is nice although you can hurt yourself on the way the rocks are designed. The food overall was pretty good the drinks were great and the staff upon my complaining was very helpful. I did apologize for my little bit of an outburst.
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2023
Response from Claudia Rivas, General Manager on 10 Mar 2023
Dear Mr. Scott, It's so great to read about your amazing experience in our Villa Marina Lodge & Condo, it's a pleasure to know the wonderful time you enjoyed at our facilities. We keep working very hard to be a better hotel every day. We hope to see you again and you are more than welcome to come back to your second house in Playa Venao: Villa Marina.

10/10 Excellent

Timothy

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Property was amazing,,quite ,incredible views,great pool ,succulent food,staff were kind and generous,,we got lucky we found this little resort on venao beach!the only blemish is that it is not easy to get to without a car,we had friends drop us off there,but to get back from there was to use uber to pedasi to catch a bus to panama city,we did find a flight out of pedasi on mondays and fridays so we opted for that and it was awesome and saved time.cant wait to go back
Response from Claudia Rivas, General Manager on 3 Jan 2023
Dear Mr. TimothyWe are pleased to know that your experience at Villa Marina met your expectations, we hope to have your visit again very soonadditional questions

8/10 Good

Alfredo, Panama

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beach had trash, green areas not well kept
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2022
Response from Claudia Rivas, Gerente General on 24 Sept 2022
Dear Mr. Alfredo Thanks for your comments, we keep working very hard to be a better hotel every day. We hope to see you again and you are more than welcome to come back to Villa Marina Lodge & Condos.

4/10 Poor

Yagnya

Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2022
Response from Claudia Rivas, Gerente General on 24 Sept 2022
Dear Mrs. Yagnya, Thanks for your visit, We keep working very hard to be a better hotel every day.Your are more than welcome to Villa Marina Lodge & Condos.

2/10 Terrible

Miranda

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Nicholas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect beach getaway
The service is great, the room we had was amazing. The area itself is amazing
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2022
Response from Hotel Manager on 27 Feb 2022
Hello Nicholas! We are delighted that you had an excellent stay with us. We hope to see you staying with us again.

10/10 Excellent

Giselle

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Todo excelente!
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2021
Response from Jorge Méndez on 25 Dec 2021
Estimada Giselle, muchas gracias por su calificación. Esperamos tenerla de visita nuevamente pronto. Reciba un caluroso saludos.

8/10 Good

tor

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, amenities
Balcony and view
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2021
Response from Jorge Méndez on 21 Dec 2021
Muchas gracias por su calificación. Esperamos nos visiten nuevamente pronto. Saludos.

8/10 Good

Evelyne

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great Place! In front of the ocean.
It was a great stay, the place is beautiful, the service is great. We had breakfast and lunch and can say the food was great. Our only problem was the privacy of the rooms, we had room 1 and 2 and it was practicaly in the restaurant, we could hear and see people outside our window, and they could see inside. But the room was clean, spacious and the bead was really comfortable. Would definetly stay again.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2021
Response from Jorge Méndez on 31 Oct 2021
Dear Evelyne, I would like to thank you for posting this nice review about our lodge, We are glad to know that you enjoyed your accommodations. We hope to host you again soon! Sincerely, Jorge M.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2021
Response from Jorge Méndez on 27 Sept 2021
Thank you!! we hope you come back soon.

10/10 Excellent

EDUARDO

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I LOVED THE SERVICE AND THAT IS VERY NEAR TO THE OCEAN.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2021
Response from Jorge Mendez on 10 Sept 2021
Dear Eduardo, Thank you very much for your review. We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed your stay at Villa Marina Lodge and we hope to welcome you back again. Warm regards, Jorge M., manager

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Well located
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2021
Response from Jorge Méndez on 7 Aug 2021
Thank you. We hope you can come back to Villa Marina.

10/10 Excellent

Jessica

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Definitely Recommend
Beautiful location and quiet. Staff were incredibly friendly and attentive and went above and beyond to ensure an enjoyable experience. Definitely one of the best properties to stay at in Playa Venao.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2021
Response from Jorge Mendez on 18 Jun 2021
Dear Jessica, We would like to thank you for posting this nice review about our lodge. We are glad to know that you enjoyed your accommodations. We hope to host you again soon! Sincerely,

8/10 Good

william

Liked: Staff & service
Good place. Would consider staying again
Good place to hang out for a couple days.
Stayed 1 night in May 2021
Response from Jorge Méndez on 18 May 2021
Dear William, Thank you very much for your review of your recent stay at our hotel. Your feedback is extremely valuable to us. I hope we will see you soon. With much appreciation. Jorge M

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2021
Response from Jorge Méndez on 2 Apr 2021
Muchas gracias por su calificación. Esperamos teneros con nosotros nuevamente pronto. Reciba un caluroso saludo de todo el staff!!

10/10 Excellent

Madalene

Stayed 12 nights in Nov 2020
Response from Jorge Méndez on 21 Dec 2020
Muchas gracias por sus calificación Sra. Madelene. Esperamos tenerlos nuevamente pronto en Villa Marina. Reciba un caluroso saludos.

10/10 Excellent

Maria S.

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Villa Marina en Venao
Beautiful and quaint hotel, exceded my expectations. The location is extremely pretty. Fodd and staff are excelent. You fine thing to do nearby.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2020
Response from Jorge Méndez on 21 Dec 2020
Muchas gracias por sus calificación Sra. María. Esperamos tenerlos nuevamente pronto en Villa Marina. Reciba un caluroso saludos.

10/10 Excellent

Yaakov

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Onilda

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great stay! Wonderful service and great food!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019
Response from Jorge Mendez on 25 Sept 2019
Dear Onilda, Thank you for your kind comments, which I will be glad to share with our Team members. We are truly delighted that you enjoyed your stay at Villa Marina Lodge & Condos. Hopefully, we will see you again very son!!

10/10 Excellent

Isabela

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

6/10 Okay

Edward

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
There's a lot to like here, but...
There's a lot to like at this hotel, like the amazing beachfront location, friendly service, and pleasant common areas. Unfortunately, some neglected maintenance detracts from it. I realize property in the tropics can be a maintenance nightmare, but unfortunately, it doesn't seem the staff here can really keep up, though it's obvious they try. Common areas are pleasant and we'll cared for. Room was essentially clean, but condition prevented it from feeling truly clean and comfortable. Mold on the walls, peeling paint, stuck window and door jams. We were in a king oceanfront that had an incredible view. Patio was tidy, well furnished and inviting. Food was served at specific hours and was quite good. Service was professional and warm. While there is not a bar, drinks are available from the kitchen. With all that, I would probably stay here again, mostly for the ideal oceanfront, secluded location.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2019
Response from Jorge Mendez on 10 Aug 2019
Dear Mr Edward, Thank you for your comments, and I am sorry that we did not meet your expectations in all areas as we strive to do for each of our guests. Thank you again, and we really hope that your travels will bring you back to Villa Marina Lodge & Condos to give us a second chance. Jorge Mendez, Manager

4/10 Poor

MAC

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The only good thing is the view at the main área. The bar and restaurant are not as bad as the hotel. Old rooms, no wifi in rooms, unconfortable bed, room view Of the Parking lot. The rooms have AC, hot water, TV, and are in good shape, but not for $70 a night in this location. Maybe $50 the most.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2019
Response from Jorge Méndez, manager on 10 Jul 2019
Dear, We thank you for your review and are sorry to hear that your experience with rooms & WIFI was not satisfactory. We will continue to work hard to improve. Warm regards.

10/10 Excellent

Frederik

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Playa Venao
A great place for relaxation and quite romantic setting
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2019
Response from David on 9 Apr 2019
Dear Frederik, Thank you very much for your kind words. We are happy to hear that you enjoyed staying at our lodge and hope to welcome you back again soon. Kind regards, David, manager

6/10 Okay

Joanne

Liked: Staff & service
Villa Marina Lodge
The area itself is improving in the lodging experience. The hotel was a good location and the staff was great. The unit was average but comfortable.
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2019
Response from David on 9 Apr 2019
Dear Joanne, Thank you very much for your review. We are happy that you enjoyed your stay and will continue to work hard to improve. Warm regards, David, manager

10/10 Excellent

Emory

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Really great people here. A little more grass trimming and landscaping would be good but the quiet location and kind staff make this place
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2018
Response from David on 30 Nov 2018
Thank you very much for your review. We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed your stay at Villa Marina Lodge and we hope to welcome you back again. Warm regards, David, manager

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Nice place but very loud music till 6am from hotel 1/2 km away! Will stay again but not in June during music festival. Hotel can use some upgrades.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2018
Response from David, manager on 10 Aug 2018
Thank you very much for your review. We hope to welcome you back to Villa Marina Lodge. Kind regards,

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Liked: Room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service
Horrible staff , do not care for clijentes . The worst the French student from reception . Arrogant ,
Stayed 1 night in May 2018
Response from David, manager on 24 May 2018
Dear, We thank you for your review and are sorry to hear that your experience with our staff was not satisfactory. We aim to attend to all our guests with care and great service. Warm regards,

8/10 Good

Kitty, Panama/Spain

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Nice private hotel near the beach
Villa Marina Lodge is a very nice small hotel very in playa Venao yet away from the beach- crowded area. You can rent a comfortable room with ocean view and still keep your privacy. It is a perfect place to spend some quiet time and enjoy the scenery. It is clean, comfortable and affordable..
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2018

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Unhappy with service.
Staff was not very helpful. There was a mix up with the reservation and they were not willing to make any changes. They could have made the adjustment since there were rooms available. They wanted to make us pay for the extra day in addition to the room already booked.

10/10 Excellent

Robin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best kept secret in Panama
Hotels.com really messed up our reservation by not sending the updated change of dates to the resort,even though we had a confirmation number from hotels.com. That being said, David the manager managed to find us a room for two nights and treated us like royalty. The whole place is magical and we can't wait to return.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Good location, everything else not so much.
This hotel is in a great location right on the beach. The hotel is small and at one time I am sure it was great. Unfortunately the hotel has not been maintained and it is run down. We got a free upgrade to an ocean view room but even then it was not worth the price we paid for the room. The food and service were both bad. We had a scorpion on the floor of the bathroom for three days. The maid did not slean up the dead bugs from our room the whole time we were there. We lived in Panama and we were used to bad service and food so we took it in stride. Without the location this is a two star hotel.

8/10 Good

David, Huntsville, AL

Liked: Staff & service
Most beautiful spot at Playa Venao
I've stayed there several times. Beautiful spot, but rooms have become very rundown. Such a shame for what could be a first class resort.

10/10 Excellent

Dianne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Paradise in Panama
Villa Marina was a very pleasant surprise - even better than the pictures. The pool was a plus and the beach lovely.

8/10 Good

Dean, N. California

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Extraordinary setting.
Great place place with wonderful staff. Excellent food. We were entertained by Scarlet McCaws, geckos, iguanas, and an array of birds on our porch and at the pool. The beach is at the property's edge and not intimidating. Strolling down the typically empty section in front towards activity, mid-bay, offers more opportunities for activity at several other resorts. Some of the best surfing in Panama. With nine rooms Villa Marina is an intimate, laid-back, experience.

10/10 Excellent

Ekin, Vancouver, BC

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hidden gem in Playa Venao
After a 5 hour drive from Panama City we arrived at Villa Marina Lodge around 9pm. Our check-in was very smooth. We had requested an extra bed after making our reservation, this was done next day. The location is like heaven. Right next to a beautiful beach. Not many people around so if you're looking for peace and serenity this is the place ! There is a hostel nearby that is 10 minutes walk on the beach, if you want a bit more action, you can always go there in the evening. The hotel staff were all very nice.