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Royal Decameron Panamá

Farallon, Panama

4.3(13,227 reviews)

FamilyWyndham Hotels

Grand Decameron Panama answers one specific question well: where do you go for a full-scale beach all-inclusive if you are already in Panama and do not want to get on another plane. The resort sits on Playa Blanca at Farallon, Rio Hato, which the operator puts at ninety minutes by road from Panama City, and it has an unusual backstory for a beach resort: the site was a military base in the 1980s and later the fishing village of Farallon before the area became Panama's main beach strip. The scale is real, with 852 rooms in low-rise buildings that all have balconies, six pools, a nine-restaurant dining list, three separate reception desks and two convention centres. Decameron also promotes an interhotel benefit at Farallon that lets guests use sister properties' facilities, bars, restaurants and shows, though the hotel list its page prints is not confined to Farallon, so confirm which properties are actually in play at check-in.

Traveler Insights

Pros

+Reachable from the capital without a second flight: the operator puts Farallon, Rio Hato at ninety minutes from Panama City by road, which makes this the easiest full-scale beach all-inclusive to get to in the country
+852 rooms spread across low-rise buildings rather than a tower, every one with a balcony, air conditioning, a safe, a phone, cable TV with USB ports and a shower with a hair dryer. The Plus categories add a balcony or terrace, a minibar restocked daily, arrival canapes and a bottle of wine
+Nine restaurants with the a la carte dinners included at no surcharge, by reservation: Cafe Med for Mediterranean beside an infinity pool, La Pesca del Dia for fish and seafood, El Pilon for Panamanian cooking right by the beach, Pannamai for Italian, La Esquina Asiatica for Asian, Mezcal for Mexican and Cowboy Steakhouse, plus the Atlantis and Pacifiko buffets
+Six pools for adults and children and a genuine three-lane waterslide, the longest flume running about 230 feet, which is a real water feature rather than the token chute most resorts this price call a slide
+A decent amount of the activity program is actually included: non-motorized water sports (windsurfing, paddleboards, kayaks and sailboats), beach towels at the Activity Center, a tennis court and a multipurpose court for basketball, indoor soccer and volleyball on reservation, plus a gym with cardio and strength machines
+The All Inclusive Plus tier is worth pricing rather than dismissing, because it targets the two things guests complain about most: preferential a la carte dinner reservations from the day after check-in and reserved beach chairs, along with an adults-only pool, an exclusive lounge bar and gym, premium drinks and breakfast and lunch in a private restaurant
+Staff friendliness is the most consistent compliment in recent guest reports and comes even from travelers who were unhappy with the room or the food

Cons

−Guest marks run noticeably weaker than comparable all-inclusives in Mexico and the Caribbean at similar money, and travelers who know those resorts say so consistently. This is a resort you choose for where it is, not because it outperforms
−Room condition and housekeeping are the recurring failure rather than an occasional one: an April 2026 guest reported dirty rooms and air conditioning that did not work, and check-in delays, towel shortages that took days to resolve and poor communication when something goes wrong come up again and again
−The a la carte dinners are included but reservation-only, and 852 rooms feeding into seven a la carte restaurants means the slots run out. Unless you pay up to the Plus tier for preferential booking, expect to eat most nights at the Atlantis or Pacifiko buffet
−Golf is an additional charge, not an inclusion, and Mantarraya sits next to the resort rather than inside the grounds, so plan a short trip rather than walking off the beach to the first tee
−There is no casino here, whatever some listings say. As of October 2026 a casino appears nowhere on the resort's own hotel, services, rooms, all-inclusive or All Inclusive Plus pages. Evening entertainment is the disco running 11pm to 2am, the open-air cinema and nightly live shows
−Food opinion is a genuine coin flip rather than uniformly bad. A May 2026 guest called the food very good with everything they wanted, while others in the same window reported limited options and no table service. Judge it venue by venue and do not expect consistency across a week
−Pacific surf and currents on this coast run stronger than on a Caribbean beach, so swimming needs more care with small children and a daily look at the flags before anyone goes in

Dining is the part the resort has most to offer and most to get wrong. Seven a la carte restaurants are included at no extra cost but only by reservation, and the buffets Atlantis and Pacifiko carry the volume: breakfast runs 7am to 10:30, lunch noon to 2:30, a daytime snack service from 11 to 5, a coffee break at 5, dinner 6:30 to 10, a night snack from 11pm, and the bars stay open continuously from 9am to 2am. The services list also carries a spa, massages, a hair salon, a solarium, a pharmacy, a nurse station, laundry, baby cots and an airport transfer, and children get a Kids Club, a playground and an activity programme of origami, play dough, face painting and treasure hunts. What the resort does not have, despite listings that claim it, is a casino. The quality split shows up plainly in 2026 reports: dirty rooms and failed air conditioning in April, good food, a nice beach and friendly employees in May. Staff warmth is the one constant in the resort's favour.

Price is the argument. Mid-season rates were averaging around $285 a night as of October 2026, which is less than half what the old listing implied and actually strengthens the case for the place rather than weakening it: at that number the gap against a Mexican or Dominican resort is a fair trade for not flying. It suits travelers already in Panama, Panama City families wanting a long weekend, and anyone pairing a beach week with the Canal, Casco Viejo and El Valle de Anton, the crater town about 45 minutes inland. If you are flying from North America or Europe purely for an all-inclusive week, compare it carefully against the Dominican Republic, Mexico or Jamaica, where the same budget buys a visibly better room and a shorter line. If you do book here, price the All Inclusive Plus tier before you dismiss it, because preferential dinner reservations and a reserved beach chair fix the two things most likely to spoil the week.

Common Questions

How do I get from Panama City to the resort?

Almost everyone arrives by road. The resort is west of the capital at Farallon in Rio Hato, Cocle province, along the Pan-American Highway, and the operator puts the drive at about ninety minutes from Panama City. You can book a transfer through Decameron, which lists airport transfer among its services, or arrange a private car. The route passes the turnoff for El Valle de Anton, so it is easy to build a stop into the trip out or back.

Are the a la carte restaurants included or extra?

They are included at no additional cost, but reservation only. The resort names seven a la carte venues (Cafe Med, La Pesca del Dia, El Pilon, Pannamai, La Esquina Asiatica, Mezcal and Cowboy Steakhouse) alongside the Atlantis and Pacifiko buffets. With 852 rooms competing for those tables the reservations go quickly, which is the single most useful thing the All Inclusive Plus tier buys: preferential dinner booking from the day after you check in.

Is there a casino at the resort?

No. As of October 2026 no casino appears anywhere on the resort's own hotel, services, rooms, all-inclusive or All Inclusive Plus pages, and some third-party listings are still carrying one in error. The evening options are the disco, which runs 11pm to 2am alongside the night snack service, an open-air beachfront cinema, and live shows every night that rotate through cultural performances, live music and dancing.

Is the golf course included in the all-inclusive rate?

No, it carries an additional charge. Mantarraya Golf Club is 18 holes, par 72, 7,098 yards, with Tifdwarf greens and Tifway 419 tees and fairways, designed by Randall Thompson of American Golf Course Design. It sits next to the Grand Decameron rather than inside the grounds. The club offers cart and club rental, lessons with a professional instructor, a driving range, a putting green, a pro shop and showers at the clubhouse.

Is the Pacific beach here good for swimming?

The resort is directly on the white sand of Playa Blanca and the beach is one of the things guests reliably praise, including in otherwise critical reviews. The caution is that Pacific currents and surf on this coast can run stronger than on a Caribbean beach, so check the flags each day and keep closer watch on young children than you would in Punta Cana. Non-motorized water sports are included, with windsurfing, paddleboards, kayaks and sailboats, and beach towels come from the Activity Center.

Is it worth flying to Panama specifically for this resort?

Honestly, probably not on its own. It earns noticeably weaker guest marks than Mexican and Caribbean all-inclusives at a similar rate, and the recurring room-condition and reservation problems are real. Where it makes sense is as part of a wider Panama trip or for people already in the country: at around $285 a night as of October 2026 it is a reasonable beach week bolted onto the Canal, Casco Viejo and the crater town of El Valle de Anton, and the drive from the capital is short enough to make a long weekend practical.

Restaurants (9)

Type	Restaurants
Buffet	Atlantis, Pacifiko
Mexican	Mezcal
Italian	Pannamai
Asian	La Esquina Asiática
Steakhouse	Cowboy Steakhouse
Seafood	El Canal
Mediterranean & Spanish	Café Med
Caribbean & local	El Pilón

From the resort's own dining pages. Only restaurants the resort lists are shown. All are covered by the all-inclusive rate, per the resort.

What's nearby

Playa Santa Clara
13 min drive · 4.0 mi

More things to do (19)

Playa Blanca · beach20 min drive · 5.2 mi
Playa Coronado · beach50 min drive · 25 mi
Playa El Palmar · beach35 min drive · 16 mi
Vista Mar Marina · marina40 min drive · 18 mi
Splash Kingdom water park · water park40 min drive · 21 mi
Playa Juan Hombrón · beach40 min drive · 15 mi
Museo de Penonomé · museum45 min drive · 23 mi
Penonomé · town45 min drive · 22 mi
Playa Serena · beach50 min drive · 25 mi
Museo Padre José Noto · museum60 min drive · 31 mi
El Valle market · town60 min drive · 31 mi
Pozos Termales (El Valle hot springs) · nature60 min drive · 31 mi
Butterfly Haven · wildlife60 min drive · 31 mi
El Valle de Antón · town60 min drive · 32 mi
APROVACA Orchid Nursery · nature60 min drive · 32 mi
Chorro El Macho · nature60 min drive · 32 mi
Piedra Pintada · ruins60 min drive · 31 mi
El Nispero Zoo · wildlife60 min drive · 32 mi
La India Dormida trail · viewpoint60 min drive · 31 mi

Amenities

Golf Course

Water Slides

Nightclub

Tennis

Kids Club

Nightly Entertainment

Buffet Dining

Spa

Show 2 more amenities

Gym

Beach

Every all-inclusive in Panama →

Google Reviews★ 4.3 · 13,227 reviews

reza h.

3 weeks ago

“Decameron is a very large resort, and organizing such a huge property is definitely not an easy task. Overall, I had a very positive experience and would gladly return. Highlights: • The staff are genuinely friendly and welcoming. • The food tastes...”

jess

a month ago

“listen to what the reviews say! if you’re flying from somewhere cold, make sure you have an accessible set of light clothing to change into when you arrive because upon check in, we had to wait in lobby 2 for 2 hours despite being plus (lobby 3 close...”

Chris R.

2 months ago

“Ive never been one to go on resort vacations, in fact I never have been to a resort. This was the first resort I've ever been to and let me just say it was phenomenal. The services from room services to servers at the bars and restaurants to even th...”