Playa Bluff Lodge

Great location-only a few steps from BomBom Beach, bar and restaurant-our favorite place to hang out in Bocas. Rooms are newly renovated and lovely. Very nice complimentary breakfast (nice bar, reception and dining area). Private beach with sunrise yoga avaiable. Awesome management under Manuel and his wife. Highly recommend and looking forward to returning.

We traveled and explored Panama for a month. Starting on the pacific and eventually crossing the mountains and finally onto the archipelago of Bocas del Toro.. Playa Bluff hotel was the highlight of our travels. Imagine taking a 4x4 pickup taxi along a dirt road / the beach to arrive at a spectacular off grid paradise with the most spectacular beach covered with palmt trees and hammocks, the largest waves on the Caribbean....we layed in the hammocks and watched professional surfers ride tube after tube. Then a dip in the pool, a walk in there gardens followed by a dinner at there outdoor restaurant..... OK my wife is Italian/Hungarian...yes a lethal combination but the women knows Italian cuisine...the chef Franchesco has 20 year of cooking in "Sicily " the giant shrimp...the seafood pasta aldente ..the " ceviche ". ...wow... the best Italian cuisine Angela and I have ever had. "Jocelyn " also Italian served us with a smile and style & elegance and grace. The rooms were comfortable and one of the only hotels in our travels with hot water ( Great surprise). Anthony the concierge was incredible even the maintenance manager" Darren" became our friend and we hired him to watch and do work on our sailboat. All in all a 5 star experience. Now Remember this is a remote eco lodge, isolated and quiet...not an all inclusive . Plays Bluff is for the traveller's who want to escape and spend quiet time in an isolated Paradise and eat amazing Italian.

We did not stay at the hotel but during our 6 night stay nearby at Playa Bluff, we ate here three times after we discovered the restaurant: Sabor En Bocas. It is an Italian restaurant with the two owners: Jose and Francesco both originally from Italy. The pleasant open air restaurant has a proper floor or if you prefer, they will set you up on the beach opposite with the sand between your toes and watching the waves. The small lunch and dinner menu featured a tuna tartar , ceviche, curry chicken, hamburger, fries, shrimp and different pastas. We tried the tartar, hamburger, shrimp and pastas and everything was delicious. As for the hotel, we toured the gardens which is a wildlife wonderland some days and saw the rooms from the outside which looked nice. There was a partly above ground pool as well. I can’t say anymore regarding the hotel but the restaurant is a must.

An adventure If you go to Playa Bluff hotel, think about an adventure. No air conditioning anywhere. The restaurant has new chef from Italy. We only had breakfast there, (was ok) never ate dinner. We had dinner every night at Hummingbird hotel, amazing food, great ambience. Walking distance. The pool did not opened until the day we left. They had lost electricity and it was disgusting, so took time to clean. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful, the room is nice, doesn't have a fitted sheet, so is a little uncomfortable to sleep with a sheet that moves all around. No Mattress cover, the room could be cleaned better, need to move furniture and clean behind and under, since its a tropical place, spiders are everywhere. There is a big community kitchen that is fully equipped and you can buy food and make whatever you want. Unfortunately there are no markets close by, you have to take the shuttle that comes every hour in front of hotel for $3 or a taxi $20 into town ( around 30 minute ride one way) to buy food. Unfortunately the ocean was extremely rough, so we were not able to swim in the ocean, but if you walk the trail for about an hour or bike (they have bikes for rent) you reach beautiful natural pools. Take a book and plan to relax, eat and enjoy the weather, and go into town and take tours to the islands. You can arrange all tours with the hotel. The hotel is building a new spa, and tour thru their jungle and waterfalls.

Food was not good

Poco mantenimiento. Poco personal. No hay cocinero/a. La comida la preparan voluntarios q están de viaje solventándose sus vacaciones. Llegamos a esperar más de una hora por una patita de pollo con arroz (U$S 15). El lugar está bueno, la ubicación es muy buena si te gusta estar alejado, ya que para ir al centro hay buses (dos o tres x día, el servicio termina a las 16:00) y el taxi puede salir entre 20 a 30 dólares. La relación precio calidad es desproporcionada. Creo que refleja la decadencia de todos los servicios de Bocas del Toro.