They forgot us at the airport. Then when we got to the hotel someone was in our room. Then they had no more suites so they put us in a studio. Next day they put us in a suite but it was so noise we couldn't sleep. After third day there we got a quiet suite that we had paid for from the begining. Pool only had busted dirty plastic chairs and broken foos ball table beside it. Water park closed on our third day there, found out winter starts when the school year starts. Could only find english speeking help at the front desk. Much farther from downtown than expected. 45 min to airport becouse roads were so bad in the area. Over all not a fun trip but very costly.

This is the ideal hotel if you want to be isolated from anything of beauty, with awful food, and an inconvenient location.

Although some reviewers like the "new tower" - because "the rooms are large" - we had our minds set on the 1-bedroom Villa Suites that are featured on the websites and look incredibly nice. Unfortunately the area where the suites are located is all but abandoned due to slime and mold that has taken over that very isolated part of the grounds. The "private" pool for use by the villa guests was mostly drained and there was no indication it would ever be reopened during our proposed stay. The water park was closed and although the hotel said we could swim in the pool there - it was an accident waiting to happen - no lifeguard, no pool service, dirty water, no towels - awful would be a "kind" description.

We opted to eat one night of our prepaid reservation, cancel the rest, and go to the Gamboa at a comparable rate - it is a first class resort with eco-tourism amenities and sentiment, incredible management and a sublime location and grounds (we also loved Kuna Yala - the Dolphin Inn - we are not Four Season's types of travelers but we adore comfort and beauty).

In terms of the Avalon- do as the firecracker packages say - "light fuse - get away. The US booking agent tried to be cordial and did eventually refund 3/4 of our money but it was a real hassle to get the credit issued.

Unless you have a reason to be out in the boondocks, on a very busy road, then there is no good reason to uses this hotel. Though the rooms were large and clean there is little else to commended this hotel.

It is a $30 taxi ride from both the city and the airport. NOTE: It is NOT an eco-lodge. It is a waterpark on a large piece of property. If you arrive after 9pm there is no restaurant for miles. Their restaurant´s food is sub-par and closes at 9pm.

The touted buffet breakfast consists of bread, fruit, day old pancakes and scrambled eyes. Save your money and get a nice hotel in the city, or, if you are arriving on the Delta flight (9pm) get the hotel next to airport.

After reading several reviews, I went with an open mind. (My trip to the Dominican Republic was hell so Panama couldn't be much worse.) I don't spend much time in my room...my wishes are simple. I need clean bedding, a warm shower, and a bug free zone. I chose the Avalon as a time-share exchange.

The Avalon is a distance from downtown Panama. This was fine with me. I came to see Panama, not highrise, tourist lodging. I appreciated the fact that each venture from the hotel was through the "real" Panama.

My friend and I rented a car--some thought this was a daring adventure--but otherwise, we would not have been able to do much other than stay at the resort. Cabs and buses are scary and would have cost more in fees than the cost of our rental car and required insurance. We traveled much of the canal zone, putting a lot of miles on our car.

The facility was clean and well maintained. I went to the pool, but didn't swim. Not because it was questionable, I just didn't have any desire to waste vacation time swimming when I can do that at home. There were very few visitors during our week stay.

There was a distinct smell when entering the main tower. It reminded me of the cat house at the zoo. I noticed the same smell while on a tour of Barro Colorado--just a persistently damp smell. Our room had an odor at first, but I ran the dehumidifier and the smell quickly dissipated.

I was dissappointed that there was no dishes for leftovers brought back to the room. (My friend eats them for breakfast!) We learned to wash our plastic forks, etc. and made do. Coffee was plentiful and greatly appreciated while getting ready in the morning.

There were condensation drips from the ceiling over the kitchen and bathroom sink areas. Nothing major--and a towel quickly cleaned the water drips from working areas.

The food in the dining room was not good. Breakfast was buffet style and edible, but nothing to brag about. We only ate there once--expensive for what was offered. We had to have dinner at the resort on our last night. It was very poor quality and had to be returned. Our chicken (or whatever the meat was) was chewy, the rice dry, the vegetables overcooked. The french fries ended up being the only thing we could stomach!

Some of the staff was bilingual--it was "hit or miss" as to whether or not the person was able to help. Drawing pictures helped!

Note: cell phones do not work and calling home from your room is extremely expensive. The best bet is to get rolls of coins and use the pay phone. A one minute call to the states is 30 cents versus $2-4.00 from your room.

Overall, we enjoyed our stay and would recommend to others as long as they were adventuresome and willing to leave the resort to see Panama. I wouldn't stay there for any period of time with the intent of never leaving the resort--there just isn't that much to do there!