On June 26, 2007, we stayed at the this hotel in order to catch an early flight. out. Not our first time at the hotel but definitely the last. On previous visits, we accepted the Riande's shortcomings in exchange for a convenient place to stay when arriving late or having to make an 8:00 am flight. For example, on an August 2006, the bathroom in our room was missing its door. Promises to move us or give us a door came to nothing. Since it was only my daughter and me, we rolled our eyes and made the best of it.

But not this time. At about midnight on the 26th, a busload of teenagers arrived and commandeered much of the hotel. They went on a rampage that was still continuing when we left the next morning around 8:00 a.m.

The teenagers, both boys and girls, had free run of the hotel and raced up and down the corridors screaming, banging on doors, and yelling vile epithets -- in 2 languages! After many complaints by phone and trips to the front desk, the Night Manager had the brilliant idea of ordering the under-drinking-age teenagers confined to the bar!!! He also promised to call the police. Although the bar was taken over by the hooligans, there was, of course, no confinement. In addition, the Night Manager's claim that he had called the police was a sham, and the riot escalated.

Many people checked out. We did not (I had two children with me) and were treated at about 3:00 am to the sound of crashing metal and breaking glass in our corridor. When we looked out, we could see the tourist information kiosk overturned perhaps 20 feet away. Broken glass, cups and spilled drinks littered the hall. The Night Manager looked concerned, kneaded his hands but did nothing to end the situation. While talking with him, a couple headed up the stairs, drinks in hand. I pointed out that these kids were obviously not in the bar, at which point he sternly ordered them to return. Without breaking a stride, the kids laughed and said they were going upstairs to have a shower – and were promptly followed by another 5 or 6 who said the same thing – plus a few other choice words.

In the face of such authority, the kids decided to take it one step further. At about 4:00 a.m., we smelled something acrid coming from the hall. By then, we hated to peer out even for a moment because of the increasingly drunken and violent atmosphere. (Lots of broken glass and things being thrown against the doors.) However, the odor was worrying so eventually I took a look.

From one end to the other, ceiling, floor and walls, the hall was coated with a white powder and reeked of sulphur. A drunken clutch of teenagers was weaving through the hall, some of them with napkins over their mouths and noses.

The juvenile delinquents had torn down the fire extinguisher and sprayed the entire hall.

The melee continued throughout the hotel until the tour bus arrived about 7:00 am. A few drunks missed the boat, so to speak, and had to be poured into cabs later on. One of them charmingly gave us the finger and a loud burp (a consistent sound throughout the night, along with retching noises) as he stepped off the curb and missed the cab door.

As for the action of the staff: Appalling.

From our first call to the front desk, we could hear the riot in the lobby, yet the clerks pretended ignorance of the problem. Their standard, totally ineffective and ridiculous answer: we will send security to your room. Later, that changed to: we have phoned the police. Still later: the police are here. If the police ever were there, shame on them; they were as incompetent as the staff.

The Night Manager agreed (didn't offer -- but reluctantly acquiesced) to not charge us for the room. The next morning I had to haggle with the morning staff but eventually the charges were removed. (NOTE: 2 weeks later, the hotel put the charges back on my credit card -- even though they had given me the signed slip to tear up. Our bank removed the charge.)

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind if you do go to the Riande:

1. You will notice on the front door a sign which prohibits guests from bringing in their own food and beverages. When the Night Manager told me he was "confining" the underage drinkers to the bar, I suggested selling them alcohol was not the smart thing to do. His response: they're bringing their own in anyway. When I mentioned the hotel’s regulation, he just shrugged.

2. Take no comfort in thinking this was an isolated situation. At checkout, I asked one of the clerks if they often had such groups and she -- very proudly -- informed me the Riande has been going after that business aggressively.

3. If something like this happens while you're at the hotel, my advice is not to look to management for sympathy or discipline against the miscreants. If it's early enough, I suggest you leave, because our experience has shown that their policy of appeasement merely escalates the problem. Or, if you can't leave, as we couldn't, demand to be moved to a room in a distant part of the hotel. There WERE rooms the violence didn't reach but we were unaware of that at the time.

And – needless to say -- good luck!!

p.s. I'm sure there'll be someone out there who says -- "oh, you just don't appreciate a good party or don't you remember what it was like to be a teenager?" My prophylactic response is: The Riande is a hotel adjacent to the airport that caters to people who arrive late and are tired and people who are departing early and need to sleep. Take the drunken riots somewhere else.

Almost did not stay here since most posted reviews were poor. Decided it would be ok for the one night prior to departing Panama and wanting to be near the airport. I was pleasantly suprised to find very few and minor faults. The room and hotel in general were clean, the pool beautiful, the grounds clean and neatly trimmed. All the hotel personnel were pleasant, courtious, and evidently used to people whose Spanish is as poor as mine. The restaurant is clean with a good selection and good food. Restaurant personnel are wonderful. If you like fish, try the Corvina stuffed with shrimp, mushrooms, and cheese. At $10.50 it's on the high side for Panama but not for an airport hotel. The same can be said for the room rate. I do not hesitate to recommend this hotel and will very likely be staying there again.

I just returned from one week in panama, Including Bocas del Toro and Panama City, My stay at Riande Contiental Downtown was rather pleasurable, However Riande Aeropurto is a dump !!There is no refrigerators in the rooms, nor do you have access to beverages until the bar opens at 6:00pm You can´t print out your own bording pass, No ink in printer, Service help in restaurant are annoyed by you being there, and when you ask to talk to a Manager, No one shows up. I could go on & on but I will not waste your time.

P.S. If your foulish enough to stay there, Pick up all the room service garbage on the second floor, it will probable be there!

I had to stay at this airport being that I lost my flight and it is the only hotel near the airport. I was able to get a room right away without a hassle but I should've paid attention to the person before me who was also booking a room. He complained that the previous time he was there, he had allergies from the room being dirty.

The hotel is like walking into a bad '70s place. The decor is very old and poorly fixed. The hallways need fresh paint and new flooring. The room was TERRIBLE! The toilet was all cracked, old and terribly stained. The beds were uncomfortable and springy, the sheets had seen better days and the smell was overwhelming. The ice bucket seemed like it had been used to store a concrete paste or something of that sort and I even found a few black hairs inside. The floor was dirty and I didn't even dare walk barefoot in the room. The wicker chairs were broken and were repaired with visible nails. The remote for the tv was "nicely decorated" with black tape (and, this was one of the better rooms with the pool view!). There was one drinking glass in the bathroom, so I went to the restaurant and asked for a pitcher of cold water and another glass and they gave me a dirty pitcher which had greasy tasting water and a (1) styrofoam cup. I searched everywhere for a soda machine....none to be found. The staff was not friendly.

For dinner, I went to the restaurant and ordered an American Hamburger. It was super greasy and tasted like rubber. I got sick after that.

They claim to have laundry facilities but all it is is a room with one ancient washing machine and one ancient dryer. They take forever to finish and the room is very musty and dirty.

At about 11pm at night, it felt as though I was in a big apartment building in New York City because there was LOUD playing music and a lot of people talking and laughing. It was almost impossible to fall asleep.

Breakfast was free. A buffet with food fit for a prison - watery scrambled eggs, cold ham and fruit. The coffee and orange juice were ok.

They have a mini zoo....parrots, a toucan and a ñeque. The animals have dirty quarters....flies everywhere and the ñeque seemed sick, trembling.

You can enjoy a never-forgetting experience at Riande Aeropuerto for as little as $71.00 a night! Trust me, you will never forget an experience like this one.

This is a shame as being that Panama is a beautiful country with great hotels and friendly people. You should expect the same so close to the airport, where people come from all over the country.

I did leave a comment for the General Manager in the comments box in the lobby.

I'd rather travel a little further to Albrook Inn, pay less and have an amazingly clean and tranquil night.