Best Western Plus Panama Zen Hotel

A city hotel with a useful diving address rather than a beach-resort pretence, the Best Western Plus Panama Zen Hotel suits you if you want Panama City on the doorstep and a proper place to recover between outings. The rooftop infinity pool, terrace bar and air-conditioned rooms give the day a clear ending: swim, eat, sleep, repeat. No need to dress the arrangement up as something it is not.

The hotel has 90 rooms, free WiFi throughout and a 24-hour fitness centre. Spanish is the language used on the hotel's website, while the practical set-up is easy to understand: a 24-hour front desk, concierge service, luggage storage and express check-in and check-out. For couples, the rooftop is the natural gathering point; for families or dive buddies, interconnected and family rooms add useful flexibility.

You are in Panama City, Panama, at Via Argentina and Calle Gaspar O. Hernandez. The hotel is in the city rather than by the sea, with no beach access attached to the property. That makes the location useful for combining diving with restaurants, transport and the capital's sights, but it is not a place where you step outside and find sand under your feet.

Vía Argentina metro station is about 450 metres away, roughly a five-minute walk, giving you a straightforward way to move around without turning every outing into a taxi negotiation. Churrería Manolo, Restaurante El Caribe and Café Suzette are within roughly 50 metres, while several cafés sit within 200 metres. Parque Urraca is about 1 mile away, the Metropolitan National Park about 1.5 miles, and the Panama Canal Museum about 3 miles from the hotel.

Tocumen International Airport is about 9 miles away. The hotel is also around eight minutes by car from Balboa Avenue and the Corredor Sur, placing the main roads close enough to matter when your day starts early or your luggage has developed its own gravitational field.

The rooms are set up for recovery rather than theatrical arrival: air conditioning, soundproofing, a minibar, coffee maker, safety deposit box and desk cover the things you notice when you return tired and slightly salty. A cable LCD television and free WiFi handle the quieter part of the evening, while the hairdryer and ironing facilities deal with the less glamorous business of looking presentable again.

For a couple, a King Room or Standard King Room keeps the arrangement simple, with a super-king-size bed and enough room to avoid living out of the suitcase. The King Suite is the sensible step up when you want extra breathing space rather than another decorative cushion. For friends or a family group, the Twin Room is the more practical choice, and interconnected rooms are available when separate sleeping arrangements need to remain within shouting distance.

Children of any age are welcome. A cot can be requested for younger children, while extra beds are not available, so the selected room matters if everyone is arriving with luggage, camera gear and the usual collection of objects that somehow multiply during a trip. Non-smoking rooms and wheelchair-accessible options are available, with lifts and step-free access supporting the building's straightforward layout.

The main dining address is Sky Bar & Restaurante, set on the terrace and serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The cooking covers Panamanian and international dishes, which is a useful combination when one person wants local food and the other wants something familiar after a long day. Breakfast is a buffet, starting at 6:30, so you can eat before heading out without requiring an expedition of your own.

The rooftop also has the Rooftop Bar, beside the infinity pool, with the city spread out around you and cocktails available as the evening settles in. It is the obvious place for the first drink after returning to the hotel. There is one bar rather than a small bar-hopping circuit, but it is positioned where you are most likely to want it: upstairs, outdoors and close to the water.

Room service runs until 10:00 pm, from 6:30 am on weekdays and from 7:30 am at weekends and on public holidays. For anything later, or for a change from hotel dining, several cafés and restaurants are only a short walk away. That gives you choice without requiring a second outfit or a long transfer.

The infinity pool on the rooftop is the main place to switch off. It is an outdoor pool on the terrace, with sun terrace furniture and the Rooftop Bar close by. After a hot day in Panama City, that combination is more useful than a long list of activities you will never reach; you can cool down, sit still and watch the city do the moving.

A spa offers massage treatments, and the hotel also has a 24-hour fitness centre with equipment for strength and toning. The gym is there for an early session, a late session or the moment when sitting beside the pool starts to feel like a personal philosophy rather than a holiday plan.

For a quieter afternoon away from the pool, Parque Urraca and the Metropolitan National Park are within the wider city area, while the tour desk can help organise outings. The Panama Canal Museum and Miraflores Visitor Center give you two obvious ways to spend non-diving time when the capital deserves more attention than the hotel television.

An airport shuttle is available from Tocumen International Airport, either as a private or shared service arranged with the hotel. Tocumen is about 9 miles away. The 24-hour reception is useful for late arrivals, while luggage storage and express check-in and check-out help when flight times refuse to behave sensibly.

Official hotel timings place check-in from 2:00 pm and check-out by midday. Early check-in and late check-out can be requested. You will need photo identification and a credit card at check-in, and cash is not accepted. Cancellation and prepayment conditions vary with the room selected, so read the terms attached to your booking rather than assuming every category follows the same rules.

Free WiFi covers the hotel, room service is available, and laundry facilities support a longer city stay. The property also has a business centre and four meeting rooms. Pets are not allowed, and smoking is permitted only in designated areas. Accessible rooms, wheelchair access, lifts and toilets with grab rails are available.

The hotel holds GreenLeaders Silver certification and follows responsible environmental hotel practices. The approach is presented as part of the property's operation rather than as a separate guest activity, so you can take it as a useful background standard while using the hotel as your base for Panama City and the coast beyond.