Exterior
Check availability

Reviews of Hotel Olas

3 out of 5
Hotel Olas
Ave Sur, Calle 6, Bocas del Toro, Bocas del Toro

Reviews

6.4
Rating 10 - Excellent. 7 out of 83 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 31 out of 83 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 24 out of 83 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 13 out of 83 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 8 out of 83 reviews" "

6.8/10

Cleanliness

6.8/10

Staff & service

7.0/10

Amenities

6.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

8/10 Good

katherine

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
No frills, clean and kid friendly hotel by ocean
The hotel sits right on the water in a neighborhood less than a 10 minute walk from the main water taxi stop. I liked it because it wasn’t touristy. I traveled with my 14 and 9 year old, and they loved the two hammocks by the dock. After a little hiccup at check in about a room that would accommodate us, we had a great experience with the staff. They are helpful and friendly as is the owner. The rooms are small but clean, and there is hot water to shower with. Great location, and easy to walk around the town. If you’re looking for a reasonable no frills hotel, this is the place to go.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The location was quiet, excellent water view. Easy walking to 'city'. Breakfast was great. Friendly and helpful staff. Comfortable bed!
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2019

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
woke up completely covered in bites ? if they were bed bugs or what the ladies that worked there were very nice
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019
Response from Danny on Feb 2, 2019
Hello we are sorry you had this experience. We have talked with our cleaning staff and we don't have any reports of bed bugs or anything in our hotel. Do you remember your room number so we can check it out again?

8/10 Good

Adriana

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Ok..could be so much better
This was our third stay there and it was just ok. We had a street facing room. We like the local color so we didn’t mind sounds of the children playing in the street but the dogs and cats barking and screeching were a bit much. The servers were more interested in their cell phones than serving, which was never a problem before. It is a good location for boat pickups and great sunset views.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2018

8/10 Good

Kevin, Sacramento

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Olas is very near ferry’s terminal on the more residential side, so it stays quiet after hours. But it is an easy walk to all the activities and hot spots. The breakfast here is great plus you have a lovely view of the water. Rooms are pretty basic, but ours was clean and comfortable. Good shower (one warning-bring your own shampoo). All-in-all, a nice place to stay for your Bocas visit
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2018

6/10 Okay

Nicole A

Disliked: Room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2017

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great, quieter than expected
Close but not in boca town center.ready walk everything. Great people, staff in a little rustic area of boca but we felt plenty safe and it is tight on the water. Close to good and all but not hugh noise
From upper deck

8/10 Good

paul, canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Convenient location
We only stayed one night, the staff was friendly, the room was small but worked out fine. It's close to all the restaurants and stores. The free breakfast was really nice, and the view from the dinning area is spectacular.

2/10 Terrible

Julia, Massachusetts

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Unfriendly atmosphere/ Not the best location
I recently spent a month working in Bocas and wanted to splurge on my last night. I decided to go with Hotel Olas as the pictures seemed nice and there was a restaurant. I had a horrible experience at this place when in the middle of the night I found bedbugs. The night guard said he couldn't do anything to help me. Then after I sat for four hours waiting for reception the unfriendly staff told me she couldn't give me a refund for my room. I don't know if she was truthful in saying she didn't have money or if she was scheming me but I wouldn't be surprised if it were either. I'd probably just avoid if I were you.

8/10 Good

kamran , alberta canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing balcony with view in junior suite
Everything about this hotel was great, really strong WiFi, almost too hot of a shower (rare in central America), amazing AC and balcony with view. DRAWBACKS. Bathroom sink has a single push button water tap that is noise and annoying because you need to push it every 5 seconds to get water and only cold water. Makes it impossible to shave face because so cold and need to push button every 5 seconds lol. Free breakfast in the morning is only coffee and 2 pancakes. I didn't get fruits included I think it was finished but I did get fresh juice. It's nice that it is available until 11am and included in room fee. However, they do not offer any other breakfast option even IF you want to pay extra for it which was surprising because there was no way to get eggs or toast or anything like that. But the view right on the water Mase up for it. Very nice quite neighbourhood about 4 minutes walk to all the stores and restaurants but far away enough to not be noisy.

8/10 Good

Amanda

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good deal
Friendly and comfortable.

8/10 Good

Joan, Virginia

Liked: Staff & service
Nice hotel right on the water.
My husband and I really enjoyed our stay at Hotel Olas. We thought the staff was great. Stephanie at the front desk, is a great asset to the hotel. She spoke English so she was a big help when we needed a tour set up or help with reservations for a flight out of Bocas. The kitchen staff, especially Yetti our waitress made us feel at home and our free breakfast everyday was delicious. When we plan another vacation to Bocas we both agree that we would stay at Hotel Olas.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotel on the waterfront
We stayed one night! I had a satisfactory stay. However,my friends, a couple, had a rough night as the room did not have a control for the AC unit. The management did nothing to get another control for them. One of my friends was sick and they would not get her hot water for her to make some tea. They ran out rolls for breakfast and when someone brought some in, they would not offer them the rolls.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very quiet, near to iguana nightclub and good restaurants, I really like the view they have two terraces..

8/10 Good

Bianka

Liked: Cleanliness

4/10 Poor

stephen, Anton, Cocle

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
no hot water, very small bed

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Staff & service
Very Unwelcoming
At check in receptionist tried to charge me double but I had written confirmation of price. Free breakfast was grudgingly served, one meal at a time over an hour - some of us got our coffee. Second day we went out for breakfast out of frustration. Only friendly staff was Alex at the bar/restaurant in the afternoon. Rooms were fine, but windows had very sketchy "locks" so we never left anything in the rooms. Definitely would not go back to Bocas.

8/10 Good

Mirielle , Kingston, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We loved Hotel Olas!
We spent a week at this funky little hotel on the water in Bocas Town. The only disappointment was lack of a swimming beach within walking distance. Walls are adorned with paintings. The staff was friendly, courteous and professional.
Bar
Isla Zapatilla
Bar taquitos
Artwork

8/10 Good

Luis, Panama

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful hotel with comfortable room
We had a great time in Hotel Olas, the hotel is built all from wood which is really nice, clean and well maintained. It has a deck facing the ocean with a dock where you can sit to view the beautiful sunset. The boats can pick you there so you don't have to go to town to find a ride to the nearby islands.
Deck view
Cozi room
Street entrance
Restaurant deck

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Walking to everything; quiet; good breakfast
Room we booked was not available when we got there so we were given a smaller room but to make up for it we were moved to a nice ocean view room the next day.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
A lovely setting with over the water decks. Rooms are small but fairly comfortable. Good breakfast included.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice staff and right on the water
Super nice staff and service and Olas. Highly recommend. Very accommodating.

8/10 Good

Aaron, Seattle

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service
Good Hotel in Bocas
While the staff was a little off-putting, Hotel Olas was a good affordable choice for our Bocas experience. The rooms were comfortable, but the Wi-Fi would hardly work at all which was a little frustrating at times. At first glance the neighborhood looks a little sketchy, but you quickly realize that everyone is just going about their business. Overall we had a good experience.

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
In a bad neighborhood
We did not feel safe in this neighborhood. There were shady characters hanging around the hotel, and it was very dirty.

4/10 Poor

Linda, Jerusalem

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
disappointing stay!
We traveled to Panama for our honeymoon and had received a warm recommendation of las olas. We were prepared for it to be rustic, but even so were extremely disappointed. Upon check in, we were told we had been upgraded, which was wonderful. However, the room smelled like pee and there was only one towel. The floors felt sticky and the closet had no hangers. Coming back from lunch the day before checking out with the intention of taking a nap, we were told we had to move our things to another room ASAP because the room had been booked. We had received no prior warning of this, and were quite upset about this. When we expressed that we were not happy, the staff did not care. The new room did not smell like pee and there were two towels, as well as hangers. However, the floor was still sticky, the tv did not work, the Wi-Fi ranged from extremely weak to nonexistant, and my husband's pillow smelled so bad that the smell transferee to his face. This place is seriously overpriced for what it is.

6/10 Okay

Debdudes, Minnesota

Disliked: Room comfort
Okay in Bocas Town
The streets are filthy near this hotel. The room was okay, but no hot or even warm water. The breakfast was pretty good. Our room was by the stair and it was noisy.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
They didn't arrange the room at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, Staff Great

6/10 Okay

Dan, Upstate NY

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice inexpensive hotel
Overall my experience was great. I wish I had known that they only take cash but the fact that they had a tour leave from the hotel daily was great.

6/10 Okay

Sal, Minneapolis, MN

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
I recommend!
Hotel was great....conveniently located right over the water. The room was extremely clean. Convenience and cleanliness are my most important features of a hotel. The staff was great. And as some reviews have differed, we did get a full breakfast every morning. The room was a little loud. So I had one recommendation, I'd request a room more on the water side.

10/10 Excellent

gilad, Jerusalem

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
great hotel
Great hotel, very nice maneger and recption. The rooms are clean and and big. The price is very good, and includes An amazing breakfast. I highly recommend this hotel

8/10 Good

mark, florida

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Awesome, friendly, helpful staff! Owner managed.
Very pleasant & relaxed! Included American breakfast. Staff helpful w/tours & best places to buy all your desires i.e. restaurants, groceries, rentals, pharmacy, etc

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

6/10 Okay

stephen, Denver

Not bad, but you dont get what you pay for either.
Not bad, but you don't necessarily get what you pay for when you stay here. Staff isn't friendly, and the rooms aren't equal to the price... The location is perfect, as it's a not smack in the center of the main street, saving you some noise.

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Olas hotel
The room not clean & the bed not good at all. The area next the hotel not Clean.

8/10 Good

Mauricio, Costa Rica

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice Hotel in Bocas del Toro
The hotel is about 5min walk from Bocas del Toro downtown. It is clean, quiet and has nice decks where you can sit, have a beer and look at the sail boats on nearby marinas. If you stay on Bocas Town, you can do anything from there. Taking a taxi boat or even taking the public bus service is easy and inexpensive. The will take you to the main attractions like Playa Estrella or Red Frog Beach, where you can spend the whole day enjoying the nice sights and the clear sea water. Night life is quiet and you can have pleasant meals at the local restaurants.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Not bad
Nice small hotel on the south end of town with a scenic view. The staff is very friendly and helpful. Good breakfast. Cash only. WiFi is slow and could not connect at all in my room on the 2nd floor. The Junior Suite room with balcony facing the street seems like it could be broken into easily. Overall it was a nice stay.

10/10 Excellent

Moirah, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Right over the water
Loved it. Had a beautiful room with balcony right over the water.our room was particularly good, not all rooms were as nice. Beautiful view out to islands etc. quiet position away from main area of Bocas Town but still an easy walk. Bocas is just lovely. We loved getting a bus to Bocas del drago beaches and starfish beach. Took water taxis to other islands as well. Coffee, cake and orange squash included for breakfast other breakfasts cost a small amount. Nice areas to sit and watch the scenery. Wifi worked well.

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hostel w/ hotel pricing
Not at all like the photos. More like hostel with hotel prices. Did not stay

8/10 Good

horacio, miami, Fl

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent location and staff
We was at the hotel for only one day but the time was a pleasure, quiet place, clean, good showers, ample option for breakfast and friendly staff; what more you want for a few dollars a double room????

6/10 Okay

Eduardo, Costa Rica

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Need more visibility with the customer as hotel does not accept credit card and you need to pay by wire transfer, you need to know that everything is fine. The area is not the best located on the island and it smells not nice in the surrounds. The hotel by itself is nice, and has beautiful paints in the hall areo of each floor. AC does need some upgrade but works perfectly

8/10 Good

Cindy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

8/10 Good

Igal, Washington DC

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good pick in Bocca Del Torro!
Very friendly staff. Quiet but very conveniently located to both the downtown and the airport! Cleaner than most places in the area.

6/10 Okay

randolph, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands

Liked: Room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service
Why not tell us you don't take credit cards??
Even though Hotels.com took my visa card as a deposit, I soon received an email from the Hotel stating I must either do a wire transfer or use western union to send them a deposit. Thinking it was a scam, I contacted Hotels.com who phoned the Hotel and they agreed I need not send the deposit. I did ask if they accepted credit cards and was told, by Hotels.com, YES!.......I learned on arrival NO! So here I was on a five night reservation for which I had to pay cash. Had I have known in advance, I would have been prepared. This, along with the fact only about 1/2 of the restaurants take credit cards, resulted in numerous trips to the only ATM in town along with the fees for the limited withdrawals.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Mediocre
Similar to a hostel. Cash only. A/C. On the water. Close to town and airport. Good for budget concious. Bocas del toro area alittle trashy overall.

10/10 Excellent

V, Manuel Antonio,Costa Rica

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel with awesome view!
The hotel is a nice walk away from the others and nestled near where the locals live. It has an awesome sitting area in the dining room with hammocks by the water.The lounging area on the 2nd floor is also very relaxing. I would definitely stay here again.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort

8/10 Good

mk, Cloverdale

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The hotel was as expected. The rooms were clean, simple. Breakfast was great. On the water with nice breakfast and lounge area. The staff were helpful and bicycles available. The music was very loud on the weekend in the neighborhood, we brought ear plugs. Bocas town is growing probably too fast for the infrastructure too keep up with. The Botanical gardens were great, riding bikes down to playa bluff was fun. All the locals were very friendly and helpful. Great little German bakery and some of the vendors food was good also. The island is set up for day trips on the water but not alot on the island itself.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness

4/10 Poor

Carolina Soraya

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
En general no nos agradó.
En general no nos resultó cómodo. Las camas muy bajas, tuvimos que bajar a pedir nuestras toallas y jabones. No nos las cambiaron al siguiente día. Nos iban a cobrar 5% adicional si pagábamos con tarjeta de crédito y eso no me lo habían anunciado antes, así que optamos por transferir, pero no debe ser.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020