Trump International Hotel & Tower Panama

We stayed for 5 nights in February. It was supposed to be 3 but our flight was rescheduled due to bad weather. We initially had a hiccup upon check in but Edgar was so nice. They upgraded us and when we had to extend, the hotel honored our initial rate while keeping the suite. The whole staff was very nice. Again special shout out to Edgar. The rooms are very well appointed and the pools are amazing. Great location with nice views.

I selected this property expecting the level of refinement and operational consistency typically associated with the JW Marriott brand. Unfortunately, this stay fell well short of that expectation. While the bedroom design was attractive, the condition of the room was not. Multiple bathroom fixtures were loose and pulling out of the wall, rendering them unusable and as a result the toilet paper had to be placed on the ground and used from there. Several lights were broken. The space felt neglected rather than maintained. I will be including photos to document the condition. Housekeeping was unreliable. Despite placing the “Please Make Up My Room” sign on the door, my room went unserviced for three consecutive days. Worst of all when they did come I had items stolen from my room during the housecleaning visit. I called the front desk to have them located right away however the manager told me that they were going to get ahold of the woman that tended to my room. As an offer of “good faith” they offered to add points to my account but never added points. When contacted said they would not honor their “good faith” offer. Despite admitting to the items being taken they said they had been thrown away and were unable to return or replace them. Laundry service also lacked clarity and execution. Even when dropped off before 8:00 a.m., same-day return was not honored, and staff were unable to provide a firm timeframe for its return. The executive lounge experience was particularly disappointing. It was consistently overcrowded, food was depleted within the first hour and not replenished, and guests were standing and walking on couches. At one point, the lounge was hosting what appeared to be a children’s birthday party. The environment was chaotic and not remotely aligned with what an executive lounge should offer. The pool area was equally problematic. It was heavily crowded with unattended children running and splashing throughout the space. There was no opportunity to relax poolside without being splashed. I also witnessed a guest repeatedly blowing his nose directly into the pool and spitting. After learning that day passes are sold to the pool, the level of overcrowding and lack of oversight made more sense — but it does not align with the JW brand positioning. Throughout the property — elevators, lounge, spa, gym, and pool — guests openly conducted speakerphone and video calls in shared spaces. Quiet areas were virtually nonexistent outside the guest room. Even then, my room was next to the elevator and the door was very thin and you hear everything if you aren’t located away from the elevators. I was told by the locals that many escorts hang out inside and around this property which did not make me feel particularly safe but again, explained why the quality was off for a JW. On a positive note, the gym was well-equipped, clean, and offered excellent views. That said, this is not a property I would select again for business travel or for a restorative stay. The physical maintenance issues and lack of crowd management significantly detract from what should be a premium JW experience. And to JW, I stayed in room 1611 if you want to change out light bulbs in the desk lamp and the mirror lights or fix the shower towel rod coming off, and toilet paper holder that is coming out of the wall.

Where do I begin! This place is absolutely amazing! The staff are incredible! I want to send a shout out to Alexandra LaCalle, Guest Experience Expert! She is by far the best concierge we have ever come across! I had several conversations with her before our stay and she helped get everything we needed, including a car to pick us up at the airport! Outstanding! Every staff member we came across had a smile on their face and were more that willing to assist us. The room was very spacious. The soaking tub is kind of in the middle of the room with a wooden slat wall dividing the room. There is a huge vanity and 2 sinks. The bed, as always with Marriott, was fabulous! There are quite a few light switches in the room and it took a minute to figure them all out. Shower is huge and has a rainfall showerhead. There is a shelf to put your personal items on. As in previous reviews, the elevators and "different". There is one bank of elevators that goes from the street to the Lobby and then there is another bank of elevators that go to the rooms/pool/restaurants/etc. After the first day we had it nailed down! The breakfast is well worth the add-on. Large assortment of items hot and cold. There is an egg station for omelets, etc. The best croissants I have ever had! And the coffee is delicious! And, again, staff is amazing! We ate at the pool restaurant 3 times and every meal was delicious! Hamburgers were excellent, wings were crunchy and yummy and my club sandwich was wonderful! So easy to just walk down there and eat. We did eat dinner one night at the same restaurant that breakfast is served. I wanted to have the shrimp, but I didn't want the head attached when it came to my plate. The chef removed the heads for me and presented it beautifully!! There was a curry sauce that was out of this world! The Chef came out to meet us and I thought that was super nice. There is a very high end mall not 1/2 mile from the hotel (walking distance). They have Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Cartier, Tiffany and many more luxury lines. We did one tour through Viator to the Canal and it was excellent. Our tour guide was very good and spoke excellent English. All in all, we will be back! I can't wait!

Overall this hotel lived up to expectations. The room was well put together with a wonderful large king size bed, two sinks, a nice shower and plenty of drawers for clothes . We spent 5 nights at the hotel. The breakfast at the restaurant was always plentiful and tasted fresh and wonderful. The pool was a great spot for our group to hang out during the day. The location was not as centrally located as other hotels, but that did not bug us. The only thing I would share is that the last couple of nights our room on Floor 30 smelled a little but like rotten eggs. We were not sure why and we were too deep into the trip to ask to pack and move - but that was definitely a negative.

So I booked a long term stay rate here… I had to return to Canada for medical reasons and getting permission to leave early was a challenge. Given my ambassador status did not seem to mean much at this property!!! The biggest issue for me was the intense mold smell throughout the property. From the lobby to my room 3412 the smell was overwhelming at times. Even the pillows on the beds had this smell!!! I stayed at the Le Meridian which is under renovation so I do not recommend staying here unless the renovations are completed but it did not have as strong smell of mold or musty as the JW. The Westin Panamá had zero smell!! Location is not as good but love the friendly staff here!!! I recommend this property for sure!! JW Marriott was formerly a Trump Hotel, I don’t know why the musty smell is so strong but it is!!