A view of the hotel from the pool just after sundown.
Lobster at an all-inclusive? Thats why the Jamaica-based SuperClubs chain coins their superior service as “super inclusive”. Breezes Resort & Spa Panama opened on the Pacific coast just late last year but they are already buzzing, full of foreign tourists enjoying the endless pools, sandy beaches, great food, water sports and more that are offered. Absolutely everything that one could wish for is on-site.
Architecturally impressive. The Breezes Resort
surprises in size, as well as service.
The building is architecturally impressive, a massive structure located inside the Bijao beach community development at the 108 kilometer mark along the Inter American Highway. With light traffic, its just over an hour outside the city. The friendly, bilingual staff has quite obviously been trained to SuperClubs’ high international standards of customer service and guest relations. They are happy and eager to meet any guest’s needs and do so with a genuine smile. Tipping is not allowed at SuperClubs properties, but the service one receives at Breezes is the kind you get when tipping big.
There are three specialty restaurants available for dinner reservations aside from the all-day Taboga Restaurant where a handsome buffet is served at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Martino’s Italian Restaurant is where the lobster (seasonal availablility, of course) is served, as well as fine pizza and pasta dishes. Traditional Japanese tepanyaki-style cuisine prepared right before your eyes on a hot iron grill can be found at Munasan Japanese Restaurant. Down at the beach, Coco Solo Beach Bar & Grill offers prime cuts.
And then there’s the bar. Premium liquors flow free all day long. There is a 24-hour piano bar at the reception level of the hotel, but the swim-up bar at Coco Solo may end up being your favorite. There’s also a snack bar with unbeatable burgers, salads and even calamari available there from noon to six. Dance the night away in the discotheque or hang out at the Portobello Bar which overlooks all the action and serves up Italian pizza with the cool cocktails. Lively dance and musical shows are performed daily.
The idyllic beach-front setting at Breezes.
Activities can be enjoyed on the property and a different and interesting day tour is offered each day. On site, there are tennis courts, paddle boats, swimming in one of the two pools for kids and three for adults and of course, sunbathing. Those looking to recharge and beautify will enjoy the spa and beauty center, offering relaxing massages and even treatments for sun and chlorine-damaged hair. Prices for these services not included in the super-inclusive daily rate are reasonable, not the inflated prices that one might expect at a resort. $10 manicures and $60 for a one-hour massage. There is a teen entertainment room and childcare services are available. The bright, well-equipped gym just might entice one to start working off those extra vacation pounds before going home!
Most of the tourists checking in to Breezes right now are on seven-day charters from Canada. Each day they can discover something new in Panama, like an Eco Canal lake trip, visiting the Panama Canal and shopping in the city, a visit to Panama La Vieja and the Canal, a trip to El Valle de Anton, Canal Transit and Embera Indigenous Village visits. And every day, a trip to Penonome, a nearby colonial settlement turned countryside metropolis, offers shopping on Central Avenue after a trip to an agro-tourism farm.
For more information on the Breezes Resort at Santa Clara on Panama’s popular Pacific coast, visit www.breezes.com or call the hotel direct at 366-9191 or 908-3600.
