'Wi-Fi' Technology

Wi-Fi

Stephanie from Arizona (Contact Member) -

My sister and her husband are planning a trip to Panama City this year. Are most of the hotels equipped with wireless internet?

Reply #1 Lee from Montevideo, Uruguay (Contact Member) -

I had an overnight connection in Panama City and needed a hotel with internet.

Hotel Riande Aeropuerto apparently the only hotel actually close to the airport claims to have WiFi on their website. However, my wife (who's first language is Spanish) stayed there and they hadn't a clue about any WiFi and pointed to a computer guests could use. She also found the unfriendly, so I decided not to stay there.

Hotel Roma Plaza claimed to have it in their coffee shop. I had a reservation with them, but they left me at the airport (their pickup service appears to be so convoluted that they won't pick anyone up).

Since Hotel Roma left me stranded in the airport, I found the El Panama (they had a rep in the airport, and seemed to be the only hotel so presented). The rep said they had internet in the rooms.

I was skeptical so I had lunch and then found free wifi in the airport. On El Panama's website they said they had internet at extra cost.

Ok. It turned out to be $13/day or so from a private (not the hotel) company. The wifi was so so from the hotel it would cut out regularly for brief periods, even though the signal was strong (the internet, not the signal would cut out).

The El Panama hotel was not worth the $130/night before the internet. The air conditioner from the room next door leaked cold water on my bathroom floor (and they ignored my call for assistance). After two hours I went to the front desk and then they sent someone and claimed their fixed it. From the watermarkers on the wall, I suspect the next guest is in for the same surprise.

The room included buffet breakfast. The fruit selection was good, but the room was freezing cold and the staff was more interested in putting advertisements for stuff you could buy for breakfast than servering coffee. The lack of attention and cold environment left me looking for a second cup of coffee in the airport.

The same company that provided the internet in the hotel also had it in the airport (but nothing like full coverage in the airport). It worked and I didn't have to pay another $13 (though I found free wifi in the airport the day before). However, in the middle of my surfing the signal went from good to nothing and no service for 8 minutes or so.

All said, I would avoid fights with overnight in Panama City next time.

Reply #2 Copeland from USA (Contact Member) -

Many of the hotels advertise that they have internet connection but I would double check with the staff at the hotel. Internet available could mean a couple of computers in the lobby that’s available for the guest to use during their stay.

Reply #3 Lee from Montevideo, Uruguay (Contact Member) -

I agree. Most of the hotel websites are incredible stupid. It would be so easy for them to give a few specifics of what they have to offer.

I think it something that all hotels should offer as a free service for their guests (wifi connections). If they want to charge extra that's ok, but they should provide the details on their website (price and tech specs).

A few years ago I wanted to visit Panama City and was trying to find a hotel with internet. One place advertisers wifi on the ground floor. I called and asked if they had wifi in the rooms, the answer was "yes, but you have to pay 5 cents a minute for the phone call".

I gave up visiting Panama City then... and was almost as frustrated finding a hotel with internet for my recent stay.

Reply #4 Kylea from America (Contact Member) -

I agree. Even though a hotel website may say that they have internet access, they might not. My husband went to Mexico for a business trip and checked online on the hotel website to see if there was internet access. He should have done his homework. Unfortunately once he got there they did not. It was a big problem and it prompted him to have to relocate to another hotel.

Reply #5 Serenifly from Toronto (Contact Member) -

Lee, that's a horrible story. Is travel to Panama usually like that? Or is just a typical Internet experience?

Reply #6 Lee from Montevideo, Uruguay (Contact Member) -

I have only been in the city twice and wasn't too fond of it. I've changed planes a number of times and the airport is good for that (if its not over night). You don't have to mess with security or immigration when changing planes and Copa will tend to hold outbound flights when incomming flights are delayed.

I had no problem with internet in the Barranquilla or Bogota (national and international terminals) airports in Colombia.

Reply #7 Stephanie from Arizona (Contact Member) -

Lee, I have copied your post and your internet problem in Panama to my sister. She is planning a trip to Panama with her husband later in the year. This is not going to make her very happy. :(

Reply #8 Lee from Montevideo, Uruguay (Contact Member) -

I hope she has a better experience with it than I.

If it is important a call to the hotel(s) is probably a good idea to make sure what they really offer.

Not sure why in 2007 every hotel doesn't have some kind of wifi, if not in all the rooms at least the lobby.

Reply #9 Jules from Vegas, baby (Contact Member) -

I'm quite surprised that you had problems Lee. I would think that any hotel nowadays would be very accommodating as far as Wi-Fi was concerned...I mean it is 2007. I think they will lose more and more customers if they don't get their connection fixed.

Reply #10 Lee from Montevideo, Uruguay (Contact Member) -

I agree. Every hotel needs Wifi and a good blurb about it on their website. My first question when looking for a hotel is not price or location, but wifi.

The same goes for cybercafes. If they don't have wifi or a couple extra ethernet cables for laptop users they are missing out.

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