Hostel Warning - Boquete - Hostal Palacios

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I am writing to share my experience with a Panamanian Hostel in the city of Boquete. Namely, the unprofessional conduct of the owner of Hostal Palacios, 'Pancho.' We checked in with 4 people in our traveling group. 2 were staying a day longer before heading out. We had paid for 2 private rooms. Because Pancho charges a fee ($3 a bag) for bags left after checkout (12 noon) and our bus was not until 3, we left our two backpacks in our friends room because they were staying another day.

Upon returning to the hostel after hiking around, we did not even close the door behind us before Pancho started a tirade, practically throwing a fit because we were "stealing" from him by not paying him to store our bags in our friends room. We have been traveling in Latin America for several months, and not once has any other hostel asked us to pay luggage storage fees for the gap between checkout and bus departure. He could have politely stated his case (not that he had one, but he could have tried). He chose to verbally lambast using profane language instead. Against my advice, Justin paid him. I just feel bad for Stepen and Arie, who ended up stuck there for another night. Awkward?

If you don't mind paying luggage storage fees in excess of what you would pay at London Heathrow Airport, this place is for you.

http://heathrow.airport-information.co.uk/baggage.html

Also, if you find hostel owners that throw tantrums like two year olds charming, 'Pancho' is adorable.

Even if you plan on leaving before checkout time, I would think twice before staying here. I did not have enough time to discover what else might set this guy off.




This is a very pretty area. Stay somewhere with an owner who is mentally sound.

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Comments

[Snow]

I too had a problem while I was staying there. His wife was very rude because I had asked two guys to wait for me in the sitting area while I got changed. Being that I am a female I felt that was safere. His wife was very upset that I had people "hanging around" (they couldn't have been waiting for more than 5-10minutes). We ended up checking out early and heading to Bocas because it was very uncomfortable.. and that was a blessing because they had bed bugs.

[crowman]

Sorry to hear that you had problems as well. Other people staying in dorms mentioned that they had bites that could be bed bugs.

[anonymous]

Hey! I just got back from trying to find some friends that stay at the dos palacios hostal when I as well got 'verbally lambasted'. I just want to share my experiences so other people make good decisions: when you are staying in boquete please don't stay at the dos palacios, even though it's nice that it's next to the busstop, if you walk 1 min futher up you have two great hostels, nomba and the most beautifull hostel ever hostal boquete, which is just as cheap for a dorm room. I really hope that the Lonely PLanet decides to chance their review because what it says now is totally wrong according to my experiences and of many more that I heard last few days. Biggest mistake of the Lonely Planet ever: the review of Dos Palacios!

[Mari From CR]

Hostel Palacios, Bad Costumer service
Hotesl Palacios Sucks in Costumer Service I had the bad luck of been in Boquete and not to know touristic features of the place, so I stop into the Palacio’s Hostel and ask very nicely to the creepy guy in the living room for advice. He was totally rued to me saying that he only give advise to people in his hostel, at that point he even didn’t offer me info about the rooms, how stupid is that? So I took guided myself out of that ugly place to never go back. Imagine if that is his point of view to the tourism in general? How are you going to be treating you if you are staying there? I absolutely DO NOT recommend this place at ALL Costumer service sucks in there!!! March 30, 2010

[anonymous]

I stayed at Hostal Palacios in November 2009 on the recommendation of somebody that I met in Panama City. Pancho did seem really enthusiastic and happy at first but from a couple of his manic, rambling, hour-long rants and his habitual unfocused eyes I realised that he is a pretty unpleasant person to be around. He also had several very loud arguments with his (extremely inhospitable) wife late at night and will not let anyone inside the hostel unless they're staying there. However, the room's are ok, beds a little uncomfortable but the place was very clean when I was there. If you humour him Pancho is acceptable, although pretty dull and uncomfortable to be around, but I can imagine him having massive mood swings and turning nasty quickly, especially with the amount of pot he was smoking.