Tuesday, February 8, 2011

South Beach Plaza Villas Hotel Review - Miami Hotel Reviews and Ratings at Frommer's

South Beach Plaza Villas Hotel Review - Miami Hotel Reviews and Ratings at Frommer's
well i stay there 5 feb to 7 feb, the room they assigned me was very small, the bathroom, if someone is over weight you would have a hard time getting into the bathroom, and the shower, good luck, i weight 160 lbs, and my butt was hanging out to get water on my heard. the room had no closet, and no place to put your bags except the floor, once you open the bags one had to climb over the bed to get around.
I went to the front desk and requested a different room, was advise none available, check back a 11 am the next day and they would see what was available. I did and was told at around 1130 no rooms available, they were sold out hotel was full.
was in the outside court yard area having coffee about 30 minutes later, and a lady with a clipboard was walking around, i stopped her and ask about available rooms and about the room we had being so small. she agreed they were really small, and that there were other rooms available, I said, really, the front desk just told me no, she advised she would check and talk to the guy and get back with me, 20 minutes later she came back and said she had it arranged and i could move to a better room with an upgrade fee of $25, i requested to see the room, and afterwards, said yes i would pay the upgrade fee. done deal, but why the front clerk was so rude and gave me the incorrect info ? why ? what happen to customer service ?

Anyway things went well after that, until the next morning, had to be at the airport at 8am, up at 630 am, jumped into the shower, no hot water, well call front desk, was told, well just wait 15 or 20 minutes it will probably be ok. everyone is most likely trying to take a shower at the same time. wow ? i took a towel shower and left at 815am, while exit the lobby several other customers were complainning about the no hot water. i email the manager, and got a reply, wasn't enough to satisfy me. she said it on the web site the villa rooms are noted very small, i reviewed and didn't see anything that addressed the fact about the room size.

I wonder how many people check into the hotel to get the advertised rate, then get charge an upgrade fee after they discover they can not live in the room they were assigned. I just don't think is proper advertising. i will not return. There are to many hotels in south beach that have good customer service, and nice employees to greed and handle cusotmers concerns.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Why panama ? 15 good ones !

Why Panama






1. Panama has a great variety of attractions all in close proximity



Panama has a diverse geography with exotic tropical islands, rainforests and jungles, cool gorgeous mountain refuges, Caribbean-style beaches, seven living Indian cultures, a pretty Miami-style capital city, historic venues (Columbus and Balboa both came to Panama) adventure tours, diving, rafting, kayaking - not to mention one of the world’s engineering marvels- The Panama Canal.



2. Panama is safe



Panama has the highest rating for tourist safety from the prestigious Pinkerton Intelligence Agency. In addition, as noted in the newsletter of the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) Panama has a first-world infrastructure of roads, business services, medical care and telecommunications. General Manuel Noriega, along with his corrupt government has been out of power for more than a decade.



3. Panama is close



As part of Central America, Panama is just a short plane ride away from the U.S. Seven major US cities offer direct daily flights to Panama City: Los Angeles, Newark, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta and Orlando. Flight time from Florida is 2½ hours and Los Angeles is a 4½ hour flight.



4. Panama is tourist friendly



English is spoken as a second language and the Panamanian people are among the friendliest in the world. The infrastructure is first-world, including excellent roads, a sophisticated business sector, the second largest Free Trade Zone in the world and a banking sector with 100 banks. You can even drink the tap water.



5. Panama has the US dollar as its currency



Panama’s currency is the US dollar. That’s right - in Panama one of the traveler’s major hassles is eliminated. There is no need for currency exchange because the US dollar is the currency...no need to be a mathematical genius to figure out what that meal just cost you.



6. Panama is the best place for ecotourism today



Panama’s position as a narrow land bridge connecting two continents has endowed it with some of the worlds’ most pristine and bio-diverse rainforests in national parks covering 5 million acres. A key indicator of its bio-diversity: Panama has 944 recorded bird species, more than the U.S. and Canada combined. Furthermore, all that great nature is very accessible, with some of the best locations less than an hour from Panama City . There is a local saying that while in other countries you have 20 tourists looking at one bird, in Panama you have one tourist looking at 20 birds



7. Panama is the affordable exotic destination



Normally this kind of pristine natural beauty comes at a fancy price. Panama has just begun to promote itself as a tourism destination and so prices are some of the best in the market. " Panama is the most beautiful treat in the world and almost undiscovered," claimed a recent article in Harper's Bazaar. "Known mostly for its canal, Panama is, in fact, an undiscovered tourist paradise," stated a recent travel article in the Boston Globe. The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Modern Maturity, National Geographic and the March, 2004 edition of the Smithsonian have featured long travel articles this year praising the undiscovered delights the country has to offer.



8. Panama has a wide selection of beaches and island venues and activities



With two coasts, countless islands and Caribbean-style beaches, there is much to choose from for beach vacations from the full service resorts to exotic island getaways and the islands of the San Blas Indian reservation.



9. Panama is world-class for adventure



International experts rave about river running in Panama which includes rafting, kayaking and motorized river boats. There are rivers in Panama where you can ride 20 sets of rapids in one afternoon. Canyoning, trekking, rappelling and surfing offer similar world-class experiences for the hard and soft adventure seeker.



10. Panama has world class fishing, diving, snorkeling and sailing



One place in Panama, Pinas Bay, holds 170 world fishing records. There are five world class diving areas: Coiba National Marine Park, the Pearl Islands, Bocas Del Toro archipelago, Portobello and for historical diving, the Panama Canal .



11. Panama has a first-world infrastructure



Panama has a first world infrastructure including a US style capital city with high speed Internet, first rate hotels and restaurants and shopping almost on a par with the United States. The highway infrastructure, medical care, telecommunications and business services are excellent-comparable to the States.



12. Panama is Survivor Country



The CBS Survivor series for Fall 2003 and Winter 2004 take place in Panama’s Pearl Islands. In fact the exotic, nature-rich islands of Panama have been home to the Survivor reality TV shows.



13. Panama is hurricane Free



Panama is situated south of the hurricane track.



14. Panama is economically and politically sound



Panama's economic performance is, almost every year, better than just about every other country in Latin America . In fact, over the past 40 years, the country's inflation rate has averaged less than 2% per year...that's simply unheard of south of the United States. The Tripartite Committee has ranked Panama #1 in the region for low cost of living.



15. Panama has the most modern and successful international offshore bank haven in Latin America



(and the second largest in the world, after Switzerland). With more than 120 banks from 35 countries, including Citibank, HSBC, Dresdner, Bank of Tokyo, Bank of Boston, and International Commercial Bank of China.
A very good satellite image of weather for the area.
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/east/carb/loop-ir2.html
 http://www.caribweather.net/

Tours to Panama are available year-round and weather conditions vary according to season, elevation, and geographic location. In general, in the lowlands expect average temperatures from 85-95 F with moderate to high humidity compared to cooler temperatures averaging 72 F in the highlands where you may need a light sweater at night. The peak Panama travel period is December through April and off-peak season for tours to Panama is May through November. These periods generally coincide with the so-called "dry" and "rainy" seasons. However, this is an overly simplistic description of climate and Panama travel seasons. We can help you travel to Panama any time of year based on a well planned itinerary.




Panama has more than a dozen climate zones which often contrast with each other; when rain falls in one region it tends to be drier in another. While the months of December through April tend to be almost rainless on the Pacific coast (March and April are the warmest months), this is the time of year you can expect some rain on the Caribbean coast. On the Caribbean side it tends to be relatively dry in September and October, which is considered the so-called "rainy season" in the rest of the country. We also recommend travel to Panama in July during the annual veranito, or "little summer" as the locals call it, when there is a predictable dry spell in the middle of the green season.



Most people travel to Panama to escape winter in North America when average rainfall throughout the country is low and migrant bird populations are highest. But others who prefer to travel in Panama during the off-peak "green season" will appreciate natural areas more to themselves, lush vegetation, better choice of guides and accommodations, low season rates, greater variety of blooming orchids and flowers, and other benefits. During the green season rain typically falls for a few hours in the afternoon or at night and rarely disrupts Panama tours, unless you are driving on secondary roads which can become impassable. It is impossible to predict weather conditions for any specific place and time in the tropics. The increasing number of tours to Panama during the green season have made it a year round destination.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Road needs repair

http://www.mop.gob.pa/Sugerencia.html

anyone that lives on the beach at Barqueta Nice or the condos or visiting the Las Olas Hotel, take a minute and send a email to the department of roads, (link above) and complain about the pot holes.
Please4 everyone email the address above and complain about the road pot holes from david to the beach. we need to get this road repaired as soon as possible and" compliants" will be the only way to accomplish this.
Victor Dallari
condo 505
check out panamabeachlots.com
comments welcome

Relaxing

Just watched the beaufiful sunset on the beach in Baqueata Nice in Panama. . Barqueta Nice is a development of 170 lots on the beach where one can still afford to purchase a lot to build there ocean front drean home.  Its located just steps away from  Las Olas Hotel and Resort. Purchased here several years ago and builded one home last year, and currently living in that home and building another for resale. Check out the web site panamabeachlots.com for more info on the listings.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Normal Waves Size Everyday at Barqueta Beach

Electrical Outage

The power company that supplies Barqueta Nice Development appartently has some major problems, we lose electricty several times during the week, day and at night. It is effecting some of our appliances and network equipment. Had to buy a new router a few weeks ago. Wish i could find a email address for the local electric company that i could send compliant emails to. any help appreciated. When and if i find will post it here for individuals in the area to submit a complaint, maybe if enough people do this something will get done.