For my first 3 nights in Panama City I wanted to live it up a bit, so I decided to book a place in Casco Viejo. Hostels can sometimes be shitholes, but from my experience, if you book a private room in a well rated hostel, you can’t go wrong. You get your own room with privacy an you get the young party vibe a hostel has to offer. You do have to share a washroom though, but at Selina Casco Viejo, there were plenty of baños.
Selina Casco Viejo is in a great location; the location is in the name, it’s in the Casco Viejo neighborhood, with plenty of surrounding restaurants, bars and street food. There were a few times when I sat outside the hotel just to people watch. Selina also has a rooftop pool and terrace with a bar/night club. My first night there, I met some other tourists whom I hung out with the rest of the weekend. The rooftop bar was packed, mostly with locals and tourists that were staying at Selina. The vibes at the bar were of prestigious Panamanians and there was very little interaction amongst the tourists and locals. So, if you want to interact with and party with locals, it likely won’t happen at the Selina rooftop bar. But regardless the bar is a good time but the party at Selina goes on all night. The bar in the lobby plays music all night, and it’s loud. Depending on your situation, you might be up all night listening to the thumping as it pounds into your room.
The room was small but nice; and usually in places like this, a major complaint is that there’s no AC or it’s too hot, but at Selina, the AC was blasting and it was too cold. With the combination of loud music and polar AC, it was hard to get a good night’s sleep. But all in all, with the location, the option to party on the rooftop terrace and the modern décor of the hostel, it was a good stay for a short period in Panama City and Casco Viejo.
Now 10 hours west you have Selina Bocas Del Toro. Unfortunately, I didn’t stay here, I stayed in a guesthouse recommended by the Habla Ya language program. But there wasn’t much to do at the guesthouse, as I rented out a private room with washroom in a guesthouse with a bunch of locals. Instead, each night I’d take my bike and head to Selina. The drinks were cheap, the bar was nice, with open views over the water, and the vibe was always lively. From talking to the guests at the bar, the stay there was nice too. And all the interactions I had with the bartenders and hostel staff were positive too. The staff were friendly and nice, and since I spent most nights enjoying the views while sitting on a swing overlooking the water sipping a Panama beer, I got to know them. Even though I wasn’t a guest at Selina, the staff were very welcoming to me. Most nights you could enjoy some drinks with other tourists in a laid-back environment; on weekends and after Filthy Fridays, it was another story. The hotel bar was packed with tourists and locals alike for a wild party.
I can’t comment on the rooms, but the staff and bar was nice at Selina Bocas. Based on my experiences at both Selina locations in Panama, there is no wonder why Selina has a reputation as a renowned, modern hostel with a lively atmosphere that’s good for young people looking for a good time, not so much as a quiet one.
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