For this reason, industry analysts say that Panama has a demand that exceeds its supply in terms of the capacity of hotels, especially in the capital city.

However, it is expected that within the next two years, there will be an estimated 7,000 more rooms available to local and foreign tourists, says Sara Pardo, President of the Panamanian Association of Hotels (Apatel).

For his part, José Thomas, President of the Association of Small Hotels in Panama, added that next year, this sector will be able to offer approximately 2,000 additional rooms.

While the growth in demand for hotels and accommodations in Panama is growing and the demand is planned to be met, many tourists and industry businessmen alike are concerned about the customer service aspect.

This is perhaps one of the greatest problems facing the tourism sector in Panama, especially in small hotels, hostels, and inns.

"When new staff is trained and then gains experience, they are more likely to find work in larger hotels, so we become trainers," says Thomas.

This leads to staff turnover which will later translate into starting all over again from scratch.  Because of this, such entities constantly need to retrain new staff, and as a result, the quality of customer service is not always professional, concludes Thomas.

Needs

In Panama, there is currently no regulatory body responsible for the star rating that certifies the quality of hotels in the country, says Pardo.
 
However, he says, there are essential elements that are required in order to be classified as a quality hotel with excellent service.  "Cleanliness above all, good manners, good service, ease in checking-in and out, comfortable rooms, and compliance with various internationally-recognized amenities, such as a comfortable bed and good linens, a bathroom with soap and good towels, a television, a large desk, and a mini-bar."
 
But the quality in small hotels is measured differently. Thomas says that personalized service and being more in touch with the reality of the place being visited, is key.

According to Thomas, however, improvements are always needed in the tourism sector overall.  The National Institute of Professional Training and Development (Inadeh), along with Apatel, are providing training that, according to Thomas, should improve this situation, although he asserts that "training staff to know how to wait a table or make a cocktail is not enough; it is also necessary to teach them tourist culture."

In addition, Thomas says that such training should not be limited to hotel staff; rather should also involve customs officials, taxi drivers, and police officers.

In a survey carried out on prensa.com, most reviews were favorable and positive in terms of hotels, however some respondents complained about the quality and lack of friendliness of the staff. "Customer service is not up to par," said one reader.  Another opined that those who are hired for this service often times do not care if the client returns to the establishment or not.