El Otro Lado - Private Retreat

El Otro Lado blew me away; it was an absolutely magical experience. It's an unusual place in that you have to rent out the entire property. Countess Aurora is the owner. She is a lovely Spanish lady who is very involved in the community; her foundation is involved in helping local artists, musicians, and land preservation. She employs a lot of locals and seems to be doing a tremendous service to the community. What stands out at the property is the art - it is everywhere and it is tasteful and beautiful. Rooms are amazing, as are the grounds and the common room where you have breakfast and there is a bar. Wonderful attentive staff are everywhere and everything has been meticulously crafted. We were lucky to have an amazing dinner with local entertainment at the home of the owner and it was a night I will long remember. If you are lucky enough to ever be invited to go to El Otro Lado - run, don't walk. You will never forget it.

I would have to rate it 10pts! Above and beyond expectations! We arrived at night but staff was waiting to guide us through parking and hotel boat. The scenery at arrival was truly magical and unexpected as we sailed effortlessly through lightened Corotu trees and monkeys howling announcing our arrival! Greetings, drinks, new and old friends, and the best dinner starting with wine and mozzarella búfalo and fresh 🍅! The cabins are so cozy and confortable! Every piece neatly placed and smelling good!! Two wonderful days! Private beach, coral reefs, mangrove ecology tour, boat drive with captain and skipper ensuring safety and confort! The Caribbean side is worthwhile! The whole experience has been fantastic from every standpoint. The staff is perfectly synchronized to cater to all unimaginable wants and needs. The property and the project is carefully interwoven with the local community! Reminds me of the superb detailed oriented and community connexion of And Beyond luxury experiences in Africa. Thank You @Jorge Zarak the artist and soul of the experience and the marvelous first class staff! Lake, river, beach, infinity perfectly maintained pool Just exquisite and lovely!

We spent 2 weeks in Panama staring with 6 nights in Casco Viejo, 4 nights in Boquete and then the final 3 nights at El Otro Lado . ||||Our travel planner recommended EOL as a place to unwind and relax as the third stop on our trip. I am glad we listed to his advice. Once you take the boat across the inlet to the hotel its like you are in your own private world. ||||Our first full day we took a morning cultural tour across the inlet in portobelo and then a sunset boat ride thru mangroves. The second day we just enjoyed the hotel grounds, ( saw the lake and workshops) and relaxed by the pool. It was a great way to wind down our vacation. If you are outside you can hear congo drums from across the inlet. ||||Our room the sea view was wonderful spacious cheerfully decorated and extreemly comfortable. The young staff always pleasant and accommodating and the kitchen was able to modify meals due to my wifes allergies. Note ask ahead perhaps at breakfast to give them time dinner is basically a fixed 3 course menu.||||Because we stayed midweek it seemed as we almost had the place to ourselves. However one evening we joined another couple at a dinner table and drinks after and it turned our to be a Michelin 3 star chef . I've noted similar comments in other reviews, this place attracts people who just want to unwind with peace and quiet and just enough to do. ||||The perfect end to a great two weeks in panama

We loved our stay in the Spirit House, so beautiful, Private and peaceful. The decor is amazing featuring art everywhere by local artists and spacious rooms. As promised the house is right on the water, with comfortable chairs and lounges. |The staff are so helpful and cater to your every need. We opted for the all-inclusive which included all our meals, many activities, water and soft drinks. Our fridge was stocked with sodas, still/sparkling waters, beer, some wines. (Charge for all alcoholic beverages).|The infinity pool is beautiful, we enjoyed many lunches poolside.|Breakfast was always delicious, as were most meals. If there’s something you particularly like they are very accommodating to prepare it for you. The crevice was our favorite and we ordered it just about every day-Super fresh! They made a special lobster dinner for all guests for Thanksgiving, a nice treat.|One evening they brought the “Congo” Children to the island to entertain with drumming, singing and dancing.|We took the historical tour of Portobello which was very interesting and informative- Spanish forts from the 1600’s and tales of plundering pirates. We also went on the Mangrove sunset little boat trip with champagne, very beautiful. |Our “kids” did the deep board diving, which they loved! Richardo is a wonderful photographer and filmed them with his drone. (These excursions have a charge).|The rustic beach club is Very rustic...only went one afternoon. It’s not a private beach (alto the signs say it’s supposed to be)...no chairs or amenities except for a couple of shade structures (occupied by locals) and 1 tree swing with many children on it.|We loved the low/key vibe, there were a few other guests but most of the time we had the pool to ourselves (which we preferred to the beach).|We had some problems with hot water and water pressure, a few meals weren’t the best, some extras a bit “pricy” considering what we paid but otherwise it was an amazing experience in paradise.|We thank ALL the staff for being so warm, welcoming and catering to our every request and need - especially Jorge, Edwardo, Ricardo!! The general manager gave us a lovely carved hummingbird made by the artists on the island as a departing gift.

The place was beautiful and the staff was amazing. One of the best parts was the staff. Super helpful. We wanted to do a beach day and when they dropped us off we found that they had setup chairs and umbrellas in advance. Food was great and there was so much to do. Hiking, water sports, a cooking class. If you're looking for a place to stay, this is definitely it.

The decor and art of this resort is stunning! It is unique and so detailed - created as a passion project no doubt by the owner. The staff are charming, wonderful and take good care of your every need including planning and execution of your excursions to make the stay a very memorable one! We would certainly recommend it!

This is an intermit hotel which is ideal for a long weekend .The rooms are spacious very quirky and colourful and comfortable. When booking you should agree an all inclusive rate as there is no where to go for dinner although you might find a place to eat lunch on the mainland as you are on an island on beautiful grounds with nature.Beware the insects!!||The breakfast is fine and lunch and dinner are a semi set 3 course meal, which you should check on as they will happily change things you do not eat.This was also pleasant but not outstanding.||We were there during the Holy Week break and several families were there but I felt it was more of a couples place--romantic.Our last day ws just us with all the attention you could wish for but not if you are very social||The real disappointment was the beach which was really dirty partly due to the holidays as it is a public beach. The sand was not white and pristine more dark and grainy, the best part was the boat ride over.

One of the nicest resorts I‘ve been so far. Highly recommended. Wonderful 5* location, friendly and very attentive staff, great cuisine, peaceful nature all around and a very interesting local culture (called „Congo Culture“). The hotel and its staff are able to provide many interesting insights and stories on the local culture and the hotel is supporting many local non-profit initiatives to keep the unique culture alive and to support the community wellbeing. Its therefore a special experience and guests can feel more „plugged-in“ into the history and local surroundings than in any other „regular hotel“ without sacrificing on 5* amenities and full relaxation. Pristine nature and beaches are around the corner and just a quick boat ride away that the staff is happy to organize quickly. Highly recommended - we had an amazing experience and hope to come back.