Dan and I spent a long weekend in Montreal, as we do almost every year, last May, but this May, our friends joined us from Virginia for a memorable birthday weekend! We had a wonderful time and great weather, enjoying fantastic meals, tasty drinks, and a bit of relaxation. This post details our 4-day itinerary for those looking for a Montreal itinerary focused on great food and drinks.
Montreal!
I have visited a The Lounge lounge a couple of times at San Juan Puerto Rico’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. It’s not my favorite lounge. I was very surprised, and not at all excited, to find another The Lounge location when flying out of Panama Tocumen International earlier this year (after spending a lovely week in Panama). And I was even more surprised when writing this post that The Lounge is actually quite a large brand! The Lounge at PTY was a bit better than that in San Juan, and it was a decent spot to waste time before our flight back to the US. This post reviews The Lounge at PTY, Terminal 2 (there is also a The Lounge location in Terminal 1 at PTY, but I did not visit it). In sum, it was perfectly fine, but I would not arrive early to use the lounge.
Leaving Panama City en route to the airport. Unit next time, Panama!
The Lounge in Terminal 2 is located on the third floor of Terminal 2 in the Panama Tocumen International airport. Located post-security, flyers walk to door 204 and take the escalator to the 3rd floor. It’s not difficult to find. It is also not very far from the Copa Club, which we visited just before The Lounge (and only left the Copa Club because it closed for the evening).
Entrance to The Lounge at PTY Terminal 2.
On my visit to Panama City, Panama earlier this year, I spent an afternoon at the Panama Canal, which I was incredibly excited about. Specifically, the Miraflores Visitor Center. This post explains how you can visit the Panama Canal from Panama City.
The Panama Canal – you can see the locks closing.
Are you considering visiting Panama’s San Blas Islands, possibly as a day trip from Panama City? This article explains the details of a day vist to the San Blas Islands, provides tips for visiting the San Blas Islands, and why I probably wouldn’t do it again, ha. And, by way of background, Dan and I visited the San Blas Islands as a day trip from our nearly week-long stay in Panama City, Panama in early April. I selected the San Blas Islands over other popular island destinations, such as Bocas del Toro due to the fact that you can drive from Panama City.
A Panama beer at the San Blas Islands.
And what are the San Blas Islands you may ask? The San Blas Islands are a group of approximately 300 autonomous Panamanian islands off the northern coast of Panama in the Caribbean Sea. Panama’s indigenous Guna (a/k/a Kuna) population reside in the San Blas Islands, which are famous for their Mola fabrics. Today, the Guna people earn nearly all of their money from tourism and selling handicrafts.
The San Blas Islands undoubtedly have some beautiful areas.
The San Blas Islands are currently popular with tourists for their crystal clear blue waters, as well as ecotourism. We found the San Blas Islands to be quite pretty, but pretty rustic and not easy to navigate for a typical tourist without some sort of guide. Indeed, you can’t even access them without taking a boat from the mainland. The Guna people have their own language and heritage, which is really interesting if you have time to read up on them. There is also a (free!) Mola Museum in Panama City that provides a solid background before visiting.
Mola fabric from the Mola Museum in Panama City.
I spent five days at the JW Marriott Panama City in April 2025. This post reviews the JW Marriott’s M Club Lounge. Before getting into the M Club Lounge review, the JW Marriott Panama City is a nice hotel located in a high rise building, with most (if not all) rooms having views of the Pacific Ocean. The hotel also has a beautiful pool area, complete with two infinity pools and a heated regular pool. Like many JW Marriotts, this one boasts a M Club Lounge for visitors with certain Marriott status and those staying in certain room categories. I have Platinum Status with Marriott, so I received access to the Club M Lounge for me and one guest during my stay. This post reviews the M Club Lounge at the JW Marriott in Panama City.
Room views from the JW Marriott Panama City.
As you likely know if you are reading this article, M Club Lounges are lounges at certain Marriott properties that certain guests can access, including those with certain status and others staying in certain room categories. While club lounges vary widely in terms of quality and offerings, Marriott club lounges often feature complimentary food, complimentary drinks (sometimes including alcohol during limited hours), and a quite place to spend time away from your room. I generally enjoy a club lounge and find such lounges to be a nice perk at hotels.
