Frequently Asked Questions

Trusted Panama Stays is a private, independent directory of tourist accommodations in Panama — it is not a government website and is not operated by Panama's Tourism Authority (ATP). However, the basic data for each listing comes from the ATP's official "Reporte de Hospedajes Vigentes" (Current Accommodations Report), a publicly available PDF. It was born from the idea of a hospitality owner looking for an alternative to the large platforms (OTAs) that dominate internet search and charge high commissions per booking. It is not, first and foremost, a commercial project: it started with the intention of offering this tool to our sector, and its costs (time, server, domain, tools) are covered by supporting memberships. Unlike an anonymous listing on a commercial platform, every accommodation on TPS is based on the official ATP registry — meaning it has been publicly verified and offers greater trust for both travelers and owners.

You can search by name (or part of the name), words in the address (such as the town name), the phone number, or the email address (or part of it). You can also filter results by province, rental type, or feature. Each additional filter narrows results to those matching ALL selected criteria — if you get too few results, try using fewer filters.
Special searches:
#12345 (or simply 12345) searches by listing number;
=member shows all members (trial and supporting) of the TPS community;
=apatel shows APATEL members in this directory. With no search term, the directory shows several "Featured Accommodations". Try the search now →

Every listing includes whichever buttons are available based on the information on file: call, send an email, send a WhatsApp message, or look it up on Google Maps. For example, if the property has no mobile number, there is no WhatsApp button; if there is no phone number at all, there is no call button. The Google Maps result depends on the information available. Often, the property's name together with the province is enough — these are the only data available in the official ATP registry, on which this directory is based. TPS members can add more information (such as a detailed address, the name of the town or neighborhood, or a nearby landmark) so Google and users can find them more easily.

The basic information in this directory comes from the official ATP report, which generally includes only the property's name, its province, the rental type, and an email and/or phone number — without an address or town name. This basic information is enough to contact the property. TPS members can create their own page within the directory with much more detailed information: photos, a description, links to their website or booking page, and specific features. You can access this information by clicking the "Access" button.

If your property is registered with the ATP, it likely already appears in our directory. Visit the "Register your property" page to apply for a free 30-day trial membership or a supporting membership. If your property is not registered with the ATP but holds a valid Aviso de Operación (MiCI registration), you can also apply — just indicate this on the application form. Apply for membership →

Not necessarily. We accept properties with a valid Aviso de Operación (MiCI registration) even if they don't appear in the ATP report. However, we only list properties with valid legal registration — we do not include informal rentals.

We offer a free 30-day trial with no commitment. After the trial, a supporting membership costs $24/year (or $45 for 2 years) + ITBMS — a fixed annual fee, with no commission on your bookings, that helps cover the cost of maintaining this directory.

The basic information comes directly from the official ATP registry. When someone applies for membership, we verify the applicant's documents (Aviso de Operación and ID) to confirm they correspond to the property in question.

Write to us at info@trustedpanamastays.com with the property's name or listing number and the error you found. If you are the owner, you can request access to your listing to correct the information yourself.

Featured accommodations are ranked using objective, transparent criteria: 1) Supporting members are shown before trial members. 2) Among members of the same type, the longest-standing members are shown first. 3) Members who provide more information (description, photos, full address, features) are shown before those who don't. These criteria may change in the future, particularly as more members complete their information and the seniority order becomes less relevant.

No. Trusted Panama Stays is a completely independent directory, with no relationship to Airbnb, Booking.com, or other booking platforms (OTAs). We do not process bookings or payments between guests and owners — we only facilitate direct contact.

No. TPS does not charge any commission to guests or owners for putting them in contact. Contact and booking happen directly between the guest and the property, with no intermediaries or additional charges.

The directory includes hotels, aparthotels, hostels, family hostels, apartments, vacation rentals, cabins, campsites, and lodges — all legally registered in Panama.

TPS covers every province of Panama, including Panamá, Panamá Oeste, Chiriquí, Bocas del Toro, Coclé, Colón, Veraguas, Los Santos, Herrera, and Darién, based on the accommodations registered with the ATP in each region.

APATEL is the Panamanian Hotel Association (Asociación Panameña de Hoteles). Properties marked with the "APATEL" badge in the directory are members of this association.

A legal accommodation in Panama must hold a valid Aviso de Operación and, in the case of tourist accommodations, generally appears in the ATP's "Reporte de Hospedajes Vigentes" (Current Accommodations Report). Trusted Panama Stays only includes properties that meet this requirement — unlike many informal rentals advertised on platforms where legal registration is not verified.

No. Searching and contacting accommodations on Trusted Panama Stays is completely free for travelers. The membership fee applies only to owners who want an expanded profile page.