Gran Evenia Bijao (formerly Sheraton Bijao Beach Resort)

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Quick Verdict

Start with the thing almost every other page about this resort gets wrong: the Sheraton Bijao Beach Resort no longer exists under that name. The property at Santa Clara opened in 2015 as a Sheraton, moved to Evenia Hotels management as “Bijao Beach Resort by Evenia” around 2023, and now trades as Gran Evenia Bijao. The Marriott flag is gone, and with it the Bonvoy earning and redemption that used to be this hotel’s single most distinctive selling point — it was, for years, the only Category 6 all-inclusive in Central America. If you found this page because a points blog or a travel agent’s PDF told you about the Sheraton, that information is out of date.

What you get instead is a slightly odd but genuinely likeable resort. It is a 293-room, 24-hour all-inclusive on Playa Bijao at Santa Clara — the same “Arco Seco” dry-arc coast as the Playa Blanca cluster, but around 15 km further east and considerably quieter. Its standout feature is a water park with slides plus a children’s water-play area, which is more than any other all-inclusive in Panama offers, and there is a 9-hole golf course inside the surrounding Bijao Complex.

The reservations: Evenia markets this as a five-star and guests do not agree, 2026 reviews repeatedly describe maintenance that has not kept up, and the à-la-carte dining allowance is tied to how many nights you book. It is a good mid-range family resort at roughly $195 to $300 a night. It is not a luxury one.

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Water park with slides — the best in Panama	No longer a Sheraton; Bonvoy points do not apply
True 24-hour all-inclusive, the only plan sold	5-star marketing vs. a 3/5 Tripadvisor average
Quieter Santa Clara beach than Playa Blanca	2026 reviews flag visible deferred maintenance
9-hole golf course in the Bijao Complex	À-la-carte dinners rationed by length of stay
Mini Club (to 12) and separate Teen Club	Same-day-only à-la-carte reservation windows
Nightclub 10pm–2am, four bars including a 24-hour sport bar	Wi-Fi free “if booked on the official website” — check your channel
Río Hato airport roughly 10 km away	Entertainment volume is a repeat complaint

The Resort at a Glance

Detail	Info
Rooms	293 (some listings say 294)
Restaurants	4 — Taboga (buffet, show cooking), Sakura (Japanese teppanyaki), Los Olivos (Mediterranean), Coco Solo (snack bar)
Bars	4 — Maui Sport Bar (24h), Portobelo (6:30–11:00pm), Coco Solo, Pool Bar (10:00am–6:30pm)
Pools	3 outdoor pools plus a water park with slides and a children’s water-play area (some listings count 4 pools)
Beach	Direct access to Playa Bijao, Santa Clara
Kids	Mini Club, up to age 12, 10:00am–6:00pm (seasonal); Teen Club
Nightclub	Yes, 10:00pm–2:00am
Golf	9-hole course within the Bijao Complex (paid)
Spa	Wellness centre with massages and treatments (paid)
Airport	Río Hato–Scarlett Martínez (RIH) about 10 km; Tocumen (PTY) about 105 km / roughly 2 hours
Panama City	About a 2-hour drive
Brand history	Opened 2015 as Sheraton Bijao Beach Resort → Bijao Beach Resort by Evenia (c. 2023) → Gran Evenia Bijao
Adults-only?	No — family resort
Board	All Inclusive 24h — the only meal plan offered

Santa Clara is worth understanding as a location. It sits on the same dry Pacific arc as Playa Blanca, so you get the same favorable microclimate, but it is a lower-density stretch — a residential and second-home complex rather than a wall of mega-resorts. Playa Santa Clara is 1.4 km away, Farallón 2.3 km, Playa Blanca 5 km, and El Valle de Antón is a 45 km drive inland. For how the whole coast fits together, see our Panama all-inclusive resorts guide.

Rooms and Suites

Standard Ocean View and Garden/Mountain View

Evenia does not publish a full room-category matrix with square meters, so treat any size figure you see elsewhere with suspicion. What is confirmed: all 293 rooms have a balcony or terrace, air conditioning, flat-screen TV with international channels, a mini-fridge with complimentary bottled water, a coffee maker, an in-room safe, and a shower — every room has a shower rather than a bathtub, which Evenia states explicitly. Maximum occupancy is four per room.

The split is between ocean-view rooms and garden/mountain-view rooms. Several listings claim every room has a Pacific view; the resort’s own booking flow sells garden-view categories, so that claim is marketing rather than fact. Ocean view is the upgrade worth taking — the Pacific here is broad and open, and the sunsets are the free show.

From the Sheraton era, rooms were built with the brand’s Sweet Sleeper beds, two queens or one king, and they were solidly if plainly finished. Recent reviews describe them as clean and reasonably fresh — one 2026 guest called the rooms “clean and pretty new” — but also flag failures at the margins: a booked balcony room delivered without a balcony, mold on curtains after a room change. Inspect on arrival and ask to be moved immediately if something is wrong; the front desk in these reviews does move people.

Our Pick

An ocean-view room in one of the towers nearest the main pool complex if you have children who will be in the water park all day, and a room as far from the entertainment stage and nightclub as you can get if you do not. Volume is the single most repeated complaint at this property. There is no premium club tier here, so the room decision is essentially view plus location.

Food and Dining

Taboga (buffet)

Taboga is the buffet and the workhorse: breakfast 7:00–10:00am, lunch 12:00–3:00pm, dinner 6:30–9:30pm, with show-cooking stations and themed nights on rotation. It is the venue that draws the widest range of opinion — Flyertalk regulars from the Sheraton era described it as “good but not great,” while a 2026 Booking guest called the food “AMAZING” with strong options for children and special diets. Our read from the pattern: the buffet is broad and above the Panamanian budget standard, but variable night to night, and the themed evenings are noticeably better than the default service.

Sakura and Los Olivos

Sakura is the Japanese restaurant, built around teppanyaki hibachi tables. It is the more entertaining of the two à-la-carte options and books out first.

Los Olivos is the Mediterranean room — grilled meats and fish, olive-oil-forward plates, a calmer atmosphere than Sakura.

Here is the part to read carefully before you book: the number of à-la-carte dinners included depends on the length of your stay, and reservations must be made on the same day within narrow windows — either 9:30 to 11:30am or 3:00 to 5:00pm. The hotel’s own FAQ also states à-la-carte booking happens at check-in. In practice that means a two-night stay may get you one themed dinner and nothing more. If eating at Sakura is central to your plan, confirm your allowance in writing at booking and get to the reservation desk the moment it opens each morning. This is the single biggest difference between Bijao and, say, Dreams Playa Bonita, where there is no quota at all.

Coco Solo, the bars and 24-hour service

Coco Solo is the snack bar, 10:00am to 6:30pm, doing burgers, nachos and fries — the poolside default. The four bars are Coco Solo, the Pool Bar (10:00am–6:30pm), Portobelo (6:30–11:00pm) and the Maui Sport Bar, which is open 24 hours and is what makes the 24h all-inclusive claim real. At 2am you can still get a drink and something to eat.

The pour list is cocktails (margaritas, mojitos and the usual roster), rum, vodka and whiskey, domestic beer, wine, soft drinks, juices, coffee and mineral water. Evenia’s marketing language references “top-brand” and “premium” beverages, but the site does not publish a specific premium-label list, so do not assume named imported spirits are on the standard shelf — ask at the Maui bar on day one. Panamanian rum is excellent and is the sensible house drink. Our broader explainer on how these plans work is in does all-inclusive include alcohol?.

Food Quality Verdict

Better than the budget end of this coast, comfortably behind Dreams Playa Bonita on à-la-carte structure and behind the Riu on sheer variety. The 24-hour bar food is a genuine differentiator. The à-la-carte rationing is the thing that will annoy you if nobody tells you about it in advance.

Beach and Pools

The Beach

Playa Bijao is directly in front of the resort, with hammocks strung in the shade behind the sand and a considerably calmer scene than the Playa Blanca strip five kilometers west. It is the same Pacific coast — dark-gold sand, warm water, a large tidal range that pulls the sea out a long way at low water — but with a fraction of the foot traffic.

One quirk worth flagging: the resort’s own accessibility statement says every area is reachable by ramp or lift except beach access, which is not part of the hotel. If mobility is a factor for anyone in your party, ask specifically about the route down to the sand.

The revamped nautical area offers kayaks and paddleboards, and Evenia also lists jet skis — the non-motorized options are included, the motorized ones are not.

Pools and the Water Park

This is why you book Bijao. Alongside three outdoor pools — some listings count four, and the resort’s own FAQ describes “3 outdoor pools and 4 water features” — there is a water park with slides, open 10:00am to 6:00pm, plus a dedicated children’s water-play area. One of the main pools has its own water slide.

No other all-inclusive in Panama has anything close to this. If you have children between roughly five and twelve, the water park is worth more than any other single feature on this coast, and it is the reason to choose Bijao over the Riu or the Wyndham. Loungers are free and, unusually, there is no charge for them; pool towels are free with a deposit, though there is a small fee for exchanging towel sets.

For how this compares internationally, see our roundup of all-inclusive resorts with water parks.

Activities and Entertainment

Daytime

The animation team runs aquagym, dance classes, pool and beach games and baby-dance sessions. There is a free 24-hour gym, a games room, and two outdoor tennis courts. Kayaking and paddle surfing are included in the nautical program.

The headline off-property activity is golf: a 9-hole course sits within the Bijao Complex, effectively a short walk from the lobby. It is a paid extra, and it is a rare thing for a Panamanian all-inclusive — the only comparable set-up on this coast is at Coronado. El Valle de Antón, the crater town with waterfalls and a craft market, is 45 km inland and the best half-day trip from here.

Evening

Live shows, themed nights and a nightclub running 10:00pm to 2:00am (seasonal hours). The recurring guest note is that the volume is high — one 2026 reviewer summed it up as a great stay where “the entertainment was just so so, and the music was way too loud.” Take that as a planning input for your room request rather than a reason not to book.

Kids’ and Teens’ Clubs

The Mini Club covers children up to 12, open 10:00am to 6:00pm with seasonal variation, and Evenia notes children must be accompanied by an adult — read that as a supervised-play program rather than a drop-off crèche, which is a meaningful difference from the Explorer’s Club model at Dreams. There is a separate Teen Club. Combined with the water park, this is a strong family package for younger children.

Spa and Wellness

There is a Spa and Wellness centre on site with massages and body treatments. It is a paid extra and Evenia does not publish a price list, directing enquiries to the reservations team — so budget for it as an unknown rather than assuming resort-standard rates. The gym is free and open 24 hours. The hotel also sells a set of paid room add-on packages (sparkling wine and strawberries, cheese and charcuterie platters, 30- and 50-minute massage bundles, cake, early check-in and late check-out) that are worth knowing about if you are traveling for an anniversary.

What’s Included vs Extra

Included	Extra
All meals: Taboga buffet, Coco Solo snack bar, 24-hour Maui Sport Bar	À-la-carte dinners beyond your stay-length allowance
À-la-carte dinners at Sakura and Los Olivos, capped by length of stay	Spa and massage treatments
Open bar 24 hours: cocktails, rum, vodka, whiskey, domestic beer, wine, soft drinks	Golf at the 9-hole Bijao Complex course
Three pools, water park with slides, children’s water-play area	Motorized water sports (jet skis)
Sun loungers (free) and pool towels (free, deposit required)	Towel-set exchanges — a small fee applies
Kayaks and paddleboards	Excursions: El Valle de Antón, Panama Canal, Panama City
Mini Club, Teen Club, entertainment program, nightclub	Airport transfers
24-hour gym, tennis courts, games room, free parking	Early check-in and late check-out packages
Wi-Fi — stated as free for guests booking via the official website	Room decoration and romance add-on packages

All-inclusive status: true all-inclusive, with two asterisks. Evenia sells only one board here — All Inclusive 24h — starting at check-in and ending with lunch on the day of departure. There is no room-only rate. But the à-la-carte allowance is genuinely rationed by stay length, and the Wi-Fi wording ties free access to booking through the official site. Both are worth confirming before you commit through an OTA.

There is also a Day Pass (“Pasadía”), Monday to Friday, 10:00am to 6:00pm, giving non-guests facility access plus unlimited food and drinks — useful if you are staying elsewhere on the coast and want a day at the water park. Towel service is not included in the day pass.

Pricing and How to Book

Price Ranges by Season

Season	Months	Typical nightly rate (2 adults, all-inclusive)
Green season (low)	May–June, September–October	$195–$240
Shoulder	July–August, November	$215–$275
High season	Mid-December–April	$260–$350
Peak	Christmas/New Year, Easter, Carnaval	$340–$460

Live 2026 aggregator data has shown the cheapest 30-day rate around $195 a night, with a September stay for two quoted from about $198 including taxes and fees. Panamanian domestic weekend demand pushes Friday and Saturday nights higher than midweek — this resort is a two-hour drive from the capital and fills with local families on long weekends and during Carnaval.

Rates change with season and availability — confirm the current rate and exactly what’s included before you book.

Best Time to Book

Book dry-season dates (mid-December to mid-April) three to four months out, and avoid Carnaval in February unless a full, loud resort is what you want. Green season is the value window and, because the Arco Seco microclimate keeps Santa Clara far drier than the rest of Panama, September and October here are far better than the national rainfall figures suggest.

Where to Book

Evenia’s official site is the channel to check first, both for the early-booking discount of up to 20% and because free Wi-Fi is explicitly tied to booking direct. Compare against Booking.com, where the property still sits at the legacy sheraton-bijao-beach-resort URL under its current Gran Evenia Bijao name — a useful reminder of how recent the rebrand is. What you should no longer do is try to book it with Marriott Bonvoy points; the property left the Marriott system with the Sheraton flag.

Compared to Nearby Resorts

Bijao sits between the Playa Blanca cluster and Panama City, and its case rests on the water park and the quieter beach.

Hotel Riu Playa Blanca is the obvious comparison five kilometers west: bigger (573 rooms), more restaurants, a genuinely 24-hour sports bar of its own, and no à-la-carte rationing. Riu wins on dining flexibility and scale; Bijao wins decisively on water slides and on beach calm.

Wyndham Grand Playa Blanca is the upscale alternative on the same coast, and it is where to go if room finish matters more than kids’ facilities. Grand Decameron Panama is the budget mega-complex — cheaper again, with far more variable food and rooms.

If you want the city rather than the coast, Dreams Playa Bonita Panama is 90 minutes east and puts you 20–30 minutes from the Panama Canal, with no à-la-carte quota and a real teens club — but a much worse beach. And at the far end of the market, The Resort at Isla Palenque is a private-island luxury all-inclusive at several times the price.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Sheraton Bijao Beach Resort still open?

The building is open and operating, but not under that name. It launched in 2015 as the Sheraton Bijao Beach Resort, moved to Evenia Hotels as “Bijao Beach Resort by Evenia” around 2023, and now trades as Gran Evenia Bijao. It is no longer a Marriott property. A lot of travel-agent pages, GDS listings and even the Booking.com URL still carry the Sheraton name, which is why the confusion persists.

Can I still earn or redeem Marriott Bonvoy points here?

No. When the Sheraton flag came down, the property left the Marriott system. It was previously a Bonvoy Category 6 all-inclusive — one of very few in Central America — and that redemption option no longer exists. If a booking site is still offering it as a Bonvoy property, the listing is stale.

Is Gran Evenia Bijao all-inclusive?

Yes — All Inclusive 24h is the only board sold, with no room-only alternative. It starts at check-in and runs until lunch on your departure day. The one genuine caveat is that à-la-carte dinners at Sakura and Los Olivos are capped according to how many nights you stay, and must be reserved same-day in a morning or afternoon window. Buffet, snack bar, 24-hour Maui Sport Bar and all bars are unlimited.

Does the resort have a water park?

Yes, and it is the best in Panama. There is a water park with slides open 10:00am to 6:00pm, a children’s water-play area, and one of the main pools has its own slide. If you are traveling with children roughly five to twelve, this is the single strongest reason to pick Bijao over the larger Playa Blanca resorts.

How far is Gran Evenia Bijao from the airport?

Tocumen International (PTY) is about 105 km away — roughly two hours by road, longer if you cross Panama City at rush hour. Río Hato’s Scarlett Martínez International Airport (RIH) is only about 10 km from the resort, but scheduled service there is limited, so check what is flying on your dates before planning around it.

Is it really a five-star resort?

Evenia markets it as one and several listing sites repeat that. Guests largely do not agree — the Tripadvisor average on the current Gran Evenia Bijao listing sits at 3 out of 5, one review is titled simply “Definitely not a 5 star,” and 2026 comments on Hotels.com describe facilities that “appear to be lacking proper maintenance.” We rate it a solid four-star family resort with an exceptional water feature. Book it on that basis and you will not be disappointed.

Final Verdict: 7.2 out of 10

Gran Evenia Bijao is a good resort carrying a confusing identity. The building is a well-designed 2015 Sheraton — sensible layout, decent rooms, a proper 24-hour bar, a beach that is calmer than anything at Playa Blanca — and Evenia has added the one thing this coast was missing, a real water park with slides. For a family with primary-school-age children, that combination is the strongest case any Panamanian all-inclusive can make.

What pulls the score down is the gap between the marketing and the reality. Calling it five-star invites a comparison it cannot win, the à-la-carte rationing is an unwelcome surprise at a resort priced above budget tier, the maintenance complaints in 2026 reviews are consistent enough to take seriously, and the loss of the Marriott flag removed the one benefit that used to make this property genuinely unique.

Book it if you have kids who want slides, if you want a quieter beach than Playa Blanca, or if a round of golf between pool days appeals. Book the Riu instead if dining flexibility matters more, or Dreams Playa Bonita if you want to see the Panama Canal without a four-hour round trip. And for the full lay of the land — including why the Caribbean side of the country has no true all-inclusive at all — start with our Panama destination guide.