Club is OPEN & NEVER Was Closed!!!
Le Palace Night Club is the premier Strip Club in Panama City, Panama. Upon returning to the city after a long absence I looked to TUSCL from which I had also been absent for a long time. I wanted to see if anything interesting had been posted on the city. Much to my surprise the site displayed “Could not find any listings for Panama City”. I knew that at least Le Palace and Elite used to be here so I used the search function looking for Le Palace and found it identified as “Closed”. I thought “No Fucking Way”. Since it was only about two blocks from the hotel I was staying at while waiting for the keys to my friend’s condo to be dropped off, I took an afternoon stroll to see if maybe they had sold the land for a high-rise or something. Nope, it was right there across from the Hotel Ejecutivo under and behind the two big trees.
I decided to make a trip there at night to verify that they were still open. This is Latin America and nothing really begins until 10 or 11 PM so early that evening I went to their web site just to check for an opening time. Their website was active and even had a countdown clock to an 8 PM opening. ( https://www.lepalacepanamaclub.com/ *the website has up to date club info and you can get a glimpse inside the club along with some “accurate” pictures of some of the girls, not just selective pictures of only the best looking girls but rather they are representational of the standard look).
Since I was just finishing up what I was doing, I headed over arriving at about 8:30 (*overall it is very safe to walk anywhere “in this part” of the city at night). The sign out front was illuminated, the outside of the stand alone building was lit up and there was a salonero walking briskly around the side and toward the back of the building as if he was late for work. I walked up to the front door which had the hours posted (opening time 8 PM) and found it to be locked. There was an old guy sitting about 10 feet away so I asked him what time they would open (time here can be a fluid concept). He said 9:30 and as I started to leave he asked if I wasn’t going to wait because it would only be a few minutes. I said I’d be back and went to a couple of places not too far away to have a few beers and line up some pussy for later. I went back to Le Palace arriving about 10 PM to find the club open.
The club is one big room the size of a mid-sized theater which is pretty much what it is. There is no cover charge and you enter straight into the back of the room looking down the slight slope at the focal point which is a stage on the far wall where they put on shows. There is a bar to the left, walls and ceiling are painted black, not too bright but lit well enough so there is no eye adjustment coming in from the outside. Seating is both comfortable and accommodating for interaction, mostly facing the stage. There is music but volume was low enough to allow for easy conversation and sales pitches. It is an upscale club and not a dive.
There was a group of about six customers already having some fun but otherwise it was still early so I took a seat. About eight saloneros/meseros/waiters or whatever you want to call them were milling about near the bar. One of them came over to take my order. Because I already planned to write this review, I intentionally spoke to him in English and as expected he replied in kind. Most of the mid to high end customers for mongering in the City are Americans, Canadians and Brits in that order so all the saloneros will normally speak fluent or fluent enough English. If you need them they will facilitate whatever you want, be it selecting a girl for you, sending a girl of your choice over to you, or translating negotiations of expectations and/or desires, whatever, etc.
When the salonero returned with my beer, just to keep him honest I asked him in Spanish about prices (**Panama uses US currency for normal day to day transactions. The Panamanian Balboa is the official currency and One (1) Balboa coins are in wide circulation and are equal to one US dollar. It is common to receive them as change instead of US one dollar notes) . First my bottle of local beer cost 12 US dollars (just for comparison the same beer costs $3.50 at the hotel bar). Buying a girl a drink will cost a fixed $16, a lap dance costs $40 ($25 to the girl, $15 to the club), and two hours (off-site) with a girl runs $400 ($240 to the girl, $160 to the club, ***prostitution is legal in all of Panama and not just restricted to red light zones or districts. The club is located very near a number of “Hyatt” type higher end hotels which will not bat an eye if you bring someone home. ***Note: some hotels charge a “guest fee” for a “persona adicional” so check with your hotel to find out if they have such a fee before bringing any guests back with you to avoid surprises and also ask if it goes on your hotel receipt as a separate line entry if that’s important to you or to your employer or to your spouse or to whoever may see the receipt). These are flat rate prices, which is a system that I like. There isn’t any negotiating about money with any of the girls and one need not wonder if they got a good deal or were ripped off.
The Girls are why this club is the premier place in the City. They are all top shelf and most likely to be Colombians or Venezuelans but where ever they happen to be from, they are the best. No fatties, tattooed freaks, punk rockers, drug addicts, trannies, grannies, over-used whores, or street walkers working here (*see the website – not even a little panza anywhere in view). I counted 38 girls when I first sat down and more kept filtering in. They all wear matching all “white” costumes. The night I was there it was a bodice, panties, garters, and high stockings. As early as it was they were mostly standing along the walls waiting for more customers to show up before things got going. You won’t find anyone playing with their phone, disappearing to the back or ignoring you if you want their company. They are there in the club, on display, trying to sell themselves and make money.
The club put a stripper on stage early despite the low number of customers which I thought was a nice gesture. The party group had a couple of topless lap dances going on. Not only were they full two way contact but one of those girls was riding a guy cowgirl style so enthusiastically he was literally begging her to stop so he wouldn’t lose control. She didn’t seem to understand or she was simply ignoring his pleas, I’m not sure which. (Side note: in Panama many of the girls speak very limited English or quite often, none at all. I’m sure there must be a good number of girls working here who can speak English well enough. Maybe they all do if it’s a hiring requirement but I never thought to ask so I don’t know. Regardless, just ask a salonero if you think you need or want one who can speak English but I don’t think you should have a problem if you don’t speak Spanish).
In general you won’t experience an annoying hustle here. Unless you or the salonero initiates, a girl is usually just going to do the walk-by or stand or sit nearby patiently waiting to make eye contact until she is summoned over. Or she may politely approach you on her own but it shouldn’t be a hard sell and I’m sure that she won’t act offended if you aren’t interested in her. That’s not how it works here in this culture where men are still men and women are still women.
I asked a young Colombiana to join me and bought her a drink when I ordered my second beer. They brought a shot glass with a clear liquid for her that she finished in two sips. Despite how it sounds I don’t think it was any kind of a drink hustle. She didn’t ask for the drink to begin with and seemed surprised when I bought it for her without asking if she wanted it but I don’t like to drink alone. She never hinted at wanting a second one. You don’t have to buy them a drink to sit with you, but you should, and they generally won’t leave until you let them go (that doesn’t sound right but I don’t know how else to say it). I’m sure there would be some point where if you’ve wasted too much of a girl’s time and/or show no sign that she is going to make any money that either she or the club would have a way to politely extricate her from the situation. Only pay for the experience you want but remember these girls are working so bring money, spend it and don’t be a cheap ass bastard.
I think my companion was just a little bit inexperienced or maybe too anxious. I was actually trying to make small talk while I drank but she missed the clue that she should slow down a little in order to make a sale. She wasn’t pushy but she just kept bringing the conversation back to trying to close the big money deal. For instance, I asked if she ever did any of the dance shows on stage. She said no, she only dances in bed. All the conversation seemed to go like that and it was a bit of a turn off for me. She certainly wasn’t shy about it but I half wanted to tell her that I was already quite aware of what she does for a living and I didn’t need to be reminded what was available over and over again. But then again maybe some first timers to the club might need to be educated so I shouldn’t hold it against her. I thought about getting a lap dance from her but once again she missed the clue because she was more focused on making sure I knew that she gave great blow jobs.
I already had pussy lined up for later on so I wasn’t interested in what she was selling but if I had been I would have tossed her back and interviewed another girl and if necessary another and another until I found what I wanted. Don’t hesitate to do that. It’s not like there is a shortage of options here. They know why you’re there and that it is a buyer’s market, so don’t settle for something just to be a nice guy.
I had places to go, beer to drink and a waiting woman to pleasure so I tipped my little muñeca and left at that point. It was still early before things got going but I had achieved my objective of having confirmed that the club has NOT closed down. I don’t know who the hell reported this club as closed to TUSCL but they were smoking dope!
In summary Le Palace is not my personal go to club but without question it really is still the premiere club in Panama City and a good one compared to anywhere in the world. If you make your living standing on a street corner holding a cardboard sign the costs may seem high. On the other hand those same prices may seem like a great bargain if you normally club in NYC. It certainly is premium pricing for Panama City but what you get for your money is a safe, low pressure establishment with full access to world class, beauty pageant quality women and a LOT of them. Simply remember to adjust your watch to Latin Standard Time and you’ll be good to go.
BabyDoc
