PANAMA: Cabin with private pool? Luxury Airbnbs are growing in Panama while hotel occupancy remains at 57.9%.

Eden Ubedi cabin with private pool

Eden Ubedi, a boutique villa for two people in San Carlos, reports weekends sold out months in advance.

The guest who seeks us out wants the place to themselves, without sharing the pool or common areas. The capacity is two people; we don't compete on volume.”

— Eden Ubedi

LA CHORRERA, SAN CARLOS, BEACH AREA, PANAMA, June 19, 2026 / EINPresswire.com / -- Panama closed 2025 with record figures: 3,004,266 international visitors and $6.583 billion in tourism revenue, increases of 8.2% and 9.7% respectively compared to 2024,

according to the Panama Tourism Authority (ATP). The same official report, however, registered an average hotel occupancy rate of only 57.9%. The gap between these two figures—more visitors than ever, hotels at just over half capacity—has brought attention to a segment that hotel statistics don't capture: the rental of entire properties, particularly villas and cabins with private pools for small groups.

Eden Ubedi, a boutique villa on the San Carlos beach corridor, offers a measurable example of this demand. The property—150 square meters for a maximum of two people—reports that its weekends sell out one to three months in advance, a level of early occupancy that contrasts sharply with the national average for the hotel industry. This is

a segment that hotel statistics don't capture.
The industry term for this behavior is "disconnect tourism": travelers who prioritize privacy and exclusive use of the space over the number of amenities or the brand of the accommodation. This format—an entire home not shared with other guests—has fallen off the radar of traditional occupancy indicators, which measure rooms, not entire properties like cabins with private pools.

"The 57.9% figure doesn't mean there's a lack of travelers; it means that some of them are staying in a different format," says Robert Kersbergen, founder of Eden Ubedi and a resident of Panama for over a decade. "The guest who books an entire villa for two doesn't appear in a hotel's occupancy statistics, but they are spending: on lodging, local restaurants, and transportation."

The US Factor:
Much of that demand comes from abroad. South America led the source markets for Panama in 2025, according to the ATP (Panama Tourism Authority), but private rental operators point to growth in US travelers, favored by three objective conditions: Panama uses the US dollar as its legal tender, eliminating currency exchange; it maintains direct air connections with cities like Miami (around a three-hour flight), Houston, Orlando, and New York; and it shares a time zone with the eastern United States for much of the year. US citizens do not require a visa for tourist stays.

Based on this profile, Eden Ubedi offers a concrete price comparison. The company reports rates starting at $179 per night for the entire property—not per room—a villa for two with a private pool, jacuzzi, fully equipped kitchen, and Starlink satellite internet included. Its top-tier package, called "Sublime," costs $790 and includes a butler and private dinner. The idea, Kersbergen acknowledges, is for travelers to pay for the entire villa what they would pay for a beach hotel room during peak season.

A proposition defined by its restrictions.
Unlike the resort model, Eden Ubedi operates with strict limits: a maximum capacity of two people, no children or infants, no events or parties, and no shared spaces. The company maintains that these restrictions, far from reducing demand, concentrate it on a specific clientele—anniversaries, honeymoons, and weekend getaways for couples—willing to pay a higher nightly rate in exchange for exclusivity.

Nomara, the second property, adapts this model without abandoning it: it will accommodate up to four adults, in addition to children and infants, maintaining the principle of complete private ownership with an exclusive pool. The waiting list is open via Instagram (@nomaraprivada).

Context: Tourism's Impact on the Economy.
Tourism represents approximately 8% of Panama's GDP and roughly 10% of the country's employment, according to Promtur Panama. For beach destinations near the capital—San Carlos, Coronado, and the Pacific corridor, about 90 minutes from Panama City—the shift of some spending from large hotels to high-value private rentals has a noticeable effect: higher nightly rates and a direct economic impact on local businesses, restaurants, and services, rather than spending concentrated within a gated community. If this trend continues, the hotel occupancy rate alone will no longer be a comprehensive measure of the area's tourism performance.

Property Details:
Eden Ubedi is located in the San Carlos beach area, three minutes from the Pan-American Highway and a five- to ten-minute drive from three beaches. It includes a king-size bed, private pool, jacuzzi, movie screen, fully equipped kitchen, Starlink internet, private parking, and a fenced garden; up to two pets are welcome free of charge. Check-in is from 3:00 pm and check-out is until 11:00 am. Reservations are managed directly through the website and WhatsApp; the availability calendar is posted at edenubedi.com/calendario.

About Eden Ubedi:
Eden Ubedi is a private boutique villa— a cabin with a pool.A private retreat for couples—in San Carlos, on Panama's Pacific coast. It offers the entire property for two people, not a shared room. In July 2026, a second property, Nomara, geared toward families and small groups, will be added. More information: edenubedi.com.