Tocumen Royal Saloon

T1 landside, before security, Tocumen Royal Saloon is the VIP lounge most flyers tell you to skip.

This lounge sits landside in Terminal 1, before any security or immigration checks, and functions mainly as a paid VIP service add-on rather than a solid place to wait. Access is through T1’s public side, used by departing and arriving passengers who haven’t gone airside yet. If you’re already checked in and heading to T1 or T2 gates, you still need time afterward to clear security and possibly immigration.

Reviews from frequent flyers on FlyerTalk are blunt: “the bottom line, don’t bother” is the consensus on Royal Saloon at PTY. The main critique centers on weak food and a generally forgettable setup, especially compared with airside options in T1 and T2. For a hub airport with many long-haul connections, that’s a red flag if you’re thinking about paying extra just for lounge time here.

Food is the main weak spot: travelers report very limited snacks, more like basic cold items than anything resembling a real meal service, with no stand-out hot dish worth timing your day around. Think light bites that won’t carry you through a long overnight or a multi-hour delay. Drink options are also described as standard rather than premium, closer to what you’d expect in a small contract lounge than a high-end VIP facility.

Seating and space get described as “fine but nothing special,” which matters when Tocumen can run busy during banked departure waves for Copa in both T1 and T2. You’re still landside here, so you do not get the typical quieter airside feel or direct views of specific departure gates like the T1 gate 100+ area. Power outlets and work-friendly seating are mentioned, but nobody calls them a reason to go out of your way.

Regulars with Priority Pass or lounge memberships generally walk past Royal Saloon and save their time for airside lounges in PTY’s T1 and T2 instead. In particular, people connecting on Copa in T1 tend to prioritize getting through security early and then finding a seat near their actual departure gate rather than burning 30–45 minutes landside here. The “strategy” that repeats in reports is essentially: skip it.

Practical tip: If someone tries to sell you Royal Saloon access as part of a VIP airport service at PTY T1, factor in that you still have to clear security and immigration afterward; your money is usually better spent getting airside quickly and eating by your actual gate in T1 or T2.