When I first visited Panama City, Panama before a two oceans yacht tour on a luxury catamaran, back in the late ’00s, the capital looked nothing like it does now. Back then there was a serious hotel shortage, almost no international chains, and a big underground market in apartment rentals to meet demand. (This was before Airbnb and when few had used VRBO outside of vacation resort areas.)
There were at least 60 fewer skyscrapers in the city, no metro, and the wider Panama Canal extension that allows container ships through was still just a dream.
Back then, not so long ago, if you went to look for luxury Panama City hotels, there was The Bristol and…not much else. The deep pocket developers had not felt comfortable enough to venture into Panama and it would be years before a 5-star hotel in Casco Viejo became reality.
Now it’s a whole different story as Panama’s star keeps rising and investment keeps pouring in. All the major international hotel chains have a foothold in the Panamanian capital now, including their luxury brand in some cases.
We just added two new Panama City luxury hotels to our reviews and updated one other one while we were there, so it’s time for an update. Here are the best hotels in Panama City if you’re a high-end traveler. Fortunately, with all the competition in the city, you get a lot for your money here. Splurge a little and upgrade to a suite!
Casco Viejo Historic District
We recently reviewed the newest luxe property in town, Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo, a new build project that offers the most facilities of any property in this UNESCO World Heritage neighborhood. It has a swimming pool, several bars, a fine restaurant, and a French pastry cafe with gorgeous desserts and locally grown coffee.
The American Trade Hotel came first and is not as sprawling, but it’s a beautiful building with some historic gravitas and plenty of interesting design elements. The building dates back to 1917, when the canal was just getting rolling, and only has 50 rooms facing a plaza or the historic zone’s rooftops.
Luxury Panama City Hotels in the Business District
Our latest review for this part of the city, buzzing with commerce and high-rise condo buildings, is W Panama. It is true to the W brand vibe, with a hip-looking staff and a wealth of modern art touches, but it also pays homage to the history and the culture of the country. With a rooftop pool and bar, a cool lobby bar, and good restaurants. Earn or use Marriott points.
The JW Marriott Panama is a more buttoned-down choice from that hotel chain, but the knock-off of a famous building in Dubai is striking and the swimming pool area facing the Pacific is the largest in the city itself. It houses a casino, multiple restaurants, and several bars. Many rooms are suites with a kitchenette, so it’s a good long-stay corporate option. (See our Finesterre Executive Apartments review for another Marriott with a kitchen option.)
There’s also a well-located Le Meridien Hotel Panama City that used to be part of French chain Accor but is now one of Marriott’s 30-some brands.
If you’re loyal to Hilton instead, check out the Waldorf Astoria. One of the rare showings from that brand in Latin America, it is a high-rise in the business district with a swimming pool, a popular restaurant for power lunches, and plush rooms.
The Bristol Hotel was the original luxury offering here and it’s still one of the best Panama City luxury hotels, especially if you’d prefer an independent hotel rather than a corporate one. It has expanded over the years and now has residential-style apartments in addition to regular hotel rooms.
Business District view from the W Panama
Beach Hotels Near the Panama Canal
If you’re not coming to Panama’s largest city to hammer out deals, you can have a resort vacation without going very far. There’s an area called Playa Bonita that faces the Pacific where ships are coming into the canal, but it backs up to a rainforest where there’s very little development.
There are two Panama resorts on this stretch of sand, places where you can kick back by the pool drinking cocktails before it’s time to fly home. Or it’s a great area to mix business and pleasure if one person has to go do business presentations and the other spouse does not. It’s close enough to the city center to spend the day there and return back here at night. It’s also not far from the Biomuseo and convention center.
There’s yet another Marriott property here and it’s a sprawling beach resort with multiple pools, restaurants, and bars: the Westin Playa Bonita. We just spent a few nights there late last year and put together a quick video tour in addition to the review.
Otherwise it’s Dreams Playa Bonita, once an Intercontinental and then a Secrets before getting downgraded, where you have an all-inclusive plan and don’t have to sign for every drink and bite to eat. You can now earn or cash in Hyatt points there.
Or Stay Near the Rainforest…
Panama’s capital is one of the few cities in the world that has a rainforest in its city limits. If you want to be in a real jungle instead of an urban jungle, consider a stay at Gamboa Rainforest Resort. This won’t give you the kind of luxury Panama City hotel pampering you’ll get at some of the others mentioned here, but it’s a place where you can walk out the door and see monkeys and tropical birds. Yet you’re just a few minutes from the Panama Canal and 20-30 minutes from downtown Panama City.
There’s so much more to this country beyond the capital city though. Like Costa Rica, the real payoff comes when you get out of the metropolis and into nature. See this post for some ideas on unique things to do in Panama.
Check out luxury resorts and lodges in Panama in the rest of the country. And while you’re there, try some good Panamanian rum!
Article by Timothy
Timothy Scott is the founder and editor of Luxury Latin America and has been covering the region as a travel journalist since the mid-2000s. He has visited each country we cover multiple times and is based in a UNESCO World Heritage city in central Mexico, where he owns a home. See contact information here.
