We recently visited Panama City, Panama. We divided our stay between two hotels: fCasco Antiguo or Casco Viejo) of Panama City, and two nights at the Waldorf Astoria Panama, which is in the financial district of Panama City.
I reserved the Waldorf Astoria through the American Express Fine Hotel & Resorts (FHR) portal for $344 for the two nights (with my Amex Platinum Card, I receive a $200 credit for one such booking per year, $100 credit to be used at the hotel, an upgraded room and complimentary breakfast).
Let me set the background: we had just completed a phenomenal stay at La
The hotel is dignified and lovely and civilized, but it is impossible to compare the vibe of Casco Vieja to that of the financial district.
This is the hotel lobby.
Check-in was smooth and we were given this instruction sheet setting forth the benefits of our Fine Hotel & Resort stay.
This is the hotel hallway.
Our room, called a Junior Suite, was sort of a trapezoid in shape. It was luxuriously designed and had plenty of space, a separate seating area, a desk and a terrace.
This treat was in our room.
There was a Nespresso coffee machine as well as a mini-bar in the room (as usual, we asked housekeeping to remove the items for sale from the mini-bar).
In case you’re curious, this is the price list for the mini-bar. Ouch.
The suite has plenty of closet space and a safe.
The bathroom is also an interesting shape! It is also very nice and spacious, with a double sink, shower and tub, and a toilet behind the shower.
The balcony is narrow but pretty. You could see the surrounding large buildings and even the ships in the water waiting (sometimes weeks) to pass through the Panama Canal.
The hotel has two restaurants, Matiz and Peacock Alley. Matiz, the fancier and more expensive of the two restaurants, is ordinarily on a higher level of the hotel. Peacock Alley, with more casual fare, is located on the ground floor. I think due to the pandemic, dinner was served only at the Peacock Alley location, but diners could order from either the Matiz or the Peacock Alley menus.
Since we had the $100 credit, we ate dinner at the hotel restaurant. The ambiance and the food was very good. Actually, we ate dinner at the hotel restaurant both nights. Here are some photos.
Breakfast was served at the upstairs Matiz location. There was a buffet with a wide selection of foods.
The hotel has a very nice outdoor pool.
There is a fitness center on the same floor as the pool.
Everything was fine at the Waldorf, but I am partial to the Casco Viejo area. If I had business or an event in the financial district, I would be happy to stay at the Waldorf.
A New York frequent flyer who elegantly combines her passions for worldwide travel, running a gazillion marathons all over the globe and staying fit ... without sacrificing her fancy for good wine and food.
Stayed there last December, somehow I kind of expected more. The pool had all kind of stuff floating like it hadn’t been cleaned. Solved the issue with the mini-bar prices by crossing the street to the souvenir/mini-market right in front of the hotel. Same beer as in the mini-bar and five times cheaper.
There was also a nice gourmet market a few doors down. We picked up some snacks and wine there.