The 10 Best Luxury Hotels in Panama City

In Panama City the pool almost always comes with a front-row view: the pools sit high above the bay, on the rooftops of the old town or in the green on the edge of the city. If you choose your 5-star hotel in Panama City by its pool, you are choosing the view as well.JW Marriott Panama · Punta PacificaAbove the bay: at the JW Marriott Panama, a pool deck on the 13th floor holds four pools, including two infinity pools overlooking the bay and the Pearl Islands; one side is for adults only, and small children get a warmer pool of their own. The Waldorf Astoria Panama has a pool terrace with gold mosaic tiles, where you look out over the Pacific and the ships waiting to enter the canal.

In the old town: the luxury hotels of Casco Viejo have the water in view, too. The infinity pool of the Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo lies right by the sea, facing the Pacific and the skyline; the pool bar serves juices in the morning and tropical cocktails later on. Hotel La Compañia Casco Antiguo has its pool on the roof, lit cobalt blue after dark.

With children and cabanas: at the golf resort The Santa Maria Resort Panama City, the outdoor pool has its own children’s section, the cabanas are free, and the AQVA Pool Bar serves ceviche and cocktails in hanging chairs. If you prefer a city view, swim at the W Panama on the WET Deck on the 15th floor.

The Sofitel Spa with KOS Paris at the Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo offers treatments inspired by ancestral healing rituals. It has single and double treatment rooms, a spacious relaxation area, a tea room and a plunge pool, open daily from 9 am to 7 pm. At Hotel La Compañia Casco Antiguo the spa sits on the roof, with four treatment rooms above the old town.Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo · Panama CityWith Panamanian roots: at the golf resort The Santa Maria Resort Panama City, the signature massage is called Espiritu Santo, after Panama’s national flower, and the treatments draw on the country’s nature and ingredients. The Waldorf Astoria Spa at the Waldorf Astoria Panama is on the 7th floor, with five treatment rooms, including one for couples.

At no extra cost: you pay the same rate as booking direct with the hotel – the suitespot benefits come on top, free of charge.

After your workout: at the luxury hotels in the towers of the new city, spa and sport go together. The W Panama has the AWAY Spa and the FIT gym, and at the JW Marriott Panama, high above Punta Pacífica, a spa complements the fitness center.

Prices start at 148 € at the Marriott Hotel Panama in Albrook and go up to 357 € at the Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo in the old town; six of the ten houses cost between 190 and 215 € a night. The table shows all houses by location. You will find the current price for your travel dates in the hotel list further down.

What is included everywhere: daily breakfast for two, at the Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo in the restaurant Caleta. In eight houses the suitespot benefits apply from the first night, at Hotel La Compañia Casco Antiguo and the Hyatt Regency Ciudad de Panamá from two nights.

Upgrade, check-in and credit: an upgrade subject to availability is offered at all ten houses, usually on arrival; at the two Hyatt houses it is already granted at booking, though not from a room to a suite. Six houses add 100 US dollars in hotel credit, at the Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo for food and drinks. Early check-in and late check-out subject to availability are included almost everywhere, at the Hyatt Regency Ciudad de Panamá the early check-in.Marriott Hotel Panama · CurunduPoints and status: at nine of the ten luxury hotels in Panama City you earn points. Marriott Bonvoy applies at five houses, for example at the JW Marriott Panama; Hilton Honors at the Waldorf Astoria Panama, with double points there, and World of Hyatt at the Hyatt Regency Ciudad de Panamá. ALL (Accor) and IHG One Rewards apply at one house each. Because suitespot books at direct rates, points and status nights count as usual.

When it is loveliest: Panama City is warm all year round. From December to April, the dry season, old-town strolls and rooftop terraces beckon; from May to November the green season shows the city lush and tropical, and pool and spa are never far away.

How long to stay: for a 5-star hotel in Panama City we recommend three to four nights – for Casco Viejo, the Miraflores Locks, a walk along the Amador Causeway and an evening above the rooftops. If you want the beach afterward, add a few nights on the Riviera Pacífica.