Hotel Review • North America • Panama • Panama City
Amarla Casco Viejo: An Eight-Room Property That Might Be Panama City’s Most Stylish Boutique Hotel
An eight-room hideaway in a 17th-century building in Panama City's historic Casco Viejo, with a killer restaurant on the ground floor and a rooftop hot tub that looks over the bay.
Credit: Amarla Casco Viejo
BY NOAH CORTEZ
Why it works
Hotel Snapshot
Panama City is a stopover town for most travelers, but there’s a ton to do while you’re there. Amarla Casco Viejo is the perfect intro to the city, and an awesome base for your trip, whether you’re in town for 24 hours or for 24 days. The eight-room boutique hotel occupies a narrow building on a brick-paved street a couple of blocks off the waterfront in the historic quarter, and stepping inside feels like a comforting hug that provides a respite from the hustle and bustle outside: shuttered wooden doors, tasteful design, and an interior that's greener than the block outside, full of oversized palms and vertical gardens climbing the exposed calicanto walls. It’s also got a restaurant, Kaandela, on the ground floor that’s worth a reservation even if you don’t stay here, and a hot tub on the roof looking across both the old city and the glass towers of the new one.
Design & Character
The building dates to 1673, survived both of the fires that tore through the neighborhood in the 1700s, and was rebuilt in 1921 to house the staff working next door at Casa Góngora. Amarla took it over in 2022, the second property from hotelier Robin Faulkner after an opening in Cartagena earlier that same year. Each of the eight rooms is tied to a different Panamanian province through the work of local artisans, and the walls throughout are hung with photographs of Guna communities and Panamanian wildlife. And, if any of the art is something you want to take home, the photographs carry QR codes that take you to a page where you can buy a print, with 30% of the proceeds going back to the communities in the images.
The Rooms
There are only eight rooms here, six classic rooms and two suites, which imparts a vibe that this is more a family manor that started taking guests rather than a hotel. I had one of the duplex suites: a modest bathroom, open living space, and balcony on the lower level, then a spiral staircase up to a king bed tucked on the mezzanine under a vaulted wood-paneled ceiling, with a skylight. The balcony hangs right over the street, which I loved, though I'll be honest that Casco Viejo can be pretty loud; If you sleep lightly, pack earplugs and you'll be fine. And the art tied everything together: The walls are hung with photographs of Guna communities and Panamanian wildlife alongside pieces from local artisans. The room itself is unfussy but clearly thoughtfully designed: cane and rattan, pale wood, plants in every corner, a minibar with Panamanian beer, a Chemex for coffee, and air conditioning, which in Panama City is very handy with the humidity.
Credit: Amarla Casco Viejo
Food & Drink
Kaandela sits on the ground floor and is one of the most sought-after tables in Panama City. The concept is farm-to-fire with a popular tasting menu option, built around an open kitchen with big grills, and the menu runs from raw and cold dishes through whatever's coming off the flame, with ingredients sourced through direct relationships with Panamanian farmers. The dining room spills into a covered courtyard where two trees grow straight up through the glass ceiling. Breakfast is guests-only from 7 to 10 a.m., after which the public comes in for lunch and dinner. Hotel guests get a discount on the food and drink, which makes eating in the smart play at least once.
Spa & Wellness
There isn’t a dedicated on-site spa, but you can arrange for massages on the rooftop. I didn’t set something up so I can’t comment on the experience.
Amenities
There’s a jacuzzi on the rooftop, and as far as activities go, the team can arrange excursions across the country, from historical walking tours to ocean safaris to Geisha coffee tastings, and the whole building can be bought out for up to 16 guests if you're bringing a group.
The neighborhood
Casco Viejo is the reason to stay here. The quarter is a UNESCO World Heritage site, roughly a dozen square blocks of Spanish colonial and French-era architecture in various stages of restoration, and you can cover basically all of it on foot from Amarla's door (Uber is an option but the streets are so narrow that it honestly is faster to walk everywhere in this part of town). Plaza de Francia sits out on the point with its seawall promenade and views back toward the skyline. The Catedral Basílica Metropolitana Santa María La Antigua anchors the main square. The National Theatre from 1908, the Panama Canal Museum, the Museo de la Mola, and the Palacio de las Garzas, where the president works, are also all within a ten-minute walk.
Panama City is also very rooftop-driven. Rooftop bars have multiplied across the neighborhood in the last few years, and there’s no shortage of options for a fun night out. For dinner, the one spot I'd send you to is Fonda Lo Que Hay, chef José Olmedo Carles Rojas's upscale take on the roadside fondas local Panamanians eat at, in a neon-lit room with the energy of a cocktail bar. Get the toasted yuca with tuna carpaccio and onion ceviche.
Fast Facts
Location: Casco Viejo, Panama City, Panama
Vibe: Cozy, well-designed, and intimate
Rooms: 8
Pricing: From $218 per night
Dining & Cocktails: Kaandela (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
Amenities & Services: In-room spa treatments on request, rooftop hot tub, tailor-made excursions across Panama, discount at Kaandela, Wi-Fi throughout, air conditioning, minibar, upscale toiletries, full-building buyouts
Closest airport: Tocumen International (PTY)
Gallery
A closer look
Credit: Amarla Casco Viejo
Credit: Amarla Casco Viejo
Credit: Amarla Casco Viejo
Credit: Amarla Casco Viejo
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