THE RECENTLY opened Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo is perfectly located in the charming historic quarter of Panama City, the capital of what is probably the most developed country in Central America. It was built on the site of the former Club Union, Panama’s exclusive social club of the 20th century, playing host to the likes of Queen Elizabeth II and Albert Einstein.
Casco Viejo is a UNESCO heritage site uniquely defined by its mix of French, Spanish and American colonial architecture. Cobbled streets are lined with historic churches, artisanal shops, art galleries, bohemian clothing boutiques, and of course, Panama hat stores. (The famed Panama hat gets its name from President Theodore Roosevelt, who wore an Ecuadorian straw hat while visiting the Panama Canal construction site in 1906, and the name stuck.)
Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo at dusk
Casco Viejo Magnifique room
The district is home to the Panama Canal Museum, providing the historic context to the construction and management of the canal, which was completed in 1914 as the world’s most impressive engineering feat of the day. It should be noted that the Panama Canal visitor centre is 10km outside the city.
Room with a view at Sofitel Legend
Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo offers waterfront views of the Pacific and the impressive skyline of Panama’s financial district skyline and the Amador Causeway. This historic property is part of the elevated Sofitel Legend brand and one of only six worldwide, with each hotel housed in a former storied building and highlighting the host city’s finest contributions to art, culture and history.
Pool at Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo
Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo Lobby
The imposing lobby brings the Panama Canal to life with a grand, custom-made mural, sculptures and memorabilia, while outside, sun loungers line the terrace set around the large heated outdoor swimming pool. For a casual lunch, we order from the pool bar sitting under the shade of a giant parasol and relish a hearty burger accompanied by fries and a salad, all washed down with a Chichita Panamá cocktail – a mix of seco (the sweet-tasting national rum), pineapple and grapefruit juice.
Caleta
Ammi Sky Bar
Other dining options include the stand-out Caleta, helmed by Italian Michelin-starred chef Lorenzo Di Gravio, with a Panamanian menu highlighting the region’s rainbow fresh and seasonal ingredients. The dining highlight is the Croaker Fish cooked in clay, served with a tiny mallet to break the clay.
For evening cocktails elevated by live Latin music, we head up to Ammi Sky Bar, with the twinkling lights of the cityscape forming the backdrop to our final dinner within this urban oasis.
by Amanda Bernstein
Room rates start from $450 per night
Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo, Calle Primera, Oeste, San Felipe, Casco Viejo, Panama City, Panama