THE BRIEF

Panama City, or Little Miami as it’s become known, had been on my bucket list for years and years. Finally, in 2022, I booked my flight and hotel for an extended stay. I chose COPA AIRLINES for the flight which you can read about in my review. For the hotel, well that evolved into a bit of work since the research became more extensive than I had anticipated. It’s always a bit more difficult when the destination is new and unfamiliar.

After considering my priorities I decided to try the W HOTEL . I’ve never stayed at a W anywhere in the world. The W was actually started by the Starwood Hotels group back in 1998. The intent was to create a luxury brand for a younger more casual and laid-back kind of crowd. The design focus was on art and music. Starwood, unfortunately, was acquired by Marriott in 2016.

One of the nice things they did while designing the hotel was to incorporate things from Panama. The design draws from indigenous Guna and Emberá tribes who were inspiration sources.  After passing the huge W out front the traditional Panama Hat greets you at the front entrance. The hotel starts at the lobby on the 15th floor although the Spa, Gym and Meeting rooms occupy the 2 floors below the lobby. It takes up only 10 levels of the 50-story Evolution Tower.

You can expect different furnishings than you would find in a standard hotel. The lobby is decked out in a kind of comfortable living room fashion. Art of one sort or another cover the walls.

Even before I arrived in Panama I was assigned what they call a W Insider, a local expert who looks after inquiries you may have and makes sure your stay is enjoyable. Also exclusive to W Hotel is what they call the Whatever/Whenever® service to bring guests whatever they want, whenever they want it. I can tell you firsthand that they back this up with service which I experienced shortly after arriving in my room and throughout my stay.

We were approaching Christmas when I arrived. I found not only the hotel decked out for the holidays but the whole town as well had prominent displays and lighting also. The Panamanians love to celebrate this time of year for sure.

In the lounge area, they have made extensive use of Panama Canal odds and ends. For example, the lobby bar, La Cajita, is made from an old discarded shipping container that can be found along the canal in many places. The bar is painted up in a Diablos Rojos-inspired scheme by artist Oscar Melgar. Very cool!  The shipping containers can be found in the expansive, 6,835-square-foot WET Deck (pool deck) and Cargo, the destination bar housed within its own shipping container as well and it serves up handcrafted cocktails year-round.

Much of the furniture is sourced from local craftsmen and the chandeliers are fashioned from bamboo fishing baskets.

Pool areas at W hotels are referred to as Wet Decks and that was appropriate for my stay with all the rain. Besides large pools and a hot tub, there is another bar out here as well and lots of space and lounge chairs for hanging out.

The rooms have unique names that vary slightly from W to W worldwide. The top-of-the-line is always the E-WOW Suite or Extreme Wow Suite. At the W Panama, the rooms in order are…Wonderful, Spectacular, Fantastic, Marvelous, Wow and E-Wow. I was upgraded to the Fantastic Suite with panoramic city views and a huge patio outside to enjoy the night air.

As you exit the elevators on your floor you are greeted with brown hallways leading to the room’s large yellow doors.

It was certainly one of the largest suites I’ve been upgraded to. There was ample living space at around 800 square feet, not including the patio, especially for long-term stays. The room features a mix of modern art and decor with a rather bland-coloured floor and walls. It provides a warm atmosphere nonetheless and I was quite happy with it. A generous supply of mirrors is everywhere. Presumably, if you’re worthy of this area, you want to look at yourself a lot.

The center island in the room features another TV and a complement of drinks in the mini-bar. There is also tea and a Nespresso machine which is stocked daily. This is a nice change from the usual coffee machine and accompanying pellets or pouches of Joe.

The patio deck was spacious by hotel standards and provided a lovely space to enjoy the night air and evening sky. It was too hot in the daytime to be out there for more than a few minutes. I was there during the rainy season; it poured every day.

Ample space was available in 2 large closets. The bathroom was also of generous proportions. It had a separate shower room that had a window overlooking the city. For the ladies, a powder room (with you guessed it…lots of mirrors) sits tucked away behind the bed. W Hotels use Davines MOMO and skin regimen branded toiletries exclusively made for them.

Breakfast was included in the Lobby Restaurant called Moro. It’s all about ambiance with a Panamanian twist in this lovely spot of the hotel. The food is locally sourced and beautifully prepared by the chef who can be seen cooking in the kitchen through the large window at the entrance.

They make fresh juices every morning along with daily baked bread, pastries, and even pizza slices. The Hot Station features scrambled eggs ( you can order them any way you want from the kitchen, however), sausages and bacon, roasted potatoes, steamed vegetables and Panamanian specialties including tamales. There are slightly different dishes served here every day.

There is a selection of yogurts, fruits, nuts, sandwiches, and juices at the center island. Along with the freshly baked slices of bread, there are pancakes, waffles and oatmeal porridge.

The food was delicious and I ate well during my entire stay. There was no need to go anywhere else and that was great for those rainy mornings. The hotel is near Uruguay Street, known as the “Zona Rosa” of Panama, home to a bustling scene of trendy restaurants and nightclubs for those who seek some local food or entertainment.

Below the lobby, on floor 14 you can find the Away Spa and Fit which is the massive gym area for the hotel. The gym features all the bells and whistles you would expect and you can easily get great work out in here. It was never crowded during the times I used it and that made for a comfortable experience.

THE DEBRIEF

Once in a while, you make a choice you’re not really sure about and it turns out to be even better than you imagined. Such was the case with W Hotel Panama.

The experience there has me sold on the W brand and where possible I’ll be booking them. If you’re like me and prefer to have a balcony in the room (be warned that smoking is allowed on the balconies) you need to book far in advance because there are only a few rooms here with those. If you don’t like extra loud hip hop then a high floor should be your destination away from the noise of the lobby.

In summary, if Panama City is the destination, then W Hotel is a must-see. Tell them Captain Vic sent you.