American Trade Hotel & Hall, Panama City

If there’s any doubt that Panama City’s Casco Viejo has truly joined the ranks of the world’s hippest neighborhoods, maybe the advent of the American Trade Hotel will settle the matter once and for all.

In Panama, a sort of urban renaissance is underway, centered around the town’s historic quarter, and the American Trade Hotel, for all its agenda-setting originality, is at its heart an extremely sensitive restoration project.

Call it “fictional” restoration. They’ve taken very good care of the buildings, the former American Trade department store and an adjacent commercial building, but rather than simply roll back the clock, Commune Design created a fictional backstory—that of a family-owned hotel that’s been in place for centuries. Over time, Panama being the crossroads that it is, such a hotel would naturally accumulate a wealth of eclectic influences. The result of this process of the invention is the hotel you see before you today.

Fifty rooms are the sweet spot for a vibrant yet intimate boutique hotel, and they’re a perfect mix of old and new: weathered wood, antique and modern furniture, retro colors and occasional balconies alongside Frette linens, plasma screens, and throwback-style tiled bathrooms (albeit thoroughly modern in function).

For now, the lobby bar and the rooftop pool deck do an admirable job of seeing to the hotel’s socializing needs, but a restaurant, a café and a jazz bar (under the direction of Panamanian jazz pianist Danilo Pérez) are in the works. In a hotel like this one, the social aspect is of equal importance to the rooms, if not greater—watch this space, as there’ll surely be more to come.

Main text (above) via Tablet Hotels.

in our opinion

Expressing a sense of tropical colonial heritage, the sublime interiors of the American Trade Hotel blend styles reminiscent of Havana and New Orleans' historical quarters—with contemporary luxury design rounding off the look.

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What we love

• Lovely design details (e.g. hand-painted patterned tiles!), and a delightful mix of antiques and contemporary furnishings that create a hip and refined aesthetic;
• Floor-to-ceiling paned windows in guest rooms allow nice views of Casco, its plazas, churches and the entrance to the Panama Canal;
• Food and drink places: Rooftop Pool invites to lounge on its chaises, outdoor sofas, with ample space for outdoor dinners, while Restaurant by Clara Icaza promises culinary delights from his celebrity chef. Then there is the Coffee Shop, offering in-house roast blended exclusively for the hotel, with fresh pastries and bread baked daily;
• The private library has a carefully curated book collection that includes rare and out-of-print editions;
• This beautiful design hotel fits our luxury hotel portfolio perfectly—but lies well within the budget-friendly category.

What you should know

• The 50-seat Danilo Jazz club has a special creative partnership with the world-renowned jazz pianist and UNESCO Artist for Peace Danilo Pérez, and is set to support young musicians, fostering musical education in the local community;
• The hotel is located right in the old city quarter's center, just a short walk away from historic places of interest and fine restaurants, galleries, museums, concert venues. Albrook Airport is only 4 km and Tocumen International Airport some 25 km away.
• Check-in at 2 PM, check out at midday. Pets are not allowed.