If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (including tax) available in the next 60 days.
Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (USD198.00), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.
It’s unusual for a hotel to be greener on the inside than the outside, but behind the wooden shuttered doors of Amarla Boutique Hotel Casco Viejo lies an urban oasis of giant palms and vertical gardens blossoming with jasmine and orchids. The exposed calicanto walls are strewn with photographs of indigenous tribespeople and wildlife in Panama’s dense rainforests, which enhance the hotel’s earthy, natural aesthetic. The handicrafts of native artisans tie each of the eight rustically styled rooms and suites to a Panamanian province. Fiery local flavours await in the restaurant and the bar has a spirited South American selection of mezcals and coffee (best sipped on the rooftop, overlooking the trendier-by-the-day Casco).
Noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 3pm.
Prices
Double rooms from £174.41 ($218), including tax at 10 per cent.
More details
Rates include an à la carte breakfast.
Also
The restaurant is located on the ground floor, and rooms can be accessed via the hotel’s elevator. However, there are no specially adapted rooms for guests with mobility issues, and the duplex suites are sadly unsuitable for wheelchair users.
At the hotel
Bicycles for hire, rooftop terrace, art collection, boutique, charged laundry service, and free WiFi. In rooms: air-conditioning, gourmet minibar, artisan coffee-making kit, silk kimonos, TV (in suites only), and L’Occitane bath products.
Our favourite rooms
Every room at Amarla might be designed differently, but there’s one thread that ties everything together in a beautiful, artisan-crafted bow. The hotel’s love of local artistry is woven through every individually styled space, like the hand-decorated coffee cups painted by a Panamanian tribe, and the hand-spun textiles draped over your bed. And much like the multicultural Panama City, elements from far-flung corners have found their place beside the locally sourced treasures, including brassware from Morocco in the bathrooms, Indonesian silk in the British-made kimonos, and Portuguese linens. If you’re travelling for a special occasion (honeymooners, we’re talking to you), book the Superior Duplex Suite – as the hotel’s largest residence, it’s split over two levels, with twin balconies and a special remote-controlled skylight in the vaulted ceiling so you can watch the twinkling stars from bed.
Poolside
There’s no pool as such, just a bubbling Jacuzzi up on the rooftop for sky-high soaks. Lie back on the gigantic day-bed or one of the rattan loungers and tick off the sights as you sunbathe – the city’s pearl-encrusted cathedral towers rise above the Casco Viejo, backed by the shimmering waters of Panama Bay.
Spa
You’ll be in the healing hands of the hotel’s certified wellness instructor, who guides guests through a series of breathwork, meditation, and yoga sessions (either in your room or up on the roof), followed by a debrief in the bar with a cleansing herb-packed smoothie. Amarla has also partnered with a local spa to offer in-room massages, including couples’ treatments if you’ve booked the Superior Duplex Suite. You’ll just need to reserve any treatments at least 24 hours in advance.
Packing tips
Despite the city’s sweltering heat, you’ll never catch a true Panamanian succumbing to shorts-wearing. If you want to blend in with the locals, bring some loose-fitting, neutral trousers to style with floaty shirts and of course, one of those ivory-white hats.
Also
Jasmine, jasmine, everywhere! The floral, fruity scent of Amarla’s favourite flower fills your in-room aromatherapy diffuser – and there are fresh buds dotted around the vertical gardens that twist their way down the central staircase.
Children
Amarla is an adults-only property.
Sustainability efforts
Once linked to one of the oldest houses in Casco Viejo through a shared patio with neighbouring Casa Góngora, Amarla Boutique Hotel has been built upon many layers of history. Many of the building’s original parts have been reclaimed and given new life as coffee tables, desks, and unusual artworks, such as old doors, shutters, and even an ancient well cover. These period details proudly sit alongside hand-crafted and hand-painted pieces by Panamanian artisans, such as JB Saval – a local art student whose vibrant tropical-inspired paintings decorate the hotel’s elevator, and the carved-coconut cups you’ll be handed on arrival. In the kitchen, the Panamanian-born chef champions his childhood flavours, using locally sourced ingredients and traditional flame-cooking techniques.
Feast your eyes on dish after dish cooked over the glowing embers from the chef’s counter, as close as you can get to the fiery action.
Dress Code
Pay homage to the Panamanian pollera with floaty, folksy fabrics and brightly coloured patterns.
Hotel restaurant
Securing a reservation at the 31-cover Kaandela (which translates as ‘fire’) means you’ve bagged one of the hottest tables in town. The intimate restaurant revolves around open-fire cooking, using local ingredients in a medley of Panamanian fusion dishes – like the punchy beef tartare dusted with yuca flakes, served over Hokkaido milk bread. The pork-belly lollipops are a must-order (choose between the kimchi, kombu, and Raspadüra glaze, and the blend of tzatziki, naam, and pickled Thai chillies). Just be sure to save room for something sweet: we hear the pacamara crumble with a generous dollop of chocolate mousse and coffee ice-cream is nothing short of legendary. A candlelit evening by the flaming grill is what the Kaandela experience is all about, but pop back for brunch to admire the interiors by day. The restaurant is bathed in natural light thanks to its glass roof (extra-tall palm trees and flowering orchids in giant, bulbous pots poke their branches through), and a striking fountain happily trickles away in one corner – Amarla’s owner fell in love with the mandala design, and brought it over from Marbella (much like the azure tiles that cover the floors, which are originally from Barcelona).
Hotel bar
You’ll pass a 300-year-old well cover that hangs above the Kaandela bar, and lifts the lid on the coolest craft cocktail watering hole in Casco Viejo. We’d recommend reading the drinks menu ahead of time (there are just too many enticing concoctions to choose from), and starting with the mixologist’s favourite – the jalapeño-spiced Picaron, an exotic blend of passion fruit, smoked coconut syrup, lemon, tropical shrub, and local mezcal. The wine list is equally extensive, and brings together South American labels with natural wines from Europe.
Last orders
Breakfast is from 7am to 10am, brunch from 11am to 3pm on Sundays only, lunch from noon to 3pm, and dinner from 7pm to 11pm.
Room service
Anything from the full Kaandela menu can be ordered to your room during kitchen hours.
Amarla Boutique Hotel Casco Viejo is in the heart of the historic quarter (known locally as San Felipe), rubbing shoulders with pastel-painted houses set along cobblestone streets from the colonial era.
Planes
Tocumen International Airport is just over 30 minutes’ drive from the hotel, with private transfers starting from US$40 (one-way).
Trains
The closest underground connection is Estación 5 de Mayo, around a 15-minute walk away; it’s on Line 1, which travels from north to south. It’s worth buying a Metrocard to cover train and bus fares while you’re here.
Automobiles
There’s no parking at the hotel, and driving in Panama City comes with its own set of challenges (signage is confusing at best, and don’t get us started on the rush-hour traffic). It’s a city best seen on foot or by bicycle, but if you’re coming by car, there’s parking at the nearby National Theatre for an additional charge.
Worth getting out of bed for
The increasingly stylish Casco Viejo and all its colonial-era charms are within easy reach of Amarla Boutique Hotel. You won’t need to venture far to start your cultural tour; Amarla’s next-door neighbour is the historic Casa Góngora, an 18th-century mansion that once belonged to Paul Góngora Caceres, a wealthy Spanish pearl merchant. Now, it’s known as the Casa de la Cultura y del Artista Panameño – a creative-arts centre, which hosts live jazz evenings, fashion shows, and rotating art exhibitions. Housing over 200 hand-made molas by the indigenous Guna tribe, the Museo de la Mola (a five-minute walk away) delves into the history of these traditional textiles – as well as offering hands-on macramé and embroidery workshops. Hop on one of the hotel’s bicycles and pedal your way to Frank Gehry’s Biomuseo (or take a 10-minute taxi ride to the Amador Causeway), an interactive museum, botanical gardens, and outdoor biodiversity park dedicated to the natural history of Panama. Even if you don’t have time to see all the ecosystem-focused exhibitions inside, it’s worth popping by just for the spectacular, rainbow-coloured roof panels, which form the Tetris-like exterior, facing the Pacific Ocean. Sticking on the city’s Pacific side, continue your cycle ride along the scenic Cinta Costera (or ‘Coastal Belt’), stopping for a stroll through the Japanese Garden and for some snaps along the Mirador del Pacífico – a look-out point across Panama Bay. And yes, it’s touristy, but you should save an hour or so to watch the containerships edge in and out of the iconic Panama Canal (we promise it’s more fun than it sounds, and one to bring the camera along for too).
Local restaurants
Make like the locals at lunchtime and head to the Mercado de Mariscos, a waterfront fish market where you can choose from stalls overflowing with fresh-out-the-water seafood – ask the chefs upstairs to cook your catch over the grill, or take away a cup of zingy ceviche and an ice-cold beer. For something a little more elevated (but still on the traditional side), try Restaurante Tomillo – a rustic, glass-fronted dining space, which serves up wood-fired steaks and fiery salsas, accompanied by spiced pineapple rum-based cocktails and paired wines from the cellar.
Local cafés
Adopted home of the Ethiopian Geisha bean, Panama takes its coffee seriously (the sky-high prices are no laughing matter either). Considered the ‘champagne of coffee’, Geisha beans are brewed to aromatic perfection at Café Unido (there’s one in Casco Viejo for your closest caffeine fix). For something sweeter, pick up a couple of scoops (or an entire pint) from French ice-cream parlour Granclément – top Panamanian picks are the dulce de leche, rum and raisin, and coffee (naturally).
Local bars
Once a bit of a rough-and-tumble neighbourhood, Casco Viejo is still the heart and soul of the city’s party scene. A far cry from its silent-movie theatre origins, the Teatro Amador has cranked up the volume a few notches, drawing clubbing crowds to its live DJ nights, salsa sessions, and jazz-band performances.
Every hotel featured is visited personally by members of our team, given the Smith seal of approval, and then anonymously reviewed. As soon as our reviewers have returned from this art-filled haven in Panama and unpacked their hand-embroidered molas and Geisha coffee beans, a full account of their tropical city break will be with you. In the meantime, to whet your wanderlust, here's a quick peek inside Amarla Boutique Hotel Casco Viejo in Panama City…
Amarla Boutique Hotel Casco Viejo started life in the 17th century as the home of an affluent Panamanian family, but has been through several iterations over the years (no thanks to gunpowder raids from swashbuckling pirates, and the devastating Fuego Grande of 1737 – shortly followed by the smaller fire of 1751). The casa you’ll be staying in today is built of sturdier stuff than its wooden predecessors, though the open-flame concept restaurant is still somewhat playing with fire – no hazards, just expertly charred local meats, fish, and vegetables, stoked by a cocktail menu which continues to turn up the heat.
In contrast, the interiors are a cooling combination of exposed stone, brick, and wood, fanned by luscious palm fronds and tropical plants at every turn. You’ll be taken on a visual venture through the 10 provinces of Panama by photographer Phoebe Maria, who spent 10 months trekking through tangles of jungle to capture local people, plants, and animals in their natural environments. There’s a handy QR code beside every print if you’d like to scan and pre-order a piece of Panama to take home, or you can peruse the hotel’s boutique for handcrafted ceramics and textiles that support the livelihoods of local artisans.
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