A French Oasis in Old Panama City

Traveling into the heart of bustling Casco Viejo, I approached the front door of the Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo in old Panama City. From there, I was whisked away to another world — a world of elegance, French sophistication and a certain charm that, in my experience, defines Panama.

I was immediately greeted by helpful, smiling faces as I entered the hotel. Everyone at this property is impeccably dressed in breezy, beautiful, French-designed uniforms that don’t remotely look like uniforms.

The hotel lobby has soaring ceilings, but the size is not intimidating or overwhelming. If you are in town for a Panama Canal transit, you will recognize the large, colorful canal fresco on the wall. There are ample, inviting places to chat with a friend, work or just lounge.

Sofitel Legend is a luxury brand of France-based Accor Hotels. What makes a Sofitel a Legend? These properties are elevated from the usual Sofitel, located in cities where the French left an imprint on local culture and heritage.

At check-in, I was greeted with a hearty, “Bonjour!” from the entire team, who truly made me feel like the most important woman had just walked into their care.

Rooms booked with Fora receive some really great perks, but as a loyal Accor Hotels traveler, I received status perks as well. Not all hotels allow perk “stacking” — enjoying both travel agency and membership perks — so I was thrilled to learn I would get the best of both worlds!

About my room

My perks secured an upgrade to a room with a balcony. The room was large, comfortable and beautifully furnished, with a large, luxurious bed. The room had a sizable bar with all the typical needs, as well as locally roasted coffee and a French press. The closet was spacious with a full-size mirror and a handy bench, great for a quick shoe change.

The bathroom had surface area — an amazing and rare feature these days. If you’re someone who requires lots of stuff to get dressed every morning, you’ll appreciate those counters! Most notably among the details were the delightful toiletries from Diptyque. I could close my eyes for a moment and feel like I was on Boulevard Saint-Germain.

Sofitel Butlers

Some luxury hotels assign a personal butler to your room, but at the Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo, you have a team of butlers. With a team, you don’t have to wait long for any request. The butler team communicates with you directly via WhatsApp, so you can request assistance and ask questions at the touch of a button.

More perks

Waiting on a side table in my room were the most gorgeous platter of tropical fruits and a plate of artisan chocolates.

Your welcome drink can be enjoyed whenever it’s convenient and you have your pick from the menu. My pick at Mayda Bar was the mezcal mule, with Mezcal Rompe Corazón, pineapple, cinnamon and ginger beer. Delicious. If you visit Mayda Bar at sunset, you can watch the candle ritual. This involves dancers wearing traditional costumes of Panama, who spin and twirl through the ground floor with glowing candles in hand, symbolic of the street-lighting that happened at the end of each day in 17th-century Paris.

With a hefty food and beverage credit, I enjoyed dinner at Caleta: fish steamed in a clay crust, almost too beautiful to eat. An artistic mango pavlova was delivered to my room after I waddled back upstairs from dinner. A plate of bedtime macarons was waiting in my room on “the snack table” — part of a thoughtful turndown service with bedside slippers and bedtime mood lighting.

In the morning, breakfast at Caleta was included. My choice: cinnamon waffles with almond butter sauce. If your waffles don’t have cinnamon and almond butter, you’re doing it all wrong.

Just ahead of a late check-out, I ordered a quick iced latte and pastry at Vera Café, tucked in the corner of the lobby, but with a separate street entrance.

Note: I didn’t come close to using my entire food and beverage credit!

Other property highlights

Low on time, I missed the speakeasy, Arcano, which the butler’s research told me was the best bar for whisky in town. I also missed the spa, which was heartbreaking for a spa aficionado like me. I didn’t have time to explore the trendy pool scene, featuring an infinity pool that seemingly spills into the Pacific Ocean. One night was not enough!

Around Casco Viejo

In Panama City, the skyscrapers of the dense urban core stretch for an eternity, just to the north of Casco Viejo. Due to its slightly unusual position on the coast, you look to the east for a glorious sunrise over the Pacific Ocean. But let’s focus on Casco Viejo.

The Sofitel Legend is in Casco Viejo, as opposed to Panama Viejo. Think of Panama Viejo as the Roman Forum of Panama City, so to speak. It’s the older Old Town of Panama City, full of archeological ruins. Casco Viejo, on the other hand, is the new Old Town, a relic of colonial days from long ago. It is a vibrant mixture of Spanish, French and South American cultures.

Just a short walk from the hotel are my favorite three things in Panama City

Behind the hotel is a stretch of bougainvillea arbors that decorate a portion of Paseo de Las Bóvedas. As a whole, Paseo de las Bóvedas was a colonial fortification that served many roles through history. Today, artists display local crafts along the walkway, as the orange and pink and burgundy blooms shimmer in the breeze over your head.

For a hat lover, Le Calle de Los Sombreros is just about the most glorious street in the world! Garlands of hats hang from the rooftops above Calle 1a Oeste. Here, you will find El Guayacano, an extraordinary hat shop selling legit Panama hats. (That said, the pinta’o is the for-real, real hat of Panama, and it’s also sold at El Guayacano.) Do tell them your budget, so you don’t fall in love with a hat that’s out of range. There is a wide variety of designs and prices and everything is gorgeous! Learn how to pack your own Panama hat here.

Just around the corner, you’ll find a life-changing experience if you’re a coffee drinker: Geisha Coffee. Down Avenue A, you will find a cafe and gift shop called Lumaca. In short, Geisha Coffee is a rare variety of coffee from old Ethiopia that made a slow and arduous journey to becoming among the most expensive coffee in the world, said to be best-cultivated in Panama. I was told that you should drink Geisha Coffee the way you normally drink coffee, so I ordered an Americano, black, no sugar. It was strong. It was smooth. It was the richest, boldest, creamiest cup of coffee I’ve drank in my life. It was like the good fairy turned a dark, velvet pillow into coffee. I'm pretty sure I heard angels singing from first to last sip.

Overall

Panama as a country is working very hard to modernize and improve infrastructure to increase global tourism. I describe it as a diamond somewhere in the middle of the cutting process. The people are extremely warm, friendly and welcoming. Panama really captured my heart and imagination. It is much more than the canal — although the canal is such an important part. If you're looking for the next big thing in travel, we need to talk about Panama City.

This is an amazing hotel in a remarkable city in a country with a bustling spirit. My time spent in Panama City was way too short. There is so much to do in Panama City, but you have to make time to enjoy the hotel as well. At the end or beginning of a cruise, plan for a minimum of two nights / three days in Panama City and dedicate a full day to soaking up all the Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo has to offer. It’s a relaxing oasis, a cultural and historical gold mine, and an active city break all in one package.

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to Panama City. In need of further inspiration? Check out Diamond Durant’s guide, Panama City, Panama.