Where to Stay in Panama City, Panama
The capital city of the Central American country Panama is Panama City, located on the Pacific Coast. It is a surprisingly cosmopolitan city with stunning high-rises, a leading international banking community, and world-class nightclubs.
Whether traveling there for business, fun, or a get away from other nearby Panamanian towns, here is where to stay when visiting Panama City.
Trump Ocean Club International ** as of 7/2018 this is now the JW Marriott Panama City
The JW Marriott is a luxury hotel with reasonable prices, enormous rooms, and the best infinity pool in the city. The lobby is spectacular and service is impeccable. It boasts three on-site restaurants, a shopping arcade, and modernly furnished rooms. The city and waterfront views are fantastic for the most part, but the seawall changes that when the tide goes out.
Though not really in walking distance to many Panama City hot spots, you have everything that you need at the hotel so you should not need to leave.
Hard Rock Hotel Panama
Touted the Megapolis, the Hard Rock Hotel is a popular choice, especially with millennials, because it houses a casino plus lively restaurants and bars. The hotel’s tagline is “Rock Hard at Latin America’s Hottest Hotel“. The Hard Rock Hotel Panama is always crowded; maybe due to the fact that the hotel has around 1500 rooms.
Check out all of the rock & roll artifacts scattered around first two floors of the hotel and enjoy the Hard Rock’s pool. The pool deck offers spectacular views of the modern skyscrapers in Panama City. I hear the spa is noteworthy and the convention center is always in use.
Sortis Hotel
My favorite hotel in Panama City is the Sortis Hotel, Spa, and Casino, a Marriott Autograph collection hotels brand. The Sortis has high standards for service, incredibly modern and functional rooms, and is so enormous that the property houses a shopping mall and at least a half a dozen restaurants. If your budget allows, book the Loft or the One Bed Suite; they are both absolutely amazing!
The Sortis is within walking distance to Panama City’s newest and most desirable shopping mall, but you honestly never even need to go off of the premises. Everything that you need is comfortably available, including the largest casino in Panama.
Panama Marriott Hotel
The Panama Marriott Hotel has a great location in downtown Panama City walkable to casinos, shopping centers, restaurants, and other points of interest. It offers plush rooms with warm decor, hotel perks and points, and discounts galore.
We stay at the Panama Marriott Hotel for budget rooms or when we want to explore the city by foot. It features four restaurants (one is a high energy sports bar), health club, and spa. The Panama Marriott’s lobby is gorgeous!
Are You Coming to Panama City, Panama?
Panama City is a high energy destination that will win your heart. Indulge in a luxurious suite or stay in a minimalistic room that won’t break the bank. The options in this Latin American city are endless.
Looking for adventure in Panama City? How about a Panama day trip to Monkey Island or Fort San Lorenzo? Read more about them here.
More Photos of Where to Stay in Panama City
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Check out our other Panama posts:
Dining at La Vespa, Panama City
JW Marriott in Rio Hato, Panama
Natalie says
September 2, 2017 at 9:06 PMI’d never considered visiting Panama before I started reading your blog, but I am definitely intrigued! These hotels look beautiful, and I would love to relax poolside at a few of them. 🙂
MelodyPittman says
September 4, 2017 at 4:53 PMAwesome! I hope you will check back, I have 5-6 more coming out soon. 😉 Finally writing about the country we chose to live part-time in. LOL Panama City is very chic and metropolitan.
Eric Gamble says
September 3, 2017 at 1:26 AMThat pool looked amazing. I too would love to eat brunch at the restaurant in the Trump Hotel and the food at the sortis Hotel also looked great
MelodyPittman says
September 4, 2017 at 4:50 PMThanks for reading! 😉 OMG, that brunch… amazing and so many seafood choices were included as well.
Kavey Favelle says
September 3, 2017 at 2:45 AMSome wonderful looking properties, I love the Hard Rock pool in particular. If Trump still owns the hotel with his name, I would never stay there, but the rest of the list still gives me some really excellent options!
MelodyPittman says
September 4, 2017 at 4:50 PMHe sold it a while back. They are all great options and prices, just different locations. Thanks so much for reading. 😉
Michelle W says
September 3, 2017 at 7:20 PMThese places all look wonderful! To be honest, I’d had a bad impression of the city as a friend of mine was violently mugged while vacationing there- however, I know that does not speak for an entire city nor country. These hotels and views look fabulous- and I love the photos!
MelodyPittman says
September 4, 2017 at 4:52 PMThanks so much Michelle. There are parts of the entire country that I am more cautious in than others but over our last 5 years there, Panama has done a good job of cleaning up and such. I am so sorry to hear about your friend. Electronics seem to be a big thing that people get robbed for but I try to stay in the more populated places. It really is a great country with so many different types of weather and cities.
Roxanna Keyes says
September 4, 2017 at 12:48 PMI have literally never read an article on Panama visits, nor had in any list of options for planned visits. It looks remarkably modern and upscale, and your photos make it look quite appealing. I think I need to add it! Thanks!
MelodyPittman says
September 4, 2017 at 4:57 PMHi, Roxanna. Thanks so much for letting me know. I actually live part-time in Boquete, 6 hours away from Panama City and have quite a few other articles that I’m working on. I’m glad you were surprised by it and hope you will add to your travel bucket list. 😉
Brianna says
September 4, 2017 at 2:30 PMWoah! I would have never guessed from the photos that this was Panama City! Most other Central American countries I’ve visited don’t really have many hotels like this. Sounds like I need to book a trip!
MelodyPittman says
September 4, 2017 at 4:44 PMAwesome! Panama City is very metropolitan. I love their skyline. 😉
Laura @ Sometime Traveller says
September 5, 2017 at 8:32 AMGreat guide! I love the look of that pool at the Hard Rock hotel – gotta love a swim with a view!
Corinne says
September 6, 2017 at 11:57 AMI really like a post like this, because booking a hotel can be so tedious and it’s always great to know what other bloggers recommend. thank.
MelodyPittman says
September 13, 2017 at 11:52 PMMy pleasure. They are all top-notch. 😉
Nic says
September 6, 2017 at 11:35 PMWow, who knew there as all these amazing places to stay in Panama. Can’t wait till we head down to this part of the world some day…though I think we might end up in a hostel rather than these places!
MelodyPittman says
September 13, 2017 at 11:51 PMOr my apartment if you make it to Boquete. 😉
Nina Danielle says
September 7, 2017 at 10:25 PMOh I want the hard rock hotel! That pool with a rooftop view is calling to me!
Carmen Edelson says
September 8, 2017 at 3:51 AMThey are all such beautiful properties! I’d stay in any of them, thanks for sharing 🙂
Max the traveller says
July 2, 2018 at 7:06 AMI’ve been in the Hard Rock hotel of Panama City too and can absolutely recommend it. Here is an tip for all who would like to stay there and save some money. In this hotel there are some private rooms bought by private people. Those people are renting these rooms for less money than the hotel do for the other rooms.
I found such a suite at homeway.com and paid about 60 US-Dollars per night.
I’ve also been in the Riu Hotel and must unfurtonately dissuade from this place. The reason for that is, that this hotel boasting with 5 stars but the service at this place was everything but 5 stars.
MelodyPittman says
July 6, 2018 at 9:34 AMThanks so much for the tip about the Hard Rock. I will be glad to pass that on to my friends who live in Panama and come to the city quite often. As for the Riu, we have had ups and downs there but I do appreciate the price and convenience, not to mention those amazing orchids all around the property. We had one really bad stay when the computers were down and I was given a key to the wrong room (or the key did not work) to three different rooms. (one room was occupied).