(Hotel Chatter) We’ve been waiting on this one for a while, and now, over a year behind schedule, the Waldorf Astoria Panama is finally here. The 130-room hotel is in its soft opening phase right now (meaning, fancy private parties for rich people), but that’ll all change by the end of this week when the hotel officially opens on Friday.
The hotel is located on a quiet little side street in the center of the city, just two blocks from Cinta Costera, a popular pedestrian strip that hugs the Pacific coastline. Close to it are other hotel neighbors like the InterContinental and Le Meridien, though in terms of luxury service and design, this place is definitely doing something those other two hotels aren’t.
Take a look at more photos after the jump!
First up, the lobby. Palatial and all-white, it boasts high ceilings, wood and marble accents, and floor-to-ceiling windows facing out to the street. When you walk in, there is a generous lounge area in the center, with check-in on the left, and Peacock Alley Lobby Bar on the far right.
The feel of the lobby is glamorous, but it’s uncluttered, with smooth textures and a more minimalist decor than, say, Waldorf-Astoria New York. Of course, this is still Waldorf-Astoria: so part of the design features an impressive web-like wood panel that runs up the walls and wraps a portion of the ceiling ceiling from one end of the lobby to the next.
The hotel has four restaurants: Peacock Alley, (standard for all Waldorf-Astoria properties all over the globe), Ginger (a sushi restaurant and lounge), Brio Brasserie, an all-day restaurant, and Bungalow Terrace on the seventh floor, which is also where you’ll find the hotel’s rectangular, gold-tiled outdoor pool and spa.
As for the rooms, we took a peek at a ninth floor suite, which pleasantly surprised us with plenty of space, as well as an open minibar (why hide it?) installed at one end of a wooden counter that offered lots of counter space and drawers for putting away clothes. The glass-top desk next to the window was a nice touch, too. Inside the bathroom, we found Ferragamo toiletries and a stand-alone tub.
Also nice was the shimmering gold centerpiece above the headboard, which matched the golden tones of the room. Just like the lobby, the suite struck a perfect balance between classy and minimalist.
As we mentioned before, the hotel officially opens this Friday, with rates starting at $178/night.