The Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo opened its doors one month ago, making it the sixth luxurious Sofitel Legend hotel in the entire world.
It is not very often that a UNESCO-listed neighborhood can brag about a fresh addition to its roster of attractions. Since the 17th century, not much has changed in the historic district of Panama City known as Casco Viejo (also known as Casco Antigua). The streets in this district are still built with brick.
Colonial-style, pastel buildings with wrought-iron balconies evocative of Old San Juan in Puerto Rico and New Orleans are nestled up against centuries-old churches and the palace of the president, both of which date back hundreds of years. Nonetheless, the former Union Club, which was constructed in 1917, is considered to be one of the most recognizable structures in the Casco Viejo neighborhood. It had been abandoned for more than three decades before it was used as a setting in movies such as "Quantum of Solace," which starred Daniel Craig as James Bond in 2008. Currently, it stands as the Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo, the most recent addition to the collection of hotels in the neighbourhood.
Because the building had been bombed during the American invasion in 1989 and only the original colonial French facade was left standing, the local architect Manuel Choy looked to old photographs for ideas on how to design the building's interior. Rumor has it that the Panamanian politician Manuel Noriega once hid out in this building. The photographs were used as a reference throughout the five-year restoration process that transformed Panama's historic social club into the 159-room Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo Panama, which made its premiere earlier this month.
The hotel is located on the edge of Casco Viejo, away from the foot bustle of cruise ship guests looking for Panama hats. It is strategically situated between the Pacific entry to the Panama Canal and "new Panama," the business sector dominated by skyscrapers. "We are a secret sanctuary," general manager David Kianni tells me. "When you look at the structure from the outside, it appears to be quite little. It gives the impression that there is no life behind it."
It is quite difficult to get an accurate sense of the size of the hotel from the outside. I got my first taste of Panamanian culture as doormen wearing Panama hats and women outfitted in cream-colored, embroidered dresses greeted me as I was whisked through the same regal, art nouveau–columned entrance that the likes of Albert Einstein and Queen Elizabeth II once passed through. This entrance was once used by the likes of Albert Einstein and Queen Elizabeth II. The Panamanian designer Federico Visuetti designed the uniform around "anecdotes from yesterday's Panama," recreating the elegance of the 1940s, 1950s, and part of the 1960s, fusing it with Parisian-chic, and providing the local touch with embroidered details that pay homage to la pollera, which is recognised as one of the most beautiful and expensive traditional dresses in the world, as he explains.
The lesson on Panamanian history continues in the lobby, which features patterned cement floor and wall tile that was handcrafted in Nicaragua. These tiles are an imitation of a process that was invented in Paris in the 1860s and was popular during the time that the French canal was in operation in Casco. It was at this time that the majority of Casco Viejo's structures were built. The Panama Canal serves as the inspiration behind the interior design, which features elements such as nautical themes, historic black-and-white images, and a tile mural that makes a bold statement depicting the canal itself.
The vast majority of Panama's orchids are shipped outside, but the country is home to more than a thousand different species, thus a wide range of orchid varieties are shown across the country in arrangements that sit atop tables and in the courtyard gardens of the central plaza. On the day that I arrived, I happened to be in those grounds, and I happened to see the singer Gloria Estefan enjoying lunch there.
Kianni notes that in order to conserve as much of the building's rich history and legacy as they possibly could, the architects put in a lot of hard work. This structure is significant not only for Panama but also for the people of Panama. "We wanted to make sure that this place seemed historic and colonial, but despite the fact that the rooms feel colonial in many respects, they are still extremely French and fashionable – they are yet modern."
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The Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo seamlessly incorporates elements of Panama's past through features such as elegant standing tubs with bronze and porcelain handles, and an evening sunset ceremony with elaborate costumes and dancing. This is similar to how Panama City preserves its cultural heritage through Casco Viejo while continuing to modernise the newer part of town. The rooms come stocked with toiletries from Diptyque, but my majordomo (butler service is a perk for those staying in one of the 35 suites), brought a selection of scented artisanal soaps and drew a lavender bud–sprinkled bubble bath that was so relaxing that it was difficult to drag myself out of it at the end of the day.
The pool, which is the largest in Casco, contributes to the resort atmosphere by providing sun loungers that are submerged in the water as well as an upscale indoor bar that brings freshly made juices, smoothies, drinks, and the country's eponymous beer directly to your sun bed. It felt like I had slipped away to one of Panama's private island resorts while I was tanning poolside, but in reality, I was just feet away from amazing restaurants like Fonda Lo Que Hay, the busy fish market Mercado de Mariscos, and the family estate-run coffee shop Sisi.
The five restaurants and pubs are all overseen by Lorenzo Di Gravio, an Italian chef. The flowers and greens come from a farm in the province of Chiriqu; the meat comes from the Volcán Bar area; the fish, such as red snapper and grouper, comes from a local company with two boats, one based in the Atlantic and the other in the Pacific; and the homemade corn buns and chicken tamales (served at breakfast) are made by a small artisan producer in La Chorrera, which is an hour's drive from the capital city of Panama City.
Although the namesake restaurant, Caleta, may be fashioned like a brasserie in the Mediterranean region, the head chef's goal is for the food to be representative of what can be found in Panama. (To accompany the suckling pig with taro root puree and escarole that Di Gravio is presenting, he has prepared a shellfish salad with mandarin and lemon aioli.)
The French-style Vera Café produces speciality coffee using beans purchased from Santos Café, a family-run business in the mountains of Panama that has been producing coffee for five generations. And in vitrines you'll find freshly baked croissants that are every bit as delicate as the ones you'd get in Paris; I should know, since I've spent the better part of the last decade living in France and eating my fair share of croissants there. Ammi, a speakeasy that will soon open, is expected to become one of the most popular new rooftop artisan cocktail bars in Casco. It will also include breathtaking views of the cityscape of the contemporary city.
Due to the fact that the Panama Canal connects all areas of the world, Panama functions as a hub. Although the nation occupies a strategic location at the intersection of North and South America and on the isthmus that separates the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, it is better renowned for its role as a port of call for cruise ships than for its appeal to tourists. According to Kianni, "We acknowledge that the country is a jewel, and that there is a great deal to offer." "Now that a premium hotel like ours has arrived in the area and is promoting the destination, we are demonstrating just how abundant Panama's cultural offerings are."