Villa Palma Boutique Hotel ★★★★★

Italian Cabinetry Behind a Casco Viejo Facade

Casco Viejo is a district of restored facades, and the question is always what sits behind them. At Villa Palma the answer is unambiguous: a full Italian interior, furnished throughout by Francesco Molon, whose pieces turn up in grand hotels across Europe. Marquetry, mirrors, heavy fabrics and mosaic bathrooms, in fourteen rooms of which no two are identical. It is a deliberate contrast with the pared back, concrete and lime aesthetic that dominates the quarter, and it works because the house commits to it completely, from the ground floor bar to the balconies on the top suites.

Why It Works

Three things separate it from the other small hotels of the old town. The first is the address: Calle 1a Oeste sits at the quiet end of the peninsula, away from the bars, and the hotel faces one of the district landmarks across the street. The second is the roof, where a jacuzzi and the Visum bar look over the Bay of Panama and the towers on the far shore. The third is that it feeds you properly, with a French kitchen open through the day and breakfast included, in a quarter where good dinners require a reservation and a plan.

Why This Location

The old city is a small grid on a promontory, and everything in it is walkable. From the door, Plaza Francia and the sea wall promenade are a few minutes on foot, the golden altar of Iglesia San José and the cathedral square slightly closer, and the rooftop bars, galleries and small shops of the quarter are all within the same ten minute radius. The Cinta Costera walkway runs from the edge of the district towards the banking towers, the ruins of Panamá Viejo lie east along the bay, and the Miraflores locks of the canal are a short drive inland.

Fast Facts

• Price: Luxury

• Vibe: Ornate, Italian, intimate, old city

• Rooms: 14, in courtyard, deluxe and two floor executive suites with spiral staircase and balcony

• Best For: couples, design minded travellers, anyone who wants Casco Viejo on foot

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: the rooftop jacuzzi, set beside the bar and pointed straight at the bay

• Dining: Lumière for French cooking, the Visum bar on the roof and a second bar at street level, with breakfast included

• Amenities: rooftop jacuzzi and bar, 24 hour concierge and room service, valet parking, live music and dance nights through the week

• Attractions: Plaza Francia and the sea wall minutes away, Iglesia San José and the cathedral square, the Cinta Costera promenade, Panamá Viejo along the bay, Miraflores locks a short drive

Courtyard, Deluxe, and the Two Floor Suites

The three categories are genuinely different rather than graded by square metres. Courtyard rooms look inward and are the calmest. Deluxe rooms add light, space and in some cases a terrace or a work area. The executive suites are the ones to book for a special stay: two levels joined by a spiral staircase, a balcony over the street and enough room to use the sitting area rather than walk around it. All take king beds for two, with an extra bed available for a child on request, and every bathroom is a set piece of coloured mosaic.

The Roof, the Jacuzzi and the Bay

The rooftop is the reason to come back down from your room in the evening. The jacuzzi sits beside the Visum bar, the view runs across the water to the skyline, and the light at the end of the day does the rest. The same menu is served at the ground floor bar for anyone who prefers the shade, and the hotel programmes music and dance through the week, which gives the place an evening life rather than a lobby. Guests tend to eat here at least once, and then discover it is easier than leaving.

What to Know Before You Book

This is a historic building in a protected quarter, which brings the usual constraints: stairs, no lift to some rooms, and a street plan that keeps cars at a distance, so valet parking is the practical solution. The decor is maximalist and unapologetic; travellers who prefer minimal interiors should look elsewhere in the district. Pets are not accommodated and the hotel suits adults better than small children, though an extra bed can be arranged. Casco Viejo is lively at night in its central blocks, and this address sits deliberately outside them.