Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo - Panama City

Finished in hand-painted tiles that line bathrooms and public corridors, Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo occupies the 1917 Club Unión building in Panama City's UNESCO-listed Casco Viejo district. The structure opened as an elite social club designed by James C. Wright and hosted Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. It remained operational until 1969, served military purposes, and stood vacant after 1989 before restoration as a hotel in 2022.

Rooms and suites range from 35 m² Superior doubles to the 190 m² Imperial Suite, which offers four balconies and a private jacuzzi. The 185 m² Opera Suite overlooks Plaza Courtyard and carries a balcony with jacuzzi. Magnifique rooms, spanning 55 to 60 m², feature canopy beds and balconies with seating areas; most face the Pacific. All units are equipped with marble bathrooms, Diptyque amenities, and Bose sound systems.

Caleta, the main restaurant, operates under chef Lorenzo Di Gravio and serves breakfast and dinner in a brasserie setting; Pacific salmon and local crab appear on the menu. Ammi, the rooftop bar, opens onto six terraces with views across the city skyline and serves ceviche, pizzas from a brick oven, and skewers from a robata grill. Mayda, the lobby bar, extends into Plaza Courtyard, where tables sit beneath palms around a tiled fountain; afternoon tea and cocktails are available. Café Vera operates as a coffee bar.

The Sofitel SO Spa occupies the first floor with treatment cabins and a tepidarium. A fitness centre overlooks the ocean. The outdoor pool, identified as the largest in Casco Viejo, runs alongside the spa; a pool bar serves juice and light dishes. The concierge leads a 30-minute Legendary Tour daily, concluding with a candle-lighting ritual performed by dancers in traditional dress.