“Would you like a glass of bubbly?” asked the concierge. Of course!
No matter that it was only 10:00 in the morning.
It’s never too early for bubbly, right?
And with that, we checked into the Global Hotel Panama in Panama City (formerly called the Grace Panama).
Global Hotel Panama review
We’d just completed an adventure cruise from Costa Rica to Panama, getting off in Panama City.
In a few days, we’d be heading off to the Bocas del Toro islands. (See our post on the best hotels in Bocas del Toro; we stayed at several of them.)
In the meantime, we wanted an affordable luxury hotel in the city – something that would be conveniently located for exploring all the great sights and things to do in Panama City that were awaiting. (Hello Panama Canal Museum!)
The Global Hotel Panama fit the bill.
Global Hotel: Panama City location
The hotel occupies the ground floor and five upper floors (13 to 17) of the Twist Tower building.
It’s minutes from the thriving financial district and close to the huge Soho City Center mall with high-end luxury shops (think Louis Vuitton and Gucci).
It’s also about a 20-minute walk to the Cinta Costera.
The Cinta Costera is a scenic, pedestrian and bicycle coastal path (over four miles long) running beside a major highway/street from the neighborhood of Paitilla to the fish market beside Casco Viejo (Panama City’s old quarter or town).
Best of all, the hotel is only a short (and cheap) Uber or cab ride away from Casco Viejo (also called Casco Antiguo) and its charming outdoor cafés, restaurants, bars, galleries and shops.
Perfect!
As it was our first visit to Panama City, we knew very little about the city, and one of our immediate questions to the concierge was: “Is it safe to walk around?”
The answer was “yes” – and while you’re cautioned not to enter some areas in Panama City, the Obarrio District (in which this luxury Panama City hotel is located) is one of Panama City’s top neighborhoods.
We were told it’s completely safe.
(Actually, many parts of Panama are surprisingly safe, though you should always be vigilant when traveling.)
One of the best hotels in Panama City, Panama
All 60 rooms and suites are stylish and contemporary in design.
Each has a 40 inch LCD HD televisions, iPod/iPhone docking station, complimentary WiFi, Italian coffee station and walk-in rain shower in the bathroom.
But the larger corner Executive rooms (490 sq. ft.), with their magnificent city and bay views through expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, are the ones that are really worth booking.
How to describe the corner rooms?
Kind of art deco?
White walls, one with a bold golden splash of color in the shape of ribbons (waves?). Gold and eggshell blue carpeting in the bedroom. High ceilings.
And a supremely comfy king-size bed with loads of pillows – the kind of bed you don’t want to climb out of.
And the bathroom?
In the corner rooms, bathrooms have gold-and-white marble floors, with a white egg-shaped bathtub placed just so in front of an enormous floor-to-ceiling window.
Pssst! Save this post!
We'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later
Bonus! You'll get our free guide on how to save up to 25% on luxury travel!
There’s also a separate marble and glass rain shower.
At night, the views of the city lights through the window were so spectacular we didn’t want to close the blinds – to heck with who could see in!
Big bottles of Salvatore Ferragamo bath products are a nice luxury touch.
Swimming pool
For us, it’s a real plus when a hotel in the middle of a city has an outdoor pool.
A pool just adds a bit of a resort feeling to an urban hotel stay.
The Global Hotel Panama has a small rooftop pool with lounge chairs.
Unfortunately – at least, when we popped up to the pool – there were no umbrellas set out and the roof overhang provided little shade.
It was therefore too hot for us to enjoy that space (and that’s probably why we didn’t see anyone else out there either).
Super service
The Global Hotel Panama gets top marks for its friendly staff and excellent service. They went out of their way to make our stay a really pleasant one.
They patiently helped us with transportation, gave directions for walks and suggested good restaurants – always with a smile.
At turndown, exquisite and creative dessert treats were placed in the room each evening (no ordinary boring mints or chocolates).
And we were always offered a glass of bubbly every time we re-entered the hotel…
If you stay at the Global Hotel Panama
Rates
When checking out where to stay in Panama City, Panama, you’ll find that nightly rates at the Global Hotel Panama are very reasonable for the luxury you get.
We found them to be less than half the cost of what you’d pay for a good hotel in Casco Viejo.
How to get around Panama City
The concierge/bellman helped organize Uber for us. The cost for a ride to Casco Viejo was a little over $5 USD.
More information and to book
See the hotel’s website.
Also check Booking.com as you may get a better rate (and/or better terms, e.g., more flexibility to cancel).
Pssst! Save this for later on Pinterest
Our top travel tips and resources
Hotels: Booking.com is great for scoring a “wow” hotel – or at least a decent one – at lower rates than the hotel’s own website. We especially like Booking’s flexible cancellation policy!
Vacation homes, condos and rentals: We prefer and use Vrbo (Vacation Rentals by Owner).
Flights: To book the cheapest flights, search on Google Flights or Expedia. (Just be aware Expedia tickets may be non-refundable.)
Airport lounge access: We love (and have) Priority Pass for comfy lounge seats, free snacks and drinks, complimentary WiFi and sometimes even showers and spa services!
Tours: For the best local food, walking and other guided tours, plus skip-the-line tickets to attractions, check out Viator (a TripAdvisor company) and GetYourGuide.
Car rental: Renting a car is often one of the best ways to explore off the beaten path. Discover Cars searches car rental companies so you get the best rates.
eSIMS: Stay connected affordably with Airalo eSIMS covering 200+ countries and trusted by 10 million+ users, including us! (No more huge roaming bills!)
Travel insurance: SafetyWing is designed for frequent travelers, long-term adventurers and digital nomads. It covers medical expenses, lost checked luggage, trip interruption and more. We also have and recommend Medjet for global air medical transportation.
Travel gear: See our travel shop to find the best luggage, accessories and other travel gear. (We suggest these comfy travel sandals for city walking, the beach and kicking about.)
Need more help planning your trip? Check out our travel tips and resources guide for airline booking tips, ways to save money, how to find great hotels and other crazy useful trip planning info.
If you make a booking or purchase through our site, we may earn a small commission (at no cost to you). Thanks!
Our media stay was partially supported by the hotel so we could write this review of the Global Hotel Panama. But as professional travel writers who follow the Society of American Travel Writers’ Code of Ethics, our trips and hotel reviews are always independent and based on our own appraisals.
Photo credits: 7 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase | 1, 5, 6, 8, 9 Global Hotel Panama
About the authors
Luxury travel journalists and SATW, NATJA and TMAC “Best Travel Blog” award winners, Janice and George Mucalov are the publishers of Sand In My Suitcase. Between them, they’ve traveled to all 7 continents. See About.
Find destination guides, global food-and-wine stories, luxury hotel reviews, articles on cultural explorations and soft adventure trips, cruise reviews, insanely useful travel tips and more!
De Angelo Santorini
Monday 25th of July 2022
There are ongoing protests in Panama making it unsafe to travel to Panama and, needless to say, you can't get to and from the airport because it's blocked by protesters.
Janice and George
Tuesday 26th of July 2022
Thank you, very good information. Something to keep an eye on, for sure... Hopefully this is temporary.
Becky
Sunday 30th of April 2017
I've always wanted to go to Panama and this looks like a fabulous place to stay. I love the colours!
Shikha
Tuesday 25th of April 2017
Oooh thanks for the tip as Panama is possibly on the cards for me in the next year or two & its great to get a recommendation of somewhere safe & luxurious! The Feragamo products sound like a very decadent little added touch! How lovely!
Irene S. Levine
Saturday 15th of April 2017
What a beautiful property! I love the decor with light airy colors. Pinned this to my hotel bathroom Pinterest board!
Janice and George
Saturday 15th of April 2017
It was a joy to stay in - affordable luxury :-).