Why this new luxurious lodge in Panama ought to make you enthusiastic about Sofitel

The rooms

One should bear in mind Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo was a hollowed-out shell of a constructing when the redevelopment started. So, whereas it would really feel just like the mosaic flooring and breezy terraces have been right here for many years, that is all newly constructed and solely months into its lifespan.

My Oceanfront Magnifique visitor room included a king mattress, a sitting space and a balcony good for eating exterior and having fun with views of Panama Bay. The spacious room included an entry hall with a whole row of built-in closets and a storage space for my baggage (one thing I want extra accommodations would do as a substitute of the collapsible baggage racks).

Reverse the closets was a big rest room with a stand-alone, claw-footed soaking tub, double vainness and walk-in bathe. The bronze and porcelain {hardware} all through gave the room a extra mature really feel though it was just a few weeks outdated. I’m not an enormous fan of the open-concept bogs taking up the luxurious lodge area nowadays, so I used to be blissful to see the Sofitel Legend’s spacious rest room didn’t embrace a fowl’s-eye view into the bed room and past.

The expansive bed room and sitting space included a big workstation and four-poster mattress (every in darkish wooden that popped towards the cream partitions). A sitting space included a velvety light-blue sofa and occasional desk good for having fun with espresso, studying or catching up on emails away from the workstation.

A big chest reverse the sofa housed the minibar and complimentary boxed waters, tea and occasional to be used within the in-room French press. The minibar included native and worldwide manufacturers for snacks and drinks.

Contemplating how a lot of a goblin I may be within the morning till I’ve my first cup of espresso, I used to be initially slightly uneasy in regards to the thought of a lot effort going into making my much-needed java.

It ended up being a enjoyable addition to the morning routine, contemplating the lodge offered exact measurements and directions on easy methods to get the temperature and timing excellent. It packed extra of a punch than my regular lodge Nespresso, so I used to be energized for a full day of actions after only one cup. I discovered extra about Panama’s high-end espresso tradition throughout my keep and even purchased a bag of Panamanian Geisha espresso to take dwelling.

My favourite a part of the room was the balcony exterior, because it included a shocking view of the Panama Metropolis skyline and was a superb spot to drink espresso and eat breakfast within the morning whereas watching the solar rise over town. Whereas it was heat throughout my keep, it wasn’t overly humid, so I typically saved the French doorways open to let within the sea breeze. (Conserving the doorways open for longer than a minute shut the air-con off robotically.)

The room was luxurious, however it was additionally cozy and comfy. You possibly can management all of the lights from a swap panel over the nightstand on both aspect of the mattress, and it was simple to sleep in, due to blackout shades over the home windows. Housekeeping got here by twice a day, and the night turndown service included drawing the blackout shades and tidying up.

The combo of Panamanian hospitality and French luxurious made for a calming stick with extremely attentive service that wasn’t stuffy.

Vacation spot eating

Since a lot of my go to was tied to the grand opening, I can principally solely converse to some preliminary observations of the Sofitel Legend’s bars and eating places which are presently open.

For starters, in case you get an Oceanfront Magnifique room, it’s going to be exhausting to cross up room service every morning. Breakfast swiftly arrived inside 20 to 45 minutes after I ordered it. Eating on my balcony was a good way to overlook about the way it was nonetheless 35 levels again in Boston whereas soaking within the solar. I sampled avocado toast full of a pile of smoked salmon one morning and indulged in granola, boiled eggs, bacon and an infinite fruit platter the subsequent.

Nonetheless, I nonetheless suggest trying out Caleta, the lodge’s Mediterranean restaurant that’s open for all three meals of the day (and in addition offers in-room eating). The French brasserie aesthetic of Caleta’s eating room is a transparent nod to the French luxurious on the core of Sofitel. There are additionally different good touches, such because the bakery cart a waiter rolls by at breakfast to serve varied treats like croissants and ache au chocolat.

Meals had been included in my comped keep, however I did have a look at the menu and seen costs appeared fairly commonplace so far as lodge restaurant pricing goes. The massive parts actually stood out and will make it look like you get extra worth in your buck, although. The avocado toast was $18, however the pile of smoked salmon it got here with was monumental.

Moreover, I went with the $25 “Wholesome” choice one morning. It included cereal and berries with milk, a miniloaf of carrot and ginger bread, Greek yogurt, a fruit plate, contemporary juice and a alternative of any sizzling beverage (I went with an espresso). Costs had been lower than you’d discover at a metropolis lodge within the U.S. Whereas they had been a couple of {dollars} greater than breakfast down the road on the Hyatt-affiliated Resort La Compania (extra on that in coming days), parts had been considerably bigger.

Government chef Lorenzo Di Gravio oversees Caleta. The restaurant incorporates a seafood-forward menu of entrees like grilled octopus, scallops and grouper, in addition to different choices like veal chops and rib-eye.

Whereas I didn’t have these dishes as stand-alone choices, the lodge handled us to a multicourse dinner hosted by Di Gravio; the chef confirmed off his skills by means of programs of marinated yellowtail with caviar, steak tartare, sea bass and quick ribs. There was no weak hyperlink right here, and it’s clear Panama Metropolis has a brand new hub for energy eating with Di Gravio on the helm.

The dishes are scrumptious, and the restaurant ambiance is simply nearly as good. It is simple to think about vacationers wanting to only sit in Caleta’s lovely eating room for hours whereas sipping a glass of Champagne.

Mayda, the lodge’s principal bar, sits simply off the foyer and affords views of the courtyard exterior. That is the primary social space of the lodge in the intervening time, and it was the hub of exercise at some stage in my keep. Right here you may order a mixture of small bites like oysters on the half shell or sandwiches along with cocktails. The vibe is extra laid again than at close by Caleta.

One stage beneath the courtyard is the lodge’s pool and Pool Bar. This vivid area consists of a mixture of desk and counter service with contemporary juices, smoothies, ceviche and cocktails.

Vera Cafe, a espresso store off the foyer, can also be open for pastries, grab-and-go sandwiches and drinks from early morning till early night.

Ammi, a rooftop bar, isn’t formally open for enterprise but. Nonetheless, the Sofitel Legend crew gave me a sneak preview with handed appetizers like ceviche and grilled fish, together with Paloma cocktails and Champagne. The indoor-outdoor structure of the area, coupled with cozy tables alongside the terrace, exhibits the lodge is clearly aiming to be the brand new nightlife hotspot of Casco Viejo.

Whereas pictures wasn’t allowed, a members-only speak-easy beneath building exhibits the Sofitel Legend additionally desires to court docket a neighborhood viewers — and maintain them coming again.

Vacationers are in for a deal with with the eating choices at Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo. You may’t assist however really feel like all the additional effort to make these distinct on-site eating and ingesting spots is a transparent try to return this stretch of Casco Viejo to its high-society previous.

A date with historical past

Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo is inside Panama Metropolis’s historic Casco Viejo neighborhood — additionally a UNESCO World Heritage Website — and is a part of a broader redevelopment push underway within the surrounding blocks. The juxtaposition of Casco Viejo with Panama Metropolis’s lengthy expanse of hovering towers feels a bit just like the French Quarter-meets-Dubai.

There’s a lot to do exactly throughout the Sofitel Legend’s surrounding neighborhood. Whereas the Panama Canal is a 25-minute drive from the lodge, Casco Viejo has loads of websites tied to the nation’s iconic piece of infrastructure.

The Plaza de Francia, a couple of blocks south of the lodge, pays homage to France’s preliminary try at constructing the Panama Canal earlier than the Individuals took over. The Arco Chato, a few blocks to the west, consists of an arch stated to be a promoting level to the Individuals to proceed with constructing the canal by means of Panama. (The truth that the arch, first constructed within the 1600s, was nonetheless standing was purported to be a testomony to the secure climate of Panama relative to competing Nicaragua.)

Whereas an absence of upkeep led to the arch collapsing in 2003, it has since been restored — and the story remains to be one for the various Individuals strolling by means of Casco Viejo.

Vacationers can even discover loads of high-end espresso outlets, boutique shops and, sure, outlets to choose up a Panama hat.

Reserving suggestions

Whereas my keep was comped, I’m seeing charges round $415 an evening for this particular room class in early April. Entry-level visitor rooms (nonetheless with waterfront views however not a balcony) begin at $314.

What it means for Sofitel

Accor simply went by means of a serious company restructuring. Sofitel, Sofitel Legend and the MGallery and Emblems collections at the moment are beneath the purview of Maud Bailly, previously the corporate’s CEO of Southern Europe.

One of many largest hurdles for Sofitel in the intervening time is likely to be the truth that it’s a reasonably well-known model within the U.S. however solely has a couple of accommodations in Chicago, Philadelphia, New York Metropolis, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. They’re completely effective accommodations, however development comes from shock-and-awe experiences that herald friends and woo potential homeowners to ink a deal.