W Hotel

Panama City

LoginSave

Opened in 2018, this 203-room downtown high rise takes inspiration from the Panama Canal and the country's diverse cultures. Not your parents' luxury hotel, it's playful-modern, with colorful shipping containers, chairs upholstered in Congo dress 'rags' patterns and wall displays of woven hats. Bright rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows and floating beds rimmed with LED lighting underneath. Staff aim to please.

The reception is hidden on the 15th floor, meaning all rooms are upper-story with gaping city views. The swimming pool is on the small side, but there's worthy on-site drinks and dining. Also has an on-site spa and fitness room.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Biomuseo

    BioMuseo

    3.58 MILES

    Celebrating Panama as the land bridge that has permitted astonishing biodiversity in the region, this world-class museum is a visual feast. Exhibits tell…

  • Museo de Arte Contemporáneo

    Museo de Arte Contemporáneo

    1.85 MILES

    This wonderful privately owned museum features the best collection of Panamanian art anywhere, an excellent collection of works on paper by Latin American…

  • Panama City, Panama - march 2018: Ship crossing the Panama Canal, Miraflores Locks, Panama City; Shutterstock ID 1055607245; Your name (First / Last): Alicia Johnson; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial ; Full Product or Project name including edition: Panama

    Miraflores Visitors Center

    4.69 MILES

    The easiest way to visit the Panama Canal is to head to the Miraflores Visitors Center, just outside Panama City. This modern center features a four-floor…

  • Panama Viejo Ruins, Panama City

    Panamá Viejo

    2.65 MILES

    Founded on August 15, 1519, by Spanish conquistador Pedro Arias de Ávila, the city of Panamá was the first European settlement along the Pacific. For 150…

  • Toucan bird

    Panama Rainforest Discovery Center

    17.19 MILES

    Geared toward ecotourism and environmental education, this is an excellent facility for birdwatchers and nature-lovers. Since you are probably here to…

  • Plaza De Francia, Panama, Central America

    Plaza de Francia

    2.12 MILES

    At the tip of the southern point of Casco Viejo, this beautiful plaza pays homage to the French role in the construction of the canal. Its large stone…

  • Keel-Billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) in profile, Soberania National Park, Panama

    Parque Nacional Soberanía

    12.37 MILES

    This 195-sq-km national park is one of the most accessible tropical rainforests in Panama. It extends much of the way across the isthmus, from Limón on…

  • PANAMA CITY, PANAMA, DECEMBER 19 2006. The Golden Altar of the Church of San Jose, on December 19th 2006. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY; Shutterstock ID 157436489; Your name (First / Last): Josh Vogel; GL account no.: 56530; Netsuite department name: Online Design; Full Product or Project name including edition: Digital Content/Sights

    Iglesia de San José

    2.09 MILES

    This Casco Viejo church protects the famous Altar de Oro (Golden Altar), the sole relic salvaged after privateer Henry Morgan sacked Panamá Viejo.

View more attractions

Nearby Panama City attractions

1. World Trade Center

0.34 MILES

Located within the financial district, these two towers were built in 1996.

2. Balboa Statue

0.87 MILES

Sculpted by Miguel Blan and Mariano Benlliure, the Balboa statue overlooks the Bahía de Panamá and was inaugurated in 1924, a gift from Spain.

3. Museo de Ciencias Naturales

1.24 MILES

Museo de Ciencias Naturales has sections on geology, paleontology, entomology and marine biology, as well as an impressive display of taxidermy.

4. Museo Afro-Antilleano

1.56 MILES

The small Afro-Antillean museum has exhibits on the history of Panama’s West Indian community, particularly their work building the railroad and later the…

5. Mariposario Metropolitano

1.59 MILES

With 1600 species, Panama City's butterfly garden is a worthy stop for nature lovers. Fifteen-minute guided tours explain the life cycle of butterflies…

6. Parque Natural Metropolitano

1.7 MILES

On a hill north of downtown, this 265-hectare park protects vast expanses of tropical semideciduous forest within the city limits, and serves as an…

7. Parque Recreativo Omar

1.72 MILES

The biggest park in the city is filled with children, joggers and the occasional salsa class. It's located in Omar, behind the San Francisco neighborhood…

8. Museo de Arte Contemporáneo

1.85 MILES

This wonderful privately owned museum features the best collection of Panamanian art anywhere, an excellent collection of works on paper by Latin American…