The Best Hotel in Panama City (Boutique)

Visiting Panama City is a place that I have always wanted to see with my own eyes. Everyone told me I would marvel at the city that has grown upwards within a country that still holds close to it’s traditional roots. We found our way to what we think was the best hotel in Panama City: the delightful boutique hostal Posada 1914.

In case you are like me and are not the best with dates 1914 is the year the Panama Canal was complete. The first ship to sail through the canal was the USS Ancon. In English posada means hostal. So while the city has been springing up around it Posada 1914 has remained small and charming.

Literally – as you can see here there are skyscrapers all around it.

Beautiful architecture seen while walking around the city.

Panama city has so much to see. Having a convenient base is key. We were so thankful Posoda 1914 agreed to host us for a few nights as we explored the city. The hostal is located a short walk to bus stops and within walking distance of many city attractions.

And it was so cute to stay at!

Not only was this a nice place to stay, but Posoda 1914 is a family run business. As travelers we have so much power to impact the communities we visit. We were so lucky to talk with Johanna, one of the owners at length. If you either are or know anyone who runs a business, you know that in order to succeed they work tirelessly to make that happen.

Johanna immediately went on to praise all the hard work staff (who are both family and teammates) into this labor of love in running a hostal.

Let’s take a look at the best hotel in Panama City:

By first appearance, right away this seemed like the best hotel in Panama City. So charming.

Prior to booking I did not realize just how boutique this hostal was.

There is creative artwork all throughout the building.

Tasteful touches decorated in subtlety inviting ways.

Spaces were well thought out and well designed. This was a TV and hang out area.

From the entry…

…to stair wells.

They had some lovely rooms for singles.

Johanna was telling us that a lot of peace corps volunteers find their way to the hostal.

These single rooms looked great for travelers who didn’t want to pay a higher price but still have the privacy of their own room.

This was our room and the bed was so comfy.

Another double room.

If traveling as a family and the kids were old enough to be able to climb up to the loft, this was a cool room with private bathroom.

Photo courtesy of Posada 1914.

They had a variety of dorms that were also great value.

There was also a large and clean kitchen.

Two fridges gave plenty of room for everyone’s food.

Overall, there was just nice ambiance in the whole space…

…with nice places to lounge.

I liked that there was such a colorful and welcoming feel to everything. This was our dinner spot.

Also in case you were wondering, the shared bathrooms where very nice and clean.

And the showers were hot!

They even had a little boutique shop. There were nice touches everywhere and there were also a few surprises too:

3 Surprising Aspects of Posada 1914:

They had a rock climbing wall! And not just any rock climbing wall – the only rock climbing wall in all of Panama City.

I cannot think of a hostal where there has been such a good climbing wall. On top of that, we learned Johanna’s oldest son is super into climbing. He has traveled around the world to climb. He is at the forefront of helping set up climbing routes in Panama. If you’re a climber and want to be ahead of the tourist curve in Panama – make friends with her son.

Guests get to climb the wall for free. (Shoe rental is $2.) Other people can pay a monthly fee to use the wall.

Street art seen while walking around the city.

Posada 1914 is also striving to make their way as a cultural hub too. Most evenings people come in to use the climbing wall. In addition they also have various cultural events that will be held at the hostal. You never know what kinds of events or artistic undertakings might be going on there – so keep your eye on their website.

It was also interesting and nice to know a lot Peace Corps volunteers stay at the hostal too. Whenever the volunteers have meetings, doctors appointments or other reasons to come to the city, they often find their way to Posada 1914.

When arriving to accommodation there is nothing better than to be pleasantly surprised. Posada 1914 was the best hotel in Panama City because it checked all the boxes of being friendly, safe, secure, convenient, stylish and affordable. We were so glad to be able to enjoy the space it provided and wish them all the best.

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Helpful city Tips:

If you plan to take the city bus at all, you will need to buy a bus card. Even if you are tired when you arrive by plane or bus into Panama City, just try to buy it right away at the kiosks you will see for your own convenience. Getting the bus card costs $2 and if you have friends you can share one bus card. Then you can upload money onto the card. About $5 was enough for us.

We used Uber a handful of times in the city. Super easy and cheaper than a taxi.

If you need to use a taxi, try to get an idea of the appropriate fare with Uber first. Then you at least know about what you should pay.

Note: the traffic can be horrendous in the city. Like really bad. DO NOT cut yourself short on the time it might take to get to the airport, etc. Definitely keep rush hour traffic in mind and try to avoid going places by car for the morning and evening rush hours.

What else did we do in Panama? You might enjoy reading these posts or having the adventure yourself:

The Best Panama Kayaking and Snorkeling with Fluid Adventures

Finally make your booking: 🙂

You can find Posada 1914 on Expedia, Bookings or direct on their website.

Also check out their facebook and instagram pages.

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Have you been to Panama City before?