Panama’s Hotel La Compañía Debuts American Wing

Hotel La Compañía, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt’s first property in Central America, has opened the American Wing, completing the final phase of the hotel’s seven-year restoration. The new addition to the Panama City hotel houses four F&B outlets and completes the hotel’s creation as a "living museum," giving guests the chance to peek into the American period of the Panama Canal construction. The hotel opened in Panama’s Casco Antiguo neighborhood in April of this year.

While the main section of the hotel dates to a 17th-century Jesuit convent, the Beaux-Art era design of the American Wing is Hotel La Compañía’s youngest building, originally a high-end department store dating to 1904. The American Wing’s 23 guestrooms reflect a vintage-era inspiration from the early 20th century with wainscoting panels accentuated with a black and white photo wall.

1739, Hotel La Compañia, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt
1739, a French fine-dining outlet, features a 300-year-old wine cellar (Hotel La Compañia, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt)

The American Wing includes four dining outlets: American Bazaar, Capella, Luigi’s and Hari’s.

  • American Bazaar, named after the former department store, pays homage to its past. The restaurant is an authentic replica of the former retail store where guests can admire the surroundings and enjoy North American fare in a relaxed atmosphere.
  • Luigi’s is an Italian restaurant that tells the fictional story of Luigi Cagnoni, a disillusioned Italian man who fought against Mussolini’s regime and hence stowed away on a cruise ship headed to the Americas to start a new life. Fate, however, has him landing in Panama, where he rolls up his sleeves and delights the locals with his nonna’s cucina povera recipes.
  • Capella is the hotel’s rooftop bar, offering views of the city. The stylish cocktail bar has been designed with an onyx backdrop and serves creative concoctions inspired by the night sky.
  • Hari’s is inspired by the bright, mismatched and eclectic furniture pieces of the 1980s designer Harry Segil. Serving a Nikkei cuisine menu, Hari’s is a non-traditional dining experience where anything goes, and guests are wowed from the moment they step into this quirky establishment.

Hotel La Compañía—deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site—also houses 1739, a French fine-dining outlet with a 300-year-old wine cellar; El Santuario, an all-day dining outlet reminiscent of a Spanish church; La Panaderia, the bakery; and Exilio, the lobby bar.

General Manager Fidel Reyes said: “When we set out to create the hotel experience, the layout and architecture of the structure told us what we needed to do to bring that building to life. We worked hard to create a space that stayed true to the historical integrity of the building while providing a modern experience. We’re thrilled with how it has all come together with the Spanish and French Colonial Wings to tell an amazing story about Panama through art and design.”

For more information, visit www.hlcpanama.com.

Related Stories

Panama Inviting Family Travelers to Explore its Offerings

Leisure Travel Demand Fuels Hyatt's Growth in the Americas

New Offerings from two Autograph Collection Hotels in Costa Rica

Panama Underscores Commitment Towards Tourism of the Future