Hotel La Compañia review

October 13, 2025

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Hotel la Compañia review: Panama City’s best unofficial museum

Hotel la Compañia video tour by Rosie Bell

1) The backstory

Hotel La Compañia is the culmination of an arduous eight-year endeavor to skillfully restore a Jesuit convent dating back to 1688. The 88-room heritage hotel has nods to the past everywhere you look in its three wings (French, Spanish, and American) that tell a distinct tale of Panama via art, architecture, and design, making it the best unofficial museum in the city.

Hotel La Compañía occupies the historic site where the Company of Jesus (La Compañía de Jesús) established itself following the destruction of the original Panama City in 1671. Fast forward a few centuries to 2014, and owner Chris Lenz, a hospitality entrepreneur with a lot of passion and even more patience, decided it was time for a resurrection. Enter Hotel La Compañia—a place that honors its past without getting stuck in it and proof that “historic” doesn’t mean sacrificing glamor or style.

The meticulous restoration work has retained much of the original architectural elements, such as the exposed stone walls and wooden beams. They didn’t just scrape the old stuff away; they preserved it. All the stone walls are originals, and the oldest part of the property is the well in El Santuario, the high-ceilinged restaurant with stained glass windows that’s quickly become a see-and-be-seen spot in Panama City.

Opened in early 2022 as the first Unbound Collection by Hyatt in Central America, this boutique gem is a love letter to the past, providing modern comforts in three separate but interconnected buildings.

The history-rich Spanish wing is the oldest. It dates back to 1688, when the Panamanian Red Cross was founded by Lady Mallet in 1916.

In the French wing from circa 1739, you can sip and learn about wine—there are over 1,800 bottles—at the underground wine cellar in what was Panama’s first university (San Xavier University). This building was the HQ during France’s attempt to construct the canal. It suffered damage from two major fires in Panama City and an earthquake in 1798, leaving it in ruins for nearly 100 years.

The American Beaux-Arts wing from circa 1904 is a tribute to the era of the Panama Canal’s construction. This is the youngest building at Hotel la Compañia. This is where you’ll find the American Bazaar restaurant, a replica of Panama’s first department store.

In all three buildings, history lives on in every detail.

2) The rooms

The rooms in each building are stylistically dissimilar. In the Spanish wing, the 20 guestrooms have exposed brick walls, tiled flooring, and sturdy wooden beams. The 45 rooms of the French wing have views of the central courtyard or Casco Viejo’s architecture with striking ceiling moldings, pristine white interiors, and balconies with French doors. The presidential suite is located in this building. The American Beaux Arts wing doesn’t shy away from color with public spaces that document the transition into the American period of the Panama Canal, including a striking photo wall that adds a touch of nostalgia en route to the 23 guestrooms there.

My Spanish wing room was adequately sized for one and had a balcony that gave me a front-row seat to the comings and goings of Casco Viejo below. I’m a sucker for a four-poster bed and statement showers. This room had both.

The shower had a smart privacy glass so with the flip of a switch, it went from transparent to opaque, offering more privacy as needed. The bathroom also had German-designed Bravat taps and sweet-smelling Molton Brown toiletries, which I have always been a fan of.

3) Food & drink

Most 88-room boutique hotels don’t have five restaurants and two bars. Hotel La Compañia truly delivers in the dining department.

Break your fast at El Santuario with the grandeur of stone arches, impossibly high ceilings, and the ethereal glow of light streaming through stained-glass windows.

This all-day dining venue evokes the feeling of a Spanish church. Sunday to Sunday, you can enjoy Panamanian staples like carimañola (a ground meat fritter) as well as Indian and Chinese dishes.

1739 is the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, specializing in French cuisine with a modern twist, and it features a private wine cellar with over 1,800 bottles. A photo taken in 1875 showing the building’s former glory, adorns the wall of 1739, which is named after the building’s construction year.

You don’t go to 1739 for mediocre eats, and it also impresses with its design ethos. The shimmering lamps above you as you feast on seafood risotto and the like are inspired by tembleques, hair accessories that form part of the pollera, Panama’s national costume for women. There is also a Panamanian wall of fame with portraits of people who have represented the country in the fields of sports, art, and music, including songwriter Erika Ender, who co-wrote Luis Fonsi’s global earworm, Despacito.

At American Bazaar, a recreation of a department store of the same name that once stood there, you can tuck into classic American comfort food while soaking up the eclectic, vintage décor (including antique sewing machines) and warm wooden accents. This two-level space is a retro-cool streetside spot that’s got the hustle and bustle of Avenue Central as its backdrop.

Adjacent to American Bazaar is Luigi’s, offering “cucina povera” or simple Italian fare that embodies the modesty of its roots.

Hari’s, the hotel’s fifth restaurant, offers exquisite Nikkei cuisine and features furnishings by renowned designer Harry Segil, who is to furniture what Frank Gehry is to architecture from an eccentricity viewpoint. Being in Hari’s is like a Technicolor trip, witnessing clashing patterns and chairs on ceilings while delicious Peruvian and Japanese influences tango on your plate.

For grab-and-go drinks, sandwiches, and pastries, there is also a bakery, La Panaderia. Everything is made on the premises, and you can smell the oh-so-fresh goodies wafting as you pass by.

On the bar front, Exilio Bar is named after King Carlos III, who sent Spain’s secret order to expel all the Jesuits in 1767, and it is located to the right of the lobby. Take a mixology class there and learn how to prepare signature drinks like the Casco Sour or Albayalde. The latter is similar to an espresso martini, and the name is tied to a Panamanian legend.

Reportedly, when Panama La Vieja was facing an invasion by Henry Morgan’s pirates, Jesuit priests painted a golden altar black with “albayalde” to disguise its worth. The ruse worked, and the altar still stands today at Iglesia de San José, just a stone’s throw from Hotel La Compañía.

During the mixology class, Exilio Bar’s menu caught my eye because, at first glance, it appeared to be filled with plain black pages. However, it’s actually a heat-sensitive, tactile treasure map. Rub your fingertips across the surface, and like magic, a “secret order” emerges, reminiscent of the Spanish king’s secret order to expel the Jesuits.

The second bar, Capella, is named after the brightest star in the constellation of Auriga. This rooftop crowns the American wing like a well-deserved exclamation point. Each drink is a nod to the heavens with names like Naos, Draconis, Polaris, and Sirius, a tangy mix of gin, cucumber-lemon, and green apple syrup.

4) Services & amenities

In addition to all the dining venues, Hotel La Compañia has a spa and a satisfactory gym. The ground level includes two meeting rooms, San Lorenzo and Portobelo, accommodating banquets for 20 to 40 people.

Don’t miss the coffee tasting experience, which is a chance to take a deep dive into the world of Panamanian coffee, tracing its journey to the Central American nation and understanding why Panama churns out some of the world’s most coveted beans.

5) Style, decor & character

This hotel has style in spades and feels like a living bre,athing art gallery. It is dripping in centuries-old artworks and posters to the tune of around $2 million.

Every piece of furniture, every light fixture, and every tile has been carefully selected to tell a story. There are artifacts and fun facts to be picked up at all angles, right down to the time travel-themed elevator (with a mirrored ceiling, no less) and the history around a tree in the middle of the courtyard that’s roughly 150 years old. The extreme level of detail and respect paid to the origin of the property, the neighborhood, and the isthmus of Panama is extraordinary.

6) Location & nearby sights

Casco Viejo was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. This historic quarter goes by several names—Casco Viejo, Casco Antiguo, and San Felipe—each hinting at a different era or aspect of its storied past. It’s often simply shortened to “Casco”.

Despite its modest 21-block size, it is the hippest region in Panama City with a kaleidoscope of restored, colorful buildings, romantic wrought-iron balconies, and centuries-old churches that together create a vibrant and picturesque backdrop.

Narrow cobblestone streets lead you to famous Panama City rooftop bars like Tantalo and CasaCasco, where the rum flows freely. You can discover ruins hidden among the buildings, dive into a plate of ceviche at a locally-loved spot overlooking the Bay of Panama, or purchase Panama hats and intricate Mola fabrics from Kuna women along Paseo Esteban Huertas, a scenic seafront walkway.

Staying at Hotel La Compañia puts you right in the middle of the action in Casco Viejo. Step outside, and you’re on Avenida A, which is home to Iglesia de San José (where the legend-shrouded Golden Altar is located), trendy bakeries, galleries, gelaterias, and an outpost of Panama’s first rum distillery, Pedro Mandinga.

The Golden Altar at Iglesia de San José in Casco Viejo

7) Who it’s right for & what to pack

If you enjoy aesthetics, accuracy, and a well-crafted cocktail as much as a well-told tale, this is your kind of hotel. It’s for couples looking for a romantic getaway that offers more than just a pretty view, the discerning traveler craving an experience to remember and not just a bed to sleep in. You’ll be in good company with international dignitaries, Panamanian movers and shakers, and World of Hyatt points redeemers.

Come with comfortable walking shoes. The cobblestone streets of Casco Viejo are best explored on foot. For the ladies, platform heels are preferable over stilettos. Panama’s tropical climate means that light, breathable clothing is ideal, and don’t forget swimwear for dips in the rooftop pool. The vibe here is upscale but relaxed, so pack a mix of casual and dressier outfits.

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