News Blog

JANUARY 2023

Hotel of the week: Radisson Hotel Panama Canal

16 January 2023
Hotel of the week: Radisson Hotel Panama Canal

Admire the beauty of the Panama Canal from our modern hotel in Panama City

Situated within walking distance of the Panama Convention Center and minutes from the Fuerte Amador Cruise Port, Radisson Hotel Panama Canal makes your arrival at the Crossroads of the World a breeze. If you’re visiting on vacation, you’ll appreciate our location on the Amador Causeway next to the beautiful Panama Canal, near Casco Viejo. You can explore the local culture at the arts and crafts market in Balboa and browse for authentic artisan pieces, or take our complimentary shuttle to Albrook Mall for an afternoon shopping excursion.

Our fitness center lets you begin each day with a cardio session before enjoying a hearty breakfast at the on-site Bridge View Restaurant. If you’re preparing for work, you can grab fresh coffee and a pastry at Café 1914 and head over to our business center. To relax, take your kids to our pool for little ones or sunbathe by the outdoor pool and hot tub while you watch ships pass through the Panama Canal's locks. Our Lobby Bar provides the perfect setting to end your day with tasty drinks and live music.

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Stay connected with free Wi-Fi in our hotel rooms near the Panama Canal. After a day spent shopping at Albrook Mall or prepping for an on-site meeting, retire to one of the 254 air conditioned rooms and suites at Radisson Hotel Panama Canal. You can connect to free Wi-Fi to share updates on your travels, or you can recharge your batteries by watching a show on the 42-inch LCD TV. For a truly indulgent evening, order a delicious room service meal right to your door. Looking for an upgraded stay? Consider booking accommodations with a balcony or views of the bay, our gardens, or the Panama Canal. To help make your family vacation as cost-effective as possible, we offer free stays for children 11 and under in the same room as an adult.

Accessibility features: We understand that accessibility is important to our guests. Please contact the hotel to confirm if an accessible room will meet your needs or if you have other questions.

This hotel has accessible rooms that may include the following accessible features:

  • Audio emergency warning devices
  • Grab bars by tub
  • Wheelchair-accessible lobby
  • Wheelchair-accessible public entrance
  • Wheelchair-accessible public restrooms
  • Wheelchair available on request
  • 100% non-smoking facility

Host gatherings with up to 80 guests in our event spaces in Panama City

Offering 12 flexible meeting rooms, the Radisson in Panama City makes an ideal venue for everything from small team training sessions to dazzling wedding receptions. You can host board meetings for up to 18 attendees in our smallest event space, the Amador, or invite up to 80 guests to an unforgettable celebration in Las Américas, our largest venue. Each room includes a visual work center with a whiteboard and a data-display screen, and additional audiovisual equipment is available on request. For assistance, consult our MPI-trained (Meeting Professionals International) team members, who can help with details such as planning a delicious catered menu* from Bridge View Restaurant.

Your attendees can book one of our comfortable rooms and suites to stay steps from your venue and enjoy access to amenities like our beautiful outdoor pool overlooking the Panama Canal. Corporate guests also appreciate our location near major business areas, including Panama Pacifico’s International Business Park, the City of Knowledge, the banking district, and the Panama Canal administration.

Enjoy delicious dishes and tasty cocktails at our restaurants in Panama City

Boasting three on-site restaurants, Radisson Hotel Panama Canal makes it easy to sample local and international flavors just steps from your room or suite. Observe the Bridge of the Americas while dining on a scrumptious breakfast buffet or international lunch fare at Bridge View Restaurant. For classic favorites served in a fun atmosphere, head to the TGI Fridays℠ restaurant. You can get your caffeine boost and a pastry at Café 1914 or enjoy an evening cocktail with friends at the chic Lobby Bar. Need to recharge after a day exploring Panama City attractions? Order room service right to your door.

Bridge View Restaurant

Modern design and a diverse menu of international delights combine to create a sophisticated and inviting dining experience at our on-site Bridge View Restaurant, named for its stunning vistas of the Bridge of the Americas. Natural light filters through the floor-to-ceiling windows of this ground-floor restaurant, creating a light and airy space for enjoying breakfast and lunch.

Opening hours

6–10:30 am | Breakfast, Monday–Friday

6–11 am | Breakfast, Saturday–Sunday and holidays

Noon–3 pm | Lunch, daily

Explore a variety of things to do near the Panama Canal: You’ll discover a world of things to do within minutes of Radisson Hotel Panama Canal—from marveling at one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World to shopping at the largest mall in Latin America. For a taste of local culture, spend the morning touring the Panama Canal Museum and then head to a nearby beach for an afternoon of playing in the surf. Want a souvenir to take home? The Mercado de Artesanías de Balboa is a perfect spot to pick up artisanal creations, including natural fiber baskets, handmade dolls, and Guna Yala molas. Before retiring to your room or suite, take an evening walk or bike ride along the Amador Causeway for inspiring views of the Bridge of the Americas. If you're not ready to stop there, you can ride down to Fuerte Amador to browse the shops and watch the cruise ships. Conventions and expos at the Panama Convention Center are also less than a mile away.

Explore vibrant green rainforests and the Panama Canal on day trips from Panama City

Bounded by the Panama Canal to the west, Panama City is known for its interocean waterway and as a starting point for adventurous day excursions to the Panama jungle just beyond the city. But there’s plenty to do around the country’s capital city. You can duck into the historic district’s Iglesia de San José to see its golden altar, one of the few treasures to survive plundering by pirate Captain Morgan in 1671. Then discover Panama’s natural history at the Frank Gehry-designed Biomuseo, a color-splashed geometric jumble on the scenic Amador Causeway. In the evening, dine under the stars at a rooftop restaurant before the glass-and-steel backdrop of the downtown skyline.

More than a century’s worth of canal passages has helped create a medley of cultures, evident in Panama City’s culinary scene. From sizzling street fare to fine dining, the city’s cuisine draws on influences from Spain, India, Lebanon, the Caribbean, and across Latin America. For more local flavor, stroll the tree-lined avenues of the El Cangrejo neighborhood, where street carts sell sweet raspados (shaved ice), coffee lovers sip Geisha roasts at trendy cafés, and seco sugarcane-based cocktails fuel nightlife into the wee hours. Nature is always near with urban green spaces such as Metropolitan Natural Park and easy day trips to unspoiled spots like Gatun Lake and San Lorenzo National Park.

Reasons to go:

The canal: Seeing this impressive canal at work is one of the most popular things to do in Panama City. Hop a bus, Uber, or taxi to the Miraflores Visitors Center for up-close views of massive ships easing through the locks.

Island escapes: Day excursions to the San Blas Islands mean early morning departures and nighttime returns to the city. Your effort is rewarded with a choice of more than 350 Caribbean isles with swaying palms, sandy beaches, turquoise waters, and the unique culture of the Guna Yala islanders. Looking for an easier island getaway? Take a 30-minute ferry ride from the city to Taboga Island.

Ocean outings: Deep-sea fishing charters depart right from Panama City’s downtown docks, on course for Pacific fishing grounds flush with dorado, wahoo, and prized marlin. Boats also head out to spot humpback whales, as Panama has two whale-watching seasons, from July to October and from December to February.

Casco Viejo day and night: While the colonial quarter is compact, it’s jammed with historical structures housing chic boutiques, upscale lounges, and inviting cafés. By day, Casco Viejo is perfect for relaxed strolls past vibrant street murals and colorful colonial buildings that are only outdone by the multicolored mola textiles sold by the indigenous Kuna community. After the sun sets, nightlife-loving Panamanians arrive in force to let loose at rooftop hot spots with dramatic views of the skyline across Panama Bay.

Jungle adventures: The Soberanía National Park, a 45-minute drive from town, offers jungle immersion with boating trips down the Chagres River, visits to an indigenous Emberá village, and an aerial tram for a bird’s-eye view of the rainforest.

When to visit Panama City 

Close to the equator, Panama City enjoys yearlong tropical weather with consistent daytime temperatures in the high-80s and nighttime lows in the mid-70s. Expect sudden bursts of rain from May to December, with little precipitation but often hazy skies the rest of the year.

November packs in celebrations of Panama’s flag, historic battles, and independence from both Spain and Colombia. These Fiestas Patrias feature raucous parties in neighborhoods across the city and parades with female dancers twirling traditional ruffled skirts called polleras.

Travel tip 

As driving in Panama City is chaotic and prone to fender benders, forget a car rental and ride the Panama Metro. Its modern rail lines cross the capital with stops near Tocumen International Airport (PTY) and at the Albrook terminal, where buses run to the area’s top spots. Text and photos source: https://www.radissonhotelsamericas.com/