Tantalo Hotel
Panama City’s recently opened boutique hotel combines locally inspired art and sustainably modern design
Panama City’s recently opened Tantalo Hotel offers hospitality with an artsy edge in the city’s historic Casco Viejo neighborhood. Located in what is generally considered Panama’s arts district, the micro-boutique hotel houses just 13 rooms; each featuring artwork from one of 13 local artists with an architectural facade that reflects the influence of the city’s periodic occupation by Spain, France and the US While we haven’t yet been to visit the property, we’re excited about its potential as a new equatorial destination.
The contrast of the exterior’s historical inspiration and the focus on contemporary local art on the inside gives the property a truly unique feel. With work spanning photography, painting and various types of installations, the hotel’s interior can be explored like a museum with the comfort of an intimate, upbeat place to stay.
Central to the hotel’s design both physically and figuratively is the main lounge’s “living wall”. Standing at eight meters wide and two stories high, this sustainable, striking installation plays host to some 983 species of native Panamanian flora, watered by reclaimed rainwater direct from the atrium’s skylights. Additional eco-conscious considerations extend to Panama Canal-harvested wood tables in the Tantalo Kitchen and the use of recycled newspapers and phone books as insulation in the structure’s walls.
To top it all off, the Tantalo Hotel features a sweeping rooftop bar with unrivaled views where guests can sample local craft beers and cocktails. For more information on Panama City’s Tantalo Hotel head online and for a closer look at what the hotel has to offer check the gallery below.
Photography by Stuart Hooper
