American Trade Hotel

"Panama City is having a moment this year, thanks to the centennial of its famed canal and the transformation of the 1917 neoclassical headquarters of the American Trade Developing Company, in the leafy UNESCO World Heritage neighborhood of Casco Viejo, into a hotel. The four-story, 50-room building fronting the Plaza Herrera has been given a Havana-inspired makeover (palm-print sofas, swags of tropical foliage) by the team behind the Ace hotels. Aside from the decor, there’s lots to love, beginning with the rates, which are inexplicably lower than those of the high-rises across the bay. For quiet, I escaped to the rooftop pool; to feel part of the action, I headed down to the hotel’s jazz club, where I found guests mingling with a crowd of well-heeled locals. And for the best views, get one of the small, stylish rooms on the fourth floor—you’ll be able to see the ships gliding by. –Nicholas Gill"