Traveling the World in Search
of Truly Enchanting Places
Panamonte Inn & Spa
Overview
From Andrew Harper
Venerable 1914 hotel, extensively renovated and expanded in 2008, in the delightful highlands town of Boquete. All of the 25 rooms, including the original six in the charming clapboard main building, are set on a lovely garden. The newest accommodations are the most desirable, handsomely designed with cathedral ceilings, tile floors dressed with Oriental carpets, and the colorful work of local artists. The inn is justly celebrated for its restaurant, which is under the direction of chef-owner Charlie Collins. The staff is consistently helpful and congenial. Activities include birding, coffee plantation tours, hiking and golf.
From the Hideaway Report
November 2011 Hideaway Report
Boquete is a delightful small town 4,000 feet above sea level in the cool highlands of Chiriquí Province. It is fast becoming known to Americans as a desirable place to retire and has acquired the inevitable nickname “Gringo Gulch.” Tucked away on the slopes of the dormant 11,000-foot Barú Volcano, Boquete is surrounded by the country’s richest agricultural land, with local coffee plantations yielding some of the most expensive beans in the world. The same volcanic soil gave rise to a dense cloud forest that is teeming with plants and birds, including resplendent quetzals and toucans.
We reached Boquete from Panama City via a 50-minute flight to the town of David on the Pacific, followed by a one-hour drive. The most venerable hotel in the area is the Panamonte Inn & Spa, founded in 1914 by Joseph Wright of Texas, a retired railroad conductor. Wright built a six-room hotel that in its day played host to Teddy Roosevelt, Charles Lindbergh and the polar explorer Admiral Richard Byrd, who came here to finish his memoirs. A Swedish couple bought “Pop Wright’s hotel” in 1946, and it has been in the family since.
A major program of renovation and expansion took place in 2008. This wisely retained the original building, a charming two-story structure in blue-gray clapboard with a white picket fence out front. All of the 25 rooms are set in a lovely garden, whose rolling lawns are punctuated by noble old trees and flowering bushes.
The newest accommodations are the most desirable. Set at the far end of the garden, they are connected to the main building by covered walkways. Our spacious suite came with a cathedral ceiling, a tile floor with an Oriental carpet, a chaise longue and a large desk. The pale gray-green walls were hung with the colorful work of local artists. Wi-Fi was complimentary. The bath was equipped with a walk-in shower and a granite-topped vanity. Sliding glass doors led out to a flagstone terrace with plantings carefully arranged to ensure privacy.
The Panamonte is justly celebrated for its restaurant, which is under the direction of chef-owner Charlie Collins. You can order off the main menu at an inviting bar with an open-air fireplace. The dining room itself is an appealing space with chandeliers, spot lighting and a painted raftered ceiling. Collins’ extensive menu contains starters such as a sublime spiced pumpkin soup. Although I heard others extol the virtues of both the strip steak and the short-rib ragu pasta, I opted for delicious trout sautéed with browned almond slivers.
The staff is consistently helpful and congenial, a tone set by the ever-present general manager, Sandra Naranjo. The Panamonte pioneered birding tours in the area and, in addition, coffee plantation tours and hiking are easily arranged.
Rates
Garden Terrace Room, $340; Garden Junior Suite, $390.
Details
Amenities
|
Air-Conditioning
|
Bar
|
Concierge
|
Double Sinks
|
|
Fly Fishing
|
Golf
|
Grand Award Winners 2012
|
Hair Dryer
|
|
Hiking
|
Horseback Riding
|
Kayaking
|
Restaurant
|
|
Room Service
|
Safe
|
Sauna
|
Sightseeing Tours
|
|
Spa
|
Telephone
|
TV
|
Wireless Internet
|
|
Wireless Internet in Public Areas
|
Map
