Bristol Hotel
Area Bancaria, Bella Vista
Located at the heart of the city, the Bristol Hotel is posh, five-star hotel that provides close access to the city’s business and entertainment districts. Fortunately, the food in the Bristol Hotel’s restaurant, the Barandas’ is usually excellent, because you’ll have to ‘dress’ to eat here. The restaurant’s focus is so elite, guests who are wearing shorts may not eat in their dining room, not even for lunch in this theoretically tropical destination.
Do ask when you make your meal reservations, to be sure they are NOT having an event in their meeting rooms; since there’s no acoustical separation between the restaurant and the Grand Colonial meeting room…with its capacity for entertaining 300 people. From personal experience, eating in the restaurant during an event is auditory torture, no matter how good the meal.
Business travelers can access the hotel’s 24-hour business center or avail themselves of spacious meeting rooms. Surprisingly the hotel even supplies personalized introductory cards for clients with their name and their hotel room’s direct phone number. All rooms come equipped with basic amenities including: high speed internet access for wired and wireless computers, fax, voice mail, cable TV, CD and DVD players.
The Bristol Hotel staff surprises many of their guests with their exceptional efforts to provide excellent services, therefore, it is considered one of Panama City’s finest hotels, even though it offers only 56 rooms at an average of $290 per night. The other section of the building is called Bristol Residences and is available for longer term luxury rentals.
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
Casco Viejo, Calle 4 Ave A, Panama City
Antique furniture and Panamanian artwork set the tone for this bed & breakfast lodging option. This lovely 3 bedroom, 3 and a half bath property in the Casco Viejo, reflects the careful restoration of the property and give it a feel of going back in time to another epoch of Panama’s history. Amenities include a fully equipped kitchen, maid service, dining room, living room with balcony, and a rooftop deck with a great view that’s ideal for entertaining. Rooms may be rented separately or together. Single bedroom and bath lodging is available from $162 per night with breakfast.
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
Panama is one of Latin America’s fastest growing tourism destinations. Amazingly, Panama has gained a reliable renown as: one of the world’s leading intersection of latitude and longitude for those who wish to experience amazing eco tourism objectives, new targets for a variety of sports enthusiasts and becoming a first class retirement destination, with as many alternatives for retirement living, as there are people, it seems.
The first thing you see in Panama City’s skyline is the contrast between the old ‘Panama Viejo’ established in 1519; ‘Casco Viejo’, founded in 1673; and then the new Panama City; represented by a well developed high rise skyline with the addendum of over 250 high rise projects, being built simultaneously.
If you chose to visit a historical site, Casco Viejo can take you way back in time with its narrow streets, fish market and its great colonial architecture. The Panamanian Presidential Palace is located here, away from the noisy hustle and bustle of the busiest international banking district in Latin America. You’ll love peaking at the white cranes strolling around the pond in the President’s garden compound.
It was here the city of Panama was founded in the seventeenth century, and meandering around the neighborhood is definitely like a trip back in time. One block is renovated to the nines and the next looks like a bomb went off… or rather a round of canon balls hit a few hundred years ago.
So some of your neighbors won’t be trying to borrow your Grey’s Poupon…do remember to be realistically cautious, this is a neighborhood in recovery…and its life signs are strong. Since we’re talking about Casco Viejo…let’s consider some of the few lodging alternatives available or close by.
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
Calle 49 El Cangrejo Panama City AP Panama
Panamanian Phone: (507) 213- 2222 Fax: (507) 213 – 3057
www.lashascas.com E-mail: ventas@lashuacas,com
Decorated in charming old style Panama, Best Western Las Huacas Hotel and Suites offers a comfortable stay to its guests. Best Western Las Huacas is a three-star hotel that offers moderately-priced rooms equipped with 24-hour room service, a kitchenette, and radio.
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
Extended stay lodging is a narrow niche of the hospitality market in Panama – but is one that can be advantageous to you, if you’re planning to stay in an area of Panama for more than a few nights.
Let’s review the lodging choices for extended stays in Panama City, Panama since it’s the point of entry to Panama, Central America for most tourists. Then we’ll travel the country and review long term lodging in some of the more popular destinations.
Long term accommodations include hotel suites with kitchenettes, furnished apartment rentals, home trading or staying in a bed and breakfast; in addition to the many median lodging options available in hotels with meals provided by restaurants and room service.
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
By the year 2030 there will be 2.5 million inhabitants in Panama City. And, there are more than 155 buildings either under construction or on the planning board (see: http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20060104191907477) So, with all of this growth and construction, can the infrastructure of Panama City support this number of residents? The potable water supply and the demand on the electricity defy the urban planning – IDAAN already services more than 700,000 residents in Panama and San Miguelito, and growth and expansion will put more of a strain on the water system and electrical grid as well as streets and traffic.
The city of Panama is growing, just look around. In most areas of the city you can easily find a construction site for a new highrise, office building, or commercial center. If there is any serious urban planning going on behind all of this construction, it’s relatively invisible.
The metropolitan area of Panama City currently has a population of more than 1.6 million people. According to population projections issued by the Comptroller, the city will grow by at least at an annual compounded rate of 1.7% and by 2030 the city’s population will be more than 2.5 million people. Of course all growth is not concencrated in Panama City, but all parts of Panama are growing, especially in bedroom communities like San Miguelito, Las Cumbres, La Chorrera, Arrijan, and Sabanitas.
The city infrastructure is already feeling the pressure. Rapid urban growth will strain the potable water supply, saturate sewage systems, increase the demand on the power grid, and clog streets and roads. Government officials and city planners face some short and medium term challenges.
IDAAN is already installing a “Parallel Line” that will increase the capability of the Chilibre plant to supply water to the city, but the increased capability will quickly be absorbed by currently projected growth. In short, planners are taking care of the immediate problems, and now have to start looking farther into the future to anticipate and solve infrastructure problems before they happen.
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SERVICIOS .Para el 2030, habrá 2.5 millones de habitantes.
Las presiones sobre la ciudad
El abastecimiento de agua potable y la demanda sobre la electricidad desafían la planificación urbana.
LA PRENSA/Archivo
AGOTADO. El IDAAN atiende a unos 700 mil usuarios en Panamá y San Miguelito, pero el crecimiento de la población seguirá exigiendo más y más del sistema pluvial, especialmente en áreas remotas. 629829
Víctor D. Torres
http://thepanamanetwork.com
La ciudad de Panamá está creciendo. Mire a su alrededor. La urbe es un sitio de construcción permanente, con la planificación de rascacielos, barriadas y proyectos por dondequiera, y con pocas excepciones, sin planificación visible.
En 2005, el área metropolitana de Panamá ostentaba una población de 1.6 millón de habitantes, según proyecciones de la Contraloría General de la República. Esa cifra crecerá a una tasa compuesta anual de 1.7% hasta 2030, cuando la población de la ciudad alcanzará los 2.5 millones de habitantes. Claro, no todo el crecimiento está concentrado en la ciudad, sino que se ha dispersado hacia otros polos de crecimiento urbano -las ciudades dormitorio como San Miguelito, La Chorrera, Las Cumbres y Sabanitas-.
Cruzada urbanista
Pero la presión sobre la infraestructura de la ciudad es palpable. La falta de abastecimiento de agua potable, la saturación de los alcantarillados y la creciente demanda sobre un sistema de generación de energía que amenaza con sobrecargarse, son algunos de los desafíos que enfrentan las autoridades a corto y mediano plazo. Arquitectos como Álvaro González Clare, Álvaro Uribe y Rodrigo Mejía-Andrión han mantenido una cruzada constante en contra de lo que consideran un crecimiento urbano absurdo que terminará produciendo el “colapso” de las infraestructuras instaladas, el deterioro ambiental y la depresión económica de muchos sectores de la ciudad, como consecuencia de las presiones del mercado.
Los problemas empiezan desde lo básico. El deficiente suministro de agua a San Miguelito y Panamá, donde el Instituto de Acueductos y Alcantarillados Nacionales (IDAAN) atiende a unos 700 mil abonados, pretende resolverse con los trabajos de la Línea Paralela que concluirán en abril. Después de la ampliación de la planta de Chilibre, la nueva línea permitirá el doble del suministro actual de agua a la ciudad, de 125 millones de galones diarios a 250 millones, el equivalente de cuatro esclusajes por el Canal de Panamá.
Barriadas recargadas
Los sectores del centro de la ciudad como Miraflores en Bethania, San Francisco, Bella Vista y la Cresta esperan ansiosamente un servicio de mayor fluidez potable, cónsono con las construcciones millonarias y ultramodernas que prometen lujo y exclusividad, pero a veces carecen de lo más elemental como el agua.
Meylín Hernández compró un apartamentito de 60 mil dólares en el edificio de Terrazas de Miraflores hace dos años. Con problemas de baja presión, muchas veces no tiene agua ni para lavar los platos. “Si hubiera sabido que en el lugar no llegaba el agua, hubiese pensando dos veces en mudarme al sector”, dice Hernández.
La falta del vital líquido no solo es en edificios o en barriadas altas, sino que también afecta a familias en nuevas áreas residenciales. Hasta en Costa Bella en Costa del Este, quizá la urbanización mejor planificada de la ciudad, unos residentes se quejan de haber comprado finas casas, pero aún así no dejan atrás los problemas de baja presión de agua. Para arreglar el problema, una joven pareja tuvo que invertir en la instalación de una bomba de agua eléctrica y adecuar las tuberías de la vivienda.
“Después de pagar 250 mil dólares, no es justo que tenga que vivir como gorgojo”, dijo el dueño.
SOURCE: Don Winner @ Panama-guide.com
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This thoughtful article was written almost a year ago. The real estate boom leveled off and has not resumed its torrid pace. However, high rises are still rising across Ciudad Panama as of January of 2011. It would seem that the best route for future Panama investment, especially in real estate, will be to obtain expert advice before diving in. Read and then give us a call.
BY JIM LANDERS – The Dallas Morning News PANAMA CITY, Panama — Cement prices have doubled, and it’s hard to get a truck to come to your building site. The situation is similar for steel, glass, bricks and all the guts of a high-rise condominium. The real-estate business is having a party in Panama. As of July, 380 tower projects were under way or announced, representing more than 40,000 condos and apartments. A year ago, it was 11,000 units. The builders say Americans looking for the urban high life in retirement will snap up these buildings in a new Miami that’s half the price of the real Miami. ”The baby boomers, simply put,” wrote Roger Khafif, builder of the Trump Ocean Club in the Punta Pacifica shoreline neighborhood, in an e-mail about his target buyers. “Without them, Panama’s real-estate boom would bust.” (more)
Retirement properties have been considerably cheaper in Panama than in Florida, and the climate is as good or better. The local currency is the U.S. dollar. And although Medicare doesn’t reach Americans abroad, healthcare is much less expensive there than in the United States.
But speculators are the ones who have put down deposits on 70 percent to 90 percent of these units, said Paul McBride, chief executive of Prima Panama developers. There’s no beach on the bay, which is where the 1 million residents of this city pour their sewage. A seven-year, $300 million cleanup is underway.
And falling prices in Miami and elsewhere in the United States may make those Panama condos seem less cheap.
It’s hard to find evidence that white-haired North Americans are mounting an invasion of retirees, and you can almost hear the air escaping from the bubble.
The Ice Tower, a 104-story dream of blue and silver, has melted. Two other towers of 96 and 54 floors are not going to get off the ground, either. There are mutterings about whether some developers were simply looking for interest-free loans from the people putting down condo deposits. A Panamanian legislator is proposing to a law requiring developers to pay 6 percent interest on refunded deposits.
Khafif’s Trump Ocean Club, a venture with New York developer Donald Trump, is starting to rise. The skyscraper shaped like a sail, he hopes, will be completed in October 2010 with 500 condos and 500 hotel suites with a market value of $404 million.
”Of course we can build a 90- or 104-floor building in Panama,” Khafif wrote. “Almost anything can be done if the price is right!! And that was precisely the problem. Plain and simple, the developers sold toooooo cheap.”
A builder needs to sell condos during the construction phase at prices high enough to cover inflation in materials and other construction costs, Khafif argued. ”We . . . launched our modest 66-floor building at three times the market value,” he wrote, and thus he expects no problems.
There are real-estate booms like this in a dozen Chinese cities and in the Persian Gulf emirate of Dubai.
Whenever the discussion turns to where all of the money comes from, people look over Panama’s shoulder and see Colombia, where cocaine has built fortunes looking to be laundered.
Such whisperings have not stopped other investors from coming. Condos priced at a total of $5.7 billion are on the market in a nation with a $16.5 billion economy. The expansion of the Panama Canal, hopes for big energy investments and happy days in the banking industry all point to rapid economic growth.
In the first five months of this year, Panamanian banks reported profits of $444.1 million, up 19.4 percent from the same period in 2006. The banks say credit is expanding 15 percent a month.
McBride of Prima Panama said the average Panama City condo is selling for more than the average single-family home in the United States. This doesn’t hurt the luxury market so much, but it may make a difference for North Americans hoping to stretch their nest eggs by retiring abroad.
”Two or three years ago, the price of a luxury condo was $120 a square foot. Now it’s $250 to $300 a square foot,” McBride said.
If you are interested in doing business in Panama or doing business with Panama you will want to make the right contacts, hire a competent, English speaking lawyer, and have someone on your side who knows local customs and politics. VIP Panama takes pride in connecting its clients to the right luxury living accommodations, the right business arrangements, and the most discrete entertainment, when required.
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
Let us first say there is no shortage of competent physicians in Panama. Panama itself has two medical schools and two dental schools and please bear in mind that the country only has 2.7 million people.
Panama has specialists available in all the specialties to be found in the USA, Canada or the EU. The differences between these countries and Panama when it comes to seeing a specialist are vast. Let me explain. I went to see an ENT doctor once in a clinic in Panama and he spent almost one full hour with me and I was only charged $25.00. Yes he was able to talk to me in English just fine. In the USA, I would have been charged about $100.00 and would’ve been lucky if he spent 15 minutes with me. Some Panama physicians have studied abroad (particularly the U.S.) until time to serve their internship. Then, if practicing medicine in Panama is important the Panamanian government requires intern to complete their residency in Panama. Some Panama doctors are American Board Certified in fact and some even have American Medical Licenses. It easy to correctly assume, the doctors in Panama are excellent. Unlike in the U.S., where medicine has become ‘Big Money Game’ the doctors in Panama are afforded the luxury of still being able to CARE about their patients rather than their medical malpractice insurance rates.
Cost and Refilling Existing Prescriptions in Panama We have experienced being able to take our empty prescription bottles into the local pharmacy and have them refilled without any questions, hassles or unnecessary and costly trips to the Doctor for a refill. The only exception to this is serious narcotics like heavy pain meds, antibiotics and it seems most other medications can be bought over-the-counter. Are you aware that soon in the U.S., most vitamins and supplements will require a doctor’s prescription? For example, Vitamin C of more than 200 mg will be a prescription item as it is already in the U.K. Our experiences with the ease and availability of refilling prescriptions added great comfort to our lives. My husband’s eye medicine runs around $90/month self insured state side costs and is about 1/3 the cost in panama for same medicine, same manufacturer. Many medications will run about 30% to 40% of what they cost in the USA with no difference in the medicine.
In addition to the already much reduced price as compared to the prescription costs in the U.S., not to be forgotten is the 10% discount given for many services to individuals with Pensionado visas, plus not having to keep paying the Doctor for refills.
General cost of Medical Care in Panama As with most things in Panama you can spend as much or little as you like. The same rule applies to a great extent with physicians.
Most doctors in Panama besides being in private practice also are required to work at the public hospitals (Seguro social). The problem with using the Seguro social system isn’t related to the quality of care but is related to being at the hospital clinic at 6:00 a.m. and waiting most of the day to have your turn for an examination. Then, this is a life style decision. You can choose see a physician in the public hospital for $10-15, or you can choose to make an appointment with him in his private practice $35. With that said, what follows are rates and fees at the private practice level in Panama.
I had a broken tooth that I needed to have repaired. My office visit, x-rays, and composite filling were $89. A root canal would have been around $70 with an additional $25 for the filling.
A surgery in the states that would typically run $40,000 would be around $15,000 in Panama. Remember, no AMA and no U.S. insurance companies. In the U.S. coronary surgery is running in the $50,000-60,000 range. In Panama the same surgery will cost in the $10,000-15,000 range in Panama’s finest hospitals. In addition, the rates of success and complications are comparable to U.S. rates. Most of the elective surgeries will run about 25% to 40% of what they cost in the USA.
An initial visit to a Mental Health Care Professional will run you about $25.00. Doctors are by U.S. standards very inexpensive with $35 being a good average price for office visits. Remember, as stated early our ENT doctor was $25 for an office visit. And hold on to your hat, while we have not checked on the price yet doctors still make house calls. And it’s not unusual for your attending physician to call you at home, even on the weekend to see how you’re progressing – imagine that. Some of you probably can remember Doctor House Calls in the States going back about 40 or 50 years.
Panamaexpertos.com Call us — 561-210-5832
Overall large differences in price such as the one written here exist in all areas of medical and surgical procedures.
SOURCE: panama-travel-bureau.com
If you are interested in doing business in Panama or doing business with Panama you will want to make the right contacts, hire a competent, English speaking lawyer, and have someone on your side who knows local customs and politics. VIP Panama takes pride in connecting its clients to the right luxury living accommodations, the right business arrangements, and the most discrete entertainment, when required.
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
Step One
Step Two
Tips & Warnings
- In many areas of Panama, the sidewalks are in disrepair. If planning to travel by foot, be sure the neighborhood you’re staying in has maintained sidewalks, or the money you save by walking will quickly become the money you spend on taxis.
- Research beachfront resorts closely. Due to polluted bodies of water throughout Panama, many beaches are not open for public swimming.
- As in any large city, the risk of crime is present. Use a taxi to get around at night.
This article from eHow is useful but not really necessary. You do not need to re-invent the wheel. With the help of a well connected service in Panama you can cut out the unnecessary steps toward a luxurious and interesting life in this exciting Latin American capital city.
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
Be prepared for a shocker when you get to Panama, especially if you are coming from one of the Central American neighbours. Bars in Panama are much more cosmopolitan than the bars in, say Guatemala or Nicaragua. You will find a tremendous variety in the types of music, drink prices, and crowds.
If you are just looking to unwind, grab a beer, and call it a night around 10 then Panama may not be the place for you. There aren’t a ton of sidewalk cafés that feature outdoor or patio dining, but a handful exist in places like Casco Viejo or El Cangrejo. Even the Bella Vista and Calle Uruguay area has a handful of spots. Habibis is an obvious choice for outdoor lounging, and Sahara is another good place to go for a cool drink outside. In Casco Viejo, one can find a number of places like Brazios. La Terraza was a popular gringo hangout, but with the exit of ¨dirty Mike¨, the Panama bar’s fabled owner, the place has lost its distinctive feel. You can still get a cold beer at this famous gringo watering hole, located on Via Venetto.
Bars in Panama usually get cranking around 10 or 11pm, and one of the best bars to begin the night is the new Londoner Bar located on Calle Uruguay. They have happy hour, billiards, and a good looking and distinctively British menu. British memorabilia line the bar, British and Scottish ales are available, and football is almost always on the tele. Another good bar in Panama is Crème. An upscale lounge type bar that features some great mixed drinks and the most comfortable couches in the country, Crème is a must visit for the business traveler and the backpacker alike. Located next to Farmacia Arrocha, this bar turns into a very hip club after 11pm. The appetizers are top notch, and the drinks wont cost you an arm and a leg.
For a complete list of bars in Panama, I usually go to buscapanama.net. I think this site is maintained by an American living down there, and it seems like they do a pretty good job of keeping up with the trends. The site differentiates between bars and clubs, which is important because the two tend to attract different crowds. Another good thing about buscapanama is that they feature pictures of people at the bar. Another good panama bar website is dealante.com, but that one is in all Spanish. It’s a great place to see all of the good looking crowds.
The thing about Panama bars is that one week they’ll be all the rage and the next week they’ll be dead. People in Panama love their bars, and following the trends can be a full time job. Bars in Panama run a ton of specials, and from the looks of it the busca panama site has a list of specials as well. Most bars here don’t close until late, so there is always an opportunity to grab a drink well into the wee hours.
The variety of bars in Panama is tremendous, and they are concentrated in a number of different areas. The primary bar hopping areas are Calle Uruguay, Area Bancaria, and Amador Causeway. The financial district, or area bancaria, is quickly becoming one of the hottest places for bars in panama. Bars like El Pavo Real, Koppas, Crème, Lighthouse, and Voila are all located in this new trendy area. It is the closest area to walk to if travellers are staying in the El Cangrejo or Bella Vista areas, and it is very safe at all hours of the night. The causeway is a bit far away, and bars are spread out. Calle Uruguay has the highest concentration of bars, and they run the gambit from dive bar to swanky club.
Either way, there is definitely something for everyone!
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Kent Preiss-Davis has been dreaming about Panama since he was a boy, and finally made it out to the beautiful country which he now calls home. He has taken on the arduous task of reviewing every bar, club, and brothel in Panama City, Panama. A weekend wasted is never a wasted weekend. |
Email us at The Panama Club
+507-836-6542 / 43 (Panama) | 1-(305)-503-9957 (USA)
