Riande Granada Urban Hotel

The Riande Granada was first opened by founder Don Riande in 1969. Decades later, the family still owns and operates the chic 141-room hotel – along with a second property, the Riande Aeropuerto, next to the Tocumen Airport. In 2013 the Riande Granada received a total makeover. The result is a stylish hotel with a distinct, urban personality with splashes of art and fashion. For example, the large lobby hosts rotating art displays featuring a variety of contemporary artists from around Latin America. It is an eclectic, modern space with clean lines, punctuated with unexpected pieces like a silver tree or a traffic stoplight. The hotel’s funky style – think mixing purple velvet and animal prints – is very bold and taste-specific. Some might call it over the top. For example, on one wall, there’s a giant mural of the Mona Lisa wearing Warby Parker-style hipster glasses.

At the Riande Granada, even the hallways, the gym and the meeting rooms are stylish – donning leather couches, artsy prints, or industrial-chic lighting fixtures. The lobby bar features an elaborate Victorian tufted armchair in a bright sky-blue color – a signature piece for the hotel.  The hotel reflects the new and modern of Panama City. One of the hotel’s two elevators is glass-walled, allowing views out over the bustling city as you ride up. The guests are largely an international, young, and urban mix of business and leisure travelers. The location in a busy, central part of downtown Panama City allows the lobby bar and outdoor beer garden to draw young locals as well. 

The Riande Granada is located on a very busy street in central Panama City, with traffic whizzing by at all hours of the day. This is the bustling center of the city, close to the financial district and several other big hotels. The location is in walking distance to several casinos, restaurants, and shopping malls – including the large, upscale Multicentro Mall. Attractions like the Casco Viejo historic district, the Biomuseo, and the Panama Canal can be reached by bus or taxi in 20 to 30 minutes. It’s about a 30-minute taxi ride to the airport.

The hotel’s distinct urban-chic style extends into the guest rooms. The decor features modern grays, silvers, and browns, with pops of bright blue, purple velvet, or animal print. In some rooms wall murals cover an entire wall, depicting high-fashion images of glamorous models. Other rooms have phrases painted on the wall, such as “Dance like no one’s watching.” One room – a Junior Suite – even comes with a leather massage chair as an extra perk. Another features an acid-washed denim couch and an oversized corduroy headboard against an industrial-style corrugated metal wall. The hotel's website describes the design in some rooms as “1950s New York industrial style,” which aligns with what we saw. The bathrooms are small but sleek, with sharp tile, stylish vessel sinks, and small walk-in showers – all in tight quarters. Some rooms include rainfall showerheads.

There are many room types available, including Club Level rooms and Suites located on the hotel’s upper floors. The Club Level floors are more updated and offer some additional perks, such as extra design details. The Standard Rooms are smaller – some are tiny – and lack mini-fridges and renovated flooring; they have old tile floors instead. All rooms have flat-screen TVs and iPod docks. Many rooms have a small balcony overlooking the city, and the higher floors have sweeping views.

Considering its central city location and relatively small property size, this hotel packs in a lot of features. One of the coolest is the Biergarten in the back, which offers outdoor seating at casual picnic tables, a number of local craft brews, and a projector screen for movie nights. Strings of lights and reclaimed pallet wood tables and chairs decorate the space, and a large herb garden outside the entrance is eco-friendly.

Inside the hotel, the main dining option is Solo Restaurant, which is popular with both locals and travelers. Solo offers modern fine dining with contemporary decor, featuring colors in silver and beige and cool blue lighting accents. Semi-private dining areas are well-suited for business meetings and live music is offered a few nights a week. A nice breakfast buffet includes eggs cooked to order, pastries, fresh fruit and cereals. The hotel’s stylish lobby bar, called Stay Lounge, is home to the Riande’s distinct tufted Victorian furniture painted in bold colors paired with crystal chandeliers. It features a pool table as well as indoor and outdoor seating areas.

The hotel features a sleek, rectangular pool in the middle of the property. The large pool is very lovely on a hot day, but probably not the place for all-day lounging – there are only a handful of lounge chairs around the pool and so seating options are limited. However, the large rooftop sundeck provides extra space, offering several lounge chairs and beanbag-style seating for a fun casual atmosphere. There’s one hot tub and the ground has astroturf, contributing to a casual retro feel.

Overlooking the pool, there’s a spacious fitness room with modern equipment and industrial-chic style that includes an artistic chandelier of lightbulbs. A small business center fills one corner of the lobby and has a pair of Macs with big monitors. The hotel also offers a variety of meeting and event spaces, including an outdoor terrace and several rooms of different sizes.