The Bristol Hotel in Panama City is regarded as one of the best hotels in the city. We were not dissapointed during our recent 7-night, New Years stay.
The Bristol Hotel is well located within walking distance of several restaurants, shopping and services. Calle Uruguay, a street with several restaurants and clubs is a mere two minute walk.
The hotel is lovely, well-apponited, and formal yet maintains a small hotel ambiance. The hotel's restaurant is considered one of the best in the city. We did not have dinner there but breakfast (included in the room rate) is served in the restaurant and has plenty on offer. The usual pastries, meats, cheeses, cereals, fruit, yogurt and juices prevail but you can also have the "chef" cook omelettes and eggs at your order. Overall, I thought the breakfast was plentiful and quite good.
The room we stayed in (#700) is spacious with a large bathroom. The shower and bath tub are separate; plenty of hot water during our showers!Everything you need is supplied such as slippers, bath robes, toiletries, hair dryer, safe, etc. The bed was very comfortable and the air conditioning worked great. We appreciated this given the heat and humidity of the city. T
The outstanding feature of the Bristol is the service. The front desk, concierge, and wait staff go out of their way to make sure you are comfortable and have what you need. The car service is pricier than a cab but was appreciated until we could navigate the city on our own.
The Bristol is pricier than many hotels in the city but I felt like it was worth the rate. Currently, there is construction projects underway across from the hotel and to the hotels itself. The construction never interferred with our enjoyment of the hotel or the area.

Unfortunately only spent 12 hours in Panama City so stayed in our beautiful big room and had room service. Massive bathroom, big bed, superb linen,very efficient butler service for room service , perfect breakfast ( only long pants allowed in main restaurant area ) ,cozy bar, friendly staff , and very reasonably priced.
We loved being in a hotel in Panama which wasNOT trying to look and feel like a hotel in Chelsea New York. The Bristol had a lot of local elegant flavor and with just our one night stay we managed to sample a bit of the Panama way of life. Strongly recommend it , unfortunate that there is construction all around.

We stayed at the Bristol in Panama for one evening before our early morning flight to Bocas del Toro, and we had an amazing time. We arranged for an airport pickup, and the driver was prompt and provided us with two bottles of water, which was a nice touch. The rooms were beautifully decorated and it was the best night sleep that we had during our travels. Both the butler and the personalized stationary demonstrated that the hotel goes above and beyond to personalize guests' visits.

Also, our best meal during our travels was at the hotel's restaurant. Please don't miss out on the panamanian rolls and empanadas appetizers - they were delicious! Although the construction in front of the hotel was somewhat of an eye sore, it did not disrupt our stay in any way.

Additionally, the hotel allowed us to store two pieces of luggage while we traveled to Bocas, even though we were not staying at the hotel when we returned. Their customer service really went above and beyond, and I would not hesitate recommending this hotel to anyone.

there is construction north, east, south and west of this hotel, and as a result it is like walking through a war zone to get there.

the staff were also relatively dishonest. As an example, i asked the concierge how much it would cost to get a public taxi to casco viejo (the guide book said $3, but i knew petrol prices had gone up), and she told me it was at least $15. I double checked that she know i meant casco viejo and not panama viejo, and she confirmed the price, and advised me to take the hotel car for a mere $5 more. of course, we got a taxi on the street for $5.

and one night of our stay they had a wedding reception with a thumping bass until 2am (understandable until midnight but not after) and refused to turn the music down.

a rather unpleasant experience all in all