Modern tower beside Multicentro on Avenida Balboa (also marketed as Radisson Decapolis; Chabad's listing still links to a Radisson booking page), with double-bed rooms aimed at families and bay views. Around ten minutes' walk to Beit Chabad.
Shabbat-friendly
About 7 min walk to Ahavat Sion
Walks to 5 synagogues from Decapolis Hotel Panama City, about 7 to 23 minutes
about 7 minAhavat Sion (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Inside the eruv
about 7 minAteret Yosef (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Inside the eruv
about 9 minChabad of Panama CityInside the eruv
about 13 minBeth ElInside the eruv
about 23 minShevet AhimOn the eruv line: check the mapThis route runs right along the eruv line, too close to tell from the map whether it stays inside. Check the route on the eruv map, and confirm the eruv is up on Friday.
Small Jewish-owned suites property in Punta Paitilla set up for Shabbat-observant guests, with kosher kitchens, mechanical room doors and low floors. Chabad lists it as a five-minute walk from its centre.
Shabbat-friendly
About 4 min walk to Chabad of Panama City
Walks to 5 synagogues from Eshel Suites, about 4 to 34 minutes
about 4 minChabad of Panama CityInside the eruv
about 8 minAhavat Sion (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Inside the eruv
about 8 minAteret Yosef (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Inside the eruv
about 8 minBeth ElInside the eruv
about 34 minShevet AhimOn the eruv line: check the mapThis route runs right along the eruv line, too close to tell from the map whether it stays inside. Check the route on the eruv map, and confirm the eruv is up on Friday.
Bayfront high-rise on Avenida Balboa overlooking the Cinta Costera, with 347 rooms. Shevet Ahim in Bella Vista is roughly a 12-minute walk; Paitilla's shuls are about 20 minutes.
Shabbat-friendly
About 12 min walk to Shevet Ahim
Walks to 5 synagogues from Hilton Panama, about 12 to 21 minutes
about 12 minShevet AhimInside the eruv
about 15 minAhavat Sion (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Inside the eruv
about 15 minAteret Yosef (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Inside the eruv
Long-established bayfront hotel in the Miramar towers on Avenida Balboa with a small marina. It is the closest of the big hotels to Shevet Ahim, about seven minutes' walk.
Shabbat-friendly
About 7 min walk to Shevet Ahim
Walks to 5 synagogues from InterContinental Miramar Panama, about 7 to 26 minutes
about 7 minShevet AhimInside the eruv
about 21 minAhavat Sion (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Inside the eruv
about 21 minAteret Yosef (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Inside the eruv
Luxury waterfront tower in Punta Pacífica (the former Trump Ocean Club building) with large rooms and several pools. Beit Chabad is about a ten-minute walk.
Shabbat-friendly
About 10 min walk to Chabad of Panama City
Walks to 5 synagogues from JW Marriott Panama, about 10 to 40 minutes
about 10 minChabad of Panama CityInside the eruv
about 16 minAhavat Sion (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Inside the eruv
about 16 minAteret Yosef (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Inside the eruv
about 18 minBeth ElInside the eruv
about 40 minShevet AhimOn the eruv line: check the mapThis route runs right along the eruv line, too close to tell from the map whether it stays inside. Check the route on the eruv map, and confirm the eruv is up on Friday.
Hotel of the Colombian Las Américas group at Avenida Balboa and Calle 53 in Marbella, with a heated pool and spa. Beit Chabad is about eight minutes' walk.
Shabbat-friendly
About 6 min walk to Ahavat Sion
Walks to 5 synagogues from Las Américas Golden Tower Panamá, about 6 to 24 minutes
about 6 minAhavat Sion (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Inside the eruv
about 6 minAteret Yosef (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Inside the eruv
about 8 minChabad of Panama CityInside the eruv
about 11 minBeth ElInside the eruv
about 24 minShevet AhimOn the eruv line: check the mapThis route runs right along the eruv line, too close to tell from the map whether it stays inside. Check the route on the eruv map, and confirm the eruv is up on Friday.
Large high-rise hotel attached to the Megapolis Outlets/Multicentro complex at the Paitilla end of Avenida Balboa, with two-bedroom family suites. About ten minutes' walk to Beit Chabad.
Shabbat-friendly
About 8 min walk to Ahavat Sion
Walks to 5 synagogues from Megapolis Hotel Panamá, about 8 to 22 minutes
about 8 minAhavat Sion (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Inside the eruv
about 8 minAteret Yosef (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Inside the eruv
about 10 minChabad of Panama CityInside the eruv
about 14 minBeth ElInside the eruv
about 22 minShevet AhimOn the eruv line: check the mapThis route runs right along the eruv line, too close to tell from the map whether it stays inside. Check the route on the eruv map, and confirm the eruv is up on Friday.
Boquete's historic inn, open since 1914 and since renovated, with garden suites and a well-known restaurant. Chabad of Boquete is in Bajo Boquete, the same small town.
Older, mid-priced tower hotel on Vía Italia in the heart of Punta Paitilla, picked by many observant visitors for location rather than luxury. Beth El is a few minutes' walk away.
Shabbat-friendly
About 4 min walk to Ahavat Sion
Walks to 5 synagogues from Plaza Paitilla Inn, about 4 to 28 minutes
about 4 minAhavat Sion (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Inside the eruv
about 4 minAteret Yosef (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Inside the eruv
about 8 minBeth ElInside the eruv
about 9 minChabad of Panama CityInside the eruv
about 28 minShevet AhimOn the eruv line: check the mapThis route runs right along the eruv line, too close to tell from the map whether it stays inside. Check the route on the eruv map, and confirm the eruv is up on Friday.
Marriott Renaissance hotel at Vía España and Calle Ricardo Arias in Obarrio, with about 214 rooms. Shevet Ahim is about 15 minutes on foot; the Paitilla shuls are nearly half an hour.
Shabbat-friendly
About 15 min walk to Shevet Ahim
Walks to 5 synagogues from Renaissance Panama City Hotel, about 15 to 31 minutes
about 15 minShevet AhimLeaves the eruv
about 26 minAhavat Sion (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Leaves the eruv
about 26 minAteret Yosef (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Leaves the eruv
Marriott's extended-stay hotel in Punta Paitilla, opened in 2020 with 144 suites that have kitchens, which matters for families self-catering kosher. It is a few minutes' walk from Beit Chabad.
Shabbat-friendly
About 4 min walk to Chabad of Panama City
Walks to 5 synagogues from Residence Inn by Marriott Panama City, about 4 to 32 minutes
about 4 minChabad of Panama CityInside the eruv
about 10 minAhavat Sion (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Inside the eruv
about 10 minAteret Yosef (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Inside the eruv
about 12 minBeth ElInside the eruv
about 32 minShevet AhimOn the eruv line: check the mapThis route runs right along the eruv line, too close to tell from the map whether it stays inside. Check the route on the eruv map, and confirm the eruv is up on Friday.
Luxury Hilton-brand hotel at Calle 47 and Calle Uruguay, opened 2013. Shevet Ahim is about a ten-minute walk; Paitilla's shuls about twenty.
Shabbat-friendly
About 10 min walk to Shevet Ahim
Walks to 5 synagogues from Waldorf Astoria Panama, about 10 to 23 minutes
about 10 minShevet AhimOn the eruv line: check the mapThis route runs right along the eruv line, too close to tell from the map whether it stays inside. Check the route on the eruv map, and confirm the eruv is up on Friday.
about 19 minAhavat Sion (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Inside the eruv
about 19 minAteret Yosef (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Inside the eruv
Historic hotel on Casco Viejo's Plaza de la Independencia, dating its history to 1874 and now operating as a restored 135-room property. Not walkable to the Orthodox shuls.
Luxury hotel in a restored 17th-century Jesuit complex in Casco Viejo, opened April 2022 as Hyatt's first Unbound Collection property in Panama, with 88 rooms and suites. Like the rest of Casco Viejo it is far from the Orthodox shuls.
Sheraton-brand hotel on Vía Israel at Calle 77 in San Francisco, east of Punta Pacífica. Over half an hour on foot to Beit Chabad, so not a walkable Shabbat base.
About 32 min walk to Chabad of Panama City
Walks to 4 synagogues from Sheraton Grand Panama, about 32 to 41 minutes
about 32 minChabad of Panama CityLeaves the eruv
about 38 minAhavat Sion (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Leaves the eruv
about 38 minAteret Yosef (location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified))Leaves the eruv
Luxury hotel at the tip of Casco Viejo, built on the site of the former Club Unión and opened early 2023 with 159 rooms including 35 suites. About an hour's walk from the Paitilla shuls.
Large beach resort on the Pacific just across the Bridge of the Americas from the city, with several pools and a private beach. Families have done Shabbat here with meals brought in from Panama City kosher caterers.
Rainforest resort on the Chagres River at the edge of the canal, with its own aerial tram and river trips. Often visited as a day trip from the city rather than for Shabbat.
Golf-resort hotel in the gated Santa María community beside Costa del Este, opened 2018 with 182 rooms. Not walkable to Paitilla's shuls (about 10 km by road).
The walk to shul matters more than the star rating. The hotels closest to the shuls are in Punta Paitilla and Punta Pacífica, inside the eruv and a few minutes’ walk from the Chabad house and the Paitilla shuls.
Few hotels publish their room-key type or whether they run a Shabbat elevator. Ask before you book, ask for a low floor, and check the eruv map for your route.
Talk to a person
Questions about Panama? Ask us.
Two people answer: Jack and Shlomo. WhatsApp is usually fastest. You can also write to info@panamaunpacked.com.
