Megapolis Hotel Panamá

Shabbat at this hotel

Shabbat-friendly. On Chabad of Panama’s hotel list, or about 15 minutes’ walk (1.2 km) or less from an Orthodox shul.

Walk to the nearest shul

Ahavat Sion: about 8 min (660 m) by map route; inside the eruv

Room keys

Manual door keys (listed online, April 2020)

Elevator or low floors

Shabbat elevator reported (listed online, April 2020; reconfirm with the hotel)

Doors and sensors

Chabad of Panama's FAQ says hotels generally have electric doors and light sensors (Eshel Suites is the exception); rely on staff to open doors

Staff help with keys and doors

Chabad of Panama's FAQ says the hotels in the neighbourhood are very familiar with Shabbat: staff will come and open doors for you, take you to your room and can collect you from your room in the morning. Confirm for your dates

Kosher food

Chabad lists Deli K in the attached Megapolis Outlets. Chabad of Panama serves prepaid Shabbat meals at 9a Calle Gil Colunge (about 10 min walk); reservations close Wednesday evening, and it also offers a Shabbat meals take-out ordering option. Whether anything is delivered to this hotel is not published

How observant guests manage

Walk to Beit Chabad (about 10 min) or Beth El (about 13 min); the Avenida Balboa end of Paitilla is inside or at the edge of the eruv per Chabad, so confirm the map that week and register with DSI security

Eruv

Inside the area Chabad of Panama describes as covered by the city eruv (Punta Pacifica, Punta Paitilla, parts of Marbella, Bella Vista, Avenida Balboa and Cinta Costera); check the current eruv map and status each week

Walking to synagogues

Every Orthodox and Chabad shul we list within about 45 minutes on foot, nearest first.

• about8 minAhavat Sion660 m on footShul location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified)Inside the eruv
• about8 minAteret Yosef660 m on footShul location from the published address (geocoded, entrance not verified)Inside the eruv
• about10 minChabad of Panama City (Beit Chabad)790 m on footInside the eruv
• about14 minBeth El (Centro Comunitario Beth-El)1.1 km on footInside the eruv
• about22 minShevet Ahim (main synagogue)1.8 km on footOn 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.
• walk timecoming soonBet Max ve Sarah (Punta Pacífica)Walking time coming soon. We don’t have a confirmed street location for this shul yet.

Some routes avoid a short passage off Avenida Italia that the map shows but we couldn’t confirm is public or open on Shabbat; they use the streets instead.

Times are estimates along a mapped walking route between map points, at about 80 m a minute, not door to door. How we work out walking times. Eruv badges compare the whole route with the community’s eruv map; “On the eruv line” means the route runs right along the line, too close to call, so check it on the map. The eruv can be down, so confirm it every Friday with your shul or Chabad: the eruv in Panama City.

Good to know

The attached mall has kosher outlets (Chabad lists Deli K at Megapolis Outlets); confirm hours. Ask the hotel before booking whether rooms use electronic key cards, whether staff can open the door for you on Shabbat, and whether a low floor or stairwell access is possible.

Details

Pool

Outdoor pool with swim-up bar (Expedia listing)

Room keys

Manual door keys, as listed online in April 2020; confirm current setup with the hotel

Shabbat elevator

Shabbat elevator, as listed online in April 2020; confirm it still runs

Family or connecting rooms

Two-bedroom family suite listed on the hotel site

Kosher food nearby

• Frozen90 m in a straight line · Pareve
• Deli K Market130 m in a straight line · Meat and dairy
• Fresko Market220 m in a straight line · Pareve
• Chef Jeff250 m in a straight line · Pareve
• Don Shawarma260 m in a straight line · Meat
• La Finka300 m in a straight line · Meat

Straight-line distance between map points; the walk is longer.