The statue is what initially attracted me to the hotel. But once I entered the lobby, I realized there were many more architectural novelties yet to come.
Even before I reached the front desk I was immediately struck by the chaos of the interior design.
The lobby looked as if 100 different interior designers, all with an affinity for patterns, had decided that they would, individually, decorate the hotel as they saw fit, without any regard for consistency or order.
The end result is very "unique" and "interesting". For example, the bar looks like a Victorian sitting room. The only difference is that, in the hotel bar, all the beautifully carved "Victorian" wooden furniture had been painted varying shades of blues and cotton candy pinks.
Though the atmosphere was chaotic it did serve some purpose; it was a great conversation starter. Even though I could go on and on about the lobby, for hours on end, I won't because it is now time to move on to the most important part of any hotel: the rooms.
The rooms vary in price and size. The largest and most expensive rooms being the Executive suite and the most inexpensive being the Standard room (no breakfast included). By far the best value room package is the Standard double, with breakfast included. It is well worth it to have breakfast included.
To me, the best perk of this hotel is its amazing air conditioning. Unlike many other Panama hotels, the air conditioning at the Granada really works. It can actually feel cold in the room.
The standard rooms are a bit bland, especially compared with the colorful decor in the lobby. Also they lack some basic essentials such as a coffee maker, ironing board, and the usual generic watercolor prints on the walls.
Rianda Granada is conveniently located in the El Congrejo neighborhood. The receptionists are attentive and speak English well. The breakfast is excellent. It also has both a gym and a pool. You can easily walk to a number of good restaurants, shopping centers, and various Panama City landmarks from the hotel.
Other than the helter-skelter aesthetic of the interior, this is a great place to stay.
You can see the tripadvisor reviews of hotel Riande Granada, here.
This article was written by my 14 year old daughter, Skylar Vayda. Over the next 3 months, Skylar will be writing a Panama-related article each week. She will pick the topic. We hope you enjoy them.
