The Santa Maria, A Luxury Collection Hotel and Golf Resort
Daily price line
Upcoming nightly rates
Review
Character and identity
Set inside a gated community on more than 500 acres on the edge of Panama City, The Santa Maria opens with a sandstone porte-cochère, a fountain courtyard, and a lobby finished in natural tones, hand-crafted furniture, and Panamanian art. The centrepiece is a 7,153-yard Jack Nicklaus golf course, the only one in the city, framed by the downtown skyline. Rooms run generously sized with notably large sand-toned bathrooms (double vanities, rainfall showers, deep tubs). Three dining venues, 24-hour room service, a spa built around local botanicals and coffee scrubs, and a sun-drenched pool overlooking the fairways and city round it out.
Who's it for
Best for:
Golfers above all, given the Nicklaus course and country club setting. Also a strong pick for couples and spa-minded travellers who want a resort-style cocoon with city access, and for design-aware guests who appreciate the locally inflected interiors and big bathrooms. The Sunday dim sum brunch is a draw in its own right.
Should look elsewhere:
Travellers who want to walk out the door into Panama City's street life, casco viejo bars, or the waterfront will find the gated, suburban location isolating. There's no beach, and with only three dining venues, food-driven guests staying longer stints may want more variety.
Bottom line
The golf course and the resort-scale grounds are what justify the rate here; if you're not playing or specifically seeking a calm enclave away from the city centre, the value proposition softens. Book a suite to make the most of those oversized bathrooms, pair it with a spa morning and the Sunday brunch, and use the concierge for helicopter tours or trips into town.