Will Panama's Antiguo Club Union Ever See the Light of Day?

March 20, 2013 at 9:17 AM | by ASchechter | Comments (0)

Lately we've been taking a closer look at abandoned hotels, and recently on a walk through Panama's historic Casco Viejo district, we spotted a place in desperate need of some ~~loving~~ deep-pocketed investor to get the ball rolling again.

The crumbing Antiguo Club Union on First Street was built in 1917 and functioned for years as an exclusive members-only club for Panama's elite�former dictator Manuel Noriega even took over the club during his reign in the 1980s. However, since then, the historic building has fallen into disrepair, and these days, its shabby, weed-choked exterior is mostly just an eyesore along one of Panama's most scenic streets.

So, what's the deal?

Back in 2008, it was announced that a group of investors were planning to convert the place into an upscale, 139-room hotel. In fact, one of the developers was Paul Stallings, the man behind Manhattan's popular Hotel on Rivington.

But since the initial buzz in 2008, not much has been done in the way of construction, or follow-up announcements, or�.anything at all. Walking past the building, we saw signs advertising a Winter 2011 opening, which is an eternity ago. The only helpful thing we managed to glean from the site was a (very outdated) rendering of what the "finished" hotel will look like: a gleaming white villa with a terracotta tiled roof and surrounding palm trees.

Maybe one day we'll get to see this gorgeous, historic building come to life once more (and sip a Panama beer from our balcony overlooking the Pacific Ocean). But until then�we won't hold our breath.

[Photos: PanamaNotes; HotelChatter]

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