Vera J. Elliot
1897 – 1979
“I open my doors to the world because people come to me from everywhere.”
A journalist of Swedish nationality, determined and eager to know the world, she arrived in Panama in 1924 with her husband Captain Hans Elliot and her brother Carl Janson, with whom they make a business trip to Chiriquí. The visionary and daring Hans and Vera were captivated by the beauty of those lands and purchase their first lot in Boquete, which they called La Isleta, near the Caldera River. The Elliot’s return to Boquete in 1928 and befriend Joseph “Pop” Wright, owner of the Wright Hotel since 1914. Thirty-two years later, in 1946, he sold it to the Elliot´s.
After acquiring the Wright Hotel, they remodeled and expanded it. Mrs. Elliot, known as Doña Vera, quickly imbued the hotel with her personality, converting it into a boutique hotel, when such a concept was not yet imaginable, which she named Hotel Panamonte. Doña Vera was an exceptional and cultured hostess, a perfectionist, owner of a very particular charm, a mixture of refinement and simplicity.
Inga E. Collins
1928 – 2018
“A sweet warrior.”
An extremely active and creative woman, unmatched in the art of receiving people, she was a mixture of strength and bravery that contrasted with her affection and warmth. She was not afraid of anything; she was the one who always listened and helped others. Known as Doña Inga, she was an active part of her husband Alfred Collins’ business at a time when women were relegated to housework.
After her mother died in 1979, she stayed for 5 months at the hotel to learn, step by step, everything about the business. She gave life to the gardens and decorated the walls with paintings by renowned Latin American artists.
She turned a small hotel in Boquete into the first ecotourism hotel in Panama, a benchmark for local tourism. During this period, the Panamonte hosted 40 groups of bird watchers each year. To do this, she became an expert on the subject and learned everything about the birds that inhabit the area. After multiple recognitions, in 2007, the National Council of Businesswomen awarded her the “Women at the Top” award for her business leadership. Even in her old age, she stayed involved in all the details that made the Panamonte what it is today. She continued socializing with clients as the great hostess she was, telling stories and anecdotes of her beloved Panama and Boquete.
She passed away in 2018 leaving a great legacy.
1914
The North American Joseph Wright
opened the Wright Hotel, which was then considered an Eden; it only had 5 rooms.
Between 1928 and 1946
The Wright Hotel received many celebrities
such as Admiral Richard E. Byrd, who at the Panamonte completed his memoirs about his expedition to Antarctica; Charles Lindberg, the first aviator to cross the Atlantic; and the Rockefeller brothers, for the opening of the David branch of the Chase Manhattan Bank, among others.
1946
The Elliot's buy the hotel
which they remodeled and expanded. They added 6 new rooms and a bar, enlarged the kitchen and restaurant, and changed the name to Hotel Panamonte.
Between 1946 and 1977
The Panamonte Hotel was visited by
Richard Nixon, Vice President of the United States of America, in 1957, and Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman, in 1959 and 1967.
1979
Mrs. Vera Elliot dies
and her daughter, Inga Collins, inherits the hotel.
Between 1980 and 2001
Hotel Panamonte was host to the Shah of Iran
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his wife Farah Diba, and the British actor Sean Connery.
2002
Chef Charlie Collins partners with his mother,
an alliance that strengthened the hotel. With a vast experience in international hospitality, Charlie Collins raised standards, maintaining those that gave personality to the hotel. Thus, Panamonte´s management became more professional, the staff undergoing training in new processes and techniques.
2009
The Panamonte Hotel builds
eight large new rooms, respecting the natural surroundings.
2014
Hotel Panamonte celebrates its 100th anniversary.
To commemorate such an important milestone, Charlie Collins publishes his first cookbook Charlie Collins 100 recetas, una historia (Charlie Collins 100 Recipes, One Story).
2018
Mrs. Inga Collins dies
and the Panamonte Hotel is inherited by her son, Charlie Collins.
2020
T'ACH Restaurant opens
The name chosen for the hotel’s restaurant comes from the Emberá-Wounaan language and was used by Chef Charlie Collins to title his last two books, T’ACH Cocina autóctona panameña (T’ACH Panamanian Native Cuisine) and T’ACH II Cocina contemporánea panameña (T’ACH II Panamanian Contemporary Cuisine). The restaurant´s menu combines Panama’s cuisine with the Panamonte’s classic style.
More than 100 years of history that continues!
OUR PRESENT
Chef Charlie Collins
“You cook with love and eat with passion.”
Culinary anthropologist, noted for his passion and commitment to quality and service. He has a vast experience in planning and preparing banquets for social, diplomatic and corporate events, locally and internationally. His professional career has earned him many awards, as well as the recognition of prestigious international publications such as Food & Wine and Gatopardo magazines, which distinguished him as one of the best chefs in Latin America.
National publications, such as K Magazine, Punto y Coma, Ocean Drive, Selecta and OD Gourmet, have dedicated covers and pages highlighting his work. Recognized by CNN en Español journalist Camilo Egaña during an interview, as the “father of Panamanian gastronomy.”
His reputation and professionalism have led him to execute important events for the Presidency of the Republic of Panama, where he has prepared banquets during the last five presidential administrations, as well as special events such as the presidential inaugurations, and the transfer of the Panama Canal to Panama in 1999, where heads of state and government of many countries were present.
He planned and prepared the banquet for the XXIII Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Panama City in April 2015. In June 2016 he was responsible for the banquet for 3000 guests at the inauguration of the Panama Canal expansion.
He has been a judge of the renowned Top Chef Panama reality show during its 4 seasons. In 2020, the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Chiriquí honored him as Entrepreneur of the Year.