Ex-Military School Recycled as Lodging

A building that once housed the controversial School of the Americas in the former Panama Canal Zone, where the U.S. trained Latin American soldiers, has been recycled as a hotel.

Sol Melia, a Spanish hotel chain, has spent about $30 million to refurbish and expand the abandoned building, according to Zenon Jimenez, the hotel’s director of sales. Space that once contained classrooms, medical and library facilities, among other functions, now will house 310 guest rooms. One of two restaurants, Darien, used to be the dentist’s office, Jimenez said he was told by the U.S military.

A spokeswoman described the site, overlooking scenic Gatun Lake, through which cruise ships sail while transiting the Panama Canal, as “real historical.” Critics accused the school, which moved to Ft. Benning, Ga., in 1984 after operating in Panama for decades, of turning out human-rights violators. Graduates included former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega and the late Roberto D’Aubuisson, blamed for creating Salvadoran death squads in the 1980s.

About 90 of the rooms at the Sol Melia Panama Canal Hotel, Casino & Conference Center, plus two restaurants, were open as of last week, with the remaining rooms, the conference center and the casino to open later, officials said. The hotel also has a swimming pool, a private beach 25 minutes away (with free transport) and tennis courts, among other facilities. Wildlife tours (monkeys, toucans and other tropical life abound in the nearby rain forest, Jimenez said) and fishing are among area activities. Introductory rates are $99 per room. Reservations: telephone (800) 336-3542.