MET Hotel opens its doors in La Paz, the city that touches the clouds

The Panorama Hospitality Group, the team behind Bolivia’s most awarded and first design hotel, Atix, has added to its Bolivian portfolio with the opening of MET Hotel in Calacoto, one of the trendiest neighbourhoods in the city. At an elevation of more than 3,600 metres above sea level, La Paz is known as the city that touches the clouds and is the gateway to the otherworldly Salar de Uyuni salt flats and the Bolivian wine country.

Image credit: MET Hotel

“La Paz is a bustling city with a vibrant art and gastronomy scene,” said Fernando Rodriguez, founder of Panorama Hospitality Group.”We are thrilled to be opening MET Hotel to provide travellers with a unique home base for their Bolivian adventures. Calacoto is a residential neighbourhood that continues to grow in popularity and offers galleries, boutiques, and great dining options.”

The hotel design is a partnership between New York-based hospitality design firm Los Designers and Bolivian architect Ivan Valdez, who has worked with the late Zaha Hadid Architects in London. Overlooking the Andes Mountains, the hotel is centrally located to Mi Teleférico, an aerial cable car that offers epic views of the city.

Image credit: MET Hotel / Valeria Dorado

The property shelters 76 guestrooms which includes a penthouse suite. The premier MET Penthouse is a two-room suite with the perfect combination of panoramic views over La Paz on the outside and a carefully curated art collection featuring local artists on the inside. Modern accent décor pieces such as the pillows celebrate the rich weavings from the Jalq’a culture in Southern Bolivia and the bedroom rug patterns take inspiration from local historic textiles from Tiwanaku, an ancient city and sacred site consisting of former pyramids and enclosures, gateways and monuments located in western Bolivia near the southeast shore of Lake Titicaca.

Image credit: MET Hotel / Valeria Dorado

Continuing the design narrative of modern design with an emphasis on Bolivian culture, the lobby draws inspiration from the local ruins of Pumapunku and Tiwanaku with its layered concrete walls shaped like perfectly cut geometric stones. While the design is largely modern, these historically significant patterns provide underlying textures that provide a sense of place.

The all-day dining destination, Dominga transforms itself from a lively breakfast venue to a warmly lit and engaging space with chef’s table at night. With an emphasis on local ingredients, Dominga offers a distinctive dining experience based on contemporary cuisine that can be paired with a fine vintage from its wine cellar. The bar allows guests a space to indulge in local wines and spirits and includes the world’s largest collection of Singani, Bolivia’s national liquor. Met Hotel will also include La Paz’s first outdoor rooftop bar named Azotea offering scenic views and craft cocktails available for guests and private events.

Main image credit: MET Hotel / Valeria Dorado