Panama City will look a bit different after the 2021 Easter holiday. For the first time, a members-only private cigar club will open in the sprawling tropical city. The concept is the brainchild of Italian entrepreneur and cigar maker Valentino Siesto.
In 1997, a younger Valentino arrived in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic with a dream that took him from luxury goods and jewelry to the cigar making business. Because of the logistical and financial advantages that Panama City offers to international businesses, he permanently relocated there in the year 2000. In 2005, he partnered with a local cigar factory and launched his own namesake brand without looking back. His brand now sells all over the world, from Europe, to Latin America, China and Russia as he gears up for a massive international expansion, which will surely include some new surprises for his customers.
The concept of the Club House was born out of the necessity to have a private, exclusive place where Valentino, his friends and customers could gather to smoke his cigars and enjoy time together. The club sits in an old 800 square meter colonial house located in a trendy commercial section of Panama City and boasts English style décor, with lots of dark wood and Chesterfield furniture as well as several separate rooms for private events and meetings. Outside, under a massive mango tree, there is a secluded and ample terrace with comfortable outdoor furniture both open as well as covered, a must for Panama rainy season. The club also has a full kitchen and bar that serves food and beverages to match the environment. The walk-in humidor is large, covered in Spanish Cedar from floor to ceiling, and will house the entire Valentino Siesto cigar line as well as a few other brands selected and curated by Valentino himself.
As a cigar smoker, Valentino wanted to create “his own space”, where friends will feel at home and where everyone knows everyone. Expect to see more about the Valentino Siesto Cigars portfolio in future issues of Cigar Journal.
VALENTINO SIESTO CIGAR CLUB HOUSE PANAMA S.A
Panama, San Francisco, calle 67, Casa S/N
PH: +507 309 8130
Web: www.valentinosiestocigars.com
