I think the Executive is the best mid-priced hotel in the city. Yes, many of the rooms are relatively small (especially the bathrooms), but they are clean, well-maintained, and come with full, functioning amenities: TV, clock radio, desk, internet access and voicemail system, very quiet AC, refrigerator, lockbox, coffee maker, hair dryer, and good lighting. Plus, the price includes breakfast in their excellent restaurant -- this is not coffee, juice, and a stale donut, it's a full buffet with fruit, yogurt, pastries, eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, pancakes, etc. etc. Plus, there's a business center that offers free computers and internet, photocopies, and a lending library. Finally, the location of the Executive is hard to beat -- you can easily walk to dozens of restaurants, casinos, etc., yet it's off the main drag so it's quiet (still a good idea to ask for an upper floor, though -- but that's true in any hotel in Panama). The only negative: The swimming pool is tiny. Still, at around $85 per night including all taxes, the Executive is a terrific bargain.

The hotel itself was in a pretty good location- walking distance to restaurants/ shopping. The rooms were pretty basic, but really run-down looking. Definitely found other hotels in the area for the same price, or cheaper, to be a better value.

I stayed at the Executive hotel for a couple of days in Nov. 2006 and it is not easy to rate this hotel, because there a both very good and very bad aspects:

Pros:
- Very friendly and helpful staff.
- Free, fast and unlimited Wi-Fi at the lobby.
- Fast internet access via cable at room (6 US$ per day).
- Hotel is located at the heart of the commercial centre of the city.
- 24/7 Restaurant - Cafe

Cons:
- Rooms: They are clean and everything is working well, but they seem to be 30 years old, lack personal touch and look a little bit ugly.
- The pool is located next to a busy street and has the size of a bathtub.
- The buffet breakfast is rather small and gets pretty boring after a couple of days.

Partly as a result of reviews on Trip Advisor, I booked a few nights at this place. The lobby is a little dark and old, but well kept. It seemed to be in line with the price. But when I arrived at the room, I was shocked to find a dingy, musty hole with old carpets and creaky old beds. Thinking that perhaps they just put me in a bad room, I asked to switch. The other two they showed me were in the same state of disrepair. This place is long overdue for a face lift.

Also, I had reserved a cell phone to rent on their "Executive Package", but when I arrived, they told me they didn't have any available.

On top of all that, they wanted to make me pay for at least the first night when I decided to go elsewhere. However, since I didn't book it through the internet, the manager eventually let me off the hook.

Overall, I have to say that the staff was fairly friendly and understanding. I don't think I was the first guy to walk after seeing the rooms. For the price, there are much better places in Panama City.