I am not a hotel reviewer, no white gloves above the door, but when I need to travel from Boquete to Panama City I need to stay in a hotel, so I have tried many. This trip is starting in the Executive Hotel it was recommended by a friend. The Executive is well located walking distance from the restaurants of Calle Uruguay and the tourist district of El Congrejo. It is clean, well attended and seems to cater to business people from around the world.
The rooms are nice but not elegant. They include a complete but mediocre breakfast, something not included in many hotels. They have wired internet in the rooms, be sure to ask for the login and password at the desk. The Executive also has a nice restaurant, bar and outside seating area.
I booked from their website, the rate was $85 a night and I thought when I arrived I would receive the pensionado discount making it a very reasonable $42.50, I was wrong. They did not refuse the discount, they pointed to their lobby sign which showed a rack rate of $165 and offered me the discount from that rate. This is becoming a common ruse with hotels in Panama City. An inflated rack rate and a higher than value real rate. The executive is worth $85 a night, apparently $80 if you book through Expedia.com, but I have been spoiled by real discounts on tariffs so next time another hotel for me.
The Decapolis with the pensionado discount is only a little more expensive and includes $20 in prepaid bar billing making it a far better value on the high end.
We stayed at the Executive Hotel…ONCE…it was very difficult to sleep because of all the street noise and we were on one of the top floors. It’s a good location and the restaurant is okay but oh so much noise.
I caught onto the jubilado discount rate once when I booked a room at the place across the street from the Pomodoro restaurant. They were happy to give me a discount from the $180.00 dollar a night rate, hardly worth it. Seems like ever since 2005 -2006 the jubilado discount is a 50/50 hit or miss opportunity
We stayed there last year in the spring and really liked it..great location to walk around to numerous sites and restaurants, friendly staff, lovely clean spacious rooms (not Las Vegas)with a balcony and view, with a desk and numerous ammenities included (coffee,tea). Helpful people at the front desk. Good restaurant. Open air hallways with lovely chirping birds in the morning. And last year the price was almost double what it is now. No complaints about our stay there. We had two rooms, and stayed a week. Good services for internet and doing business too. Always found a cab with the help of the door staff easily too.
This is clearly a way to go around the law. I have already denounced this case to the Instituto de Turismo. I don’t know if they are going to do anything at all but at least already received the following answer.
Buenos días
Gonzalo
Gracias por escribirnos
Transfiero su denuncia a la Lic. Soraya Alderete
Para su debido trámite.
Cordiales saludos
Denis Alfonso Couto Ríos
Coordinación Regional
More or less, it only says , he is tranfering this to Lic. Soraya Aldrete for her to proceed hopfully with an investigation