Rated 4.6 out of 5 by 229
reviewers.
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by KellyC24 Our New Favorite Destination
I grew up in the South, so I've traveled to PCB numerous times over the years. In the past, it hasn't been one of my faves. This summer, we booked a trip to the Holiday Inn Resort mostly because the price was lower than most other Gulf destinations. Wow! We are so happy that we found this place. On day one, we started talking about booking another stay at this hotel. We booked a 2 queen bed room, Gulf front. Our room was on the 8th floor. We were traveling with our toddler (18 months#. We were immediately impressed by the views and the size of the room. Usually, we are used to very cramped hotel rooms, especially after we add a crib to the mix. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that we could easily fit a crib in the room and still had plenty of room to walk around. As many families know, traveling with children means that you bring a lot of stuff. Traveling to the beach means that you travel with even more #floats, life jackets, beach towels, etc#. We had lots of room to spread out our multiple bags and never felt claustrophobic. The room was very clean. Surprisingly, we didn't feel gritty, sand covering the floors like I typically expect at beach hotels. The staff did a great job of keeping the entryway and walking areas clear and as dry as possible. I only had two small gripes about the room: #1# there were a couple very small #quarter size# spots where the flooring was coming up. I was a tad bit concerned that my son could get hurt if he fell down on those areas, but luckily, they were out of the way. And this very small picky thing #2# the shelves in the shower slope inward, so I couldn't set my shampoo and stuff out on the shelves. Seriously, a very minor issue.
The best thing about this hotel is the pool area. The pool is absolutely enormous. We traveled on a holiday weekend, so the place was full. At one point, I counted about 40 people in the pool, and yet there was space for everyone to frolic and splash around without bumping against people. You could easily play games without interfering with other people. That's a huge feat for a hotel. But the best thing of all was the waterpark. Our son loved it, and it was never crowded. Maybe 5 or 6 other kids were out there, and it was perfect for a toddler. The water was only about ankle height at its deepest point, so we weren't terrified if he splashed down a slide. The area was much larger than we were expecting, but it wasn't so large that we were afraid that we couldn't reach our son quickly if he needed us. I think my husband had as much fun as our son did splashing around and getting water dumped on him.
Although we still aren't in love with PCB, we will absolutely book another trip to this resort. I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes our go-to summer vacation spot. You don't have to love PCB when you can stay somewhere that offers everything. Here are my final two points for making your stay at this hotel fantastic: #1# definitely pay for the breakfast. It was phenomenal. We have stayed at some pretty nice resorts in the past, but the breakfast here was the best. Lots and lots of items, and you can get waffles and omelets made-to-order. Book breakfast with your room to get a steep discount. Otherwise, it is $14/person. Kids under 12 eat free. #2) The secret to getting a nice lounger by the pool is to get up early. Starting around 6am, people head down and claim their chairs by draping towels on them. There are lots of chairs, so you will get one even if you arrive later, but if you want the prime parking spot, you have to get up early.
July 7, 2014
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by BeBe55 Fun on the sun
Very family oriented. Love coming. First time I stayed in a family room. Great four day beach trip.
July 7, 2014
Rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by tenn83 Overall Experience
Very nice and comfortable visit. Great entertainment and location.
July 6, 2014
- 2014-07-10
- bvseo-cps-pl-PRR
Panama City Beach,
Florida
32407
