Panama City Beach, FL

[Buckalew11]

Please share with me any places you have stayed at while visiting Panama City Beach FL.
We're going in November for a weekend for the Ford Ironman race. DH is volunteering so as to get a spot to compete in next year's race. I want someplace decent. It is just a weekend trip. Thanks!!

 

[Mom loves Disney]

We always stay at Edgewater. I think they now do nightly rates. It is a beatiful place right on the strip. I'm sure someone will have more options.

 

[SereneOne]

Hi! We lived in Panama City Beach for about fifteen years and now live in Greenville, SC. When we go to visit the grandparents, we like to stay at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort. We usually go for almost a week for Thanksgiving. The rates are usually in the 200's, however it is off season so it is in the low hundreds. (And if you are like us and use points, it is 25,000 for a night, or 20,000 points and 30 dollars, etc.) There are still some warm days and this HISR has a mini waterpark for the kids, pool and hotubs. It is also on the beach, you just walk past the pool and bar and there you are. We had fun collecting shells and making sandcastles with our 5yo. Here is a link www.hipanamacitybeach.com. You can see the miniwaterpark in the pics. They also have a gym and room service.

We also like to stay at the Palmetto Inn and Suites. Nothing fancy, just a clean roomy place to stay with kitchenettes. www.palmettomotel.com It has a pool (and across the street an indoor heated pool) and is right on the beach. Patty and her husband I think Tom own it. Good people and great rates! Here are the amenities:

Accommodations:
• Private gulf-front balconies
• Large heated outdoor and indoor
pools
• Beachside playground and 2
kiddie pools
• Snow Cone stand
• Gulf-front hot tub and sundeck
• Gas barbecue grills
• Shuffleboard and beach
volleyball
• Beach chairs, umbrellas, Wave
Runners and Parasail rentals
available on beach
• Free local phone calls
• Free high speed internet in
every room, plus wireless hot
spots
• Cable TV with HBO
• Complimentary newspaper
every day
• Cabana-level rooms
• Coin-operated laundry,
both Beachside and Northside
• Queen sleeper sofas available in
many rooms
• Hair dryers, irons, and full-size
ironing boards
• Spacious suites with full-size
kitchens: microwave,
coffeemaker, toaster, full-size
refrigerator, four burner stove
with oven, basic kitchen utensils
and cookware.
• 24 hour security
• Free Airport shuttle
• Just minutes from Pier Park
featuring restaurants, shops,
Target, and a 16-in-one Grand
Movie Theatre
• Close to a fishing pier, grocery
store and area attractions
including Ripley's Believe It or
Not.

There is also the Marriott which is great but expensive and the rooms are not that soundproof and for that kind of money, I expect quiet restful sleep.

Best of Luck and hope you enjoy your stay!

 

[walkerag]

We just went to PCB for a week vacation last month and had a great time
We rented a condo from a private owner at Emerald Beach Resort. It is a beautiful resort and we really enjoyed our stay there. It didn't hurt that there's a Starbuck's in the lobby on the garage side. Here's the link to the condo we rented:

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p194347

 

[okeydokey]

We've stayed at the LongBeach a couple of times in a condo we saw at VRBO. The layout of the unit is really nice and the view is terrific.

 

[rcraw45425]

Some of the newer resorts we have stayed at are Tidewater Beach, Celedon Beach, Sunset Beach, &Grandview West, all of these are newer than Edgewater Beach. The Palmetto, that someone mentioned , just had it's beachside side completely redone just a few years ago. I had a friend spend Labor Day weekend at Emerald Isle and she said it was quite nice too. WHat I like about the newer complexes is they will provide washers and dryers in their one bedroom units.

 

[rcraw45425]

We just went to PCB for a week vacation last month and had a great time
We rented a condo from a private owner at Emerald Beach Resort. It is a beautiful resort and we really enjoyed our stay there. It didn't hurt that there's a Starbuck's in the lobby on the garage side. Here's the link to the condo we rented:

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p194347

Emerald Beach is a timeshare owned by Wyndham, I've had friends tell me that they were subjected to a high pressure sales pitch. If you google Wyndham beach resort panama city beach and emerald beach resort panama city beach they come up with the same address

 

[walkerag]

Emerald Beach is a timeshare owned by Wyndham, I've had friends tell me that they were subjected to a high pressure sales pitch. If you google Wyndham beach resort panama city beach and emerald beach resort panama city beach they come up with the same address

There's 2 sides to Emerald beach. One side is owned by Wyndham the other side are all privately owned condos. We rented directly from a condo owner and never had to deal with Wyndham once. The owner even mailed the keys to our house and we didn't have to check in or anything.

 

[rcraw45425]

There's 2 sides to Emerald beach. One side is owned by Wyndham the other side are all privately owned condos. We rented directly from a condo owner and never had to deal with Wyndham once. The owner even mailed the keys to our house and we didn't have to check in or anything.

Thanks for that heads up, I hate time share pressure. We've avoided it since our friends told us that . Our last visit we went back to our old comfy shoe Continental Condominiums. It's old, a little run down, but you couldn't ask for nicer people. THey remember my girls from infancy, early check ins and late check outs are allowed, IT's only about 6 floors high, and super reasonable. For a cheap no frills weekend it's great. Our Tidewater stay cost me as much as my BC CL room is running a night, lol.

 

[Buckalew11]

Thanks for these wonderful replies. I knew I'd get great advice here.

Although this is a very short trip for us, since DH is volunteering at the race (and it goes all day til midnight) DD and I will have all that time to lounge around the pool and/or beach. I'm planning to really relax that weekend! I'd like to look around the area to see about next year. I plan on incorporating a vacation into his Ironman race and just stay all week afterwards. It is sorta late in the season but it'll be nice to just get away.

Thank y'all sooo much for this advice.

Anywhere you'd suggest eating that you especially like?

 

[walkerag]

Anywhere you'd suggest eating that you especially like?

There's a little diner that was across the street from Emerald Beach resort called Jennie's Diner. DD LOVED the breakfast there and the eggs were steaming hot when they came out.. you don't see that happen very much..

I will offer up a lesson learned. We went to Pineapple Willy's one night and my DH and DD got a table while I parked the car. They went into the bar/stage area where the band plays and the server told them they could sit anywhere as there were alot of open tables. We had never been there before so we sat down and ordered drinks and after about 45 minutes went by without the server coming back to us I flagged him down to tell him we were ready to order and he tells me "oh, this is just the bar area we don't serve food in here until after 10pm"
I went out to find a hostess and she informed us that there is a 45 minute wait
At that point I made an executive decision and ordered our food to go
The food was pretty good and they have cool t-shirts. I think during the off season you can buy them at 1/2 the regular price and you can find $2 off coupons in your motel/condo lobby too
I bought a lime green one

ETA: There are alot of really good dining choices (and shopping) at Pier Park. The only place we went to at Pier Park was 5 Guys Burgers and Fries which was REALLY good BTW but they do have a Margaritaville and several others.

 

[rcraw45425]

Thanks for these wonderful replies. I knew I'd get great advice here.

Although this is a very short trip for us, since DH is volunteering at the race (and it goes all day til midnight) DD and I will have all that time to lounge around the pool and/or beach. I'm planning to really relax that weekend! I'd like to look around the area to see about next year. I plan on incorporating a vacation into his Ironman race and just stay all week afterwards. It is sorta late in the season but it'll be nice to just get away.

Thank y'all sooo much for this advice.

Anywhere you'd suggest eating that you especially like?

IF you wanna traditional type hotel, the Holiday Inn Sunspree is fun. http://www.hipcbeach.com/index.html They have a neat Poly type pool deck and generally run Kids eat free (don't know how old your DD is). BEach chairs were a little pricey, but there's also a water park type water play area as well. AAA helps with the rates too.

For dining we generally hit Angelo's for steaks, Pineapple Willy's for bbq ribs, and either Captain Andersons, the Boatyard, the TreasureShip or Boondocks for seafood. Boondocks is a funky little place that you have to hunt a little bit to find, all of the others are pretty much landmarks. They opened Pier PArk last summer, huge shopping.dining complex, with Ron Jon, Margaritaville, Guy Harvey, Lifes Good store, Peace Frog, A branch of the Back Porch (a Destin Seafood restaurant, it's pretty good too), and tons of other stores and restaurants. The Calypso beach towers is the closest condos to it.

 

[SereneOne]

Love Back Porch! I wonder if they still have their Key Lime Pie-on-a-stick?

Problem is at that time of year is that a lot of places are closed like Treasure Ship and Captain Anderson's.

Canopies is good, but expensive and more adult. They have award winning she-crab soup and creme brule. House of Chan's they have a buffet down stairs and you get to watch them cook your food, if it is still around.

We ate at two places in Pier Park. I would have to think of the names...

 

[rcraw45425]

Love Back Porch! I wonder if they still have their Key Lime Pie-on-a-stick?

Problem is at that time of year is that a lot of places are closed like Treasure Ship and Captain Anderson's.

Canopies is good, but expensive and more adult. They have award winning she-crab soup and creme brule. House of Chan's they have a buffet down stairs and you get to watch them cook your food, if it is still around.

We ate at two places in Pier Park. I would have to think of the names...

Sadly, I think House of Chan is gone, the last time we drove "through town" I think the lot it was on had been cleared. OOPS, just did a search, apparantly it changed locations! Here's the new address: 4425 W Hwy 98 Panama City, FL 32401
(850) 769-9404

I need to remember this since our youngest is addicted to asian food!

 

[SereneOne]

At Pier Park, we went to Reggae J's for lunch, it was good.

Allen's Seafood was good, but it like burnt down or something. Did they ever rebuild?

There is also that place with the large fish aquarium in the center...it used to be a brewery...good food and live music...anyone remember? It was on Back Beach Road, after SuperWalmart...

I was thinking of Boat Yard restaurant on North Lagoon, I think. It has the Key Lime Pie on a Stick.

Back Porch we took my parents to, we enjoyed it. It was the other restaurant in Pier Park.

Yes, when we went last November it was more run down than before...

 

[princesshannahsmom]

Well, I live in Panama City Beach, so I can probably help on the places to eat, but not so much the hotels and condos! Personally, I am not a huge fan of the Back Porch, but it seems to be really popular. Of course, there is Margaritaville, which of course, is pretty much a staple in a beachy atmosphere! If you like asian food, I enjoy Mikato. It is a Japanese steakhouse, with hibachi and so forth. It is a fun time and the food is excellent (especially the sushi!) If you want a little bit of a drive and off the beaten path, there is a great little "high end" cafe in Panama City called the Granite Cafe. They have excellent food and a great martini menu! If you need more suggestions just let me know!

 

[SNylund]

The best hotel by far IMO is the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort as a few have already mentioned. Has a great pool and beach, great beach bar, basically all on the beach. Great views (every room has a great view of the ocean), good design where not really any room has a bad view. Big spring break resort though so always booked in March time frame, couldn't remember your time.

 

[SereneOne]

Hunt's Oyster Bar is good, like their shrimp poboys.

I can't think of any really good seafood places open during that time...

BoatYard has a Key West flair.

I remember Mikato's, it is good.

BoatYard has sushi too, however I have not tried theirs.

 

[Snoopymom]

If you go through VRBO, it saves your dates and info in the inquiry box, which makes it easy to check availability with more than one owner, and if you ask for their best rate including taxes and fees, you should get back responses with much lower quotes than the rates posted on their listings.

We're staying at the Calypso in October for the heated pool and close proximity to the pier and Pier Park. I hear it is walkable.

I've been reading the forums on trip advisor for restaurant recommendations.
It seems that most have the same opinions about which ones are good and which ones are not, unlike trip advisors rating list with comments that are all over the map.

This will be our second trip. Our first time was last minute and we stayed in a crapshack because it was pet friendly. It was literally, a cement block square painted flamingo pink in the middle of the sand about 20 feet from the water. It had indoor outdoor carpeting, a window unit, and it had not been redecorated since the 50's. Dh and ds loved it though and we ended up having a blast!

The only good restaurant we found was J. Michaels. It was not touristy and expensive, so we'll probably go again, but this time we will have extended family with us so thank Gosh we have a better idea of where to stay and eat.

Have fun planning.

 

[rcraw45425]

We ate at Schooners last time forthe first time ever, and DH and I have been going to PCB since the 60s (as children). The food is pretty good, service was awful though, like theyr'e doing you a favor. Back Porch is eh, as is Margaritaville. Both can have extremely long waits. It is The Boatyard with the KLP on a stick, we liked it a lot better with it's old menu/theme, less high brow, more casual. Mikato is excellent. Anderson's is closing Nov. 14 for the season, Angelo's will be about the same IIRC. WE have never dined there but a lot of pweople rave about Boars Head. Stay far away from Dirty Dicks Crab House (even the name is nasty). We have had good crab at Bayou Bills on the West end of the beach. AS far as Boon Docks goes, their steaks are good, along with their seafood. Spinnaker is good for a huge burger as well. IF you get a chance, there is a seafood market on Thomas Drive called Cardenas that has awesome smoked fish dips, tuna, amberjack, Mahi mahi, and I think salmon. They also cook ribs and will also steam seafood for you I think, best hing, open 7 days a week. http://www.cardenasseafood.com/Welcome_.html Enjoy!