Palmetto Beachfront Hotel — Attraction in Panama City Beach

I have never written a hotel review before, but after this experience, I feel compelled to warn others. I’m from Sweden and consider myself well-travelled. I’ve stayed in everything from budget motels to luxury hotels across Europe and the U.S. What all those stays had in common was that I got exactly what I expected based on the photos and descriptions. That was not the case here.

This was my last trip in the U.S. before returning home, and I wanted to make it special by visiting Panama City Beach with my dear friend. We carefully searched Hotels.com and chose Palmetto Beachfront Resort based on what appeared to be clear, promising descriptions and inviting images. It showed a beachside hotel with access to umbrellas, beach towels, and chairs—everything we were hoping for.

Shock at Arrival: Instead of being checked in at the beachfront building shown in all photos, we were informed that our room was in a completely separate building across the street – a dingy, two-story motel setup by the parking lot. Not a single photo on Hotels.com or in the hotel’s own gallery showed this separate building, let alone its outdated, rundown condition. If we had seen one single image of this structure while booking, we would have moved on and booked something else. But the absence of any description or image of this secondary building was a clear attempt to mislead potential guests.

Misleading Room and Quality: We intended to book a room with two queen beds. But the confirmation listed one king bed—something we noticed on arrival. Might’ve been our mistake, but even so, the rooms pictured with king beds looked fine, so we didn’t argue. What we actually received was unacceptable. The room we got was disgusting. It reeked of chlorine as the room was tucked in indoors behind an indoor poolroom with one window facing another building with all in all left quite a claustrophobic feeling. The microwave and fridge had a lots of rust, the coffee pot was dirty and oven contained caked-on old food. Food in the kitchen sink. Dirty fingerprints on the vanity mirror. Worst of all, black mold covered the rim of the ceiling in the bathroom, a serious health hazard, especially for my friend, with mold allergy. We slept with the bathroom door closed, but the mold smell still filled the room.

Beach Amenities? Not Quite: We arrived early and headed to the beach before checking in. But the promised beach chairs and umbrellas, which are clearly listed three times in the hotel’s description, were not included though we paid an $14 resort fee. Instead, you have to pay an additional $40 per day for a chair and umbrella as it doesnt belong to the hotel. Even the beach vendor said he has to explain this to guests “all the time” because the hotel continues to mislead people.

Management's Response: Our room cost over $100 per night, plus a $14 resort fee for what essentially is a rundown, budget motel room with none of the promised amenities. When we brought our concerns to the front desk, we were met with indifference. We were told nothing could be done because the hotel was “fully booked,” despite the fact that I could still see rooms available online on Hotels.com. When I asked if I could simply book another room, the receptionist said she would cancel any additional reservation attempt, insisting again that the hotel was full. To make matters worse, we were told that the poor experience was our own fault, specifically mine for “booking the wrong room.” I was also told I should have somehow known what the building across the street looked like. That left me genuinely stunned. Later that evening, we walked past a room on our way to ours and see an empty room with two queen beds and windows on both sides. It was clearly vacant, as no one would be checking in at that hour. So much for the hotel being fully booked.

If I could give negative stars, I would. Please do yourself a favor and stay far away from this place. If you must book here, confirm in writing exactly which building and room you're getting—or prepare for a very...

I searched/researched for 5 or 6 months for the perfect place to bring my disabled mother who can no longer swim in the Atlantic. We've gone to Myrtle Beach every year since I was born, over 5 decades ago. I came across Palmetto Beachfront Resort and read through every review, good and bad, and looked at every photo posted by the hotel and visitors. I went back and forth over 4 or 5 months to other hotels but ultimately decided on this one. First of all, the negative reviews I am reading are mostly due to vacationers booking based on photos. You must READ before booking. There are two buildings. One is beachfront, the other is across the street. If you book based on a photo, and do not READ the room descriptions (which plainly state beachfront or NON beachfront), you have no reason to complain your room is not oceanfront. Room descriptions indicate oceanfront or NON oceanfront. Second, parking is always limited when a hotel or resort does not have a large parking garage. This is a mid-rise resort with ample parking. If you cannot find a place on the beachside, there is parking LITERALLY across the street in front of the non beachside rooms. It's not a busy highway as some reviews say. It's the main strip and there is a pedestrian crossing right in front of both buildings. Third, we did not use room service, we never do. We never had an issue receiving towels, wash cloths, soap, toilet paper, lotion, a can opener, a lighter for the grill, or anything else. Towels and wash cloths were given to us any time we asked and staff graciously gave us plenty, every single day. Fourth, nothing about this resort is dirty. The pool and hot tub were maintained throughout the day, every day. Rooms were clean and spacious. I asked a few other guests staying on either side of us if I could see their rooms and this hotel is clean and maintained. Fifth, staff was accommodating and friendly. Sixth, this location is UNBEATABLE. Hotel sits directly on the beach and from the pool to the ocean you might be 250 feet away.

Pools are handicap accessible with lowering chairs. There are two grills on each side of the pool and plenty of tables and chairs to sit out and enjoy your food. There is a childrens' play set on the beach directly in front of the hotel. The hotel offers free coffee, 24-7. They will also make you fresh baked Otis Spunkmeyer cookies upon request, any time of the day. Complimentary. There is an ice cream shop in the lobby, a gift store, and beer/drinks/microwaveables for purchase. Staff sets out beach towels on the pool chairs every morning. Beach service (not run my the hotel) rents umbrellas, chairs, aqua cycles, jet skis, and sets up parasailing and banana boat rides for a charge. There is a coin laundry room on site.

This hotel is a true gem and we will be back again next year. The ten hour drive is worth the result.

We had room 7104, ground floor, which opens up directly to the pool. See photos. We did not have a kitchen, but the microwave and standard size fridge worked fine for our needs. All ground floor rooms open to the pool.

Since we did not stay across the street, I cannot speak on that building. There is an indoor pool on that side, however.

The ONLY criticism I have is reservations. Hotel needs to send confirmation upon booking. There seems to be a disconnect somewhere with the reservation department and I did have a few issues with my reservation being found, even after paying a deposit. I noticed a few other guests had the same issue upon arrival. Hotel manager Glenn resolved my issue without missing a beat. That said, issues with the reservation system requiring an overhaul do NOT outweigh the overall experience. LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION, friendly and helpful staff, and all the amenities needed for a perfect stay...

This is honestly a great little hotel for the most part. The pros: it's literally right on the beach, there's not even a long boardwalk over the dunes like a lot of places to get to the beach, you just walk down maybe 10 stairs total from the pool and boom you are on the beach. There are 2 pools, one indoors and one outside, as well as a hot tub. They have 2 pavilions with plenty of tables and deck chairs that overlook the ocean, as well as gas grills for cooking out. The rooms are older and a bit dated and worn, but very clean. The shower water is always hot and doesn't need but a few seconds to heat up. Plenty of bars, restaurants, and things to do located nearby. It's also affordable in the summer or winter, especially given the size of the rooms, accommodations, and access to the beach. The cons: the beds are super "bouncy", not in a good way, and the pillows are basically linen wrapped lumpy air bubbles. I brought my own the last time we stayed here because of this. There is always some kind of dump truck, construction, or other horrendous noises in the early a.m. preventing you from sleeping in without being disturbed. Not necessarily something the hotel can help or prevent, but inconvenient nonetheless. Something they could do, but don't, is allow you to request a late checkout the night prior. I have never stayed somewhere that had this policy. If you call the night before you are leaving to ask for an extended check out they tell you to call back in the morning, with no guarantee, mind you,, so you are not only waking up early defeating the purpose of a late check out, but you may wake up earlier than necessary only to hear "no". We stayed the week of Jan15-20th 2024 and even though the hotel was near empty, we still were unable to secure a later check out the night beforehand so we could sleep in and be rested for our long drive home. On top of that, each and every time we have requested a late check out and been granted one, the housekeeping folk still comes knocking before we were told we had to be out by. The time before last (October 2023) the man came in the room while my wife was exiting the shower, even though we had a late checkout approved by the front desk, and Do Not Disturb sign on the door. When he knocked (only twice) I repeatedly called out "late checkout". He got halfway inside the room with me in the bed and her coming from the bathroom undressed, and didn't even apologize upon realizing his mistake, just turned around and walked out. It happened again this past visit, someone opening the door after only one or two knocks and no chance to respond, before even the usual checkout of 10:30 (the front desk said we could stay until 11) at 10:10, he opened the door and quickly shut it when he saw me standing by the dresser. The heated pools are also not very warm even in the dead of winter. The only other complaint we have was how children run amok and unsupervised during the "on" season. When we stayed in the summer there were gaggles of children who were left to their own devices by the parents at the pool and hot tub, with the parents being at the actual beach and not on the pool deck or in the hot tub (not very big to begin with) and we saw them come up to occasionally check on kids who were all tweens or younger (one as young as 6-7). Despite the cons (that hopefully they decide to improve on) we will still probably stay here in the future because the pros are very nice. If we do, I will be bringing my door security bar to keep the housekeepers from...