Wingate by Wyndham Panama City Area Lynn Haven — Hotel in Lynn Haven

• WARNING* The staff at this hotel is untrained in emergency situations! Our stay was from Oct 12- Oct 14 2014. We have stayed here a few times in the past and loved it, but this hotel has gone way down hill. Upon check in our room was dirty (dusty) and telephones didn't work. The next morning (Monday) my 13 yr old daughter was told that the breakfast "wasn't a buffet" by the very rude breakfast host, who apparently was also the maid, AND whom ALSO had her children working. We asked that our room be cleaned and we have fresh towels put out. We left for the indoor pool while my daughter stayed in the room. The breakfast host/maid came into the room and had her children help make up our beds, she left clean towels but did not change the trash, leave more toilet paper (which we were completely out of) or wipe anything down. We came back from the pool to lay down (we have young children) and shortly after the fire alarms went off. Then they stopped. Then they went off again a few seconds later. My husband opened the door to the room and the hallway was full of smoke. NEVER DID ANYONE CALL US TO TELL US ABOUT THE FIRE IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM! We got our children and raced to the closest exit along with the rest of the guests (who hadn't been called either) Once outside the hotel staff stood around on their cell phones LAUGHING and talking to each other. 2 hours later, when it began to storm, they allowed us into the lobby although the smoke was still so thick it was hard to breath. The fire was out and the FD had left. Apparently there was a dryer fire. Manager said it was a belt, but the Spanish speaking laundry lady told my husband that she had washed some towel with chemicals on them and they didn't come clean (so she thought) and that is what started the fire. Back into our rooms that night, I have an asthmatic child so we were stuck in our room since the smell of burnt plastic filled the entire lobby, and pool area. The next morning the smell was better, and breakfast was good. Upon check out I asked if they were going to comp our room for the previous night due to the fire and standing in the rain for 2 hours but the GM's response was "all I can give you is $20 off your night stay since you didn't leave after the fire". ARE YOU KIDDING ME? It was close to 7:00 before we got back to our rooms and belongings, and we had TORNADO WARNINGS. Where was I going to take my family? Her response was " you could have checked out and gone any where else. There are plenty of hotels around" I WAS FLOORED AT HER RESPONSE. NEVER DID SHE OR THE HOTEL apologize. She said to me TWICE "the fire wasn't our fault!!" I can not believe the management at this hotel. The fact that NO ONE STAFF MEMEBER was concerned with ANYONES safety is alarming. I worked at a large hotel chain for a few years and the first thing we were taught was to start calling rooms and to have a guest list ready for the FD to make sure that everyone was accounted for. Your life and your the life of your family ISNT worth the risk to sleep in a hotel that clearly doesn't value your life. I am DISGUSED at the level of "customer service" from this hotel. What used to be our fav. vacation spot is now nothing more than an unsafe, unclean, and unprofessional hotel. Your money would be better spent some where else. I PROMISE YOU THAT!! DO...

Shady Management & Terrible Customer Service — Beware

While the hotel itself was clean and the room was fine once we were finally allowed to check in, the experience dealing with the management and staff completely ruined this stay.

We made a simple, honest mistake when booking — off by just one day. The moment we realized it, we called both Booking.com and the hotel, well within 24 hours, to try and modify our reservation. Instead of basic customer service or even a conversation, we were met with total resistance, conflicting information, and nearly 4 hours of being bounced around on the phone — only to be denied any help.

I asked to speak with a manager several times. I was denied by the front desk clerk, only to find out later that the manager, was in the building the whole time but refused to take my call. Imagine the frustration after wasting hours on the phone, only to discover the person who could help was right there — just unwilling to.

When we finally showed up in person, after all that stress, they still wouldn’t resolve the issue without squeezing an extra $50 out of us — bringing the total for one night at this average hotel that was a 35 min drive to the beach to $193. I’ve stayed at Disney resorts for less.

Let me be clear — we owned the mistake. We never tried to deny that. What we didn’t deserve was the dismissive, rigid, unhelpful attitude, and the complete unwillingness to work with us to find a reasonable solution.

Now, the manager keeps bringing up the fact that my husband cursed during one of those exhausting phone calls — conveniently ignoring the fact that he immediately apologized to the employee directly, in person, right in front of him. That issue should’ve been put to rest, but instead, it keeps getting dragged out as some sort of deflection from their poor handling of the situation.

This hotel cares more about keeping your money than helping guests. Period.

Clean rooms or not, nothing makes up for the way we were treated. Honest reviews have been submitted and formal complaints have been filed with Wyndham. I won’t be taking them down. Other travelers deserve to know what they’re walking into.

If I had read a review like this beforehand, I wouldn’t have made the mistake of booking here. I suggest you learn from mine.

I absolutely would not...

I can not say enough good things about this hotel. The customer service was outstanding. I am a travel nurse and booked another hotel nearby, unfortunately when I arrived to my room at the other hotel there were live roaches! Eek! (This was the second time I saw bugs in my room there). I had just finished a 12 hour shift and I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and in need of a clean place to sleep. I searched online for another hotel nearby with a similar rate and found Wingate. I drove over to check it out before I booked. When I walked in I was greated by two smiling faces. An amazingly sweet staff member who recognized immediately that I was in distress. I believe she was a part of the housekeeping staff. I told her and the kind front desk manager about my experience and that I was in desperate need of any available room. They quickly made accommodations for me and even went up to be sure the room was is perfect condition before I checked in. While waiting the short time for my room to be available I noticed that the front lobby smelled clean and looked to be in pristine condition. When I arrived in my room it was also clean and I felt immediately at ease. The hotel was quiet for me to sleep during the day and the bed was so comfortable. Everything in the room worked properly from the microwave to the mini fridge. The bathroom was clean and had more than enough towels stocked for my two nights. I was on the 4th floor and the shower even had great water pressure! Due to my profession I stay in many hotels and know that usually accommodations in Wingate’s price range have a fair share of issues so I don’t have crazy expectations. Wingate far exceeded my expectations. The staff went out of their way to make sure that I was comfortable. The entire grounds from the indoor pool area to the parking lot was clean and well kept. I felt extremely safe. The location is also great with Publix, Walmart, and many food options in close driving or even walking distance. The staff even quickly signed me up to be a Wyndham rewards member to benefit from all the perks of being a frequent traveler. I have already booked my next stay and find comfort knowing I will be able to rest in a clean safe environment after my...