SpringHill Suites by Marriott Panama City Beach Beachfront — Hotel in Panama City Beach

Locals beware — and travelers take caution. Springhill Inn & Suites partners with Vanguard Parking Solutions, a third-party private enforcement company that issues $75 fines ($125 if you pay late) based solely on entry and exit timestamps — not on how long you were actually parked, and not based on what the signage at the property actually says.

We’re locals who recommended this hotel to out-of-town friends. They wouldn’t have even stayed there if not for our referral. When we arrived, we circled the lot for several minutes looking for a clearly marked visitor spot before finally parking in a space labeled “45 MINUTE LOADING/UNLOADING.” We used that space exactly as described — helping our guests unload — and we were gone within what we believed was the allowed time.

Later, I received a $75 violation notice from Vanguard, claiming we overstayed a supposed 30-minute visitor limit. The violation is based entirely on entry at 9:40 PM and exit at 10:12 PM — a 32-minute window. However, we were not parked that entire time. I have dash cam footage clearly showing that the vehicle was parked for less than 30 minutes, well within the 45-minute signage posted at the exact spot.

When I tried to dispute the ticket through Vanguard, I was told it was “undisputable” and that it was “valid based on timestamps.” That’s not how due process works — especially when there’s contradictory signage and actual evidence available.

I also called the hotel, and they told me they “can’t do anything” because it’s a third-party company. But let’s be honest: the hotel is the one who hired this company. And they’re allowing them to carry out inconsistent and predatory enforcement on their property without oversight.

To make matters worse:

🔹 The lot is listed on Google Maps as “Public Parking.” This means the public is being led to believe this is open-access — not privately enforced under confusing, conflicting time restrictions.

🔹 There are multiple contradictions: • The sign at the spot said 45 minutes. • The ticket says 30 minutes. • The hotel said 20 minutes. • The citation is based on total time on property, not parking time.

• The signage at the property entrance is unreadable unless you stop and block traffic coming off Front Beach Road. This makes it functionally impossible to understand the terms upon arrival.

• There is no consistency between the hotel staff, the ticketing company, and the signage on-site.

Let me be very clear: This is not a legitimate city or government-issued citation. It is a private invoice, and there is no legal obligation to pay unless they escalate the matter to a court of law — which they typically won’t, especially when the driver has documentation and dash cam footage proving no violation occurred. They rely on intimidation, confusion, and people paying out of fear.

Bottom line: This is not just a bad experience — it’s a deceptive system that punishes people for using the property exactly as intended. And the hotel refuses to take any responsibility. If this is how they treat locals and paying guests, I’d strongly caution others from staying here.

Once this citation is voided and the fraudulent enforcement practices are acknowledged and corrected, I’ll gladly remove my reviews. I have no interest in damaging reputations unfairly — but I also won’t stay silent when unethical business models target honest people under...

Subject: Formal Complaint & Request for Resolution – SpringHill Suites Panama City Beach Dear Marriott Customer Care, My name is Tenisha Chunn, and my husband, Clifford Chunn, arranged a stay at SpringHill Suites by Marriott – Panama City Beach from September 11–14, 2025. This trip was meant to be a joyful celebration of my 45th birthday, as well as a remembrance of my late son’s birthday on September 12. We had planned this vacation for several months and were looking forward to it with great anticipation. We always choose pet-friendly hotels because we travel with our dog, KoKo, who is also my service animal. She provides essential daily support for me, and my husband selected this property because it was advertised as pet-friendly. We were assigned room 1413, and at first everything seemed perfect. Multiple staff members—including those delivering wine, maintenance staff, and front desk personnel—saw KoKo in our room and acknowledged her without raising any concern. We also walked KoKo throughout the property, where staff interacted with us politely. At no point where we told she was an issue or violating policy. However, on the evening of September 12, after returning from dinner, we were horrified to discover KoKo was missing from our room. When I called the front desk in a panic, I was told that staff had entered our room and removed her without notifying us. We immediately went downstairs to address this. Instead of being met with care or professionalism, staff were rude and dishonest, claiming KoKo had been left “unattended all day without food or water.” This was absolutely false. KoKo was either with us or properly cared for at all times. We have photos of her food and water station in the room beside the TV, set on her rags, proving she was well cared for. When returned, KoKo was tied up with a towel draped over her, frightened and visibly traumatized. Since returning home, she has not let me out of her sight and is showing lasting signs of anxiety. This incident not only harmed her but also directly impacted me, as she is my service animal. We also noted the sign posted at the hotel entrance, which states all animals must be on a leash and not left unattended. We complied with this rule. KoKo was never left in violation of the hotel’s posted policy. Staff entered our room without consent, removed my service animal, and failed to contact us—actions that are not only unacceptable but also inconsistent with ADA protections. This ruined what was meant to be a loving birthday trip and a time of remembrance for me and my husband. For these reasons, I am requesting: • A full refund of our stay at SpringHill Suites Panama City Beach, or equivalent compensation. • A formal written apology from both hotel management and Marriott corporate. • Assurance that Marriott will provide staff training on ADA compliance and the proper treatment of guests traveling with service animals. We left our room in excellent condition, and KoKo is a highly trained, disciplined service animal who follows a strict feeding and bathroom schedule. There was no justification for what occurred. This experience was deeply hurtful and unacceptable. I trust Marriott will investigate this matter and provide a prompt...

Nice oceanfront hotel. Overall it was a good stay, some good things, some things not so much. If I could do 3.5 stars I would have. We tried to check in a little early around 1:00 p.m. and we were told it would be $100, even though the room was ready. I could understand if it was at 8:00 a.m. but we just drove 5 hours from Georgia, it would have been nice to let us in, just seemed like a money grab. They told us we could check in at 3:30 otherwise, so We went to the beach for a little bit, which was really nice. Although we brought our own items, glancing at the rental prices, they were not bad, something like $60 for two chairs and a cover for the whole day. Location is great, pool is very nice, good gym, rooms were clean and comfortable. Free breakfast is nice but they lock it down at closing time sharp (9 or 930 am depending on if it's weekend or not) and there's not adequate seating if the hotel is full, so be prepared to have to take it back to your room. One elevator was out the first day we were there and in a 14-story hotel, two elevators including hotel staff using them caused long delays. I do appreciate that they got it fixed in less than a day though. Went to the pool bar right at 4, which is when it closes on a Wednesday which made no sense to me if the hotel is so busy. Regardless, The bartender has just closed down, so know they are tight to their times. I asked what beers they had on tap for the following day so I knew. One tap was out, they were out of Miller lite and Coors light, and only had the local blonde beer available. They were out the following day as well. Again, if the hotel is so busy, why is the pool bar not prepared? Used the gym twice which was solid, Good variety of workout equipment. One treadmill was out but they were fixing it the second day we went. However, on the second day the AC in the gym was out. Big shout out to John in maintenance who brought my wife a fan to utilize while she was running as she gets hot very easily. Water fill-up station in the gym as well as lemon and lime water in the lobby which were nice and refreshing. Room was spacious for 2 adults and 3 kids, and overall clean however I realized the pullout sofa was heavily stained on the edges on our last day there. Another big frustration was we booked utilizing points from Marriott, and asked to purchase an upgrade since the room style we wanted was not available via points in the system but available to purchase otherwise meaning they had availability. The staff said that we would have to cancel and rebook our reservation as they cannot manually upgrade our room and move us in the system, even though we've done it at several other Marriotts before. Again would have been more than happy to pay the difference, but it just seemed as though there was a lack of willingness to accommodate a request and try to book someone else last minute. This place has a lot of potential, but I think there are some tweaks that need to be made to take it from good to great, mostly with preparation and policies. We may return in the future and give it another try, as we did enjoy a lot of aspects of the area and the...