Beachcomber By The Sea

Beachcomber by the Sea is located -- you guessed it -- by the sea on Panama City Beach. The hotel is housed in a peach-colored building that offers bland street views from one side and spectacular Gulf of Mexico vistas from the other. The lobby is ho-hum, with a mismatch of yellow walls, red furniture, and earth-toned breakfast tables. Fortunately, large windows throughout the property keep the focus where it belongs: on the waterfront.

Outdoors, the pool is a no-frills watering hole with a separate hot tub and a concrete deck, but it benefits from palm trees and beach views. Other outdoor standouts are a shuffleboard court and barbecue grill.

A free daily breakfast buffet -- with a make-your-own-waffle station -- is served in the lobby, but there’s no on-site restaurant. The Beachcomber’s affiliated eatery, Barefoot Hideaway Grill, is located between the hotel’s sister properties, Legacy by the Sea and the Beachbreak by the Sea, about two miles up the road.

The hotel is located on Front Beach Road, a busy thoroughfare that runs parallel to the Gulf of Mexico. The street is lined with condo resorts, and food options abound. Within a 15-minute walk guests can find McDonald’s, Dusty’s Oyster Bar, and a Winn-Dixie grocery store. A bit farther out there’s Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, Longhorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden, and Panera Bread, as well as Dick’s Last Resort -- a bar and grill known for its intentionally obnoxious staff. The neighborhood also includes a Target store and CVS Pharmacy. Beachcomber by the Sea is about a 10-minute drive from downtown shops and attractions.

Proximity to the beach is the star attraction here, so each guest suite includes a private balcony with a gulf view. Each suite also has its own kitchen, with a full-size refrigerator, small microwave and oven, toaster, dishes, utensils, pots, and pans. Rooms are adequate and a good value for the area -- suites include a private bedroom with either two doubles or one king bed, plus a queen-size sleeper sofa in the living room -- but not much to look at. The decor includes light wood furniture, loud blue-and-green bedspreads, and tile floors covered by rugs.

This hotel makes a beachfront getaway affordable by scaling back on some of the perks found at higher-end resorts. Among the on-site amenities are an outdoor pool, hot tub, shuffleboard court, and a free daily breakfast, but there's no restaurant or fitness center on the property. Wi-Fi is available throughout and is covered by a resort fee.