Holiday Inn Resort Panama City Beach

Housed in a huge off-white structure overlooking the beach, this Holiday Inn is a casual beach resort that's popular with families on vacation (and Spring Breakers every year). Common areas include a large lobby with low ceilings and a few small seating areas, but most guests congregate at the sprawling deck between the hotel and the beach where there's a main pool, a splash area and multiple restaurants. The resort can feel loud and impersonal due to its size, which can be good for families but less than ideal for those looking for romance. Note that the hotel operates a 24-hour streaming pool camera. 

The Holiday Inn Resort is located on the beach in Panama City, a family-friendly beach town full of mini-golf, amusement parks, and shops. The hotel is on the eastern side of Front Beach Road, a short drive to most of the area's attractions and around 20 minutes from downtown. The area is not pedestrian-friendly, so visitors are best off renting cars or relying on taxis and ride share apps. It's a three-minute drive to Shipwreck Island Water park, a five-minute drive to Gulf World amusement park, and 10 minutes by car to both Pier Park and the 18-hole Holiday Golf Club. Bay Point Resort, home to one of the most challenging golf courses in the U.S., is a 15-minute drive away. St. Andrews State Park takes around 20 minutes to reach by car. The NW Florida Beaches International Airport takes about a half-hour to reach, traffic permitting. 

There are four types of lodging: State Rooms (with two queen-size beds), Family Rooms (with queen-size beds and sectioned-off sections with two pairs bunk beds to sleep six), Kids Suites (with separate areas for kids, each with two twin-size beds), and Luxury Suites (with separate living areas and bedrooms with king-size beds). Wheelchair-accessible units are also available and guests can request cots.While configurations vary, decor is uniform and not particularly inspired. Think: off-white wall paired with faux-wood floor finish the color of cedar wood, brown industrial-style rugs, wicker chairs and matching granite-top side tables, and light-wood headboards. Amenities don't vary much across room categories, either, and include full-size refrigerators with freezers and ice-makers, air-conditioning, microwaves, Keurig coffeemakers, irons and ironing boards, flat-screen TVs with cable, safes, and free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms are simple, with long granite counters, lighted magnifying mirrors, shower/tub combos, and small wall-mounted hairdryers. Eco-friendly Paya-brand toiletries are provided. All rooms come with balconies furnished with plastic patio furniture that look out over the Gulf of Mexico. 

The hotel offers an immense array of amenities, most of which are geared toward vacationing families. At the heart of the resort, between the hotel and the beach, sits a gargantuan pool deck with a large lagoon-style main pool flanked with lounge chairs (that can get reserved with towels early) and a handful of thatched cabanas. There's also a smaller kids' pool with a few fountain features off to one side. Just beyond the deck is Aqualand, a colorful water playground with around 20 instillations including kid-size waterslides and fountains. Alternatively, guests have the option of heading straight down to the white-sand beach in front of the hotel, where there are plenty more lounge chairs for rent and lots of space to spread out a towel. The water is pleasant, but there are sometimes rip tides; a flag system is used to indicate whether its safe to swim.Back in the hotel, there are plenty of wellness amenities, starting with a huge 24-hour fitness center with all sorts of machines, plus steam and sauna facilities. There's also a spa, Aquarius Day Sp, with massages, facials, and beauty treatments plus its own small outdoor pool. Its situated inside The SeaWatch Conference Center that's part of the hotel. It features a wide range of meeting and event space spread over two floors, much of which has views right over the Gulf.Entertainment options abound with nightly poolside movies, concerts, magic shows, and Polynesian-style fire and dance shows. For younger guests, the resort offers all sorts of games, movie screenings, and fun educational programs, not to mention a game room, Pirate's Den, with pool, table tennis, and arcade games. Though this Holiday Inn doesn't charge extra for Wi-Fi or on-site parking, a daily resort fee is tacked on to the daily rate. 

There are tons of restaurants here, and kids under age 12 eat free from the kids' menu when dining with a paying adult. Dining options include The View Restaurant, which offers a huge buffet breakfast (for a fee, for kids and adults) along with dinner; and it has seating next to the pool. Also on the pool deck, the Bamboo Grill serves casual fare at lunch, as does the Pizza Shack. Chip's Seafood Grille serves seafood dishes, much of which uses locally caught ingredients. Right next to it sits the SeaGlass Bar, with a good selection of cocktails. Alternatively, guests can head over to the SunSet Lounge in the conference area, which offers regular evening entertainment.