Emerald Grande

Our rooms were spacious, comfortable, and nicely furnished, and the resort itself is beautiful. The onsite parking garage and well-equipped fitness center were great amenities. The internet and wifi weren't great, though. The location also didn't work well for us: there was no direct beach access, and the resort is hemmed in by the Harbor walk shops and similar places, which aren't our cup of tea.

The staff were great, and when we called the front desk for extra towels for the kids, they brought them right up. Our clean room was on the 8th floor, with a very nice ocean view, two balconies, and three bedrooms. We stayed for 3 days over a holiday weekend and had a very nice time. I couldn't give it 5 stars because of the parking. There seemed to be no system for paying or organizing it. Some people with big trucks took up two spaces, and full-sized SUVs were parked in compact spots. There was no regulation at all.

We packed up and cut our vacation short after the second room turned out to have dirty sheets and sand throughout the bed. We'd arrived at the Emerald Grande in Destin expecting a great stay in a beautiful penthouse, but the first morning we found cockroaches in our room. When I called the front desk, they offered to send someone to spray. I said that wasn't an option because I have young children and severe allergies. They told us to open the windows, but they were zip-tied shut. They didn't want to move us until I demanded a different room. This was completely unacceptable for a place presented as a luxury resort. Families spend hard-earned money to make memories, not deal with bugs, filth, and poor service. Do better.

There isn't beach access at the resort itself, since it's at a harbor and marina, but a free shuttle takes you to its private white sand beach in about 5 minutes. It's a lovely, family-friendly place. The indoor pool is small but heated, which was perfect when it started raining. Outside, the pool area is big and has an adults-only jacuzzi. In the pool-view suite, the third bedroom has bunk beds, and my grandson was very excited about that.