Candlewood Suites Panama City Beach Pier by IHG

Maleak at the front desk was terrific, and I appreciated the full size fridge and freezer in the room and the big free laundry room. The room itself looked awful and smelled even worse, with the cleaning products adding to it. The lighting was either too bright or too dark. This felt like a very low budget hotel pretending to be a reasonable one. The high price made the experience feel even worse. I wouldn’t stay here again, or at any Candlewood after this.

There was no complimentary breakfast, though our room did have a coffee pot. The kitchenette was useful, with a clean full-size refrigerator, sink, stovetop, and dishes. The hotel was clean throughout, from the lobby and elevator to the hallways and room, and the staff were friendly and helpful. Some things were disappointing: no ice machines, and the freezer’s ice maker didn’t work. The bedroom TV was analog, with SD picture quality that felt like the 90s, so we watched on an iPad instead. Kids in the room above us ran and stomped all night and kept us awake. Even so, the service, cleanliness, and location would make us consider staying again.

I cancelled my reservation and won’t do business here. I was only checking whether parking cost extra, after already looking at the satellite view and lot photos and seeing no parking issue. Then I found out vans aren’t allowed. For people like us who drive nationwide and live in hotels full-time, that feels disrespectful. Parking is first come, and if a property doesn’t have enough spaces for its rooms, that’s the owner’s failure. Candlewood hotels specifically and almost exclusively cater to blue collar workers traveling with business vehicles nationwide. Candlewoods are definitely not vacation hotels at all.

The room’s kitchen and workstation were laid out nicely, and the front desk staff were very helpful and nice whenever they were there. The carpets were dirty. Closing the bathroom door was awkward because you had to squeeze between the vanity and toilet.