The Barefoot Hotel, a by the Sea Resorts

The sweet front desk woman was one of the only good parts, along with clean linens in the room. There wasn’t enough parking for all the guests, so I had to leave my car on the grass while checking in. The toilet wouldn’t flush, and the shower drained slowly. There were no towels in the room, and when I asked for some, they said they didn’t keep linens on site and the linen truck hadn’t run. People smoking weed around the hotel and on the stairs meant you’d get a contact high. Breakfast had been promised, but when I went down they were out of everything, even juice. Guests in the room before us had warned us about that. Beach access is across the road, but the showers there don’t work, so sand gets tracked into the room. The hotel is across the road from the beach, so it isn’t “ocean side.” I won’t stay again.

After driving 6+ hours from Orlando to Panama City for a business trip over the weekend, my travel partner and I were ready for showers and a little rest before getting ready for that evening. Instead, we left for another hotel. I wouldn’t recommend staying here. It was disgusting and not worth the money saved, even though it’s cheap. The building looked like it was barely standing: cracked foundation, peeling paint, and an automatic front door stuck open that we could barely get through with our bags. The desk staff were unwelcoming, didn’t smile or say hello, and mostly stared until spoken to. They mumbled and avoided eye contact. Our reservation was under someone else’s name through my partner’s business, and the girl barked that they didn’t have that name. We tried another, then the person who booked it, and I was asked if that was me. They also charged a resort fee, though this isn’t a resort and has basically no amenities. The fee differed from what the next guest was charged, which seemed fishy. It took a while to get our keys because we had to contact the person who booked the room for their information. We took the stairs because the elevator looked old and we didn’t trust it. The stairs were filthy, and water dripped from the AC units. The walk to the room was slippery too, with standing AC water and an algae-like film that nobody had cleaned up. The rooms were old, with cracks, peeling paint, and leaks. Our pillows were stained and had no pillowcases. The marks looked like bed bug markings, though I can’t speak for other rooms. There were no towels either. When we asked for pillowcases, they said, “We don't have pillowcases.” For towels, the front desk told us, “We can't help you right now.” I didn’t feel safe in the room. There was no extra latch, and the door looked like it could fall apart at any moment. The tub looked like it had blood stains, probably rust, but either way it didn’t look clean. The building honestly looks like it should be condemned. We found another hotel and stopped at the desk to say we weren’t staying. While checking in another guest, the girl interrupted to ask, “Is there a problem?” When we explained, she didn’t ask what was wrong or offer help, just said, “Leave your key on the desk.” It makes me wonder how often this happens.

The one real plus was how close it is to the beach, just across the street. We had three rooms and thankfully no bug issues, but the rooms were in awful shape, with paint peeling off ceilings and walls. Only one of the three had a closet. There was no toilet paper or bath towels in any room. Staff downstairs gave us toilet paper but said towels had to come from housekeeping, which never showed up. That night, the night clerk kindly gave us towels, and did so each night after that. The continental breakfast was a joke. Day staff were unhelpful and barely spoke English, and mostly just sat behind the desk doing nothing. Don't stay here.

We used to stay here when it was called Ocean Breeze By the Sea, and it was clean and enjoyable then. Whatever changed, the place is now dirty and badly deteriorated, and we won't book it again. Mold and mildew were everywhere, enough to make someone seriously sick. In our room, moisture kept getting our clothes wet, the tub had a hole and drained very slowly, mold sat in the corners, and the bathroom door wouldn't shut. The room itself was barely okay, and the phone didn't work. Housekeeping never came even though we requested it. We asked for towels and pillows and were told they'd be brought up, but they never came. Hours later we went to the desk, where the receptionist casually said there were no towels. We had to buy our own. This was the worst booking decision we've made. Please do better.