Tidewater Beach Resort by Panhandle Getaways

We paid a lot for a stay with poor service, and it was a joke. The oceanfront location was good, and the view from the 28th floor was fabulous, but several elevators were out of order. The fire alarm went off multiple times and stopped the elevators, and the water was shut off on several days. On Thursday, the air conditioning was off for most of the day, so our room got over 80 degrees. The lamp didn’t work, and when we checked, the end of its cord was off, apparently due to an electrical problem. The TV wouldn’t work because it needed the original setup email, and no one could help when we called. The sliding door curtains were ripped and nasty. My family of seven stayed at the Tidewater resort, but these issues made the visit a bad one.

The beach was the best part, along with Crystal at the restaurant and the guys working from the beach hut. She was amazing, and they were great too. Still, I won’t stay here again. The bed was hard as a rock, and we slept better on the beach chairs or floor. We even had to get deep tissue massages before leaving. The place felt strict: wristbands were needed everywhere, drinking by the pool or hot tub wasn’t allowed, and resort staff walked around the beach so much that we felt watched all day. There’s no smoking of any kind on the premises, and food or drinks aren’t allowed within four feet of the pool or hot tub. The amenities were nice, but not worth the rules and terrible sleep. The parking gate never worked, so every time we had to follow another car in or call the front desk to get security to help.

The location and parking were convenient, and the amenities were decent, but the condo’s condition and cleanliness ruined the trip for my family. We got a text saying it was ready early, yet it clearly hadn’t been properly cleaned. The couch looked freshly abandoned, with pillows thrown around, and was so dirty I covered it with blankets to sit down. Both throw blankets were filthy, and one had blood on it. The floors hadn’t been vacuumed or washed, mirrors were smudged with fingerprints, and there were handprints all over the big oceanfront window. The bed skirt was dirty, the space under the beds hadn’t been cleaned in ages, and the bunk beds and bedding were also dirty. The bedding had an unidentifiable stain or substance, and the mattress covers had urine stains. The shower curtain in one bathroom was filthy too. There were maintenance problems throughout. One bathroom door wouldn’t lock, the drawer under the stove was broken or off track, and a barstool was missing screws and felt unsafe. The Ninja blender couldn’t be used because its handle was missing. Burnt food was stuck to the pans, so we had to clean them before using them. The washer smelled of mildew and looked dirty inside. The dryer was dirty too, with what looked like gum or other residue. Most of the staff we met were extremely rude. Only one woman was pleasant and helpful. We did have some elevator waits, though most were manageable. We were extremely disappointed with both the condo and the service. Cleanliness and maintenance should be basic expectations when guests are told a room is ready, and this stay didn’t meet even that standard.

You’re right by the beach and close to everything, so the location is amazing. The room was alright, but it wasn’t cleaned well. Bring your own paper towels, toilet paper, laundry soap and dish soap. The elevators were horrific, with waits of 20-30 minutes at a time. This was our first stay, and probably our last.