This is our fifth year coming to Panama City for our children's spring break vacation. We have rented 2 houses and 2 condos paying anywhere from $99/night to $500/night. And this year we stayed in this condo unit, and this will be our landing pad going forward. IMO, this is the sweet spot for keeping expenses reasonable while still have a big enough space to enjoy and nice amenities. The unit was great for our family of 5, great view, the resort is relatively quiet, you get a few people being loud every now and then but I kind of expect that on spring break.
The things we really enjoyed were the extremely large balcony with room to eat meals outside or sit on the lounge chairs and enjoy the sunset when the kids go to bed, this unit has just a fantastic balcony. The pools are nice, one is heated and one is not. Pro-tip, if you want to the two beach chairs that come with the unit, head down to the beach right when you arrive and book them for the week. We went down on Sunday and they were already all reserved for the week unless we wanted a set one row back, but we brought our own stuff anyway, so we just setup in front of everyone, worked great too. Of course, easy access to the beach. With the complex being on the east Front Beach Drive, I felt like it was easier to drive places than being right on Front Beach Drive, just my opinion there. And last, the unit feel large with the open floor plan, plenty of separation between the kids and the parents rooms and each has their own attached bathroom. Really enjoyable, can't wait to come back!
The unit itself is fantastic and I will be coming back to rent from Eileen. The only recommendation I have is that the complex hire a security guard to walk the premises. We stayed at the summit, just a couple of doors down (they had a Groupon for $99/night that I couldn't pass up) and it had security all the time that really helped keep it lower key for families with small kids around the pool, but everyone has a radio...everyone... and the Summit complex is a lot more crowded and the units seem pretty run down. I know some are nicer, but not that I saw. The Gulf Crest has fewer people IMO and is quieter, a few people play radios, but it's generally not bad and there seem to be a lot more respectful families of others wanting to enjoy the same space at Gulf Crest.