Hi! Will be coming to Destin Apr 12-19 and currently have reservations at the Residence Inn Marriott Sandestin (#1 rated on Trip Advisor). Have never been to the area...I know this hotel is not on the beach, but has ';privledges'; to use the Sandestin Beach Resort pools, beach, etc with free trolley, etc to beach (apparently beach is about 3/4 mile away). Reviews of this hotel are great but the fact it is not on the beach makes me wonder if it is the best choice. Anyone have input??? The price I got is $124 per night, free full breakfast, one bedroom suite with full kitchen, cocktail hour in evenings....is this worth the con of not being beachfront and traveling to the beach daily??? thanks!!!
Marriott Residence Inn Sandestin! Sandestin Resort! Apr 08
I am afraid that is a question only you can answer. Many have no problem staying off the beach and traveling especially if you have transportation provided. Sandestin has alot of amenities. Are you traveling with children? This could become quite a hassel if you are carrying alot of stuff.
You are coming before peak season. So through vrbo,of floridavacations.com you could probably find a condo for the same price. It might have to be just across the street and on free breakfast. But would have a view. It is upto you. Either way you will LOVE Destin!!
Marriott Residence Inn Sandestin! Sandestin Resort! Apr 08thanks for your post. i have looked at some of the sites with info on condos and there are so many, i couldn%26#39;t even begin to decipher where and how to choose one! by the way, no kids, we are in our mid 40%26#39;s, traveling alone. like to lounge on the beach, watch the sunset, have a few drinks, just do some fun day trips, etc. just choosing a condo seems overwhelming!!!
This hotel can be very noisy. It backs up to Hwy 98, in that area a 6 land highway. The noise is as great at night as it is during the day.
I would make sure you have a room that is NO overlooking the highway.
I don%26#39;t pay a lot of attention to the rating hotels have on tripadvisor. I have no idea how they come up with their ratings and would not consider many of the ones they have listed in this area as top rated.
By the way, the download they have for things to do,etc., I laughed, at least one of the restaurants they have listed is closed and has been for quite some time.
Whatever...
debijo-
Your description of yourselves and what your like to do, closely resembles ourselves. We take advantage of the price reduction of staying across the street from the beach (we%26#39;re talk%26#39;n a 4 minute walk here)rather than the higher price on being on the beach. Now if you like the sunset-on-the-beach thing, go for a walk at that time or take a couple of chairs or a blanket and a cooler of your favorites and plop your butt down on the sand. If its quiet morning time, same thing, a walk or take your coffee with you (same as above, a.m. instead of p.m.).
As far as the overwhelming thing, try this. Go to vrbo.com, FL, panhandle, Destin, Scenic Gulf Drive area. The choices will be seperated by neighborhoods. Myself and many of the posters on this forum will reccomend Crystal Beach, Emerald Shores, Leeward Key, Beach Resort, Maravilla, Beach Retreat Condos or Beach Retreat Cottages. Hope this helps to narrow down your search. It will not be crowded in April, the water will be a bit chilly, but the weather should be fine for enjoying the beach.
This link will show you where things are located. It does take awhile to load:
http://www.communitywalk.com/map/2872
Enjoy your homework and if you decide to go this route and you%26#39;ve narrowed your choice down to 4 or less, post those choices and you will very likely get some feedback to help you narrow it down.
I agree with John we like Maravilla. We stayed in a 1 bedroom in building 4(that is the farthest 1 from the beach). our walk was 2 min max. Gated community so less traffic and shaded by palms all the way. this year we are in building 1 it has a view and practically no walk.
I agree as well with John. He gave you great direction on where to look on vrbo.com. You%26#39;ll certainly find something for about the same price in a condo, which will probably make for a much better and relaxing vacation. Good luck!
awesome. i;ve been checking the vrbo.com site and there is plenty to choose from in mid april thats for sure. ive noticed alot of people on this site mention majestic sun condos in destin...also the town of seagrove? any input on those? i will check out the other ones listed above. thank you for your input. i will keep plugging along. now that i%26#39;ve got a bit of a handle on this it is not so overwhelming. thank you for giving me some places to narrow in on. they are definitely in the same or even lower price range than the hotel we have booked presently. keep advising! thanks!
debijo-
Here is another link:
beachesofsouthwalton.com/interactive_map.asp
Here%26#39;s the geographical scoop. The city of Destin lies on the eastern edge of Okaloosa County. As you step across the county line you are in Walton County or for vacation purposes, the Beaches of South Walton. Crystal Beach and the Destiny neighborhoods are in Destin. Then as you move east, you pick up Seascape, Miramar, etc (see the map above). Destin will have more highrises and everything associated with a higher populace, restaurants, grocery, theaters and other shopping.
As you move east of Sandestin, the highrises all but disappear. The pace slows down a bit, as does the traffic (not an issue for any location in April). You%26#39;ll see that Seagrove is pretty far east. There are still plenty of restaurants along Route 30-A, but for your first trip I would still recommend looking in, or either side of Miramar Beach.
If you%26#39;re really into doing your homework, I recommend pulling up Google Earth (free version download) and looking at the entire area from Ft. Walton Beach to Inlet Beach. The pictures are about four years old, so there are some new things that don%26#39;t show up (including your Residence Inn, I think). This will give you a much better ';feel'; for your ultimate selection.
B+ so far on the homework; go for the extra credit!
ok, after about three days of doing my homework :) and negotiation big time i feel like i finally made a good choice regarding where to stay. decided to dcanx the residence inn and am staying at the majestic sun. negotiated with a few people and since mid april is after spring break and seems very slow, got some great offers. i ended up getting a 2 br 2 ba platinum rated 9th floor condo with good feedback from previous customers for $700 for the week, includes tax and everything!!!! it looks great in the pics and the owner sounds trustworthy so my gut says this will be a good choice! i%26#39;m now very happy that i%26#39;ll be on the beach and am glad i looked into the condos and got familiar with vrbo.com. thanks to the locals who gave me suggestions!
just fyi- the Majestic Sun is across the street from the beach.
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