The Palms of Destin

The lobby and pool were nice but the rooms have a Motel 6 feel to them. We couldn’t tell much about the room from the pics on the website. We ended up with a view of a Dollar general/​easy check cashing/​liquor store parking lot. Convenient but not best value.

What a $hithole. This place used to be nice but its clear the management and owners could care less. Went to check in on Christmas Eve. No one is at the front desk. They were nice to leave an after-​hours number to call… great lets call. Oh wait, it calls a cell phone behind the desk… OK, i will call the other after-​hours number… that rings a phone around the corner. Who runs this place? Awesome customer service. The owners need to be aware of this. The entire place is filthy from the stained carpeting throughout the buildings, filthy elevators and each building smelled horrible. Want to use the loading zone next to the building? Nope, you can’t. The staff looks at you like you are an idiot. Expect to walk a half mile to your car. Well, they must have loading carts right? Well, there is 1 that they put out. They have several old Wal-​Mart baskets you can bring your stuff up in. Glad I can look like a homeless tourist moving in. The hallways smell like vinegar and curry. I feel like I am staying next to a Chinese and Indian restaurant. The view must make it worth it though right? Yeah, I get to look out my balcony at the Dollar Tree. Cable didn’t work in the room, had to call for a repair. Silverfish in cabinets, clogged drains, dirty carpets, beat up furniture… why am I paying a $ 300 cleaning fee for my stay? Run away from this place, it should be condemned. Nothing is easy about getting around this place and they have an irrigation system keeping all the sidewalks constantly wet and slippery. Oh, did i mention the loading zone next to the tower that you can’t use because the gate is down and no one knows the code? Yes, i did. But this detail really pisses me off. Will I return you ask? Hell no. Beware if you decide to stay here. Bring Raid, your own bed, and get your Hepatitis shots because you will need them.

Look at no other reviews but this one when deciding whether to stay at the Palms of Destin or become an owner or rent here.
Pros:
A really big pool.
Decent sized rooms.
Cons:
Everything else, but I’ll give you a quick run down.
#1: The Internet is non existent. We are talking the Stone Age here ladies and gents. AOL dial-​up was faster and 10x more reliable. That’s not an exaggeration. You won’t get internet here.
#2: «Oh, no problem, I have cell service! «Wrong again. The make up of the building doesn’t allow signal out unless you want to stand on the balcony every time you make a call or get online-​which is unlikely as well. I have to pretty much leave the property to get signal.
#3: The front desk staff are useless. They are good at the basics, greeting you, smiling and sending you on your way. Should you have a problem after that, don’t count on adequate service. Actually, you should just expect them to be rude to you and give you all kinds of attitude and unprofessionalism. If it’s anything else, consider yourself lucky.
#4: Although the restaurant and bar aren’t terrible (that doesn’t mean good), everything is drastically over priced. You can go pretty much anywhere else in Destin and get a much better meal at a much more reasonable rate.
#5: Parking is a joke. Expect to walk half a mile to your car inside the parking garage-​if you can get a spot at all.
#6: Trash all over the property. Literal and figurative.
#7: Minimal TV channels and crap service that goes out any time it rains.
Hope that helps you guys upon deciding whether or not to have anything to do with the Palms of Destin.
PS: There are some members of the staff that are awesome. Darryl from maintenance is the man and Bruce the security guard is the best.
Here are some other options that will be a much better fit for the average family:
The Emerald Grande
The Hilton in Sandestin

The location is great, near beach, Walmart and bubba Gump restaurant.
The king size bed is only comfortable bed. The two twin beds are more for young kids and the sofa bed isn’t comfortable. We had four adults and we recommend a family with two adults and two children. However, the place is very nice with kitchen, balcony (sunsets!) and pool is beautiful!

Don’t walk, RUN away from this place!
If I could give this place no stars, I would. I’m assuming the ONLY reason that this Hotel from Hell has four stars is because there were only 8 reviews prior to this one.
After driving 14 hours to Florida, my family and I wanted nothing more than the relief of sleep. Three hours later, after being moved to four separate rooms, we absolutely HAD to leave this hotel. First and foremost there are NO BEDBUG COVERS ON ANY MATTRESSES. Yes, that means each and every guest is sleeping on the same bare mattress. Even colleges and day camps across the country bother to cover the mattresses for guest health and safety. But, this is a petty complaint compared to what monstrosity of a hotel we experienced that night.
Our first room had a sofa-​pull-​out mattress (that we were expected to put sheets on ourselves) with a large blood stain on it… A BLOOD STAIN. A yellow stained mattress from the mysterious bodily fluids of a previous guest welcomed us on the uncovered day-​bed of that same room. Trying to get out of this room was no easy task, either. We had to go down to the lobby TWICE and speak with Shaundra… The most unhelpful, unwelcoming, and just plain ignorant, hotel desk clerk that I have ever met!
But, we had hoped that the first room was just a fluke. Little did we know. Room number two was just as bad, if not worse. And I have the unbelievable pictures to prove it. Not only was there a very obvious and very large urine stain on the mattress… There was yet ANOTHER blood stain on the sofa-​pull-​out! What a repulsive place! It doesn’t take an MD to know this hotel isn’t remotely sanitary, much less hygienic.
The other two rooms were more of the exact same story! They had the staff come and inspect each room, to ‘verify’; specifically Tommy, and his response to the urine AND blood was «What do you expect, a five star hotel?» MOTEL 8 IS CLEANER AND HAS A MORE HELPFUL STAFF THAN THIS PLACE. What’s worse, Tommy (Browning, I believe) attempted to put sheets on the mattress himself just to cover up more urine stains! This is exactly the kind of place where a bed bug infestation is lurking. Learn from our mistake of booking with The Palms of Destin and stay at a more affordable chain.
The people living here may have a better experience since they likely do their own cleaning and have their own belongings. They actually have an entirely different maintenance crew, that was far more pleasant than anyone the hotel staff has.
However, while I’m sure the typical residents were fast asleep when we checked in, we stumbled upon some residents in the wee morning hours. During our tour through the hotel (four dirty rooms in two separate, and foul smelling, buildings later) the folks we met were rowdy, drunk, frightening, or all of the above.
When in Destin — stay far FAR away from this place, at all costs! Especially if you’re looking for a clean and comfortable room.

We were really excited to stay here as it was our first family vacation in over a year. While the grounds are relatively nice (the rugs are old and worn and the poolside looks like it hasn’t been cleaned in awhile) and the rooms are as advertised, there are several things to watch for. First, the rooms facing the pool are really loud late into the night. The base was so loud that it shook the walls and there was no way we could get sleep. We called to see how long the music would last and a manager insisted it would be done by ten but it lasted until after midnight. When we called to ask around 11 about the situation, we were told that the only thing we could do would be to call the sheriff ourselves. When we checked out, the manager told us that, «It wasn’t under her direction, and there was nothing she could have done since this is a condo not a hotel.» Another thing, the website says there is internet access but there is *no wifi* in the rooms. So if you have an iPad or device that doesn’t hook up to Ethernet, you are out of luck. The kitchen is well stocked with cooking utensils but you will need to buy more dish soap if you plan on staying more than 2 days. They don’t provide housekeeping service without paying extra so bring all your own toiletries, including shampoo. There is a washing machine and dryer, but no soap. Some of the staff are polite and helpful and some are most definitely not. We aren’t the kind of vacationers to complain but when we asked for help a few times during our three day stay, we were rebuffed. This property is way too expensive to be anything but almost perfect and honestly, even though the rooms were nice, we’ll stay somewhere else the next time we stay in Destin.

Some co-​workers are staying here, so I just got to check this place out! It’s awesome! The pool is amazing. The rooms are clean and a great size. Checking out the «new» Sago soon… we shall see. Possible spa day tomorrow ;-)

What a pool complex!!! Great rooms that are sized for just about any family. My sweetheart doesn’t think I like it here but she couldn’t be more wrong. Gonna try the spa tomorrow, stay tuned!!!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Palms of Destin!!! I wouldn’t choose any other condo or resort in the area! The rooms are clean, trendy/​modern and updated. Every room facing the pool has some type of view of the ocean which is wonderful. The grounds are clean and beautifully kept. Pool area is amazing and the hot tub is like a mini pool, can probably fit 20 easily. It has a wonderful restaurant, Sago (highly recommended) and a nice outdoor bar and lounge area. Every Wednesday night they have a live band (love the Summer Breeze, great music) and every Friday they do as well. Nice to just be able to go downstairs without having to leave and drive out in the awful traffic on highway 98.

Brought the family down here middle of June 2012. We reserved a junior suite where there is a king bed in one room and huge dresser bed in the other. There is a full size mattress on top of this dresser for one person to sleep and at the bottom of the dresser, the last set of drawers open to reveal another full size mattress for a small person to sleep.
The shower in this smaller room is nice, it should be in the big bedroom but its not, they have the bathrooms mixed up with the big bedroom getting a small generic bathroom and the small bedroom has the elaborate bathroom and shower. There is a sofa bed in the living room as well with a very thin mattress, if you’re over about 100 lb, you won’t be comfortable on it. There is a washer and dryer with a full kitchen, dishes, plates glasses and utensils provided. The refrigerator has an ice maker and water dispenser which was useful.
The hotel is across the street from the beach and is in walking distance but you’ll have to cross a four lane highway to get to it. We chose to drive across, then needed to find public parking where there was public access to the beaches. We ended up going to the beach late in the afternoon so we didn’t have a problem finding a parking space. We had to drive because the shuttle that takes you to the beach stops running at 4:30pm.
One of the things I’m noticing is on top of the $ 130 in unexplained taxes and fees per night they charge, they nickle and dime you for just about everything. There were two guys at check-​in raising hell about these $ 130/​night fees and were asking for management to give them some group rate to reduce these ridiculous fees. I didn’t have a shot at it so i didn’t bother. The rooms have no wi-​fi, only in the conference center and by the pool is there wi-​fi but i hadn’t confirmed either one. There is an Ethernet connection in the living room/​wired Internet that you can connect to but you’ll need to bring your own ethernet/​rj45 cable. They won’t lend or bring one either but they’ll sell you one for $ 6. i almost hung up the phone when they told me. Same cable available at Walmart for $ 3 so i chose not to buy. Be sure to read the paperwork they give you at check-​in. if you lose one of these little plastic room keys, they want to charge you $ 50 per key. I went to get extra towels from the front desk and the lady damn near wanted to pull my social security number to give towels. She pull two or three sheets of paper and wrote down the towels I’d been given and gave me way too much instruction on what to do and how to return the towels. I was just short of saying, lady, I’ll go to the store and get towels on my own. There is a Walmart just a quarter mile down the road making this a serious option.
They have a covered parking deck so parking is good, also there is a full court basketball court and it sits next to two tennis courts.
The pool is nice, goes from 8 feet to a walk up out of the water like you’re walking out onto the beach, very kid friendly.
There are plenty of restaurants nearby, we chose Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. the first night and it was packed up. It was expected though, it was a Friday night, 8pm etc, we ended up waiting around an hour but the service was good, food was too, it worked out. Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. is directly across the street from the hotel.
The property is in nice shape, very well kept, green grass and palm trees, very pleasing to the eye. I’m just not able to go above two or three stars due to all these extra fees for what you get and the nickle and diming. Maybe this is the norm for a Destin resort, I’ve never experienced it. We were at the Embassy Suites last time we came to Destin and it was the exact opposite experience. We’re taking it easy this weekend so i hadn’t made it to the gym but the pictures make it seem as if its massive.

I guess we should be considered long term visitors. We are still here and it’s been 2 months. It’s temp housing for us while we do the house hunting in Shalimar. We are in the West building (2xxx). The East building units are numbered 1xxx.
Up until a month ago, there hasn’t been many guests. The staff is very courteous. The 10 parking spaces right outside the building are often occupied. However, the garage is just 40 steps away, so it is not terribly inconvenient.
We haven’t used the pools (it’s winter). But the gym is nice, very spacious with all sorts of equipments. Our unit is a 2 BR 2 BA condo with 2 balconies facing the Two Trees Rd. We rented it from the owner on
.
We heard on
the side facing the pool courtyard can be noisy late into the night, especially on ladies’ night on Wed. There are a few nights when the engine revving/​tire screeching woke me up. I suspect they were produced by the last patrons from the Trader Vic lounge/​restaurant.
While mail is not accepted by the front desk, they do let you ship packages here. This is convenient for long-​term stays where you still make purchases on the net.
Speaking of Internet. Bring your travel wireless router. The lobby WiFi signal is very weak on the 9^th floor. But there’s an Ethernet jack to plug in your router or laptop.

I got to tell you, this was a great way to end our 10 days in Florida. We had enough of the beach and just needed a place to kick back and relax… and this place is all about that. Keep in mind that this was July 4^th weekend and they dont call the area, the Redneck Riviera for nothing, but I couldnt have been any happier with our stay unless they reopened the coffee shop in the lobby. The Jr. Suite (we stayed on 9^th floor in West Tower) had a great view of Destin’s largest pool with a distant view of the beach. The rooms are modern and are more condos than hotel rooms because they come complete with full kitchen, great TV’s, good bedding and bathrooms as well as a washer and dryer. At $ 250/​night (I know you can get it cheaper if you try), this place was just what the doctor ordered. The friday that we were there, they had Wayne Toups do a free show for guests with a $ 7 cajun buffet poolside. There was no need to go anywhere else. Pool side bar (best to get them yourself, not much staff around) and Trader Vic’s on the property. I know its a resort, but don’t expect the kind of staff service that you would normally get at comparable hotels. However, the atmosphere, units, pool and close proximity to everything makes it a very good place to stay. My kids asked if we could come back next 4^th of July and that was after spending a week on the beach in Sanibel. Go figure.

This is the new resort in town and it’s really a condo rental not a hotel, but it operates very much like a hotel.
I did my research and loved the amenities and the way this place looks inside and out; the pool area is gorgeous and relaxing, the exercise room is state of the art and the condos are extremely nice inside. Complete with a balcony, you’ve got a nice hotel room that you can cook in. Woo-​hoo! And that is a wise idea because prices are off the charts in this tourist town.
We rented a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom condo and it was HUGE. It was nice to share because we only paid $ 397 total for 3 nights to stay in a condo that is priced at $ 497,500 if you buy it. I’m nosy, I looked up the real estate prices. The rooms are clean, the décor is simple but elegant and there are more than enough towels to keep you and your company happy and dry. There are beautiful large windows in every room and in ours, an extensive balcony that followed the length of the condo. They’ve got a flat screen TV in every room, a washer and dryer and all the tools you need in the kitchen to cook all your meals.
I was very pleased with the amenities offered and would love to come back and stay here. There are a couple of issues that could be worked out with billing, though. 1) When booking the reservation on the Internet, my receipt printout and confirmation notice had 2 different prices on it (a $ 19.99 difference) which they quickly amended for me, but you need to watch out. 2) When checking out, the service desk could not figure out how to allow different people to pay for their portion of the bill on their credit cards, so now I have friends and family that owe me some money and we all know how that could turn out.
Some tips for you and condo renting:
*Bring your own beach towels — they don’t take kindly to you removing their towels from the room and will charge you.
*You gotta wash the dishes before you leave, but don’t worry about anything else.
*Sometimes you will need to assess the damages preexisting in the condo and do an inventory sheet to make sure you don’t get charged for something you didn’t break or take (this is not the case with this condo).
*Bring your own Ethernet cable; they will sell you one and you can try the Palms-​WIFI, but it’s weak at best and you can save yourself some change.
Overall, great place to relax, great location, loved it, loved it, loved it.