Horrrrrible......stayed at this hotel and spotted roaches in the bathroom.... Disgusting....also spiders in room...Don't be fooled by the pics.....the room I stayed in also has mold in it...Find some where else to stay....Saw the owner walking with roach spray

This hotel has recently been remodled. Most comfortable bed I have ever slept in. Big, spacious rooms. Great location........but, I was double booked and have called three times now to get my refund and I am still waiting. Every time I call, I am told it will be taken care of immediatly. My idea and their idea of immediatly are totally different. It has been 4 weeks and I am about to call again to see were my refund is.

I like this hotel a lot. Looks GREAT inside and outside. The beds were AWESOME! The staff was very helpful too. I stayed there 5 times before and I liked it so I booked 30 rooms for my Church there. I didn't even know this hotel was there. I loved it. Hope you all have a wonderful day.

When my oldest daughter's softball coach told me she had reserved a last-minute block of rooms for our team at the "Microtel," my immediate thoughts were filled with stained bed sheets, worn-out shag carpet, and pastel pink and coral green color schemes. After working in the hotel and meetings industry for several years, I am somewhat spoiled when it comes to hotels and dining. I mean, who names their property Microtel? What is that saying about the property? Is it small, is it run-down, is it a hotel for computers as my youngest daughter suggested? How micro and computers go together, only an eight-year-old can explain.

I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the property--especially for the price. But, then again, my expectations were very low to start with. The property was clearly very new. We paid $79 per night for a "suite" that had a queen bed and a pull-out sofa. Single rooms were just $56 per night. The room included a flat-screen, wall-mounted TV, and the overall decor was nice. It was clean, too. If I recall correctly, the kitchenette had granite counter tops and the bathroom had marble tops. The bed was even comfortable. My girls said they slept well on the sleeper sofa. But, they can sleep anywhere. When I was lying on it, I felt the bars. There was a continental breakfast every morning as well.

I interacted with the front desk when I needed sheets for our sleeper sofa. This seemed to be a big deal for the desk clerk who looked at me very skeptically as she recorded my items in a log book. I didn't dare ask for a blanket. She was the only employee there, and she let me know without saying a word that it was very inconvenient for her to retrieve whatever I needed. I also interacted with the front desk in the morning when our coffee maker wasn't working. The front desk clerk said that we should just come down to get some free coffee at the continental breakfast. That made sense. But, what if I didn't want to come down to get coffee? I didn't want to make trouble, so I just dropped it. Overall, I expected a higher level of service from the employees, and was disappointed. The employees were not nasty or blatantly rude, they just need to have some hospitality industry-centered customer service training.

Some advice:
1. You have to drive 10 minutes to the beach or the strip.
2. The walls were thin. Kids ran up and down the hall. But, this has been my experience at most lower-end hotels. I didn't expect it to be different. Plus, we were staying during a softball tournament. There were other teams staying at the property, too. If you plan to come to Panama City, especially to stay in budget accommodations, you should check to see if there are any softball or baseball tournaments in town. There are several sporting complexes that hold huge tournaments year-round. We will be there for the USFA World Series from July 11-18. There will be almost 1,000 teams in town.
3. The pool is very small. But, it's enough to cool you off.
4. Don't expect outstanding customer service from the employees. And by all means, don't expect to call for something and have it brought to you. You have to go get whatever you need. This is not a four or five-star hotel.
5. Don't expect a great view from your room. The motel is right behind an IHOP and a gas station and is bordered by at least one other motel. The commercial arrangement of this area is very odd, and poorly planned.
6. Wal-mart and Target are right around the corner.

I highly recommend this property for the budget traveler who wants a good night's sleep. If location and scenery is not important, and you view your hotel as just a place to sleep, the Microtel is a perfect fit for you. If I were to go back on a short notice for a weekend softball tournament, I would definitely stay here again.

If you want a little more TLC, and location and scenery is important, you might want to check somewhere else. If I were going on a family vacation or an extended stay, and I could afford higher-level accommodations in regards to location and service, I would not stay here.