The first thing we noticed when walking into the lobby was the cheap perfume air freshner. I ask the staff at the desk if the rooms smelled like that and one of them said "like what?", the other one said a large group had just checked in and they all had on different smelly perfume and after shave. What ever it was, the rooms smelled like that too. We went ahead and stayed there because it was just for one night. We thought the rooms were over priced, too far from the beach & places to eat. They also only have one elevator, and the lady checking us in said we should use the elevator to take our luggage up, and use the stairs the rest of the time.

Our week was at the Mainstay Suites Panama City Beach was quite a pleasant surprise! We were part of a Sports Group, booking the reservation at the very last minute. From the first contact with Dee Dee (group sales coord) we knew we had made a great decision...she couldn't have been more helpful and communicative helping us to plan our stay and accomodate special needs. Upon arrival, whether it was Calvin (property mgr) or ANY AND ALL front desk personnel, each member of our group was treated wonderfully and felt catered to. This level of service extended all week long. The ENTIRE staff at this hotel could NOT have been more accomodating and I highly recommend the property for any single party or group!

Staying on the "beach" part of Panama City was a real plus for getting around and there is so much to do. The front desk even printed coupons out for us when we were off to enjoy some of the "tourist" activities.

The rooms are spacious and very clean. There is not daily housekeeping service, but we knew to expect that at an extended stay hotel. It is easy to bring your towels down to the front desk each day and swap for new towels! The kitchen area in each unit included a full-size refridgerator, full size microwave, a sink, well-stocked cupboards, small dishwasher and 2 burners. Some in our group had burners that didn't work, but they were fixed quickly. In fact, maintenance response time at this property is about 2 seconds so be sure you are dressed when you call with a request! Go maintenance! The "breakfast" is not much...a toaster, cereal, bananas and coffee, but we knew to expect that as well. They have kitchens in all units!

There is a nice workout room which many in our group enjoyed daily, plus two sets of Washers/Dryers which we also used daily. There is a laundromat across the parking lot (group sports teams appreciate this convenience!). The pool was clean and well maintained and we enjoyed the deck area and barbeque facilites several times. The "main drag", the beaches and Pier Park are just a short ride away from the Mainstay, also the bridge to cross back to Panama City is a stone's throw away, so the location is quite ideal. The savings staying here v. staying at a condo "right on" the beach was well worth the short drive to everything!

Overall, this was a fantastic value at a fantastic property. The service was second to none. Thank you, Mainstay Suites...you are ALL doing a fantastic job welcoming your guests and making sure their stay is an enjoyable one, I will recommend your property and definitely consider staying here again.

Made a mistake I won't make again. This is a hotel for people with kids. Beds are practically unsleepable. They must have bought the cheapest beds possible. Awful. Should have known at around $90./night. Even then, it's not worth $50.

Wife and i were travelling with 6 kids (12-14), stayed here our first night because we arrived one day earlier than planned. They offered rooms that had two queen beds and two sleeper sofas for a good price. The lady at the front desk was absolutely awesome. The other staff were kinda aloof. We had to switch rooms because our non-smoking room smelt of stale smoke. The second room was perfect and the lady at the front counter made the change without a single complaint. My only real complaint was the road access. Its located on the ramp from 98 to thomas? Which is a one way.