You’re not alone if you’re planning a Panama City Beach vacation with kids. A large percentage of visitors to Panama City Beach are families traveling with kids.
Many times, the grown ups now vacationing with their own kids, came on family vacations here themselves with their family.
That’s something were very proud of, and hope remains true for many more generations to come.
So, with so many families with kids visiting, how can you make sure you can still enjoy a comfortable and relaxing vacation?
1. Suites Offer More Space than Hotel Rooms
Hotel rooms are typically a great way to save money, and stay in a smaller unit with no extras.
If your budget is the biggest factor during your stay, this might not be negotiable, but if you have some extra spending-wiggle-room, then upgrading to a larger suite is a great place to invest a little extra.
Suites are always bigger by design. They are made for longer stays, or larger groups. So you get much more space to all co-exist in.
You’d be surprised how much a little extra space can make everybody feel less squashed, and prevent stressful situations.
2. Look for Adjoining Rooms
Some Resorts may not offer larger suites, or you might be able to use this work-around to get a similar result for cheaper.
Adjoining rooms often have a central dividing wall between them with a doorway.
Most of the time, this door is locked on both sides, unless you book both rooms together.
This way, the grown ups can have their own space, and the kids can have their own too. You can be separate, but still connected; giving you the best of both worlds.
3. Look for Activities for the Kids
A true family-friendly Hotel / Resort / Condominium will have plenty of things to do on-site for kids so you don’t have to leave.
Sure, there are plenty of fantastic things to do in Panama City Beach that are perfect for kids.
However, if you HAVE to leave each day, and spend more money on admission and ticket prices, it’s not ideal.
Waterslides, multiple swimming pools, mini golf, planned activities, playgrounds, games and contests hosted by the Hotel are all great ways you can not only save money, but get more relaxing time.
Knowing that kids are entertained, happy, and safe lets mom and dad get more “you time“, and makes your Panama City Beach vacation with kids far more enjoyable.
4. Safety is important
One way a Hotel / Resort can make sure they are committed to a family-friendly environment is with practices like guest armbands.
These armbands let guest services identify guests who belong on the property, and quickly identify anybody on the property who is not a guest.
Knowing your kids are safe, and you aren’t the only ones looking out for their safety is a nice feeling.
5. No Smoking Rooms
This is an easy one. Look for a place to stay with no-smoking rooms.
This is especially important if your children have any allergies or breathing difficulties, but a good all-round pointer anyway.
Rooms that have been smoked in for years can seem to have a lingering cigarette smell, thats difficult to get rid of, if not property deep-cleaned.
Coughing and allergies aren’t high up on on anybody’s list of Panama City Beach vacation with kids essentials.
6. Nearby Places to Eat or Rooms with Kitchens
Anybody with kids knows they eat. A lot.
You don’t want to pack up the vacation each time your kids get bored and want something to do (see #3). You also don’t want to leave each time somebody gets hungry.
If you do your homework, you can hand-pick a hotel / Resort that has somewhere nearby. Even better if you can find somewhere with places to eat on-site. Bonus points if they also have a specific kids menu!
A simple phone call, email (or even tweet) to the Hotel should give you an answer pretty quickly. You can also get an idea of how good their service is by how quickly, and how detailed the response is!
The next best thing, might be a hotel room or a suite with your own kitchen and dining area.
An even cheaper way to keep their tummies full is to prepare meals in your own room.
Whether it’s a simple sandwich and a snack, or a fully cooked meal that you can enjoy on your balcony with an ocean view.
Conclusion
You might be able to find a place to stay that checks all these boxes. If you can’t, then using this as a guide will help you get more out of your next vacation with the kids. More than you expected, or even thought possible.
After all, fewer temper tantrums, sulking and meltdowns are always a good thing!
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