Splash Condominiums By Sterling Resorts

I have a mixed review and I rate this resort as average. Here's why... Parking is across the street from the resort. This is not uncommon for this area. If you drive a 12-15 passenger van you will need to park on the ground level. Clearance is only 7ft 4”. Ground level has adequate parking. Everyone else should be fine. (If you park on the 2nd floor, you will be on the lobby level. No elevator needed). You will then need to take the elevator just inside to the 2nd floor lobby to check in. Next you will need to go back outside to the 2nd floor parking lot area, grab a luggage cart to unload your car and re-enter the lobby hallway, at which point you will walk across the skywalk and proceed to the elevators for either the East or West Tower. There are PLENTY of luggage racks. Be patient, all of this is a bit of a process. The kids will have lots of fun as there is a lazy river, two pools, a slash play pad with a slide, and a mini water dump bucket (similar to the one at The Great Wolf Lodge). There is also a hot tub. The kids really like the hot tub as the pools can be on the cooler when the weather is not very hot. That was a down side for me because I really like the hot tub and there were always groups of children in the hot tub. For a resort that size, they definitely need two; one designated for adults only and one for family. This is how most other resorts operate. The beach access is just off the pool area. There is a catch though. You need to make sure you keep up with your children because the public beach access point is also located between both towers and access to both pools. Here’s a positive: The security staff is always walking around between pools verifying bracelets to make sure only guests are accessing the pool area. My bracelet broke on the last day and I figured I would be fine, but other guests noticed I wasn’t wearing a bracelet and said something to security. I wasn’t mad, I paid a lot of money for the week which grants pool access. The bracelets aren’t difficult to replace. Just a lengthy walk back to registration! You only need them for pool access. Parents, do keep watch of your children. I never let my granddaughter out of my sight. There were too many people coming through the public beach access area for my comfortability. The beach was beautiful. Nothing to complain about there! If your rental doesn’t provide you with an umbrella and beach chairs, it’s $50/day for two chairs and an umbrella. If you’re driving, it’s less than $250 to pack your own and you'll own them forever. Oh! If you want to bring a beach cart, bring your muscle or two people with you. You'll need to be prepared to carry the cart down two sets of about 10 stairs to the beach. If you’re a cook, they have gas grills at the pool. They are kept very clean and you just need to call security and they will make the grills are on. They are first come first served. There are grills available on both sides. The gills closest to the West Tower are like being in a wind tunnel!!! The design of the grill space makes a windy day feel like you're in a wind storm. The gym has nice equipment. They have Hoist equipment for lifting and Matrix for the cardio equipment. It is high quality. There are 4 treadmills, 2 ellipticals, 1 recumbent bike and 1 regular sitting bike. Get in there early, there is no air conditioning! Now for the aesthetics. The resort could use some MAJOR updating as everything appeared old and dirty which made it feel a bit cringy. The cleaning staff did the best they could each morning but it’s just old and it shows. My room was not as clean as I would have liked so we re-cleaned it and covered the sofa with sheets I purchased from the local Walmart. The light grey cloth sofa was just worn from renting week after week. It is definitely time for the owner to update. From now on I will look for rooms that have leather or vinyl. The positive about the room was that it was very accommodating for a family of 9. The master, guest bedroom, and in-law suite all had their own balcony with great views of the ocean. They have overnight and daytime security on site at the entrance which made me feel a bit more safe. The cafe in the West Tower sells donuts in the morning. Get there early. They sell out! I recommend the blueberry cake donut. There is a bar/restaurant at the East pool. I didn't visit the bar in the pool area however, my 20 something daughter said they had burgers on the menu but burgers were not available when she went down to order. Overall, the resort is perfect for kids. It offers a lot of amenities to keep them happy and ready for bed at night! If you’re a germ-a-phobe, be prepared to do a little extra cleaning. Dollar Tree, Walmart, and Target are only 12 minutes away at Pier Park (which is amazing if you like shopping). Oh, I almost forgot!! Across the street and attached to the parking garage is a candy store that’s like Willy Wonka’s Factory. It’s amazing and you’ll see it as you walk in from the parking lot. They sell Blue Bell ice cream, fudge, and every kind of candy and trinket you can think of. Again, a little dirty on the outside. A good power wash on the exterior sidewalk would make all the difference in the world! The boardwalk and pier are only 12 minutes away (depending on traffic). Definitely check the Panama City Beach area and the events in the area prior to booking. That will affect travel on the main drags. I hope this review sets proper expectations. It wasn't bad. After staying in other much cleaner and nicer resorts, I definitely wasn't in awe. I will possibly revisit because I really liked the area and the fact there was so much to do. My granddaughter loved it. It’s very family friendly. I can definitely see how this was once the place to be when it first opened. If management would put in some elbow grease and updating, this place will be sold out all year round.

We recently stayed in room 1801W at Splash Resort in Panama City Beach and were very disappointed with the experience. None of the televisions worked during our entire 4-day stay. We reported the issue shortly after arriving and were told that no one would be available to fix it until Monday, which meant the problem was never resolved while we were there. While the condo itself has a great location and nice views, it was frustrating to pay for a vacation rental with advertised amenities that were unavailable the entire trip. Communication about the issue felt dismissive, and there was no attempt to provide an alternative solution during our stay.

Our experience at Splash was fantastic! The atmosphere was great for small kiddos and we felt so taken care of by the folks that worked there. Special shout out to Pamela at the front desk who, not only started our trip off right with a warm welcome, but helped me out in a moment of panic when we had lost our keys! She and the other friendly folks that worked at Splash made our time that much more special and fun. We will be back!!