Sunrise Beach Condos in Panama City Beach

I have stayed in my fair share of beachfront accommodations over the years, and Sunrise Beach Resorts by Vacasa in Panama City Beach is now my new favorite!

We spent six wonderful nights in Panama City Beach (PCB) for spring break on a vacation that almost didn’t happen. I had resigned myself to the idea of saving money and skipping a spring break trip this year. But when my teenage daughter pressed me, I realized a trip to the beach was exactly the getaway we both needed.

I chose PCB because it is under a twelve-hour drive for us. Since I wanted to do this trip on a budget, flying wasn’t an option and I knew I could drive to PCB in one day. With a great audiobook to keep me entertained and two teenage girls content to sleep and listen to their own music, the drive was a breeze!

This post may contain affiliate links and I may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.

Booking

Back to the trip planning process…It was only six-eight weeks before spring break when I started looking for accommodations on VRBO and AirBnb.

Initially, I was worried that all the decent, affordable options would already be taken. But I was pleasantly surprised to find plenty of options that would meet our needs.

It worked in our favor (in regard to accommodations) that my daughter’s spring break was somewhat early (in mid-March). The plus side of going to PCB in mid-March is lower crowds and therefore plenty of available condos. The downside is that temperatures may be on the cool side (but I didn’t let that stop me from soaking up the sun!)

Given that we were not visiting during peak season, prices were also very reasonable and many of the condos didn’t require a full week’s stay.  After quite a bit of searching, I had my criteria determined: condo directly on the beach, good views, balcony access from both the living room and the master bedroom, a bunk room for the teens, a nice pool, and a fully refundable booking option. And I wanted all of that for under $1500 for a six-night stay.

I found all that and more at Sunrise Beach Resort!

Unit 1407

We booked Unit 1407 through AirBnB…and I couldn’t have been more pleased!

The unit is located on the 14th floor and I wondered if there would be issues with the elevators as that can sometimes be a hassle with high-rise condos in touristy beach destinations. I’m happy to report that we had no issues with the elevators whatsoever!

There were four fully functioning elevators and we never had a long wait. I realize that might not be the case during peak season, but I was happy that it wasn’t an issue during our trip. Given that unit 1407 is right off of the elevators it made getting to and from the beach as well as to our car a breeze.

Inside, unit 1407 was spotless with tasteful decor, and the unit was very true to the pictures posted on AirBnB.  The condo had a modern, minimalist look with just a touch of beachy decor that immediately made us feel right at home.

To the left of the entrance is a small bunkroom containing twin size bunk beds, a small dresser, and a smart TV. Each bunk had a small shelf mounted to the wall providing the perfect place for the girls to put their cell phones, drinks, books, etc. plus built-in USB ports for charging up electronic devices.

There is no closet and I believe that is why this unit is listed as a one-bedroom as opposed to a two-bedroom unit. I’ve stayed in units where the bunks are built into the wall in the hallway, which is nice, especially for little kids. But for my teenage girls, I really appreciated having the bunk room so they could close the door for privacy, and I could close the door to avoid seeing their mess!

Across the hallway was a decent size bathroom that was bright and cheerful. Perfect for teenage girls to primp before a night out in PCB.

Further down the hall was a closet with a stacked washer and dryer. Given that our vacation was only six days, doing laundry was the furthest thing from my mind, but it was nice to know we had the option. Another hallway closet housed several beach toys and beach chairs ready for a fun day on the sand.

The hallway then opened to a small galley kitchen with all the essential modern conveniences we needed. The only things I couldn’t find were salt and pepper and an oven mitt (but a handtowel worked in a pinch).

As a mom, I always have plenty of snacks in tow, and I made a run to the local Publix to stock the fridge shortly after arrival. I love staying in places with a full kitchen so we can save money on food and be a bit flexible on eating times, which is a necessity with teenagers. With a few frozen pizzas, bottled water, milk, lunch meat, chips, fruit, and some sweet treats our breakfasts and lunches were basically covered. Then we could splurge and go out for some nice dinners in PCB.

The kitchen was open to the living room, giving it a spacious feel, and included a counter with four barstools. A small dining table and two chairs provided additional room to enjoy a meal or snack.

The living room provided ample seating with two couches, one that folded out into a bed for extra sleeping options. The living room was comfortable and welcoming and also boasted a smart TV with plenty of streaming channels. Once I figured out how to use the four different remotes, we were good to go! The unit even included a DVD player and you could check out DVDs from the front office. But given that the beach was right outside I had other activities on my mind.

After all, it was the beachfront views that really sold me on this condo.

Whether I was sitting on the couch or lounging on the large balcony I had fabulous views of the beautiful white sands and the amazing blue and green hues of the clear ocean waters.

We had perfect views from our balcony of both the glorious sunrise each morning and colorful sunsets every night.

And the best part…the master bedroom also provided access to the balcony and those same stunning views! The master bedroom housed a huge comfy bed with plenty of soft pillows and ample storage space.

Upon arrival, I immediately unpacked so I could really make myself at home for the week.

Off of the master bedroom was access to the large master bathroom. With two sinks, a large mirror, a stand-up shower, a separate garden tub, and a private toilet, this bathroom had it all.

Resort Amenities

With as amazing as Unit 1407 was, it could have been tempting to just hole up inside…but that would have been a huge mistake! There was so much to explore within the resort and right outside in exciting PCB.

While parking facilities may not be what excites you about a beach condo, it can have a huge impact on your trip in either a positive or a negative way. At Sunrise Beach Resort there were 4 levels of covered parking that made up the first several floors of the building. Having covered parking easily accessible from the main elevators was so convenient!

There is an additional $40 fee per car to park for the week, but it was well worth it to know my car was safe and very close by. Vacasa sent me an email with a link to provide my license plate number and pay the parking fee prior to our stay, and that was all I had to do. No sticker or hang tag to worry about picking up on arrival. We just parked and headed straight up to our condo.

There were luggage carts in the parking garage to make arrival and departure easy peasy. I never had an issue finding a parking spot on the level of my choice and getting in and out of the parking garage was a breeze.  I chose to park on level one right next to the beach access that is reached right from the parking garage. This made it possible to leave our beach chairs and toys in the car rather than lugging them up to the room just to carry them back and forth each day.

To get to the beach, we simply took the elevators to the first floor and walked out the back of the parking garage to the beach access. Here you could also find a couple of bbq grills, picnic tables, and outdoor spigots to wash off the sand. No matter which unit you are staying in, at Sunrise Beach Resort you are literally just steps away from the ocean.

A huge added benefit of our unit was the two reserved beach chairs and an umbrella at our disposal for the week. (My foldable beach chairs that I brought from home never actually made it out of the car as I took full advantage of the comfy beach loungers!)

Back up on the fifth floor was the resort’s front office, where staff was ready with friendly assistance and you could stock up on PCB brochures and coupons for local attractions. This is also where you could find the fitness center.

I’ll admit when I’m at the beach I would rather get my workout walking along the shore, but the amazing views did make spending time in the gym appealing.

Just outside the gym were the two large pools, two hot tubs, a mushroom splash pad for the kiddies, and breathtaking views of the ocean below. During our stay one of the pools, a hot tub, and the splash pad were being resurfaced, so they were closed. We were notified about this prior to our arrival and given the non-peak crowds, this did not pose a problem.

We were always able to find chairs along the pool deck and I enjoyed a soothing soak in the hot tub on a few occasions. The pool was heated so my girls spent some time splashing around…and it was definitely warmer than the ocean waters in mid-March!

The location of Sunrise Beach Resort was also ideal. We were able to walk to numerous restaurants and shops. We especially loved our dinner and the live music at Senor Frog’s just next door, and the girls made several trips to the Starbucks at the neighboring resort. And Sunrise Beach Resort is only one mile from popular Pier Park where vacation shopping and dining is plentiful.

Have you visited Panama City Beach lately? If not, I suggest you book some beach time soon and plan to stay at Sunrise Beach Resort for an unforgettable vacation!

Wherever the road takes you, make it a joyous journey,
Traveling Tanya

P.S. Subscribe to my email list here and never miss out on any of Traveling Tanya’s exciting excursions or travel tips…plus I’ll send you my free Packing List!

Pin It For Later!