PCB’s First New Beachfront Hotel In 20 Years Opens Its Doors

By Byron Khalil, WJHG, May 24, 2017

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla.–Many tourists visiting Panama City Beach, Florida come to stay near the sandy beaches. One new hotel is offering guests direct access to the Gulf of Mexico.

It was a celebration Tuesday at the Holiday Inn Express on Front Beach Road as the hotel opened its doors for the first time. Alisa Kinley and her family were one of the first guests to check in.

“It’s very new so that means that no one has used it before so we get to try it out first,” Kinley said. “So far we just got here today and this is the first day, but it’s been an awesome experience.”

It’s an experience that hasn’t happened for a long time in Panama City Beach. The Holiday Inn Express is the first hotel built directly on the water in the last 20 years. “In fact, the last hotel that was completed on Panama City Beach was the Holiday Inn Resort just down the road from here which we also own and operate. It opened in 1990,” Philip Colvin, the marketing director for Holiday Inn, said.

A close proximity to the Gulf of Mexico is not the only thing the hotel offers its guests. It also has a large breakfast area, a gym, and three pool locations on the property. Inside the rooms, there are bunk beds geared towards guests traveling with kids.

“Those are my two grand kids and they are actually taking turns on who gets the top bunk,” Kinley said.

“Most Holiday Inn Expresses are designed more for corporate travelers and travelers who are staying overnight and not really staying for vacations,” Colvin said. “But this Holiday Inn Express specifically is built to cater to families who are here on vacation and want to spend an extended time here at the resort.”

Kinely said her trip to Panama City Beach is starting off on a good note. “Just basically, I love to get in the water,” Kinley said.

The Holiday Inn Express also has another feature, unlike most Holiday Inn locations. It has an outdoor bar and grill area available for guests to have lunch or dinner. It will also employ near 100 people.

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