The Port Inn and Cottages, Ascend Hotel Collection

I hate to write bad reviews, especially for a small operation like Port Inn, but we don't want others to have the same experience we did. The descriptions of the rooms are not adequate, nor do they list size of the rooms. I thought I was booking a two room suite. We paid over $300 a night for a standard room that had a very bad musty/mildewy smell (room 102). We were unable to use the patio because the road noise was intolerable, particularly given it was some sort of bike week in nearby Panama City Beach. We tried to switch rooms but none of the two room suites were available. Our only option was to rent one of their cottages which would have cost even more, with a $50 a day fee on top of that. We specifically requested light housekeeping both online and when we checked in, but wound up having to lug our towels to the front desk to exchange them. Staff was friendly but there is generally only employee there at a time. Breakfast area is the size of a walk in closet with a mediocre selection to match. And while this didn't impact us, please be aware there is no elevator on this property. We wound up leaving a day early because we hated spending so much money for room that wasn't worth half what we paid for it.

Wonderful place! We used our Fema displacement hotel voucher for our stay. They were so sweet and accommodating we were in a 2 bedroom cottage for almost a week. It was stocked with anything we needed and very clean! A huge bathtub, comfy beds, and great pillows! Also, they have 2 pools the larger one has a grill and patio furniture you can use. There was also a grill near our cottage and all the grills were hard-lined gas grills meaning no need to buy charcoal! All in all 10/10 we highly highly recommend staying here!

We booked through Expedia several months before our travel as we were visiting friends who were staying just down the road in their RV. We celebrated the New Year with them and wanted a place where we could cook and play games (cards) on New Year's Eve. While this place certainly offered that, it really wasn't worth the thousands we spent for the week. The cottage overlooks a REALLY busy street and backed up to an alleyway where the dumpsters were picked up twice during our stay at 5am. The walls are paper thin so all road noise and neighbor noise can be heard. While it didn't bother us a huge amount, it should be mentioned that the property also serves as a displacement shelter through FEMA. The cottage adjacent to ours had 3 toddlers under 5 and their mom. While the kids tried to be good, they're kids and 7am is play time outside for them (in the alleyway behind the bedroom window). I think it's great that this family had somewhere safe to stay (we even left our snacks and food with them upon checkout), I just think this should be mentioned and travelers who are expecting a quiet relaxing vacation should have realistic expectations. The Cottages were extremely cheaply made and furnished. We would've changed to the hotel but couldn't because we brought our dog. I actually wanted to leave after the first night but my husband refused since we had already spent well over a thousand dollars for the week stay. It is also worth noting that the staff were extremely professional and nice. We had to ask the staff to have the neighbors move their cars so we could acess our unit and they were very helpful in addressing our issue. I just wish the walls were thicker and I had done more research before booking.

What a treasure to find! Crystal was at the front desk when we arrived, and she was incredibly kind and attentive to our needs. She made sure we were comfortable after a long day of travel. Loretta, who worked at the desk in the morning, was another highlight, providing outstanding service. We were also pleasantly surprised by the great coffee available in the lobby.

Thank you Roxanne and staff! Being evacuated from Orlando we had no place to go until we found you all. Thank you for helping a family of 9 get some rest after 10 plus hours on the road. The place here is so very clean, nice and comfortable. Highly recommended for all. Thank you!