I needed the second leg of this trip so badly. I felt like New Orleans just drained all the energy out of me between the party city vibe and the issues I had with the staff at the hotel. We visited the Emerald Coast- finally! I have been asking to come up here for a few years, but my husband was always like meh, that is a long drive and what is really up there. Well, we didn't get a lot of time to spend here because this was basically a really tightly planned trip in between his schedule and mine; so it was basically like an introductory trip so he can see what was here.
Honestly, I feel like I don't want to leave. Obviously, I do want to leave there really isn't much here from what we have seen and everyone is much much much older than us everywhere. But, this hotel is so amazing. Its beautiful and its peaceful and the beach is right out our suite. Two or three days here would totally recharge us during a stressful time- it just kinda sucks that its like 7 hours away from Tampa.
I have stayed at a lot of hotels and this one is so different and it is so beautifully designed. I told my husband it kind of reminds me of Hamptons Beach Mansions. The water here is Emerald Green because of the algae and that is why this whole area of the Panhandle is called the Emerald Coast. We were only here for a day because we actually have tickets to Hamilton the next day so we have to head back. I can see no flaws in coming here except there are not a lot of restaurants. There are chain restaurants that I don't eat at and kind of like two star restaurants that no doubtably serve lots of deep fried foods and I really can't eat there either. The hotel does have an upscale restaurant, but it doesn't reopen until Friday and we will be gone by Thursday. I would say when the restaurant reopens it will be perfect to return.
If we had gotten a full two days here it would have been perfect, but the most important thing to me is that I got to spend my actual birthday in a peaceful happy environment that is native to me. A lot of people love traveling and being away from home, but leaving home for a week was hard for me. I missed my condo, my comfort, and my cats like as soon as we got on I-10. I just looked at my husband and I said there is no way we are doing 2 ten day cruises this year because I am already homesick. AW lol. I needed a getaway though and so this was good.
As you guys know we usually stay at certain hotels by Marriott, Hilton, or Hyatt. This hotel is neither, but its a Reuinon Hotel and I have actually stayed at their hotel in Orlando (this one is infinitely nicer by the way). I would totally stay here again and they have one very near to Tampa so we may do a quick trip later this year and check it out. My birthday road trip was a whirlwind and New Orleans tested our nerves so hard. I would have never been able to visit Destin if I wasn't on the way back. We tried to get as many photos and videos in in our short stay here. Driving 4 hours from New Orleans to get here and it will be six hours back to Tampa and we are exhausted.
Since the hotel restaurant was not open I tried to find a top rated restaurant here and although it was nice, it was not our style at all. Very much an older crowd- marina type vibe. So, we decided to redo my birthday dinner the next night in Tampa, which is fine because hey, I was technically born 1 minute before midnight of February 28th so its still actually my birthday.
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