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We went to visit friends who have a winter home in Santa Rosa Beach, FL and needed a nearby hotel. The Hotel Effie Sandestin, Autograph Collection was around 15 minutes away and provided the perfect spot for us to stay. It was freezing in Florida during our visit and we did not spend much time on property. The stay was fine, but I had a bad taste in mouth before I even arrived as the hotel tried to sell me an upgrade and insisted that it was in the right to do so.
Anthony’s Take: I think we would have enjoyed the hotel more if we had more time to actually use some of the amenities. It’s a beautiful property and the room we were assigned was lovely. The hotel is playing some games with upgrades and I did not appreciate it. Other than that, it’s a nice outpost in a gated community that offers easy access to the area.
Booking
I booked a Standard, Guest Room, 1 King on an award rate. I used a free night certificate and points for this stay. It cost 105,000 total for two nights. Marriott did away with award charts a few years ago, but redemptions can be had for between 50,000 and 84,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points per night.
Transportation to/from the Hotel
We flew into Pensacola International Airport (PNS) and rented a car. The ride was one hour and 35 minutes for the 83-mile ride. Returning took around the same amount of time.
Location
The hotel is inside the gates of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort and has access to the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, which include beaches, four golf courses, 15 tennis courts, nature trails, and the Village of Baytowne Wharf with some shopping. When driving to the resort, self parking is down the hill.
The hotel opens with a spacious lobby. I liked the fresh cut flowers.
There are lots of seating areas (that are divided up into smaller spaces).
Reception is to the right upon entering.
Complimentary iced tea and water were on offer.
Check-In
We arrived around 6:00 PM and our room was ready. We were upgraded to a Guest Room, 1 King, Bay View. There were no suites available for upgrades, but the gent made a big deal about how we were upgraded two categories. I did not push for the room they tried to sell me as an upgrade. I chose points as a welcome amenity. She reminded us three times during check-in that checkout time was 11:00 AM and did not offer a late checkout. This hotel should have offered 4:00 PM, but I did not need it or feel like arguing. Our keys were printed and we were off to the room. The agent also failed to tell me about the $45 plus tax Resort Fee. We used nothing that was included given that it was 27 degrees outside.
Resort Fee
The rip-off Resort Fee (it is still not palatable in warmer weather) includes the following:
- Daily two (2) complimentary 4-hour bicycle rentals each day
- Daily one-hour free kayak rentals, weather permitting
- Daily one-hour of boogie boards, weather permitting
- Daily Resort Shuttle around entire resort including Beach and Golf Courses for two guests
- Daily one-hour Tennis Court access for two guests (after 11am)
- Golf course access with Sandestin Exclusive Rates
- Activity access; basketball, pickleball, trails for two guests
- Access to the following Resort Amenities:
- Four Championship Golf Courses
- 15 Tennis Courts (Clay and hard Courts)
- Ara Rooftop Pool + Access to four Resort Pools
- Full-service luxury Spa Lilliana
- Full-service 226-slip Marina
- Jolee Island Nature Park
- Miles of Jogging trails
- Basketball & Pickleball Courts
- Hotel Effie Fitness Center
Elevators are to the left past the bar and restaurant.
The elevator lobby and hallways on our floor were clean and in good repair. I liked the coastal art and carpet.
Guest Room, 1 King, Bay View (940)
There are 250 guest rooms and suites at the Hotel Effie Sandestin, Autograph Collection.
The room opened with a small foyer that held a table for keys and other small items.
The bathroom was to the left. It held a glassed-in shower, vanity with a single sink, and a toilet.
The vanity was large with tons of counter space.
A bar of LATHER brand soap was on the counter.
A bottle of lotion and a shower cap were also next to the sink.
The shower was a standard size and both water pressure and temperature were fine.
Bottles of LATHER hair wash, conditioner, and body wash were mounted to the wall.
The toilet was adequately spaced away from the other fixtures.
The closet was nearby. It held two robes, a garment steamer, and a luggage rack.
The bedroom was a generous in size and included a king-sized bed, two nightstands, a chaise lounge against the window, a desk and chair, a minibar, and a TV.
The chaise lounge filled the wall by the window.
The desk was a counter and a table.
A tray with water and glasses was on top.
Next to the desk was a cabinet that served as a minibar with a TV over it.
The Lavazza coffeemaker, coffee pods, condiments, and cups were on top.
An empty refrigerator was below.
The safe was also located here.
Some delicious peanut brittle was on the counter. This is given to all guests.
The view offered the bay in the distance and a nice spot for sunsets.
Public Areas & Amenities
Amenities include an rooftop pool (pictured above), a spa, a fitness center, Ovide restaurant, a lobby bar, Sweetbay Coffee, a pool bar, and event space.
The lobby bar is outside of the restaurant.
Ovide is located near the elevators in the lobby.
Event space is down the hall.
We did not check out the spa.
The fitness center offered a good selection of equipment and weights.
I was happy to see a Peloton Bike.
Towels and water (and a single apple) were on offer.
Anthony’s Take: The hotel is lovely and I would have likely thought even more highly of it if the agent that texted me prior to my stay did not try to sell me a room upgrade. Upgrades are not guaranteed, I always get that but I also don’t like it when hotels try to bend the rules. Other than that, this is a solid property in the 30A area.
(Pool and Spa Image Credits: Marriott.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
