This is a slam dunk. Have no hesitations in staying at this property. Absolutely clean, well-decorated and well managed. Rooms are so nice, clean and comfortable. Seems very new. Granite countertops in bathroom and kitchen. Mon-Wed offers complimentary beer, wine and light dinner. This was very well attended and had a festive atmosphere...served in the lovely lobby area. All this AND pet friendly too.

The only suggestion I have is to get good directions. The address would not come up on the website, my car's nav system or on my map! It seems miles east of Destin in Sandestin...wherever that is! Maybe one of those locally referred to areas? There is also NO sign for the hotel, except what is on the building...and you don't see it until you've passed the turn in. This is NO reason not to stay there, however.

One other positive thing...you received all the privileges of the Sandestin Resort...a lovely, upscale vacation area. I received a $104/night AAA rate. Just great.

This hotel is absolutely recommended. Friendly staff, newly built, nice setting, pleasant interior, outstanding breakfast included (sausage, bacon, eggs, fruit, cereals, waffle baking machine, bread, bagels, muffins and so on), not close to a beach but close to a resort whose amenities can be used (golf, village, shopping, dining, hiking), great restaurants nearby, pets are welcome (not just tolerated) without weight limit, room size is above average. We paid $109 for the night and had a huge room with kitchen and living room area. Note that there's a $75 flat pet fee. We would go there again in an instance.

My wife and I booked this hotel for a night in Destin. We were traveling with our dog, so we were looking for a nice hotel that is pet-friendly. That’s exactly what we found. The property is new looking and beautiful, with comfortable rooms and good service. The only caveat is the $75 (the hotel reserves the right to charge up to $100), non-refundable pet fee. The fee applies to all pets, even fish. We booked through the Marriott website, and nowhere in the booking process are you informed about the fee. The sites main page just says, “Pet-friendly hotel in Destin, Florida with access to Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort, fees may apply.” I made the mistake of thinking that the “fees may apply” referred to access to the Resort. If you dig deeper into the site (which you don’t need to do in order to book a room), you’ll find that the fees are for pets, and there’s no “may” about it. If you’re staying several days, the fee is really no big deal. However, it turns a one-night stay from $104 (before tax) to $198 (after tax). And yes, you pay full taxes on the fee itself. I know that I should have read every word of the website, but I wish Marriott was more up-front about the fact that there is a non-negotiable pet fee.

We stayed here for a weekend getaway -- sort of a last minute thing for $105 AAA. The hotel is only about a year old and is really beautiful. The rooms are spotless and the kitchens better than mine at home! The bathrooms are immaculate and the HVAC quiet room units. The breakfast was awesome -- plenty of choices and the constantly being refilled. There is a free shuttle that takes you around Sandestin Resort (the Residence Inn is right outside that resort). You can also drive your car around the complex (after getting a pass from the security gate) but parking can be a challenge on the weekends. The great outlet mall is about a mile west and there is a new Fresh Market further west on 98 in Destin to stock up on goodies. Be sure to have brunch at the Another Half Broken Egg. The only minuses are the beds, which feel and sound as if you are sleeping on a soft cardboard box and the fact that you are nowhere near the beach.