- 4 out of 5
- Avg. Member Rating
- 7
- Reviews
High End, Historic, and Friendly
- September 22, 2008
- Rated 5 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
In a recent biz trip to the pan handle, I enjoyed one night at the Crowne Plaza. The historic site was a nice touch against the high end rooms and very friendly service - not to mention the beautiful view of the water from my 9th floor room. I usually stay in a Hampton Inn or Marriott, but this was considerably nicer - and affordable. I suggest the Irish pub down the street - just as the staff and they will point you in the right direction. There is an interstate road close to the front of the hotel, but I did not find it noisy at all. Great hotel.
Looks good - Sleeps bad.
- August 27, 2008
- Rated 4 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
I lived in Pensacola for several years & the Grand had a great reputation for being one of the nicest hotels. I stayed here & was somewhat disappointed. The location is great: easy access to downtown & McGuires Irish Pub; right across from the Civic Center; can quickly hop across the bridge to the beaches & you can jump right on the freeway. Amenities include eye mask, linen spray, ear plugs, window curtain clip and CD about sleep. I thought this was very nice but now I understand why they place such emphasis on helping you get a good nights rest. It's impossible in this hotel! It was like a scene out of the movie "My Cousin Vinnie".
The downside:
* Those trains make noise All Night Long. The hotel is Right on the tracks and Right by 2 crossings so you don't just hear the trains. The horns will BLAST you out of bed.
* Women: the bathrooms are lovely but they are dimly lit with sconces on the walls beside the mirror. Would be great for a guest bath but not for a primary bath where you need to actually see what you are putting on your face.
* The bed was comfortable enough but the pilllows were lumpy and we left with neck aches.
* The entire hotel is glass so you have floor to ceiling windows. The upside is you may have a great view. The down side is the metal frame heats up in the morning sun. The cracking and popping of the frame expanding was enough to wake us up and keep us up!
*The parking is quite far from the elevators unless you have a handicap placard.
Don't stay on the SE/NW side! Get the full water view!
Nice...but...
- June 2, 2008
- Rated 4 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
They weren't kidding about the train! That whistle blows at 11pm and 1am!! I'm guessing you'll need a room on the higher floors. Beautiful hotel, very clean and comfortable.
Great Stay
- May 8, 2008
- Rated 4 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
We were a little skeptical because of the train comment left by another reviewer but after the other reviews, decided to give it a try. I am so glad we did. The hotel is beautiful on the inside. They restored the original tile from the train depot in the lobby as well as many other relics. The room was very nice, with very comfortable beds, high definition TV, and a nice view of the bay and a very old cemetary. The restaurant (1912) was nice, the food was good, but VERY SLOW.
Now the negatives:
The train comes through several times a day. The only time it really is annoying is at 4AM. For some reason, the Operator seemed to blow the horn more then than any other time (I can picture the guy pulling the horn violently with the most evil grin as he passes). This lasts for 1-1 1/2 mins. My wife slept through it all but one night. I am a light sleeper and slept through it 1 night. The hotel does provide you with earplugs should you need them.
The wireless internet is slow. Not dial-up slow, but pretty close. They provide a LAN connection at the desk in the room, but unfortunately, it wasn't much faster. I think this was more of an inconvenience for us than the train.
I'm not sure about the breakfast thing they offer. We declined on the breakfast plan, but went downstairs one morning to find Starbucks coffee and danishes. It wasn't cheap and wasn't good.
Again, we will definitely stay there again. The rooms were great, the employees hospitable, and the location is convenient to the beach, downtown, and mall.
NICE HOTEL
- November 5, 2007
- Rated 5 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
The cleanest and comfortable hotel I have stayed in so far. Just wish they had free breakfast.