Top of the Gulf

Top of the Gulf is an eight-story Gulf-front condominium at 8817 South Thomas Drive in Panama City Beach, near where Thomas Drive and Front Beach Road meet. Dating from 1976, it is one of the older buildings in this area, and its compact units keep it among the more budget-friendly ways to stay directly on the sand.

The building has about 201 units, mostly studios and one-bedroom plans of roughly 450 to 500 square feet. Each suite has a kitchen with stove, oven, refrigerator and microwave, and many units look out over the pool deck and the Gulf. On-site laundry facilities are available.

Amenities are simple: an in-ground pool on the Gulf side, a fitness center, a clubhouse, community barbecue grills, a game room and beach showers. The beach is right behind the building. Resort Collection handles rentals for many units, and its check-in and check-out take place at the Edgewater Beach & Golf Resort office at 11212 Front Beach Road while the on-site desk is closed. Units are small but efficient, and the building’s beach showers and pool deck make it easy to move between the sand and the room.

The location is convenient. Pineapple Willy’s and Rick Seltzer Park are close, and Gulf World Marine Park, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and the Front Beach Road attractions are a short drive west, along with Pier Park farther on. St. Andrews State Park is to the east, and a Walmart Supercenter and other everyday stores are nearby.

Units at Top of the Gulf are individually owned and rented through their owners and several rental companies, so furnishings, bed layouts, parking rules and extras such as seasonal beach chair service vary from one unit to the next. It suits couples, solo travelers and small families who want a beachfront room at a lower cost and plan to spend most of the day outside.