The Reef at Seahaven

The Reef at Seahaven is the value-focused hotel within the Seahaven Beach Resorts complex, located at 15013 Front Beach Road in Panama City Beach, roughly a mile east of Pier Park. It shares the complex’s private stretch of Gulf beach with the Seahaven Beach Hotel and the Origin at Seahaven condo tower, and a gated boardwalk leads from the property straight onto the sand.

The hotel has 80 rooms in three main types: king rooms, rooms with two double beds, and rooms with two double beds and a kitchen. Ground-floor rooms have walkout patios and upper rooms have balconies, many with Gulf views. The kitchen rooms are useful for families and longer stays, and the minimum check-in age is 18. Rooms include air conditioning and basic in-room amenities, and the walkout patios make it easy to go straight from the room to the pool and beach.

Amenities are simple and beach-focused. There is an outdoor pool with loungers and umbrellas, and the complex’s Sharky’s Beachfront Restaurant and tiki bar provide seafood, drinks, and a lively beach bar setting a short walk away. Families will find a kids’ club and a pirate ship playground, and water sports such as paddleboards, kayaks, jet skis, and parasailing are available from the beach. Wi-Fi and self-parking are free. Because the property shares a beach with the Seahaven Beach Hotel and Origin, guests can move easily between the pools, restaurant, and sand across the complex.

The location is in the middle of Panama City Beach’s Front Beach Road corridor. Pier Park’s shopping, dining, and entertainment are a short drive west, and restaurants, mini golf, and other attractions line the road near the resort. Seahaven’s private beach is more than a quarter mile long, which gives guests room to spread out even in busy months. Gulf World Marine Park, a long-running marine attraction on Front Beach Road, is a short drive away, and the SkyWheel and shops at Pier Park are about a mile and a half west.

The Reef at Seahaven suits budget-conscious families and groups who want a basic room close to the water, with a kitchen option and a beach bar nearby. It is not a full-service resort, so travelers who want room service, a spa, or upscale finishes should look elsewhere. For bigger groups, the condos at Origin at Seahaven in the same complex offer more space.