Splash Resort
Over the years we have stayed at several different establishments, but as our family grew (and continued to grow), none of the prior Inn's could meet our needs.
Enter SPLASH RESORT!
A beautiful twin tower condo complex with 2 swimming pools, a lazy river, water play set with splash bucket, poolside bar/grill (Hot eats for the kiddos and Cool "treats" for us adults), dive in movie nights, splash pad (for the tots that haven't quiet conquered the swimming pool yet), an Alvin's Island department / convenience store and Ice Cream Shop. In addition, every condo has a balcony that provides an unobstructed view of the Gulf of Mexico. The developers of Splash did a great job in designing a destination that works for every age and the theming of the resort fully immerses you from the moment you walk in!
Before I go any further in this write up of Splash, I have to stop and acknowledge a genuinely great person. Mrs. Pamela (Or Mama Pam) will be one of the first people you encounter when entering Splash as she works at the Registration Desk and Gift Shop. Over the last 4 or so years this is the face that sets the tone for our stay and she ALWAYS provides a warm welcome, stopping whatever she is doing and giving out hugs and inquiring how life has been over the last 365 days. Every time we pass her desk she says "Hi" and ask the kids how they are doing and just really makes you feel at home. The year before last, we checked-in and I was worried as there was another lady working the desk, hoping she was still around, my fears were put at ease when I spotted her signature "Alabama Roll Tide" jacket in the same place as always, on the back of her chair in full glory.
I have no idea how much Mama Pam is paid, but I can say with certainty, it's not as much as she deserves, as Splash would be missing a HUGE part of the feeling we drive 13 plus hours to enjoy and just simply cannot be duplicated. Hospitality isn't' just a word, it's a way of life, and she embodies it.
When we left this year, we said our goodbyes, exchanged contact information and proceeded to the parking garage. To all of our surprise, 10 minutes later, she walks out to give hugs and once again wish us a safe trip.
Thanks Mama Pam, your awesome and we think you should know it!
Reserving A Condo:
Splash Resort is made up of 2 parts when it comes to reserving a condo. Vacasa owns and operates the development with 50% of the units being rented out directly by them. To book with Vacasa, you would call or go online the same way you would when booking with any other national chain.
The other 50% of units are owned by individual owners, whom furnish and take care of the unit on their own (Think Air BnB). Reservations are usually made for these units via websites such as VRBO.Com and Homeaway.com
There are some differences between the two:
BOOKING DIRECTLY WITH Vacasa (PROS)
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On site front desk and maintenance to handle any issues that may arise during your stay.
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Confidence of knowing once you book your room, you will have a room.
CONS:
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Vacasa's prices tend to be higher than most owners, with no flexibility
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Inventory tends to fill up much quicker
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Booking a room just garantees you that room type (ex. 2 bedroom, 2 bath), You cannot select a particular floor / tower (this can be important if you prefer higher or lower floors)
BOOKING DIRECTLY WITH OWNER (PROS)
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When looking a rooms online via one of the aforementioned sites, you can base your choice not only on the room type, but floor / tower level
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Overall, owner prices are lower on average vs. Sterling's (Season can affect this as well)
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Some owners will provide you with free beach chairs during your stay (No small thing here)
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The closer to your arrival date, some owners are willing to negotiate on price (Not guaranteed however)
CONS:
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In the event you have an issue with your booking or unit, you may have to wait for a response from the owner (I always recommend when booking with an owner, book directly thru one of the aforementioned sites, in the event something goes wrong with your reservation, these sites will protect you and issue a refund (based on case)
Condo Styles:
With 11 different condo styles available from Studio Mother-in-law suites up to 3 bedroom penthouses, there is a place here for your family no matter the size! We have stayed in 2 of the more popular ones:
As mentioned before and visible in the above photos, Splash has been designed as an oasis where you can park your car upon arrival and only need to return once you are ready to go back home.
We spent countless hours relaxing around the several pools or on the beach and even though we did in fact travel around town (As tourist are known to do), we managed to save money by utilizing the full Kitchen in our condo and even grilling out several times.
There are 2 sets of grills on the premises, both located adjacent to either a swimming pool or the Lil' Tots Splash Pad, which allows you to keep an eye on your children and the 14oz Porterhouse your cooking!
We highly recommend you stay at Splash when in PCB as in our opinion, there is no better place for families to be together in a family environment and really just enjoy themselves. There is a reason we continue to come back to PCB year after year without a thought as to where we are going to stay.
CLICK BELOW TO TAKE A VIDEO TOUR OF SPLASH!
