There is a lot of information about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico floating around the media and other places.  A lot of you have asked questions as to exactly what is going on here.  The answer is that no one knows exactly where the oil will go and if it will ever make land fall on our beaches. But here are the answers to the questions we can answer.

Q.  Is Panama City Beach going to be affected by the oil?
A.  As of right now, June 10th, all the indicators are pointing at Panama City Beach NOT being affected by the oil spill directly.  This is based on weather patterns and currents in the Gulf which authorities continue to monitor closely for any changes. To see the beach for yourself live right now go here.  Web Cam Central.

UPDATE: June 30th.  Panama City Beach continues to have minimal impact from the Deepwater horizons oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  While the occasional tar ball has been spotted over the last few days there has been NO mass landing of oil on Panama City Beach.  The tar balls that have been spotted over the last few days have not yet been confirmed to have actually come from the Deep horizon oil spill and could be related to construction that is going on around the beach.  The outlook for the beach is currently favorable that we will not have any large landing of oil prior to the 4^th of July.   With onsite cook outs, live entertainment,  great kids’ activities, tons of special events going on around the beach and 2 separate fireworks displays (1 at Aaron Bessant Park and 1 at Grand lagoon) there will be no better place to celebrate than the Holiday Inn Resort on Panama City Beach.
ALL PREVIOUS OIL UPDATES HAVE BEEN MOVED TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE!

A.  Yes.  If the oil comes on shore in a quantity that would disrupt the enjoyment and recreational use of our beaches we will refund any and all moneys paid even if you are within your no cancelation window.  In other words, you don’t have worry about the oil until it is here.

Q. Can I cancel my reservation and receive a refund now even though the oil is not there?
A.  No.  If you have a reservation that required an advance deposit or you are already out of your cancelation window then you would not be entitled to a refund.  Again, if the oil does come here you will be allowed to cancel with no penalty at that point.

Q.  If I cancel now, would I be able to re-book my vacation at a later date for the same rate?
A.  Not necessarily.  If you cancel today, your rate is not guaranteed to change when you then try to rebook.  You also run the risk of the resort being sold out and not having rooms available.  Rate for rooms change as the arrival date get closer to the booking date.  Someone booking 3 weeks out almost always gets a better rate than someone booking only a few days out from time of arrival.

Q.  I have a group/reunion planned and paid for at your resort.  If the oil comes there, will I be able to cancel and get a refund?
A.  Yes.  If the oil should make it to our beaches, just like all other guests, groups will also be able to get a refund for any deposits paid.

Q.  Will the resort shutdown if the oil comes?
A.  No.  We have big plans for this summer season celebrating our 20^th Anniversary.  We will have tons of entertainment and activities all summer long and that is not changing. If you would like to enter our Share a Little Summer Sweepstakes you could even win an incredible vacation for the entire family.  To find out more about the Sweepstakes go here.  Summertime Fun Photo Entry Form.

Previous oil updates

UPDATE: May 9th.  Oil is still not here on Panama CIty Beach and the authorities tell us there is still a good chance that it won't come here at all.
 

UPDATE: May 21st. OIl is still not here on Panama City Beach and there is no evidence that it will affect Panama City Beach or any Northwest Florida beach within the next few weeks.  As always if that changes and you have plans to be here you will not be penalized for cancelling your resertvation.
 

UPDATE: June 3rd. Oil is still not here on Panama City Beach.  The news has stated that the oil is a few miles off the shore of Pensecola, over 100 miles away from our shores here in Panama City Beach.  There is no evidence that the oil will affect our beach during the next week.  Please make your travel plans based on fact, not misinformation.  There is a minimal amount of June grass in our water that can be seen on our webcams but PCB remains oil free at this time.
 

UPDATE: June 7th.  Oil is still not here on Panama City Beach.  It is getting closer but as of today we should be clear for this week.  This is just a rough predicition though and there is a lot of talk about the winds, which will be blowing to the south, southwest this week which could have the effect of helping us stay clear a lot longer.  There are still no beaches in Florida closed due to oil.
 

UPDATE: June 14th.  Oil is still not here on Panama City Beach.  You can actually see the beach for yourself with the new Roof Cam on the 15th floor at of the resort, you'll see a large area of June Grass, which is something we get each year during the summer months but are beaches remain oil free!
 

UPDATE: June 17th.  A few tar balls have been found intermittently on the beach today although as of yet none have been found on our beach.  What follows is what the TDC for the beach said in a release earlier today.  "Panama City Beach continues to welcome visitors to enjoy our destination. Our beaches are open for the enjoyment of our guests and, as of now, we are seeing only intermittent impact as a result of the Deepwater Horizon off-shore oil spill in the form of small scattered tar balls and oil patches. Workers have begun the ...clean-up effort and officials continue to monitor the situation." It is a sad day but the water is still beautiful and we are still having  GREAT FUN here at the Resort.
 

UPDATE: June 21st. As of today there has still been NO OIL found on the beach behind the resort and only limited amounts of tar balls found on Panama City Beach.  This can certainly change quickly but the predicted winds and current for this week are currently in our favor and should keep the oil off shore for the week.  As oil has not been found on our beach or in our waters the oil free guarantee is not yet in effect for cancelations but have no fear if the oil does make it to our shore before your vacation or while you are here we will allow you to cancel or check-out (which ever the case may be) without penalty.
 

UPDATE: June 23rd.  Panama City Beach is in the clear according to NOAA for at least the next 3 days.  The Holiday Inn Resort has still not seen any oil on its beaches in the form of tar balls or any other kind.  The oil that was found onPanama City Beach has already been picked up by our hard working clean up team and the beach is still as beautiful as ever.  If you would like to get the latest trajectory paths from the official source please go to NOAA's official oil spill page HERE. Please realize though that these are just projections so to find out if we are experiencing oil on our shores call us direct at (800) 633-0266 or visit this page as we will update it in the event that oil is discovered.