Ain't no college kids in PCB in November. Two years ago, the host hotel HAD vacancy during Ironman week. We stayed here, and it was a great price (as far as I was concerned), and just far enough away to be out of the conjestion, but close enough to run/ride to the venue...

http://sterlingresorts.com/Resort.aspx?ID=4

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Lar Dog

look for anything on thomas drive, that'll put you relatively close no matter what.

me? i'm stayin with mom and dad at the house :)

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runfatmanrun.blogspot.com

Yeah, anything on S. Thomas drive will be close. Host hotel is a dump unless you get into the new tower they just open up last year I think.

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Fatigue is biochemical, not biomechanical.
- Andrew Coggan, PhD

I agree...host hotel was very inexpensive but also have very basic accomidations...i.e. no real restaurant, room service, etc...but it is at heart of course, etc....Anything on Thomas will be very close

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Michael in Kansas
"Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit"
"Its not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up" Lombardi

VRBO.com

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I stayed at the Long Beach Resort last year. It was great !!!! 7th floor 3 bedroom condo with a balcony overlooking the ocean. Quiet and within 1/2 mile from the start, accross the street from Walmart too. Cheap $$$$ too. Check it out online.

Totally agree, host hotel is a complete dump. I found a several 1 bedroom condos overlooking the ocean less than a mile from the race site. Pretty much all are 100/night and less. This is why I love Ironman Florida. Plenty of places to stay (condos) that don't rape you (IM Wisconsin). I stayed at a long beach condo for 10 days in 2004 for 1000 bucks. 2 bed 2 bathroom on the ocean. If you've never been there during the IM November is really off season and after the race the town is real quiet. Use vrbo and mapquest. The race site's address is 9400 South Thomas Drive | Panama City Beach, Florida. Good luck there are plenty of places to stay as the beach is lined with condos.

Definitely go with http://www.vrbo.com. Tons of listings and you could book a week before the race and still find something. We stayed at the Gulfcrest. About 1/2 mile from the race site, but very nice and an easy walk up the beach or along the road to the race site.

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My business-eBodyboarding.com

There is a veritable plethora (thanks, Howard Cossell) of places to stay that are great values for the dollar, and you don't necessarily have to book even now---PCB is generally empty of tourists except for IMFL'ers that time of year, so you can get great deals at nice, fairly new places.

As has been suggested, try the online referral sources--you can learn a lot about each place in a very short time.

If you Google Panama City Condominiums you will get alot of hits. We stayed in a place that was a half mile from the start/finish(can't remember the name) and nearby to grocery stores etc. In fact the Ironman bike transit drop off was also in our parking lot.

Three bedrooms with 2 and half baths for $98 a night!

My experience exactly the same for IMFL and Gulf Coast Half. Stay away from the host hotel for lodging purposes and go with one of the many affordable condos offered just to east along Thomas Drive (or next drive in towards the Gulf). Our condo for IMFL and a couple of the GC halfs was right on the run course so the family was able to see me multiple times running down towards St. Andrews State Park and back--running very slowly too ;-)

/r

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Steve

The Summitt Condos.....good price and location ....free WiFi in the lobby!

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I shall never misuse Rex Kwon Do
I shall be a champion of freedom and justice

Sweet, do they have room for me?

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Any run that doesn't include pooping in someone's front yard is a win.