Hello Autumn…

Oaseas Resorts says hello to September and the fall season by celebrating a “Sensational September” with three fantastic events with great rates to match. Enjoy beaches that are less crowded but still warmed by the sun and rates that, like the crowd level, drop significantly. Pay just $99 per night at Cabana Cay during Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 4-7. Book a Gulf-front condo for as low as $99 a night during the 20th Annual Lobster Festival, Sept. 17-20. “Buy 3/Get Your 4th Night Free” during Thunder Beach, Sept. 24-27, or pay just $99 per night during this motorcycle weekend. Due to popularity, you must call 1-877-808-4323 to get these rates or visit www.oaseasresorts.com.

Fun events, fine resorts
With Oaseas Resorts “Sensational September,” visitors can enjoy on-the-beach events, including a Labor Day Weekend of fun and fireworks, with the pyrotechnics set for Sunday, Sept. 6, following a pool deck luau at Shores of Panama. They’ll have enough sparkle and boom to be seen and heard from Grandview as well. Dig in at the bib-worthy Lobster Festival with fresh local lobster served grilled, fried, steamed and chilled. And have a rumbling good rally during Thunder Beach, which features some of the best motorcycle builders, parts manufacturers and distributors, biker wear and accessories – plus plenty of entertainment.

Sink into affordable luxury at an Oaseas Resort: Cabana Cay, a resort with expansive pool deck surrounding a huge free-form pool in a tropical setting; Ocean Ritz with oversized balconies and some of the only four-bedroom four bath units on the beach; Grandview with spacious units of no less than 1490-sq. ft. all with jetted tubs in master bath; amenity laden Watercrest offers Gulf-front units and all the items needed for a great getaway; the luxurious 4 star Shores of Panama, a Gulf-front resort where the amenities—and the view—are unparalleled; Emerald Isle, whose pool pavilion with stainless steel barbecues/grills make for fun gatherings; and the Village of South Walton Beach, with its Old World charm and tucked within the upscale shopping enclave of Towne Centre.

For the military
During its month-long “Sensational September” celebration, Oaseas Resorts is also saluting the men and women of the military. Members of the military – both retired and active, along with Department of Defense Employees, will get 25 percent off rates at all Oaseas Resorts properties during this month. The gesture is in keeping with the outreach philosophy of the condominium and rental management company.

“The staff and management at Oaseas Resorts would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to those who serve, and have served, our country,” says Annie Holcombe, vice president of business development and marketing for Oaseas Resorts. “We appreciate everything our Armed Forces do for all of us to provide our freedom, and especially for making our nation – and world – a better place to live.”

Sunny, less crowded, great rates
Book a sensational stay in September with Oaseas Resorts and enjoy fantastic events and great rates during Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 4-7; the 20th Annual Lobster Festival, Sept. 17-20; and Thunder Beach, Sept. 24-27. September in Panama City Beach? Still sunny, less crowded, great rates – in a word, sensational. Contact reservations at 1-877-808-4323 or click here for more information: www.oaseasresorts.com/beach-vacation-specials.html

Boardwalk Beach Resort: Stay three or more nights, save an extra 20 percent deal. The Boardwalk Beach Resort gets the party going with weekend activities designed for the whole family, including live music, beach activities, sunset cinema beach movies, kids’ club activities, access to parasail rides and scooter and jet ski rentals. For more information, call 800-224-GULF(4853) or visit http://www.boardwalkbeachresort.com.

Sandpiper Beacon Beach Resort: Starting May 23 enjoy nightly fireworks, a luau and Polynesian show, glitter tattoos for the kids and live beach music from the duo “Mary Ann and Gilligan.” Also free to all guests, the Sandpiper proudly presents Lanakilas Polynesian Revue, which will take place Sunday, May 24, as well as through the rest of the summer on Sunday and Wednesday evenings. This celebration comes complete with hula dancers and the exciting Samoan Fire Knife Dance, leis included. For more information, visit http://www.sandpiperbeacon.com.

Oaseas Resorts: Early, 1:00 p.m., check-in on Friday, May 22 for all guests. Guests and their family and friends can also get an additional day of fun with 6:00 p.m. checkout on Memorial Day Monday. For more information, call 877-808-4323 or visit http://www.oaseasresorts.com.

Hidden Dunes Condominiums: Three-bedroom, three-bathroom condominium directly on the Gulf of Mexico for $250 per night, plus tax and housekeeping fee. The regular rate is $425 per night. Condominiums are 2,300 square feet and sleep up to 10 people. Also included are a 44-square-foot balcony and two-person hot tub. For more information, call 877-377-7707 or visit http://www.hiddendunescondo.com.

Inn at Carillon Beach: $119 per night special for Memorial Day Weekend. There is a two-night minimum and a one-time administrative fee of $50 for each reservation. Carillon Beach is an exclusive modern family resort and includes basketball and tennis courts, a beach club, pools and prime dining and shopping. For more information, call 866-668-7803 or visit http://www.carillonbeachresort.com.

More on Cajun Fest:

JIMMY BUFFETT SINGS ABOUT THE SAUCE BOSS in his “I Will Play for Gumbo” song. Parrotheads are now phlocking from all over the country and are also bringing the Sauce Boss to “play’ and a’ sway’ with the gumbo” at their events. Festivals and performing arts centers throughout the US, Canada, and Europe are featuring the Sauce Boss and his gumbo. His songs “Let the Big Dog Eat” and “Great Big Fanny” appeared on the Jimmy Buffett compilation album “Margaritaville Café Late Night Menu”. NPR’s “All Things Considered” and “Morning Edition” have both covered the Sauce Boss. CNN and EXTRA sent film crews to New York City Sauce Boss extravaganzas in 2000, The Food Network’s series “Extreme Cuisine” visited the Sauce Boss on location in New York, and another Food Network series “Keith Famie’s Adventures” filmed a Sauce Boss show in Miami. The Sauce Boss is the only personality that’s been featured in “Living Blues”, “GQ”, AND “Gourmet Magazine.

Shores Changes Everything…

An unwinding happens the moment you tread the cobblestone entrance into the Shores of Panama. Almost immediately you can sense the tone; the place feels beachy but elegant, warm but vibrant. You step through the atrium into a thoughtfully-appointed lobby with views out to a jaw-dropping pool. That’s when you realize it; Shores of Panama will change everything.

Located on the bend at South Thomas, “Shores” is the evolution of Panama City Beach accommodations, providing exceptional amenities and service while still harnessing the charming qualities of classic Panama City Beach. The evolution is in Shores’ versatility. The 23 floor, 706-unit resort condominium can, rather effortlessly, handle everything from business meetings to large-scale summer getaways or just your plain-ol-lounge-around the-pool weekend vacation. I toured the property, enjoying the sunshine and luxury, and can say with sharp confidence, you will not be disappointed.

The concept:
Shores of Panama, an Oaseas Resorts Property,  is all about balance. Standing on the massive 13,000 sq.ft. poolside you truly feel sensations of both freedom and intimacy. That may sound contradicting at first, but from your private balcony you enjoy gaping, unobstructed views while being surrounded in the architectural horseshoe shape in such a way that the view feels framed just for you like something on a postcard. You get the best of both worlds; a statement that makes Shores of Panama unique on Panama City Beach.

The Amenities:
The Spa at the Shores of Panama may be one of the better Spas on the entire beach. Big wooden doors welcome you to a place made for relaxation. They have separate facilities for male and female clients. You can get your blood circulating in the aromatherapy steam room or lay back in the dry sauna. If that doesn’t relax you, you can enjoy one of several massage choices from deep tissue to Swedish and even exotic warm stone massage. They also offer renewal facials for men and women as well as scalp massages.

Shores’ amenities are ongoing. They have a fitness room with high-end cardio equipment as well as indoor (heated) and outdoor pools. You can go poolside to the Mahi Mahi grill for a fresh grouper sandwich ($8.99) or to the Sunset Beachside Bar for the Shore’s own Goombay Smash (spiced rum, coconut rum, apricot brandy, pineapple juice and orange juice).

The Pool:
Shores’ main pool is so spectacular it gets its own section. I walked the huge pool deck and couldn’t tell if I was still in Panama City Beach or had somehow been teleported to Las Vegas or Miami. Developed in the style of Disney Pools, this 2 million dollar splash-zone is an adventure all its own as it twists and turns around corners and under bridges. The landscaping around the pool is lush and inviting, covered in towering palm trees and segos. Fountains embellish every turn and there’s even a zero entry point. You may think that the elegance would detour people from fun, but you’d be wrong. I saw kids of all ages having a ball and splashing around.The “balance” makes you feel like, although surrounded in ritz, you can still splash big with a cannonball.

The Rooms:
Shores’ rooms exude a warmth that is difficult to come by on the gulf-front. They offer room types ranging from studios to one, two, and three-bedroom units with full kitchens. I visited three different room types and, though individual in design, none lacked on comfort and elegance. What surprised me most were the small details. Light fixtures, sliding glass doors and ceiling fans, everything in the room seemed to want to make a statement.

The room balconies are massive allowing you front row seats to impressive views. I visited a room with a corner balcony and had no obstruction whatsoever viewing Panama City Beach from end to end. Every room comes with top-of-the-line appliances, DVD players with complimentary DVDs as well as washers and dryers. Two of the rooms I visited had 60-inch flat screen televisions that made me want click on the football game and just move right in.

The beds are big, comfy and pillow-topped. Many of the master bedrooms have individual balconies so you can wake up the gulf. In every room I visited I was engaged by all the wood and granite accents. It just felt like home.

The Price:
This is what may surprise you the most. The summer season (mid-june) rate for a studio is only $149.00 a night perfect for a romantic getaway or a mini-vacation. If you’re looking for larger accommodations during the same time period, 1 bedroom 2 bath goes for $179.00. You can get a 2 bedroom 2 bath with bunks, ideal for the family vacation, for around $279.00 – $299.00. Very good price to value ratio.

The Bottom Line:
Shores is the gamechanger. Shores of Panama Resort is so balanced, so elegant and so substantial that it could totally change the way Panama City Beach is seen and may very well be the future of Panama City Beach. If you’re looking for a summer furlough, a family vacation or just a simple getaway, Shores can cover all the bases. It’s located on Thomas Dr., but is only steps away from Front Beach Rd. providing quick access to shopping and attractions. Stay a night or two and thank me later.

Shores of Panama is located at 9900 South Thomas Drive Panama City Beach, FL 32408 for more information call 1-877-808-4323 or go to their website www.shoresofpanamacitybeach.com where you can make your next vacation reservation.

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All photos copyright 2009 Oaseas Resorts

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