They wisely provide full-benefits, including health insurance, to all employees, which seems to have helped lure talent from adjacent counties. I asked several staff members where they came from, since it had only been open five weeks. Also, we were in the process of moving a drivable distance away, so I was quite curious about operations, more than normal. Two waiters told us that it was the best employer they have ever had. And in speaking with the front doorman, we learned he came to the area specifically for that job. With the exception of breakfast, which was too leisurely for my taste, service was above average. I have a hard time saying "strong" because we did not ask for anything out-of-the-ordinary, which is usually the mark to me of whether service is truly strong. (Like when a Four Seasons offered to find a replacement camera battery for us when we lost ours.) Most everyone was friendly, addressed guests by name, and seemed eager to please.

Walled off completely. No view, I don't remember re: breeze. One side has spa cabanas for treatments and on the other side, set back a bit, are the room balconies/terrace areas. A set of stairs next to the pool leads to more cabanas and a gulf-view bar and lounge with couches and seats. The bar serves cocktails and a small menu of pizzas, shrimp, charcuterie, etc.

In this picture of the lounge area next to the bar, the green space you see in the right hand corner is the green space separating the property from the beach.



It's one block. Once you step off the beach access walkway (ramp taking you down the sand dune), you walk across that green space and you'll walk straight into the hotel building. The google map is pre-renovation as Kage mentioned.

Your assumption about upper four-star is spot-on. In comparison, the service was better than I have experienced at a four-star rated Four Seasons, but not on par with five-star properties such as Four Seasons Jackson Hole. There are a few "beach time" employees who will need to take more ownership of their roles for it to peak at a higher level. It certainly has potential.

Your bias is understandable given most panhandle cities. While the closest airport shares a postmark with Panama City Beach (the antithesis of a luxurious destination), the new airport was wisely re-branded when it opened in 2010 as "Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport" instead of using it's technical location - on the outskirts of Panama City.

Driving west from there, in 20-30 minutes you arrive at Walton County, and South Walton in particular along Scenic Highway 30A, where luxurious stereotypes do abound. This 30A roadway is dotted with 16 neighborhoods/beach areas, most with a mix of full-time residents (I'm told 30% of the area) and/or second-home vacation cottages that are rented to the public. Several of the "towns" are modeled after the new urbanist movement, typically with their own quaint post office, private or charter school (depending on the community), and various shopping boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants. The idea is walkable communities, bike paths, coastal lakes for kayaking, nature preserves. There is an absence of the condo high-rises normally seen in the Gulf Coast. (You'll only find two along the whole stretch of the highway, eyesores given the surrounding area, constructed before the county changed regulations and zoning.)

The first formal neighborhood to set the bar for the area was Seaside, FL, which broke ground in the 80s; the community was later used as the set of The Truman Show movie, if that helps give a visual. The neighborhoods that are considered the most upscale environments include Seaside, WaterColor (a larger four-star inn/resort is here and they used to have a James Beard Award-nominated chef), Alys Beach, and Rosemary Beach.

The Pearl is in Rosemary Beach, which as of last year was the second wealthiest zip code in Florida. Though rental rates tend to be higher in Seaside, so tourist demand doesn't exactly match census or real estate data.

Feel free to ask any other questions as time goes on, as we will be moving not too far away and plan to return on occasion. We actually went back for cocktails and dinner last night. It is not a bucket list type destination to seek out, especially if distance is not a factor in trip planning. But the area is our favorite for domestic beach vacations and group/extended family trips when short flights are a priority. It was certainly the best service and hotel we have experienced along the Gulf Coast.