Pensacola debate over the difference between a hotel room and condominium unit

Pensacola Beach, FL

Hotel Room owner's Can Now stay up to 12 weeks

The debate in Pensacola over the difference between a hotel room and condominium has come to an end.

On July 10 2007 the Escambia County Commission unanimously passed an ordinance that extends the length of stay for owners of hotel units. This is a very big decision especially on Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key.

Previously owners were only allowed two weeks a year and this has been changed to 12 weeks. This new ordinance also set the limit to 730 for the total number of hotel rooms that can be built greater than 850 sq. ft on Pensacola Beach. The commission is attempting to stop condominiums being built on land zoned for hotels.

High-end hotels are more frequently being sold as individual units to investors in much the same way condos are. Proponents of the change argue that hotel units with shorter allowable stays are more difficult to market and sell.

It’s not just condo owners crying foul. Local merchants prefer high turnover, saying people who stay in hotels are more likely to go out to eat and shop than those who stay in longer-term units. Opponents of the ordinance believe this is merely a way to get around beach building caps.

While most residents of Perdido Key in attendance want hotels on the key, several Perdido Key residents spoke in opposition to this ordinance. There has not been a hotel on Perdido Key since 2004. Commissioner Mike Whitehead said the ordinance is a step in the right direction to get a hotel on Perdido Key.