re: Hotels in Pensacola

Not sure if you're on a budget or not, but I went last year and we stayed at the Hampton Inn which is next to the Hilton. We had a decent room facing the beach, the beaches or pool weren't crowded, the pool was nice, the staff was great, and the complimentary breakfast was much better than expected. Also, there is a decent sports themed restaurant next door if you need to grab an affordable meal after a day drinking on the beach. Also, the long pier is a walking distance away, and that is a nice thing to do at night if you're with a girl. For our budget, I was very pleased.

Also, we picked one night for 'date night' and made reservations at The Grand Marlin. We had a great table on the water and had a great meal with wine for a little over $100. I highly recommend it.

Oh yeah, on your way back be sure to stop at Joe Patti's Seafood in Pensacola itself. Great seafood market and I picked up a couple of fresh, thick tuna steaks at an awesome price. They have f'n everything at that place.