Tampa Hotels

[CTCruiser001]

Sailing in February 2015. Trying to get all of the minor details cleared up now so we can go right into planning shore excursions.

 

Which Tampa hotels have you stayed at and what was good and bad about them?

 

We are not driving to port, so parking isn't a priority for us. Most likely we will be arriving early afternoon the day before the cruise, so a location with a great restaurant nearby and walking distance from attractions is a must!

 

Thanks!

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Forums mobile app

[Sparky2]

Sailing in February 2015. Trying to get all of the minor details cleared up now so we can go right into planning shore excursions.

 

Which Tampa hotels have you stayed at and what was good and bad about them?

 

We are not driving to port, so parking isn't a priority for us. Most likely we will be arriving early afternoon the day before the cruise, so a location with a great restaurant nearby and walking distance from attractions is a must!

 

Thanks!

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Forums mobile app

 

You may get some answers on the Florida board.

[CTCruiser001]

You may get some answers on the Florida board.

 

Perhaps you are right. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I497 using Forums mobile app

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Sailing in February 2015. Trying to get all of the minor details cleared up now so we can go right into planning shore excursions.

 

Which Tampa hotels have you stayed at and what was good and bad about them?

 

We are not driving to port, so parking isn't a priority for us. Most likely we will be arriving early afternoon the day before the cruise, so a location with a great restaurant nearby and walking distance from attractions is a must!

 

Thanks!

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Forums mobile app

 

 

 

 

Tampa has many hotels and it just depends on what you are looking for in one.

 

For free airport shuttle and cruise pkg w/transportation- try some of the Rocky Point hotels. We have used the Holiday Inn Express RP twice and had a great experience. It is next to the Bahama Breeze restaurant but other than a great Bayview and pool not much else to walk to.

 

Also, The Best Western Bay Harbor has just started offering a cruise pkg. They have a beach area with water toy rentals, and are connected to the Hulk-Hogan restaurant and beach bar. I am staying here next month and will spot a review here on this board. We booked due to the hotel having private balconies overlooking the Bay, plus entertainment nightly at Hulk Hogan's. Here is the link if you are interested.

http://www.bayharbortampa.com/

 

 

The La Quinta Tampa Airport is directly across from the International Plaza Mall which has many restaurants and shopping. Decent hotel, good, safe, clean upscale area. http://www.lq.com/lq/properties/propertyProfile.do?propId=597&WT.mc_id=BING597&cid=BING597&savedSearchQuery=%2Flq%2FproxySearchRes.do%3Favailability.palsra_IND_M%3D12%26availability.palsra_IND_D%3D3%26availability.palsra_IND_Y%3D2014%26availability.palsra_OTD_M%3D12%26availability.palsra_OTD_D%3D4%26availability.palsra_OTD_Y%3D2014%26availability.palsra_NRM%3D1%26availability.palsra_ROC%3D1%26availability.palsra_NCH%3D0%26availability.palsra_AMC2%3DNSMK%26availability.palsra_RPC1%3D&saveRoomPref=NSMK

http://www.shopinternationalplaza.com/dining_entertainment

 

Any of the Westshore area hotels would be a good choice as they are located near shopping.

 

Downtown Tampa hotels will not offer an airport shuttle so you would have to take a taxi, apx $25 or so. Downtown has lots to do and you would be near the Trolley line. There is an aquarium downtown and a few museums.

 

JMHO, but I would stay away from any Tampa Stadium and/or Tampa Fairgrounds area hotels. Just not a great area but soley my opinion.

 

Here is a link to a few hotels in Tampa:

http://www.parkingstay.com/p/tampa.html

 

 

 

*** Just a tip, Feb is high season so be sure to book something early. You could always cancel if you find something better, but better to have a resv with a good rate locked in now,

- VS - waiting later and paying a premium rate and having a lot of hotels already booked up. *****

 

 

 

 

Have fun

 

 

.

Edited March 12, 2014 by FlaGrl4Evr

[CTCruiser001]

I was not aware the February was a peak season for Tampa...Thank you so much for all of your insight! I will report back and let you know what we choose!

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Forums mobile app

[FlaGrl4Evr]

I was not aware the February was a peak season for Tampa...Thank you so much for all of your insight! I will report back and let you know what we choose!

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Forums mobile app

 

 

SNOW BIRDS getting away from cold weather and anytime around President's Day weekend.

 

 

Good luck.

 

 

.

[hpecorari]

Did you ever post the review on this hotel and if so where might I find it?

Thanks

Harriet

 

Tampa has many hotels and it just depends on what you are looking for in one.

 

For free airport shuttle and cruise pkg w/transportation- try some of the Rocky Point hotels. We have used the Holiday Inn Express RP twice and had a great experience. It is next to the Bahama Breeze restaurant but other than a great Bayview and pool not much else to walk to.

 

Also, The Best Western Bay Harbor has just started offering a cruise pkg. They have a beach area with water toy rentals, and are connected to the Hulk-Hogan restaurant and beach bar. I am staying here next month and will spot a review here on this board. We booked due to the hotel having private balconies overlooking the Bay, plus entertainment nightly at Hulk Hogan's. Here is the link if you are interested.

http://www.bayharbortampa.com/

 

 

The La Quinta Tampa Airport is directly across from the International Plaza Mall which has many restaurants and shopping. Decent hotel, good, safe, clean upscale area. http://www.lq.com/lq/properties/propertyProfile.do?propId=597&WT.mc_id=BING597&cid=BING597&savedSearchQuery=%2Flq%2FproxySearchRes.do%3Favailability.palsra_IND_M%3D12%26availability.palsra_IND_D%3D3%26availability.palsra_IND_Y%3D2014%26availability.palsra_OTD_M%3D12%26availability.palsra_OTD_D%3D4%26availability.palsra_OTD_Y%3D2014%26availability.palsra_NRM%3D1%26availability.palsra_ROC%3D1%26availability.palsra_NCH%3D0%26availability.palsra_AMC2%3DNSMK%26availability.palsra_RPC1%3D&saveRoomPref=NSMK

http://www.shopinternationalplaza.com/dining_entertainment

 

Any of the Westshore area hotels would be a good choice as they are located near shopping.

 

Downtown Tampa hotels will not offer an airport shuttle so you would have to take a taxi, apx $25 or so. Downtown has lots to do and you would be near the Trolley line. There is an aquarium downtown and a few museums.

 

JMHO, but I would stay away from any Tampa Stadium and/or Tampa Fairgrounds area hotels. Just not a great area but soley my opinion.

 

Here is a link to a few hotels in Tampa:

http://www.parkingstay.com/p/tampa.html

 

 

 

*** Just a tip, Feb is high season so be sure to book something early. You could always cancel if you find something better, but better to have a resv with a good rate locked in now,

- VS - waiting later and paying a premium rate and having a lot of hotels already booked up. *****

 

 

 

 

Have fun

 

 

.

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Did you ever post the review on this hotel and if so where might I find it?

Thanks

Harriet

 

Hello Harriet,

Yes, I did a mini-review. Here is the link.

 

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2027985&highlight=best+western+bay+harbor

 

 

 

.

[Dan-P]

We are cruising out of Tampa in Feb 2015. We booked at the Homewood Suites Airport/Westshore. At the time I booked, they had a great mil/gov rate I was able to take advantage of. Seemed pretty close to shopping and some restaurants, offers a shuttle to the two local malls, and has free breakfast. It gets decent reviews on Trip Advisor too.

 

First time for us in Tampa, so I hope it ends up being an OK choice. We'll be there for two nights pre-cruise.

 

Dan.

 

Sent from my SM-P600 using Forums mobile app

[bleedblueandwhite]

I went onto Yelp to review the Best Western Bay Harbor Tampa - nice scenic location - but the reviews weren't very good. Enough red flags for me to keep looking.

[CYNSport]

Walking distance to attractions is tough in Tampa. Sorry to say that most of Tampa is not set up for pedestrians. So, wherever you stay, walking distance will limit what you can choose to do.

 

Roughly, your best choices are downtown (which is near the Port), Westshore (which is near several malls and many fine restaurants, but not near the Port), Rocky Point (where there are a few waterfront hotels (but which is not near the Port).

 

There are also hotels in the Busch Gardens area which is in the Northeast part of Tampa near Temple Terrance. But these are only convenient to Busch Gardens and not much-c else. There is also a Hard Rock Hotel and Casino near the Fairgrounds. There is nothing to walk to from here, but the place is self-contained with the Casino and a number of restaurants.

 

The Marriott Waterside is a very nice downtown hotel that is near the Port and has a few restaurants nearby. It is across the street from Amalie Arena (where the NHL team Tampa Bay Lightning play and where they have many concerts and other events). (It has recently been bought by the owner of the Lightning, so I'm not sure if the name will change before you are booking). There is a trolley that goes from this area to Ybor City, so that is something to consider. http://www.ybor.org/street_car There are also hotels in Ybor City, but this is a pretty noisy area at night.

 

If you book near Westshore, you could walk to some restaurants, but the only nearby attraction is Westshore Mall or International Plaza (depending on which hotel you book).

 

Rocky Point is an area near the Courtney Campbell Bridge (which goes to Clearwater). This is a pretty area with restaurants nearby.

 

Hope this helps.

[hpecorari]

I just booked at Sheraton Suites Tampa Airport Westshore for February for 1 night pre-cruise. Was told taxi to cruise terminal the next morning would be $20-$25.00 for the two of us.

 

With an AAA or an AARP rate it was $129.00 plus tax - thought

that was a pretty good deal for 1 king or 2 queen suite which is 600 sq. ft.

Includes shuttle from airport to hotel and once at hotel free shuttle within 3 miles for shopping, malls, restaurants, etc. Also includes free wifi and free breakfast. Reviews looked pretty good so hope I made a good choice.

 

Harriet

[CYNSport]

Haven't stayed there, but it's a good location, plus they have shuttle service in the area that will be nice for getting around. Lots of nice restaurants close by including Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant, Roy's, Eddie V's, Flemings, Leroy Selmon's BBQ, Kona Grill, Capital Grill, plus many more. You are also close to Westshore Mall and International Plaza (an upscale Mall) Have a great stay!

[FlaGrl4Evr]

I went onto Yelp to review the Best Western Bay Harbor Tampa - nice scenic location - but the reviews weren't very good. Enough red flags for me to keep looking.

 

 

 

The hotel is totally under renovation.... It was a beautiful hotel with a great view..... the rooms were just in need of an update.

 

 

.

[Clay Clayton]

I'm booked at the holiday Inn Express on Dale Maby. Being a former south Floridian, I hope to have some good Cuban food the night before our cruise in April. I a presuming we should plan on going to Ybor City? If so, do I need to take out a loan for the taxi or are there alternative modes of transport you can suggest...or are there any good Cuban places closer to Our hotel?

 

TIA!

[TampaGator98]

I'm booked at the holiday Inn Express on Dale Maby. Being a former south Floridian, I hope to have some good Cuban food the night before our cruise in April. I a presuming we should plan on going to Ybor City? If so, do I need to take out a loan for the taxi or are there alternative modes of transport you can suggest...or are there any good Cuban places closer to Our hotel?

 

TIA!

 

 

One of the better Cuban restaurants in town is not too far from your hotel. La Terasita is not fancy, but very authentic -- choose between the dining room or counter. If you want something fancier, I would suggest the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor -- authentic, but a 15-minute drive from your hotel.

[Nmhawk]

I am staying in Tampa to then drive to Fll. Is Brandon a good area to stay?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[welove2cruise2014]

I just booked at Sheraton Suites Tampa Airport Westshore for February for 1 night pre-cruise. Was told taxi to cruise terminal the next morning would be $20-$25.00 for the two of us.

 

With an AAA or an AARP rate it was $129.00 plus tax - thought

that was a pretty good deal for 1 king or 2 queen suite which is 600 sq. ft.

Includes shuttle from airport to hotel and once at hotel free shuttle within 3 miles for shopping, malls, restaurants, etc. Also includes free wifi and free breakfast. Reviews looked pretty good so hope I made a good choice.

 

Harriet

 

Harriett I have stayed here... Beautiful hotel. You will not be disappointed. My sister and I had a suite there during Tampa's Gasparilla Pirate Fest a few yrs ago, we got booked there thru Priceline and thought it was a great value:)

[FlaGrl4Evr]

I am staying in Tampa to then drive to Fll. Is Brandon a good area to stay?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

 

Brandon is a decent area, no worries at all.

 

 

.

[FlaGrl4Evr]

One of the better Cuban restaurants in town is not too far from your hotel. La Terasita is not fancy, but very authentic -- choose between the dining room or counter. If you want something fancier, I would suggest the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor -- authentic, but a 15-minute drive from your hotel.

 

 

 

I second La Terasita.... we have one over here in the St.Pete area and they have extremely good food. Also, The Columbia is top-notch as well. I love their 1800 chopped salad.

 

One can't go wrong with either choice.

 

 

.

[Clay Clayton]

Sounds like La Terasita is the place! Thanks. We literally lived around the corner from el Siboney in Key West which is THE authentic, non touristy Cuban place there so would rather be someplace like that which sounds like La Terasita is!

[hpecorari]

Harriett I have stayed here... Beautiful hotel. You will not be disappointed. My sister and I had a suite there during Tampa's Gasparilla Pirate Fest a few yrs ago, we got booked there thru Priceline and thought it was a great value:)

 

Thank you! I also just found out that the Tampa State Fair will be there from the 6th to the 13th? What can you tell me about that? I'll be arriving around 1 p.m. on Saturday the 7th and leaving Sunday morning for the port.

 

Thanks

 

Harriet

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Thank you! I also just found out that the Tampa State Fair will be there from the 6th to the 13th? What can you tell me about that? I'll be arriving around 1 p.m. on Saturday the 7th and leaving Sunday morning for the port.

 

Thanks

 

Harriet

 

 

 

Just a heads-up if you go to the Fla State Fair..... pay a little more and park on the fairgrounds property. The area around the fairgrounds, IMPO anyway, is a little sketchy.... Be safe and pay the few extra bucks.... besides there is always security on the property but not in the surrounding neighborhoods where folks sometimes park to save a few extra dollars.

 

The fair is decent while not as big or large as some of the state fairs that I have been to in the Midwest.... but still fun.

 

I will see if I can find out where in this area you may be able to snag a discount coupon for the entry. I believe it may be CVS but I will double check and post back if I can find out.

 

Here is the link to the 2015 Florida State Fair: http://www.floridastatefair.com/aboutus/faq

 

 

Have a great time.

 

Cari

 

 

 

.

Edited November 9, 2014 by FlaGrl4Evr

[hpecorari]

Just a heads-up if you go to the Fla State Fair..... pay a little more and park on the fairgrounds property. The area around the fairgrounds, IMPO anyway, is a little sketchy.... Be safe and pay the few extra bucks.... besides there is always security on the property but not in the surrounding neighborhoods where folks sometimes park to save a few extra dollars.

 

The fair is decent while not as big or large as some of the state fairs that I have been to in the Midwest.... but still fun.

 

I will see if I can find out where in this area you may be able to snag a discount coupon for the entry. I believe it may be CVS but I will double check and post back if I can find out.

 

Here is the link to the 2015 Florida State Fair: http://www.floridastatefair.com/aboutus/faq

 

 

Have a great time.

 

Cari

 

 

 

.

 

Thanks! We already have plans for the evening but thought we could spend the afternoon there. As we're flying in we won't have a car and will just take a taxi there from our hotel.

 

Harriet

[Joy R]

 

 

 

The Marriott Waterside is a very nice downtown hotel that is near the Port and has a few restaurants nearby. It is across the street from Amalie Arena (where the NHL team Tampa Bay Lightning play and where they have many concerts and other events). (It has recently been bought by the owner of the Lightning, so I'm not sure if the name will change before you are booking). There is a trolley that goes from this area to Ybor City, so that is something to consider. http://www.ybor.org/street_car There are also hotels in Ybor City, but this is a pretty noisy area at night.

 

 

 

Hope this helps.

 

Glad to hear this. We have booked this hotel for two nights pre-cruise in December. We'll be tired the first evening after flying from the UK so it will be nice to have restaurants nearby. Any more tips about this hotel?