Tampa Hotels

[CYNSport]

I am not sure what changes may occur in the next few months due to new ownership. However, there is now an upscale Italian Restaurant inside the hotel and a more casual sports bar. One of these might be appealing on your first night. An easy cab ride to many good restaurants for your second night. You might consider Mise en Place http://www.miseonline.com/ or Malios http://www.maliosprime.com/contact.html (each of these is about a mile away. Would advise a cab, though). About three miles away are two venerable Tampa restaurants The Columbia (Ybor City location) http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/ybor.asp and Berns Steak House http://www.bernssteakhouse.com/. I would advise reservations at any of these restaurants. Not sure when in December you will be here, but I've also attached a copy of the NHL schedule. If the Tampa Bay Lightning are in town, it will very lively in the area. Also, about a mile away is the University of Tampa campus (with the famous Onion Dome Spires). They have a lovely "Victorian Stroll" Christmas event where rooms in what was the old Hotel have been decorated in various styles. You might enjoy this. You are also close to the Tampa Aquarium. Have a great time!

[CYNSport]

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!

 

Just a quick note on La Terasita. There has been quite a bit of expansion, so there are several choices of where to dine.

http://www.lateresitarestaurant.com

[bettyboop16]

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!

 

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We are also cruising next Feb. & booked our room at Best Western Bay Harbor a few weeks ago. I booked with Travel Zoo & received a pretty good rate....not a bay view room though.

[Joy R]

Just for information for those who are flying out of Tampa the evening of disembarkation. We had stayed in the Marriott Waterside before our cruise, and asked them if they could let us have a room for a day the day we left the ship, as our flight home wasn't until 7 pm. They told us to phone when we got of the ship.

 

We decided that in order to save having to take two cabs, it would be better to have a day room at the Marriott at the airport. We rang them when we disembarked, and got a nice room for $99. Not cheap, but very convenient. We got a cab from the ship to the hotel, spent a pleasant few hours, repacked, showered, changed clothes and a hotel porter wheeled our luggage straight to check-in in time for our flight. Very convenient, no hassle. I would recommend it!

[me00930]

Can anyone tell me. Area? Restaurants? Hotel clean? Any suggestions about these would be helpful. Walking distance to these areas. We are arriving in PIE and will spend a day in Tampa before heading out on a cruise. Thank you.

[JohninDC]

Can anyone tell me. Area? Restaurants? Hotel clean? Any suggestions about these would be helpful. Walking distance to these areas. We are arriving in PIE and will spend a day in Tampa before heading out on a cruise. Thank you.

 

 

Not familiar with that specific hotel - in general the Westshore area is okay, not too far from the TPA airport and there is a large mall (International Plaza) close by. Should be lots of dining options - have you checked the Tripadvisor reviews? :confused:

[browniegirl]

We stayed at the Embassy Suites downtown and it was awesome! Great continental breakfast the next day, very busy, but food was good. WE were there for 2 days pre-cruise, so we attended an NHL game which was a stones throw away, very cool!!! Nothing like going to a game in shorts, super weird. We went shopping fairly early, well not shopping, went to explore and ended up in some shops towards the water and to the left of the hotel that were open and at 10 am in the morning were offering glasses of wine!!! My kind of shop!!!! then we took a tram to Yvor and had a wonderful visit there, hit an outside market place, had some lunch and came back downtown. We had a great dinner at a Japanese restaurant not far from the hotel and I wish I could remember it's name, darn! It was one of the restaurants you could book through open table so I booked it before we even left, we weren't disappointed, beautiful restaurant close to the hotel. Everything was within walking distance. There was even a super market that was a bit of a hike, but not really, about 10-15 minutes away and we went there for pop and water for our cruise. I absolutely LOVED tampa!!! On our way home, we stayed at the Westin by the airport and it was so gorgeous and close to a big shopping mall where we ate at the Cheesecake Factory and some other amazing restaurants. Tampa is such a nice city, would definitely like to cruise out of her again!!!! Have done Miami twice and Tampa once and loved them all....but there was something special about Tampa!

 

Leah

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Can anyone tell me. Area? Restaurants? Hotel clean? Any suggestions about these would be helpful. Walking distance to these areas. We are arriving in PIE and will spend a day in Tampa before heading out on a cruise. Thank you.

 

 

The hotel has gone under a recent renovation...... you should be very happy with your choice..... awesome pool area too.

 

There is a Walgreens near the hotel but may not be walkable due to traffic. The hotel may offer a courtesy shuttle for the surrounding area..... just double check with them.

 

.

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Can anyone tell me. Area? Restaurants? Hotel clean? Any suggestions about these would be helpful. Walking distance to these areas. We are arriving in PIE and will spend a day in Tampa before heading out on a cruise. Thank you.

 

 

 

 

Also, wanted to add that the hotel has an onsite restaurant that is open for lunch and dinner. I have not dined there but a girlfriend of mine has, and said it was decent.

 

There is also an upscale mall (International Plaza) that is less than a mile from the hotel. They have several restaurants..... some very, very good. Leroy Selmon's restaurant is very close..... great BBQ and a nice atmosphere.

Again, maybe too far to walk but the hotel shuttle may take you over.

 

 

 

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Edited January 17, 2015 by FlaGrl4Evr

[DMRick]

We booked the Comfort Inn and Suites Airport on Ulmerton Rd, Clearwater. Says 15 minutes from Tampa Airport. It was a total of $89. Wondering if I made a mistake not paying just a another $20 and staying closer to the airport. We'll have a rental car to return to airport, so transport isn't a problem. Is it an ok drive early in the morning (about 7 am)? Thanks.

[me00930]

Thanks for the info. I guess I will stay put with that hotel Carl. Is it a safe area if we did decide to walk? We have a day before the cruise and want to see the city and visit local restaurants

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Thanks for the info. I guess I will stay put with that hotel Carl. Is it a safe area if we did decide to walk? We have a day before the cruise and want to see the city and visit local restaurants

 

 

 

It's more of a corporate area and somewhat busy, traffic etc....

 

 

As far as walking to see any sights, the downtown Tampa area would have been the place to stay for that as it is on the Trolley system. The trolley runs to different points in the downtown area and also to nearby Ybor city which is historical and has some good restaurants and nightlife.

 

The area you are in is fine, it's just somewhat limited as far as being able to just walk outside of your hotel and then walk to a destination. You would most likely need to take the hotel shuttle or a taxi. It's basically a corporate area near the airport.

 

The hotel, however is newly renovated and very nice so it is a good choice for a pre-cruise night.

 

 

I hope that this helped a bit.

 

Cari

 

 

 

 

.

[FlaGrl4Evr]

We booked the Comfort Inn and Suites Airport on Ulmerton Rd, Clearwater. Says 15 minutes from Tampa Airport. It was a total of $89. Wondering if I made a mistake not paying just a another $20 and staying closer to the airport. We'll have a rental car to return to airport, so transport isn't a problem. Is it an ok drive early in the morning (about 7 am)? Thanks.

 

 

Are you flying into Tampa airport and then driving over to Clearwater to the Comfort Inn on Ulmerton Road -or- Flying into PIE (St Pete Clearwater Airport) ????

 

 

If you are flying into Tampa, then yes, a bad move as you would have to come over the Howard Franklin bridge into Clearwater. Depending on the time of day, the bridge can back up.... it's a daily pain in the Butt for us locals. So if this is the case, you would basically be back-tracking to get the car back to TIA or getting to the port.

 

You could also use the Courtney Campbell Bridge, but again same scenario.

 

If you are flying into Clearwater, then that hotel would work, but wondering how you would get to the port from PIE. That is a long taxi ride $$$ and the Super Shuttle would cost much more than a Tampa location.

 

As far as heading to Tampa at 7am....... you are going to hit morning traffic. It is a long bridge so go to the bathroom first, bring your morning coffee and plan on a lot of stop and go and basically slow going..... also pray that there are no accidents or lane blockages. I'm being serious.... Pinellas County is connected to the Tampa side by way of 3 bridges. The Howard Franklin is one of them and it's a pain during rush hours. If you decide on this, get in the second right hand lane. This lane will become the exit lane for the airport. You will then not have to worry about getting over 6 lanes or so of heavy traffic to exit... others will but you would be in the right lane so not worries there.

 

****** Personally, I would stay in Tampa. If you are partial to a Comfort Inn, there is one on Dale Mabry Hwy Stadium location. Otherwise, I would suggest the following as they have great cruise packages and a shuttle to and from the port after the cruise. They are all on Rocky Point Island near the airport:

 

 

Holiday Inn Express Rocky Point

Hampton Inn Rocky Point

Chase Suites Rocky Point

 

Best Western Bay Harbor Rocky Point

 

****** Just wanted to offer a suggestion as this is what we did and it saved us a day on car rental.

We flew into Tpa, rented a car for a few days of pre-cruise sightseeing then stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Rocky Point the day before our cruise. We returned the car back to the airport, the night prior to the cruise. After returning the car, we called the hotel and they sent their courtesy shuttle to take us back to the hotel. The hotel is only 5 min from the airport. With the exception of a tip to the driver, the shuttle is free of charge to hotel guests. Doing this not only saved us an extra day on the car rental but also the hassle of waking up early and having to hassle with the car return then. The morning of the cruise, we were able to relax, have a nice breakfast and then use the hotel's shuttle to the cruise port . After the cruise, the shuttle picked us up from the port and took us back to Tampa airport. It worked our perfectly.

 

We have used the Holiday Inn Rocky Point twice and loved their cruise pkg. Clean hotel, great morning breakfast and an organized cruise shuttle system. The hotel overlooks the Bay and is adjacent to a Bahama Breeze restaurant..... good food , great atmosphere and entertainment on their Tiki Deck. The Hampton and Chase Suites are also next door. The Best Western is on the other side of Rocky Point Island but also has a great Bay location and a restaurant on site.

 

 

$89 may seem like a good rate but paying a wee bit more for a hotel that has a cruise pkg that includes a round trip shuttle is so worth it. If you decide to return the car the evening before, the difference in savings may make up for the extra you may pay for the cruise pkg. Just my opinion..... but sometimes ease of convenience is worth a few extra buck.

 

 

 

Good luck and have a great time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

Edited January 18, 2015 by FlaGrl4Evr

[pdmartyn65]

If you don't rent a car, is there any way to get from Rocky Point to other parts of Tampa? We are going to be in Tampa 2 nights pre cruise and would like to have a look around, but I don't like driving in places that I haven't got the slightest idea about navigating in..

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[FlaGrl4Evr]

If you don't rent a car, is there any way to get from Rocky Point to other parts of Tampa? We are going to be in Tampa 2 nights pre cruise and would like to have a look around, but I don't like driving in places that I haven't got the slightest idea about navigating in..

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

 

There is a street car system in downtown Tampa. It will take you to historic Ybor City which has museums and good restaurants, as well as other points of interest in the area.

http://www.tecolinestreetcar.org/

 

From Rocky Point, you would need to take a taxi to the downtown area. Apx $25 - $30 plus tip each way) Your best bet would be to have a drop off and pick up at the Channelside area. This is where the Florida Aquarium is located. From there, you can jump on the trolley and go from area to area.

*** The Channelside area is also where the port of Tampa is located.

 

 

Here is a really good link to some things to do and see in the downtown Tampa area.

http://www.discoverintown.com/default.aspx?redirect=/businessDirectory/businessDirectory.aspx%3FcategoryID%3D2017

 

 

Considering the price of the taxi fare, it may be worth it just to check into the rates of some of the downtown Tampa hotels. This would put you right on the trolley-line routes plus right near the port for your cruise. Just a suggestion.

Here is the link to some downtown hotels:

http://www.downtowntampahotels.com

 

 

:) :)

 

 

 

 

.

Edited January 19, 2015 by FlaGrl4Evr

[me00930]

It is a great help. Can you recommend a hotel on the trolley system

[FlaGrl4Evr]

It is a great help. Can you recommend a hotel on the trolley system

 

 

 

The Embassy Suites and the Tampa Marriott Waterside are the two closest to the port and also on the street car line. They are both very nice. If you can get a good rate, the Residence Inn by Marriott is also very nice.

 

Most of the downtown hotels are either on or within walking distance of the street cars. The only one that I would not recommend and that is not on the line is the Quality Inn Fairgrounds. Stay away from that area and that hotel.

Any others on that listing should be perfectly fine. I would just compare rates to see which one offers the best deal. Some offer a complimentary breakfast, which IMO is a nice perk and saves a few bucks.

 

 

 

 

.

[DMRick]

I should have given more info. We are staying with friends in Bradenton, and flying out of Tampa to CA where our cruise starts. We didn't want to be so far away from the airport, since we have a morning flight. Sounds like we need to change our reservation. Thanks for all the info.

 

Are you flying into Tampa airport and then driving over to Clearwater to the Comfort Inn on Ulmerton Road -or- Flying into PIE (St Pete Clearwater Airport) ????

 

 

If you are flying into Tampa, then yes, a bad move as you would have to come over the Howard Franklin bridge into Clearwater. Depending on the time of day, the bridge can back up.... it's a daily pain in the Butt for us locals. So if this is the case, you would basically be back-tracking to get the car back to TIA or getting to the port.

 

You could also use the Courtney Campbell Bridge, but again same scenario.

 

If you are flying into Clearwater, then that hotel would work, but wondering how you would get to the port from PIE. That is a long taxi ride $$$ and the Super Shuttle would cost much more than a Tampa location.

 

As far as heading to Tampa at 7am....... you are going to hit morning traffic. It is a long bridge so go to the bathroom first, bring your morning coffee and plan on a lot of stop and go and basically slow going..... also pray that there are no accidents or lane blockages. I'm being serious.... Pinellas County is connected to the Tampa side by way of 3 bridges. The Howard Franklin is one of them and it's a pain during rush hours. If you decide on this, get in the second right hand lane. This lane will become the exit lane for the airport. You will then not have to worry about getting over 6 lanes or so of heavy traffic to exit... others will but you would be in the right lane so not worries there.

 

****** Personally, I would stay in Tampa. If you are partial to a Comfort Inn, there is one on Dale Mabry Hwy Stadium location. Otherwise, I would suggest the following as they have great cruise packages and a shuttle to and from the port after the cruise. They are all on Rocky Point Island near the airport:

 

 

Holiday Inn Express Rocky Point

Hampton Inn Rocky Point

Chase Suites Rocky Point

 

Best Western Bay Harbor Rocky Point

 

****** Just wanted to offer a suggestion as this is what we did and it saved us a day on car rental.

We flew into Tpa, rented a car for a few days of pre-cruise sightseeing then stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Rocky Point the day before our cruise. We returned the car back to the airport, the night prior to the cruise. After returning the car, we called the hotel and they sent their courtesy shuttle to take us back to the hotel. The hotel is only 5 min from the airport. With the exception of a tip to the driver, the shuttle is free of charge to hotel guests. Doing this not only saved us an extra day on the car rental but also the hassle of waking up early and having to hassle with the car return then. The morning of the cruise, we were able to relax, have a nice breakfast and then use the hotel's shuttle to the cruise port . After the cruise, the shuttle picked us up from the port and took us back to Tampa airport. It worked our perfectly.

 

We have used the Holiday Inn Rocky Point twice and loved their cruise pkg. Clean hotel, great morning breakfast and an organized cruise shuttle system. The hotel overlooks the Bay and is adjacent to a Bahama Breeze restaurant..... good food , great atmosphere and entertainment on their Tiki Deck. The Hampton and Chase Suites are also next door. The Best Western is on the other side of Rocky Point Island but also has a great Bay location and a restaurant on site.

 

 

$89 may seem like a good rate but paying a wee bit more for a hotel that has a cruise pkg that includes a round trip shuttle is so worth it. If you decide to return the car the evening before, the difference in savings may make up for the extra you may pay for the cruise pkg. Just my opinion..... but sometimes ease of convenience is worth a few extra buck.

 

 

 

Good luck and have a great time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

[DMRick]

This one looks to be close..can you give your opinion on it? Thanks

 

La Quinta Inn

Tampa Bay Airport

 

4730 W. Spruce St

Tampa, FL 33607-1497

[FlaGrl4Evr]

This one looks to be close..can you give your opinion on it? Thanks

 

La Quinta Inn

Tampa Bay Airport

 

4730 W. Spruce St

Tampa, FL 33607-1497

 

 

 

It's a decent hotel in a good corporate area near the airport. There is a 24 hr IHOP adjacent to the hotel. The International Plaza Mall is also across the street. You can walk over or the hotel will shuttle you over. There are many restaurants and shopping.

 

The hotel is right off of airport property...... 5 min tops.

 

Good choice for a decent rate.

 

 

.

[pdmartyn65]

There is a street car system in downtown Tampa. It will take you to historic Ybor City which has museums and good restaurants, as well as other points of interest in the area.

 

http://www.tecolinestreetcar.org/

 

 

 

From Rocky Point, you would need to take a taxi to the downtown area. Apx $25 - $30 plus tip each way) Your best bet would be to have a drop off and pick up at the Channelside area. This is where the Florida Aquarium is located. From there, you can jump on the trolley and go from area to area.

 

*** The Channelside area is also where the port of Tampa is located.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a really good link to some things to do and see in the downtown Tampa area.

 

http://www.discoverintown.com/default.aspx?redirect=/businessDirectory/businessDirectory.aspx%3FcategoryID%3D2017

 

 

 

 

 

Considering the price of the taxi fare, it may be worth it just to check into the rates of some of the downtown Tampa hotels. This would put you right on the trolley-line routes plus right near the port for your cruise. Just a suggestion.

 

Here is the link to some downtown hotels:

 

http://www.downtowntampahotels.com

 

 

 

 

 

:) :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

 

 

Thank you FlaGrl4Evr.

 

That's what I was afraid of. Looks like a great area, if you drive. Will continue my search. :)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[DMRick]

It's a decent hotel in a good corporate area near the airport. There is a 24 hr IHOP adjacent to the hotel. The International Plaza Mall is also across the street. You can walk over or the hotel will shuttle you over. There are many restaurants and shopping.

 

 

 

The hotel is right off of airport property...... 5 min tops.

 

 

 

Good choice for a decent rate.

 

 

 

 

 

.

 

 

Thanks. One cancelled one booked. $109 with tax.. Well worth the peace of mind. We have a rental and there is no savings in turning it in early, so it will be great to be so close to returning the car and not worrying about traffic.

 

 

Sent from my iPod touch using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[tdk1938]

You have good review about HIE Rocky Point.

How about SpringHill Suites Tampa Westshore on Cypress St and Homewood Suites Tampa airport on Avion park Dr? Is there any convenience stores near to get bottle water and last minute supplies? They all have airport shuttle that I would like to use.

 

TIA.

[JohninDC]

You have good review about HIE Rocky Point.

How about SpringHill Suites Tampa Westshore on Cypress St and Homewood Suites Tampa airport on Avion park Dr? Is there any convenience stores near to get bottle water and last minute supplies? They all have airport shuttle that I would like to use.

 

TIA.

 

These are both in the Westshore area near the La Quinta mentioned a few posts up. Several drug/convenience stores in the area in addition to the International Plaza mall. They are good choices if you are flying in late and just want some cruise supplies, maybe dinner, and a clean room.

[FlaGrl4Evr]

You have good review about HIE Rocky Point.

How about SpringHill Suites Tampa Westshore on Cypress St and Homewood Suites Tampa airport on Avion park Dr? Is there any convenience stores near to get bottle water and last minute supplies? They all have airport shuttle that I would like to use.

 

TIA.

 

 

 

Both hotels are in corporate areas near the airport. Decent hotels for a pre-cruise. There is a Shell gas station not too far and a 24 hr Walgreens at the intersection of Westshore and Kennedy Blvd. If the walk is a bit far than the hotel should shuttle you over free of charge.

 

 

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