Tampa Hotels

[travelagent1]

Friends are cruising out of Tampa, on the Grandeur...what hotels do you recommend close to the pier? Thanks

[megr1125]

Marriott Waterside...great location, excellent staff, walking distance to channelside (and the pier but i wouldn't walk), also walking distnace to a Publix, the streetcar is just across the street....

 

I would only suggest not eating in Champions in the hotel (they have 3 restaurants)...service wasn't so great, and neither was the food.....

 

Otherwise, very nice hotel....would stay there again.

[rosebud1g]

Yes.. Marriott Waterside.. wonderful.

Stayed there June 2006 before getting on the Carnival

Miracle. In the morning take a walk on the hotel's

back terrace and you can see the ship! So amazing!

Hotel was very clean. Would stay there again.

Channelside was cool. Would skip Ybor City next time.

[travelagent1]

What kind of price did you pay at the Marriott? These folks are looking for something "cheap" and I know that the Marriott is not...however, it does sound great...Let me know. Thanks

[megr1125]

i paid 129 per night over the summer...it depends when you are going...there really aren't any cheap hotels near the port...(cheap is subjective !!:p )

 

there is a hampton inn near ybor city but i think the neigborhood is a little iffy at night..however, i am not 100% sure.

 

you could pop over to the florida board on the homeports page and ask this question there too.

[guineapiggirl]

We stayed at the Marriott Courtyard/Tampa Downtown on East Cass Street last January. The total with tax was $110.01 and I am pretty sure that there was a free shuttle to the ship. We did have to pay for a taxi from the airport to the taxi, but I don't think that it was more that $20.00. The room was nice and the staff seemed friendly. I would stay there again if I go back to Tampa.

 

kim

[Liz]

There is an excellent thread with all things Tampa:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=108072

 

Marriott Waterside is a good choice, as is the Courtyard. There's also a nice Hyatt in the heart of downtown. The only thing about downtown Tampa is that there's really not alot to do after dark, unless you go to Channelside or Ybor City. Ybor can be fun but you should be careful, it can get crazy at times. I would avoid staying in Ybor or near Busch Gardens. Lots of folks stay in the Westshore area, close to the airport and lots of restaurants and some shopping centers close by. There are probably some specifics on the Tampa board.

Check Trip Advisor for reviews and pricing info. Don't limit your choice to hotels near the port - there are more affordable places in the 'burbs, and the Port is only about 20-25 minutes from just about anywhere in the city.

 

Liz

[Coralc]

Thanks for posting the link Liz. We are sailing out of Tampa for the first time next November. :D

[Rancher Dave]

Think we are going to sleep at the HOJO on Dale Mabry, not too far off from where I last lived in Tampa before moving home to Texas. We will have a car so moving around is not an issue, if they are not going to have a car, it may not work, but then there are some places by the airport not too pricy.

 

We are getting in late, will get up eat breakfast drive around to see how Tampa has changed and go to the port by 11am so for a quick night $70ish is ok.

 

As one said it depends when they are going, around Decmeber 28th much of the downtown area is was pretty booked up and available rooms were priced high.

[Liz]

You may not recognize the place, Dave! Lots of changes in the eight years I have been here. I think the Hojo is okay, you may want to double check on Trip Advisor.

I have read/heard that some of the hotels near the airport have shuttle to the airport and/or Port. We also have Bay Shuttle and Super Shuttle - they bot have websites if you want to check them out. I don't know about cabfare, I live on the other side of town.

Hotels are probably tough to come by because of the Outback Bowl. If you are even thinking about dinner reservations at some of the more popular restaurants - Bern's and Columbia come to mind - you may want to call or email now to see if there is availability.

Enjoy, and happy sailing! I'll be on Grandeur in February so be sure to leave some fun on board for me!

 

Liz

[celtic_beauty]

We are sailing out of Tampa in December and booked the Tampa Double Tree hotel which had a special on park and cruise so we get to park at the hotel for our entire cruise for free and the room only cost $79 plus its saving us $60 on parking at the port. They are not currently offering this deal anymore though.