Holiday Inn Rocky Point

[vfb2girls]

I know that there have been several posts about this hotel but I have a question about the shuttle service. It says on the website that a shuttle will take you with in a 4 mile radius of the hotel, what kind of stores are within the shuttle service? How far are the malls from the hotel? Also with the shuttle service going to the port what time do they start this service? Thanks for any help

[FlaGrl4Evr]

I know that there have been several posts about this hotel but I have a question about the shuttle service. It says on the website that a shuttle will take you with in a 4 mile radius of the hotel, what kind of stores are within the shuttle service? How far are the malls from the hotel? Also with the shuttle service going to the port what time do they start this service? Thanks for any help

 

 

There is a mall just to the other side of the airport which is within the 4 mile radius. It is the International Plaza. www.shopinternationalplaza.com As far as grocery and such, there is the SweetBay Grocery and Liqour store near the stadium and a Walgreens. The only place withing walking distance of the hotel is a small market/convenience store located in the Post Rocky Point Apt complex. This is across the street and down about 1/8 of a mile. The area is not busy in the least so don't worry about crossing any busy streets. I'm not sure of their hours.

 

 

As far as the shuttle, there are 3 time slots that leave to the port. The first at 11am, 12-noon and 1pm. You sign up for the shuttle when you register at the hotel. They will only let you and guests in your room sign up. We tried to add a roll call friend to the early shuttle with us, as she had a late flight ,but the front desk would not allow us to do this. They will mark down your name and the number of guests in your room on a receipt and then give you 2 copies. You give one copy to the shuttle driver when you get on the van to the port and then save the other for your pick-up after the cruise is over. The shuttle driver will give everyone a business card with the hotel ph# and directions on where to wait for pick up for your return shuttle. The pick-up area is just across the street in the shuttle pick-up area of the garage. ***** just a tip-- grab a porter when you get your suitcases in the cruise port area. This will not only help you get thru the customs line quickly but also free you up from lugging your bags accross the street and up the garage ramp. It is worth the few $$ tip IMHO. They have a few shuttles running so you will not have to wait too long. We called and then waited maybe 10 minutes for the van. Chances are that someone else needing the shuttle will have already called and in that case they will tell you. Make sure you put that return receipt in a safe place as they are very strict about having that, and then matching your name and the number in your party up to their list. This keeps the shuttle jumpers away. ( folks that try to jump on a guest shuttle even though they were never guests)

 

We were very pleased with the hotel, the morning breakfast and the shuttle service. I would not hesitate to stay there again. Best of luck to you and have a great cruise. :)

[SLPloves2cruise]

Hoosiercouple,

Did you book directly through the hotel or did you use a site like hotels.com?

I want to use this hotel for our cruise in July, but was hoping to not have to pay until check in.

 

What time did the return shuttle get you at? Our flight is at 12:15 and I am contemplating just purchasing a transfer from the cruiseline to ensure early arrival at the airport.

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Hoosiercouple,

Did you book directly through the hotel or did you use a site like hotels.com?

I want to use this hotel for our cruise in July, but was hoping to not have to pay until check in.

 

What time did the return shuttle get you at? Our flight is at 12:15 and I am contemplating just purchasing a transfer from the cruiseline to ensure early arrival at the airport.

 

 

I called the hotel directly an booked. They will give you a reservation # and hold your reservation until 2 weeks before your arrival date, without a credit card. I just called them back when we were 100% sure that we were going to stay here and then secured the reservation with my AmX. If you are really interested in staying here, book as soon as you are sure because the cruise packages sell out quick. We had a few on our roll call that could not get in. If that happens to be the case, The Hampton Inn Rocky Point is directly next door, in fact they share the same parking lot. That may be an option if the HI is sold out.

 

As far as the shuttle, don't worry, they leave the hotel when the first person calls for the shuttle. We had a 2:15 flight so didn't worry too much about zone numbers. We were zone 11 to get off the ship and were at the airport by 10:45am. We grabbed a porter when we located our luggage in the port area and zipped thru customs, while the self serve line was backed way up, so take this option, it will save you a lot of time, plus they will have your luggage on a cart so you will not have to take it accross the busy street and up the ramp to the shuttle waiting area. It was $5 well spent IMO. My fiance and I along with another roll call member called the hotel and they told us that they keep the shuttles in continous motion on Embarkation/Debarkation day. It was less than 10 minutes before it arrived. Just keep that shuttle slip in a safe place as there was another couple that they would not let on the van. I'm not sure if they really did misplace their slip or if they were shuttle-jumpers. A taxi to the airport is $25, so the return shuttle ride is a nice savings. We did tip the driver each way because he was very informitive and did handle the luggage.

 

Have a great time. You wont be sorry with your decision to stay here. We checked in around 3:30pm and enjoyed the pool and the view of the bay before walking over to Bahama Breeze. When you check-in ask them for a room with a view of the bay. It is so pretty, especially at night. Inside the room there will be a pizza menu from a local Italian place, there were some on our roll call that had children that wanted to make the most of thier swimming time and ordered pizza and the works. It was delivered hot to the hotel, so this is another option if you don't feel like heading out to eat dinner.

 

Cari :)

[vfb2girls]

Forgive my confusion, but after we get off the ship and find out luggage we just tip the porter to hold on to our luggage so we can cross the street to the shuttle and then I am assuming the shuttle will zip past the cruise terminal to pick up our luggage? Which if that is the deal then it is well worth the money to tip the porter. Also the shuttle that takes you around the area, not the one that takes you to the port, how far does that cover? We will not be renting a car so will have to rely on the hotel shuttle or the more expensive taxi to get out "supplies":) for our cruise. thanks so much for the help HoosierCouple, you have been most helpful!:D

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Forgive my confusion, but after we get off the ship and find out luggage we just tip the porter to hold on to our luggage so we can cross the street to the shuttle and then I am assuming the shuttle will zip past the cruise terminal to pick up our luggage? Which if that is the deal then it is well worth the money to tip the porter. Also the shuttle that takes you around the area, not the one that takes you to the port, how far does that cover? We will not be renting a car so will have to rely on the hotel shuttle or the more expensive taxi to get out "supplies":) for our cruise. thanks so much for the help HoosierCouple, you have been most helpful!:D

 

 

The night before your cruise ends you put your large suitcases outside your cabin door ( you will keep a change of clothes and your carry ons with you)The next morning when you get off the ship, they will be wiating for you in the port building. They are sorted by zone#'s so you can locate them easily. This is where you will flag down a porter. He/She will then put all of your luggage on a wheeled cart and take you thru a private customs line that only the porter's can use. They will then walk with you accross the street and up the garage ramp into the shuttle pick-up area where they will then unload your bags. When the hotel shuttle gets there, they will then load your bags into the van so essentially you will not have to even lift them from the time that you set them out in the hallway. This is a blessing if you happen to be like us and overpack.

 

 

The complimentry hotel shuttle covers a 4 mile radius. There is a SweetBay grocery and Liqour store within this area as well as a Walgreens. There is also a small neighborhood market that is located in the Post Rocky Point apt complex that is within walking distance of the hotel. This is just a little convenience type store but is great if you don't want or need a whole lot. Plus it saves time from having to do the shuttle. There is also a wine store directly across the street from the port of Tampa in the Channelside shops area. They open at 11am 7 days a week. www.tampawinedesign.com This would be a quick and easy way to grab a bottle of wine as well.

 

Good luck and no problem with the questions. Tampa Bay is my former hometown :)

[FlaGrl4Evr]

One more thing, When you arrive at Tampa airport there will be a courtesy phone in the baggage claim area. The phone will have the HI Rocky Point ph# listed. You just call the hotel after you have your luggage in hand and they will send the shuttle to pick you up. They will tell you where to wait. For us, it was the Blue-2 pick-up circle which was just out the side sliding doors of the baggage claim area. Our van was there is less than 10 minutes. Just look for the van with the HI Rocky Point logo on the side. There are a few Holiday Inns in Tampa and it seems all the vans look the same. The shuttle service alone at this hotel saved us SO much money over having to pay for a taxi. Plus the rooms were spotless clean and the customer service was top notch. It was really a nice way to start off the cruise.

 

Cari :)

[vfb2girls]

Thank you for all the wonderful information, it is really helpful. I am so looking forward to this vacation!:D

[yvette3339]

This was great info. We just got back and took a chance on the Rocky Pt hotel. We didn't have this great review with info before we left so we made the reservation and hoped for the best. We had an airport departure time of noon so we made a leap of faith that all would work out for the best. It did! We made our reservation online with Holiday Inn. We booked the suite and it was VERY nice. The web site stated that there was a 2 person max but we called the hotel and we were able to add another couple to our reservation. The suite has a pull-out sofa bed in the living room. There is also a kitchenette with full frig, sink etc. Room was clean and breakfast was good. There is also a restaurant next door I think it was called Breezes. Food was great.

The manager is very hands-on he was there to assist staff with the departure in the morning and was there in the garage coordinating the departure trips to the airport in the morning. Great organization. There were multiple vans there from the hotel ready to take passengers to the airport. We made it to the airport with more than enough time to spare for our noon departure. I am a little picky when it comes to customer service. I highly recommend this hotel. Our whole experience with Rocky Pt. went without a glitch. We will use them again without doubt.

I have photos of our room and outside the hotel if you are interested.

[vfb2girls]

This was great info. We just got back and took a chance on the Rocky Pt hotel. We didn't have this great review with info before we left so we made the reservation and hoped for the best. We had an airport departure time of noon so we made a leap of faith that all would work out for the best. It did! We made our reservation online with Holiday Inn. We booked the suite and it was VERY nice. The web site stated that there was a 2 person max but we called the hotel and we were able to add another couple to our reservation. The suite has a pull-out sofa bed in the living room. There is also a kitchenette with full frig, sink etc. Room was clean and breakfast was good. There is also a restaurant next door I think it was called Breezes. Food was great.

 

The manager is very hands-on he was there to assist staff with the departure in the morning and was there in the garage coordinating the departure trips to the airport in the morning. Great organization. There were multiple vans there from the hotel ready to take passengers to the airport. We made it to the airport with more than enough time to spare for our noon departure. I am a little picky when it comes to customer service. I highly recommend this hotel. Our whole experience with Rocky Pt. went without a glitch. We will use them again without doubt.

 

I have photos of our room and outside the hotel if you are interested.

This is great to hear! We just booked a regular room but if you would I would love to see pictures of the area. Also I had signed up for e-mails from Bahama Breezes and yesterday I got a 10 dollar off coupon on a 20 dollar purchase! What a great deal!

[yvette3339]

A $10.00 coupon, what a deal. You won't be disappointed using the coupon. The Breezes is across the parking lot from the hotel. All photos are taken standing on the hotel property or within a few steps of the hotel property.

[vfb2girls]

A $10.00 coupon, what a deal. You won't be disappointed using the coupon. The Breezes is across the parking lot from the hotel. All photos are taken standing on the hotel property or within a few steps of the hotel property.

Thank you for the photo's, it just looks like the perfect place to relax!

[ciship]

One more thing, When you arrive at Tampa airport there will be a courtesy phone in the baggage claim area. The phone will have the HI Rocky Point ph# listed. You just call the hotel after you have your luggage in hand and they will send the shuttle to pick you up. They will tell you where to wait. For us, it was the Blue-2 pick-up circle which was just out the side sliding doors of the baggage claim area. Our van was there is less than 10 minutes. Just look for the van with the HI Rocky Point logo on the side. There are a few Holiday Inns in Tampa and it seems all the vans look the same. The shuttle service alone at this hotel saved us SO much money over having to pay for a taxi. Plus the rooms were spotless clean and the customer service was top notch. It was really a nice way to start off the cruise.

 

Cari :)

 

Hoosiercouple, what an amazing amount of great information. Thank you for being so specific. We have made reservations for this hotel in July before our cruise and got the cruise package. Now I just need to figure out the wine/soda rules of the ship and what each adult can carry on board when embarking?

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Hoosiercouple, what an amazing amount of great information. Thank you for being so specific. We have made reservations for this hotel in July before our cruise and got the cruise package. Now I just need to figure out the wine/soda rules of the ship and what each adult can carry on board when embarking?

 

 

For the Legend, you can take 1 bottle of wine or Champagne and one 12pk of non-alcoholic beverage per person. It must be in you carry-on and not your checked luggage. We just took one small roll on suitcase and dedicated this for one 12pk of Diet Ginger Ale, one 12pk of Red Bull and 1 bottle of wine and 1 bottle of Champagne. My fiance and I checked in together so it was ok that everything was in one suitcase. We did take reusable water bottles for our water. We filled them up on the Lido deck. Maybe it was just me, but the water in the bathrooms on the Legend had a funny-off taste. We even used the bottled water to brush our teeth and keep on our bedside table. We also had a box of granola bars, a box of chocolate truffles and several individual bags of mixed nuts. We used these on our excursions. These too went in the suitcase with the drinks and it was no problem at all.

 

Also, if you run low on soda pop, bottled water or snacks, there is a small pharmacy in the pier area at Cozumel. They have really good prices on these things.

[iowegean]

Will the shuttle take us to the airport after the cruise or only back to the hotel? We will not have a car so we do not need the parking option. Thanks/

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Will the shuttle take us to the airport after the cruise or only back to the hotel? We will not have a car so we do not need the parking option. Thanks/

 

When you get on the return hotel shuttle at the port, they will ask everyone, airport or hotel? They will then make both stops. Don't worry though the hotel and airport are only 5 minutes apart from each other so it will not be an out-of-the way ride.

[ciship]

For the Legend, you can take 1 bottle of wine or Champagne and one 12pk of non-alcoholic beverage per person. It must be in you carry-on and not your checked luggage. We just took one small roll on suitcase and dedicated this for one 12pk of Diet Ginger Ale, one 12pk of Red Bull and 1 bottle of wine and 1 bottle of Champagne. My fiance and I checked in together so it was ok that everything was in one suitcase. We did take reusable water bottles for our water. We filled them up on the Lido deck. Maybe it was just me, but the water in the bathrooms on the Legend had a funny-off taste. We even used the bottled water to brush our teeth and keep on our bedside table. We also had a box of granola bars, a box of chocolate truffles and several individual bags of mixed nuts. We used these on our excursions. These too went in the suitcase with the drinks and it was no problem at all.

 

Also, if you run low on soda pop, bottled water or snacks, there is a small pharmacy in the pier area at Cozumel. They have really good prices on these things.

 

Fabulous!!! Thank you so much for all your help!

[near the beach]

I called Holiday Inn Rocky Point and reserved a room for the night before our July cruise. We would arrive at the Holiday Inn late that night. They told me that the Holiday Inn shuttle will take us to the port the day of the cruise and pick us up when we return. Our car will be parked at Holiday Inn for the duration of the cruise. This all seems easy. Our other option is get up early and drive to Tampa and park at the port. For us the Holiday Inn will cost twice the amount as we would pay to park at the port. We would not have to get up very early as we would if we drive in the day of the cruise. We have about 127 days to make our decision on what we want to do.

[jtdlmc]

We stayed at HI Rocky Point on Sunday. It was a clean and basic hotel, but we did not have the typical experience of most on this board who have stayed there. I booked the room on September 4, 2010 (still have the confirmation email). When we arrived at the hotel on Sunday morning we were told they were overbooked and were not sure they would have a room for us! We had to sit around for about an hour before we were told that they did, in fact, have a room. They had no clean towels for the pool at all the entire day. That evening I called the front desk to get an extra blanket and they had no extra blankets! As others have reported, the walls are paper thin and we could even hear the conversations in the next room after we turned the tv off to go to sleep! Breakfast doesn't start until 6 am and we had to leave before then so I can't comment on that.

 

The staff at this hotel were wonderful - they were very cheerful and accommodating - we were given a key card so we could sit by the pool until they figured out if they had a room for us and the guy was so apologetic and said he was so stressed by having no blankets because he had several calls for them. The shuttle driver was also very efficient and friendly. I don't know what happened the day/night we stayed there - maybe the laundry person didn't show up for work and a new staff person overbooked the hotel or hopefully it isn't under new management as it would be very deterimental - lol - I don't know, but it sure was a different experience than others have had.

[ciship]

We stayed at HI Rocky Point on Sunday. It was a clean and basic hotel, but we did not have the typical experience of most on this board who have stayed there. I booked the room on September 4, 2010 (still have the confirmation email). When we arrived at the hotel on Sunday morning we were told they were overbooked and were not sure they would have a room for us! We had to sit around for about an hour before we were told that they did, in fact, have a room. They had no clean towels for the pool at all the entire day. That evening I called the front desk to get an extra blanket and they had no extra blankets! As others have reported, the walls are paper thin and we could even hear the conversations in the next room after we turned the tv off to go to sleep! Breakfast doesn't start until 6 am and we had to leave before then so I can't comment on that.

 

The staff at this hotel were wonderful - they were very cheerful and accommodating - we were given a key card so we could sit by the pool until they figured out if they had a room for us and the guy was so apologetic and said he was so stressed by having no blankets because he had several calls for them. The shuttle driver was also very efficient and friendly. I don't know what happened the day/night we stayed there - maybe the laundry person didn't show up for work and a new staff person overbooked the hotel or hopefully it isn't under new management as it would be very deterimental - lol - I don't know, but it sure was a different experience than others have had.

 

We are booked to stay there in July. I appreciate your honest report on your own personal experience. Thank you!

[iowegean]

When you get on the return hotel shuttle at the port, they will ask everyone, airport or hotel? They will then make both stops. Don't worry though the hotel and airport are only 5 minutes apart from each other so it will not be an out-of-the way ride.

 

Thanks, that sounds great. Do you know if they have shuttle service to/from the St. Pete airport?

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Thanks, that sounds great. Do you know if they have shuttle service to/from the St. Pete airport?

 

Not from St.Pete Clwt airport but the airport is on one side of the Courtney Campbell and the HI Rocky Pt is just to the other side so it may not be too $ in terms of cab fare. Here is the St Pete-Clwt Yellow cab phone number 727-777-7777 you may want to call them and ask for an estimate. Also here is the Yellow Cab # for Tampa 813-777-7777. That would be to call for the return trip.

 

 

BTW, StPete Clwt is a great little airport. It is small enough so your bags will be waiting for you by the time you get off the plane. You can be off the plane and into a cab in less than 10 minutes. It is a clean, effecient and newly remodeled airport. I would fly in there -VS- Tampa anytime.

 

 

 

Also, I few months ago, I read on a Carnival review that the Sailport Inn on Rocky Point does service PIE airport with a shuttle, so you may want to price them out too. This hotel is on Rocky Point not too far from the Holiday Inn.

 

http://www.providentresorts.com/sailport-waterfront-suites/