Cheap but decent Tampa hotel?

[Bibble]

I'm looking for hotel recommendation. We can theoretically drive to Tampa in the morning (about 4 hours), but we'd like to go over the night before. But because it's not a "necessity", and we'll need 2 rooms, we dont want to spend a whole lot.

 

Can anyone recommend a clean but economy hotel close to the port?

 

Thanks in advance!

[FlaGrl4Evr]

I just put this on another thread but it is worth mentioning again.

The Holiday Inn Rocky Point is running a limited time special on their cruise pkg. for $89. It includes parking for the length of your cruise or airport pick up, a shuttle to and from the port when the cruise is over plus a free hot breakfast and free shuttle service anywhere within a 4 mile radius. This is a really good price. You can barely find a room alone in Tampa for this price and considering it includes the parking and the shuttle service it is totally worth the price. Here is their link

http://www.hiextampa.com/ It's on the other side of the airport opposed to in the port area but since it includes shuttle service it's not a big deal . It took less than 15 minutes to get there. We stayed there last year and the hotel was clean and the view and pool overlook the bay. All the hotels near the port are in downtown Tampa and they are not considered in the Economy class, you will pay $$.

 

Good luck :)

[Bibble]

Awesome - thanks so much!

[AndrewD65]

I just put this on another thread but it is worth mentioning again.

The Holiday Inn Rocky Point is running a limited time special on their cruise pkg. for $89. It includes parking for the length of your cruise or airport pick up, a shuttle to and from the port when the cruise is over plus a free hot breakfast and free shuttle service anywhere within a 4 mile radius. This is a really good price. You can barely find a room alone in Tampa for this price and considering it includes the parking and the shuttle service it is totally worth the price. Here is their link

http://www.hiextampa.com/ It's on the other side of the airport opposed to in the port area but since it includes shuttle service it's not a big deal . It took less than 15 minutes to get there. We stayed there last year and the hotel was clean and the view and pool overlook the bay. All the hotels near the port are in downtown Tampa and they are not considered in the Economy class, you will pay $$.

 

Good luck :)

 

 

 

I second that. I also recommend the Embassy hotels in Downtown tampa.

[jonz]

We booked room at The Tahitian Inn for $89. Includes 2 double beds, free shuttle to/from Port, 10 days parking. I read alot of good reviews on the hotel and I was impressed when I called them. Look up their website.

[KCTravel]

We just booked at the Tahitian is well. Got the same rate and they will pick us up from the port on our cruise return and we can hang at the pool until our cruise in the late afternoon.

Last Tampa cruise we did the Holiday Inn Rocky Point and the best part was meeting up with our Roll Call friends! Not impressed with the Holiday Inn so trying something different!

Karen

[KCTravel]

OOppps--until our late flight home!

K

[FlaGrl4Evr]

We just booked at the Tahitian is well. Got the same rate and they will pick us up from the port on our cruise return and we can hang at the pool until our cruise in the late afternoon.

Last Tampa cruise we did the Holiday Inn Rocky Point and the best part was meeting up with our Roll Call friends! Not impressed with the Holiday Inn so trying something different!

Karen

 

 

Hi Karen & Gene, congrats on your upcoming Platinum !!!! Let us know about the Tahitian Inn. We have heard good things about it. Have a great time on the Halloween Legend again. Hope you make GC, this time.

Cari & Rick :)

[KCTravel]

Hi Cari:

Hope you have fun on your October cruise too! Hi to Rick!~! We are doing a repeat because my wrist isn't broken this year!! I want to come back and update about the Tahitian!

Karen

[sms2874]

I have seen a lot of people recommending either the Holiday Inn Rocky Point or the Tahitian Inn for the stay in Tampa before their cruise. My question is, I know they will pick you up from the airport to go to the hotel and then they have a shuttle that will take you to the port for your cruise. When your cruise is over will they pick you up and take you directly to the airport or do you have to go back to the hotel and then to the airport? And, if you have an 11:30 flight out of Tampa Intl. do you have enough time when you get off the ship to find their shuttle to go to the airport? Thank you so much for helping me. (I am a worry wort).

[FlaGrl4Evr]

I have seen a lot of people recommending either the Holiday Inn Rocky Point or the Tahitian Inn for the stay in Tampa before their cruise. My question is, I know they will pick you up from the airport to go to the hotel and then they have a shuttle that will take you to the port for your cruise. When your cruise is over will they pick you up and take you directly to the airport or do you have to go back to the hotel and then to the airport? And, if you have an 11:30 flight out of Tampa Intl. do you have enough time when you get off the ship to find their shuttle to go to the airport? Thank you so much for helping me. (I am a worry wort).

 

 

Hi sms, I don't know about the Tahitian but for the HI Rocky Pt, they pick you up after the cruise and will ask everyone, airport or hotel? Just tell them that you have an early flight and they will stop there first. The airport and hotel are only 5 minutes apart.

 

We are in the same situation as you are. For our upcoming cruise in Oct, we have an 11:30 SW flight back to Indianapolis so we are going to go to guest services and show them our flight resv and request an early zone debarkation number. Once you get your luggage, call the hotel ( the driver will give you a card with a ph# on your ride to the port) you wait for the shuttle over in the parking garage. HEre is a tip; Grab a porter when you get your luggage, they will get you through the customs line really quick and know where the pick up spot is for the shuttle, plus you wont have to lug your bags across the street. The tip for the porter is money well spent, it will save you a lot of time and hassle. Also, the hotel keeps those shuttles running so chances are the van is already in route. Last cruise, we only had to wait 5 minutes. They have 2 shuttles that are constantly running so don't worry about having to wait too long for them.

 

Have a great cruise. :)

[sms2874]

Hoosiercouple - thanks again for your information. We are also from Indianapolis. You have been a big help.

[crazyfrazee]

I just put this on another thread but it is worth mentioning again.

The Holiday Inn Rocky Point is running a limited time special on their cruise pkg. for $89. It includes parking for the length of your cruise or airport pick up, a shuttle to and from the port when the cruise is over plus a free hot breakfast and free shuttle service anywhere within a 4 mile radius. This is a really good price. You can barely find a room alone in Tampa for this price and considering it includes the parking and the shuttle service it is totally worth the price. Here is their link

http://www.hiextampa.com/ It's on the other side of the airport opposed to in the port area but since it includes shuttle service it's not a big deal . It took less than 15 minutes to get there. We stayed there last year and the hotel was clean and the view and pool overlook the bay. All the hotels near the port are in downtown Tampa and they are not considered in the Economy class, you will pay $$.

 

Good luck :)

 

 

I just booked at this motel. The price is nice but they actually charge for the shuttle. The price for 10/2 was $90.00, but the "special" park and cruise deal was $109.00. There is a notation that they charge $10.00 extra for shuttle per person over two people. I think it's still a great deal though. I just hate when businesses try to make you think they are giving you a bargain.

[webprinter]

I tried booking it and it is showing $129. Do I need a special code? Has anyone stayed at The Howard Johnson Plaza or the Ramada Westshore? They are only $89 and $75. All we want is clean and comfortable for one night.

[FlaGrl4Evr]

I tried booking it and it is showing $129. Do I need a special code? Has anyone stayed at The Howard Johnson Plaza or the Ramada Westshore? They are only $89 and $75. All we want is clean and comfortable for one night.

 

I have not stayed at either hotel but do know the area and it is near the airport/ Westshore and is a decent and safe area with lots of hotels, some restaurants and the Westshore Plaza shopping mall. If it were me, I would not hesitate to book at either hotel if the price was right. You may want to do a thread search on this board for each specific hotel and/or check out the reviews on Trip Advisor but for the most part, it is in a decent area and due to the fact that this area is close to the airport, I'm sure they deal with lots and lots of travellers and want to keep up their reputations.

 

As far as the HI specials, they do come and go. I booked way back in March for our upcoming Oct cruise and got a rate of $119 for their cruise pkg. I kept checking their web site and one day a Limited Special popped up for $89 for the same pkg. I called the hotel and got the better rate so it does pay just to keep checking back. In addition, sometimes it does make sense to pay a little extra knowing that all of your transportation is incl. For us, that meant airport pick-up and transportation to and from the port. That adds up to quite a savings as the cabs from TIA to the port is a $25 flat rate, so that's $50 right there. So when your comparing hotel prices, make sure to add in any transportation costs that you may incur. The HI also offers a free breakfast so if you're used to eating breakfast in the morning you may want to factor this in too if your hotel of choice does not include this.

 

Good luck to you and have a great cruise. :)

[ducklite]

Just an FYI--We did this once--drove to where we were departing from (airport, not cruise but same idea) that was a couple hours from home and spent the night before we flew so we could get free parking for a week.

 

The cost difference wasn't all that much over paying for parking--not enough to make it worth the hassle of checking in, getting settled, sleeping, and packing up again.

[tjjbcolombe]

I just put this on another thread but it is worth mentioning again.

The Holiday Inn Rocky Point is running a limited time special on their cruise pkg. for $89. It includes parking for the length of your cruise or airport pick up, a shuttle to and from the port when the cruise is over plus a free hot breakfast and free shuttle service anywhere within a 4 mile radius. This is a really good price. You can barely find a room alone in Tampa for this price and considering it includes the parking and the shuttle service it is totally worth the price. Here is their link

http://www.hiextampa.com/ It's on the other side of the airport opposed to in the port area but since it includes shuttle service it's not a big deal . It took less than 15 minutes to get there. We stayed there last year and the hotel was clean and the view and pool overlook the bay. All the hotels near the port are in downtown Tampa and they are not considered in the Economy class, you will pay $$.

 

 

 

So.... hoosier.... you HAVE stayed at HIEXPRESS Rocky Point?? My mom is coming with us and she has a pacer/ defib!! This will be her first cruise! I am looking for PROBLEM FREE!! LOL!! I know// a lot to ask! Is it really decent.. and clean... and pretty.. and non complicated and do u have any pics you can post? we are going on the inspiration October 17 and returning the day you leave ... 22 ...

[WeTravelers2]

The Hampton Inn & Suites Tampa/Ybor City/Downtown is much closer to the port. The rooms run around $160.00 a night. My niece and family stayed there before their last cruise and the parking was free with free shuttle. I would call and ask if they still provide those services free.

 

[firefly333]

I just put this on another thread but it is worth mentioning again.

The Holiday Inn Rocky Point is running a limited time special on their cruise pkg. for $89. It includes parking for the length of your cruise or airport pick up, a shuttle to and from the port when the cruise is over plus a free hot breakfast and free shuttle service anywhere within a 4 mile radius. This is a really good price. You can barely find a room alone in Tampa for this price and considering it includes the parking and the shuttle service it is totally worth the price. Here is their link

http://www.hiextampa.com/ .

 

I booked both hotels in tampa just last week, yours looks awesome too. Mine are not until next spring .. so way early. I did hotwire for $53, plus taxes and recovery fees. $66ish. Shearaton Suites, which has a free airport shuttle and for $15 a person has one to the port.

 

Iv heard rave reviews for Hyatt Place in Tampa too and it was also showing I believe for next spring .. shows amenties, no smoking rooms is the give away, airport shuttle, breakfast, etc.

 

I would have like your choice too .. saving it if I ever go there again.

[FlaGrl4Evr]

I just put this on another thread but it is worth mentioning again.

The Holiday Inn Rocky Point is running a limited time special on their cruise pkg. for $89. It includes parking for the length of your cruise or airport pick up, a shuttle to and from the port when the cruise is over plus a free hot breakfast and free shuttle service anywhere within a 4 mile radius. This is a really good price. You can barely find a room alone in Tampa for this price and considering it includes the parking and the shuttle service it is totally worth the price. Here is their link

http://www.hiextampa.com/ It's on the other side of the airport opposed to in the port area but since it includes shuttle service it's not a big deal . It took less than 15 minutes to get there. We stayed there last year and the hotel was clean and the view and pool overlook the bay. All the hotels near the port are in downtown Tampa and they are not considered in the Economy class, you will pay $$.

 

 

 

So.... hoosier.... you HAVE stayed at HIEXPRESS Rocky Point?? My mom is coming with us and she has a pacer/ defib!! This will be her first cruise! I am looking for PROBLEM FREE!! LOL!! I know// a lot to ask! Is it really decent.. and clean... and pretty.. and non complicated and do u have any pics you can post? we are going on the inspiration October 17 and returning the day you leave ... 22 ...

 

Yes, my fiance and I plus several roll call members stayed at the HI RP last Oct before our Legend cruise. We flew in and they picked us up at the airport within 10 min of calling. There is a courtesy phone in the baggage claim area with the HI ph# listed. The shuttle will also take you anywhere within a 4 mile area if you need to pick up any last minute items for the cruise. We booked a king room which was at very end of a hallway. It was such a quiet location, we never heard a thing. The hotel was clean and offered plenty of towels and coffee for the in-room coffee maker. The pool area was very pretty. It overlooks the Bay. The breakfast the next morning was above avg IMO. In addition to the normal pastry, bagels, yogurt and fruit, they also offered biscuits with gravy, cheese omelets and pancakes. There was plenty of seating and the dining area was kept well stocked and the tables cleaned off.

 

The port shuttle is assigned to you when you check-in. They have 3 times. 11am,

noon and 1pm. The front desk will give you a slip with 2 copies to give to your driver. One is for the trip to the port and the other you save for your return trip back. The driver will give you a business card with the hotel info on it so you will have the ph# handy when you debark the cruise ship. Chances are that someone else will have already called so they will just inform you that the shuttle is on it's way. They do keep a few shuttles moving on debark day so waiting is at a minimum. We waited less than 5 min for the return shuttle to pick us up. The pick up area is is a safe, covered area of the parking garage adjacent to the port. This is nice as there is protection from the weather. Here is a tip for you: when you get your baggage in the terminal, grab a porter. They will whisk you through customs very quickly and then roll all of your bags across the street into the parking garage to wait for the shuttle. They also know where the pick up area is. It is WELL worth the tip to have them do this. We had our luggage, was through customs and across the street in less than 10 minutes from getting off the ship. The shuttle driver will then take your return slip. They are really strict about this. They have to be in order to keep those that just want a free ride away. The driver will ask who needs to go to the airport and who needs to go back to the hotel to pick up their car or extend their stay. The airport is 2 minutes away from the hotel so either way there is no time loss.

 

The hotel does have elevators and I believe some Handicap rooms so you may want to request this if necessary. There is also a laundry facility and work out room in the hotel. We did not bring our lap top but I know they had access.

 

All in all it was a really good deal for the money. The savings on all of the shuttles is the reason why we booked here again. It was just so easy not to have to worry about extra transportation issues. Plus, the hotel sits on the Bay in a nice area of Tampa so it was very pretty.

 

There is a Bahama Breeze restaurant next door. It was really good but a long wait. You can call the restaurant from your hotel room and they will add your name to the list, so this may hep with your wait time. This coming visit we have a later arriving flight so we are just planning on ordering pizza and wings and hanging around the pool area so we can relax a bit. They have a Pizza take out menu in the room from some local Italian place but BEWARE, it is $$$. We are ordering from Hungry Howies. They have great prices and deliver to the hotel.

Here is Hungry Howies ph# and menu if you are interested. 813-885-9992. They are open from 10:30am - midnight and their food is really good and wont break the bank. http://www.azhungryhowies.com/menupizza.html

 

Here is a link to the hotel. They have some photos that you can view. http://www.hiexpress.com/hotels/us/en/tampa/tpaap/hoteldetail/photos-tours

 

Good luck to you. Get the ship ready for us. Cari

[tmt218]

I 100% agree with everything Hoosiercouple has said!! I just returned last week from the Inspiration. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Rocky Point. It was a great hotel. Very friendly and nice. I did feel bad for the front desk clerk. He was swamped and the only one there. Our rate was 89.00 for the night which I thought was good. Keep checking the rates because it is out there. October also starts the season in FL so the rates will be higher (oct to apr).The pool overlooks the bay and at sunset it was beautiful to watch the skyline light up. The rooms are clean. The breakfast is good. It's basic hotel breakfast with some hot items thrown in. The seating area is very small. It was busy when we were there and ended taking our food to our room. I suggest getting there early.

The shuttle service was a breeze. Very well organized. The driver gives you a card with the phone number of the hotel on it and explains what to do when getting back. The parking deck is yellow and across the street. GRAB A PORTER!!! It is easier and less hassle. They get you through customs faster with no wait. Plus they will walk with you across the street. We were told to look for the van with the HI Rocky Point sign on it. I did see another HI van but didn't think it was the van we needed. It didn't have RP on it. When we were leaving the hotel I saw that van pull up. So ask the van driver if they are from the HI Rocky Point even if it doesn't have the exact sign. I'm not sure if it was a mistake by the other passengers or if it was the correct van but we waited long than we maybe should have. We weren't in a hurry so it didn't really matter. It's always good to ask. There were 2 shuttles running that day. We had people going to the airport and that is the first stop. (It's on the way to the hotel) We would stay again. I'm not sure if I took pictures of the hotel but I will look and post them if I did.

We have also stayed at the Hampton Inn next door as well. That is a nice hotel as well. The reason I stayed at the HI was price and to try out something different. We liked them both.

[tjjbcolombe]

OK ... So I just booked the HIEXPRESS AT ROCKY POINT!!! Sounds too good to pass up!! :)

thanks for the post !