Hotel suggestions for Tampa

[Cracker Ken]

Courtyard by Marriott Brandon/Tampa - Yes. That is your usual Courtyard hotel. Since I live here, I haven't stayed there, but I've stayed at many other hotels of that brand with no problem. I'm very familiar with the area there too. Lots and lots of restaurants within a mile or so. There's a huge mall just the other side of the Interstate. Restaurants include: Maraconi Grill, Smokey Bones BBQ, Sonny's BBQ, Hooters, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse - all of those are either on SR60 or the side road at the mall. On the S side of the mall, on Lumsden Road, there are many more choices. Therer are convenience stores in the area, and larger grocery stores just to the E on SR60 in Brandon. It's easy to head into the port from this hotel too - you just go W. on SR 60 into town.

 

Ken

[patticaryl]

Our family is arriving the Friday afternoon before our cruise in Sept. on the Legend. There will be four adults, a teenage girl and two small children. The cruise leaves Tampa port on Sunday, so we have a full day Saturday for all of us to start our vacation. I have read about the aquarium and Busch Gardens and those are good possibilities.

My husband and I are sending all the rest of of our family (the kids) home on Sunday the following week after the cruise and saving three days to be ALL by ourselves in Tampa.

Can anyone tell me about the beaches of Tampa area? What would be a good day (Sat) to start our vacation with the kids........and then some quiet, special time for the two of us at the tail end? Any ideas? Thanks!

[cruisinlawn]

Thanks for the info Cr Ken. Yep, I would like to put them some place nice to get their cruise vacation started on the right foot. They'll likely get into TPA early afternoon (by car) so they would have some time to enjoy the channel. I'll keep a check on the original two and be checking the others you suggested. If they choose to arrive late, I may just send them to the Courtyard you just mentioned above. Thanks for your advice. Ken.

[Gra14gra2]

Ken,

Thanks so much for all the information re: restaurants and area around the Courtyard by Marriott Brandon/Tampa. As you can tell I'm new to the boards but I read them all the time and have gotten a lot of useful information from them.

[FrannyK]

This is such a great thread! After sifting through these posts for a couple of days, I made our pre-cruise reservation at the Hampton Inn Rocky Point. We are paying $134 + 12% tax = $150 for the cruise package/includes all shuttles, one night, one room/4 people for late July. It is NOT the price quoted on the website (higher), which I mentioned to them but they said the price is different when you call the hotel directly??? Does this sound right?? All the prior posters have paid more. Am I THAT special? ;)

 

BTW Holiday Inn Express Rocky Point quoted me $172.50 for the same.

[kittymom65]

I have read the last 30 pages of this thread, and cannot find what I am looking for......:)

Can anyone please offer opinions on the Renaissance International Plaza. I see that it is adjacent to a nice mall, so I don't think we would need to worry about transportation and other area stores/restaurants. We will be driving from Georgia, and then we will drive to the port and park there.

My main questions are:

1. Is this a safe area of town? Should I worry about leaving my car parked at the hotel, even though it is only one night?

2. How bad will traffic be driving from this hotel to the port on a Thursday morning?

I am not worried about the hotel itself, I am sure it is nice, and we can stay free on Marriott Points.

Thanks for any help!

[Cracker Ken]

This is a very nice, relatively new, hotel. It's in a safe area. The hotel joins the International Plaza Mall, which is an upscale mall and a very nice place. There are restaurants at the mall, including City Grill (a fine upscale steakhouse) and the Cheesecake Factory. There are other very good places to eat on the main road out in front of the mall. It's no more hazardous to leave your car outside at this hotel than anywhere in the area. This area is primarily a business district. You should enjoy it at this location. This is just S of the Tampa Intl Airport property.

 

On Thursday morning the traffic from the Westshore Business District (area of the International Plaza and the Renaissance Hotel) should be cleared out and smooth sailing by the time you need to head down to the port, which should be about 10:00 AM. Traffic on weekday mornings in Tampa is very bad, but it clears by 9:00 to 10:00 AM unless there's a major accident or something like that.

 

Parking at the Port of Tampa is $12 a day, the last time I looked. It's safe. The parking garage at the Carnival terminal is secure and patroled. The outside parking at terminal 6 is well lighted, a high fence, and patroled.

 

Ken

[kittymom65]

This is a very nice, relatively new, hotel. It's in a safe area. The hotel joins the International Plaza Mall, which is an upscale mall and a very nice place. There are restaurants at the mall, including City Grill (a fine upscale steakhouse) and the Cheesecake Factory. There are other very good places to eat on the main road out in front of the mall. It's no more hazardous to leave your car outside at this hotel than anywhere in the area. This area is primarily a business district. You should enjoy it at this location. This is just S of the Tampa Intl Airport property.

 

On Thursday morning the traffic from the Westshore Business District (area of the International Plaza and the Renaissance Hotel) should be cleared out and smooth sailing by the time you need to head down to the port, which should be about 10:00 AM. Traffic on weekday mornings in Tampa is very bad, but it clears by 9:00 to 10:00 AM unless there's a major accident or something like that.

 

Parking at the Port of Tampa is $12 a day, the last time I looked. It's safe. The parking garage at the Carnival terminal is secure and patroled. The outside parking at terminal 6 is well lighted, a high fence, and patroled.

 

Ken

 

Big Smooches to you Ken! Thanks for the info, I believe this is where we will stay.

We are sailing on Royal Caribbean....do they use a different parking garage at the port? If so, do you know if it is also guarded? We have only sailed from Port Canaveral in the past, and it is guarded and lighted, very secure, so I am hoping for similar facilities in Tampa.

Thanks again.

[Cracker Ken]

kittymom65 - Thanks. You should be quite pleased with the area of the hotel, and the hotel as well.

 

All of those lots at the port are secure. As I recall, the RCI cruisers park in the parking garage too. The Carnival and RCI terminals are separated by the FL Aquarium. There are photos of the cruise terminals, parking garage, etc, on my Flickr photo album page linked in my signature block. Some of the surrounding area has built up considerably since I took those pictures, however the area of interest hasn't changed any.

 

All the parking garages and lots at the terminals are under the control of the Port Authority and receive the same attention.

 

Years ago, some thieves got into the secure area at the garage and got into a lot of cars. It was due to an inattentive guard. The Port Authority took good care of the victims and suffered a black eye. There have been no reports of problems of any kind since then. I wouldn't hesitate to park down there at all. Actually, I have left my car in the open lot for a week in the past when on a HAL cruise.

 

Ken

[Jajone]

We have booked a room at holiday Inn Rocky Point for the 6 of us and looks like a great deal. Thanks to all for that suggestion and info. One question...Are there any stores very close by? We would like to purchase some bottled water and sand toys before we get on the ship. TIA for any info.

[Trvlr37]

For anyone staying at the Hampton Inn Rocky Point - we just stayed there last month and it was really nice. The shuttle driver took us to Westshore Mall and we had lunch. We walked across the street to the Walgreens for cruise items. The shuttle driver then picked us up at the Walgreens. The shuttle also took us to dinner in the Westshore area. All the transportation was free, but we tipped the driver. We booked the AAA rate as it was cheaper than the cruise package and paid $10 per person to get to the port in the morning (the front desk arranged for us). The Hampton provided a small continental breakfast which was fine for us.

 

The hotel was nice, room was nice, and staff were beyond friendly! I would highly recommend it!

[nitenurs2]

We have booked a room at holiday Inn Rocky Point for the 6 of us and looks like a great deal. Thanks to all for that suggestion and info. One question...Are there any stores very close by? We would like to purchase some bottled water and sand toys before we get on the ship. TIA for any info.

 

 

I don't think there is a store within walking distance, but the hotel offers a local area shuttle (I think 4 sq mile radius) that you can take to go shopping. They told me there is a Wal-Mart or something similar within that distance.

[Trvlr37]

P.S. There was a small pantry in the Rocky Point area within walking distance of the Holiday Inn and Hampton (they are next door and share shuttles), but I would recommend going in the shuttle for a better selection. The driver told us there was a liquor store next to the Walgreens in the Westshore Area.

 

Also, there is a Bahama Breeze restaurant within walking distance of these 2 hotels I would highly recommend. We went to Westshore are only to meet other cruisers from our ship.

[Cracker Ken]

Right - No stores at Rocky Point. Closest is the Walgreen's at Westshore and Kennedy, some convenience stores on Westshore or Kennedy, and then the Wal-Mart at Dale Mabry Hwy and I-275. Of course, there are the two malls - Westshore Plaza and International Plaza.

 

Ken

[Jajone]

Does the shuttle cost anything to go shopping? I would like to send one of us in the am before we go to port.

[akfan]

Hi Ken, Thanks for all of your input on this page. Will be arriving on Saturday. Do you have a recommendation for supper close to the Sheraton Riverwalk??

 

Thanks......Larry

[FrannyK]

Right - No stores at Rocky Point. Closest is the Walgreen's at Westshore and Kennedy, some convenience stores on Westshore or Kennedy, and then the Wal-Mart at Dale Mabry Hwy and I-275. Of course, there are the two malls - Westshore Plaza and International Plaza.

 

Ken

 

Does this Walgreens carry liquor? We also have pre-cruise reservations at Hampton/Rocky Point. We dont' get in till late the night before the cruise, so I assume we'll have to purchase our wine a.m. on cruise day. What would be the closest place to have the shuttle take us to for wine?

[cwnhokie]

A few years ago we stayed at Chase Suites and I thought it was close to a dueling piano bar, I don't know the area of Tampa at all, but it seems like it has moved?

 

A big group of us are heading down the night before our cruise in October, I would like to check out Howl at the Moon, I've been in Baltimore and had a great time.

 

So I am looking for a hotel close by and preferably one that can sleep more people. There will probably be 10-15 of us. Should I look for one with a shuttle or arrange transportation separately? Thanks!!!!

[KreinKrunker]

Do you have a recommendation for supper close to the Sheraton Riverwalk??

 

Not Ken but, you should take the hotel shuttle to Ybor City and eat at the Columbia.

 

 

 

http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/ybor.asp

[akfan]

Thanks, You are the second person that has told me that is the place to go.

[lilone]

Ok, I've read back a few pages but need more information. My fiance and I will be on the Inspiration in september(our honeymoon:) ). We would like come a day early but don't want to rent a car. So my questions are is there a Marriott(my fiance gets a discount) close to the port, close to a liqour store, maybe a store for last minute things and that offers shuttle service from the airport and to the port. Thanks for any help.

[vfb2girls]

We are planning on staying at the Embassy Suites Convention Hotel and was wondering if anyone has stayed there before. It gets fairly good reviews on TripAdvisor. Also since I am not really familiar with Tampa in this area of the city are there plenty of stores and resteraunts? Any suggestions on where we should eat? We are flying in the day after Thanksgiving and spending two nights in Tampa before our cruise so I am open to suggestions on what we should do or see. Thank you

[tha sista]

Sheraton Riverwalk for $70 on priceline for september incase anyone wants to know...

 

thanks ken for all the info you have posted here...found everything with no problem using search!

[sledhead]

If anyones considering the Doubletree Rocky Point I would recommend it.

 

We stayed there a couple of weeks ago and it was great. Not super cheap but it was real nice. Great pool, excellent shuttle service, super nice rooms and Dolphins swimming right in the lagoon pretty much all day !! You could almost touch them !!

 

Free shuttle to local areas as well....

[FrannyK]

If anyones considering the Doubletree Rocky Point I would recommend it.

 

We stayed there a couple of weeks ago and it was great. Not super cheap but it was real nice. Great pool, excellent shuttle service, super nice rooms and Dolphins swimming right in the lagoon pretty much all day !! You could almost touch them !!

 

Free shuttle to local areas as well....

 

How much $$ was Doubletree? We need 4 in a room and are paying $150 at Hampton Rocky Point for cruise package.