Hotel suggestions for Tampa

[scsagh]

Thanks for the info on getting to Enterprise, Ken. You are right, Hertz does have a drop off down there. Unfortunately for us, the days we wanted a car for were more than double with Hertz.

 

Appreciate all of your help!

 

Sandy

[jeffejo]

Just a note to those staying at the Chase Suites, Tampa on their Stay & Sail package. For the 2 BR Suite deal at $149/ngt, there is a $10/pp additional charge for more than 2 adults. Still a very good deal. Does anyone know if their parking lot is fenced or gated?

John

[1cruiselvr]

Reading this thread has made me feel pretty good about the $50 pricing I got on priceline for the Tampa Wyndham Westshore. All I need is a bed and shower a pre-cruise night. Wyndham's web price was $149 so I'm a happy priceline customer. Happy Sailing!

[karen11g]

Jeffejo: I didn't know that, but that's true only if the extra people are adults. Families with kids under 18 get the $149 rate. (I'll check with them to see if we all get breakfast, though.)

 

1cruiselvr: I've been a happy Priceline customer at times too, but it works best for two adults, and when you don't need anything special (like parking). Congratulations on your great deal - it really is a good price for a nice hotel! - but if you were driving and needed to park at the pier, you'd be adding $70 to that $50. The Woodfin Ship-to-Shore package with a studio (which is all a couple would need) is $119 (the same price!) Add breakfast and transportation to the ship, and it really is a good deal for a lot of people.

 

That's why I love these boards. You can get good information to fit everybody's situation!

[Cracker Ken]

That $50 deal at the Wyndham is a steal of a deal for sure! That's a nice place. If you happen to have a big appetite (and want to drop some extra bucks), the Don Shula's Steakhouse at the Wyndham is really nice. BIIIG steaks, HUUUUGE spuds, and salads big enough for 2 people. They had really large pieces of red velvet cake too, but I couldn't handle it. (I was eating on an expense account, since I was with the boss - that makes things taste a lot better too).

 

You folks should enjoy the Chase Suites. That's a nice, relaxing, atmosphere out there at Rocky Point.

 

Have fun.:cool:

 

Ken

[1cruiselvr]

Karen11g: Nope, flying into Tampa from west coast, no parking required. I'll post my impression of the hotel upon my return. It's gotten some neutral feedback on tripadvisor but nothing horrible. Like I commented before, only shower and decent bed is my requirement for a one night precruise stay.

 

Crack Ken: Thanks for the Don Shula info. We can't get tasty steaks on the west coast for some reason so I'll be sure to try this restaurant.

Happy Sailing!

[Cracker Ken]

1cruiselvr - Shula's will surely run your cholesterol up the pole, but it sure is good. I think the smallest steak they have is a 16 oz NY Strip. You can also go for the 4 lb challenge.:D They have a plaque on the wall with brass name plates for those who have managed to eat the 4 lb steak. Among them are various Tampa Bay Bucs players, including Warren Sapp who is now with the Raiders. I've joked that their baked potato is the size of a small watermelon. The premier steak house in Tampa is Bern's, but since this one is so convenient, you had just as well give it a try.

 

I've never stayed at the Wyndham Westshore, but I've been inside the building on a number of occassions and it's a really nice hotel. They appear to do a good business with business travelers. For $50, it can't be beat. I would imagine the place that will "leave the light on for ya" would cost that much, and this is a beautiful high rise hotel. Right across the street is the Westshore Plaza Mall, and their are a couple of good restaurants on the corner nearest to the hotel (one is a family style italian place called Maggiano's - and I'm told it's very good).

[kimberlys]

I wanted to say :

 

Thanks Ken for all of your help and knoweldge about the area. We leave for Tampa tomorrrow. I have gotten so many tips and ideas from your postings.

I went to Priceline for the hotel and ended up with the Wyndham Westshore for $50.00 (pre-cruise). Then I used Priceline again and we are staying at the Marriott Tampa Airport for the same price (post-cruise). I think we will be checking out the aquarium before we sail.

 

Thanks again!

 

~Kim~

[Cracker Ken]

Kim - Thanks for the compliment. Glad I could help. I hope you and yours have a great time!:)

 

Ken

[Chick's pal]

We will have a bit of time the day before we sail and are interested in taking in one of St. Petersburg's museums.

 

Can anyone tell me if it is do-able WITHOUT a car?

How difficult is it WITH a car?

Would the cost of a taxi be prohibitive? It appears to be 30 miles between Tampa & St. Pete.

 

Some cities have great public transit and others, not.

Is Tampa in the "not" category?

[Cracker Ken]

I highly recommend renting a car. You can probably find a small car (I don't know how many is in your group, so that may or may not work) reasonably cheap. A taxi ride from the Tampa airport to the cruise terminal for 2 can cost you $20, one way, and that's roughly 10 miles. There is minimal bus service to and from St. Petersburg to Tampa. They do have connections these days, but it isn't running frequently and it just isn't convenient. The Tampa Bay region hasn't fully embrassed mass transit like some of the other large metro areas of the country. There's no train between the town because of the bay.

 

Here's the link to the Hartline web site (Hillsborough Area Rapid Transit Authority): http://www.hartline.org/

 

It's not hard to get from Tampa to St. Petersburg. The museums are in downtown St. Petersburg, so all you have to do is take I-275 W. from Tampa across the Howard Frankland Bridge and down into St. Petersburg to the downtown exits. Quite easy, and good roads as well. Morning and afternoon traffic on the Howard Frankland bridge can be an absolute nightmare. If you travel after 9AM and before 3PM, it is usually OK.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Ken

[Chick's pal]

Thanks so much, Ken. This is very helpful.

Hopefully we can swing the museum thing, but if not, it appears there is plenty to do there anyway!

[1cruiselvr]

I don't care about the cholesterol, I just want a good steak. I haven't had a decent one since my DH took me to Milwaukee a few years ago. Thanks for the info, now it's just sit and wait as all arrangements are set. That is unless SONG decides to go BK. I have been checking our flights on the web and all the seats are still open except for ours....makes me a little nervous. Happy Sailing!

[buckeyecruisers]

Cracker Ken and any others with ideas, we are flying into Clearwater/St. Petersburg airport(much better fare) the day before our Celebrity cruise. We are wondering which would be better to stay in the St. Pete area and taxi over in the morning or get a hotel in Tampa with shuttle or taxi service to port.

From reading through the thread I haven't seen anyone else who has done this.

Thanks,

 

Joe and MaryAnn

[Cracker Ken]

buckeyecruisers - Yes, you are the first to ask about this. I'm surprised that someone else hasn't done so already. The St Pete/Clearwater Airport is up N. of St. Petersburg, and very convenient to I-275 or even State Route 60. Those two roads take you over to Tampa.

 

From the airport, you can go N. across the edge of the bay (I think they call it the Bayside Bridge - It continues on to McMullen-Booth Road) up to Hwy 60 (also known as Courtney Campbell Causeway). You can take that towards Tampa and come to Rocky Point. That's where the Chase Suites Hotel is. That location has been discussed earlier on this thread. People report decent rates, and they set you up with a shuttle to the port.

 

You can also go E. (it may be posted as N.) on I-275 across the Howard Frankland Bridge to Tampa and get off on the Kennedy Blvd exit which will take you up to Westshore Blvd. The Wyndham Westshore Hotel is there, and people have reported gettting great rates there with Priceline. You can go N. on Westshore from Kennedy Blvd and find a number of hotels like Embassy Suites, Marriott Westshore, Springhill Suites, The Quorum, and several more (a lot of them have been covered in this thread).

 

My opinion, is that it would be best to leave the St. Pete/Clearwater side of the bay and come over to Tampa the day you arrive. Taxi and shuttle rides to the pier would be considerably shorter from the Tampa side.

 

If I can help further, just let me know.

 

Ken

[glsgus]

Has anyone stayed at the Ashley Plaza Hotel on West Fortune street in tampa?

Is this an ok area and is it far from the docks?

 

Thanks!

[Cracker Ken]

glsgus - This hotel is on the opposite side of the downtown core from the cruise terminals. This place was a Holiday Inn for many years. The Holiday Inn closed and it has changed to the Ashley Plaza. I haven't been in the hotel for many years (and that was just to attend some trade conferences). It appears as if this is now an independent hotel, and I haven't heard much about it. It's roughly a mile from the cruise terminals. There's not much in this corner of downtown, as far as restaurants and such, that are open at night (maybe some sort of sandwich or pizza joint). The affordable housing projects start about 1/2 mile (or less) down the road to the NW of the hotel.

 

There is a Courtyard by Marriott, and a Residence Inn close to this location. Further down Ashley Drive to the South of the Ashley Plaza (the hotel is on Fortune St at Ashley Drive), and just S. of Kennedy Blvd, is the Riverwalk Hotel. It used to be a Radisson. Since these places went independent, I don't know much about them.

 

Maybe somene who has stayed there will check in and let us know.

 

Ken

[Antiqueoma]

Hi Cracker Ken - we're driving to the Wyndham Harbour Island the end of April - can you recommend any good restaurants near? How far is Don Shula's Steakhouse? I hope we got a good deal at the hotel - I booked it thru the internet and got a military discount of $113.... thanks for all your on this site you are a real asset to us!!!!!

[lillulu]

Hi Ken,

 

I will address this to you, as you seem very knowledgeable about your home town. I have read this whole thread from beginning to end. One mention of parking at the ports is all I saw. I saw the price of $10.00 a day, and terminal 2 was a covered garage with security, and terminal 6 was uncovered with a tall fence, and possible security. Now I have a couple of questions, and you might not be able to answer them, but I hope that you can.

 

1.) Can you park in either terminal? <meaning covered verses non covered> Or do you have to park in a certain one depending on who you are cruising with?

2.) How far apart are these two parking terminals? (traveling on HAL and that is out of terminal 6), but I would rather have my truck in a covered garage with security.

3.) If you leave your car at these hotels that people have asked about, who makes sure that no one steals or vandalizes them while you are gone on your cruise. Do they have security as well?

 

Hopefully you might know the answer to my questions. I am thinking I could drop my luggage off with the baggage guys. And then go park and walk back. I really am not sure how far parking is from the pier where we have to check in.

 

Lastly, is there anyone who has parked in these parking garages that had a car carry on their vehicle? Was it tampered with? Did you have any problems at all? I worry about coming back and my car carrier will be missing in action :eek: Or my vehicle for that matter. Don't get me wrong, I know things could happen any where. Just wondering how safe these places are. Parking garage verses a hotel parking lot. Any help or answers to my questions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance,

Lulu

[1cruiselvr]

I wasn't aware that there is covered parking at the Tampa port. When we were there in 2003, it was all open air parking. Did things change since then? Happy Sailing!

[BF_Philly]

Bob, how did you like The Chase, now that you're back from your cruise. Was it CLEAN?

 

Thanks,

 

Grams,

 

I posted that I booked for Feb 2006...

 

Bob

[Robby_Christopher]

Hey Ken. In case you didn't already know - You rule when it comes to everything Tampa! Thanks for all of this great info. I've been reading the thread for weeks.

I'm wondering if you can tell me anything about the Crowne Plaza Hotel (Tampa East)? I think it used to be called something else but not sure. I'm booked there for a Friday night stay, April 29th.

Is it a nice area? Nice property? Are there cool things to do nearby? Such as shopping, sightseeing, or eating at tasty restaurants? Any help is greatly appreciated.

[buckeyecruisers]

Thanks Ken, we will check out the hotels you mentioned. What do you think a taxi would run from St. Pete to the hotels? Would we be better off with a car? We are coming in a Thursday evening and sailing the next day.

 

Joe & MaryAnn

[Cracker Ken]

Wow, it's going to take a while to catch up here tonight!:eek:

 

Antiqueoma - It's about 6 miles from Wyndham Harbour Island out to Shula's at Kennedy Blvd and Westshore. It's easy to get there. Just go up to Kennedy Blvd from the hotel, and head West out to Westshore Blvd on Kennedy. Shula's is on the bottom floor of the Wyhdham Westshore.

 

Another great place to eat in Tampa (among many) is Bern's Steakhouse. It has been the premier steakhouse in Tampa for many, many years. The movers and shakers in Tampa go there. The Governor and President (of the US) have been there. Judges, doctors, lawyers, and us commoners go there too. It's a little closer than Shula's, but a little tricky to get to (unless you are in a taxi, and they all know where it is). Bern's has a web site, which also accepts reservations. If you go there, make sure to do the kitchen and wine cellar tour after dinner, and don't miss the desert room (did I spell desert right?). Anyway, the web site: http://www.bernssteakhouse.com/

 

lillulu - You can park in either garage you want. It would be possible to drop luggage, park in the covered garage, then walk to the other terminal. Terminal 2 and 6 are a just few blocks apart. I really don't know the exact distance, but I could walk it in a short time (I'm 51 and in fairly good health). In addition, the street car line runs past both of these terminals. So, if you like, you could hop on a street car and go the short distance if you need to. Strangely enough, the only place I've heard of trouble, is the covered parking garage. I've never read or heard of problems at the open lot in front of terminal 6. The Port Authority got really embarrassed over that, and pledged to tighten up. My advice to you, is: 1/ Don't leave a key anywhere in or on your car. If you can think of a place to hide it, the thieves have too; 2/ Don't leave any other type of keys in the car (like your house keys) and 3/ Don't leave anything at all in the vehicle. No need in tempting fate. As secure as the places are, there is always a chance of something happening, no matter where you are. As far as question #3 - That's a good question, but I don't know the answer. I've often wondered that myself. If you are thinking about a certain hotel to leave your car, get real picky with them and ask about security of the lot where your car is located. I would opt for a secured parking garage myself, or even the open lot at terminal 6. I know what the security level is there, but the motel/hotel lots are another story. In the past, I've left my SUV in the open lot. This next time I sail from Tampa, I might do like you were thinking, and park in the covered area and walk back.

If nothing else the covered garage protects the car from the sun and dust.

 

1cruiselvr - Yep, there's a covered parking area at terminal 2, which is the newer terminal that's part of the Channelside Complex, used mostly by Carnival. The lot at Terminal 6 (used mostly by HAL) is open, fenced, and lighted, with security.

 

NOTE: I have pics of these lots and garages, and the surrounding areas in my album on Tampa at my Yahoo photo page - The address is in my signature block.

 

Robby_Christopher - That's a nice hotel. It's located at I-75 at Martin Luther King Blvd out to the East of Tampa. It's in an office park area that's clean and well kept. Years ago I put on a trade conference in that hotel, and got to stay in the "Presidents Suite", for free. Not bad. It was a regular Holiday Inn back then (we are talking about 1989). The nearest area for shopping and restaurants is on SR 60 just to the E and W of I-75, a few miles S. of the hotel. There is a large shopping mall, and several nice restaurants in that area including Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Macaroni's Grill, Smokey Bones BBQ, Tia's Tex-Mex, Sonny's BBQ, Hooters, and more. All of these are along SR60, or on the entrance road to the mall (It's just E. of I-75 on SR60). Also, just W. of I-75 on SR60 is an amuzement park place with miniature golf, games, and all sorts of fun stuff. It's about 3 1/2 miles between the hotel and the area of the mall and restaurants.

 

buckeyecruisers - I'm not sure what a taxi would cost from the St Pete airport over to the Westshore District hotels in Tampa. A rental might be economical and give you some freedom, but then you have to worry about turning in the rental and getting to the port. You could ask the hotel you like if they shuttle from the St. Pete/Clearwater airport. Another thought is the Bay Shuttle between the airport and hotel. Here's there Internet address:

http://www.tampabayshuttle.com/

 

I hope the board accepts this long post. :confused: We'll see....

 

Ken

[ferge]

I was wondering wich hotel in better to stay at? I'm torn between the Emabassy Suite airport, or the Hilton. Besides the basics, my question is which location would put us in a better location to see the town? Like things to do and see, places to eat, and that kind of thing. Thanks for any help you can give me on this.

Bobbi-Jo