Hotel suggestions for Tampa

[mdc99]

Bequia-What hotel did you get in Tampa? Thanks

[oceanmysteries]

read this thread, a great wealth of information!!!!!

[BiggerBob]

After reading thru this entire thread I narrowed my choices down to two hotels. Just wondering what would be the best to go with. We can get an executive room at the Tampa Airport Hilton for $113.00 US, or a studio suite at Springhill Suites for $100.00 US. We are booked for Dec 2 for one night prior to our sailing on the Legand of the Seas. There will be my husband, two teen children and myself. Both hotels offer shuttle service from the airport to the hotel. However they do not have a shuttle service to the port. I believe the Springhill Suites is closer to the port so we may save a little on a taxi. Does anyone know how much a taxi might cost to the port from Springhill? We also would prefer the location that would have somewhere close by to purchase water and pop to take on the ship. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks:)

[Cracker Ken]

BiggerBob - I'm told the taxi fare is about $20 to the port from the airport, so it would be about the same, since both the Hilton and Springhill Suites are slightly closer. Both of these hotels are about the same distance to the port, and are close to each other. There is a gas station/convenient store on the corner of Cypress and Westshore, next to the Springhill Suites, and there is another on Westshore S. of I-275 (reasonable walking distance). There is a Walgreen's Drug Store at Westshore and Kennedy that would have soda and water too. I don't know of any convenient stores close by the Hilton, that I can recall at the moment. No larger grocery stores close by. The nearest would be on Dale Mabry Hwy, a couple of miles to the E.

 

Have fun.:cool:

 

Ken

[BiggerBob]

Craker Ken- Thanks for all your insight and help on this thread.:) I think we will go with Springhill Suites. I have been doing some research on the internet tonight and it gets good reviews. It also sounds like it has a good breakfast buffet.;)

[jessemon]

BiggerBob,

About the same area. Taxi, about$15.00 to the port. On the soda thing...it might be easier to buy the kids coke cards for about $25.00 each than trying to lug the soda on board. If they'll let you. Never tried to smuggle soda on board.LOL Just booze!!!

Have a great cruise!!!

[BiggerBob]

Craker Ken,

 

Hope you can help me out once again. I tried calling Tamp Bay Shuttle's 1-866 # posted on their website. However it was not in service. I then tried e-mailing them and the e-mail was returned undeliverable. Are they still in business??

 

I am trying to arrange for tranportation from Springhill Suites to the port. I was intrested in the shuttle service because I don't know if a taxi would be able to accomodate our family of 4 and all the luggage...teenage daughter packs alot:rolleyes: .

 

So now I am second guessing myself and wondering if I should go with Chase suites ship to shore package.:confused:

 

Jessemom-Thanks for the advice on the soda cards. (love how you call it soda, you must laugh at us Canadians calling it pop!:p )

 

Thanks for all the help.

[Cracker Ken]

BiggerBob - Try this: Bay Shuttle - 813-259-9998. I'm not sure if that's the same as Tampa Bay Shuttle. The research I did shows one of the addresses being the same. I've recently seen one of their vans in Tampa.

 

By the way - Where I'm from here in FL, we call sodas "cold drinks." :)

 

If this doesn't work, let me know.

 

Ken

 

 

 

 

[Timmys_mom]

Information overload! I have just finished reading 14 pages of postings and still don't know what to do.

 

Here's the down and dirty - We are sailing on the Miracle on 10/23. We will be flying in on the 22nd. I want:

- safe, clean hotel, just want somewhere to flop for the night

- under $100

- two adults

- relatively easy access to a liquor store (not that I would smuggle alcohol onboard)

- not worried about shuttle, taxi, etc. I'll deal with that later.

- reasonably close to the pier/airport

 

Give me ONE hotel that fits that description.

 

I'm from Minn-e-sooo-ta and we call it pop, too. Soda is used for baking.

[CoachTerry14]

I have sailed twice out of Tampa and used Hilton Points both times for free rooms at the Embassy Suites. There is a mall across the street so the location was great. The trip is maybe 10 minutes to the port...close to the airport!

[Timmys_mom]

But what about those of us who do not have Hilton Points? The embassy suites is over the $100 mark.

[CoachTerry14]

But what about those of us who do not have Hilton Points? The embassy suites is over the $100 mark.

 

 

But remember, the drinks at the manager's reception are included and so is a very good breakfast the next morning...When you start adding it all up - it is a great price!

[mdc99]

Timmys-mom: If you want my advice, I would go to priceline and bid Downtown Tampa and 3* for $70, with tax/service this will cost you about $85. If your bid is accepted you will recieve one of these 4 hotels: Marriott Waterside, Hyatt downtown, Wyndham Harbor Island, Tampa Riverwalk-all of these would meet your requirements and are 5 minutes from port.

[Timmys_mom]

I'll try the priceline tip. I still have plenty of time to be cheap, cheap, cheap :D

[BiggerBob]

Wow, now my head is spinning. I have been calling a few locations last night and today. Here is what I have found out so far.

 

Marriott Waterside had a AAA rate of $161.00 plus tax. I was told they do not have a shuttle service from the airport to the hotel nor do they have a complimentary breakfast. They can arrange shuttle service to the port at $11.00 per person.:confused:

 

Springhill Suites was AAA rate of $100.00 plus tax. They offer a continental breakfast that sounds really good. Taxi service would be aprox $15-$20 from hotel to port. They offer airport shuttle for free.

 

Chase Suites has the ship to shore package for $139.00 plus tax (for the one bedroom suite) They have shuttle service from the airport to the hotel and from hotel to the port. They will also provide shuttle service from the port to the airport when you arrive back from cruise. Also will shuttle you to local mall. Breakfast included also. This sounds like a great deal. The rooms may not be as nice as the Waterside or Springhill but I think it will be nice to know our transportation will be looked after.:)

 

Thanks Ken for the other number to Tampa Bay Shuttle. It worked, they quoted $11.00 for shuttle from Springhill to the port.

 

So now I have a suite booked at Springhill and Chase. Who should I cancell???

 

Thanks again for all your help everyone.

Pat (husband is Bob):cool:

[boards]

It worked, they quoted $11.00 for shuttle from Springhill to the port.

Is that per person?

[BiggerBob]

Boards:

Sorry they did not specify per person, I assumed it was per shuttle. If you are going to use them I would try calling them. I really did not have the impression that the person I was speaking to on the phone was confident in her answers.:rolleyes:. Maybe she was a new staff member?

[jessemon]

Timmy's Mom (AKA Minn-e-sooo-ta),

Ovens are for baking and Pop was my Dad. LOL :)

MDC99 has a good idea there but I can't place a liquor store near by. Will probably be down that way at Channelside this weekend. I'll look to see if I see one. There might even be one at Channelside, I know they have a wine store there.

PS: I think we are all correct on the soda or pop issue...I think it was originally called soda pop.;)

[Cracker Ken]

BiggerBob- The Chase Suites isn't a bad place. The director of our local regional office stayed there quite a long while while relocating to Tampa. Our company puts up people there since our offices are on Rocky Point Drive S of the Causeway. There's a very good restaurant next door called Bahama Breeze that you can walk to (the properties join). It's relatively safe out there at Rocky Point and quiet since it's primarily a business district. There is a Landry's Seafood close to Chase too. Considering the transportation package they have (and make sure you book as a Ship to Shore package because the transport isn't included otherwise, make it clear to them), with breakfast, it is a good deal. It's not as nice as the Marriott Waterside, that's true, but it isn't bad at all. Unless someone strikes a great deal via Priceline, the Marriott is indeed expensive and not everyone who reads these posts has the money to stay there.

 

Timmys Mom - How about a Holiday Inn Express or Hampton Inn? They are both on Rocky Point to the W of the airport. Transport to the pier might cost more from there, but you might get a room for less than $100, I'm not sure. There is also a Hampton Inn off of Westshore just S. of Spruce, perhaps on Laurel St. There is also an AmeriSuites on Westshore S. of Spruce. By the way, in Tampa, you cannot be close to BOTH the pier and airport at the same time, and there's no middle ground. You either stay in one of the more expensive places downtown (and maybe you can get a Priceline deal there), or else it's out near the airport. There is another Holiday Inn Express on Dale Mabry Hwy near the Tampa stadium.

 

$11 to the port from the Marriott is expensive for 2 miles, but taxi's can be expensive for short hauls. Suggestion - If you don't have much luggage, and it's easy to handle, you could most likely hop on the street car in front of the Marriott Waterside and take it down to any of the terminals, inlcuding 2, 3 and 6. There are street car stations at all those terminal areas which includes the Channelside District and the FL Aquarium. The street cars are rarely loaded up heavy, and taking a couple of pieces of luggage shouldn't be much of a hassel. The street car isn't expensive.

 

I have no idea where the liquor stores are in that area. There is a Publix Super Market at the base of Bayshore Blvd, just over the Hillsborough River bridge not far from the Marriott Waterside. Publix sells beer and wine.

 

Ken

[BiggerBob]

Renee from Bay Shuttle Inc got back to me by e-mail and their shuttle from Springhill Suites to the port for 4 people is $38.00.

 

The deal at Chase is sounding better and better all the time. Has anyone out there stayed there recently? And does anyone know if you need reservations for dinner at Bahama Breeze?

 

Thanks again Ken:)

[jessemon]

Renee from Bay Shuttle Inc got back to me by e-mail and their shuttle from Springhill Suites to the port for 4 people is $38.00.

 

The deal at Chase is sounding better and better all the time. Has anyone out there stayed there recently? And does anyone know if you need reservations for dinner at Bahama Breeze?

 

Thanks again Ken:)

BiggerBob,

Bahama Breeze can be a very busy place. I could be wrong (check me on this Ken) but I do not think they take reservations. It is a neat place. It is also owned by Red Lobster believe it or not. The longer you wait the more you spend...

[Cracker Ken]

BiggerBob - I'm not certain about reservations there. It doesn't seem to be the sort of place where you need reservations. As jessemon said, it can get busy there, especially for the happy hour crowd. They do a good lunch business there too (that's when I've been there), but it's not hard to get in at that time. This is a really neat place overlooking the water. Chase Suites is right on the water too.

 

Ken

[mdc99]

Renee from Bay Shuttle Inc got back to me by e-mail and their shuttle from Springhill Suites to the port for 4 people is $38.00.

 

The deal at Chase is sounding better and better all the time. Has anyone out there stayed there recently? And does anyone know if you need reservations for dinner at Bahama Breeze?

 

Thanks again Ken:)

 

I certainly wouldn't do the shuttle for $38. I know you concerned about luggage space. If it were me and I was staying at the Springhill I would hope for a taxi-van being there. If not I would walk out to the corner of Cypress and Westshore that Ken mentioned above and watch for a taxi-van, this is a fairly busy intersection and I don't think you would have to wait long. In addition the Marriott Westshore and Quorom hotels are located on the same corner in addition to several other hotels close by so I think your chances are pretty good. Worse case scenario you get 2 taxis and that will cost about the same as the shuttle and you won't have to count on the shuttle showing up at a certain time.

 

Bahamma Breeze does not take reservations and the wait on Fri./Sat. nite can be substantial.

[cathyoo]

we stayed at the Chase in Feb 05. We had dinner at Bahama Breeze on a Saturday night and had about a 20-30 minute wait. We got there kinda of late around 8:30 and were back to the hotel around 10:30. We had a very nice time and the waitstaff was great. Of course this was pre-cruise, we were on the last flight out of a ice closed airport, there was nothing in the world that could have dampened our enthusiasm

[NCSBowtie]

After looking through the last 14 pages of posts, I still can't find exactly what I'm looking for. My fiancee and I are flying in on Friday, 12/2/05 and are just looking for a place to crash for the night; it would be nice to find an inexpensive hotel that has free shuttle both from the airport on Friday and to the port on Saturday morning. If that doesn't exist, so be it, but it's worth a shot asking all you helpful fellow cruisers. Thank you in advance....