Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Downtown Tampa
Hyatt Regency Tampa
Just off the Franklin Street pedestrian mall, and in the
heart of the business district, the Hyatt attracts a mostly corporate crowd. The spacious,
recently renovated contemporary rooms have lots of amenities—MP3 docking stations,
flatscreen TVs, wireless Internet, and new granite and marble bathrooms—but lack
balconies, and the higher office towers that now surround the hotel restrict views from
the windows. That said, the heated outdoor pool and rooftop sun deck with whirlpool
on the fifth floor are quite nice and resorty. Office workers congregate at the Avanzare
restaurant for inexpensive light lunches.
2 Tampa City Center (corner of Tampa and E. Jackson sts.), Tampa, FL 33602.
&
813/225-1234.
Fax
813/273-0234. www.tamparegency.hyatt.com. 521 units. $159-$219 double. Weekend packages avail-
able in summer. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $18; self-parking $10 per day.
Amenities:
2 restau-
rants; bar; concierge; concierge-level rooms; exercise room; Jacuzzi; heated outdoor pool; limited room
service.
In room:
A/C, TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi.
Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk Hotel
Set on the east bank of the Hillsborough
River, this six-story hotel remains one of Tampa's better lodgings. Half the rooms face
west and have lovely views from their (unlighted) balconies of the Arabesque minarets
atop the Henry B. Plant Museum and the University of Tampa across the river—quite a
scene at sunset. These rooms cost more but are preferable to units on the east side of the
building, which face downtown's skyscrapers and lack balconies. Rooms were newly
renovated in 2008 and feature Sweet Sleeper beds. Set beside the river, the Ashley Street
Grille serves indoor-outdoor breakfasts and lunches, and then offers fine dining in the
evenings. There's also wireless Internet in all public spaces of the hotel. Unless you're here
on business or are intent on staying downtown to be close to a specific attraction such as
the performing arts center, there's not much here to entice a mainstream traveler. The
hotel is also completely smoke free.
200 N. Ashley Dr. (at Jackson St.), Tampa, FL 33602.
&
800/333-3333
or 813/223-2222. Fax 813/221-
5929. 277 units. Winter $175-$209 double; off season $149-$209 double. Pets up to 80 lbs accepted. AE,
DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $16.
Amenities:
2 restaurants; bar; concierge; concierge-level rooms;
exercise room; access to nearby health club; heated outdoor pool; limited room service; sauna.
In room:
A/C, TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi.
Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina
This luxurious 22-story
hotel occupies downtown's most strategic location in the area's emerging Channel Dis-
trict—beside the river and between the Tampa Convention Center and the St. Pete Times
Forum. Opening onto a riverfront promenade, the towering three-story lobby is large
enough to accommodate the many conventioneers drawn to the two neighboring venues
and to the hotel's own 50,000 square feet of meeting space. The third floor has a fully
equipped spa, a modern exercise facility, and an outdoor heated pool. About half of the
guest quarters have balconies overlooking the bay or city (choice views are high up on
the south side). Although spacious, the regular rooms are dwarfed by the 720-square-foot
suites. For those interested in boating the bay, there's also a 32-slip marina.
700 S. Florida Ave. (at St. Pete Times Forum Dr.), Tampa, FL 33602.
&
800/228-9290
or 813/221-4900.
Fax 813/221-0923. www.tampamarriottwaterside.com. 717 units. Winter $259-$285 double, $399-$575
suite; off season $179-$259 double, $350-$500 suite. Weekend rates available. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet
parking $20; no self-parking.
Amenities:
3 restaurants; 3 bars; babysitting; concierge; health club;
Jacuzzi; heated outdoor pool; limited room service; spa.
In room:
A/C, TV, fax, fridge, hair dryer, high-
speed Internet access.
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