Hotels ... where to stay (Tampa, Holiday: good hotels, university, restaurants)

[ArmyWife94e]

My father in law is in James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital and we need a hotel to stay at. Seems like every place i read has terrible reviews. One review I read said the streets around the VA hospital are full of hookers. So where is a good place to stay that is approx 30 minutes or less from the hospital? Im in Kansas and my husband is currently on his way back from Iraq, this is an emergency and I need a very clean and safe place for us to stay/ Thanks in advance

[crazynip]

Yea. That's a pretty good description of the area. It's one of the worst areas of Tampa actually. Luckily there are a lot of good hotels within 30 minutes. I would recommend the La Quinta or Wingate by USF.

[Tim Tim Tim]

I wouldn't say its the worst area in Tampa by any means but its not really a good one. My suggestions would be the La quinta on fowler (there is one right around the corner on 30th street, dont get them confused), There is also a windgate or something and embassy suites (depending on your budget). Those are all a little bit separated from the bad spots as the university is on one side and busch gardens is on the other. There are also a ton of places to eat within 2 blocks of them.

[annaegel]

Originally Posted by crazynip

Yea. That's a pretty good description of the area. It's one of the worst areas of Tampa actually. Luckily there are a lot of good hotels within 30 minutes. I would recommend the La Quinta or Wingate by USF.

I second these two hotels. My sister came to visit me with her family. She is allergic to my dog, so she has to stay in a hotel. She stayed at the La Quinta. It was fairly cheap. The hotel rooms are small, but it is clean and comfortable. Wingate is a much nicer hotel, but more expensive. They both are within a 5 minute drive to the VA.

[chi_tino]

If you use Priceline and choose the "Busch Gardens" area, the 3* hotels that you will receive will be one of the following:

Embassy Suites USF/Busch Gardens
Holiday Inn Tampa Near Busch Gardens
Hyatt Place Tampa/Busch Gardens

the 2.5* in that zone is the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center.

Recent winning bids for these properties have been in the $35-50 a night range. (source: betterbidding.com, biddingfortravel.com)

Any of these four hotels should be pretty good. The La Quinta is only a 2* and has a standard rate of $59/nt. No need to stay there if a much better property is available for less money.

[crazynip]

Stars mean nothing. The La Quinta near USF is fairly new and hooker free.

[Tim Tim Tim]

Originally Posted by chi_tino

If you use Priceline and choose the "Busch Gardens" area, the 3* hotels that you will receive will be one of the following:

Embassy Suites USF/Busch Gardens
Holiday Inn Tampa Near Busch Gardens
Hyatt Place Tampa/Busch Gardens

the 2.5* in that zone is the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center.

Recent winning bids for these properties have been in the $35-50 a night range. (source: betterbidding.com, biddingfortravel.com)

Any of these four hotels should be pretty good. The La Quinta is only a 2* and has a standard rate of $59/nt. No need to stay there if a much better property is available for less money.

There are 2 laquintas right there, the 2* is the one on busch and 30th street. I used to work for laquinta a while ago and that one I personally wouldnt stay in. The other, on fowler is MUCH nicer and I would have no problem staying there (im pretty picky where I sleep too)

[niccimarlena]

The closer to Interstate 75 off of Fowler or Fletcher Ave, the better. That is if you are looking to be close to the VA. I would not recommend any hotels in this immediate area.
I have been in Tampa for 10 years and there are worse places. Not the best of areas, but it's not that scary..
There is always Downtown Tampa, nice hotels and not far using Interstate 275..approx. 15 min drive from the VA.
Hope this helps..

[Tim Tim Tim]

Originally Posted by niccimarlena

The closer to Interstate 75 off of Fowler or Fletcher Ave, the better. That is if you are looking to be close to the VA. I would not recommend any hotels in this immediate area.
I have been in Tampa for 10 years and there are worse places. Not the best of areas, but it's not that scary..
There is always Downtown Tampa, nice hotels and not far using Interstate 275..approx. 15 min drive from the VA.
Hope this helps..

at 2x's the price though and I wouldnt consider most of down town any safer at night.

[forrestgump]

I'm with the others on this. The three hotels right across from USF - Wingate by Wyndham, La Quinta, and Embassy Suites are very nice, safe, and family-friendly. All these hotels are on Fowler (with easy access to I-275 and I-75 and close to a ton of restaurants) and are either on the same side of the street as the USF campus or directly across the street.