7 Days in Tampa - June (car rental, rentals, hotels)

[psylo]

Hello Everyone,

I'm a PhD student and I'll be attending a conference at Grand Hyatt, Tampa Bay, from 31st of May to 6th of June.

I'm looking for a place to stay as Grand Hyatt is far too expensive to my (student) standards. Can you suggest me any cheap-but-decent hotel, possibly located in a nice (by nice I mean young, arty, vibrant) area? Of course, the closer to the Hyatt, the better... [please note is the Grand, not the Regency)

Also, it would be great whether you can suggest me any way to get the Grand Hyatt from that area, with public transport - I heard that buses are not exactly the most efficient thing in Tampa, I hope that's not entirely true..

Cheers

Andrea

[lavender]

HART Local Map :: Route 89
here is the bus line map, google the location of hotel and other less expensive hotels around the area based on the busline you need to get to your conference. Expedia and other sites will show you current rates for the time you are booking. Sadly there is not a direct bus from the beaches of pinellas to that area of downtown, or I would suggest you look for a beach rental for a week, as rates are lower on the beaches at this time.

[psylo]

Hi, thanks for that. Do you think I can walk easily from the McDonald Training Centre to the Hotel? As it seems there is a huge highway...
Beach Rental sounds good idea, do you mean in Pinellas?

[housingcrashsurvivor]

FYI Don't know how this year will play out since we've had such a wet dry season but June is often Florida's wettest month so don't forget to bring your galoshes.

[TampaKaren]

You definitely cannot/should not walk from the McDonald Training Center to the Grand Hyatt. It's too far and too dangerous. The closest hotel to the McDonald Training Center would be the Hilton on Lois Ave; it's close enough to walk. Also in this area is the International Mall, which has pretty good shopping, restaurants and bars. The International Mall is within walking distance from the Hilton. Both Hyatt and Hilton are located near to the Tampa International Airport. I can't confirm, but I'd suggest that both are going to have regular shuttle buses and you may be able to use them for your transportation provided you don't venture too far away from the airport. Hope this makes sense!

[psylo]

Hi TampaKaren, thanks. The point is that I have a conference at Grand Hyatt and was wondering how to reach it from around downtown (where I'm planning to stay as it is cheaper). I'll have to go to the Hyatt at least 4 days, so I would love to avoid paying for 8 taxi rides! I've been advised the bus 89 but it seems it's not going as far as McDonald Centre. Is there any way I can go to the conference avoiding being ruined by either the Hyatt or the Taxies?

[TampaKaren]

Psylo, as I mentioned, all the major hotels have shuttle buses and willingly drive their guests to destinations in the immediate area. Ask the concierge at the hotel about local transportation first. If they don't have a solution that works for you, look into the airport shuttles. They go between all the major hotels as flights come and go from TIA. You should be able to ride from one hotel to the other; there's no requirement to exit at the airport. As a last resort, you can check on car rentals, too. Be advised if you rent a car to get one off-airport property. The airport tacks on additional fees that you can avoid just by picking up a car around the Westshore Blvd / Boy Scout Rd area. And the car rental businesses have airport shuttles, too. IMO, the shuttles are safer than a taxi.

[psylo]

Thanks!