Tampa Marriott Water Street Hotel Shines Brightly Along The Riverwalk
- Charles I. Guarria
- 23 hours ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 29 minutes ago
The third time's the charm in Tampa, Florida!
After staying at two very good Tampa area hotels, one of which Donna accompanied me to, she and I rolled the dice and stayed at the Tampa Marriott Water Street. We expected it would be to our liking in every way, and it is a keeper!
Nestled along the Tampa Riverwalk in downtown Tampa, this four-star gem offers waterside dining, outstanding restaurants and an indoor bridge to the five-star JW Marriott Tampa Water Street. That means you get to avail yourself of five-star quality shopping and dining while staying at four-star prices!
We have twiced stayed at the Tampa Marriott Water Street hotel.
On one occasion, our 350 square foot city view room came with a king bed and a guest room area that were perfect. Both of us found the bed and pillows to our liking.
On our second stay, we got to the hotel hours before check-in and grabbed an upgrade to get into a room.
What an upgrade it was!
For about $100 more, we found ourselves in a high-floor king terrace guest room, replete with an extra-large terrace and a table-and-chair setup. Much like our, first stay, the room was 350 square feet and the accoutrements were to our liking.
Being that I am an early riser, I appreciate a lobby that feels welcoming in the wee hours, and Tampa Marriott Water Street did not disappoint, offering many high-top styled tables (aka bar tables) with charging ports as well as large-sized chairs that give the feeling of privacy when sitting in one.
The area surrounding the Tampa Marriott Water Street is bustling with action. Step outside the hotel, and you'll see that you are one block away from the Benchmark International Arena (former Amalie Arena) and a short walk from the cool vibe of the Water Street Tampa Neighborhood.
The next day, we made our way to Hyde Park Village. A pedestrian-friendly shopping district full of fashion, specialty stores, restaurants and the like.
An enjoyable way to spend an afternoon, Hyde Park Village is but a short 10-15 minutes from the Tampa Marriott Water Street.
For lunch, we dined at Timpano Hyde Park, a self-described elegant Italian steakhouse. The weather was perfect for outdoor eating, so that's where we went.
I had a baby spinach salad; Donna chose the grilled vegetable panini. Her sandwich was presented excellently; my salad, consisting of Boursin cheese, toasted almonds, red onion, golden raisins, and red wine vinaigrette on the side, had just the right amount of cheese. In other words, it wasn't drowning in cheese as some chefs have a proclivity to do.
There are plenty of food choices in Hyde Park Village. Timpano Hyde Park is definitely one that you should consider.
A quick mention regarding the two hotels I referred to as being very good. One is The CURRENT Hotel. A beautiful place that, as I mentioned in this blog, is unfortunately surrounded by a mix of residential, parking, and only one restaurant, The Rusty Pelican.
The other hotel is Le Méridien Tampa, The Courthouse. The people were great; the service was equally great; the funky renovation of the courthouse was neat, the dining was decidedly average and similar to the CURRENT Hotel; it is a bit removed from the Tampa scene.
The Tampa Marriott Water Street, located at 505 Water Street, takes all the goodness of the CURRENT and Le Méridien combines it with a fabulous location, friendly staff, and great eats, moving it to the front of the line for hotels we will stay at the next time we are in Tampa.
Left: Pool. Right: High Floor King Terrace Room View
See more of the Tampa Marriott Water Street Hotel In This Pictorial Tour.
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See ya soon! Photo Credit: Abdulla Haljawini, IHG Hotels, Me,
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