Situated on the Gulf Coast, Tampa is a major cultural and economic hotspot for Florida. It’s home to numerous museums, like the Tampa Museum of Art and its hypermodern, LED-lit facade that changes with the time of day. Then there’s the historic Ybor City neighborhood, founded by Cuban and Spanish immigrants and once the epicenter of cigar manufacturing in the United States. The animal theme park Busch Gardens, meanwhile, is a perennial favorite for tourists.
Planning on visiting Tampa? We’ve selected two resorts (and one especially swanky hotel) for you nearby. One offers beaches, another tennis and golf, the third is a boutique hotel with a relaxing spa. Prices range from midrange to sub-luxury, so there are options for several budgets.
Emerald Greens Condo Resort
From $242/ night
As this property’s name suggests, the putting green can be a prominent part of your stay: there’s a 27-hole golf course, as well as eight tennis courts and an outdoor pool. Kids, meanwhile, can enjoy a playground. After a sporty day, you can relax in your room. Each of this resort’s fifty suites includes a private balcony, furnishings, seating and dining areas, and a full kitchen. If you don’t feel like cooking, the 1972 Bar and Grille serves lunch and dinner aside a view of the golf course’s sweeping lawns, while the Oasis Poolside Grill mixes cocktails. To round out your stay at this highly-rated property, there’s a gym and sauna, the former of which past guests have praised.
Safety Harbor Resort
From $166/ night
Located in Clearwater, this resort is about a 30 to 40 minute drive from Tampa’s city center, but it offers more in the way of beaches and aquatic fun than hotels within the city proper. This 175-room resort sits on a natural mineral spring, flanked by tall, skinny palm trees, and offers glittering views of the Florida landscape. Enjoy the sights by sitting back in one of the resort’s two outdoor pools (one is year-round), or go for a dip in the indoor pool. Another highlight of this resort? Try the 50,000 square footage of spa and fitness offerings. Anyone over the age of 18 can choose from 50 indulgent spa and salon treatments. (A teen spa is also available.) As for fitness, there’s a lap pool, cardio and workout equipment, and fitness classes.
Epicurean Hotel
From $349/ night
Recent guests have given high marks to this elegant, urban hotel in South Tampa’s SoHo district. This food-foucsed property is close to locales like Bayshore Boulevard and Hyde Park Village, and both Ybor City and the art museum are within a 15-minute drive. More importantly, the Epicurean’s interiors are inviting, especially Evangeline, the on-site, appointment-only, full-service spa, where fruit scrubs, lotions and botanical oils await your travel-wearied flesh. After indulging there, you can dine at Élevage for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Drinks and tapas can be had afterwards at Edge. Don’t let the party stop at the bar: each room comes with a minibar, and concierge services are available.