Coming to Tampa for conference. We have decided to come in 2 days prior and enjoy city for weekend. What is the best hotel(s)? Any resorts? Are they near dining and nightlife?

How about best restuarant and bars recommendations?

Go to Ybor city for great dining and nightlife.

The restaurant at the top of the Hyatt--the names escapes me but I think it begins with A--is quite excellent: food, service, atmosphere. I highly recommend it...

The restaurant Russ is thinking of is Armani's.

I heard good things about Burns Steakhouse. (Couldn't get in when I was there.)

If you're staying on the St. Pete/Clearwater side of the Bay, we had a really nice dinner at the Renaissance Vinoy. I think the restaurant was called "Franks." But, I might be wrong about the name. Definately remember it as a good meal, though..

Yes, Armani's at the Hyatt is great with a spectacular setting and food to match. The Hyatt's other restuarant is also good, more casual (Oystercatcher's, I think). In fact, the Hyatt is a great property all around.

Wandering around Hyde Park is fun, lots of little shops and restaurants, and some jazz clubs, etc. And by all means get some of the local Cuban flavor, by visiting Ybor City, which is also a real nightlife center. Reviews are mixed on the food at Columbia, the really old Spanish restaurant there, but it is a great experience anyway -- rather unique in the US. And the bread alone is to die for.

Thanks for the nice words Patrick. We've had a name change, did you know? As of last Monday, it became the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay--no longer Hyatt Westshore.

The best hotel out on the beaches is the Don Cesar in St Pete Beach. Rooms are on the small side (only because it's a 20's era hotel) but it's a lovely resort property with a fairly recent renovation and their upscale restaurant, Maritana Grill, is excellent! The pool area is beautiful, as is their beach.

I'm not a big Berns' fan, but they've got a new menu and I'll have to give it another try. Their food previously was good, but uninspired, IMHO and the decor...! Same decor still, and wine list still chained to the darned table, lt; but maybe all that will eventually change too. The kitchen and wine cellar tour make it quite an experience though. Fun to see. The new menu sounds more innovative. The owner passed away this year, but his son has been running it for several years anyway.

Not only are the reviews mixed on Columbia, but the food seems to be as well. We've had good to great from there at the charity fund raiser "Taste of Tampa", and not so wonderful at the restaurant itself. Both times, cioppino...go figure! The flamenco show is fun and if you are going there for dinner, I'd definitely try to get reservations for that room.

here are a few:

Cafe don Jose in Temple Terrace, a spanish 80% cuban 20% but excellent, try the mussels, the bread, the spanish bean soup, and the cazuela de mariscos, I haven't been to Tampa in a while and I try to scheme up business excuses to get myself back there just to eat at this place. Columbia is overrated or appropriately rated if the rating was low. Bern's is a good experience but to me steak is just boring, although if you like steak Bern's has some of the best in the US, so if you are a steak lover don't miss Bern's. but definitely go to Cafe Don Jose.

Don Cesar is a wonderful hotel, if you want to stay at the Beach. It is about 1 hour from Tampa though. Grand Hyatt is very nice, on the water but you can't swim there. And nothing aound the area except the airport, stripbar and Red lobster. Although Aramini's and Oystercatchers are both fantastic restuarants. Bern's is very over-rated as is the Columbia in Ybor. You can get better Spanish food for 1/2 the price and the dancers are nothing special. Ybor is a great place to walk around - different. Big City Tavern, Samari Blue, Bernini's are all good choices for eating in Ybor. If you want to see Tampa, stay at the Marriott waterside and take the trolley down to Ybor. If you want to visit the beach stay at the Don or Sheraton Sand Key.