gaelle

Three siblings are going to meet in tampa for 3 nights to visit the area. We will have a car. Should we stay in tampa (marriott waterside?) or would you suggest we stay in st pete or sarasota. does anyone have a hotel recommendation in any of these places?
Thank you for your help.

Gekko

Do you want to be on the beach?

If so, stay on the beaches east of Tampa -- from Clearwater south to Pass-a-Grille, the Gulf beaches are beautiful.

Consider the famous Don Cesar on St. Pete Beach.

Don't miss the Dali Museum in downtown St. Pete and the aquarium in Tampa. If you like amusement parks, Busch Gardens is nearby.

Or you might want to just hang out on the beach.

Enjoy!

Gekko

Sorry .. the beaches are WEST of Tampa, of course.

gaelle

We're going to be flying into Tampa on Thursday and leaving late morning on Sunday. We want to visit Sarasota, St Pete and Tampa. We won't be hanging out at the beach but we like to look at it! So I guess what we need is a base from which we can do day trips to the aforementioned places. Do you think Tampa is the place or would it be better to be in Clearwater? Is there a lot of traffic going in and out of Tampa if we stayed there?

nolefan1

I was in Tampa over Christmas to see my family. The traffic is heavy because there is a lot of interstste construction going on around the airport and the downtown area also. My brother tries not to travel at all around the Metro area during peak hours. Normally one could get to Sarasota from Tampa in around 45 minutes.

If Sarasota is a must see, you might want to stay a little closer, like Bradenton or Longboat Key. They have really nice shops and restaurants on Siesta Key which is right on top of Sarasota. Just plan plenty of time to get back to TIA. Maybe traffic will not be too bad though since you will be flying out Sunday afternoon.

Have fun...it is a great city! 8-)

OO

Stay in St Pete Beach. Marriott Waterside is a nice hotel, but downtown Tampa is dead at night, except for Ybor City, which has appeal to a limited age group. If you stay at SPB you can be downtown Tampa in a bit over half an hour, and same for Sarasota.

Traffic to and from Tampa and Clearwater can be hellacious, red light after red light, to say nothing of the traffic within CWB itself, and it's a hike to Sarasota as well. SPB is an easy drive to either Tampa or Sarasota.

Gekko

Sarasota is quite a drive from Tampa Bay ... over an hour south, longer if traffic is heavy.

Why is Sarasota a must-see?

I agree that perhaps you should consider a central location like Anna Maria Island -- but, then again, it's not really convenient to any of your destinations.

Definitely do NOT stay in Clearwater, which is congested and too far north.

I think St Pete Beach is best for you.

gaelle

thank you for all your help. it looks like saint pete is the place. any suggestions for hotels?