coldwar27

Hi everyone,

Ok so I moved to Vermont, it wasn't me, so I moved back to Tampa. The man is moving down here and we are to be married this October in Tampa -specifically south Tampa.

I am struggling with what hotel or hotels to steer my out of town guests towards. I'm looking at the Wyndham Harbor Island Hotel and the Marriott Waterside for starters. I will have some young (hip?) cousins attending who would be interested in Ybor City/Channelside District so was thinking about a hotel in Ybor City. Then, there is the beach factor and trying to think if I should look at a Sand Key area beach. Ideas? I know it's silly since I live here but I don't hotel much in Tampa.

PS Yes I am aware that it will be hurricane season but I am going to ignore that fact.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Tandoori_Girl

CW, wow. Welcome back to Tampa. Mmmmm -- Vermont? That's a stretch.

Honestly, I'd steer clear of the beach for at least the time that you will need guests to be in South Tampa. It's a 20-30 minute haul and they will not have the time to hang out at the beach, they need to be in South Tampa. They will be exhausted from all the driving back and forth.

Do you need to offer a range of different priced hotels to accomodate guests with different budgets? If that's the case then maybe you should include the Tahitian on Dale Mabry. It has a nice pool, nice restaurant, is in a good location, and has been recently updated. Is also has the wonderful distinction of being the former hangout of Burt Reynolds before he married Loni.

There is an Embassy Suites on Westshore that is good for people who need more space and I think the living area has couches that turn into beds so you can get more folks into one room. But not positive on that.

There is also a Wyndham at the corner of Westshore and Kennedy. I like the hotels you've picked. Why not include the Don Vicente B&B in Ybor for those who want something special. You could steer those who are wanting something beachy to any of the accomodations at Rocky Point.

Happy wedding! And where will it be, by the way?

coldwar27

Thanks so much. It will actually be at the Academy of the Holy Names school. The chapel for the ceremony and their beautiful (yes I am biased) hall for the reception.

These are great ideas! Thanks!

Scarlett

Congratulations!
I know that feeling, moving somewhere and finally having to admit it was a beeeg mistake.
Glad things are working out so nicely

Tandoori_Girl

Scarlett, we here in FL are very happy that you are happy. The swamp is not for everyone. But don't you miss your birds? And the sunshine? And how about those friendly little cucharachas : )

Scarlett

LOL, Tandoori Girl, some of those friendly creatures are better off staying in Florida

They have birds here, and I have flowers and plants on my terrace all winter, it is mild here, and the sun still shines here too, there are just more breaks lol...
My plants I left behind are thriving ( so I hear) and the birds are still there too ~

joan

Coldwar, welcome back, and congratulations on your wedding! The hotels you have chosen are in a good location. There is a trolley that runs from the Marriott, stops at Channelside and Ybor. So your younger folks could visit Ybor that way. Folks staying at the Westshore locations that TGirl recommended would need some kind of transportation, so perhaps it's better to keep everybody together at the waterside location?

coldwar27

Thanks so much for the welcome back and the good advice. It was a good experience moving - even for the short time. It makes you really appreciate what you have in Florida and for me, specifically in Tampa. I just came back from a week in Vermont for a visit and yes the visit was nice but no regrets in moving back.

The "cat is out of the bag" this week about the wedding and I do have some family from out of town talking about staying at the beach. My family has a place on Sand Key so after gathering some informal input from out of towners, we will consider the beach as well. I just want them to understand the transportation issues involved.

Thanks again!

coldwar27

Thanks again for the assistance and I have some updates...

The Harbor Island and Marriott Waterside were both sold out for the dates. I decided to call the Grand Hyatt because it is secretly my favorite hotel in Tampa back from the days my high school had dances there... They have space so that's the main hotel. The sales manager was EXTREMELY helpful and very friendly - turns out we know some of the same people. I also blocked rooms at the Radisson Bay Harbor Hotel and the Chase Suites Hotel for guests as well. Both of these hotels are located in the Rocky Point area. We did also block some at the Sheraton Sand Key since my parents have a place out on Sand Key and some people might want the real beach experience out there. I'm thinking with the shift to Rocky Point that the rehearsal dinner will be at Rusty Pelican.

I abandoned my Ybor City hotels because thinking about it, the younger people that are coming in town probably won't have time to really hang out there.

Thanks again for all of your help!