Hampton Inn & Suites Tampa/Ybor City/Downtown

I enjoyed my one night pre-cruise stay. It was nice being on the trolley line because we needed a few things for the cruise and went to Publix. Also the free shuttle to the port was great. Also, the breakfast was plentiful.

Hotel was convenient in a quaint town of Ybor. To get to Downtown, easily took the street car across the road. The staff at the front desk were friendly and welcoming. The room had good setup; big beds. There was table and chair. Refrigerator. Iron and other basic including a large TV. But the bathroom was a disappointment. The sink tap was on the right side and was small. It was impossible to wash properly. The hand lotion bottle was empty. There was no soap dish. No glasses. One full toilet paper roll and the other one half the size. I had to ask for another. There was no number mentioned of the front desk on the telephone so I had to go down to the front desk to ask for the roll and to ask for housekeeping. The ridiculous part is that we were told that for housekeeping, front desk has to be informed 24 hrs in advance. Any was I was there 24 hours so I got housekeeping for the NEXT day. We expected housekeeping sometime between 11 and 1 pm. Well returned from our day trip around 4 pm and still the beds weren’t made, no new toilet paper. I checked the room and it wasn’t vacuumed. I went to the front desk and complained and they said it’s Thanksgiving and “could be” due to staff shortage and it’s possible that housekeeping is still happening for other rooms and our turn hasn’t come up yet. I asked for another toilet paper roll. Around 5:15 pm, the housekeeping lady arrived and at the same time we left for dinner. We returned and were shocked. The beds were still not made. The carpet still dirty. But in the bathroom, the floor was mopped, new towels and body lotion topped up and trash taken out. But NO toilet paper and instead one of the holder was snapped out and broken. I had to go down to front desk again and report. They gave me the same crap about thanksgiving and limited housekeeping being done as it was holidays. At the breakfast bar, they was no concept of separating meat trays from the vegetarians options. The spoon that was being used in sausages were being used in potatoes. I asked the staff twice; first to get new serving spoon but that didn’t work and I asked to get fresh from kitchen and the person said, they had run out it. The bananas, oranges and apples were old and tasteless. We reported this to the front desk as well. What I hate the most Is that that housekeeping stole my cash money. Unfortunately I have no proof and I found out recently as I was unpacking. It’s was the only time I was separated from my bag when I left it in the closet under another bag and housekeeping had suddenly showed up after 5 pm. I don’t know how the person managed to find time to go through our bags and skim money. No wonder the room hadn’t been done. They were busy doing the stealing. I don’t have the proof but I am 100% sure about the theft. I’ll write to the hotel directly as well but my reviewing of hotel here is to grow awareness to be wary of your belongings and always report and complain when things are wrong. I’m sure other people staying at the hotel may have had better experience I was appalled. Their website said $18 + VAT for parking but we were charged $20 + VAT. Overall, I am disappointed.

It has taken me some time to write this review, but it has no bearing on how fantastic my stay was here! Because of this particular stay at the end of April, I stayed at 2 other Hamptons during my road trip to Florida. Great location & atmosphere! Nothing can compare to the hospitality Ms. Janice provided me. Ms.Janice knew all the restaurants to go to, told my husband and me how to get on the free trolley, and did I tell you she was overly energetic at 11ish at night! We had a conversation about it being my birthday, and she immediately, even when not being in, wrote a note to her colleague Lori (another wonderful treat and vibrant spirit) to put out a card and the sign for my birthday, even though it was a few days after. This birthday had so many meanings, and Janice made it even more special. My brother, who passed, worked in hospitality, and he always said it’s about the service you provide to your guests that matters the most, even when they don’t expect it! Well done, Ms. Janice. If you are not a manager now, you certainly should be. An executive HR professional, their services and customer focus are what we all look for in employees who go above and beyond the call of duty! The rooms were clean, and Ms. Janice made sure my snacks were given as a Hilton honor member! We will be back! Ms. Janice, you exemplify the art of hospitality and make me proud to be an honors member. It's an honor to be part of the Hilton membership you embody! Easy to say the value was well worth it! Ps: She even told us other areas to visit in Florida! We went to the pier in St. Petersburg!

We like many, were in Tampa for the Tampa General Hospital, one of the top in the nation. The hotel is 3 miles away. There is shuttle service available during the day. Room was nice, clean and comfortable. Everything worked in the room. The staff was in tune to who a lot of their clientele were. They were cheerful, helpful and yes, compassionate as to why we were here. There is one especially, Michael at the front desk who was spectacular. Mitch in maintenance was great too. We didnt do any exploring in the surrounding area but if we ever come back, this is the place to stay. One area of improvement is the parking. Expensive and not enough of it. The second lot was unsecured and I would have felt antsy leaving my vehicle downstairs with open access for anyone to walk in.

Enjoyed our stay at this hotel because of Janet, the wonderful front desk clerk. She was very friendly, gave us great advice including places to eat, how to catch the trolly, even helped both of us download the WiFi - with a smile. The room was clean, the bed was comfortable, the breakfast offered both hot and cold options. This hotel also offers a shuttle to the cruise port The location is in the heart of Ybor’s Historic District which offers LOTS choices of restaurants. I would stay here again.

Parking is a pain as the parking garage fills up which is kind of a hassle. When I took a shower the next day I noticed writing on the mirror and I know it wasn’t my girlfriend who wrote it and it kind of freaked her out. Do better please. The pillows on the bed wasn’t as comfortable as I thought it would be