Tampa, Florida / TPA airport hotel -- Hilton

November 2010, Weekday-weekend, 3-nights, King executive guestroom

Status perks

I was able to check-in online to an upgraded executive floor room the day before my arrival, so I did. Two complimentary bottles of water were included in the room each day.

Guestroom

Our room was on the top floor. The only rooms with a balcony at this hotel are the rooms on the 11th and 12th floor. The room was spacious and comfortable, although the toilet seat in the bathroom was cracked. It was cracked to the point that I got pinched every time I sat down. I was surprised this had not been replaced sooner. I informed the front desk of the problem at check out.

Our stay was from Friday afternoon - Monday morning. Our flight arrived before check-in time, and our room was ready for us when we arrived. The executive lounge was open for breakfast; however, it was not open in the evening. We were able to get a mini fridge delivered to our room for no extra charge. Internet is free for Gold and Diamond members and the speed was satisfactory.

Food & Beverage

We had calamari, the grilled chicken pepper jack sandwich, and a couple of mixed drinks and wine in the lounge during our stay. Jose Cuervo margaritas were on special for $4 all day Saturday. This was not advertised, and I found out about the special when I overheard another guest ask about this. The food and beverages were satisfactory, and other than the margarita special, they were standard (slightly inflated) hotel airport prices.

Pool

Even though this hotel is located in a business area near the airport, we thought the pool area was quite nice. The chairs were comfortable, it was tastefully landscaped, and there was plenty of room. The hot tub was set at the appropriate temperature for the cool evenings. The Internet connection speed in the pool area was lousy. I was not able to get much work done in this area.

Fitness center

The fitness center was open 24 hours. There were several cardio machines with cardio theater, weights, a weight bench, and floor mat. Everything was in great working order.

Misc./Overall

We were happy with this stay and would stay here again. I was able to get a great AAA rate online for $62 a night! The price made the stay even more satisfactory. This hotel is very close to the airport, and we did not hear any airplane noise during our stay. The hotel is located across from the International Plaza, which is a large upscale shopping mall with several restaurants. The hotel shuttle provides transportation; however, we had no problem walking back and forth. We waited 20 minutes for the airport shuttle when we arrived, which is how long the front desk employee had said it would be when we called.