Hyatt Place Tampa/Busch Gardens

The location is the main plus, right down the street from Busch Gardens, and most of the staff were friendly. The hotel is old, though, and the rooms show it. Parking is $12 a day, but one day I came back to find every space taken by people at the sports bar out front. That felt absurd when we’re charged to park. They don’t give guests a decal or anything to put in the car, which seems like an easy way to identify the bar customers and tow them. After I’d been away at the beach all day, I returned around 4:30 and my room still hadn’t been cleaned. That’s never happened to me before. Breakfast was okay, but don’t expect much, and the choices stayed the same for my whole stay. This place was just okay. Keep expectations low.

Our room worked really well for a family. The beds were comfortable, the AC was just right, and the layout was great. My kid loved the extra couch space, and I appreciated all the counter space for keeping things organized. Talia was especially helpful with my questions, and the staff were friendly and accommodating from the moment we arrived. We finished our vacation here, and the Hyatt/Busch Gardens package made a big difference. Up to seven days of park access kept our schedule relaxed and made it more affordable. After a long day at the parks, we didn’t have to look far for dinner. 30 North, right in front of the hotel, had excellent food and service, and we didn’t even have to leave the parking lot. We’ll be back. It’s a great base for a visit to the area.

I didn’t try the breakfast this time, so I can’t comment on it. The room was spacious, as I’ve come to expect at Hyatt hotels, and everything was clean. This wasn’t my first stay, and it’s been a few years since the hotel opened. You can see its age in the building, but that’s okay.

The bed covers have a plastic feel, and they make a grocery-bag-like rustling noise whenever you move at night. The pillows are mini-sized, and I don’t understand why they can’t use regular ones. The bathroom is the worst part. The door gets in the way, there’s hardly room to enter the shower without obstacles, and it’s really difficult to close the door in that tight space. If you’re on the heavier side, you can’t close it. I’m posting this again because the business said I hadn’t explained my bad review.