The La Quinta Inn by Wyndham located across the Street from Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is an excellent hotel if planning on using the Tampa CityPASS or just planning a visit to Busch Gardens. This two star hotel isn’t fancy but has all your basic needs covered. There is a pool, clean rooms, hot showers, great air conditioning, and free breakfast.
While this place won’t blow your socks off. It is a nice comfortable place at a very affordable price. This is a great location when utilizing the Tampa CityPASS. With Busch Gardens Tampa across the street and Zoo Tampa within 5 miles, La Quinta Inn is the perfect starting point. Plus you are only about an hour away from Walt Disney World. If your family is anything like mine you like to do a few things while you are on your vacation.
I originally stayed here in August of 2019 (see that post here). I stayed here again in August of 2021. In 2019 La Quinta was in the process of remodeling. In 2021 that remodel was complete and the rooms were looking good.
The Room
Now like I said before the rooms are nothing special. They are not fabulous but they also are not terrible. It is a budget hotel after all. The bed wasn’t too soft or hard (I prefer my mattress on the firmer side). Unlike last time the pillows were good. Two years ago I almost went out and bought new pillows. I didn’t have to worry about that this time.
We ended up staying in a 2 Full bed room which had plenty of room for the 2 of us. Now for a family of 4 it will probably be a little tight. But how much time are you really planning on staying in the room in a hotel like this? Isn’t really just for sleeping anyway?
The air conditioning in the room worked flawlessly. Mind you I stayed here in the beginning of August and it was very hot and humid out all day. I mean all day like you step outside at 6am and you start sweating kind of heat and humidity. All you have to do is step inside the room for a nice blast of cool air.
The bathroom again while small, handles its purpose perfectly. The water pressure in the shower is great. The temperature was also very pleasant and easy to adjust. The toilet had great flushing power. The only problem is with the toilet seat down, the door catches it while trying to open or close it.
Now for my BIGGEST issue with this room. Not enough outlets and NO USB plugs. I ended up having to unplug the one lamp by the TV so I could charge my laptop. I don’t really get the point of a desk that has no outlet to plug anything into. Would be better if the lamp had an outlet at its base. Who knows, maybe when they are done with all the construction they will update the rooms.
AMENITIES
Now this is only a two star hotel so you won’t be finding any top of the line amenities here. However, you will find a few that work great for a family on a budget. WIFI is free. This is a great thing since a lot of the more expensive hotels like to charge you for this. I don’t get that but maybe you do so let me know in the comments why they do that.
You will also find a small but relaxing pool. It’s a great way to cool off in those hot Florida summers. Plus there is plenty of seating around the pool. It makes it really easy to relax after a long day.
The best amenity offered at the La Quinta Inn by Wyndham Tampa is the free breakfast. Can you really ask for anything more when you are traveling than getting a free breakfast at your hotel? Of course this will not be the best breakfast you have ever had. But it hits the spot and keeps you full till lunch. You will find cereal, hard boiled eggs, toast, Bagels, and make your own waffles.
The coffee wasn’t bad here either. I definitely had a few cups to help jump start my long days while I was visiting the Tampa area. The seating and food area were kept nice and clean and the staff made sure everything was nicely stocked. I’ve been to a few hotels that have offered free breakfast that were not worth a second visit. This one while very basic, was surprising good and worth the visit on the second day.
LOCAL AREA
As I stated before this hotel is located right across the street from Busch Gardens Tampa. You could walk there if you really wanted to. If you happen to visit in the summer time you will be greeted by fireworks at night. But Busch Gardens isn’t the only thing that is close by. It is however, the only thing you could walk to.
Clearwater beach is about an hour’s drive away. Here you will find some beautiful white sand beaches, good eats, warm waters and fantastic sunsets.
Now before you get to the Clearwater beach you will pass an inspirational place and one that is part of the Tampa CityPASS ticket. It’s the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is home to Winter the Dolphin from the movie Dolphin Tale.
Now while those two locations some might consider far from the hotel these other two would be considered right around the block. Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park is less than 15 minutes away. It is also part of the Tampa CityPASS. The Florida Aquarium is also very close at under 20 minutes away and again is part of the Tampa CityPASS. Are you beginning to see why this hotel is a great spot to stay if planning on getting the CityPASS.
From the hotel parking lot you can see SheiKra over at Busch Gardens. One of 10 roller coasters at Busch Gardens Tampa. This hotel is close enough to local area attractions that make it worth a stay.
La Quinta Inn by Wyndham Tampa near Busch Gardens is a great place to spend a night or two in Tampa. The location is great if you are planning on using the Tampa CityPASS since you are near several of the attractions on the ticket. While this place will not blow your socks off with out of this world amenities or room size.
It does make up with what they offer and the cost of the room. Going on vacation is very costly. Saving some money on the hotel (since you are only sleeping there), helps have extra money for all the fun stuff.
Remember that this hotel is only a short drive from Orlando (about an hour). It is a great break from the hustle and bustle of Walt Disney World or Universal Studios. It’s also a great starting point if you would like to hit up one of Florida’s famous beaches. For me there is just something about stepping out into the Gulf.
Kozmo Photos 