Best Western All Suites Hotel Near USF Behind Busch Gardens

Don't believe everything you read. This hotel was great for our family. We were skeptical after reading some reviews, however, the staff was very friendly; the room was clean and tidy and the pool was awesome for kids. Right next to Busch Gardens as well. The hotel bar was a plus with happy hour drinks. The free breakfast was good enough too; what do people expect for "free"?? The hotel was better than I expected for the money. If people want 1st class accomodations, then they need to shell out 3 times as much and stay elsewhere. We would definatley stay here again. There were plenty of places to eat in the area as well and a grocery store within 2 miles.

Have been going to Tampa for 10 years with granddaughter who is a Shriners Hospital patient. Started staying at Best Western 2 years ago. That first visit left a lot to be desired as far as cleanliness and condition of furniture in room. Had 3 trips this year and the new owners are in the process of redoing the rooms. Most of our rooms have been on the bottom floor due to medical situation, but last month, had a second floor room due to the remodeling, repainting, etc. that was being done on the bottom floor. The staff placed us very close to the elevator, and even changed rooms for us due to a small problem. The staff has always been courteous and helpful in every way.

This is the hotel I will always use when starying in Tampa, not only for the convenience but also because of the staff and the upgrading the owners are in the process of accomplishing. Will be going back in a few days and look forward to this visit. I know that we will receive the service that we desire and have become accustomed to receiving.

Don't believe everything you read. This hotel was great for our family. We were skeptical after reading some reviews, however, the staff was very friendly; the room was clean and tidy and the pool was awesome for kids. Right next to Busch Gardens as well. The hotel bar was a plus with happy hour drinks. The free breakfast was good enough too; what do people expect for "free"?? The hotel was better than I expected for the money. If people want 1st class accomodations, then they need to shell out 3 times as much and stay elsewhere. We would definatley stay here again. There were plenty of places to eat in the area as well and a grocery store within 2 miles.

I've stayed at Best Western’s before and stayed at this location for the weekend of Oct. 21, 22 during Howl-O-Scream. Everything about it was worth the price and some. Four of us shared a room (2 couples) and at no point did we feel like we were all in one space. The beds and even the pull out were just right. The staff was extremely friendly and took care of extra towels, rags, and got us into our room very fast. The pool and onsite Tiki bar are beautiful and the chips and salsa were very yummy. We were not very familiar with the area and were very happy that the park was within walking distance along with lots of places to eat at 2am. As far as the grounds go, the rooms are very clean, spacious bathrooms, big comfy beds and a safe location for a great price. We couldn’t have asked for a sweeter staff. I would definitely stay here again and recommend this location.

My family and I stayed at the Best Western from 7/23 - 7/25 and I want to say to my surprise the hotel was beyond my expectation especially after reading some of the reviews posted. The hotel was clean and the staff was friendly. This hotel is in a great location right around the corner from Busch Gardens and Adventure Island and was close to alot of great places to eat and shop. And the best part was they offer free buffet breakfast every morning to their guest which was a plus. I can honestly say that we are going to stay here again in the future. Check it out for yourself!!!!!

I'm shocked at the negative reaction I'm reading here. I've stayed at this hotel several times, for several days at a time over the past five months and think it's a great place! It's well-kept,especially considering the traffic it gets. The rooms I've had were clean, with lots of room and amenities, especially for families with children. The pool and hot tub are great and in a great setting with a poolside restaurant and bar there. The breakfast bar isn't the best breakfast you'll have in your life, but it's just fine. For the price I pay of less than $90 a night, it's an amazing value!!!

After looking into hotels around the Busch area, we found this one just north and down the street from Busch Gardens/Adventure Island since we just needed a basecamp after 3 days here. A quiet area with a Free shuttle to both Adv Isl and Busch drove us right to the front gates. We liked the "all suites" layout and we had two rooms with 2 adults and 5 kids. Nice clean pool, and rec area on the covered outdoor deck with 2 pool tables and a ping pong table . The included breakfast was so so with various cereals, fruit bowl and scrambled eggs/sausage only and seating outside the breakfast area in case the tables got full. Staff was friendly. The only drawback was the large group of family reunion members a bit noisy for our taste, but overall a good stay.

We really like this hotel. The rooms are nice, not brand new but It is clean, it seems to be family run, the grounds are well kept and staff is pleasant.

It is nice to have a suite with a completely separate bedroom. (We do not typically spend alot of time in our room while on vacation) Fridge and microwave are a nice addition. The breakfast is very basic but freshly cooked which is nice. Think of your local greasy spoon, that's it. We usually shop ahead of time and have our own fresh healthy breakfast in the room anyway but nice as a back-up...Keep in mind, it is free. The Parrot's restaurant has an extensive menu and everything that we have tried has been surprisingly good. So many hotels now do not even have an onsite restaurant, it is nice not to have to drive somewhere to get food.

We really enjoy the wonderful pool and tiki bar area along with the tropical follage, it reminds me of quite a few small caribbean hotels that I have stayed in... We brought our own lunch to the tables and enjoyed the shade under the tiki deck since the bar/grill did not open till late afternoon.

I agree that neighbors can be noisy, we encountered it for one of our nights, but that has also happened to us at onsite Disney properties so just not here. Not everyone acts appropriately, especially on vacation, but we have never felt unsafe at this hotel.

If you want a really quiet room without pool noise or the noise of the young pre=teens playing the hotels outdoor games at night, ask for room facing the office park away from Busch Blvd, behind the property, that seems to make a difference.

It is very convenient to Busch Gardens (2 minute drive) and so nice to come back to the hotel during the day and enjoy the pool instead of suffering all day through the tough summer heat and crowds.

This is one of our favorite hotels, even though I am Marriott Silver Elite and Holiday Inn Gold - this is really the best hotel in the Busch Gardens area. The inside courtyard is very lush and tropical and between the pool/tiki bar/teen play area, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

We will be back again for sure!

This is a nice hotel for the money. Our rooms were very clean and well equipped (free wifi, desk, refrigerator, TVs, game controller, coffee maker, hair dryer, etc.) The bathroom was particularly clean. I felt comfortable walking around in bare feet.

Every room looks out on the pool. Convenient bar/restaurant open to the pool.

Limited breakfest menu, but good quality and FREE.

Happy hour at the bar had 2 for 1 drinks until 7:30pm.

Super convenient to Busch Gardens Tampa.

The staff were very friendly and helpful. The counter person remembered my name from the first time I spoke with her.

When my family and me went to check in Vivian at the front desk was great. I know she has been there awhile because she remembered US from 4 years ago when John Ruzik owned the hotel. The rooms were as we remembered it. Still spacious and everything you need right at your fingertips. There were some staff members who were a bit 'touched' but Kevin in maintenance wasn't a familiar face but still a great and very helpful when there were issues with the fridge in our room. The fridge was not getting cold. Also there was Heather in the sales office. She has been there forever and is one of the most friendliest and funniest employee that they have. She even helped us get our luggage and kids out of the shuttle we took. There were a few good and bad changes. None from the staff really. The rooms have been an upgrade somewhat. They are cleaner and spacious. Perfect for the family with many children like myself. The food quality however has gone down a LOT. There was not much on the menu that we have not tried. Even the breakfast. Were very picky eaters though. Still say the best bet is 5 star pizza (they can give you the number at the front desk) or some other local restaurant. The first room we were put in the key didn't work and when it did the room smelled a like mold... BAD. It was clean however. They switched us without a problem 2 doors over. The room was perfect. If you decide to rent a car do not take your chances making a left towards Busch Garden on 30th street. We saw 4 accidents and they SHOULD put a traffic light there. There is a back way out (the front desk will show you) which is much safer and faster way to Busch Gardens. This isn't the four season and we realized that. The personal service we received alone is enough reason to come back. This place is not a dump by far. The parrots from Bush Gardens still nest in their palm trees by the pool. The rooms were pretty spacious that you can't beat elsewhere.

We have just return from our "before back to school" get away . My two kids loved it. The room was clean, confortable, and spacious. My kids enjoy their area in the living room. The sofa bed was very confortable. Unlike other reviews, I didn't see a single ant in my roomand we had hot and cold water all the time.

The only downside was the breakfast. It is included, but it was more continental than "hot". Anyway there are many fastfood places around to go eat. Bushgardens is around the corner which is very convenient. Our family always try to take short vacations during the year and this hotel has met much more and better expectarions than more expensive hotels we have stayed in. We will for sure go back.

The check in and out was fast.

We were visiting Busch Gardens from the Disnay area, so decided to stay the night - hotel fine for the money, a bit tired, but hey, not as tired as us! Served its purpose fine, pool okay, our boys played in it till around 10.30pm when it was closed - we sat by the bar and had a couple of drinks; what more do you need? Breakfast was a bit basic, and we have had nicer, but edible.

Stayed at the Best Western during school vacation April 16-20. It was very convenient for going to Busch Gardens and Adventure Island, only about a mile away. The hotel itself was very nice. Lovely pool area and sun deck. The patio bar was nice and the food and drinks were reasonable - mostly Mexican food on the menu. The room itself was large, with a seperate sitting area which included a T.V. , microwave and refrigerator. The bedroom had two double beds and a large vanity area with sink. The hotel offers free shuttle service to Busch Gardens and Adventure Island but, only once a day. Leaves at 10:00 am and picks up at 6:00 pm. Since the park closed at 7:00 pm in April, we had no other option but to take a taxi on four seperate occasions which cost $6.00 each time. Most of the time the shuttle was just sitting out in front of the hotel. I think they should offer more times for the shuttle to run throughout the day. The only other complaint I have is that breakfast should be offered past 9:30 and, the pool bar should be opened later than 10:00. F.Y.I. - There is a little convenience store across the street from the hotel at the light that sells beer, soda, snacks etc.

This place has some wonderful employees who are actually trained to help you enjoy your stay! We stayed here post-cruise to enjoy Busch Gardens and Adventure Island. We realized going into this that the distance between Tampa area Resort Class Hotels and Busch Gardens are more commuting then we wanted to do. If you are expecting the kind of resort that is typical in Orlando...they don't exist here. Is this the most exquisite hotel in the world? No, but it was clean and safe, comfortable and friendly and by booking through Busch Gardens website we got a nice package deal to see both parks. Most of the hotels in this proximity seem equivalent from what we saw, there simply were no palatial hotels, and it is after all a college town. If you are going to do Busch Gardens from open to close and would like a quick bite to eat before you go and a dip in the pool when you get back and perhaps enjoy a poolside cocktail...this place will work well for you. The Free Shuttle was Friendly and Fast (five minutes) and Flexible, they were not afraid to make an extra trip. We would stay here again because we trust them to make our stay as enjoyable as possible.

We stayed in the Best Western for 10 days in June.

When we arrived, the receptionist discovered that we had been booked in for nine nights instead of ten. No problem, she changed the details straight away without question (we did have the Expedia confirmation letter).

Found all the staff to be very friendly and helpful.

Our room was above the Bar/Restaurant but the permanent evening music did not disrupt us when we had an early night in preparation for an early morning start.

The Mexican food in the bar was very good and we had it three times on our stay. Also, just up the road a very good fish restaurant that served crab and lobster.

The double rooms are great. Two TVs, two sinks, a fridge, a coffee-maker and two coffee sachets every day. Note, if, like me, you drink tea rather than coffee, take a travel kettle. It is much easier than making tea in a coffee maker.

The shower in the bath was a bit of a strange one. It took a while to work out how to get hot water consistantly for two of us each morning, it would vary between hot and cold by itself. However, as it was very hot at the time, it didn't matter too much.

I discovered that the "extra" day had been charged to my credit card after we had left but when I phoned them from England, they told me that they had already spotted the error and credited my card back.

The breakfast was egg, bacon (or sausages some days), grits and potato. Loads of breakfast cereal, juice, toast, etc.

One thing we noticed was how impersonal the American guests were to staff. They would say "egg and bacon" then walk off.

The staff's reaction to our simple "Good Morning, can I have eggs and bacon please" and "Thank You" was very noticeable. Politeness doesn't hurt and by the end of the first week, I was greeted with a cheery smile and definitely getting more on my plate than the others.

The hotel provides a minibus service to Busch Gardens and Adventure Island. Although the booking form in reception stated that it was first come first serve, we were always delivered and collected even if the bus had to run an extra trip or two.

All in all, it was very good value for money, we had a very nice break from work and I would recommend it to others.

I booked with the Best Western through Busch Gardens, as the hotel was listed as one of their preferred hotels. After reading the reviews posted, I definitely was nervous about my trip (3/23/06-3/26/06). However, I was definitely impressed with the hotel and staff. Check-in was a breeze, and the staff was polite and courteous. Signs were clearly posted at the front desk, explaining their various policies, such as pet policies and also that a hold will be placed on your account if you pay with a debit card. The room was clean, as were the sheets, rugs, and bathroom. I really liked the setup of the room, with the separate living area, which I think would be a great convenience to families staying in one room. The free breakfast was decent, with pancakes, sausage, and eggs being served in addition to a full continental breakfast. The pool was spacious--though not Olympic size (but who cares?). The hot tub was smaller than what I had hoped/expected, but it was definitely hot! The proximity to Busch Gardens and area restaurants (Taco Bell, Denny's, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, IHOP) is unbelievably close, which proved to be a major convenience. The only issue that over reviewers had that I can agree with is the water. Since all the rooms are hooked up to the same water system, some rooms will only have cold water at a point if there are many rooms using hot water. There were a few times I found myself cursing due to scalding hot water during my shower! All in all, there were no issues serious enough for me to complain about. This hotel is definitely a bargain and I definitely will book there again!

I am so shocked by the bad reviews for this hotel!! I'm always leary going to a hotel I've never stayed in, but we were so pleasantly surprised.

The ONLY problem was the elevator near our room was broken, but we were on the 2nd floor so that wasn't really a big deal. The room was very

nice, the pool was wonderful, we had appetizers and drinks at the pool bar on both nights while our kids swam. We would highly recommend this place to anyone going to B.G. Our room was very clean. I'm not sure what others were expecting or what they paid, but we paid $45 a night for our room, which had a seperate living room area, king bed with a pull out

sleeper sofa, and a mini kitchen.

I was a little worried about what to expect after reading some of the reviews. The suites are perfect for a family. It was apparent the bedspreads and draperies were new. The little sink at the microwave and refrigerator was convenient. I especially liked the long counter in the bedroom area. The room was clean and the housekeeping did a satisfactory job. We only went to breakfast once in our three day stay as we wanted more than cereal, toast or scrambled eggs. Overall this hotel fit the bill and I felt we had a very nice room for the money.

We had stayed here about two years ago. The location is great for Busch Gardens, USF, Moffit.

The rooms really need updating but were clean and comfortable.

The set up of the rooms are OK, they're not really suites but was great for traveling with a teenager - pull out couch and separate TV.

The pool area is great for families. You can sit at the bar area and watch the kids at the pool. You can order food out here too. At the other end of the outside deck are pool and ping pong tables.

The breakfast is fine. Nothing spectacular but better than a continental breakfast.

The walkways, stairwells, and parking lot could use some cleaning.

The staff was very friendly and helpful.

We stayed here while visiting Busch Gardens. This hotel is just around the corner. When you drive up to the hotel you can see roller coasters in the backround.

Was it the greatest hotel we could have stayed at? No. But at just $85.00 a night, we got what we expected.

The hotel rooms could use some updating. The bathrooms really could use updating.

The pool area was nice. My husband and I sat poolside at the bar and enjoyed 2 for 1 happy hour drinks while the kids enjoyed the pool. The hot tub temperature was unbelievable hot! Unbearable actually!

Breakfast is simple. You get a plate of scrambled eggs, sausage and hash browns. You help yourself to toast, coffee, juice and breakfast cereals. Some fruit would have been nice.

If you are looking for a place to lay your head after a long day at the park, I think this hotel will do.

We arrived at this hotel at about 11pm and the desk staff was changing shifts, for the first few minutes noone even said hello. It was like we weren't even standing their. Well we finally got a key and went to the room. Our request for a room near the pool was met, which was nice because we were tired and we didn't have to walk far from the car.. The room was clean but being near the pool the carpets really could be changed out or cleaned better.. If you bring your playstaion we couldn't figure out how to hook it up to the TV because they have their own game system. Yes, my 15 year being an only child and traveling with his mom brings his playstation almost everywhere just so if it rains or mom is boring he has something to do...The refrig and mirco were in good working order. In the morning we went to breakfast, now at this hotel they have people hand you your food, so you can choose pancakes and sausage, or eggs, grits, bacon or sausage.. The people behind this area need happy pills we stayed 3 nights at this hotel and ate 2 breakfasts and both times these were some grumpy people. As for the rest of the breakfast they have some interesting juices and you can get soda at a fountain, which I have never seen..Coffee was out one morning and silverware was hard to come by on the other morning... Food was ok, edible but a waffle station would be nicer and they could save money on the help... This hotel did have pool tables, these are outside and only covered by a roof. don't expect your going to play your best pool game on these tables, ok just for the kids. You need to sign out the equipment for them... The pool at this hotel was real nice, clean and warm... The hot tub was off to the side so you didn't have to put up with the kids running by.... Also I used the laundry and this area was real clean and the machines are in good working order. This hotel is real close to Busch Gardens and it was real easy to drive to...Now they do have a shuttle but it leaves at 10am and comes back at 6pm I believe,, and it only runs once a day. For all of those who recommended it we weren't disappointed... Thanks for Trip Advisor...

I honestly dont know what the fuss is about. For the price that you pay, i think the stay was great. My room was larger than expected, the kids had their own bedroom area and the breakfast was very satisfying. It was better than the average cereal and bagel breakfast. Other than a couple of coffee stains on the rug, we had a great time and enjoyed our stay at the hotel. Check in time was a bit of a wait due to the time we arrived and their was a wedding in process as well as a family reunion but checking out was a breeze. If you do not want a high traffic hotel that is kid friendly then you may want to book somewhere else. Other than that, your kids and teenagers will have a great time. Location is very convienient (5 min away) to Bush Gardens, Adventure Island, McDonalds, Taco Bell, Subway, Olive Garden, McAlisters, Pizza Hut and more.

Stayed here for a couple of nights while 'doing' Busch Gardens. Rooms OK. Didn't have any problems. You get what you pay for - actually you don't always with cheaper places - you normally get a complimentary breakfast and free internet access as well, something the more expensive hotels charge for. If you're doing Busch Gardens like we were this place is fine.

We stayed at this hotel for one night to visit Busch Gardens and to escape the week of rain in Orlando.

The hotel is in a great location and the staff were very friendly and helpful. They changed our first room as the door didn't lock properly and sent a maintenance man to repair the broken lock in the second room within ten minutes. There was free internet in the lobby if you were prepared to queue for ages to use it.

The main problem with both of the rooms that we were given was that they smelled terrible, a really damp sort of smell. The air conditioning was also very noisy and the carpets left our feet black with dirt. The breakfast room also had a really strong greasy smell, in fact we just had a coffee and left, even the kids didn't want to eat there.

Overall it was very poor in comparison to the Homewood Suites that we had stayed in previously and I wouldn't recommend it.

We often travel from Orlando to visit Busch Gardens and stayed at this property only twice. The first time we had no problems, though we heard of others who did (noisy neighbors and car break-ins). On our second stay at this location, we had neighbors who screamed at each other into the wee hours of the morning. We contacted management twice, the second time after hearing breaking glass. The man answered the door with blood on his hands and the manager just asked him to be quiet!! We moved to a new room the next day, but with small children in our room this was just unacceptable. To top it off, three cars surrounding ours had been broken into. They stole the sound systems in each, as well as cd's. Our car was only spared because we just had a radio at the time. The property itself was not horrible, but the clientele and location to crime is a major deterent.

There has been conflicting information posted about this hotel, so here is my recent experience. This hotel was booked with a package deal through Busch Gardens. For six people it was by far the cheapest choice.

The Pros: The people working there were polite and helpful.

There is a pool, hot tub, outside area to eat, and covered pool table.It was clean. The restaurant had a lot of activity.

There is a shuttle to Busch Gardens, and it is very close.

The Cons: The arm chair was broken, the carpet stained, the pull out couch was on it's last legs. The coffee pot only sort of worked, and the hot breakfast was very limited.

The hotel had a lot of high school /college groups on our first night and it was loud; after that the clientele tended to be families. The noise in general came from people having fun and wasn't "scary" noise. We never felt unsafe, just cramped -- it was fine if you were spending most of the day away, but I wouldn't want to hang out there. The most pleasant evening was spent with takeout from the Publix, eating at the outdorr tables, followed by the family playing pool.

It isn't a horrible place, just a bit rundown. . .

Very convenient--2 minutes from Busch Gardens. Cheap ($95/night) but dirty, run-down rooms. Pool area is nice. Handyman suggested that I tie my two young children in a garbage bag and throw them in the poll! Trying to make it less bizzarre, I said "so they have to swim to get out." He responded, "Oh, if I tie it, they won't get out" and laughed. We returned to the room and locked our door.

Even worse than the homicidal handyman (!) was the breakfast buffet. Really terrible. Small quantity of disgusting food. The fruit station was canned fruit salad and green/brown oranges...in Florida, no less.

My family loved Busch Gardens and we will return--but will give up convenience for a nicer place to stay next time.

The room was a decent size for 6 people. However, even though we had 6 on the reservation, they only provided 4 towels. We went and got more, but housekeeping knocked it down to 4 again the next day when they cleaned the room.

A maintenance man was quite rude and also made up many rules about use of the pool. He went out of his way to be confrontational and I am going to inform BW management about this man.

Additionally, the front desk staff didn't seem to want to answer any of my questions and were apathetic at best.

We stayed at this hotel from August 4- August 10 I was expecting the worst from previous reviews when we arrived the front desk staff had no clue what they were doing and eventually we learned they over charged our credit card which is in the process of being fixed!!!! The room was descent for the money the cabinets and doors could use replacing they had cracks and you could tell they were worn the water pressure was terrible but we had hot water all the time the pool was nice and so was the hot tub especially after a long day at the park the bar staff was very nice and sociable, houskeeping was very nice and respectable but the front desk was rude all the time no matter what the question was it was not there problem and they could care less. Never saw any one that was in charge except the last

day when we found the over charge and the lady who said she was a supervisor acted like the rest of the front desk i would not stay at this best western again.....

From the reviews I was expecting a little nicer hotel...the bar and pool area was very nice, although the pool was a little small. The room was large enough but not very clean. We had a bug problem...some kinda flying ants...the continental breakfast left alot to be desired..I have seen all kinds of free breakfast layouts but this was the worst. Stayed 3 nights but only tried the breakfast once...not really worth the time to even go....all in all, I would not recommend.....

I booked this hotel based on reviews we had read as well as the photos. It looks nice. It has a great layout around the pool with a nice pool bar; however, I thought the rooms weren't the cleanest. We had an ant problem. Luckily we were only staying one night so it wasn't a big deal. First I noticed them on the balcony which we weren't going to open anyway, but then the next morning I saw them on the dresser. I was happy to be leaving. Oh - the continental breakfast is terrible. There were a few cereals, grits, hard boiled eggs and toast and of course, coffee. We booked the hotel because of the breakfast and the pull out sofa. My son said the bed was very uncomfortable, and we were still hungry after "breakfast". The other thing you should know is that Busch Gardens is in a very "mixed" area. One side is nice, and the other - not the nicest. This hotel is located in an ok area, but if I were picking again, I would definitely pick something on Fowler Ave. There was a nice La Quinta (be careful because there are two - make sure it's on Fowler) or Wingate Inn. This hotel isn't terrible, but you can do better!

There were only two things we liked about this hotel - the location and the convenience of having two rooms (we were traveling with our two year old)

That being said, the room appeared clean, but smelled horribly musty. It looked and smelled as if it had seen one too many spring breaks. We had to make the sofa bed up ourselves and def. had seen better days.

The worst part of the stay was that we had no hot water to take a shower. When we called the front desk we were told it was because there were so many people staying there that day and we should wait 10 minutes and try again. We tried several times before giving up and checking out. When we complained at check out they told us it was our problem for not calling back and having an engineer check out the problem (How can an engineer fix too many people taking showers!)

Would not go back. Best Western should feel ashamed to have their name attached to this hotel.

After reading the bad reviews we decided to try it anyway because we got a rate of $69.00 per night, the outside looks realy nice but once you check in things are different, the room smelled as soon as we opened the door, the inside of this hotel needs remodeling, the carpet was old and dirty, there was mold in the bathroom, there was spider webs on cieling, the door knob in the bathroom was half hanging off, the lighting was very dark. The employees were not friendly at all. The pool and jaccuzzi was nice and the breakfast was not bad, but the breakfast employees could use a lesson on being friendly. All in all this is the last time I stay at this hotel.

This is one of the worst hotels I have ever stayed in. The entire hotel needs a complete overhaul. It could be a really nice place if the owners/management would put some work, $$$$, attention into it.

Our room had a few little crawling things, bugs, spiders, ants, etc... I had to have maintenance bring bug spray.

The kids loved the pool; that was the one bright spot at this place.

The free breakfast is not that great; it is just OK.

It's like the old saying goes "you get what you paid for" ... we paid a low price and got even lower comfort.

I would not recommend staying here, unless the place is renovated.

Stayed here March 10, 2005. Staff was disorganized and stand-offish. The pool was nice but decided not to swim after watching a spring-breaker shower and shampoo in the shower right next to the pool. He finished rinsing the soap off with a quick dip. Our room was reasonably clean but the patio door backing the street was right off the track (actually the track appeared to be rotted off) and the road noise coming into the room was BAD. Called the desk to see if we could be moved but were told no rooms left. A maintainance man was being dispatched immediately. He must have been coming from Head office as he hasn't showed! Slept that night with one eye open waiting for a home-invasion but survived none the less. Left the next day and won't be hurrying back. Lots of other choices here. Pick one.

well i booked and prepaid for a good rate which i will recomend to everyone to do always ask for a managers special if you pre pay ok so im still here and i will update or write another when i get home but we checked in and the room smelled funny also the room we got was over the bar which if you have children thats not the room you want as they were very load screeming and music and yes the breakfast here really does suck but back to arriving the phones didnt work but maintance did come fix them but the first night the wireless internet went out and has now been out for 3 days and they keep saying tommarrow it will work and it doesnt the owner manager tells his staff to tell costomers to go find another hotel if the want internet rather then going and just buying a router that they know is bad the power went out the second night for an hour the hotel which yes is in a well known hurricane state is not prepaired for power outages no back up generating not even candles for the front desk let known to give out to rooms the satilite tv that i see other people bragging about sucks as well it keeps going out saying no signal and what chanles it dos get which are very few are terrible and everything else the tv has game and on demand all cost a fortune the great outdoor pool tables suck as well the are ok for kids to climb on and sit on as they do but for tring to play a game on forget it even the sticks are terible the pool is nice but with all the out of control kids that are here for the last 2 days it is very unsafe as there jumping of the rocks that are between the pool and the hot tub the great cafe only opens for breakfast which is very limited and then closes and reopens at 4 pm thats it for now but like i said i will update later when i get home and rip up my gold crown perfered customer card

My husband, 11-year-old son and I were visiting my best friend who recently relocated to FL. We were coming in from the Tampa airport on July 19, 2007, staying that night in Tampa, and visiting Busch Gardens the next day. Our friend was staying with us. We saw this hotel on the Busch Gardens website as a hotel selection with their travel packages. The price was reasonable, it seemed to fit our needs perfectly for space and sleeping arrangements and looked decent enough in the web photos, plus the free hot breakfast was a nice perk. When I called Busch Gardens for more information, the representative tried to steer me toward costlier properties.

Chalking it up to the rep trying to make a bigger commission, I ended the call and booked the property myself on the Best Western hotel website. I thought I got a great deal for $89.00 plus tax!

In retrospect, I should have listened to the rep's covert warnings. On check-in, we asked for a copy of directions to the Sonic Drive-In as we were starving and I noticed the directions posted behind the lobby desk. The desk staff, who appeared to look about 12 years old, (my son commented "I didn't know they let kids work here!") ignored our request and continued conversing among themselves.

The room looked spacious and on the surface looked clean enough; however, we found ants all over the vanity. As we were exhausted and only staying one night, we did not complain as a large church group was staying at the facility also and another room might not be available for us.

According to my husband, the pool tables were run down and in some places lacked felt. My friend, who slept in the sofa bed, found hair in the mattress and blood on her pillowcase. There was also an unidentifiable crusty stain on the blanket. My son also found a stain on one of his bed pillows.

The breakfast area was set up like a rat maze. There was no hot breakfast except for a tureen full of runny grits and a toaster for bread and bagels. Cold cereal and breakfast pastries rounded out the menu. The food items, dishes and silverware were scattered all over the room in no particular order.

In short, we were never so happy to leave a hotel and do not ever plan on patronizing a Best Western again. The only positive point was that we only suffered for one night!

I rented 2 rooms at the Best Western 3001 University Center Drive

Tampa, Florida behind Busch Gardens and both rooms was infested with roaches I reported it to the head manager he was very rude and he told me there was nothing he could do and he never had a complaint in 2 years I asked him if he was implying that I was lying and told him he could come see for himself which he did he did not want to give me a discount or nothing……and also told me he think I should leave….after I said he should at least apologies and give a discount even though that was my intention it was nasty the bath rood was not cleaned properly.

We booked this hotel after reading the reviews here. We were very surprised to find a very dated, worn out hotel. The staff were friendly but not able to give us clear directions to their hotel from a few miles away.

The bed linens were torn (the bedskirt) and the top covers were very faded. This hotel has not been updated for decades and barely resembles the pictures you see on the Best Western website.

The bathroom was relatively clean in the evening, but by morning there were ants crawling all over everything on the vanity.

The pool area and hallways were simply dirty and unkempt -- there were no towels in the little closet by the pool and the elevator had about an inch of dirty standing water.

The restaurant was the worst part of our stay. They served our three kids rancid milk -- I mean I have never smelled milk so spoiled. I sent it back and the kids got lemonade. It never dawned on me they would put rancid milk in the food but they apparently did because my 7 year old was throwing up her macaroni and cheese at midnight -- no symptoms before and she was fine afterward -- clearly food poisoning.

My meal was chicken caesar salad served on clearly rotten, brown lettuce.

This hotel was cheaper than others around, but I would gladly drive the extra miles or pay the extra $$ to erase this nightmare from our vacation.

This is NOT a real suite hotel. The "Suite" you get is a narrow regular hotel room that has a wall in the middle separating the two double beds from an area with a cheap fold out bed and TV. Anyone sleeping in the LR area has to go through the bedroom to get to the bathroom so you won't get any privacy if you go there with your family.

The restaurant served me a hamburger that was completely raw in the middle, and kind of liquid and disgusting. I ended up getting sick that night after eating a few bites.

The bed had a huge sag in it.

The pool and hot tub were the best feature, but my overall feeling was relief that we had only booked for one night. It is very close to Busch Gardens, but Busch Gardens was far more cheesy than it had been when I was there many years ago and I thought it way overpriced for the entertainment value compared to the Disney parks in Orlando.

Have stayed here many times in the past (4 years ago when property had different owners / management team). This place has gone downhill. The pool closes at 10, but not the 3 nights I was there. People in the pool, horsing around and very loud until after 1AM. Always had to ask for pool towels as the cabinet was almost always empty. The Parrot Cafe does not allow food/drinks to be charged to room, have to make sure you bring money or credit card to the bar / pool area. Had to checkout on Sunday morning and only 1 person working. There was an extremely long line for checkout which is unacceptable. The neighborhood is very seedy. Restaurants in the area had police cruisers in them just before closing time (10PM at the Olive Garden and Red Lobster on a Thursday night). The hot water was hard to keep consistently hot. The shower curtain had a bit of mold on it.

We were supposed to stay 3 nights and were sorry we stayed as long as 2. Front desk people were competant but I overheard two different guest issues where they did not resolve to the guests satisfaction and were basically rude about it. When we went to the poolside restaurant to eat we left after the wet wipe we used to clean the highchair became black with a few swipes. I have never had that happen before. It was noisy and the wall were paper thin. The beds were horrible (I slept on the floor one night) and the pullout couch was not sleepable even for a 6 year old.

We NEVER got maid service the first day. We even notified the front desk twice. They did fix our squeaky door quickly though! We went to the Doubletree down the street for just $15 more a night. Doubletree was awesome.

This place was terrible! It was dirty, noisy and had a terrible breakfast! We reserved a non-smoking room with 2 queens as we had a party of 4. We got there and they told us all they had was a king, smoking with a pullout. The pullout was broken and could not be slept on. When we complained, they just blew us off, they would not return our money and would not give us a different room. We ended up on the floor - as dirty as it was! We tried to sit outside only to find all the chairs and tables filthy dirty. The breakfast was absolutely terrible and unedible. This place turned us off of all Best Westerns just because of their lack of caring for the customer. If you have any choice - NEVER stay at this hotel!

I needed an inexpensive hotel in the Tampa area for a few days but was disappointed in this one. My room was clean but the curtains and bedspread smelled dirty, there were cigarette burns on the bed blanket as well. The elevator and some of the common areas were dirty. Many of the reviews comment on the hot water situation and I had problems too. It took forever for the shower to get hot water, when it did, the temperature fluctuated between scalding hot and cold. My flight was late and I didn't arrive at the hotel until after midnight. So I was tired and just wanted to get into my room, but the first set of key-cards did not work, the desk clerk had to make another set and seemed irritated at me (?) He took his sweet time in creating new keys. The hotel is built around a pool and open-air bar/restaurant, during the day there were at least 100 noisy kids in the pool, screaming and yelling at the top of their lungs. So if you want relaxing afternoon lounging by the pool, forget it. The good news is that the pool and bar close down at 10:00 p.m. so the noise ends by then. Upon checkout, I prepaid my room and had no incidental charges. The desk clerk said I had a zero balance but she couldn't figure out how to print out a statement showing a zero balance, hope I don't get any surprises when I receive my next credit card statement! This hotel is close to Busch Gardens but I was not comfortable with the neighborhood, it seemed run down and a little seedy. The hotel would be good for budget-minded families with younger kids, who just need a place to stay with a pool.

Without a doubt this was the worst $100 per night hotel I have stayed in over the past 25 years. Cigarette burns in the carpet, mold in the showers, trash on the floor under the bed...cigarette butts everywhere.

The front desk lady S. was rude and obnoxious when asked about cancelling a reservation for a future stay and dared me to report her behavior and attitude.

I did not feel good about giving this establishment my hard earned money.

Our extended family booked 3 rooms based on the close proximity to Busch Gardens and the reputation of the chain. Big mistake. The room was by far the dirtiest hotel I have ever stayed in. We were first booked into first floor suites by the pool. The rooms were moldy and filthy. When I pulled the sheets down there was hair on the sheets and visible body lice on the mattress. When we complained to the desk they were rude but said someone would be down to address our concerns. An hour later someone came to deliver a pile of clean sheets, we demanded to be moved to another room. They did manage to accomodate that request however the new room on the second floor was no different. Still dirty, hair in the shower, mold in the bathtub. The pool was dirty and water very cloudy. We had no other alternatives since our flight did not leave for 2 days. I did not sleep the whole stay. Management claimed that they were short staffed and offered a voucher to return.

As soon as we opened the front door it smelled horrible! We asked for some air freshener! The carpets smelled and were filthy dirty! The drawer for our clothes didn't work... and we tried on numerous ocassions to take a shower and it would go to boiling hot to ice cold with no warning! Even in the afternoons, when not many people were using it! The filth and the smell are horrible,and the water is awful! They didn't even dump the water from the ice bucket in 3 days! The good thing is the actual set-up of this place.. the pool area is beautiful, and the pool bar with the grill was a great place to hang out and relax... but the room definately need some help...find somewhere else to stay, until they decide to renovate the rooms!

My family and I stayed here for one night. We were visiting Busch Gardens for my daughter's birthday. We arrived before check-in time and the staff said that we could keep our bags in a back room where they would be safe. Only hotel management had access to the room. The next day we realized that all of our bags had been rifled through and that more than $500 worth of our personal items were missing. Two Gameboy SP's and the games enclosed, my daughter's birthday presents, over $100 in giftcards, and some of my wife's clothing was stolen. When we confronted management they refused to take responsibility or give sympathy, and were generally apathetic and non-helpful. They have yet to return our numerous calls. A couple staying there that weekend had about $1800 of checks stolen from them. It is sad that this occurred because the rooms were not excessively dirty and the food was not bad either. We will not return to this hotel and probably will not stay at any other Best Western hotel again.

I stayed at this hotel for one night prior to going to Busch Gardens with one other guest. Hotel room had a smell, not very clean. Linens for pull out couch were not in room (but were delivered when requested). Pool was small, had cloudy water, and glass beer bottles were by hot tub. Stone flooring around pool was slick- watched at least 5 kids fall and hit their heads. Shuttle to Busch Gardens only dropped off and picked up once a day. One front desk clerk (man with dark hair working 10/9/05 AM) was openly rude to myself and other guest on separate encounters and made mocking faces towards guests and people talking to on the phone. The hot breakfast included was minimal, some of the food tasted like cleaning solution, and the staff was slow and unfriendly.

There are plenty of other hotels near Busch Gardens- don't pick this one.

hotel was dirty and needs compete renovation.lots of noise from the pool.We go to florida every year and this is the worst place we stayed. KEEP AWAY.

Arrived at 2am after flying 9 hours to Tampa with husband and 3 children.

We are then told that they had given our room away in error (although we had guaranteed with a credit card and called the day before to re-confirm late arrival). We are EVENTUALLY sent to a horrible motel (which they pay for). Upon returning the next day to Best Western, as all other hotels are booked, our room is filthy. The pool was black with dirt. I booked the Best Western as it is a chain hotel and I felt comfortable in this. It was the worst hotel experience we have ever had.