La Quinta Inn Tampa Bay Airport

The staff was surly from the get go. And as we were going on a cruise the next day and had 6 heavy bags they gave us a room on the 2nd floor. NO elevator so you have to shlep your bags up the stairs. Room was not the cleanest. I would never stay here again and would NEVER recommend it to anyone that I liked. Yes IHOP is located next door but they had an hour wait for breakfast so that was a waste of time too. Do yourself a favor and don't believe all of the positive reviews here.

we got a great rate on this hotel, so we were extra surprised when the hotel turned out to be so nice. friendly check-in, and the clerk pleasantly approved our extended checkout request when we showed our new La Quinta Returns reward card.

clean room, wireless internet in room. nice, clean pool and jacuzzi, fitness room.

continental breakfast included homemade waffles, a nice treat.

will definitely stay here again.

We stayed here on 5/26 for one night as we were flying out of Tampa early the next morning. After spending 11 days between WDW and Key West, I must say the customer service that Terrance at the counter presented was top notch; very "Disneylike" for those that appreciate the service when staying on Disney property.

The room was clean, towels were plentiful, and I appreciated the fact that the sink was located outside of the toilet/shower area, but was still out of view of the large window in the front room.

The shuttle service was prompt, and Terrance even arranged for a shuttle to pick us up at our car rental return the previous night to avoid an extra days rental fees. We actually felt quite silly having him do this after we realized how close it was to Alamo, but he insisted that the shuttle pick us up, as the main road had no sidewalks and we would have been walking on the shoulder of a very busy road. He also offered to print our boarding passes for our early morning flight.

Although we did not utilize the pool, we did sit out there in the evening to endulge in a "beverage" to wind down from a long trip and it seemed to be a good size to do laps if someone was inclined.

We did not utilize the breakfast, but it seemed to have a large seating area and consisted of typical continental breakfast items.

As other reviews have mentioned, the shuttle does leave at a quarter to the hour each hour to go to the airport, but we did not have to stop at any other hotels, so I am not sure if that varies or has changed that they no longer do that.

Overall I would stay there again if I was flying in and out of Tampa. I only wish I had stayed there the night we flew in rather than making the drive to Orlando. If you are looking for a clean place to spend the night, great customer service, and close to the airport, this location fits the bill.

We used the hotel as a stop before and after our cruise. The free shuttle was fantastic. The hotel is not even 10 minutes from the airport. We called and had a shuttle there very promptly. There is shopping nearby, within walking distance, but the shuttle offered to take us, and gave us their cell number to call when we were done. They offered a ride to and from the pier for 10.00 pp each way. They dropped us off near the door, took care of our luggage, and were there when we got off the ship. The hotel is older, I don't think I would want to stay there for a week, but it very much served our purpose. The front desk help were very helpful and pleasant. We had no problem with the times to get back to the airport for our flight home. We were there on New Years Eve, and the shuttle ran until 1 am to get us back to the hotel. We would definitely stay there again!

We really enjoyed staying at this hotel. They picked us up at the airport and check in was really easy. The staff on duty that evening were really nice & cheery. Our room was very clean & refreshing. It was nice to see that the windows had sheers on also. The mall across the street is in walking distance. I would definetly recommend this hotel and the one near Busch Gardens.

We stayed at this hotel on the first weekend of Nov. 06. Our reason for travel was because we were going to the Buccaneers football game on that Sunday and I saw online this hotel was close to the stadium. I also work for Hotels.com so I know alot about hotels and the bad experiences people have had, so I wanted to make sure I mad a good choice, yet stay under a budget.

We arrived Saturday afternoon, around 4p.m. When I first pulled up to the hotel it looked a little old and it made me suspicios, but that quickly changed when we entered the lobby. Our timming was kind of bad, since we arrived at the same time as a big family of about 8 people. There was only 1 employee at the front desk and he was working his butt off! He was trying to check us all in and I must say he did an excellent job. He was friendly through out the whole time and was attentive to everyones questions. Very helpful staff.

There are plenty of parking spots through out the property at no charge. I passed by the pool which looked very nice, and pretty big. When we got to our room I was pleasently suprised. We booked a king size, non-smoking room and got just that. It was a nice, VERY clean room. Looks old-fashioned but that doesn't matter to me. As soon as I got to the room, I inspected all the key places, that I've heard people complain about in other hotels. The bathroom was super clean, no rust, no roaches. Just clean toilet, clean shower and plenty of towels for us two.

The room was also perfectly cleaned. No stains on carpet, nothing weird in cabinets or in the corners. All the equipment (hair dryer, iron/ironing board, lights, coffee maker, tv) was in perfect working condition. The t.v. was great they have free HBO and other cable chanels. You can also order paper view movies and play games from the interactive t.v. Our bed was real comfortable and sheets were clean. Also, if you get a king size and only have three pillows, check the drawers because we found an extra pillow there. Overall the room was great and I loved it.

The other great thing about the hotel was the location. Now I drove 450 miles from Miami to Tampa and it was my first time so I had no idea were anything was(just a couple pages from mapquest printouts) but the hotels locations really helped out. If your arriving from the aiport its close, and even though you could see the airport from the hotel I never once heard any planes flying over us. Theres a beautiful mall across the street. Theres another mall, with a movie theatre about a mile or two down the street. The stadium is walking distance. I think the cruise terminal is also close proximity. If your not driving then they have a shuttle service thats almost always available or they can call a cab for your.

The complimentary breakfast was great aswell. They have a breakfast area in the lobby. They pretty much put out small plastice wrapped foods that you would get in a machine, like muffins, cereal, microwavable stuff. It's real good for a quick lil breakfast. And if you ever need a bigger meal and not spend to much or go far, well theres an IHOP right next door. It was real convienent. We went there saturday night after leaving the movies. It's open 24 hours and like I said right next to the hotel! Doesn't get any easier than that.

I would definetly recommend this hotel to any traveler. Now if you want a luxury hotel with indoor pools, signature dinning or spas, then no don't come here. But if you want a clean, comfortable experience stay here. Good for overnights or weekends. Great if your going to the game, coming from the airport or going on a cruise. I will stay here again when I go up to Tampa and will recommed this hotel to all my hotels.com customers. Thanks La Quinta!!

This place was great. Everything we could need to lay our heads down get some kip and then off the next morning. There was a free breakfast, and if that isn't to your tastes an IHOP nextdoor. There is not much around, and I don't think you would want to stay there for and extended vacation because of this. But it was clean, tidy and the staff were lovely. Great value for money, and very close to the airport.

First the bad:

1) This is a motel, not a hotel.

2) It is REALLY close to the airport, and at times, it vibrates.

3) It is not new, but not bad.

4) Breakfast is prepackaged food, I couldn't find the coffee. IHOP is next door - 'nuff said.

5) For business, there are not enough electrical outlets.

6) There is a table w/chairs and a bed, but no place else to sit.

Now the good:

1) Staff is extremely friendly.

2) Bed is comfy.

3) It is very clean.

4) The pool is nice, and even heated if you care about those things.

5) All amenities are there except for a microwave.

6) Internet connectivity was among the best I have ever seen.

7) It is very inexpensive in comparison with other places.

8) The International Plaza mall is across the street - a very, very good thing.

We stayed at this motel for one night before leaving the next morning for our cruise. We called the hotel when we arrived at TPA, and the shuttle arrived within 20 minutes. Check in was quick. There is an IHOP next door, and a Dollar rental car. The room was clean, and the beds were comfortable. The bathroom was on the small side, but not a major issue. We paid $10/person for a shuttle from the hotel to the port, and then an extra $10/person for shuttle transportation after our cruise from the port back to TPA. The shuttle had various times it was leaving in the morning from the motel with 11:00 am being the earliest time. Breakfast was continental, and there was a good offering of food. The area to eat breakfast isn't very large though, and it was very crowded as there were many guests in the hotel leaving for the cruise port that morning. As a plus, they had a free Sunday Tampa paper available in the lobby. Overall, a nice one night stop before our cruise.

Excellent hotel for an overnight stop.

Rang the hotel from the freephone in the baggage area and was picked up very promptly.

Room was clean and tidy. Although the bathroom was small there was a separate vanity area which I always find useful.

There was a small pool which looked very nice.

Breakfast was good with cereal, breads, muffins etc. with very nice orange juice. Next door was an IHOP where we had a very satisfying meal.

Only a 15 minute walk or short drive to an excellent mall.

Dollar car hire next door which was very efficient.

All in all we had a very good stay and would stay there again and recommend it to anyone looking for a clean, no frills overnight stay.

This hotel gives great value for money. We were flying into Tampa and wanted a hotel for one night before moving on. We called the hotel free of charge from the baggage collection area and were collected within 10minutes by a lovely helpful lady. She even offered to take us to the nearest mall to get something to eat. The hotel staff were very helpful. The room was clean and tidy with two big beds and breakfast was in the price. We will definitely stay there again.

Cumbria UK

I wasn't expecting a lot but was pleasantly surprised with how friendly the staff was and the cleanliness of the place. The hotel is old, but you can actually smell how clean the place is when you walk in your bedroom. THe BIG PLUS about the hotel is the wonderful FREE shuttle service. We had a 6:45 AM flight and the shuttles started promptly at 4:45 to take us to the airport. I would certainly stay again - especially if I need a ride to the airport!

My stay was on 9/25/07. I was stayed due to business & arrived just about Midnight. The front desk staff was courteous & professional. I didn't think my room would be very much due to the location (although it's perfect for the early &/or very late flights). I was pleasantly surprised. The room was clean & the bed very comfortable. I wasn't crazy about the bathroom area. The floor was very slippery ( needs to be 'roughed out') and the shower could use the 'bowed-out' rod to give more room to the small area. There's a 24-hour IHOP next door (which was great!). The Continental Breakfast is more 'Deluxe' than the Standard. Great stay!

We stayed here one night. Less than a mile from the airport and the car rental agencies. It's a typical 2 level motel with exterior access to each room. Super clean, recently repainted and updated. Nice staff. Continental breakfast. Airport shuttle every hour until noon. Reasonable price compared to other airport hotels ($ 121. AAA rate). We highly recommend it.

I stayed here overnight following a late night flight into Tampa. I rented a car (most are across the highway from here), so I can't comment on the shuttle. I found the front desk staff pleasant and helpful, switching me to a nonsmoking room (Hotwire apparently automatically requests a smoking room for its clients).

The room was clean and ample in size. The beds and sheets were comfortable. Free and fast wireless internet (I always find it interesting that it's always the more expensive hotels which seem to charge extra for internet service). The sink is separate from the toilet, which I always prefer. The towels were thicker than one would generally expect from a 2.5*, and adequate in number.

My main room complaint was the airplane noise. The room really shook when jets passed overhead. I think this is the nearest lodging to an airport runway. I slept OK with earplugs, though.

For a "continental" breakfast, it was really quite decent. They even had some microwaveable pancake/egg/cheese sandwiches, hard boiled eggs, and yogurt. Unable to make a bagel though--neither of the toasters was working. Unlike many motels, there was actually an ample number of tables and chairs for breakfast.

We stayed here for one night after flying out from the UK. After collecting our bags I rang using one of the courtesey phones in the airport and they picked us up within 10 minutes! Hotel was all of about 5 minutes drive away, booking in was swift and room was great. Added bonuses are that it has an IHOP next door one side and a Dollar car rental place the other. We had just missed the shuttle bus back to the airport in the morning (they run every hour), but the receptionist rang him and he came straight back for us! I was so impressed with the whole stay.

We had never stayed at a LaQuinta before this trip. This was just for 1 night pre cruise was very pleased when we arrived. The staff was very friendly and the room was very clean. The pool was clean and very inviting after a long trip. We did not eat the breakfast that was provided as there was a iHop right next door. I had read that it was noisy as the airport was nearby but did not hear a thing. We did use the free shuttle from the airport to the hotel and they also arranged for shuttle to the cruise port for $11. Great deal for the price!

We landed in Tampa around 11:00 p.m. We shuttled to the car rental and drove to La Quinta. It is extremely close (less than a mile) to the airport. I did hear a plane once in a while, but it was nothing loud enough to interrupt our sleep. We had no problem at check in and left by 10:00 a.m. so we had no time to use any of the facilities, shuttles etc. When we checked in we were told breakfast ended at 10.....we arrived in the lobby and 9:15 and found it ended at 9:00. I'm sure it was an inadvertant mistake...but really inconvenient for our family schedule. Rooms were standard motel fare with two double beds, hairdryer, wall unit airconditioner, coffee maker etc. I felt safe and comfortable during my short visit and thats all I needed. I would stay again.

Meaning if what you need is to recoup after a cruise (as we did) it's a good deal. Here's why:

Staff was great to us

We arrived about 11 am and room was ready

Complimentary Continental Breakfast

Staff printed out our boarding passes at no charge

Free HBO

Right next door to IHOP which gives 10% discounts to La Quinta guests (15% if you eat there twice during your stay)

Walking distance to major mall (this one is VERY nice and has equally friendly staff. This was the first time in AGES I'd been in a shoe department (Nordstrom's) where the sales staff outnumbered the customers and EVERYONE was being helped!)

Free in room computer plug-in

SMALL but fine pool (in all honesty, those on the ship weren't much bigger)

On the down side, the tub in our room had a lot of dings which were covered with enamel paint, but since I used the same technique to cover the ding in my tub in our old house, it didn't bother me. Also, the sheets had an interesting smell which I attributed to the water or the detergent (or both). It wasn't so bad that I didn't get a good night's sleep, even with the airplanes flying overhead and the noisy next door neighbors. Sure, you can chalk it up to fatigue, but all in all, under the same circumstances, I would go there again.

By the way, if you are a SAM'S CLUB member or a government worker (state government counts and ANY state counts) let them know and you can get a discount.

Kinch

It was nice and clean, the staff was very friendly, the rooms were nice. I would recommend it.

I have stayed at this hotel many, many times in the past 2 years. My two children attend the University of Tampa. The rooms have always been very clean, the grounds are clean and the staff is very nice. The free breakfast is wonderful. Extra towels or pillows have always been gladly provided. The hosekeeping staff, though their english is limited, are very nice and helpful. The pool area is nice also. The hotel is across the street from the airport but the planes are not that much of a bother. They actually are fun to watch. The coffeemaker in the room is a nice touch. Upon request you can have a fridge/micro combo in your room for a small fee. This is a great feature if you are staying there for a few days. The hotel is located close to alot of the attractions in Tampa. Great value for a nicely located hotel.

My family stayed here for 10 nights 8/2 to 8/12/04. Two adults and two children. We did not spend much time in the room because there was so much to do. The hotel is close to Bush Gardens and many other places. A shuttle picks you up at the airport and car rental places are next door. Walking distance. Room was clean. We ran the air conditioner all the time so we were unable to hear any noise from other rooms or outside. Only noticed plane's flying over a few times but not enough to keep you awake. I was worried when I saw that they accepted pets but we had no flea problems. The kids spent everynight in the pool. They put out a nice Free breakfast. Coffee pot in room. Helpful staff. Booked as a package deal on priceline . Price was good.

We stayed here in June '04 for a one night stop-over. We found the staff very friendly and our room very nice for the price. The only down side: if traveling with pets, there aren't a whole lot of options when walking them. But the location (near the airport, the new International Plaza, Westshore & Dale Mabry) really can't be beat. 'Dawn' at the front desk was great.

We stayed here one night to be able to take an early morning flight out of Tampa. We noticed that the motel was on the opposite side of the street that led to the airport which meant trying to cross it in bumper to bumper traffic. We had to leave for the airport an hour earlier than planned because of being on the wrong side. Probably wouldn't stay there again because of the rush hour traffic and no stop light to allow you to exit.

Rooms were ok and breakfast buffet was nice. Staff was not exactly friendly but not rude. During the wee hours of the night we were there, we were awakened by loud banging noises coming from somewhere outside. Sounded like some construction site or loud banging on steel somewhere. It continued for about 20 minutes twice that night. I wondered if that was a nightly occurance or just a freak thing. It was like sledge hammers on steel. Would not stay again if I knew it occured often. Could probably find something farther away from airport but would be faster than fighting traffic all coming into Tampa and having to cross that to get in line to go to airport.

Too much hassle.

We stayed here the night we flew in to Tampa and the night before we were flying out. for convenience. The main draw was the price and there is a Dollar Rent a Car location right next door.

Most hotels near the airport were well over $100 - even for the 2 star ones.

We wanted to pick up a car the morning after arriving so the convenience of the Dollar location was great. We just walked next door to pick up the car. It is not an airport location so you don't have to pay the additional taxes on the car either!!

The hotel is older but not too bad. The staff was very friendly. Our room was ok - nothing exciting and it wasn't sparkling clean but nothing I couldn't live with.

The breakfast is excellent. Fresh Fruit/Waffles/Bagels/English Muffins/Cereal/Hard Boiled Eggs/Microwaved Sandwiches/Juices and Coffee - lots of choices. They do need more seating for the breakfast but other than that it was a good deal.

Stayed for two nights on on our arrival and one on departure three weeks later.

Clean rooms staff friendly and breakfast excellent. Close to mall with great shops and food. Value for money - check for offers on internet.

My family and I stayed at this hotel for one night in mid-August. Not really for leisure, but because we had a 1 am arrival time and needed something close to the airport.

The room was ok - not terrible but nothing to write home about either. Night check in staff was less than friendly - the staff in the morning was a little better. There is a pretty good sized pool in the middle of the parking lot and a 24 hour IHOP next door.

Nous sommes arrivés très tard à l'aéroport avec notre vol. Nous avons pris un taxi pour y arriver mais ce n'était pas loin. Une fois sur place, très bon accueil, la chambre nous attendait et ça tombait bien car on était fatigués. La chambre est très spacieuse et la salle de bain immense. C'est proche de l'aéroport mais le bruit des avions ne nous a pas dérangé, ce qui est un bon point.

Le lendemain matin nous avons déjeuné, assez simplement, mais c'était bon et copieux. Le prix du petit déjeuner est compris avec la chambre. Nous avons payé 66 $, ce qui est bon marché.

Nous avons eu ausi une navette gratuite le lendemain matin pour retourner à l'aéroport chercher notre voiture.

Bref très bien et à recommander.

The reviews on this property are so widely varied that I can only guess it really makes a difference who you deal with and what room you get. It's possible since we booked with Hotwire we got the pointed end of the stick as it were.

First of all lets get it straight about the "wonderful" shuttle service. Yes, they will pick you up at the airport, but getting back to the airport in a timely manner is a whole 'nother story. The shuttle comes by ONCE EVERY HOUR at a quarter til the hour, and then makes it's lesurely rounds to the other hotels it services. So say your flight leaves at 8 AM, you will have to catch that 5:45 AM shuttle in order to arrive to the airport on time and make it thru the long security lines. A cab to the airport is $10.

Second, we found the R Crumb look alike at the front desk to be quite snide and petulantly, determinedly unhelpful and unpleasant.

Our room, smelling unhealthily of mold mildew and that certain je ne sais quoi of perpetual dampness caves have, was small and dismal, tho not obviously unclean.

The sheets were absolutely the most threadbare I've evr seen - like some spiderwebby tattered frock Stevie Nicks would have worn in the late 70s. They looked grease stained but it was just that they were transluscent in places. When I lay on the bed the fitted sheets popped right off as the elasticity on the corners were just an old memory.

Breakfast is between 7 and 9, if you are taking the shuttle for a flight leaving before 9AM don't count on getting any.

The only thing I enjoyed at all about our stay at this dismal property was the cheerful cab driver who came to take us away from there forever.

The hotel was difficult to get to on the shuttle from the airport, since the hotel staff didn't give good directions to the shuttle driver. The hotel had no hot water (that's right) and was snotty when we phoned to the desk to inquire about the hot water problem. Sheets and towels are threadbare and tub (no hot water, so who cares) was dirty. The Dida's restaurant, who leaves a take out menu in the rooms, made an unauthorized charge to our visa after we were back in Canada. Avoid this place!

Wanted to stay close to the Airport, with shuttle service as we turned in the rental to save a couple of days.

Faciltiy is an older LaQuinta, motel style with all rooms facing outside in two stories. While they claim many restaurants within walking distance, only IHOP is. The International Plaza mall is across the street but a long walk thru the parking lot. The mall is very nice with exclusive shop and great restaurants including Champps Sports Bar.

We requested a two queen bedded room, downstairs, near the pool and non-smoking. That's what we got. The quoted rate $135 nite, with AAA rate was $121.50 + tax. While the room was small, it was comfortable, with a desk and two chairs. Wireless and dial up were in room and free. Coffee maker, iron & board present. The bath is small, but functional. The walls are thin and you could hear the next door guest sneeze. Cars park in front of the units, so you hear the car alarms going off during the nite. You also can hear people as they walk near your unit.

The staff was very friendly and helpful, particularlly front desk clerk named Stephen. The breakfast begins at 6 am weekdays and 7 am weekends (not early enough for those catching an early flight). The food/drink offfering has more selection than usual and should please most. It is crowded, however.

Lodging rates are high near the airport. This facility is one of the closer ones and in the lower price range. The airport shuttle is free, a tip is appropriate. It's about a 10 minute drive to the airport. Road construction is everywhere.

I had stayed at another hotel, but their rate jumped to over $200 the final night so I decide to find another place. This hotel was right next to the airport so I thought I would try as I have never stayed at a LaQuinta. You really do get what you pay for. Room was ok. It seemed clean, but the spreads seemed very old. And the smell they spray - I can not get that smell out of my nasal passages. It gets in your nasal cavity and will not leave it is so strong. The IHOP gets a strange bar crowd late. I had to get something out of my car and an SUV leaving the IHOP asked me if I was looking for a prostitute for the night. If you want a cheap hotel that is ok, this would probably be the place. Certainly not a high end hotel/staff, but you get what you pay for.

The staff was surly from the get go. And as we were going on a cruise the next day and had 6 heavy bags they gave us a room on the 2nd floor. NO elevator so you have to shlep your bags up the stairs. Room was not the cleanest. I would never stay here again and would NEVER recommend it to anyone that I liked. Yes IHOP is located next door but they had an hour wait for breakfast so that was a waste of time too. Do yourself a favor and don't believe all of the positive reviews here.

Great location, the desk clerk graciously allowed us to check in early, and then we got to the room....and the smell almost knocked us down. Smelled like a tiger had sprayed the room and then someone tried to cover the stench with some sweet orange scented concoction. It was rank. We opened the door and windows and turned on the a/c and left for the day. When we got back that evening, the smell was as bad as ever and there was no other room to move us to.... The free airport shuttle was great. The room was fine, but for that smell!!!!

I was excited to find a property so close to the airport! Such an easy drive in and not too far from a very nice mall... so we will definitely stay in the area again - just not at this property.

The reservations agent promised one thing and delivered another. But we took it anyway since we were travelling with kids. The roach on our child's towel after bath provided some evening excitement as we were trying to wind down for a decent night's sleep.

That neither my wife or I were able to fall asleep thanks to the sagging beds & roach adventure was a blessing in disguise since the alarm clock in the room was broken and the front desk wake up call never came.

And for this there was no discount on our room rate.

$135 for a very dirty room and facility. Discouraging, for in the past tripadvisor ratings have been quite reliable. There is an obvious breakdowwn in management control, amazing to me that a chain like La Quinta would allow a property this bad to exist.

We stayed at this property after taking an 11 day cruise. We had six heavy pieces of luggage. Woke at 5 am to catch the 6 limo bus. This hotel contracts their limo servive. Contacted the night auditor to inquire about the limo driver to pull around the room so we would not have to lug this luggage to the lobby. He refused to call the limo company and refused to give me the name of the company. Went to the office area to get the luggage cart and guess what? Thats right, no luggage cart to be found and the two people working had no idea where it could be located. I asked again for them to call the limo service to pull around to the room. Still refused and we were told that it was not his problem that we have heavy luggage. When the female driver arrived she was more than happy to pull by our room. Young man at La Quinta, you are definately in the wrong business!!