When our staff recently received a few emails for recommendations for a hotel review, we found another property that we had to check out in Tampa, Florida. The Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk Hotel is a true gem hiding in the wings of one of Tampa’s most convenient areas of the Riverwalk and Channelside.
After taking over the Radisson Hotel, the Sheraton has done plenty to set this hotel in the right direction. We quickly found this out when we pulled up to the front of the hotel and the valet service for the car was quick as was the bell service for check in. There is limited space for parking a vehicle for check-in, as this maybe the reason for the prompt service.
Inside the hotel, the lobby provides a cozy and welcoming feeling. A statue of a Busch Gardens giraffe reminds you of some of the many places that the Tampa area has to offer.
Like most Sheraton’s they provide business travelers with great benefits such as the Starwood Preferred Floor, which has great views of the Hillsborough River and the college regatta races that take place right outside your window.
Once in the room, we found a spacious balcony that again added to the size of the room, as how compact the hotel looks from the outside, even surprised our staff when we opened the door.
You will get a great night sleep when you put your head to rest on the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Bed. This is the best feature that any of their properties can offer. These beds are as close to home as you will get and for some travelers are better than their own bed.
The hotel has 16 suites and Jr. Suites, with private living areas, separate bedrooms, and balconies. There are also a total of 277 rooms in the hotel making very easy to find a room when you need one.
The outdoor heated pool and pool bar overlook the Hillsborough River.
A fitness center includes sauna, cycle machine, stair machine, treadmill, and free weights. While it might not be like your gym at home, it is better than most from a hotel of this size. The heated pool was great and the will bring drinks to you from the patio if you happen to want to move from the tables to the pool.
This Tampa Riverwalk Hotel offers 12,000 square feet of meeting space with theater-style seating for up to 500. Audiovisual equipment and catering services are offered.
While we were at the property a large wedding reception was taking place and it seemed great for an event of this type with the pool and lobby areas for anyone with a function to mingle without feeling trapped in one room all day long.
If you are in the mood for great food we highly recommend the Ashley Street Grille, as their selections are very diverse. We decided to sample some of the menu items from both the lunch and dinner menus. Executive Chef Mark Witeck has made this place popular with the locals as well as travelers telling their friends to stop by lunch or dinner.
We really liked that you could order from the Soups, Salads and Sandwiches from 11:00 am until 11:00pm. If you looking for a salad with great proportions, we highly suggest the Buffalo Chicken salad, which is topped with a generous proportion of Crispy Fried Buffalo Chicken fritters with mixed greens and topped with Gorgonzola cheese. A lot of food for a great price of $14.00.
Looking for an evening snack? Well we have the perfect one for you in the Blue Crab and Shrimp Cakes. You wanted a taste that is all Florida, and then this is it. Jumbo lump blue crab and gulf shrimp served with buerre-blanc and pineapple salsa will leave you stuffed.
Ashley Street Grille also serves up a mean steak too. Both the Filet Mignon and the New York Strip are packed with flavor with the demi glace accompanying the filet and the pinot noir mushroom sauce.
For the seafood lovers, Ashley Street Grille has a great Yellowfin Tuna that is soy marinated and char grilled with wakami, Wasabi and pickled ginger. The Key West Shrimp keeps with the Florida flavor sautéed with garlic, red bell peppers, and scallions and tossed with fettuccini and chardonnay butter.
One service of the hotel we really liked and so will travelers who plan on hitting the town for the night is their semi on-demand shuttle service to three popular areas in and around Tampa (Channelside Plaza near cruise terminals, Ybor City and Hyde Park Village). Our request to be dropped off at the cruise terminal was granted also. This type of service shows that they truly care about the extras that some other hotels in the area may not. If you’re heading out late, after midnight, we recommend hailing a cab for the return trip.
The Sheraton provides a great view of Hillsborough River, is close to downtown (less than 15 minutes walk to convention center, Harbor Island, Tampa University, some museums and restaurants), quiet and safe neighborhood.
If you are looking for a place that will allow for business and leisure all in one place and that business or leisure travel brings you to Tampa, we highly recommend the Sheraton Riverwalk Hotel as the pricing is above reasonable for the area and the added amenities and proximity to all of the what most travelers will want from a hotel is an added bonus.
For more information on the hotel and to make a reservation, please visit their website at www.tampariverwalkhotel.com
The Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk is located at
200 N. Ashley Drive
Tampa, FL 33602 US
813-223-2222
