Aloft Tampa Downtown — Hotel in Tampa

I will never stay at Aloft Tampa Downtown again. As soon as I arrived I was informed that my room was upgraded to a water view room (pic below), which was a nice upgrade. Once the elevator reached my floor (2nd floor), I noticed an overwhelming pungent smell of musty sweaty feet. So much so, that I was concerned that the smell would penetrate my clothes. After entering my room, the smell still persisted. I quickly went straight to checking my bed and the room for cleanliness, and I was greatly disappointed. My sheets were stained and their was an odd red stain on my comforter. I did not want to complain, so I went down and showed the person (manager) at the front desk the pictures of the stains and asked for new sheets so that I may change them. They apologized and gave me new sheets and pillow cases. When I returned to my room I started to replace the sheets and when I went to pick up the pillow to replace the case, a bedbug ran across it. I killed it instinctively and I quickly called the front desk and the response that I received was interesting. I was told that they were "not qualified to identify whether it was a bedbug or not." Personally, even if it were something else, seeing something run across your pillow is not okay by any standards.

They offered me another room that was clean, so I moved to that room. But that room was dirtier than the one with the bedbug. The amount of dust under the bed was atrocious. I only stayed that night because the other hotels were booked due to the conference that I was attending. But thankfully, the Marriott Water Street hotel had something available. When I went back to Aloft to speak with the manager and let them know that I wanted to leave and that the Marriott needed my conference code to transfer my rate, they claimed that they were not able to do so. So the called another manager to confirm and that manager did not acknowledge the poor experience that I had in their hotel. The Marriott was more apologetic than Aloft was. My advice would be to stay at the Marriott Water Street Hotel. The were extremely accommodating and were willing to turn around my poor experience with Aloft. Aloft is one of those, "you get what you pay for" type of hotels. Save your money and stay at a clean establishment like the Marriott Waterstreet Hotel. Think of it this way, the money that you would save at Aloft would be spent getting your house exterminated for bedbugs later on.

All in all, the only good thing that I would have to say is that the location of the hotel is nice, but the Marriott Waterstreet Hotel location is much better. But Aloft is located right near the riverwalk, just as the Marriott.

Outside of the bedbug and dirty room issues, I wish that it was handled better on a customer service side of things. Since Aloft is a Marriott hotel, the district manager told me that I only had a certain amount of time to go to the Marriott Waterstreet Hotel to book my room or they would release it to someone else. I felt that was unnecessary when knowing my experience with them. I feel that some retraining may be necessary for their upper-level...

Colorful and Convenient: Stay at Aloft Downtown Tampa!

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Aloft Downtown Tampa for a business trip, and I must say, it was an experience worth sharing. From the vibrant and spacious ambiance to the added convenience of valet parking, this hotel had its charms. Finding parking in downtown Tampa can be a challenge, so having valet service was definitely a plus.

However, one minor downside was the inability to call from the room and request the car to be ready a few minutes prior to departure. Perhaps it was due to the hotel being busy during my stay, with a high demand for valet services and potentially fewer staff members available. Nonetheless, this was not a significant issue but something I would have appreciated.

Upon arrival, I made my way to the modern industrial-style lobby bar, where the bartender skillfully crafted a Moscow mule for me. It was the perfect refreshment after a long journey. Although I didn't explore their food options, as I had plans to dine with friends in the Tampa area, I found the lobby bar to be a trendy spot.

One aspect that stood out was the hotel's excellent location. It took me only four minutes by car to reach the venue for my meeting the following day. The convenience of being close to my destination was a definite advantage.

As for the room, I opted for the top-floor suite with a balcony. The modern/industrial decor style, typical of Aloft hotels, was beautifully reflected in the room's design. The balcony provided a breathtaking view of Tampa's waterway, adding a touch of awe to my stay. However, it's worth mentioning that there were multiple "no smoking" signs on the balcony, which, as a cigar enthusiast, was a slight disappointment. Given the splendid view, it would have been enjoyable to indulge in a cigar while taking it all in.

Regarding the cost, I found it slightly higher than expected for a three-star hotel. However, considering its prime location, it was understandable. While Aloft Downtown Tampa may not be my top choice in the Tampa area, I would have no reservations about staying there again if the opportunity arises.

In conclusion, my visit to Aloft Downtown Tampa left a positive impression. Its vibrant atmosphere, convenient amenities like valet parking, and the stylish lobby bar made for a memorable experience. The stunning view from the balcony of the well-appointed suite added a touch of elegance. Although there were minor inconveniences, they did not overshadow the overall satisfaction of my stay. If you're looking for a colorful and conveniently located hotel in Tampa, Aloft Downtown is worth...

The location was convenient to the places I needed to go during my stay. It's very nice in the lobby and main hotel areas. Address says Kennedy but it's actually facing Ashley, not Kennedy. GPS is going to turn you on to Kennedy and there is no way to get into the hotel. It takes you across the bridge over the river. You must pass Kennedy and turn immediately right. It is valet parking only and a very small area to pull into which was often crowded with multiple cars. They have some luggage carts but they are very small. The floors the rooms are on are kind of like mazes and a little confusing. The room itself was very clean and comfortable, however as soon as you open the door you are standing looking at the bathroom so if you happen to be brushing your teeth in front of the sink after getting out of the shower and someone opens the door to your room everyone in the hallway can see you. I did not care for that. It's a bowl sink that sits on top of a small counter so you do not have a lot of counter space. The room is set up kind of like a studio. There is no actual closet there is a headboard about 18 in thick that is the room divider/closet. You have about a 12-in bar to hang clothes on maximum. The bedroom itself has a king size bed with about 3 ft to walk on one side and 4 ft on the other. At the foot of the bed are two I guess you would call them desks and a footstool in between. No dresser or anywhere to store your luggage. We literally had our suitcases open on the footstool for 3 Days living out of them. It was not the most convenient situation. We were there for a wedding so we had lots of things like dresses and suits for different events throughout the weekend and there was just nowhere to put anything. Upon our exit the front desk could not find a luggage cart so we had to make multiple trips down only to find all the luggage carts lined up outside by the valets not being used. I found 37 a day to park very expensive considering there's no option available. Also the rooms were very expensive. We stayed two nights with two nights of valet parking and it was $757. The staff was friendly but no one goes out of their way to help you. In addition my son was supposed to stay in the room with us and there was supposed to be a blow up bed for him. Even though we asked for the first night it still never arrived the entire time we were there. We ended up having to make other arrangements for...