Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tampa East - Ybor City by IHG — Hotel in Tampa

Here is the review I wish I had seen when I looked up this location:

AVOID!! THIS LOCATION IS DANGEROUS!!

I cannot comment on the inside of the hotel itself, because I could not even safely exit my car to go inside!

I (a small woman) arrived at 11:30pm after a concert, with my 13yr old son. When we pulled onto the road right in front of the hotel, a shirtless man tweaking out on drugs in the middle of the road, approached my car and tried to make us stop. Just yards away, we pull into the hotel parking lot, and could barely see where to actually pull in because it was poorly lit and there was a torn up dirt area up front that I didn't want to get stuck in. So I drove past and pulled into the Wawa next door to turn around. There were more addicts there too. They have some police lights just set up outside (not like on a police car, but just a metal stand) to I guess give the impression of a police presence? It isn't doing any good, I can tell you that much. So I turn around and try again to pull into the hotel parking lot and there are 2 more sketchy people on drugs, circling the parking lot on bicycles, probably checking for unlocked vehicles. My son was scared and said he would not be able to sleep there. I was legitimately concerned about getting out and trying to walk through that parking lot. It was scary. And I was also concerned about having my car broken into. I ended up leaving without getting out and driving all night instead. Not fun.

The price I paid for the room absolutely did not reflect the area and the reviews I saw also do not reflect what it is like. During the day, it might feel better while the scaries are sleeping, but at night it is a different story. I am empathetic to their struggles, but I would be naive to believe it wasn't a dangerous situation.

I called the hotel the following day and told them what happened and politely requested a refund. They asked if this happened on their property, I said yes, it was in the parking lot. They then stated that the manager refused, and said that they are not liable for anything that happens not within the walls of the hotel. So I'm out $200, along with having this experience.

Heed my advice- Go somewhere else! Because if you do have the same experience as I did (which you will if you arrive after dark), you will also receive poor...

We generally are very fond of the Holiday Inn brand (Express or Suites) and look to them first when traveling. Visiting Tampa for a cruise, it was our natural inclination to look to this chain first. This location was easy off the highway and within a short distance (15 minutes) of the Tampa Cruise Terminal. The hotel offers a shuttle service that runs to the port and also has a parking option (at a cost) to leave your vehicle on the premises while away on a cruise. Dining options for the area are limited to some fast food operations but Uber rides are plentiful and reasonable priced.||Our King Bed Suite was a nice size room with king bed and small sitting area with a sofa and coffee table. I wouldn't quite consider it a suite, but it was more than adequate for the limited time we were in the room. The bathroom and walk in shower were bright and well maintained. Overall the room was comfortable and (as we have come to expect) the linens and pillows were Holiday Inn luxurious - simply the best hotel sleep of any chain.||As good as the room and bed were at this location, the included breakfast was disappointing. We have dined at dozens of Holiday Inn Express locations and appreciate it for what it is. We don't expect exceptional quality, but we do expect consistency; and, this location failed. Half way through the breakfast service (on consecutive days) we experienced the following problems: coffee was empty, juice was empty, "signature" cinnamon buns were empty and the warmer turned off, garbage was overflowing (really overflowing), tables were littered and dirty, and the bread box contained one slice of white bread. When I approached the staff in the kitchen to ask about refilling the stations (particularly since there was still an hour left to the breakfast service), they were kind enough to look up from their phones, smile, and tell me that they would be out shortly. I guess, to the staff's credit, they did refill what they could (coffee, juice, bread) with 10 - 15 minutes, but it should not have been my place to interrupt them to do their job.||In summary, this location has some positive aspects that will bring us back should we return to Tampa. We only hope that the negative issues can be resolved so that this hotel can at least be consistent with the rest of the Holiday Inn...

We generally are very fond of the Holiday Inn brand (Express or Suites) and look to them first when traveling. Visiting Tampa for a cruise, it was our natural inclination to look to this chain first. This location was easy off the highway and within a short distance (15 minutes) of the Tampa Cruise Terminal. The hotel offers a shuttle service that runs to the port and also has a parking option (at a cost) to leave your vehicle on the premises while away on a cruise. Dining options for the area are limited to some fast food operations but Uber rides are plentiful and reasonable priced.||Our King Bed Suite was a nice size room with king bed and small sitting area with a sofa and coffee table. I wouldn't quite consider it a suite, but it was more than adequate for the limited time we were in the room. The bathroom and walk in shower were bright and well maintained. Overall the room was comfortable and (as we have come to expect) the linens and pillows were Holiday Inn luxurious - simply the best hotel sleep of any chain.||As good as the room and bed were at this location, the included breakfast was disappointing. We have dined at dozens of Holiday Inn Express locations and appreciate it for what it is. We don't expect exceptional quality, but we do expect consistency; and, this location failed. Half way through the breakfast service (on consecutive days) we experienced the following problems: coffee was empty, juice was empty, "signature" cinnamon buns were empty and the warmer turned off, garbage was overflowing (really overflowing), tables were littered and dirty, and the bread box contained one slice of white bread. When I approached the staff in the kitchen to ask about refilling the stations (particularly since there was still an hour left to the breakfast service), they were kind enough to look up from their phones, smile, and tell me that they would be out shortly. I guess, to the staff's credit, they did refill what they could (coffee, juice, bread) with 10 - 15 minutes, but it should not have been my place to interrupt them to do their job.||In summary, this location has some positive aspects that will bring us back should we return to Tampa. We only hope that the negative issues can be resolved so that this hotel can at least be consistent with the rest of the Holiday Inn...