Hotels in Tampa, Florida

A little about Tampa...

Tampa is a United States city in Hillsborough County, on the west coast of Florida. It serves as the county seat of Hillsborough County. The population within the city limits in 2005, according to the Census was 333,040. It is the third-largest city in Florida, behind Jacksonville and Miami.

Tampa is a part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area, most commonly referred to as the "Tampa Bay area". The four-county area is composed of roughly 2.7 million residents, making it the second largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the state behind Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, the third largest in the Southeastern United States, and the twelfth largest DMA Market in the United States.

Tourism
Attractions and points of interest:

Florida Aquarium

Historic Hyde Park is a historical district in South Tampa with many fine architectural examples.
The Skatepark of Tampa is a world-famous skatepark, with many professional skateboarders flocking to it in January for the Tampa Am, and in March, for the Tampa Pro skateboard contests.

Ybor City is a National Historic Landmark District near downtown. It is a hotspot at night (especially on the weekends due to the many nightclubs, bars, restaurants and other entertainment venues in the area). Ybor City and Tampa in general were an integral part of the Florida death metal scene.

Horse Racing at Tampa Bay Downs, near Oldsmar, first opened in 1926. The Tampa Bay Downs live racing season is from December to May with simulcasting year round. They also have a card room offering poker games.

Landmarks:

Sulphur Springs Water Tower is a highly visible but somewhat mysterious landmark.

Babe Zaharias Golf Course in the Forest Hills area of Tampa has been designated a Historical Landmark. It was bought in 1949 by the famous 'Babe' who had a residence nearby and closed at her death. In 1974, the City of Tampa opened the golf course as a public facility for the enjoyment of golfers.

The Story of Tampa, a public painting by Lynn Ash, is a 4' x 8' oil on masonite mural that weaves together many of the notable aspects of Tampa's unique character and identity. It was commissioned in 2003 by the City of Tampa's Public Art Program and can be found in the lobby of the Tampa Municipal Office Building.

The Tampa Riverwalk is a project in the works, designed to open the Hillsborough River, which winds through the city, to the people.

The city of Tampa is proposing building a more recognizable landmark in the downtown area - and one idea that has been proposed is a Space Needle building similar to that of Seattle's. Another plan calls for four large fabric "gates" to be placed at four areas leading into the downtown area that would be illuminated at night and would be recognizable to outside visitors, welcoming them into the downtown area.