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Holiday Inn Express Tampa/Fairgrounds/Casino: Traveler Reviews

2.5 of 5
8610 Elm Fair Blvd, Tampa, FL 33610
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Holiday Inn Express Tampa/Fairgrounds/Casino
Ranked #73 of 158 hotels in Tampa
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68 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveler rating
    22
    28
    5
    4
    9
Date Rating
Newborn, Georgia
Top Contributor
105 reviews 105 reviews
20 hotel reviews
Reviews in 42 cities Reviews in 42 cities
15 helpful votes 15 helpful votes
“Don't take the elevator”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed July 17, 2012

Super location! If the casino route is what you enjoy there is a shuttle because the casino is just a few minutes away and over the interstate.
Complementary breakfast is standard fare ----gravy from a can, powdered eggs, hard boiled eggs, cinnamon buns, coffee, cereal, toast, etc... Average, but good and hot. Although they ran out of whole and 2% milk this morning......why?
Clean hotel, hallway and lobby. They run a fan the whole time on my floor (I guess to keep it from smelling musty?).
Now to the elevator......................you could take the stairs 4 times, both down and up from the 4th floor, before the elevator would even rise once to the 4th floor. Painfully slow is how I would describe it. After the second 5 minutes of waiting for the elevator to come up from the lobby I gave up and started taking the stairs.
The 4 pillows supplied with the bed were/are TOO big/thick Crick in neck. Would bring own pillows had I known.
Pool is "smallish".

  • Stayed July 2012, traveled on business
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
IHGCare, Guest Relations Manager at Holiday Inn Express Tampa/Fairgrounds/Casino, responded to this review
August 9, 2012
Dear garliclover101,

Thank you very much for taking the time to share your comments. We’re happy to see that our location was ideal for your activities and found the hotel clean. It is our goal to consistently provide superior service and accommodations at our hotel and your feedback is very important to us. We apologize for any issues you may have experienced with our service elevators and breakfast as well as discomfort from our pillows. Your feedback is very important to us as this assists us in continually improving the services and facilities we have to offer to our guests.

If there is anything you need next time you stay with us, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Sincerely,

Zelyn N
Case Manager
IHGCare
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Virginia Beach, Virginia
Senior Contributor
30 reviews 30 reviews
18 hotel reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
21 helpful votes 21 helpful votes
“If casino bound....recommend this hotel”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed June 28, 2012

We selected this hotel because it was close to the casino and ran a shuttle to the casino. We weren't disappointed. The shuttle was truly a plus. It left on time, took us over even when it wasn't time for a run and all you had to do was call and they zipped right back over to pick you up.

Customer service at this hotel is wonderfu. I don't have names...the shuttle driver was awesome, the gentleman working the desk Friday evening (June 22) made sure we all caught the shuttle and the young lady in charge of the breakfast area did a wonderfu job. Darling also provided excellent service throughout the weekend.

The room had all the usual....frig, microwave etc. The room was clean and the bathroom spotless. My only complaint....the room was well vacuumed however the carpet was stained and dirty. Our socks were black on the bottom in no time. The hallways were not vacuumed. The carpets could use a good cleaning. Rest of the hotel....spotless.

  • Stayed June 2012, traveled with friends
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Fairfield, New Jersey
1 review
“Stay in Holiday inn”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed June 22, 2012

Dear Tarisha,Our stay in Holiday Inn when we were at Hindu Priest Lecture from 2 June thru 10 June was very comfortable and hospitality was excellent.. The staff were very cooperative and polite, Also all van drivers have been excellent. Specially we enjoyed 4pm Popcorn break. Thank you so much for taking care of us. We have a very good memories of this hotel. Jayant and Pushpa Patel Rm 219

  • Stayed June 2012, traveled with friends
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Spring Hill, Florida
2 reviews
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“ehhh”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed June 17, 2012

My husband and I decided to stay here for our anniversary and to have some alone adult time .........after JUST coming home from the Holiday Inn, I have to say that I will NEVER stay there again....the best thing about our stay was the shuttle driver Norton. He made our stay worth it. When we first got to the hotel, there were 2 girls at the desk, (one with a guest the other standing there just talking) took about 8 minutes to even GREET us and as the 1 girl stood there talking to the other, my husband were standing there staring at each other. When we finally got to our room, it SMELLED and was damp. When we told the maintenance man all he did was come up to the room and spray some knockoff Fabreeze.....(i could have done that) and that didnt help but we were told "that there were no other rooms for us" and that was that, we had to deal with it. We paid $179 a night for a Jacuzzi tub in our room and it was just gross....after cleaning the bathtub myself with bleach it still was not relaxing. The tub it self looked as if it was going to fall through the floor. The beds in the room were MISERABLY hard...i get that its a hotel but come on. My husband and i asked for some extra pillows and we were told that "there arent any"....how do you not have extra pillows for your "guests"? When we called down to the front desk to ask for some information the girls seemed to have better things to do than to help us. (rude). The only thing that kept us at this hotel (besides the fact that they already took the $340 to pay for my 2 nights) was Norton.....he was AMAZING, always nice, energetic, fantastic people skills and was an over all great person! He made us feel comfortable and never seemed like we were bothering him. (unlike the girls at the front desk) He went above and beyond to help us, answer any questions we had and just chit chat with us. The random slamming doors we heard throughout the night didnt help either. I personally will never stay at this hotel ever again....id rather sleep in my car.

  • Stayed June 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 1 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
HolidayInnFair, General Manager at Holiday Inn Express Tampa/Fairgrounds/Casino, responded to this review
June 20, 2012
Thank you for taking time to post a comment about our hotel. I would like the opportunity to speak with you in person so I can determine which staff members were specifically involved with your check-in process. Customer service is very important to us and I'd like to address this specifically with them. If you would call me, I'd appreciate it. (813) 490-1000

Thank you,
Theresa White
General Manager
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Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Senior Contributor
25 reviews 25 reviews
19 hotel reviews
Reviews in 16 cities Reviews in 16 cities
22 helpful votes 22 helpful votes
“Great Property - Staff that REALLY care!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed June 15, 2012

I stayed at this property for 9 nights, as part of a larger group. We had basically commondered this hotel for our own use, with approx 30 guests in total staying at the hotel.

The rooms were run of the mill Holiday Inn Express (ie nice/functional) but what really made this property STICK OUT is the staff. Every single person we met (General Manager, Front Desk staff, Night Auditor, cleaning staff, housekeeping, shuttle driver) was so friendly and hospitable. They were always willing to cater to our needs...which made it feel like home!

Thanks to the GM and her lovely staff (especially Lauren) for their dedication and hard work...and keep it up!!

Room Tip: The nicest rooms are located on the ground floor (high ceilings).
See more room tips
  • Stayed June 2012, traveled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
HolidayInnFair, General Manager at Holiday Inn Express Tampa/Fairgrounds/Casino, responded to this review
June 20, 2012
Thank you so much for your kind words. We really do work hard to make sure that our hotel is a comfortable place to stay for ou guests. I hope you come back and see us again.

Thank you,
Theresa White
General Manager
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Additional Information about Holiday Inn Express Tampa/Fairgrounds/Casino

Also Known As:
Holiday Inn Express Tampa/Fairgrounds/ Hotel Tampa
Holiday Inn Express Tampa/Fairgrounds/ Hotel
Holiday Inn Tampa
Holiday Inn Express Tampa
Tampa Holiday Inn
Address: 8610 Elm Fair Blvd, Tampa, FL 33610
Phone Number:
Region: United States > Florida > Tampa
Amenities:
Business Center Fitness Center Free Breakfast Free High-Speed Internet Free Parking Kitchenette Pets Allowed Restaurant Suites Swimming Pool Wheelchair access
Hotel Style:
#48 Family Hotels in Tampa
Price Range: $
Hotel Class:2.5 star (2.5*)
Official Description (provided by the hotel):
The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Fairgrounds is Tampa's newest hotel located across the entrance of both the Florida State Fairgrounds and The Ford Amphitheatre. Our neighbors also include the nearby Hard Rock Casino, and the Sabal Park Corporate area. The hotel is minutes away from I-75 and the closest Sabal Park Hotel to Tampa International Airport. If shopping is your pleasure, we are easily accessible to Brandon Town Center mall (7 miles), Westshore Mall (12 miles) and International Plaza (12 miles). With easy access to I-75, I-4, I-275, US 41 and US 301, our guests are minutes away from all area attractions and points of interests. Our rooms either feature one King Bed and our two bedded rooms feature larger Queen/Queen setups. We feature an outdoor pool with lush landscaping in a corporate park setting. All rooms feature complimentary wireless & wired high speed Internet access, and we also offer a business center, fitness room and some rooms feature a jacuzzi tub for some extra relaxation after a great day in the Bay area. So whether you are in the area for the Fairgrounds, Raymond James Stadium, the area Beaches, Busch Gardens, or taking in an event at the Ford Amphitheater, the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites at the Fairgrounds is the STAY SMART location to be. ... more   less 
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