My broker recommended this hotel to me and my wife during our stay in Tampa while we were relocating from New York. The Doubletree welcomed us to Tampa and they made us feel like a native of Tampa. They were all glad to have us in there hotel and we stayed there for (2) weeks. We found a house and are planning to come back next month...and guess where we will be staying???

You guessed right, the Doubletree! It is about people and they get it at this hotel.

My girlfriend and I stayed at this Doubletree Suites on a Sunday night into Monday morning (we're actors, so we often only have Mondays off) prior to a day trip to Busch Gardens. The check-in process was quick and painless, and we were quickly on our way to our 2-room suite on the second floor, just off the elevator. The parking area is well-lit, and butts up to a Village Inn restaurant next door. We did not partake, but hotel guests can receive a 10 percent discount there.
Our room was lovely. Clearly, some recent renovation has taken place; I smelled fresh paint. The rooms are spacious, though I'd say the 2-room suites are ideally sized for 2 people only. The room doors are of that odd garden apartment variety - mostly glass, and you draw privacy curtains across the threshhold in order to close out the light and passersby. My girlfriend and I quickly thought of the Disney Haunted Mansion: "This room has no windows and no doors!"
The bed was a lovely king; just too soft for either of us to really appreciate. Bed boards are available at the 'Tree, so in retrospect, I suppose we could have whined for one.
The rooms are mostly dark carpets and dark woods, so better lighting is in order. Thick cream glass shades and amber fixtures do not light adequately. If you want sunlight, everyone walking past your room is going to know what you're up to.
The water pressure is SAD. Not only sub-par, and quite a letdown, considering the thirsty towels in the small but functional shower. The sink unit is outside the bathroom proper, a feature I LOVE to see.
Busch Gardens is only 3 minutes away, and on a Monday in January it was EMPTY. All in all, rock on, Tree!

To kind share a little light from the managements response dated back May 2004...the hotels still has (inside) problems that renovations do not relieve. My honest observation:

The Suites are small compared to our usual vacation stays with Embassy Suites. We decided to stay because of the slightly better value. Well the front desk and lobby area is small. If you use the luggage cart, you must prepare for a long hike to a single elevator location that's toward the rear of the building.

The service was spotty. We had to explain the next morning that we were guest for breakfast, because we had not received our breakfast coupons upon check-in. Couldn't believe they weren't tucked in the hotel key pouch as is the norm.We were told to contact the front desk for verification. The head staff at the Dining was not friendly (although we tried) due to being more concerned with serving "hook ups" to go trays to fellow employees. That same morning I called 3x's for a toilet paper rack that was missing from our bathroom...total time (1hr.). If you like going on family vacations where you do most of the service, this is the spot!

This hotel was awesome! It was less than a 5 minute drive to Busch Gardens and there were plenty of places to eat at along the way. The room was super clean and had a separate living room area with a sofa, TV and dining table. The living room had a bar as well with a microwave, sink and mini-fridge. I cannot say enough about the bed...IT WAS SOOOOO COMFORTABLE!! Lots of feather pillows and a down comforter. The entire suite is tastefully decorated and looks brand new. The only downside of the room was the small bathroom, but it still made due. If I go to Tampa again I will definately stay here!!