Tampa - Wingate USF/Busch

[scsagh]

Has anyone stayed at this hotel before? How safe is the area there? Sounds great with a hot breakfast and shuttle to Busch Gardens.

 

Thanks for any info!

[mikeymars]

Has anyone stayed at this hotel before? How safe is the area there? Sounds great with a hot breakfast and shuttle to Busch Gardens.

 

Thanks for any info!

 

There was some other thread in this forum (which I now can't find) where some Tampa local was telling everyone and anyone that the entire area around Busch Gardens was some sort of horrific crime nightmare and that they shouldn't stay there unless packing a pistol.

 

Frankly, I found that a little overblown, given I've visited the USF Campus before and didn't get any feeling that security is problem there (and being from New York, I'm more than sensitive to that; I can smell "bad area" a mile away). We are staying at the Embassy Suites on the campus in February before our cruise, for the same reasons you are looking at the Wingate (free breakfast and free shuttle to/from Busch). If you are going to be staying solely in the park and hotel (ergo, not driving around or walking around areas outside the campus, I prefer not to do either in any urban area in South Florida) you should be fine.

[jakie]

I have stayed at the Wingate many times and it is great! Very clean (and my mother is a freak about cleaniliness) and a gracious and helpful staff. Their breakfast is one of the best 've had (we usually stay at Hamptons so I'm using that as a comparison) -- make your own fresh waffles and plenty of variety -- they also have a "breakfast on the go" brown bag if you don't have time to eat at the hotel. If you go -- tell Manuel, the manager, I said "hi!"

[scsagh]

Jakie,

 

I guessing that you stayed at the Wingate in North Tampa not the one by Busch Gardens. Is that correct? I believe that is the one that Manuel is the manager and has won awards. It has very good reviews on tripadvisor vs. the Wingate at Busch Gardens.

 

Let me know if that is not right, as we reserved the Wingate in North Tampa.

 

Sandy