Where to stay

One of the most popular neighborhoods in Tampa is the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay area, where families can enjoy theme park rides, animal encounters and exciting shows. The nearby Museum of Science and Industry and Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park are also highly renowned. A hotel in Downtown Tampa is close to the Florida Aquarium, perfect for viewing marine animals close-up and even joining a swim and dive encounter in waters next to turtles, eels and reef fish. Book a hotel in Apollo Beach to watch manatees as they seek the warm waters of a power plant outflow during cooler months. While River Walk is a great place to stay at any time, the neighborhood comes alive in the beginning of the year with Gasparilla events, including the huge Parade of Pirates.

With its warm Central Florida location, Tampa is perfect for enjoying outdoor activities. Book a hotel in Temple Terrace for a golf vacation or exploration of Lettuce Lake Park, where a long boardwalk overlooks the Hillsborough River and the area's varied wildlife. New Tampa might sound like a revitalization of a downtown neighborhood, but it's actually a great place to stay north of the city with a lovely nature park for picnicking, hiking, ziplining and observing wildlife near a large wilderness preserve. Book a hotel in nearby Wesley Chapel and enjoy the hiking, biking, horseback riding and fishing in the Cypress Creek Preserve.

Tampa neighborhoods offer a huge variety of cultural activities. Stay in Downtown Tampa for the Tampa Theatre, a nearly 100-year-old movie palace now offering films, concerts and other events. Hotels in the neighboring River Walk are near museums such as the Henry B. Plant, an 1891 hotel maintaining original furnishings, as well as an excellent photography museum. Here the Straz Center for the Performing Arts offers Broadway, comedy, dance, opera and other musical events year round. Book a hotel in Ybor City to be close to nightclubs and museums as well as the initial founding of the cigar industry in the U.S. To enjoy great professional sports, stay in Westshore near Tampa International Airport for football or Downtown Tampa for hockey. For a quite different cultural event, get accommodations in Ruskin on the Little Manatee River for its annual Tomato and Heritage Festival.