Travel Dates: April 2021
Hotel: JW Marriott Tampa Water Street
Right in downtown Tampa, the hotel is in a good location for water activities, otherwise all that is near it are other hotels and business buildings (food options are limited in this area).
JW Marriott has a nice “rooftop” pool and bar on the 6th floor (total floors of the hotel are about 24). If you are a guest at the Marriott across the street, you can also access the pool at JW.
We chose JW because we had a free night stay. Otherwise, it’s not really worth paying the premium for this hotel, although you are paying for quality and luxury. Valet parking is $32 a night.
Food:
Tampa is known for its large Cuban population, so we couldn’t leave without trying their cuban sandwiches. We went to La Segunda Central Bakery and Columbia Restaurant. To be honest, we were a bit disappointed in the cuban sandwiches there, as we’ve had better in New York. There was nothing too special about the sandwiches in each spot. However, La Segunda Central Bakery has an amazing guava turnover. The pastry is crispy and the guava filling is perfectly sweet and delicious.
I highly recommend getting the guava turnover at La Segunda Central Bakery. They have two locations: one in Ybor City and the other in South Tampa. Ybor City is the original location and has a way longer wait time than in South Tampa. What you can do is order online ahead of time so you don’t have to wait as long.
For Columbia Restaurant, it’s a nice place to go for the ambiance. They also have a flamenco show at night ($8 cover charge per person).
In Tampa, we also had Datz and King of the Coop. We went to Datz for brunch and it was pretty packed. They’re known for the Cheesy Todd burger which I tried and in my opinion, it was a bit overrated. It’s only special because instead of bread, they use fried bacon jalapeño mac n’ cheese “buns.” I recommend going to King of the Coop instead, but only if you are a fan of spicy fried chicken. We had their chicken tenders with Midway (medium) hot and Coop’s Fury (spiciest), and the fried catfish with Nashville Hot. I’m not a spicy food person but the Midway hot was just the right amount of kick, especially since the meal comes with pickles and a sauce that’s a mayo based chili mix. On the other hand, if you’re someone who loves spicy, the Coop’s Fury heat would be right up your alley. It’s very spicy but still enjoyable, while Nashville Hot may not feel too spicy for you. We liked the chicken more than the catfish, but the catfish was crispy and flaky.
Activities:
Ybor City – Pre-COVID, this was the place to go for nightlight. The main street is filled with bars, cigar lounges, and clubs. When we went, it was pretty much shutdown (let alone we did go during the day time). Ybor City is also known as Cigar City, and there are many shops where you can get freshly rolled cigars. If you’re not a smoker, you can skip visiting here.
Tampa Riverwalk – A pedestrian trail by the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa, with several small parks and museums along the route. It’s a nice, calming walk and is about 35 minutes one way. Supposedly at night, parts of the riverwalk light up so it should be pretty.
Tampa Bay Water Bike – You get to ride a bike on the river–either solo or tandem. It’s $30 per person per hour, and that hour flies by! It’s really a workout especially since you’re paddling on a river, so sometimes you’re going against the current. You get to ride along the riverwalk and on the nearby channels. You do share the space with other boats so it can get a bit crowded, and you have to watch out for larger boats. Overall, I definitely recommend the water bike as it’s more fun and a different experience than just walking on the Riverwalk.
Globe Trotter 