Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tampa-Fairgrounds-Casino by IHG
A quiet Tampa base offering free hot breakfast and bay views, though airport shuttle pickup times can vary.
The verdict
Pick a traveller type to re-weight the scores and re-rank the rooms around what you actually care about.
This hotel serves as a clean and quiet base near Tampa attractions, featuring comfortable rooms and a pool area with views of the bay. Guests regularly praise the helpful staff and the above-average free breakfast that includes pancakes, cheese omelets, and biscuits with sausage gravy. However, the shuttle service can be inconsistent, with some travelers facing long waits for airport pickups. 243
Every line below traces back to something a traveler actually wrote — open a line to read the original sentence and follow it to the source.
What travelers noticed
- Guests agree that the rooms are clean, quiet, and equipped with reliable free Wi-Fi and adjustable shower heads. 4
- The complimentary breakfast consistently satisfies visitors with hot options like cheese omelets, pancakes, and sausage gravy and biscuits. 2
- Reviewers frequently highlight the friendly and professional staff who are eager to help with a smile. drawn from the full read
The catch
- Experiences with the shuttle service are mixed: some travelers describe it as well organized and a major money saver for cruise transport, whereas others report waiting over an hour for airport pickups. 2
- Room configurations mostly earn praise for swivel TVs viewable from both the bed and sofa, though some guests point out quirks like an awkwardly placed safe. drawn from the full read
Who it's for
- — Cruise passengers looking for convenient shuttle transfers
- — Guests wanting a quiet room and reliable Wi-Fi
- — Travelers who appreciate a substantial free hot breakfast
Skip it if
- — Travelers on strict schedules who cannot risk airport shuttle delays
Seen on camera
13 moments · 2 videos · Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tampa-Fairgrounds-Casino by IHG
Each moment is pulled at the second a cited reviewer said the words. Play it here, or open the original video at that timestamp.
“Ah that's that mirror that shows all the details I like to use it but I don't like to F myself on it so two thumbs up fo…”
youtube.com2:45“they have a really nice shower head really nice let me see look at there you adjust it you have to have a stud adjustmen…”
youtube.com3:45“this room is huge y'all oh my gosh I'm definitely going to be comfortable here”
youtube.com6:38“the TV is nice and large a lot of space there's a little light switch right here”
youtube.com6:43“a safe in a weird spot for those of you who use the safe I don't use the safe”
youtube.com6:56“but look at this fancy iron board all right y'all what is do this light”
youtube.com7:13“so we have shade so we have the full blackout which there's a little daylight coming on both ends of it let me see if I…”
youtube.com11:28“as far as actual meals breakfast is included”
youtube.com12:31“and then the TV does swivel so not a lot but the way they have the room set up it doesn't really need to swivel a lot ri…”
youtube.com14:09“check-in was quick and eventful exactly what you want after a long day of flying across the country”
youtube.com0:29“I am happy to report that after I got to my room I couldn't hear a thing I know lots of reviews say things like no traff…”
youtube.com1:32“I found the room very clean especially the bathroom and the mini kitchenette the Keurig was spotless the microwave was p…”
youtube.com1:58“one of the standout amenities though is the complimentary shuttle to the cruise port which runs several times throughout…”
youtube.com4:05Frames are citations: each one links to its second in the source video, attributed to the creator who filmed it. Nothing here is supplied by the hotel. Creators who want a moment removed can ask and we take it down.
How to book
Score breakdown
How the 80/100 is built, category by category — each one with the strongest thing travelers actually said, and the source it came from.
Bathroom
100- “they have a really nice shower head really nice let me see look at there you adjust it you have to have a stud adjustment I don't know if I can do it with my hand yeah it has a where you could adjust the different settings” 43:45
Food
89Location
94Nothing quotable yet on this one — the score leans on the rest of the coverage.
Noise
92- “I am happy to report that after I got to my room I couldn't hear a thing I know lots of reviews say things like no traffic noise or quiet elevator but if I read one that said I couldn't hear the six 13 year olds next door belting out look what you made me do all night well that's a place I'd think about staying at” 31:32
- “We really enjoyed the hotel. We had a King room, last one in the hall by the stairs. It was such a quiet location.” 2
Room
100- “this room is huge y'all oh my gosh I'm definitely going to be comfortable here” 46:38
- “I found the room very clean especially the bathroom and the mini kitchenette the Keurig was spotless the microwave was probably the cleanest Hotel microwave I'd ever seen and the mini fridge was clean and cold” 31:58
Service
80Bed & Sleep
80- “so we have shade so we have the full blackout which there's a little daylight coming on both ends of it let me see if I can back up some show you what that looks like so yeah it's not going to get out all the daylight” 411:28
Value
74- “Different strokes for different folks but we thought it was a great deal for the money and the view of the bay from the hotel was a definite plus.” 2
Where it is, how to reach it
Details checked 2026-09-10
Where it sits
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tampa-Fairgrounds-Casino by IHG and the 38 other hotels we cover in Tampa. Hover a marker for the hotel; click to open it.
Stay value
How this property reads against the hotels we cover alongside it. Measured on review evidence, not on a nightly rate.
On par with what $ usually buys
Scores 2 points below the modest median of 82, across 404 hotels in the same bracket. In Tampa it sits 4 points below the local median of 84.
- This hotel
- 80
- Bracket median
- 82
- Index median
- 86
Based on 404 comparable hotels.
Which room to ask for
What reviewers say about where to sleep inside this building — by room number where one is named, and otherwise by floor, wing, aspect and position. Every line opens onto the quotes behind it.
No reviewer has yet described a room, floor or aspect specifically enough to act on at this property. Room intelligence appears here the moment they do.
Where travelers agree — and don’t
The topics reviewers split on most. A wide bar means your experience depends on which room you get — or whose opinion you trust.
View the 20 things travelers said behind this verdict▾
Quotes run exactly as travelers wrote them — spelling and all. We trim for length, never for tidiness.
- “The rooms were comfortable, the staff very nice.” 2
- “The shuttle service took us to a mall, and they were very prompt when we called for our ride back to the hotel.” 2
- “The room was really clean and the staff very friendly.” 2
- “The shuttle service was well organized and the return pick-up after the cruise was a big $$ savings.” 2
- “the TV is nice and large a lot of space there's a little light switch right here” On camera46:43
- “The only problem was the shuttle service. They picked us up from airport without any problem, but I know others waited over an hour for them.” 2
- “check-in was quick and eventful exactly what you want after a long day of flying across the country” On camera30:29
- “All the employees were more than helpful!” 2
- “as far as actual meals breakfast is included” On camera412:31
- “The breakfast was the standard and the rooms were clean.” 2
- “Rooms were fine, breakfast was good, and the pool area was very nice with a view of the bay.” 2
- “The breakfast was IMO above average. In addition to the usual pastry, bagels, fruit and yogurt they also had pancakes, cheese omelets and sausage gravy and biscuits.” 2
- “this room is huge y'all oh my gosh I'm definitely going to be comfortable here” On camera46:38
- “and then the TV does swivel so not a lot but the way they have the room set up it doesn't really need to swivel a lot right cuz you can still see the TV really good from either the bed or the sofa” On camera414:09
- “I found the room very clean especially the bathroom and the mini kitchenette the Keurig was spotless the microwave was probably the cleanest Hotel microwave I'd ever seen and the mini fridge was clean and cold” On camera31:58
- “they have a really nice shower head really nice let me see look at there you adjust it you have to have a stud adjustment I don't know if I can do it with my hand yeah it has a where you could adjust the different settings” On camera43:45
- “so we have shade so we have the full blackout which there's a little daylight coming on both ends of it let me see if I can back up some show you what that looks like so yeah it's not going to get out all the daylight” On camera411:28
- “We really enjoyed the hotel. We had a King room, last one in the hall by the stairs. It was such a quiet location.” 2
- “I am happy to report that after I got to my room I couldn't hear a thing I know lots of reviews say things like no traffic noise or quiet elevator but if I read one that said I couldn't hear the six 13 year olds next door belting out look what you made me do all night well that's a place I'd think about staying at” On camera31:32
- “Different strokes for different folks but we thought it was a great deal for the money and the view of the bay from the hotel was a definite plus.” 2
What we still don't know
What we can’t tell you yet, said plainly. These close as we read more coverage of this hotel.
- No reviewer has named an individual room number here yet.
- Nothing reliable said about room types.
- Nothing reliable said about floor level.
- Nothing reliable said about building or wing.
- Nothing reliable said about which side it faces.
- Nothing reliable said about view.
- Nothing reliable said about position on the floor.
- Bathroom rests on 1 source — too thin to rely on.
Ask about Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tampa-Fairgrounds-Casino by IHG
Answered only from the coverage cited on this page. If nobody has written about your question, it will say so rather than guess.
How much we read
Light coverage · 41/100We read 4 sources for this property, and pulled 31 traveler insights worth knowing. Last checked 2026-09-11.
Watch this hotel
We keep reading Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tampa-Fairgrounds-Casino by IHG. Tell us when you're staying and we'll follow it until then — you'll hear from us only when the verdict is rewritten, the score moves, or new reviews land. No daily mail, and the watch closes itself after your stay.
Sources
Everything quoted on this page, grouped by traveler insights, outlets, and video & podcast. Counts beside each group show everything we’ve read of that kind; no one kind can carry the score on its own.
3 of 5 summary lines above are traced to specific quotes. The rest summarise the read as a whole rather than any single document.
View all 4 cited sources▾
Everything quoted on this page.
- 2Looking at Holiday Inn Express Rocky Point Tampa for ...boards.cruisecritic.comReview site2011-06-14Ageing16 quotes used
“The rooms were comfortable, the staff very nice.”
Read originalboards.cruisecritic.com - 1Holiday Inn Express & Suites-Fairgrounds - Tampatravelweekly.comReview siteDate not statedRead originaltravelweekly.com
- 3Holiday Inn Express Tampa East - Cruise Hotel Reviewyoutube.comVideoDate not statedListened for quotes only4 quotes used
“one of the standout amenities though is the complimentary shuttle to the cruise port which runs several times throughout the morning”
Read originalyoutube.com - 4Holiday Inn Express Ybor City Review | A Quick Look at the ...youtube.comVideoDate not statedListened for quotes only11 quotes used
“as far as actual meals breakfast is included”
Read originalyoutube.com
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